Prologue: One Day Ago
All Pictures Belong To Type-Moon!
The Harmony Grail War, It is a great ritual, which has been practiced for hundreds of years. If one enters the ritual, one must eliminate the other six, as it is a battle for one’s life. I don’t know when the Harmony Grail War began. It is said that the Harmony Grail is in the land of Ponyville, and that many mages have fought each other here in the past. They had only one purpose… to obtain the Noble Phantasm called the Harmony Grail.
But the origin of the Harmony Grail is unknown. It’s certain that it never received the blood of Hasbro, but its power matches that of the one in the legend. Yes, it is said that the Harmony Grail can grant any wish. Only one has the right to possess it. The Harmony Grail can only grant one wish for one pony. But seven mages are needed to summon the Harmony Grail in this land; one miracle, seven collaborators.
…Well, the point is, it was only a matter of time before a fight broke out over the Harmony Grail. It began like an ordinary fight over resources. The seven mages used the power of the Harmony Grail equally to each summon a familiar, a “Servant”, to battle the other mages. Only one mage will obtain the Harmony Grail. And so, each of them treated the other six, once allies, now as enemies, and a gruesome fight began.
This is the ritual called the Harmony Grail War, a competition between mages for the Harmony Grail. The mages chosen by the Harmony Grail are called Masters, and each Master receives a powerful familiar called a Servant by the power of the Harmony Grail.
There are two proofs that one is a Master. Summoning a Servant and making it obey. And obtaining the three Command Spells that can order the Servant. The first goes without saying. Yesterday… no, a few hours ago to be exact… I summoned Archer to be my Servant. That leaves only the second. I must protect this Command Spell that binds the Servant to the end. For a Master, this is probably the most important thing of all.
The pattern inscribed on my right forehoof after summoning Archer… is the Command Spell. This harmony sign, granted by the Harmony Grail, is the proof of a Master who has summoned a Servant. This mark with concentrated magical energy is an instantaneous thing, not an eternal one. It is consumed by use, and as the appearance suggests, it has one use for each strike. In other words, only three times.
A master who loses all three of their Command Spells will be unable to control their Servant and faces death. …So. The Command Spell must be guarded as closely as one’s life. It hurts my head to think that I’ve used one right at the start, but it wasn’t completely meaningless, so I’ll call it good, because it’s not unusual for Servants to go against their Masters. I’m fortunate to have been able to chain him using one Command Spell.
…Well, that’s the gist of it. The Harmony Grail War will start when the seven Servants are all summoned. I can’t just sleep in. I don’t know when the last Master will appear, but it should be soon…
“Mm… morning already…?” …I’m so tired. Looking out of the window dazed, I notice the sun is already way up.
“…It’s past nine… I don’t think it’s a question of being late any more…” Glancing at the clock, I confirm to myself that I’ll be skipping school today.
“…My body’s so heavy… It feels like he’s taken over half my body.” I sit up in bed and take a deep breath. …I’m not tired just because I’m not a morning pony. Like Archer said, a Master who has just summoned their Servant cannot function satisfactorily.
“…That’s right. I summoned Archer, not Saber.” I can remember clearly. Well, it’s not something I want to remember… but even if I don’t like it, there’s no second chance.
“About a day until my magical energy returns, huh? Then I guess today will just be a test drive.” I slowly climb out of bed. …I fight a bit against the unseasonably warm air and my desire to stay wrapped up in my blanket. I knock out the desire to go back to sleep in the third second of the match and check myself in the mirror. Nothing’s obviously wrong. Except for the fact that I have only about half the usual magical energy in my body, everything’s up to par.
“…Well, there shouldn’t be any problems.” For now, I want to check the situation. The Servant I summoned is Archer. He’s a rude guy with no manners to spare for his summoner and Master. And on top of that, he doesn’t know who he is. …Oh, I’m getting a headache already.
“…I’ll have to live without his Noble Phantasm until his memory returns. Well, there’s no way he can use it if he doesn’t remember it.” Servants are powerful familiars on their own, but what makes them the most powerful in the fact that they all have one powerful “secret move”. The problem is, Archer says he can’t remember what it is.
“…Well, it’s partly my fault, so we’ll have to make do.” That’s right. As this is how things ended up, we’re both on the same boat. I hope he sorts out his memories soon, but with the way he’s acting right now… who knows when that’ll be. …Honestly. Looks like we’ve got a load of problems ahead…
“…Wow. Maybe I should have a better opinion of him.” The living room is just the way it was. I only expected him to clear up the rubble, so I’m moved that he went this far. He must have felt bad about making such a mess of the living room or he wouldn’t have done this. I should call him admirable or maybe just a nice stallion…
“The sun’s already up. You’re pretty loose.”
“……” I take it back. This shameless attitude… he doesn’t deserve any praise at all. “…Morning. You seem pretty relaxed. I see you’ve made yourself at home here.”
“Well, it’s the room I spent the night in. I’ve pretty much figured out where everything is. Oh, since I was cleaning anyway, I cleaned up the kitchen too. I was expecting more mess, but it was rather clean. That’s quite impressive considering that you live in a Canterlot-style house by yourself.”
“……” I’m getting a headache. Why is my Servant checking my cleanliness? They say Servants think only of battles, so maybe this stallion’s broken somehow…
` “I see, you’re not doing well, are you? You seemed well last night, but sleep must have brought up your fatigue. …Hm, I’ll get you a drink, if tea’s okay.” So at home in a stranger’s house, Archer stands, takes out a new teacup without a moment’s confusion, and pours a fine rose-colored tea.
“…“ There are all sorts of things I want to say, but I surprisingly don’t feel like interrupting him. Every aspect of his motion is refined, and you could even say he is being considerate. “…Oh well. It’s true that I’m tired, so I guess I’ll have a drink.” I take a seat. He hands me the teacup silently, and I take a sip. …Oh, it’s good. Of course, it’s an exotic Equestrian tea. It’s the best part of my favorite leaf, so I’d get mad if it tasted bad. In fact, I get mad when somepony uses one of my favorites without permission. …Yes. I would get mad, but when it’s brewed so wonderfully, I’m too happy to complain.
“Hmm. Hm-Hm.”
“…Hold on. What are you laughing about?”
“Well, I was going to ask what you thought of it, but when you make a face like that, there’s no point in asking.”
“…!” I slam the cup down onto the table.
“Don’t waste it. You should enjoy it while it’s hot. If I’m distracting you, I’ll go.”
“Thanks but no thanks. I didn’t become a Master just so somepony could brew me tea. Besides, there’s no need for you to do things without orders.”
“I see. Certainly, I did not form a contract with you to brew tea or clean up after you. If that’s how you want it, I’ll be careful from now on.”
“Right, what I need is a powerful familiar. I’ve never heard of a Servant who does things around the house, and I’ve no need of one either.”
“Hm? What do you mean no need?”
“Nothing, interpret it however you want. More importantly, do you remember who you are now?” Archer shakes his head. …Just as I thought, it’s bad. If he can’t remember it after one night, it’s not going to come back easily. Even if we test various things today, this is still… “All right, I’ll work out what to do about your memory. Well, get ready, Archer. Since you were just summoned, you don’t know your way around yet, right? I’ll show you around town.”
“Get ready? There’s no need. If you want to go, we can go right now.”
“Hey, you’re going to walk around in that? It hardly looks normal, and besides, other Masters would be able to tell you’re a Servant right away. I don’t intend to go announcing to everyone that I’m a Master, you know.”
“Oh, so that’s what you meant. It’s not a problem. Certainly I will need to change, but only when I take form. Servants are spirits after all. We become spirits when not in battle to reduce the burden on our Masters.”
“Oh yeah, you are still a heroic spirit even if you’re summoned already. Since it’s the Master’s magical energy…”
“Naturally, we could return to spirit form. A Servant in that state is like a guardian spirit. We cannot be observed by anypony except the Master we are connected to by the leyline. We can still talk though, so it’s no problem if we’re going scouting.”
“Wow, that’s really convenient. In that case, it must be hard to search for other Masters.”
“Yes. But mages can sense other mages, right? In the same way, Servants can sense other Servants. If a Servant knows powerful magic, they would be able to sense Servants even from a distance.” …Just as Archer says. A Master is usually a great mage. A mage with strong magical energy is sensitive to other magical energy. But as far as I know, no pony in this town has magical energy that strong.
“Hmm… So, what about you? Can you tell where the other Servants are?”
“Master, have you forgotten my class? Sensing distant enemies isn’t a job for a knight.” …Well, I guess not. Archer’s magical energy isn’t that strong. I expect only the Servant Caster would have enough magical energy to locate enemies from a distance.
“All right, then, follow me, Archer. I’ll show you the world you’ve been summoned into.”
“I don’t think it will be that new for me. …But, Master, aren’t you forgetting something important?”
“Hm? What do you mean by something important?”
“…Geez. You’re really not up to par yet. We have yet to exchange the most important part of our contract.”
“The most important exchange…?” Equivalent exchange? No, fundamentally, the reward for the Servant is to participate in the Harmony Grail War. There shouldn’t be any more exchanges necessary...
“…You’re really not a morning pony, are you?” Archer says so in surprise. Listening to his sarcastic comment, I realize something. Come to think of it… He hasn’t addressed me by name yet.
“…Ah, crap… names.”
“I guess you’ve realized. Well, it’s not too late. So Master, what is your name? How should I address you from now on?” Archer asks sulkily. …Dammit. He is a good person. Yes, there’s no mistake. After all, there’s no meaning to exchanging names. Servant and Master have a relationship forced upon them by the Command Spell. For a contract with a normal familiar, the exchange of names has a great deal of meaning, but no such bond is needed between the Master and the Servant. But still, Archer calls it important. It’s a proof of trust that we shall be fighting alongside each other, even without the Command Spell.
“…I’m Rarity. You can call me whatever you like.” I answer bluntly, unable to be true to my feelings. …Well, actually, it would probably be easier for me to be addressed in a reserved manner like “you” or “Master”, and he’ll probably call me that. But that said… Archer mutters my name to himself.
“I shall call you Rare. …Yes, the name suits you well,” He says something outrageous.
“…”
“Rare? What’s wrong? You don’t look normal.”
“…S-Shut up! Let’s just go! W-We don’t have time to relax…!” I turn away and start walking. I’m vexed. I don’t know why, but I am. Did Archer say that just to make me feel this way? “…It’s possible. He’ll certainly do that sort of a thing…” Yes, that must be it. So my face getting hot and my heart pounding, they’re all part of his plan. Be careful, Rarity. You’re going to have to work with this crooked stallion from now on.
I go out with Archer. The city we live in, Ponyville, can be basically divided into two towns. Here the place with old houses and traditional buildings is Old Ponyville. On the other side of the river is New Ponyville, where modern development is happening. My house is in the older section, Old Ponyville. Old Ponyville is broadly separated into two sections as well. This is one of the sections, the Canterlot-styled houses, where immigrants from foreign countries live, and on the other side is the area of old Ponyville-styled houses, with a mountain behind it. Both sections are on top of hills, so you could say both are suburbs. The houses in between these sections are relatively ordinary. As a demonstration, they’re this ordinary.
This is the crossroads of Old Ponyville and the hill leading to the Canterlot-styled houses like mine. On the opposite side, a hill leads up to the Ponyville- style houses. A bridge leads to neighboring town of New Ponyville, and the other way lead to the school, shopping district, and even Sweet Apple Acres up on the mountain, and this is the large bridge connecting New Ponyville and Old Ponyville.
A few years ago, a big station was built over that side and it has grown rapidly since then. Even though Old Ponyville and New Ponyville are the same city, you can think of them as totally different places. It’s famous for its long winters. In contrast though, it’s quite warm here and February here is about as warm as December everywhere else. I bet a few hot springs would turn up if you went digging around. Then again, this half-hearted cold would make the city a poor hot springs resort. Ponyville has a friendly winter and a strange climate that enters spring in April with no changes. New Ponyville is all like this.
The rapidly developing town started to build tall buildings as if rushed by something, and as a result, it looks very artificial. Though, that’s only in the last ten years. From what I hear, the big fire here ten years ago pretty much burned down the whole residential district. These buildings were constructed on the land no pony lived on any more. …And, this is the center of it.
“This is New Ponyville’s park. Now that we’ve seen all the important locations what are your thoughts?” I ask Archer who is standing next to me. I can’t see him, of course.
“It’s a big park. But is there some reason there’s no pony here?”
“So it shows, huh? Well, that’s because there’s a history to this place.” I look around the park. A park this big and organized should be a playground for kids, even on weekdays. But there are only a few ponies here and a desolate feeling runs though the place. “It was about ten years ago. They say there was a huge fire in this area. It burned for a day until it went out just as it began to rain. Afterwards, the town was rebuilt, but this place was left as it was. It burned to ashes, so they made it into a park.”
“…” Archer says nothing. But even though I can’t see him, I can tell that he is feeling something special.
“…You seem to have noticed. That’s right; this is where the last Harmony Grail War ended. I don’t know the details, but the last war ended here, and the place has been like this ever since.”
“…I see. That must be why this place is full of so many grudges.”
“Hmm, you can sense those kinds of things?”
“Servants are spirits. We are beings similar to grudges and formed obsessions. Therefore, we are sensitive to such ‘remnants’ like us. There were places in town with strong regrets, but this place is on a completely different level. To us, this place is more like a Reality Marble.” Archer brings up an unusual term in a motionless voice.
…Reality Marble. One of the magics considered the pinnacle of mages, said to be infinitely close to sorcery. For hundreds of years, a “boundary field” has been the defensive field that protects a mage. Put simply, it’s a vicious version of a security system on a house. A boundary field is something applied to an existing area or building to protect oneself from outside enemies. But it is merely a transformation applied to what already exists. But a Reality Marble is different. A Reality Marble is an image that erodes reality. The imagined world of a mage, a boundary field that paints over reality by letting a mage’s heart take form, that is what we call a Reality Marble. In other words, it’s a large-ranged magic that distorts, no, remakes the world as the mage wishes…
“Rare? What, are you thinking?”
“Eh…? No, I was just surprised. I just thought that ‘Reality Marble’ seemed an uncommon term for an Archer.”
“What, is it strange for me to know it?”
“Of course, Reality Marble is the taboo of taboos, the secret principle’s secret principle. It doesn’t make any sense for an Archer to know about it.” “Isn’t that right”, I ask with my expression. And then, I sense him sighing heavily next to me.
“Rare, a hero is someone who excels with both magic and weaponry. It’s fine if you want to think that an Archer can only use bows, but please don’t take such an optimistic view of the other Servants.” …Ugh. Come to think of it, he’s right.
“I-I understand. That was a careless thing to say. I’ll be careful from now on, so it’s okay, right?”
“…Rare, I’m going to be honest. You are excellent, but because of that, you have a habit of underestimating others. You should reform that habit before you grow up.”
“…! Y-You’re being rather rude…!” R-Reform, that’s like training bad habits out of a pet…!
“Oh, excuse me. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you’re a disobedient pet; I just used the word because it suited your image.”
“Hey, that’s even worse…ouch!?” My right arm suddenly hurts.
“…Rare?”
“…Be quiet for a second, Archer.” The Command Spell engraved on my right forehood is hurting; a small warning as if to get my attention. “…Somepony’s watching us.”
“Hm.” …I extend my consciousness to the surroundings. I roll out the threads of my consciousness and search through the park.
“…I can’t find him. What about you, Archer?”
“…It’s difficult. I can’t even feel the stare.”
“…Then, it must be a Master watching.” I don’t know who it is, but if Archer can’t sense it, it has to be a Master. There aren’t seven of us yet, but if we wanted to, we could start the fight at any time. It seems the one watching us wants to battle, but…
“…The Command Spell reacts to other Command Spells. So that must mean that if you are a Master, you should be able to recognize other Masters when you see them. Then wouldn’t that mean you should be able to identify the other Master too?”
“Yes. But a superior mage can conceal their magical energy. Even though Command Spells react to each other, they operate on magical energy. If the Master has closed his Magic Circuit, it will be hard to find him.”
“…That’s troubling. That means we are showing them our location.”
“That’s right. Well, if I search around my house, I should be able to find something that kills my magical energy but…”
“You don’t need it?”
“Right, because if I don’t hide it, they’ll come to us, right? It saves us the trouble of going to find them.”
“…” Archer takes a deep breath and goes quiet as if he’s shocked.
“…What? You want to say I shouldn’t be overconfident?” I ask, remember our pervious conversation. But Archer just says, “That’s impossible”.
“You’re strongest like this. Yeah, you can let those weaklings follow us about.” He says, trying to hold back his laughter. …Well, it’s not like I like his response, but we decide to continue walking around town. We tour the important places, really dragging our observer around, have dinner along the way, and bring things to a conclusion. We’ve been walking a lot, and it’s now seven. At this time of the night, our destination should give us the best view. A strong wind, the tallest building in New Ponyville, the view from the rooftop of this building is a fitting end for this day.
“What do you think? This place has a great view, Archer?”
“…Geez. I pity whoever you go out with someday. You dragged me around all day.”
“Hm? Did you say something, Archer?”
“Just an honest opinion, oh, this is certainly a nice place. If we had came here to begin with, we wouldn’t have had to walk around like we have been.”
“What are you talking about? Certainly it’s a nice view, but all you can tell from here is the overview of the town. You have to go to the places themselves to know the layout.”
“…That’s not true. My class isn’t Archer for nothing. You can’t be an archer unless you have good eyesight.”
“Is that so? So can you see my house from here, Archer?”
“No, I can’t see the neighboring town from here. At most, I can see as far as the bridge. At that range, I can count the number of tiles.”
“No way, the tiles on the bridge…!?” That’s not just good. His eyesight could match the telescopes you find on these rooftops. “I’m surprised. You really are Archer.”
“…Rare, I don’t like to think so, but, are you making fun of me?”
“Of course not, I just misunderstood because even though you’re called Archer, you don’t seem like one.”
“That’s a troubling claim. I shall question you further on this matter when we get home.” It seems Archer has taken a liking to the view as he falls silent. He’s probably working out the town’s layout. …I can’t interrupt while he’s surveying the battlefield. I leave Archer’s side and move to the edge of the building.
“…” All I can see with my eyesight is the lights below this building. Like the headlights of the cars in the street, and the ponies going home after work. I can’t tell what kinds of cars or what kinds of ponies they are. I can see them, but still not see them. Just like noticing somepony is watching me before, but not being able to see the watcher.
“…At the very least, there’s one pony that has his base in New Ponyville.” I strain my eyes and stare below me. …There are seven Masters in all. I still don’t know who the Masters are nor which Servants they command. Right now, I assume all the Masters are walking around town collecting information on other Masters.
“…?” Suddenly, I feel somepony’s eyes on me. There’s no reaction from my Command Spell. I just feel somepony’s eyes on me.
“From below…?” I look down. …There are many ponies walking around on the road. Among them is a pony. One pony is looking up at me as if looking up at the moon.
“…” I can’t tell for sure who it is. I can’t tell for sure, but I still know who it is. …It’s surprising. What’s he doing at this kind of a time?
“Rare. Have you found an enemy?” Archer calls out to me as if sensing my excitement.
“…Nothing. I just saw somepony I knew; just an ordinary pony, nothing to do with us.” I answer, unable to hide my irritation, and leave the place where I was standing. There’s no way he could have seen me from the ground. He must have been looking up at the building by coincidence. So it doesn’t mean I was noticed. …But still. I’m angry that I let him see me acting as a mage. By the time we get back to Old Ponyville, it’s already past nine o’clock. Unlike New Ponyville, Old Ponyville is an old residential district. No pony walks around after nine, and the town grows as quiet as midnight.
“So that’s pretty much it. Do you have a good idea of the town?”
“…Hm? Yeah, I get it. I’ll figure out the rest as we go along.”
“Then we’re done for the day. I’m not up to par either, so let’s go home and rest.” We climb the road up the gentle hill. …And, There’s somepony walking in front of us.
“Huh? Sweetie…?” This is bad. I don’t want to see her right now.
“Rare? Why are we hiding?”
“Shut up! Oh, that pony is somepony I know. I skipped school today, so I don’t want to see her.” As I speak, I look at the figure ahead of us. On the road, there’s the well-known first year student and a foreigner I don’t know. They are talking about something. …No, it seems the foreigner is talking to Sweetie against her wishes.
“Rare? Is the pony you know the foreigner?”
“No, I don’t know her. There are lots of Canterlot-style houses around here, so she might be visiting one of them.” I say that much, then scold myself for being too soft where that mare is involved.
“…Archer, is she pony?”
“I don’t know. She has form, so she should be pony. At the very least, she is not a Servant.”
“Right, she’s not a Master either, so I guess it’s just a minor quarrel.” …Still, I know she’s not the kind of mare to get into trouble with a pony…
“They’re going. The mare is walking up the hill. The mare is…” The blond mare goes down the road we came up.
“Well then, you can use this place. I’m going to bed unless you have any questions first.”
“I don’t have any important questions. You decision not to rush into a battle is the correct one. You should use tonight to recover your magical energy.”
“Yes. I will see you tomorrow then. Please make me tea tomorrow morning.” Fatigue hits me hard once I walk into my room.
“…Oh yeah, I have to contact Blueblood before I got to bed.” That annoying priest. He’ll already be getting ready to call in the substitute mage. I don’t really care about that, but he is my guardian, so I should at least do the right thing.
“Phone, phone…” I dial the number. And soon, the fake priest picks up.
“Blueblood? It’s me. I formed a contract with a Servant just yesterday, so register me officially as a Master.”
“…” A brief silence, Blueblood’s silence has enough pressure to stress you out even over the phone.
“…Understood, Now what? You should come and see me at least once. I have something to give you that I received from your parents. They said to give it to you only if you become a Master before you become an adult.”
“Oh, you mean Father’s will? I already deciphered it and got the item, so it’s fine. I’ll come and see you if I feel like it. Goodbye.”
“Wait, Rarity. If you are a Master now…” I hang up, not hearing him out. Listening to Blueblood’s lecture while I’m tired won’t help me recover my magical energy.
“…Right, all preparations are done now…” All that’s left is to sleep. When I wake up next, it should be a completely different morning. …Ten years ago. The Harmony Grail War, in which my father competed as a Master and was defeated. Now, I’m entering that same battle…