//------------------------------//
// The Banquet 
// Story: Fate/Twilight 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 7: The Banquet

An angry hiss escaped from clenched teeth.  Mato Kariya gripped his right arm with his left hand, clenching so tight that he drew blood.  The sight of Tohsaka Tokiomi's Servant standing in plain view filled him with loathing.  He longed to order his own Servant to strike and annihilate Archer with all his strength.  And yet he held back.  For, before Archer, stood Kariya's true objective.  Caster and her Master had apparently allied with Rider and his Master, which made obtaining her a difficult business.
Kariya was not actually within sight of the group.  Instead, one of his familiars, which he had been using to scour the city in search of Caster, had found her and her companions just as Archer appeared before them.  The small, black beetle was clinging to a nearby lamppost, its insectile eyes easily able to observe the affair without being noticed.
Letting go of his arm, Kariya lifted his hand and bit into his thumb.  "Just a little longer," he growled, focusing all his heart and mind on the image of his true objective, "Sakura!"



"Archer!" gasped Waver in shock as the two took an involuntary step back.  The regal Servant's gaze swept across them, moving dismissively over Waver, but lingering on Twilight for several uncomfortable seconds, before moving on to Rider, who had merely paused, looking over his shoulder.  Aaron had stepped away silently, falling into his roll as an observer as he stood unobtrusively off to the side.
Waver's eyes whipped from side to side as he checked the streets.  The evening was young, so there were still plenty of people about.  The rules of the Grail War forbade allowing normal people to find out about the conflict.  Naturally, starting a fight in front of so many witnesses would be a breach of conduct.  However, in their first meeting with Archer, he had demonstrated a streak of impulsiveness that rivaled Rider's own.  In truth, only Tokiomi's Command Seal could truly restrict Archer's actions.
"Well," said Archer, his tone filled with a contempt so natural that it inspired fear and admiration rather than resentment, "Tell me you so-called King of Conquerors, what is this banquet you speak of."
Turning about, Rider regarded the other Servant with a surprisingly companionable smile.  "A banquet worthy of kings," declared Rider, spreading his arms dramatically, "What other kind would there be?"
This raised a single golden eyebrow.  "Oh?  Is that so?  Do you really think a mere pretender such as yourself could truly host a banquet fit for a king?"
"Not just fit for a king, but attended by a king," replied Rider, "By three in fact.  I have heard that Saber and her Master dwell in a fine castle outside this city.  Could there be a more fitting place for such an occasion?"
Archer snorted derisively.  "I see, so you intend to bring Saber in on this as well."  A wry smile twisted his face as his eyes met Rider's.  "Tokiomi has been showing more fire than usual lately, but he still remains insufferably cautious, so I find myself with little to entertain me while I wait.  This banquet of yours sounds interesting."  He shrugged.  "Very well, I shall allow it."
"Ha!" barked Rider, "And of course you are invited as well.  Let us reconvene at Saber's castle in the mountains.  I shall secure provisions."
"So you offer me your hospitality?" mused Archer, "Very well, this amuses me.  But let me warn you."  His eyes narrowed dangerously.  "You have the privilege of being honored by my presence.  If I find that your preparations are lacking, I shall be sorely vexed."
Rider didn't even flinch at the veiled threat.  "I shall do my utmost to show you how a king hosts a banquet.  After all, a king's measure is in the hospitality he shows his guests."
"Very well," replied Archer as he turned and made his way back down the street, "But take care not to disappointment me."
As Archer departed and his presence faded, Twilight felt the tension drain out of her body.  She slumped slightly, not realizing just how terrified she had been.  She hadn't even been the focus of Archer's attention.  Just his being there had pressed down upon her like a heavy weight.  Movement off to her side caused her to glance over as Waver fell all the way to his knees, gasping for breath.
"Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling down next to him and placing her hands on his shoulders as the young apprentice struggled to regain his composure.
Waver didn't know how to answer her.  In a sense, he had already been faced with Archer once before, during that night on the docks.  But riding with Rider upon his mighty chariot had given the boy a strange sense of detachment, Rider's presence infusing him with a sense of courage that allowed him to keep the golden Servant's powerful intimidation at bay.  It had helped that Archer had been quickly distracted by Berserker.
He had already seen Archer with a Master's eyes, having already noted Archer's impressive stats.  However, in being this close to Archer, Waver had gotten a sense of something that went well beyond the numbers, a quality that couldn't be measured by Archer's parameters alone.  But he couldn't figure out what that quality was.
Something warm and solid pressed down between Waver's shoulders.  Twisting his head slightly, he caught sight of Rider's massive fingers, laying his hand down between Twilight's.  Looking up, Waver saw an encouraging smile on Rider's face.  "You did well boy," he said, "Stand and make ready.  We have work to do."
"Where are we going?" asked Waver as Twilight helped him to his feet.
"Isn't obvious?" asked Rider, his tone uncharacteristically serious, "We must go and procure the wine for our banquet.  Nothing but the finest shall do!"  He thudded his chest dramatically with his right hand.
Aaron chuckled and stepped back a bit.  "You three go on then," he said, "I have some things to take care of here."
Twilight blinked and stared at her Master, wondering why he was backing out of a situation like this.  It seemed to her that a meeting between three of the main Servants participating the war, not to mention herself, would be exactly the kind of thing he would want to see.
Aaron seemed to notice her unasked question and smiled.  "I can still watch through Shared Perception.  I can also communicate directly with you through it as well.  If I have any information to share with you, I'll tell you Caster."
"You're sure?"
"Absolutely," agreed Aaron, giving her a surprisingly congenial smile, "I'll still be watching, but I wouldn't miss this for the world."



Aaron watched Caster, Rider and Waver Velvet as they went off down the street on their errand.  Yes, a banquet between three powerful Servants, each claiming to be a king, was something worth seeing.  But, if he could avoid going there in person, it was for the best.  To go meet with Saber would be to set foot on Emiya Kiritsugu's turf.  Aaron had no intention of allowing himself to come within sight of the Mage Slayer.  However, he hadn't been lying.  There had been something that he wanted to take care of.  And speaking of that thing...
On a lamppost a short distance back, a small beetle spread its wings, which buzzed slightly before the tiny insect took flight.  It moved perhaps a meter or so before it was sliced in two, as though by an invisible sword.  It fell to the ground twitching as Aaron walked up to it, his hand disappearing into his coat as he returned something to its place in a smooth motion.  Its spasmodic twitches became frantic as Aaron stepped up and stared down at it.
"You may not be a proper magus Mato Kariya," said Aaron, sensing that the tiny familiar was still transmitting information to its master, "But I know better than to underestimate the tenacity of insects."  Lifting a shoe, he stepped down on both pieces of the bug, crushing it completely.
Looking upwards, Aaron addressed his next words to the other set of eyes he sensed.  "Oi!  Are you sure you want to waste time on me?  If you don't stay with her, you're going to miss something very interesting.  Don't get distracted."



Kariya hissed in pain as his body suffered the backlash of the destruction of his familiar.  An orthodox magus wouldn't have such an impression, but the beetle Kariya had been using to monitor Caster had been an incarnation of the crest worms implanted in his body.  Even using the familiar to spy had caused a slight amount of pain, as did everything that required prana.  The worms that writhed beneath his skin produced all the prana he needed, but, in the process, caused intense pain with every feat of magecraft.  Producing that familiar and then the backlash of having it be destroyed was not unlike the pain of having a fingernail being torn out.  It was not surprising that, when he needed to materialize Berserker, Kariya was left writhing in agony.
Even as he recovered from his familiar's destruction, a rush of anger surged through Kariya's chest.  It had been fortuitous coincidence that resulted in him stumbling upon Caster's group.  But Caster's Master had now eliminated his only lead.  He would be forced to start over again, spreading multiple familiars as far as he could in order to maximize his chances of finding Caster again.
So consumed was Kariya with the problems that he faced, he failed to notice the raven perched atop a nearby dumpster in the alley where Kariya slumped amongst the garbage bags, watching him intensely.  Kariya didn't even give the bird a second glance as it took to the skies, leaving him alone...for a short while.
The sound of footsteps outside the alley drew Kariya's attention.  A tall, imposing figure stood poised at the entrance of the alley.  Kariya's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the unknown man with his swept-back blonde hair and impeccable posture, which irritatingly reminded Kariya of Tokiomi.  "Who are you and what do you want?" he growled, preparing to gather his prana.  If this man was an enemy, Kariya had to be ready for an attack, or even to summon Berserker if it was necessary.
"Is that any way for you to speak to one who has graciously offered his assistance to you?" asked the man in a dismissive tone, "After all, I sacrificed one of my precious Command Seals to aid your Servant in his battle."
Kariya's eyes widened and his body tensed.  This man then, was Lancer's Master, Kayneth Archibald.  "Have you come to fight then?"
Kayneth shook his head slowly, smiling as one might when explaining something to a child.  "Not yet.  Instead, I have an offer for you.  I understand that you have a reason to be pursuing Caster."
Kariya surged to his feet.  "Who told you that?"
"It is unimportant," replied Kayneth smugly, "The point is, that I can help you with that.  You see, I too have noticed that Caster and Rider's Masters have formed an alliance.  I myself have a grievance to settle with Rider's Master.  It is in our mutual interests to work together, don't you think?"
It took all of Kariya's self-restraint not to loose Berserker on the man at that moment.  He utterly loathed this man already.  However, a single voice in his mind whispered that this might be his chance.  If Kayneth's offer was genuine, all Kariya had to do was accept it and capture Caster.  If he did that, then Sakura would be free.
"What do you have in mind?" growled Kariya.



The castle of the Einzberns was thirty kilometers west of Fuyuki's urban center.  Rider's chariot covered that distance in a matter of minutes.  Twilight found herself slightly grateful that Aaron had chosen not to accompany them as, in addition to the three of them, their cargo was taking up a substantial amount of space, resulting in the chariot feeling quite crowded at the moment.
She and Waver clung for dear life to the sides as Rider guided the two bulls pulling the vehicle into its descent.  Her senses barely registered the impending construct of prana ahead of them and she turned to shout to Rider.
"Wait!  There's a..."  Without slowing in the slightest, the bulls smashed through the bounded field as though it were nothing more than paper, the entire thing evaporating into nothingness.  "...Barrier."  Twilight sighed despondently.  "Well, if they didn't know we were coming before, they know it now."
"What?" asked Aaron's voice in her mind, "You were expecting him to use subtlety?"
"Caution at least," Twilight muttered back.  The soft chuckle she heard from the other end of the connection irked her to no end.
The chariot swooped low over the forest.  Ahead them loomed a magnificent castle.  Twilight had no frame of reference to compare it to.  The closest thing she had seen had been the decrepit and rundown castle of the Royal Pony Sisters moldering in the depths of the Everfree.  That castle had been larger to be sure.  But this one had a stately manner that spoke freely of its owners' wealth and power.
"I read that when the Einzberns came to Japan to participate in the Grail's completion, their representative didn't have the courage to set up a stronghold on land administrated by the Tohsakas.  So they picked the best space nearby and built this castle here.  I've also heard that it's rather cheap by the Einzberns' standards."
Twilight frowned at Aaron's explanation.  The chariot came in for a landing, the bulls lowing as it rolled to a stop.  The massive doors barring the entrance to the castle swung slowly open.  Saber stepped out, already wearing her silvery armor over the blue dress, her eyes cold and set, clearly prepared for battle.  Keeping a short ways behind her was Irisviel, leaning out cautiously from behind the entryway.  For a brief moment, her eyes met Twilight's.  The two of them stared at each other before quickly looking away.
Rider grinned, his chest thrust out as they came.  For a moment, Saber and Irisviel looked at each other in confusion before turning their eyes back to the massive Servant.
"Rider?" Saber asked, genuine confusion in her tone, "What are you doing here?"
"Oi Saber, I heard you staying out here and came to visit."  Rider cast an appraising look up at the castle.  "But you sure picked a gloomy place to set up in didn't you.  And by the way, shouldn't you be wearing something more modern?  When you arrived at the battlefield, you were wearing a fine suit that befits this era.  Why would you be satisfied with that old-fashioned armor when such fine clothes are yours?"
Saber and Irisviel blinked for a moment, completely baffled.  Rider's earnest arrival and complete lack of intent to fight stripped them of their resolve.  Bending over slightly, Rider pulled out the cargo he had brought along with them, a large barrel of wine that he hoisted over his shoulder.
"Rider, I shall ask again?  What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious," intoned Rider, his voice suddenly as serious as though he were about to charge into battle, "I've come to drink with you Saber.  Oi!  Don't you have a courtyard somewhere appropriate for banquet?  This is too fine a night to be enjoying good drink indoors.  Stop standing there like a stick and lead on."
Saber's body tensed and Twilight was certain that she was about to attack.  As Twilight and Waver moved back slightly, Saber suddenly let out a breath, her anger and frustration draining away.
"Saber, what's going on?" asked Irisviel, "Is he trying to placate you?"
Saber, who had looked at Irisviel when she spoke, turned her eyes back to Rider.  "No.  This is a challenge."
Twilight blinked.  Inside her head, Aaron's voice spoke.  "See what I mean?  For all his boisterousness, Rider is a cunning one."
"What do you mean?"
"On this battlefield, this is the manner in which he chooses to approach his opponents.  It's more than a matter of whimsically choosing to host a banquet.  He plowed through the Einzberns' bounded field on his Noble Phantasm, an act of war by any measure a magus uses, but arrives with wine where a sword should be.  It was the same thing last time.  He swept grandly onto the battlefield, showing off his Noble Phantasm and stating his identity openly, things that would normally be considered unthinkable for a Servant in this War to do.  And just now, he showed up with a completely different definition of battle than what his opponents were expecting.  With each move, he defrauds his opponents' expectations and turns what seems to be a moment of idiotic whimsy into a brilliant strategy.  Every time he acts, he turns the logic of the Grail War on its head, allowing him to 'attack' from an unexpected angle.  There was a hero in this country's history who had a similar approach to battle.  I think Rider would rather like him."
Twilight was silent, wondering who Aaron was talking about.  She decided to ask him later.  Rider was already answering Saber's words.
"That's correct.  Since we can't oppose each other with swords, we shall do battle with wine.  I should warn you, King of Knights, I won't go easy on you."
Saber gave Rider a thin smile.  "The same to you."



"The Einzbern castle."  Kirei frowned at the communications device.  "Are you certain?"
"There is no question," replied Tokiomi, "I learned of the matter from Archer, though, as always, he didn't tell me directly.  Even now, he is on his way."
"I see," said Kirei, uncertain of what to say.  After the warning he had received from Caster's Master, Assassin had withdrawn from pursuing Caster while he tried to come up with an idea of how to approach the situation.  The others had only just begun to assess the situation.  It was immediately apparent that several unexpected events were occurring in response to Caster's actions.
"What's more," continued Tokiomi, completely unaware of his student's indecision, "Caster is accompanying her.  This is an opportunity."
"My lord, what are you planning?"
"I cannot afford to waste another Command Seal in order to have Archer attack.  Even if I could, he would probably rebel against me afterwards.  So instead, we shall use Assassin and kill two birds with one stone.
"Order all of Assassin's bodies to attack en-mass.  Have them focus on Rider's Master, but also tell them to kill Caster in the confusion as well."
"Why Rider?"
"He is an unstable element, something we know little about, in spite of knowing his true name.  Using all of the Assassins at once should provoke him into revealing his true power, which will give us his full measure as an opponent."
Kirei swallowed.  "It shall be done."  Part of him had no desire to follow through with Tokiomi's order.  But, at the end of the day, he was still a hound of the Tohsakas, his fangs meant to tear out the throats of Tokiomi's enemies.  This was his purpose, his roll in the Holy Grail War...
...No matter what Gilgamesh might say...



The courtyard was a thing of beauty, filled with blooming flowers.  Even though the night air was chilly, none of the participants in Rider's "banquet" really noticed.  Rider and Saber had already settled themselves onto the stone tiles at the courtyard's center.  Rider quickly pried the lid of the barrel and the fragrance of the fine wine washed through the air.
Abruptly, he turned his head to Twilight.  "Oi Caster!  Though you are not a king, you are still a fellow Servant.  Tonight, this is our battlefield.  If you truly seek the Holy Grail to fulfill your wish, then you should join us."
Twilight hesitated in confusion, her heart torn.  It wasn't just her inexperience with drink.  Because of her focus on studying in Canterlot, she had never joined in any of the parties attended by her fellow students or gone to any bars or pubs with them either.  Even when she had settled into Ponyville, she hadn't exactly been the sort for that indulgence, even at parties.  Of course, since most of the parties were thrown by Pinkie Pie, who generally set them up to be compatible for ponies of all ages (regardless of who was actually attending), alcohol wasn't a common fixture.  But again, that wasn't what truly unsettled her.
Rider had named this spot as their battlefield and drinking as tonight's battle.  He had invited Twilight not merely to observe, by participate.  Thus, not only was he naming Saber as an opponent, but he was naming her one as well, even though they were supposed to be allies.  She briefly wondered if this is what Aaron had meant when he talked about Rider's approach to battle.
Nervously, Twilight carefully settled onto the cold tiles, moving her skirt to keep it from interfering.
"Come now Caster," prodded Rider, "You are among fellow participants, there is no reason to restrain yourself.  You should show your true form and face us openly."
A sly smile spread across Twilight's face as a thought occurred to her.  "That's rather hypocritical Rider," she said, "Weren't you just berating Saber earlier for not wearing modern clothes instead of that old armor?  Like you, I'm attending dressed in a manner appropriate for the current era."
In the silence that descended onto the courtyard, Twilight could sear that she could have heard a pin drop.  Both Saber and Rider were staring at her in disbelief.  She could even sense Waver and Irisviel watching her with stunned confusion.  Then, Rider's mouth twitched.  In an instant, he threw back his head, his uproarious laughter echoing into the night.  Even Saber cracked a smile and Twilight heard a small snicker from her.  In the dark corner of her mind, through the connection she shared with her Master, she heard Aaron chuckling.  For a moment, Twilight thought she had made a mistake and blushed furiously.
"Ha!  Well played!" boomed Rider, "I had no notion that you would be the first one to land a blow in tonight's battle Caster."  Saber said nothing, but she was looking at Twilight with something approaching...approval.  Twilight smiled demurely and looked down, a feeling vaguely familiar to the pleasure she felt whenever Princess Celestia had praised her for a lesson well-learned bubbling up inside.
Rider produced a long-handled bamboo ladle.  "It's unusual, but this goblet is supposed to be unique to this country."  No one among those attending had the will to tell him that he was completely wrong as he scooped up a serving of wine and drank it down with relish.
"They say that the Holy Grail is only granted to the most worthy and that this War is a ritual to determine the one most worthy to hold it, a war that is fought by us Servants."
He dipped the ladle into the barrel again.  "However, if we can decide amongst ourselves the ranks of the Heroic Spirits participating in this war, then the battle will become unnecessary and we can end the war without bloodshed."
Twilight blinked.  That...wasn't right.  She remembered what Aaron told her, about the way the Grail operated.  The Servants didn't fight to decide who was worthy.  Their own spirits were the force that powered the grail when they were defeated.  Bloodshed was inevitable.  She'd thought that information was common knowledge among the Masters and Servants.  Does Waver know?
Aaron spoke in the back of her mind as Rider offered the ladle to Saber.  "Since he joined the War on an impulse, it's unlikely that Waver Velvet is fully aware of the Grail's true nature.  I'll leave it to you to bring him up to speed on that, though you should probably wait until Saber isn't around."
"But what if she actually agrees to this?"
Her eye twitched as she heard Aaron snort.  "Don't worry about that.  Every Servant participating in this battle has a wish for the Grail.  No one who answered the summons is going to abandon that because of some arbitrary decision by others."  His tone became cold and distant.  "No matter which way this banquet goes, bloodshed is inevitable."
Saber took the ladle from Rider's hand and drank from it herself, emptying it in a single swig before handing it back to Rider, who smiled at the clear challenge in the action.
"In other words, you wish to compare your strength to mine now," said Saber.
"Correct.  Since I cannot challenge you to combat at arms at the moment, we shall instead turn the War for the Holy Grail into the Discussion for the Holy Grail.  Which among us is truly worthy to possess the Holy Grail?"  He scooped up another ladle of wine and presented it to Twilight.  "The answer lies at the bottom of this barrel."
"Um..." demurred Twilight, "I'm not so sure I can fight this kind of battle."  She took the ladle and stared uncertainly at it.  Even though she was only smelling it, the mere scent of wine already seemed to be making her feel...inebriated.
"Don't shy away from any kind of battle Caster," instructed Rider, "Your struggle is the hardest of all."
Twilight looked up from the ladle.  "What?"
Saber blinked and also looked to Rider in confusion.  Rider sighed and explained.  "Your wish for the Grail has already been heard.  There is not one amongst all us Servants who is not aware of your true desire.  You have no stake in this world and the wishes and desires of the rest of us have no meaning or bearing upon you.  In fulfilling your wish, you will bring about an outcome that does not change this world, but rather brings it back to the way it was by removing yourself from it.  In order to succeed, you will need to press forward and trample upon the dreams and wishes of your fellow Servants.  You will have to deny them what they desire so that you can claim the Grail for yourself to fulfill a wish that will benefit only yourself."  A smug smile twisted his face.  "And what other name could such a path have except conquest?"
Twilight's eyes widened at Rider's words and looked at the wine for a moment.  Is Rider...instructing me?
She hesitated slightly...and brought the ladle to her lips and began to drink.  The wine's flavor was strong and heady.  Almost immediately, Twilight was beginning to feel its affects.  It's potency was too much for her to finish it in a single long swig the way Rider and Saber had.  It took her about four tries, but she managed to finish the ladle and hand it back to Rider, who took it from her while smiling in earnest approval at her effort.
"Well done Caster," he said.
Twilight smiled, though she felt uneasy as the wine's effects washed over her.  She definitely wasn't sure that she could make it to "the bottom of the barrel" as Rider had been saying.
Golden motes of light coalesced in the section of the courtyard opposite her, transforming into the form of Archer in his radiant golden armor as he strode forward.  "Enough of your jokes, you mongrels."
"What are you doing here Archer?" demanded Saber, rising to her feet.
"Ah, we ran into him in the streets and I invited him over," replied Rider, who hadn't so much as flinched when Archer arrived, "But you're late Goldy."  He shrugged.  "I guess it can't be helped, since you had to walk here.  Perhaps you should have taken a ride with me."
Archer snorted derisively as his contemptuous gaze swept over the courtyard, causing everyone but Rider and Saber to flinch away from him.  "You chose this dull place as the site for our banquet?  As usual, you have such crass tastes, calling me out here for this.
"Ha!" scoffed Rider, scooping up another ladle of wine, "Don't be so upset, first drink with us."
Archer eyed the ladle dubiously before taking it up in his hand and sipping tentatively from this.  His expression became disgusted as he pulled away.  "You offer me your hospitality and then have the nerve to suggest that I drink this swill."
Rider took back the ladle and eyed it in a bemused manner.  "Hmm?  This was the finest amongst the wines I found at the local market."
Archer smirked.  "That is because you are ignorant of true wine."  He gestured with a hand, causing a rippling golden haze to appear over.  Given what he had used this for the last time, everyone tensed for a possible attack.  However, instead of weapons, he instead produced a golden urn set with jewels.  Twilight had to stop herself from gasping at the beauty of the vessel.  It was the sort of thing she expected to see in Prince Blueblood's mansion.  Rider showed no such restraint, letting out an enthusiastic cry as he looked at the vessel and the liquid contained within.  With another wave of his hand, Archer produced a set of four cups, which Rider took from him and poured the wine into before distributing to the attending Servants, including Twilight.
Twilight took her cup and sniffed it delicately.  Immediately, the rich bouquet rising from the liquid within completely drowned out the scent of the wine Rider had brought.  Simply breathing in the rising fumes seemed to completely wipe her palate clean, as though the wine itself carried a small measure of Archer's haughtiness, suggesting that a tongue that remembered the flavor of a lesser wine wasn't fit for its consumption.  Lifting the cup to her lips, Twilight took a sip.
The incredible flavor of the washed over her tongue, rich and full-bodied.  It was like nothing she had ever drunk before.  With her limited experience in such drinks, she was no able judge, but Twilight was already certain that there was nothing that she would ever drink that could rival the intense flavor of the wine before her.  More than that, her body seemed to tingle with elation as the wine seeped through her system.  It also made her wary, as she certainly noted that drinking too much of this wine might affect her judgment.  Twilight knew that, in this "competition," she was at a disadvantage, having almost no experience with drinking.  There was only so much alcohol she would be able to take.
"Amazing!" exclaimed Rider, who had unceremoniously chugged down the contents of his cup as quickly as he could, "This wine must be brewed by the gods themselves!"  Even Saber was staring at her cup in amazement as she too experienced the wine's flavor.
"Be it swords or wine," commented Archer casually, swirling his cup, "Only the finest is contained within my vault.  Amongst us, surely this settles which of us is the true king."  Even as he spoke, his eyes slid in Twilight's direction.  She shivered, suppressing the urge to cover herself with her arms and cringe backward.  She felt Archer's gaze casually running over her, taking in every detail.  There was no sign of malice.  Rather, Archer's gaze seemed to cary a hint of...possessiveness.  Twilight found herself missing his malice.
"Lets not be hasty Archer," said Rider, "Your wine is fantastic and surely deserves the finest of cups.  But the Holy Grail is no mere goblet.  The point of this discussion is to determine which of us is worthy to obtain the Grail."
Archer snorted.  "Then this discussion is pointless.  If you are speaking of a competition for this Grail, then you have already lost to me."
"And why is that?"
"The Grail is mine to begin with.  Every treasure in this world can be traced back to my collection.  That it exists is proof enough that it belongs to me."  Archer sneered at the others.
Twilight tensed.  "You're wrong," she said simply, drawing looks of surprise from the three kings before her.  She half expected Archer to angrily berate her for speaking out of turn.  However, he smiled indulgently.  It gave Twilight a sick, oily feeling.
"Is that so?" asked Archer, "What makes you say that?"
"First, all of you should already know that the Holy Grail we're fighting over was created after your times.  The Three Families of the Beginning including the Einzberns," she looked pointedly at Saber, "and the Tohsakas," she looked pointedly at Archer, though she quickly took her gaze away from him, "Cooperated in the Grail's creation.  In other words, it's an item born of magecraft, so that it can have no basis for the treasures you own."
"So you say," replied Archer, "But your concept of ownership doesn't match mine.  It is simple to say that, because it was created by magi, the Grail could not have come from my vault, but you do not fully understand the truth of my ownership.  Saber here is a perfect example."  He directed a smile at Saber, who clenched her hands under his gaze.
Again, Archer held out his hand, producing another golden ripple in the air.  "Saber, you became the King of Knights when you withdrew the sword from the stone, did you not?"
"That is correct," admitted Saber tersely.
A hilt protruded from the ripple, which Archer gripped in his hand and pulled out.  "But your Sword in the Stone that Chooses the King is itself descended from another sword, the Sword in the Tree that Bestows the Crown.  More importantly, that sword is descended from another sword...this sword."  All the gathered Servants and Masters tensed and drew back as Archer pulled the sword forth from the glowing gate in the air.  It was a simple-looking blade, not gilded or ornate.  But Twilight would feel her hair standing on end from the almost malevolent power that emanated from the blade.  It was beautiful and terrifyingly deadly.  "What exists within my vault is the original, the sword that would eventually become the basis for the blades made famous in legend.  The same is true of all treasures as they are descended from the items of my vault, even conceptually.  This Holy Grail as well can trace its line of descent to an item I own, therefore, by extension, it is mine as well.  Anyone who would lay claim to it is nothing more than a cunning thief."  Archer opened his hands and let the blade's handle roll of his fingers, it vanished before it could even fall an inch.
"Then have you seen or held the item that the Grail originates from?" asked Rider, "Do you know it by sight?"
"Of course not," scoffed Archer, "The contents of my treasure house exceeded my personal knowledge long ago.  It does not matter.  That a treasure exists is enough to show that it is mine, even if it comes into being after I have vanished from his world."  His gaze once again came to rest on Twilight.  "Something that has its value in its own uniqueness is a treasure in its own right and therefore mine as well."
Twilight felt sick.  She wanted to run and empty the contents of her stomach into the white rose bushes behind her.  However, she forced herself to calm.  She took another sip of the wine, but its flavor no longer seemed so pleasant as Twilight was viciously reminded that Archer saw her in the same way he saw the wine or even the cup in her hands.  She was a possession to him, regardless of her own will or her origins, she belonged to Archer.  And it was a decision he had made as naturally as she might decide what to have for breakfast on a given morning.  In one instant, Twilight had been casually robbed of her independent existence.
"So then, do you even have a wish for the Grail?" prodded Rider.
"No," replied Archer, "I simply intend to punish those who would take what is mine for their own.  Although..." he smiled and took a sip of his wine, "If I were to have a wish, it would probably be to wipe this world clean."
"What do you mean?" snapped Saber.
"Tokiomi is a pitiful Master.  He refuses to truly enter the battle unless he is absolutely certain of victory.  In my boredom I have taken to walking amongst the people of this world and seeing what has become of my garden in the millennia since I reigned."  His eyes narrowed.  "It is overrun with weeds.  Humanity has overrun the world, numbering in the billions.  Their lives no longer hold any weight.  They are as ants."
"You would kill them all?" demanded Saber.
"Not all...probably," replied Archer, "Merely cull their numbers and ensure that those who remain are worthy of my world.  It is merely a pruning."
"You fiend," snarled Saber.
"In any case," said Archer as though Saber had said nothing, "Were I to have a wish for the Grail, that would probably be it.  However, that is immaterial to the discussion as what I do with what is mine is of less concern than the fact that it is mine."
Rider scratched his chin for a moment.  "So...in the end, you don't truly care about the Grail."
"Of course not," replied Archer, "This is merely about punishing the thieves that would raid my coffers."
"Why is that?"
"It is the law I laid down as king," replied Archer, "If you steal what is mine, then I shall punish you.  There is nothing more."
"Hmm," mused Rider, "I see.  I think I realize your true name now.  No wonder Caster's Master figured you out so quickly."
Archer smirked.
Saber turned her gaze to Rider.  "Rider?  Even now, if you acknowledge that the Grail legitimately belongs to someone else, do you still intend to take it?"
"Of course," replied Rider, "That is my way of conquest.  If it is not mine, then I invade and make it mine."
"But what wish could you possess that would drive you to such a thing?"
Rider paused for a moment.  Twilight almost gaped as she saw him actually blush in embarrassment before taking a swig of wine to settle his nerves.  "I wish to be reincarnated in this era."
"What!"  Twilight jumped as Waver's voice called out from behind her, the apprentice magus rushing to his Servant, "Rider!  What about conquering the world?  I thought you wanted to-"  Waver was cut off as Rider flicked his forehead with a massive finger, knocking waver off his feet.  Twilight set her cup down and moved to help the dazed boy sit upright.
"Fool," replied Rider, "Even if I wished to do so, we are still Servants.  At the end of the day, with the exception of Caster here, we are little more than ghosts who have taken on bodies composed of prana.  But I want to move beyond those limitations, to take upon a body of flesh and blood and truly start anew.  That is my way of conquest."
For a moment, the others were silent.  Then, Archer's lips curled in the smallest of smiles.  It wasn't his usual sneer, but rather something...friendlier.  "Rider," he said, "I've decided.  You, I shall kill with my own two hands."
Rider grinned in return.  "You should be careful as well," he taunted, "I've decided to raid your coffers.  You shouldn't have been so foolish as to allow the King of Conquerors to taste such fine wine."  He burst into laughter.
Twilight blinked at the sight.  For a moment there, Archer and Rider seemed to be...friends.  She was amazed.  They had both sworn to kill one another on the battlefield, but here they were merrily sipping wine and exchanging taunts.  And yet, even Archer, who had shown nothing but disdain towards them, even on the battlefield, hadn't made a single hostile move, even when Rider threatened his possessions.  As she turned her eyes to Saber, she noticed that the noble Servant was downcast.  Her cup sat on the tiles beside her, forgotten as Saber instead glared down away from her counterparts in this discussion.  There was no trace of the small smile she had shown earlier.  Only simmering anger and growling resentment remained.
"Um...Saber..."  Saber looked up at Twilight's words and her expression softened.  "What is your wish for the Grail."
Rider and Archer went silent, both turning their gazes upon the King of Knights, who remained silent for a moment.  Then, Saber turned up her gaze and looked resolutely forward.  "My wish is to save my country, to change Britain's fate of destruction."
For a moment, nothing was said.  Confusion filled the air.  Then, Rider spoke.  "Saber, did I hear you correctly when you said you wished to change fate?  You mean you wish to reverse history?"
"Yes," replied Saber.
"In other words, you wish to change the history that you yourself created?"  Rider looked genuinely troubled by Saber's words.
"That is correct," replied Saber, "As the king, it is my duty to save my country, even if it means I must sacrifice everything."
Abruptly, Archer burst into howling laughter, almost doubling over.  "Did you hear that Rider?" he exclaimed, "This woman claiming to be the King of Knights says she would sacrifice herself for her country."
Twilight glanced over at Saber, who was trembling with rage.  She couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity towards her.
"Of course I would!" snapped Saber, "Why are you questioning me?  Why are you laughing?  It is a king's duty to sacrifice so themselves for the sake of their nation."
"No," said Rider, cutting off Saber's tirade and Archer's laughter, "A king sacrifices nothing.  You are wrong Saber.  A king does not exist for one's country.  One's country exists for the king."
"No."  Twilight's voice was soft.  And yet, it was clearly heard by all.  "She's not wrong."
Saber blinked in surprise and turned to gape at her unexpected ally.
"And what does the child from another world understand about the ways of a king?" asked Archer.  Twilight glared at him.  There was no disdain in his tone now.  Instead, there was something patronizing about the way he spoke, like a doting father idly listening to the fancies of a deluded child.
"Because even if I am not a king, I am a student of one," said Twilight.  Princess, technically, she thought to herself.  There was no point in getting bogged down in semantics at this juncture.  "I know because she has made great sacrifices in order to ensure that her nation can prosper."
"So in your world, it would seem that kings can be women," observed Archer, drawing a hiss from Saber.  She was an exception, of course, and only because she had hidden her true gender during her rule.  King Arthur was remembered by both history and legend as a man.
"The title is different, but the position is the same," replied Twilight simply.
"If you say so," said Rider, "But can you truly say that this king of yours has made sacrifices for her nation."
"Yes," replied Twilight, "But it wasn't easy.  She was forced to sacrifice her beloved sister to prevent disaster.  It's become a legend in our world."
"And your nation prospers," replied Saber, "It hasn't been destroyed has it?"
"Of course not," replied Twilight, "If it had been destroyed, I probably wouldn't have been around to be summoned here in the first place."
"You see!" said Saber, looking over to Rider and Archer, "A king must make sacrifices for their country if they are to succeed."
Rider snorted.  "But what manner of country would such a kingship give rise to?"
"A peaceful one," replied Twilight, "It's not a country based on conquest."  She gave him a pointed look.  "Nor is it built on...whatever your kingship is..." she said, looking over at Archer, who chuckled.
"It is," he replied, "It simply is."
"Right.  Equestria is built upon the rule of love, of harmony, of friendship."  Twilight smiled softly as she reflected back on her memories of her friends and all that they had accomplished together.  She realized that she could take strength from those memories, even if she was alone in this world.
"Oh!" exclaimed Rider, "Now that I can understand somewhat."
Now it was Saber's turn to look baffled.  "What do you mean friendship?" she asked, "There is no room for friendship in the life of a king."
"That's not true," Twilight said, looking at Saber sadly.  She was beginning to see the King of Knights in a different light now.  "Her subjects are always raising her on a pedestal.  But she tries more than anyone to reach out, to show us that she loves us, to draw us closer to her."  She blushed and looked down.  "I even see her as something like my mother at times."
"That's ridiculous!" exclaimed Saber, shooting to her feet, "The king has to represent something more than that.  A king is the representation of the ideals of a nation, of its protector and savior.  A true king has not place for friends, because to have friends is to burden them with the problems of the nation.  It is the king's duty to shoulder the nation's fate onto himself and bear it for the sake of his country."
Twilight let out a shuddering breath as she listened to Saber.  She must have tried to take on everything herself.  She never knew to trust others.  It's so sad.  Not even Princess Celestia went that far.  In those few words, Saber had made the gap between herself and Princess Celestia painfully clear.  Princess Celestia may have been willing to make sacrifices for Equeestria, but she never would go so far as to take everything upon herself, to throw up an impassable wall between herself and the ones she ruled.  But that was what Saber had done.  And she had clearly suffered greatly for it.  Twilight couldn't see Saber as an enemy at that moment.  Instead, what she saw was an object of sympathy.  She felt sorry for Saber.
"Perhaps the confusion we have is that you and I had different definitions of sacrifice Caster," observed Rider thoughtfully, "You speak of of your king sacrificing her happiness for her nation.  But if that were true, she would not be reaching out to her subjects as you say she does.  Even if she gave up her sister for their sake, she is still seeking their companionship for her sake.  Therefore, your king isn't truly sacrificing anything."
And Princess Celestia truly didn't sacrifice Luna, Twilight thought to herself, Because we brought Luna back to her.  So in the end, Celestia never did give anything up, not forever.  The only thing she truly lost was time.
"Even so," said Saber, "It remains my duty to protect Britain from destruction, even if it means changing my fate."
"I don't think so," replied Twilight, "I've learned the hard way what trouble can come out of meddling with time."  Granted, her own personal experiences were limited to a lot of pain and frustration, but she realized that things could have easily been much much worse.
"Of course!" shouted Rider in agreement, "Meddling with history, trying to undo what you have done.  That's behavior that is unacceptable for a Heroic Spirit, much less one who calls herself a king!"
"Iskander," said Saber, "Upon your death, your kingdom dissolved into warring factions and ultimately disappeared into the mists of history.  Are you saying that, if you had the chance, the chance to save your nation from that fate, you wouldn't take it?"
"Absolutely not!" thundered Rider, "As a king, I take full responsibility for my nation.  If that destruction was brought about as the result of my actions, then I will accept it.  I will mourn for it, shed tears for it, but never regret.  To suggest changing history itself, erasing everything I and those who followed me have done and rewrite it would be an insult to all who lived during my era!"
Twilight frowned thoughtfully before realizing that Saber was looking at her.  "What say you Caster?"
"Um..."  Twilight hesitated, uncertain what she could say.  Ultimately, only Princess Celestia herself could provide the answers to these questions.  From her knowledge of her mentor, Twilight could guess, she could hypothesize, but she couldn't truly speak for her Princess.  "I can't say for certain.  I don't know if anyone has ever posed that question to her.  I do know..."  She took a deep breath.  "Hindsight is nearly perfect.  It's often easy to look back and see where things went wrong, to be able to say, 'If only I had done things this way.'  I can understand the need to correct one's mistakes.  However, I can't say how far you should go to do that.  To go so far as to change something that has already happened, to alter the past...the consequences could reach much farther than you realize.  They could even give rise to something worse than the disaster you tried to avert."
Archer chuckled dryly.  "Caster makes an excellent point," he said in that irritatingly patronizing tone of his, "Saber, as the king of a tiny island nation, you cannot look any further than your own borders.  Your sight is too limited to truly appreciate the reach of your own actions.  However..."  He stroked his chin as he directed a lascivious gaze at Saber, "It holds a certain appeal, to see you flounder about so blindly."
Saber glared, her hand clenching as though she planned to draw her sword.  However, Rider's voice drew her attention away from Archer.
"And what can you save with such noble ambitions?" he asked, "A king's fate is tied to that of their nation, one and the same.  You would sever those ties solely for the sake of your ideals."
"Yes," replied Saber without hesitation, "If Britain's destruction came about as a consequence of my kingship, then it is only natural that saving it from destruction would lead to the rise of someone better suited to the position taking my place."
"Madness," grumbled Rider, "To do such a thing would completely unravel your legend and erase your presence as a Heroic Spirit."
"If it is necessary, then I shall do so," declared Saber, "What would a greedy tyrant like you know about my justice?  You ruled only to satisfy your own desires-"
"A KING WITHOUT DESIRE IS WORSE THAN A TYRANT!" roared Rider, his voice completely silencing Saber and making Twilight cringe back in terror.  This was the first time she had ever seen Rider truly angry.  He continued, unfazed by the reactions of his ally.  "Those ideals you spoke of, that you clung to so desperately removed you from the realm of humanity.  With ideals such as yours, you ceased to walk the path of a human being."
"That is acceptable," said Saber, "A king cannot live a normal life.  I knew that from the moment I withdrew the sword from the stone.  I forsook my desires, my heart, even my very identity as a woman."
"But then," gasped Twilight, "How can you ever hope for any happiness."
"A king does not seek happiness for himself, but for those he rules," replied Saber, her tone cold, chilling Twilight's heart to the core.
"You are a fool," intoned Rider, "Your path is the path of a saint, a martyr.  What kind of path is that for people to follow?  What can they ever hope for when they look up and see someone who has thrown everything aside for her ideals?
"A king must laugh louder, rage more fiercely and live more vigorously than any other.  Every aspect, good and evil, must be magnified.  A king should strive to be a man more real than any other, so that his subjects can look upon him and see inside of him something that they wish to strive for.  A true king does not crush himself beneath the burden of sacrifices and obligation, but instead lights a flame in the hearts of all who follow him so that, together, they can carry the weight of a kingdom."
Twilight cringed back.  For the first time, she was seeing Rider truly angry.  He was furious as he glared at Saber, his gaze carrying the full weight of his anger at her words.  However, Saber rallied and returned his glare with equal ferocity.  To these two, who laid claim to completely different mantles of kingship, there would be no give, no acceptance, only conflict.
Rider continued to press his attack.  "What can your people hope to aspire to with the example that you set for them?  Who would follow the martyr's thorny path?  At one time, you may have indeed saved your land.  But in the end, what was the result that your ideals led to?"
All the color drained from Saber's face as she reeled back, her eyes wide with horror at Rider's words.
"At the end of the day, you are not truly a king," said Rider, "You are a child who clings desperately to fairytales who lost her way in the pursuit of that illusion you called an ideal."  He sighed despondently.  "Nothing more than a lost little girl."
"What are they talking about?" Twilight asked, turning to her connection with Aaron.
"Most likely, Rider is referring to the final years of King Arthur's reign," replied Aaron, "Ironically, though Arthur saved his country, several of his own retainers eventually rebelled against him.  Arthur's final battles, including the one that ultimately led to his death, were against his own countrymen in the throes of a bloody civil war."
Twilight felt her heart go out to the woman in armor.  She had given everything to her nation only to have everything that she had fought and suffered for tear itself apart before her eyes.
The conversation ground to a halt as Saber turned.  Turning to follow her gaze, Twilight blinked when she saw that Archer was watching Saber, a thin, disturbing smile gracing his face, as though he was eyeing some morsel to devour.
"What are you looking at Archer?" demanded Saber.
Archer grinned.  "I was just thinking how beautiful you seemed," he commented, "You are truly glorious in your suffering.  It gives you a purity like that of a virgin."
Her previous fear forgotten, Saber glared.  A rush of wind signaled the drawing of her sword.  However, in an instant, that sword was not directed at Archer.  Instead, it was directed at the courtyard around them.  For a moment, Twilight wondered what was going on.  But then a chilling tingling sensation settled at the base of her neck, directly between her shoulders, as though someone was lining up to deal her a fatal blow.  An intense, murderous intent swept across the courtyard.  Then she heard Waver cry out in in fear and surprise.
Whirling around, Twilight was already preparing to transform to her true form and protect Waver if she needed to.  However, the sight before her eyes stopped her cold.  Waver was reeling back, desperately scrambling away from the black-garbed figure that had appeared between the bed of white roses.  It was a woman, tall and slender, with long, dark purple hair.  However, those details barely impressed themselves on Twilight as her eyes and thoughts focused in on the most important things: black wrappings and cloth, a white skull mask.
"Assassin," she whispered in horror.  She hadn't expected Assassin to show up here or now.  However, something else surprised her even more.
This was not the Assassin that had fallen to Archer at the Tohsaka manor.
Nor was it the Assassin she and Aaron had witnessed observing the battle at the docks.
What's going on?  Even as she thought the question, several forms congealed out of black mist around them.  Looking around, Twilight suddenly saw not just one, but dozens of figures everywhere, each of them black garbed and bearing those characteristic white masks.  "What is this?"
"How can there be so many Assassins?" asked Waver as he scooted all the way up to Rider and pressed himself against his Servant's back.
"We are one," said one of the Assassins.
"And yet we are many," said another, taking up the sentence.
"Together, we make up the Servant Hassan," added a third.
"And we are that one Servant's..." said yet another.
"...shadows," finished a final Assassin.
"I see," muttered Aaron over his link with Twilight, "So that's the secret of how he escaped death at the Tohsaka manor."
Twilight was about to ask what he meant, but Waver spoke before that.  "Multiple personalities," he gasped, "Each of them incarnated as a Servant."
"What does that mean?" asked Twilight, mentally turning to Aaron.
"Unlike most Servants, the Assassin class can only be drawn from a single line of individuals," explained Aaron, "To be honest, there's no way an assassin could ever become a Heroic Spirit because, if an Assassin's skills were truly legendary, no one would recognize his work.  To work around this, the Grail draws the Servants of the Assassin Class from the line of Hassan, the leader of the islamic sect and whose actions and the acts of those who followed after him eventually gave rise to the word 'assassin' itself.  Therefore, a member of the Assassin class can only belong to one of the individuals who assumed the mantle of Hassan.  Their Noble Phantasm is technically the same, yet manifests differently for each of them.  This is Hassan, the Many-Faced Assassin.  In life, he utilized the condition that would later come to be known as multiple-personality-disorder to accomplish something unique.  By compartmentalizing his skills within different personalities, he was able to become a master of disguise and assume any role and take on virtually any task.  See for yourself."
Twilight cast her eyes around the courtyard and noted what Aaron had said.  The first Assassin that appeared had been in the form of a slender woman.  Beyond her, numerous others sported a variety of shapes, postures and appearances.  There were men, women, even children represented amongst their number.
"Furthermore," continued Aaron, "While in life, this ability was nothing more than the power to assume any identity at will, as a Servant, with a Servant's spiritual body, he has gained the power to manifest each of his identities as a separate form.  Thus, even when one is destroyed..."
"Assassin won't fall until all of his bodies have been eliminated," finished Twilight.  This certainly explained how Assassin remained active even after Archer had killed him at the Tohsaka manor.  It was also an exceptionally effective way of gathering intelligence.  With this many eyes, Assassin could be nearly everywhere at once and keep all the Masters and Servants under observation, giving Kirei and, by extension, Tokiomi a complete view of the battlefield.
But why had they shown themselves now?  Twilight directed her attention to Tokiomi's spirit, who hadn't so much as flinched when the Assassins had arrived, instead surveying them with a bored gaze as he idly sipped his wine.  Did Archer have something to do with this?
Archer's crimson gaze met Twilight's and he appeared to divine her question.  He snorted softly.  "Tokiomi lowers himself."
"R-R-R-Rider!" whimpered Waver, his gaze frantically jumping from one Assassin to the next, "What do we do?"
Just like Archer, Rider had barely shown any reaction upon the Assassins' arrival.  Instead he grinned at Waver over his shoulder.  "Hey now.  Remember what I said before.  A king's measure is in the hospitality he shows to his guests."
"You would invite these to your banquet?" scoffed Archer, chuckling in amusement.
"Of course!" replied Rider, "A king's words are meant for all to hear."
He turned his attention back to the Assassins.  Scooping up a drought of wine with his ladle, Rider raised it high over his head.  "Come then!  If you would join us then share a drink from this cup.  This wine is as your blood!"
A whining hiss passed through the air.  A small knife sliced clean through the handle of the ladle, causing it to drop, spilling its contents across Rider's shirt.  Even as Rider lowered his arm, malevolent chuckles echoed throughout the courtyard.
Saber drew close to Irsiviel, leveling her sword in preparation to destroy as many enemies as possible before they could attack.  Archer merely sat calmly aside, as though none of this concerned him in the slightest.  Twilight and Waver backed up together, keeping close to Rider as he seemed to ponder what had just happened.
"So that's it then," said Rider, his voice dropping low with a dangerous tone.  Twilight gulped and looked over to see him get to his feet, his expression deathly serious.  "I said that this wine is as your blood.  If you insist that it be spilled...then it shall be so."
He turned to face the Assassins and a wave of burning, rippling wind rushed over the courtyard.  Twilight flinched away, throwing up her arm to protect her face.  Slowly, she felt someone's arm lock around hers.  Waver drew her close and the two of them huddled together to weather the storm that had suddenly some from nowhere.  Hesitantly, Twilight lifted her arm, trying to see what Rider was up to.  She had to open them carefully.  Her face was being buffeted by fine particles, much like sand.  Through the whirling dust, she saw Rider, no longer wearing his shirt in genes, but once again resplendent in his natural garb.  The Assassins all cringed away from him, trying to stave off the powerful gale.  Over the howling wind, she heard Rider speak.
"Saber!  Archer!  Caster!  This shall be the final question of our banquet!  Must a king stand alone?"
For some reason, the question brought a smile to Twilight's face, the words calling up her fondest memories.  She remembered Princess Celestia smiling as she and the rest of Twilight's friends enjoyed donuts in a diner after the tempestuous events of the Grand Galloping Gala.  She remembered Princess Luna playing with the foals and indulging in pranks on Nightmare Night.  Twilight shook her head silently.  No.  No true ruler ever had to be alone.
She heard a dismissive snort from Archer as his silence seemed to speak for itself.  However, she also heard Saber's voice carry over the wind, aching with loneliness.  "For a king, there is no other way."
"Wrong Saber!" replied Rider, grinning fiercely, "You have learned nothing tonight.  So now it is up to me to show you."
Rider suddenly blazed with a harsh white light that washed over everything and swept the world away.



Princess Celestia slid her eyes away from the image on the floor before them as white light flooded out of it.  It was hard to watch, akin to looking directly at her own sun.
"Sister?" asked Luna, currently the only other pony in the room, "What do you think...about what they said?"  The others had returned to their own lives, unable to spend all of their time in Canterlot, not when there wasn't really anything they could do about Twilight's situation.
"I'm not sure," admitted Celestia.  Hearing those kings speak of their rules made her wish that she could stand among them, share what she had learned and, in turn, learn from them about what it meant to be a ruler.  "To be honest," she said, "We only have the barest notion of their experiences or the affairs of their nations.  In order to truly debate with them, we would need to hear their stories to truly understand where they came from, as they would need to hear ours to know where we come from."  She smiled at their sister.
"And yet," said Luna, "I can't help but think of what that one called Saber was speaking about."
Working out a spell to translate the language Twilight and the others with her were speaking had been a little tricky.  Fortunately, Celestia had seen such a spell herself and had been able to emulate the effect with her magic...or magecraft, as the humans called it.
"There is something in her words," Celestia admitted, "But I fear that she takes things too far.  Yes, we have both had to make sacrifices."  She looked sadly at Luna.  "I had to give you up for a time.  But, in the end, if we try to take everything onto ourselves, we will be crushed by that burden.  That's why I could only turn to Twilight and her friends when the time came to save you from your own madness."
Luna opened her mouth to answer.  But before she could speak, the light from the image waned and the details became discernible again.  "Sister!" she exclaimed, "Look!"
Celestia also turned her attention back to the image and her eyes widened at what she saw.



Twilight slowly opened her eyes, squinting at first in the harsh light.  The night in the courtyard was no more.  As Twilight's eyes opened fully and she took her first look at her surroundings, it was suddenly day.
The sky was an achingly brilliant blue, cloudless and clear.  It seemed to extend on forever.  Looking up, Twilight Sparkle felt her heart quicken, as though she were standing at the center of the world.  Her feet seemed to sink down.  Looking at them, Twilight realized that they were all standing on sand.  Gusts of wind swirled it about, throwing up clouds of the fine grains.  They stood upon an immense desert that stretched in every direction.
They were no longer surrounded.  All the Assassins now stood before them, as though some giant child had swept them up like a pile of toys and set them out in ranks before Twilight and the others.  From the way the black-garbed Servants looked around, Twilight figured that they must have been as confused as she was.
Looking over, she saw Waver also staring in stunned awe at their surroundings, his jaw hanging open.  "A Reality Marble!" he exclaimed, staring in shock at Rider, "But you aren't a magus!"
Twilight frowned slightly, her thoughts turning inward as she sought the knowledge the Grail had imparted to her.  She didn't have much luck.  This appeared to be a form of human magecraft that even the Holy Grail couldn't supply with knowledge of.  "Aaron?"
She could practically hear his smirk as he spoke.  "As you guessed, this is a rare form of magecraft, though humans are not the only ones capable of it.  A Reality Marble is a bounded field that operates inversely from a standard one in that, instead of surrounding and existing space and isolating it, it instead expands a space outwards from within its confines, creating a world within the World you could say.  A magus uses it to summon a manifestation of their soul, their internal world, allowing the creation of a space where the laws of the existing World no longer apply and phenomena, not possible outside, become possible within.  This magecraft is exceptionally rare and has been banned by the Association."
"But how could Rider do this?"
"If you listen, I think he's about to tell us."
Indeed, Rider was speaking.  "Ha!  I am no magus!"  He grinned at them.  "It would be impossible if I were doing this by myself."
His words sent a thrill of excitement down Twilight's spine.  As Rider spoke, her ears picked picked up a strange sound.  It was the sound of an impact, echoing rhythmically across the vast expanse of the desert over and over and over again.  It echoed with itself, multiplying endlessly, until Twilight realized that she was not hearing one sound, but hundreds...No!  Thousands!  It was the sound of countless feet hitting the ground in unison.
"This world exists because it is engraved upon all our hearts!" exclaimed Rider, "This is the desert, over which we marched and shared many triumphs and sorrows.  It exists in the souls of all those countless heroes!"
The sound was now coming from behind them.  Looking back, Twilight gasped at the spectacle.  Behind them, a massive host was approaching, countless figures adorned in the finest armors imaginable, armed with glittering weapons, swords, spears, axes.  They strode forward in unison, their eyes fixed upon the way ahead, and the enemy before them.  They numbered in the thousands, their ranks stretching back into the distance beyond her eyes' ability to see them.  With each stride they moved forward, more seemed to be filling in behind them.
It was Waver's voice in her ear, the words he spoke, that made Twilight's heart thud alarmingly.  "These are...Servants!"
Rider threw his arms wide.  "BEHOLD MY ENDLESS ARMIES!  Though they may pass from this world and their bodies return to dust, their loyalty endures!  Even now, they answer my call, breaking the bonds of time and space to return to my side once again!  My bond with them is my greatest treasure, my right to rule!  Together, they make up the Servant Alexander's greatest Noble Phantasm: IONIAN HETAIROI!!!"
The soldiers cheered, their voices becoming a roar that swelled and broke over the assembled Servants and Masters like colossal wave.  Twilight felt her heartbeat quickening in admiration as she surveyed the treasure that the Servant Rider displayed so proudly.  It was an awesome power, one that she knew well.  Here, in this place, was the answer to everything.
Twilight was distracted from her reverie by the sound of a different set of impacts.  This time, the cadence was different, but strangely familiar, the four beat sound of a quadruped approaching.  Looking over, she saw a creature, similar in form to a pony, but larger and grander, its build closer to that of the Princesses than anyone else from her world.  She realized that this was a horse.  It was a thing of beauty, its black coat shining under the desert sun, looking as resplendent as any of the soldiers arrayed behind it.  Breaking his stance, Rider turned and threw his arms around the horse's neck, smiling like a child.  "It's been a long time my friend."
Turning away from the horse, Rider looked upon his army.  "A king carries the love and admiration of his people.  By being a man more real and illustrious than any other, he becomes a shining example, a beacon to those who follow behind!"
The assembled masses of warriors let out a hearty cheer, banging their spears and swords against their shields in unison.
Rider mounted his steed.  "It is commanding the admiration of these countless heroes and leading them forward that makes me a king.  A king does not stand alone because his will is embodied in the heart of every single man who follows after him!"  Again the soldiers cheered.
Twilight and the others stood in stunned awe at the sight of this Noble Phantasm.  Even Archer, in all his arrogance, had been shocked into utter silence.  Saber looked over the assembled host, despair on her face as she stared at the power that seemed to exist in stark contrast to the ideals she had sought to embody and the life she had tried to live.
Pulling at the reins, Rider turned his horse about to face the assembled Assassins, who trembled in terror before the might of his countless armies.  He grinned eagerly.  "Well now, are you prepared to face me Assassin?  If you were hoping to turn this into a battle of numbers, I'm afraid that we have the advantage."
With a flourish, Rider drew his sword.  "CUT THEM DOWN!!!"
With a deafening roar that made the air itself hum and the thunder of countless feet, Rider's army charged forward, rushing past Twilight and the others and sweeping like an unstoppable tide towards the Assassins.  Some of them broke and ran, others milled in confusion, and some simply stood still and limp.  Already, they had lost their sense as a Servant.
Twilight had been excited before.  But what happened next made her sick with horror.  The soldiers of Rider's army showed now mercy.  They rushed forward relentlessly, cutting down the black shapes effortlessly, sweeping across the battlefield and leaving nothing but blood and corpses in their wake.  It was the scene from the Tohsaka manor all over again, only being repeated time and time again.  This wasn't a battle.  It was a massacre.  Assassin had died before Rider had even drawn his sword.
Unable to bear watching anymore, Twilight turned and pressed her face against Waver's shoulders, trying her hardest not to break down crying, but shuddering each time she heard the sounds of blades biting into flesh over the roar of the army's charge, the death cries of the Assassins over the the shouts of Rider's soldiers.  The only relief came from the fact that it ended almost as quickly as it began.  She heard Rider let out a wordless cheer of victory, one that was picked up by his countless followers.
The cheers began to fade.  The heat of the desert slowly vanished, until the familiar chill off the Einzbern castle's courtyard once again surrounded them.
"Well, that was less interesting than I'd hoped," remarked Rider.  Twilight heard him dipping his cup into the barrel of wine.
She couldn't stop herself anymore.  Twilight pushed Waver away and staggered to the nearest cluster of rose bushes.  Thinking a silent apology to Irisviel, she fell to her knees and retched, unloading the contents of her stomach into the foliage.
"Hm, it seems that Caster couldn't quite stomach the offerings of your banquet Rider," observed Archer, smirking.
Rider sighed and scratched his head.  "Well, everyone has to start somewhere.  This sort of thing is very new to her."
Twilight shivered at the incredible ease with which Rider spoke, in spite of all the death he had caused that night.  Even after her stomach was empty, her revulsion found a physical outlet through a series of dry heaves.  It took several tries, but Twilight finally managed to force her revulsion down, clenching her eyes shut so tightly that she forced out tears.  She'd forgotten a simple truth about Rider.  He was so friendly, boisterous, and excitable, that she'd forgotten a simple truth.  He was the same as the others, a legend born from mounds of corpses, whose glory came from the death he'd sowed.
Twilight tried to stand back up, but her quaking knees quickly made her sink back down.  However, she felt a hand grip her right shoulder, even as another gently wrapped itself around her waist.  Looking over, she saw Waver, watching with concern as he lent her his strength to help her to her feet.  On her left, a second pair of hands joined and Twilight looked over to see flowing locks of silvery hair and crimson eyes.
Together, Waver and Irisviel helped Twilight stand.  Looking over, she saw Rider watching her sadly, the look on his face showing that he was fully aware of the impact his actions had on her.  Saber seemed to pay her no mind, simply staring angrily at Rider.  However, Archer's eyes were fixed pointedly on Twilight, the look in them making her want to turn back to the bushes again.  His eyes swept over her like a gentle caress, but one that was invasive in its comprehensiveness.  With a shudder, she forced her stomach back under control.
Rider emptied his goblet one last time and set it down.  "Our banquet is concluded," he said, "We shall have to go our separate ways for now."
"Alexander: King of Conquerors," said Archer, turning his attention to Rider, "I hope you are prepared, because I will put an end to you myself."
Rider barked out a sharp laugh.  "We'll see," he said, setting the golden cup Archer had given him on the ground, "But when we settle things, we'll have to make sure we finish off that wine of yours first."
Archer let out a derisive snort.  Rider stood up and turned to Waver and Twilight.  "Come," he said.
"Rider!"  Saber's voice cut through the stillness of the courtyard.  "Wait!  I'm not finished with you!"
"Silence" snapped Rider tersely, turning to look at Saber with a dour expression, "I have nothing more to say to you.  Tonight's banquet was meant to see which of us was worthy of taking the Grail.  I cannot acknowledge that.  I cannot even acknowledge that you are a king anymore."
"You dare-"
Rider's voice cut off Saber before she could say another word.  "King of Knights, give up this foolish dream.  If you follow this path, you will strip away the last vestiges of honor you have as a Heroic Spirit.  The ideals you spoke of are a curse, nothing more."
He turned away and drew his sword, slashing at the air.  With a crash of thunder, Rider's chariot appeared, ready and waiting.  "Oy!  Waver!  Caster!  Hurry up and get on!"
"Wait!"  This time, it wasn't Saber's voice protesting, but Twilights.  Waver and Irisviel looked at her in confusion.  Even Rider paused to look over his shoulder and see what she would do.
Twilight took a deep breath and slowly pried herself away from Waver and Irisviel, who were still holding her up.  She staggered slightly, but managed to regain her balance.  Taking a second to get her bearings, Twilight stood up straight and walked over to Saber, who stared at Twilight in confusion.  Without any further hesitation, Twilight Sparkle, the Servant Caster, walked right into Saber's range.  It was an unprecedented move that made even Archer stare.  In a single instant, Saber could have easily struck Twilight's head from her shoulders.  This was an enemy Servant walking directly into the path of her blade.  It was foolish.  It was insane.  And yet, Saber staid her blade.
Twilight reached out and, in what might have been a more foolish action still, took hold of Saber's right hand, whose fingers were still wrapped around the handle of her invisible sword.  "Caster?"
What staid Saber's blade was not mercy or compassion.  Rather, it was her own mastery of the sword that worked against her.  In martial arts, regardless of where they are practiced, with or without weapons, one of the most critical elements is that of reach, knowing the extent of your reach and the reach of your enemy.  To be able to strike an opponent, you must be able to reach them.  To be able to evade an enemy's blade, you must know how far it can strike.  Mastering the way of the warrior means obtaining a total understanding of one's reach, the extent of one's influence.  In the martial arts practiced in Japan, this is the basis of the concept referred to as maai.
For a warrior of Saber's caliber, however, this awareness of reach between herself and her opponent had transcended to an element of her Instinct.  At this level, the area described by a warrior's reach is akin to a tangible barrier linked directly to their awareness.  A master of the sword is so naturally aware of their space, that they can sense an intrusion even if it comes from a blind spot, even directly behind them, even if they are normally relaxed or, in the case of true masters, even if they are asleep.  Just a stepping in a pond will produce ripples that can be sensed by a person standing in its center, the slightest sense of hostility in a person penetrating a master's space will not go unnoticed.
However, Twilight Sparkle did not carry an ounce of hostility in her spirit.  She bore Saber no ill will.  If anything, her heart overflowed with compassion for this regal woman who had lived her life under such a terrible burden, who had given up everything for the sake of her ideals, for the sake of her nation.  Twilight Sparkle reached out and took Saber's hand and Saber's own sword was unable to see her as a threat.
Deep violet eyes looked up into Saber's own, glimmering with unshed tears.  "You've been fighting so hard," she said, her voice soft, yet unheard by no one, "You fought for the happiness of everyone but..."  Twilight turned her eyes to Saber's hand that she held in her own, "You never had anyone to pray or fight for your own happiness."
"I told you already!" Saber protested, "That is my-"
Twilight cut her off.  "No one should have to take on everything by themselves, even if they are a king.  You should have someone that prays for your happiness."
Saber could no longer think of anything to say.
Twilight continued.  "I can't do it.  I don't belong in this world.  But I hope that, someday, you find someone who will."  She turned to look back up at Saber and smiled.  "Even if it is as a Servant, you still deserve that.  And you wouldn't be wrong to want it either."
Releasing Saber's hand, Twilight slowly backed away, sweeping an arm over her eyes as she did so.  "I just wanted to say that.  Goodbye Saber."  Twilight turned and ran to the waiting chariot, where Rider stood.  After a second's confusion, Waver followed.
Rider turned and gave Saber one last pitying look before cracking the reins, sending the chariot into the evening sky.



Celestia sniffed as she watched the "banquet's" end.  A single tear leaked from her eye and she tried to rub it away even as Luna sidled up next to her.  "I'm so proud of her," she whispered.
"Indeed," agreed Luna, "If her heart were not so great, she would not have been able to break through the curse of my madness.  But sister, I have realized something..."
"What's that?" asked Celestia, turning to look at Luna.
"I think we may have a way to help Twilight Sparkle," she said, "I was observing the power of that one called Rider.  He was able to create that inverted barrier field and summon that army because of the bond of friendship between him and his followers.  In other words, the bond between him and his soldiers was strong enough to call them to his side from across time and space..."
"I understand!" exclaimed Celestia, quickly turning away from the image of her student and moving to her study's desk, where she took out paper and a quill, "Keep an eye on her Luna.  I have a letter to write."



Saber stood silently, staring up after Rider and his retinue even after they had disappeared from her sight.
"Magnificent, isn't she?"  Archer's words snapped Saber back into awareness as she remembered that she and Irisviel still weren't alone in the courtyard.  Her eyes immediately zeroed in on the golden Servant, who smiled mockingly at her.
"What are you talking about?"
"Caster's beauty comes from her purity and innocence," remarked Archer.  With a wave of his hand, the vessel of wine and the cups vanished.  "I look forward to seeing the look upon her face when she is finally dyed by the colors of this world.  The look of despair on her face once she realizes her fate..."  He slowly, deliberately, licked his lips.  "...will be beautiful to behold."
A low growl forced its way out of Saber's throat at Archer's words.  He simply chuckled.  "You should follow your path as well Saber.  You are not wrong.  If it is a path he has chosen for himself, a king can never be wrong.  So continue onwards with your struggle to the very end Saber.  If you do, then you too might be worthy of my affection."
Archer's form dissolved into glowing motes with a mocking laugh, leaving Saber and Irisviel standing alone in the courtyard.



"That was well done Caster."
Twilight looked up at Rider, surprised to see him smiling warmly at her.
"Tonight you met with other Servants as an equal and acquitted yourself well," he said.
"Even though I contradicted you?" she asked.
That earned a chuckle.  "If you were so pitiful as to thoughtlessly agree with everything I said, then you would have no hope.  But you stood for your own beliefs and spoke your mind."
"If speaking for my beliefs was right, then why were you so angry with Saber?" asked Twilight, "Even if her way of kingship clashes with yours, wasn't she speaking for her own beliefs as well?"
"Was she?" asked Rider pensively, "I cannot necessarily agree with that.  From the moment she took up her sword, she cast aside her desires and crushed her own heart.  I do not believe that the obligations she holds to as king are truly the product of her own beliefs, but rather something that was forced on her by that poisonous curse called an 'ideal.'  Rather than being a king who rules, I would more likely to say that she is a king who is ruled."
"Is that so bad?"
"Living according to one's own will is what it means to be human," grumbled Rider, "Saber forsook her own will in order too cling to a fantastical ideal that demanded she shed her own humanity.  When I think of that, the only feelings I can summon are sadness at the tragedy of it all."
Twilight frowned and turned to Waver, wondering what he was thinking about all of this.  However, he didn't even appear to be listening to the conversation.  Instead, he appeared to be distracted and...depressed about something.  "Waver?" she asked, her voice drawing his attention, "Is something wrong?"
Waver snapped out of his stupor and turned to Twilight, blushing slightly in embarrassment.  "Ah!  No!  Nothing's wrong!"
Rider glanced over his shoulder at Waver, but said nothing and turned back to driving the chariot.
Twilight frowned, wanting to investigate further.  But their evening flight was suddenly brought to a very abrupt conclusion.
They had just crossed over the airspace of Fuyuki City, approaching from the southwest.  Twilight remembered seeing a collection of large, but short buildings laid out in a square formation, a school if she remembered the maps of the city she had studied before.  Behind the school, there was a section of woodland, which was then surrounded by a few sparsely populated streets.  The first indicator that something was off was when Twilight encountered the sensation of crossing over an imaginary line.
A barrier!
This was not like the bounded field that had surrounded the Einzbern castle before Rider had so gracelessly plowed through it.  Instead, this was more like the barrier that had been set up the night of that first battle when she and Aaron had watched Saber and Lancer meet for their duel.  No!  In fact, it was exactly the same barrier from that night.
That was all the warning she got before a crimson line streaked out from the woods behind the school, the bright red lance hurling through the air to bury itself into the shoulder of one of the bulls pulling the chariot.  The wounded creature let out a cry of distress and the vehicle lurched alarmingly.
The whole thing had been too sudden.  Twilight, who had been feeling quite secure earlier (perhaps she was just too used to the pegasus-pulled chariots she had ridden in Equestria), lost her balance.  Before she could do anything more, she lost all sensation of contact and realized that she was in the air.  A hand reached out and latched onto her wrist.  Looking over, Twilight's eyes met Waver's as he caught her arm and tried to pull her back in.
Tried...and failed.  Instead, Waver Velvet was also pulled out of the chariot and into the open sky.  With a mingled cry of alarm, the two of them plummeted towards the unforgiving ground below.
Twilight panicked.  Had she been in her true form, there were any number of spells that she could have used to save them from their current predicament.  However, in her human form, she was more limited.  She had included in her human form the potential for using magecraft, but had not found the opportunity to explore the limits of what she was capable of.  So far, the only spells she had been able to do had been based off of spells she had already seen.  And unfortunately, none of them afforded her a means of escaping this predicament.
Suddenly, she felt Waver pull on her arm, tugging her so that she was up against him, before wrapping his other arm around her.  Letting go of her arm, he held out his free hand over his head, which, given their current orientation, meant he was holding it straight out towards the approaching ground.
"Hang on!" he shouted.
Acting on instinct, Twilight threw her arms and Waver and pulled herself as close as she could to him.  Looking at his face, she saw a spark of determination in his gaze as he focused all of his attention in the direction of the ground and felt a small sense of relief well up within her.  She barely heard Waver's muttering over the rush of wind, and not enough to hear what he was saying.
The winds before Waver's hand began to stir and, just as they were coming close to hitting the ground, formed a powerful blast of wind that slowed their descent.  Waver shifted their weight so that they were right-side up.  The wind dissipated just as their feet were a few inches above the ground, leaving them to drop the remaining distance.
The two of them collapsed, panting, the fear and shock of what nearly happened robbing them of their ability to stand for a moment.  After a few seconds to recover, Twilight began to look around in order to survey their situation.  They had apparently landed on a deserted section of street.  She could see the woods behind the school nearby, but the school itself was concealed behind them.  There were a couple of houses in the near distance, but nothing immediately next to their location.  She saw a nearby intersection, complete with crosswalk, indicating that this was probably one of the roads that students walked along to get too and from school during the day.  A crash of thunder drew her attention to the sky above, where she saw Rider's chariot descending towards the woods themselves.  It looked as though he had regained control and was heading for the one that had attacked them.
After a moment, the two of them stood up, Waver also taking stock of their surroundings.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I think we were attacked," said Twilight, continuing to look around, "By Lancer."  She had a bad feeling like this.  Rider had probably seen the two of them land safely and had most likely gone to meet Lancer by himself, most likely thinking that this would be the best way to keep Twilight and Waver safe by allowing them to remain clear of the battle itself.  Or maybe he expected them to find their way back to him on their own.  Either way though, she didn't like the situation.  She almost felt as though the attack had been coordinated for the express purpose of separating them from Rider.
She was drawn out of her rumination by the sound of approaching footsteps...if they could be called that.  In reality, it was a much more disturbing sound, the sound of a single foot hitting the ground, followed by a sickening dragging sound.  It was hard to determine where the sound was coming from.  And in the next second, it became irrelevant as something even more pressing occurred.  A storm of black prana erupted from the street in front of her, right in the middle of the intersection.  When it cleared, she saw that towering, armored figure.  It was the figure of a black knight shrouded in swirling black mist.  As he rose to his full hight, Berserker let out an almighty roar of wordless fury.
They could barely hear the continuing sound of that dragging gait over the pandemonium of Berserker's arrival.  However, Waver turned and gulped at what he saw.  Someone was approaching them from the opposite direction along the street.  His eyes widened at the horrifying sight.  "C-C-Caster," he stammered.
Twilight wrenched her eyes away from Berserker to see what had Waver so shaken.  She felt a chill go down her spine at the sight of what could only have been Berserker's Master.
His hair was an unnatural shade of white.  One of his eyes was completely glazed over and clearly sightless, while the sunken shape of his cheeks and the parchment-like texture of his skin gave the impression of a corpse more than they did a living human being.  He walked slowly, stepping forward with one leg, dragging the other behind it.  The wind shifted, wafting in Twilight and Waver's direction, the scent of rotting flesh.
The creak of Berserker's armor drew Twilight's attention back to their most pressing concern.  She and Waver stood back to back, facing down Berserker and his Master respectively.
"What should we do?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.
Waver gulped nervously.  "We have to fight.  At the very least, we need to hold out until Rider can get to us."
"Will he come?"
"He knows through our contract that I'm in danger," replied Waver, "So he should be coming for us."  However, he didn't need to speak the problem with that assessment.  If Rider was confronting Lancer, then it was entirely possible that he wasn't in a position that would allow him to come to their aid.
Frowning, Waver looked down at his hand and the Command Seal inscribed on it.  Using one of these, he could immediately bring Rider to their side.  However, he was torn over whether or not that was a wise decision at this point.  For all he knew, Rider might already be on his way.  It would be foolish to waste a Command Seal prematurely.
Waver felt a pressure on his back as Twilight pressed against him.  I have to protect her, he thought.  Even if it proved unnecessary, it was still worth sacrificing a Command Seal for in his mind.  Lifting up his hand, Waver prepared to announce his order.
Just as the Seal began to glow, Twilight reached out and laid her hand over his.  Surprised by the action, Waver looked over his shoulder, his eyes meeting hers.  Twilight gave him a small smile.  "Let's fight," she said, "We can do this."
Waver's jaw dropped at the last words he ever expected to hear from Twilight's mouth.  "B-b-b-but-"
"I have an idea," she said, turning to look back at Berserker, who was standing unnaturally still, "I need to do this.  This may be our chance."
Waver didn't get the chance to ask what she was talking about.  Twilight stepped away from him and, in a flash of whirling prana, returned to her true form.  The small lavender unicorn stepped forward to face the imposing form of Berserker, her expression one of determination.
Waver gulped and turned back to face Mato Kariya.  He tensed.  In the time he had taken his eyes of Kariya to talk to Twilight, Kariya had already begun to use his magecraft.  The street around Kariya was covered with the writhing forms of worms, shaped like maggots, but the size of mice.  As Waver watched, their backs split.  Emerging from within the worms, giving way to shimmering, steely shells and fluttering incandescent wings.  The air filled with a low hum as countless giant beetles, filling the air around Kariya.  Their appearance was as dangerous as it was repulsive and Waver was immediately filled with a sense of foreboding as the beetles gathered around Kariya, buzzing angrily.
Nervously, he cast one last glance over his shoulder at Twilight, who returned his gaze, her expression nervous, but set.  The two of them nodded to each other and turned back to their respective opponents.  Waver reached into his bag and withdrew a trio of vials that he held between his fingers, holding them ready as his eyes met Kariya's sole functioning one.
With that, the next battle of the Holy Grail War, and the first one in which Twilight would directly compete as a Servant, began.



OMAKE:

Rider
True Identity: Rainbow Dash
Master: NA
Alignment: Neutral Good

Parameters:
Noble Phantasm: A
Strength: C+
Agility: EX
Mana: C
Luck: C
Endurance: B+

Class Skills:
Ride Alter: AA+

Personal Skills:
Eye of the Mind (True): C
Impact Resistance: B
Pegasus Magecraft: A+
Recovery: A



Class Skills:

Ride Alter is the ability to apply the equivalent of the Riding skill to one's environment rather than mounts or vehicles.  Modern human examples of this skill include activities like skiing or surfing (since skis and surfboards, while equipment to facilitate the riding of one's environment, do not count as vehicles in and of themselves).
Rank AA+:  With her wings, Rainbow Dash is able to ride the currents in the air to fly with incredible ease and agility, enabling her to navigate even the roughest weather with minimal difficulty, including tornados.



Personal Skills:

Eye of the Mind (True) is a heightened sense of insight that is refined through experience.
Rank C: Rainbow Dash is able to perceive the nature of her surroundings and respond instantaneously to the presence of obstacles and impediments, even while moving at extremely high speeds.  This skill has been refined through her continuous flight practice through hazardous terrain, such as Ghastly Gorge.

Impact Resistance is the capacity to withstand blunt-force impacts while taking less damage than normal.
Rank B:  Rainbow Dash's body can withstand substantial blunt-force trauma, including slamming into solid rock or the ground at high speeds while only suffering minimal injuries.

Pegasus Magecraft is the ability to employ the magecraft unique to the pegasi ponies of Equestria.  Unlike Unicorn Magecraft, which utilizes the intellectualized formation of prana in the form of spells, or Earth Pony Magecraft, which operates passively, Pegasus Magecraft is directed through physical exertion and the direct interaction with one's environment.  It applies directly to the manipulation of natural forces, the wind and weather in particular.  This form of magecraft sits between the other two forms of Equestrian Magecraft in that it draws upon both the wielder's Od and the environment's  mana, allowing for the creation of large-scale effects, such as storms or massive tornadoes through cooperative effort.
Rank A+:  The wielder is able to create mid to large-scale weather systems through their sole effort and even greater results when working with others.  Rainbow Dash is able to create and erase entire storm systems by herself with only minimal assistance from the other members of the Ponyville Weather Team.  When creating the tornado responsible for transferring water to Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash was able to use this skill to draw out the necessary output from the other participants, even though their total wingpower should have fallen just shy of the level necessary to actually accomplish the task.

Recovery is the ability to recover from debilitating injuries while minimizing the long-term consequences of said injuries.  This is not a form of regeneration or fast healing in that it optimizes the body's own ability to heal itself rather than being derived from magecraft or supernatural abilities.
Rank A:  Rainbow Dash is able to recover from injuries, even to relatively delicate parts of her body, such as her wings, while minimizing the risk of permanent damage.



Noble Phantasm: Sonic Rainboom
Rank: A
Type: Anti Fortress
The Sonic Rainboom is the legendary flight maneuver that is said to have been completely impossible until Rainbow Dash performed it as a filly, its execution serving as the catalyst that formed the beginnings of the bond between the six ponies who would later go on to bear the Elements of Harmony.  Rainbow Dash performs the Sonic Rainboom by flying at speeds well in excess of the speed of sound until she breaks through the vaguely defined "barier" that forms during the maneuver.  This results in a tremendous release of energy over a wide area, as well as massive acceleration on the part of Rainbow Dash, whose speed instantly doubles upon its completion.  After the execution of this technique, the laws of intertia and momentum are temporarily suspended, allowing Rainbow Dash to perform sharp turns even though the g-forces of those turns would normally be fatal to her body, as well as being able to safely absorb the impact of multiple objects, such as when Rainbow Dash caught Rarity and the Wonderbolts duriing the Best Young Fliers Competition.  The energy release takes the form of a vivid rainbow-colored shockwave that spreads across the sky.  Its effects can be felt for miles and can even shatter solid rock.  However, because this massive quantity of energy is diffused so quickly, it has limitted effects and could not normally be considered useful for combat.

The energy released is actually drawn from the inadvertant activation of the Multidimensional Refracton phenomenon.  The barrier created and subsequently broken by the technique is actually formed by the compression of space as Rainbow Dash approaches critical velocity, temporarilly rupturing the boundaries between alternate planes and releasing the compressed energy from the point of activation.  This activation of Multidimensional Refraction also ties into the alteration of history and the creation of alternate planes as governed by the Second Magic, which allows the user the capacity to alter destiny to a certain extent and is the source of the phenomenon that bound the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony together.  However, as Rainbow Dash is not a Magician, she cannot consciously utilize this aspect of the Sonic Rainboom.  While this ability would normally fall under the ability of Magic, possible only for a Magician, Rainbow Dash accomplished this feat through the constant application of pure effort, her dedication overriding the laws of reality itself.