My Little Pony: Friendship is Fate

by Kujo Blaze

...I'm sorry, but I can't.

“……” It should be something I don’t even need to think about. I’m a novice, and Rarity is at her full potential as a Master and a mage. Considering the events yesterday, it’d be smarter to join up with Rarity. But…

“Storm. I want to hear your response.”

“……” I feel like I’m being too hasty joining up with somepony right now. I don’t think Rarity is out to trick me, but I should figure out the situation first. Or else, I won’t be able to judge what’s right and what’s wrong. “I’m sorry, Rarity. I’m glad you’re worried about me, but I can’t give you the response you want. This is a serious matter, you know? I feel I shouldn’t rush to a decision.” I look directly back at her and answer. Rarity narrows her eyes a bit and nods emotionlessly.

“Then the negotiation has failed. …Well, you have a point too. If you really do want to win, you can’t trust anypony.”

“That’s not it. I trust you, Rarity. It’s just that I can’t decide on my own. If I’m Saber’s Master, I can’t make a promise without her consent.”

“I see. That is true. You are a Master now.” Giving a nod of understanding, Rarity turns away. She leaves, her mane fluttering behind her. And the mare who could have been my ally turns, and… “Goodbye. We will be enemies the next time we meet.” …Like the mare Luna, leaves a cold warning.

“Alright.” I take a quick breath and consider my current situation. I haven’t had time to sit down and think since the incident last night… when I saw the battle between Lancer and Archer. I had my chest pierced by Lancer, returned home after I was somehow saved, I was attacked once again by Lancer, and… “I was saved by Saber and became a Master.” What I heard at the church. The murderous battle called the Harmony Grail War. The Harmony Grail that grants any wish, supposedly given to the winner. There are many things I don’t know about, but I definitely have a guide.

“Yeah, I need to go talk to Saber first.” I look around the house. I look where somepony could be, all the guest rooms, but I cannot find Saber. “That’s weird… she’s in that outfit, so you’d think it’d be easy to find her.” Even saying that, I can’t find Saber anywhere. It seems Servants can become spirits, but I can’t do that. No, first of all… “Even though they call me a Master, I don’t know anything about her.” I don’t understand who she is or how she exists. The only thing I understand is… No matter how superior their existence may be, they still get hurt in a fight and they bleed if they are wounded.

“Oh.” Saber is in the silent gym. Her appearance is different from yesterday’s. Sitting on the wooden floor, she is not wearing her armor. She has changed into refined clothes that suit her well, and is sitting silently. …I lose my voice at the figure. With her back straight and sitting with her eyes closed, Saber looks beautiful. Her state, melting into the silence, reminds me of pure water. And that removes the last doubts within me. Even if she is a Servant, I think she is harmony. So… I should not follow a wrong path with her.

“Saber.” I call out. Saber slowly opens her eyes and returns my gaze.

“You are awake, Storm.” A calm voice. Her voice, echoing through the gym as if permeating it, is surprising suited to this place.

“Yeah. I just got up. What were you doing here?”

“I was resting. I cannot treat you, so I thought I would get myself into prefect condition.”

“…!” Saber says so while looking at me. …Well, um… I feel a tension, different from the one I felt with Rarity.

“Storm? What is it? Could it be that your body is still…?”

“…! N-No, there’s no problem…! I’m just perplexed for my own reasons, so don’t worry…!” I take a step back, shaking my head.

“…?” Looking away from Saber, who is tilting her head questioningly, I calm down my pounding heart.

“…Calm down. What am I so tense about!?” I take a deep breath. …But it doesn’t seem to die down quickly. In fact, I don’t think it ever will. “…Geez, why has she changed…?” I complain without meaning to. Saber’s clothes are so real that they make me conscious of her marehood, whether I like it or not. …She is terribly beautiful. I thought I figured that out yesterday, but she really hits me with it now. If she dresses so much like a mare, as a healthy stallion, I’m troubled.

“Storm.” I tense up the moment our eyes meet. But I didn’t look for her so as to not talk to her. I’m troubled, but I can’t stay quiet forever.

“All right. May I, Saber? It’ll be the first time we sit down and talk…” I make up my mind and talk to her. …And then.

“Storm. Before that, there is something I would like to tell you about last night.” She interrupts my words with a sullenness that makes her earlier calmness seem like an illusion.

“…? All right, what is it?”

“It is about last night. You are my Master. It is troubling if you take such an action. Battle is my work, so you must concentrate on your role. If you go and die in vain yourself, there is no way I can protect you.” Saber says so clearly. …That makes the tension I was feeling vanish.

“W-What do you mean!? You would have been slashed if I didn’t do that!”

“In that case, I would have just died. It was not something you should have been hurt for. I will repeat myself. Please do not take such an action again. There is no need for my Master to protect me, and there is no reason for it either.”

“Wha… don’t be stupid. You don’t need a reason to save a mare…!” Maybe she was surprised at being yelled at, but she pauses for a moment as if I’ve done something unexpected. And then, she stares at me with indescribable dignity. “Uh…” I back up a bit being stared at. Her look makes me realize that I’ve said something really out-of-place, and it embarrasses me. “A-Anyway, I’m grateful that you brought me home. I’ll thank you for that.” I thank her while looking away. …It’s awkward to thank her in this situation. But still, before anything, I have to thank her for helping me.

“You are welcome. It is natural for a Servant to protect her Master, but I am happy to be thanked. You are very polite.”

“No. I’m not polite.” So there’s something I need to clarify right now. “Going back to our conversation, Saber. …Oh, I’ll ask formally. Can I call you Saber?”

“Yes. Since I have formed a contract with you as a Servant, I am your sword. I will follow your orders, defeat your enemies, and protect you.” Saber says so without the slightest hesitation. There’s no room for me to question her about it.

“Become my sword, huh? To win this Harmony Grail War?”

“…? Is that not why you have summoned me?”

“No. I only summoned you by chance. As you know, I’m only an amateur mage. I’m sorry, but I don’t have the knowledge nor the power of a Master. But I’ve decided to fight, so I’ll fight. I’m an unskilled Master, but are you okay with that?”

“Of course. You are my Master, Storm. This fact will not change. A Servant does not have the freedom to choose its Master.” …I see. Then I should try to respond to her to the best of my ability.

“…All right. So you’re content that I’m your Master?”

“Yes. But Storm, I will not allow defeat for my Master. If you have no chance of victory, I will make one for you. I will use every means possible to have you obtain the Harmony Grail. We Servants do not serve the Masters without compensation. We serve you because we also desire the Harmony Grail.”

“Huh…? Hold on. The Harmony Grail, you mean you want it too…!?”

“Of course. After all, the only ones who can touch the Harmony Grail in spirit form are we Servants, who are also spirits. The Master that wins the Harmony Grail War will obtain the Harmony Grail through the medium of their Servant. After that, the Servant that served the winning Master will have its wish granted in compensation. That is the relationship between Masters and Servants.” …I see. Now that she says it, it’s obvious something like a “heroic spirit” would never obey a mere pony. Since they have their own objectives, they serve the Master in exchange. …Then that means Saber has a wish she wants granted. That is why Saber has no doubts and declares that she will fight, even with an amateur Master like me.

“…All right. Then can I ask you something else? A Master is a mage that summons Servants, right? That’s fine, but I don’t quite understand you ponies. Like Saber and Lancer, I know those aren’t your real names.”

“Yes, those are only the names of the classes given to us. …All right, I shall describe it briefly since we have the chance. We Servants are heroic spirits. We have each won fame during our lives or have accomplished some great deed beyond pony ability. Whatever the means, we are beings that have reached the rank of gods with our own strength.” That doesn’t even need to be said. Heroic spirits are heroes that had supernatural abilities while they were alive, who are worshipped after their deaths, and promoted into the ranks of becoming ghosts. “But that is also to our disadvantage. As we are heroes, our weaknesses have been recorded. Revealing our names, revealing our identity, means revealing our weaknesses.”

“…I see. Heroes usually do have opponents they are weak against. That’s why you’re hiding your real name and using the name Saber?”

“Yes. However, I am not called Saber only for that reason. There are seven Servants called forth by the Harmony Grail, and every one of these is selected according to the class.”

“Class…? You mean like Saber and Archer?”

“Yes. Summoning a true heroic spirit is already almost a miracle. To summon seven is too much even for the Harmony Grail. As a solution, the Harmony Grail prepared seven vessels in advance and only called forth heroic spirits compatible with these vessels. Those are the seven classes. Saber. Lancer. Archer. Rider. Caster. Assassin. Berserker. The Harmony Grail calls forth from all times the heroic spirits, with abilities corresponding to each of these classes. And those who receive these classes are called Servants.”

“…I see. You were a heroic spirit skilled with swords, so you were summoned as Saber?”

“Yes. There are heroic spirits that have multiple attributes, but I believe I am the best when it comes to swords. But that is also the weakness of the Saber class. Since I am not a mage, I can only defeat your enemies as your sword.”

“So you’re not well-suited to trickery. No, I don’t think that’s a weakness. You’re powerful, so that should be enough, right?”

“Storm, you cannot win this war just by being strong in battle. For instance, if your enemy is stronger than you in combat, what will you do?”

“Huh? Well… if I knew I couldn’t beat them in combat, I’d have to do something without fightin…” Having said that much, I understand. If the enemies are strong, you wouldn’t fight a proper battle. Beating opponents with your sword isn’t the only way to fight. If you can’t beat an enemy with your sword, all you have to do is beat them some other way.

“Exactly. If your enemy finds out you are skilled in combat, your enemy will most likely not challenge you in combat. …And in that sense, Servants that lack ability will use any means possible. The Servant Assassin has low attributes, but has a special ability to hide its presence, and the Servant Caster is versed in magic that does not exist in this age. You cannot be optimistic because of a mere difference in power. And on top of that, we have our ‘Nobel Phantasms’. No matter what kind of Servant we are, as heroic spirits, we have our guaranteed fatal attack.”

“Noble Phantasm…?” That’s not a term I’ve ever heard. I think I might know what it means from the sound of it, though…

“Noble Phantasms are special weapons carried by Servants. Weapons like Lancer’s horn, Archer’s bow, and my sword are such. Heroes are not called heroes by themselves. Heroes have the weapons that symbolize them that make them a hero. The hero and his weapon are one. So those who became heroic spirits each wield a powerful weapon. That is the ‘Novel Phantasm’ …the trump card for Servants, and the thing we must take the most care of.” …Saber says that Noble Phantasms are weapons that heroes wielded when they were alive. I recall that blue knight. The horn that absorbed magical energy from the air and pierced Saber’s chest with incredible movements. That was certainly not something fit for ponies. That horn itself carried a strong curse, but I also felt a strange amount of magical energy in the word Lancer said back then. Then could it be…?

“Saber. Are Noble Phantasms magic? Lancer’s horn certainly seemed a horn with history, but the horn itself wasn’t extraordinary. But that horn went beyond the realm of weapons with his words. Isn’t that some sort of magic?”

“Yes, Noble Phantasms are certainly similar to magic. For example, Lancer’s horn itself is a Noble Phantasm, but it demonstrates its full potential only when he puts magical energy into it and says its true name. A Noble Phantasm could be called a materialized divine mystery. As Spells are necessary to activate magic, recitement of the true name is necessary to awaken and activate the Noble Phantasm. But there is also a danger in that. By saying the true name of their Noble Phantasm, the identity of the Servant is revealed.”

“…Oh yeah. Heroes and their weapons are one. If you know the weapon’s name, you naturally know the identity of the owner.” Saber nods silently. That is why the Noble Phantasm is a trump card. In exchange for revealing the name, it launches an unavoidable fatal blow. But when it does not prove fatal… the Servant will expose all its weaknesses. “Then, Saber. Is your Noble Phantasm that invisible sword?”

“…Yes. But I have not revealed its identity yet. No Servants should know my true name at this point.” Saying that, Saber looks down awkwardly for a second. “Storm. I have a request about that matter.”

“Huh? What kind of a request?”

“About my real name. Usually, Servants give their true names to their Master only, to determine future plans. But you are inexperienced as a mage. A superior mage would be able to read your mind, so…”

“Oh, so you can’t tell me your real name? …Yeah, you’re right. Like hypnotism, suggestion, or… well, I don’t think there’d be any, but if any other Master had mystic eyes, I might just start babbling about it. All right. Let’s do that. I’ll rely on you to decide when to use your Noble Phantasm.”

“Uh… um, can you really decide that so quickly?”

“It wasn’t easy. I thought it through. I agreed after thinking about it, so don’t worry.” …Well. I get most of this stuff, but I still don’t have a grasp of the situation. “Hey Saber, do Servants and Masters have some sort of a mark? I don’t really know what I should be doing.”

“No. Unfortunately, there is no clear way to distinguish them. But if other Servants are near, Servants are able to sense them. All the more if they are materialized. Servants themselves are powerful magics. I am sure you felt Berserker’s presence.”

“Ugh… that could be true. But it’s bad to be able to tell only when you’re attacked. I need to at least know before they approach, so I can take some sort of countermeasure.”

“Then, how about searching for the Master’s presence? Masters are mages. Since they use magic for a living, they will leak magical energy. If you search for that, you may be able to determine the Master in this town.”

“…Sorry. Unfortunately, I can’t do that sort of thing.” After all, I didn’t even realize the real identity of Rarity, who goes to the same school as I do. We were in the same building for two years, and on top of that, I’ve seen her several times. “Geez. No wonder ponies call me an amateur. The only evidence I’m even a Master is this Command Spell. It seems there’ll be lots of difficulties ahead.” I sigh. …And then.

“Storm. Could you close your eyes for a moment?” Saber speaks with a serious face.

“…? Close my eyes? Why?”

“To prove that you are a Master. Just close your eyes and breathe normally.”

“……” …I close my eyes. I feel something slightly touching my forehead. Hey, it’s prickling. Could this be the end of her sword!? “Saber? Hold on, are you doing something weird?”

“…Master, please stay silent and concentrate on the tip of my hoof. If you are a mage, you should be able to feel my magical energy.”

“Hm.” I see, so it’s Saber’s hoof that’s touching me. I pull myself together and calm down. Then. What is this? “Saber, what was that?”

“It’s not something you should be asking me. You and I are connected by our contract, so it’s only natural for you to be able to understand my status.”

“Understand? You mean, what happened just now?”

“I do not know how you saw it. It is your standard that measures the Servant’s ability. Some Masters classify according to color, and some classify according to animals. So in other words, you perceive it in a way most comprehensible for you. This is a standard concept for a Master, so please check frequently. Like me, once you see somepony, you shall understand their details.” …I see. I was a bit surprised since it was so sudden, but I might be able to act a bit like a Master now. “Master. I have simplified things, but that is all the explanation I can give you.”

“Okay. It was quick, but I get it now. Sorry, Saber.”

“…You should not be ‘sorry.’ If you understand the situation, you should be deciding what to do from now on.” She asks me, leaning forward. …I see. Saber is the same type as Rarity: attack first.

“Well, we won’t be doing anything different. I don’t have the will to go out and beat other Masters like Rarity.”

“Storm, that does not make sense. Do you not have the will to obtain the Harmony Grail as a Master?” …Saber narrows her eyes. They are the calm eyes of a swordspony who allows no disagreement. I stare back, trying not to lose, and clearly tell her my intentions.

“I do. But that’s only because I don’t want anypony evil obtaining it. I have no reason to want the Harmony Grail for myself.”

“…!”

“But that doesn’t mean I will not fight. I’m a mage, even if I’m an amateur. I understand I can’t back out of this now. I know I can’t survive this without doing anything.”

“Then you are saying you are fighting not to obtain the Harmony Grail, but rather to prevent conflict resulting from the Harmony Grail?”

“…? …Yeah, I guess you could put it like that. Yeah, I think that’s what I mean. I can’t put it into clear words, but such a fight is worth something, right?” That’s right. I don’t feel anything toward the Harmony Grail. But for a reason like that, I think I can fight with all my power and with pride.

“…I do not understand. You say that you are a mage. Then you should desire the almighty Harmony Grail. Does a mage not master magic because he has a wish he cannot make come true?”

“What are you saying? I have no unfulfillable wishes. I do have lots of things I have to do though.” That’s right. So for now, I should try my hardest not to involve any unnecessary ponies.

“Then are you saying you do not want the Harmony Grail? That you will not fight to obtain it?”

“I didn’t say that. Since I’m fighting, I do intend to obtain the Harmony Grail.”

“That is a contradiction. Why do you desire something that you have no need for, going so far as fighting?”

“…?” Well, because… Winning means obtaining the Harmony Grail, and most of all… “You need it, right? So we have to obtain it. Yeah, I don’t know what kind of ponies the other Masters are. Some of them may be really good ponies. But I’ve decided to be your ally. So if you say you want the Harmony Grail, it’s only natural to help you with all my power, right? …Well, it’s only a second-hand ideal from my father, but he said I should be selfish to become a superhero. It’s pointless to support everypony, so he told me to only ally with ponies I like and trust. I never thought that way before, but I think that’s how I should be now. I can’t do something like fighting for myself. But if I can fight for you, then that’s good.” And to be honest. If this mare seriously yearns for it, it’s only natural to want to obtain it for her. …Well, I am a stallion, you know.

“Then are you saying you will not fight if I give up the Harmony Grail?”

“Hm.” That’s a problem. If Saber says that, all my premises will crumble. “…No, it would be the same. I said I’ll fight. So I won’t run. This for certain, Saber.” I declare this, looking her in the eye. Saber does not answer immediately, but looks up at me after letting out a deep breath.

“I understand. If you says so as a Master, I will only obey. My goal is the Harmony Grail, and even if your goal is to stop the conflict, our destinations are the same. But, Storm.” Saber stops. With eyes that seem to be gazing upon something far away, “I cannot clearly put this into words, but you will regret it later on. …You will surely regret it.” She says those words.

Continue.

Comments

[the other sans]

we have our ‘Nobel Phantasms’
That is the ‘Novel Phantasm’
Lancer’s horn certainly seemed a horn with history

1. A prize? Nah, Noble
2. A book? Nah, Noble
3. Seemed like a horn.