Fate/Equestria Girls

by SamRose

Chapter 2 - One Day of Peace

Perhaps Twilight had already died and moved on to the afterlife, that would certainly explain the angel standing before her. Or maybe the figure before her was an angel of death, come to whisk her life away now that it had come to an end. Maybe the afterlife really was nothing more than her brain dealing with the last moments of consciousness and hoping for the best case-scenario to play out for her so that she could rest peacefully once the world faded away.

All of the options presented by her brain seemed far less ludicrous than the reality of the situation in front of her.

“I'll ask you again, are you my master?” The red haired woman spoke up once more, snapping Twilight from her thoughts. She felt her jaw hanging slack and finally closed it, wondering just how long she'd been staring. Her mind fumbled for words, but couldn't muster them fast enough.

“I... I don't... Master?” Twilight sputtered, her brain still scrambling to put the pieces of what's going on together. “I don't understand... Are you a servant?”

“I am the Servant Saber, summoned here by your command to participate in the Holy Grail War.” Saber paused for a moment, staring intently at Twilight. “I can sense a flow of mana from you, though it's faint. That's proof enough to me that you are my master. From this day forth, I shall be your sword.”

“Nnnf, you sure know how to pack a punch.” The rainbow haired servant spoke as she rose from the rubble of the stairs, shaking off the debris from her armor. “Still, it was a lucky sucker punch. You won't catch me off guard again.”

The red haired girl didn't say a word as she turned to face the attacker. Putting both hands to the handle of her sword, her legs bent just a little before her entire being rushed forward, swinging down hard on her target. A lance was brought up to block and a rush of wind exploded at the force of the attack.

The clash of metal rang out repeatedly in the room as the two exchanged blows, Twilight's eyes doing their best to keep up with the action but only able to see flashes of light at the power of their clashing. The sound of glancing blows and striking metal made her head spin, and before she could fully register what was going on the servant with prismatic hair flew up the stairs and the one with red hair jumped after her.

The boisterous sounds that had filled the basement just seconds ago disappeared, leaving the space suddenly disturbingly quiet. The only inhabitant of the basement now being the frazzled purple haired girl who was caught up in a whirlwind of circumstances she had no knowledge of.

As she sat there trying to realize what had just happened, the distant sound of clanging metal met her ears. Realization struck her that the fighting was still going on and she scrambled to her feet. She quickly got to her feet and rushed her way towards the staircase, now intent to follow after the red haired servant.

The rubble of their combat made it difficult to traverse up the stairs, but it wasn't anything pouring some mana into her legs couldn't handle. At the top of the stairs she could see destruction littering her house, the distinct markings on the wall making it clear that one was trying to push the fight out of the house while the other was out for blood. Twilight's ears perked up as she heard the combat coming from her front lawn. Steeling her nerves, she rushed out of her house and onto her front lawn.

The first thing she saw was a pillar of fire rush into the air before disappearing as Saber jumped back, hands gripping her blade as fire roared across its length. The lance wielding servant spun her lance around before moving into a deep stance, spear at the ready.

“Not much of a talker, but you're decent with a blade I'll give you that.” The prismatic haired girl grinned. “I'm glad you showed up actually, it would've been way too boring to have just killed the girl who couldn't put up a fight.”

“I don't care about your enjoyment of this fight.” Saber glared, squeezing her hands down on her blade. “I only intend to win. And in this war, the easiest way to do that is to kill you.”

“You must be a wet blanket at parties.” The foe let out a laugh at her insult. “Fine, if you want to just skip to the good part, then I'll indulge.” She pulled her spear back a bit further as her pose sunk further, a wave of white light suddenly surging around the spear. “How good are you at dodging?”

Saber raised her sword, glaring down as the fire in her blade intensified, a ring of fire appearing at her feet in response. The two opponent's stared each other down, fully intent on ending the life of the other in their next strike.

“Tell me if you've seen this one before.” The spear wielder grinned, adjusting her hands as the shining light surrounding the spear suddenly broke apart, separating into the visible spectrum, shining brightly in a rainbow of color. “HASTAM-” The girl spoke, the colors surrounding her spear growing brighter as she swung it forward, “-LUCIS!”

The air itself crackled with the sound of thunder before exploding in a shockwave of wind and sound. Twilight's arms shot up to protect her face as the gale force winds hit her body like a truck. Her ears rang from the explosive sound, as if a jet fighter had just rushed by inches overhead going mach five. The feel of a second force of wind and vibrations in the air hit her next, indicating something had exploded on the opposite side of the front yard from her.

Her legs gave out and she collapsed into a sitting position, her mind spinning as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. She shook her head, trying to clear it of the ringing before looking back and forth between the two fighters. Lancer's spear was held tilted towards the ground, a hissing steam billowing from the force of her attack. Lancer's lips were pursed in disbelief as she looked at her opponent.

A splash of blood hit the ground as Saber clutched her left arm. She let out a grunt of pain as her wound sizzled with the same hissing steam that was on Lancer's weapon. Saber's crystal weapon was still held within her left hand, the injured arm showing clear signs of struggling to hold the blade now. Just behind Saber, a huge hole and been blown out of the fence and ground, remnants of Lancer's devastating attack.

“Huh, never seen anyone dodge that before.” Lancer said with a grin, swishing her lance and clearing it of the steam before resting it on her shoulders. “You must be someone pretty impressive to be able to dodge an attack traveling at the speed of light.”

Saber took a deep breath, before letting it out in an exaggerated manner to steel her nerves. She let go of the wound on her left arm and reaffirmed the grip on her sword. She raised the weapon up to face her opponent, magic once more sweeping through the clear blade. The sword once more ignited in a display of crimson fire that began to surround her body.

“That lance of light...” Saber hissed through the pain, “There's only one person I know that could possibly have a spear that radiant. The Spear of the King, Rainbow Dash.”

“I wasn't exactly told to hide my identity, so I had no reason to not go all out on you.” Lancer said, readying her spear at her side once more. The two servants stared each other down, ready to face off once more. However, something changed as Lancer's face fell into a frown. “Though... It seems if we want to continue this fight, we'll have to do so another time.” She spoke while backing off from her offensive stance, standing there.

“What?” Saber barked, teeth gritting as she struggled to keep a firm grip on her blade.

“My master is calling me back. Nothing I can do.” Lancer shrugged her shoulders, turning from Saber and jumping up on top of the fence.

“Wait! Stop running!” Saber growled, stomping a foot forward.

“Later Saber, don't get killed before we can fight again.” Lancer chuckled with a grin, before jumping up into the air and disappearing into the aether.

“Dammit.” Saber cursed, before falling to one knee and clutching her injured arm once more. Watching the woman that had saved her life fall to the ground finally broke Twilight out of the stupor she had found herself in and she scrambled to her feet.

“Oh my gosh!” She cried, as she kneeled down next to Saber, looking at the profusely bleeding arm. “Are you okay!? How can I help!?”

“Lancer's spear penetrated deeper than I would have liked. If it hadn't been for my armor, I would have lost this arm.” Saber seethed through her teeth, before turning to Twilight. “I need you to heal my arm, I can only do so much on my own.”

“H-Healing magic?” Twilight gulped nervously as she raised her hands up to the wound. “I've read about the mechanics in my books, b-but I've never really gotten it to work properly.” Her hands trembled as she watched more fresh blood drip down Saber's arm. “I've always failed at it...”

“You're a novice?” Saber asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. “It's fine, just do what you can, I need to be ready to defend you.”

“Defend me?” Twilight asked, unable to concentrate on her spell. “Defend me from what? The other servant left!”

“Lancer has left, yes, but I can see another one rapidly approaching. Do what you can, and quickly.” Saber ordered.

“R-Right!” Twilight was scared out of her mind, but tried to concentrate on her magic. She flared her circuits and starting running through the intricate spellcraft in her head for healing magic. She tried to remember every detail as her magic began to flow.

The regenerative properties of the healing spell began for only a second, before Twilight's entire body pulsed. The magic in her body was cut off completely, caused by a searing pain shooting out from her back and stretching out to her entire body.

“Master? What's wrong!?” Saber cried out, watching Twilight's body convulse. Twilight's vision was began to shake and bile from her stomach quickly rose to her throat. Her body lurched to the side as the bile spewed from her mouth, before collapsing onto her back. Her body began to convulse, a seething pain raging out of control inside her body and blotting out the world around her.

Twilight was vaguely aware of the Saber's panicked shouting, discerning only mumbles amongst the ringing pain that was echoing in her ears. The world was beginning to vanish from her vision, as the pain began to consume her body and mind, until consciousness finally gave up on her, and she slipped into a black abyss.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Now Twilight, there is something you must always remember.” The loving voice of her father spoke to the little girl. She lifted her nose from her book and looked up at the older man. “A magi must always strive to grow stronger, so that their children may grow stronger in turn. Becoming a magi means you have a lineage to protect, history that has a right to be passed down. If you do not, then that magic will be gone forever.”

“So I have to pass my magic on one day?” Twilight asked confused, frowning as she looked over the book she was studying. “Does that mean I won't have it any longer?”

“You will, but the strongest part of your magic will go to your child. They will add their own magic to the family crest, and that will ensure that our family will grow stronger and stronger.” Her father explained.

“So... You mean I'll be stronger than you with it?” Twilight tilted her head.

“Not right away, you will first have to learn how to master the crest. Then once you have, your power will be equal to mine. And then, you will learn new magic and you will add it to the crest, and that is when you will be stronger than me.” Her father explained with a smile.

“So, I'm studying magic now to do that later?”

“Right now, you're training your body to be able to accept the magic circuits. Once you've learned basic activation and Mana channeling techniques, you'll be ready to accept the family crest.” He placed a hand on her head and gently stroked it. “I have seen quite a few Magus in my time Twilight, and I can tell you that you're a natural with magic. You'll be ready to accept the family crest before you realize it. I know it may be hard for now, but understand that our training is meant for your benefit.”

“Alright father!” Twilight said with a bright smile. “I'll be a great mage that makes you proud! You'll see!”

“That's my little girl.” The man smiled back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A groan escaped Twilight's lips first, as everything still hurt. However, the pain that had assaulted her before passing out was nowhere in sight, the only remnant of it being the dull ache that remained in her muscles. It was a pain she had grown accustomed to, growing up with the way her magic circuits were trashed. If she tried to use too much mana at once, her body would reject the overexertion. It had been a long time since she had spasms powerful enough to make her black out, but even just basic magic training could cause her circuits to flare up and disorientate her for a while.

Her eyes slowly blinked open, realizing she was back in her room now. Judging from the light filtering in through the window, she had been asleep the entire night. The next thing she did was slowly turn her head, noticing a presence in the room with her. Her eyes fell upon the red-headed beauty from last night, sitting in a chair next to her bed watching her.

Though her vision was blurry without her glasses, even from that distance she could tell Saber was no longer adorned in the regal golden armor of hers. Instead she was sporting a blue top with translucent sleeves that hung gently on her shoulders, and a pair of blue jeans beneath. Twilight also couldn't help but notice that the shirt showed quite a bit of Saber's cleavage, causing Twilight to only just now notice how ample Saber's chest was without the armor on. Realizing she was staring, she quickly raised her gaze to meet Saber's eyes, hoping the servant hadn't noticed.

“I'm glad you woke up, I was getting worried about you.” The servant spoke casually, with a smile. The servant leaned in over the bed and pressed a hand to Twilight's forehead. “You really scared me there, but it seems you're alright now. What was that all about?”

Twilight had to blink at her servant's words. Her manner, demeanor, even her presence felt so completely different from what she had seen the night before. The regal warrior in golden armor wielding a flaming sword was gone, and in her place was someone that Twilight would easily mistake for being a friend from her high school. It was really throwing Twilight's brain for a loop and she was having difficulty wrapping her head around it.

“Hey, Earth to Master, are you there?” Saber waved her hand in front of Twilight's face to make sure she reacted. Twilight shook her head, pulling her arms up and quickly sitting up on the bed to be eye-level with Saber.

“I'm sorry, I just...” Twilight struggled to find the words, as she lifted a hand up to her head and rubbed it gently. “You keep calling me master... You're really the servant I summoned last night?”

“You didn't lose your memory from that fit, did you?” Saber asked crossing her arms. “I know a lot happened last night, but surely you remember all of it?”

“I do, actually.” Twilight shook her head lightly, as her hands gripped the sheets tight. “I remember it all too clearly...”

“Well, you intended to summon me, didn't you? I answered your call after all. You're a magus participating in the grail war.” Saber raised an eyebrow curiously.

“I... I just...” Twilight struggled with her thoughts, trying to explain the situation that was going on around her. As she struggled to try and find the words about how none of this was supposed to be happening, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Her and Saber both turned to look at the door as it quickly opened, a familiar boy walking in with a tray of food.

“Breakfast is ready.” Spike said with a proud smile as he walked in, before noticing Twilight was awake. “Twilight!” He brightened up instantly, picking up his pace and placing the tray down on her side table. He ignored Saber and went straight up to the side of her bed, looking her in the face. “I'm so glad you're awake! Your magic circuits were going haywire last night, it was all I could do keep them stable and keep the damage to a minimum!”

“Y-You came here last night Spike?” Twilight blinked in surprise. “What made you do that?”

“Well, I was on my way to your house last night so I could introduce you to the servant we had summoned.” Spike explained. “My servant actually sensed that there was another servant near your home, so we we're heading over there quickly to make sure you weren't in harms way. It wasn't until the battle was over that we arrived, and found Saber here guarding you as you were having one of your magic flare-ups. I dismissed my servant and managed to convince her that I was only there to help you, and we got you up to your room.”

“I'm still not completely ready to trust another Master's intentions just yet.” Saber glared at Spike, “I was going to cut him down where he stood to protect you and warned him as such, but once he disarmed himself and dismissed his servant, I couldn't bring myself to strike him down. He's kept his word so far though, so I haven't had to raise my sword to him.”

“Spike...” Twilight gaped at the explanation as she turned to Spike in shock. “You nearly let yourself get killed by Saber just so you could help me?”

“Well once I saw you I couldn't just leave you there. Even if it cost me my life, I had to do everything in my power to help you.” Spike explained so calmly.

Twilight could only blink at his explanation, doing her best to process it. She felt her body begin to shake, her hands balling into fists as she grit her teeth. She squeezed her eyes shut as she her anger flared.

“Spike, you IDIOT!” Twilight yelled as she raised a hand and threw a punch at him, trying to hit the boy, only for him to easily dodge it in surprise as it gently whiffed the air.

“Wha- Twilight!?” Spike asked bewildered.

“What if you HAD died!” Twilight glared at him, tears welling up at the edges of her eyes. “You didn't know this servant! She could have been lying to you to KILL you! I would've survived my fit like I always do and I would've woken up to my best friend being DEAD!” Twilight slammed her fists into her bed as the tears began to fall down her cheeks. She leaned back against her headboard and sunk her head. “You didn't even think about your own preservation for even a moment...” She quietly muttered.

Spike gaped at Twilight's reaction for a moment, unable to come up with a response. He had thought she'd be happy to know he helped her, but it seemed that she'd had the opposite reaction. He let out a sigh as he gently walked back up to her bed and kneeled beside it, reaching out and placing a hand onto hers.

“You're right... I'm sorry Twi...” Spike spoke softly, “I just... I saw you in so much pain and I had to do something, you know? I know it was stupid of me to trust a Servant I'd just met, but things turned out alright, okay?” He squeezed her hand. “I promise in the future that I'll think more rationally about these sorts of things, okay?”

Twilight paused for a moment to sniff, her tears starting to slow. She raised her free hand up to her face and gently wiped away at the tears, before looking into Spike's eyes. “I can't lose anyone else Spike...”

“I know. I promise you, you won't lose me.” Spike smiled calmly. It had its desired affect and Twilight smiled back at her friend.

“Guess you weren't lying about being her best friend.” Saber said, placing a hand against the back of her head and rubbing it. “Sorry about not trusting you and all.”

“Hey, you were doing the right thing.” Spike said turning to Saber with a smile. “I mean, if Twilight's a master in the grail war, it only makes sense to be suspicious of other master's intentions right?” Spike explained easily, before turning back to Twilight. “Though how come you didn't tell me you were a master Twilight?”

“I... I didn't even know I was Spike.” Twilight shook her head, leaning back against her headboard. “Everything happened so quickly last night...”

“Why don't you start from the beginning then.” Saber offered, “Get us caught up. What happened before we showed up?”

While hesitant at first, Twilight explained how Lancer had attacked her at the graveyard, and that Saber was somehow summoned in her basement. The retelling took less time than she thought it would, but when she was finished, Saber and Spike were sitting there with contemplative looks on their face.

“So, summoning me was an accident?” Saber asked with a hand to her chin.

“I'm sorry...” Twilight apologized.

“But you do have the command seals.” Spike spoke up, pointing towards her shoulder. “We saw them while we were making sure you were okay. They're on your left shoulder.”

Twilight blinked in surprise and looked over at her cloth covered shoulders. She hadn't noticed before, but at some point she had been changed into her pajamas.

“Don't worry, I was the one that changed your clothes.” Saber spoke up, “I made sure Spike was out of the room when I did.”

Blushing at Saber's comment, she quickly shook her head and grabbed her sleeve and pulled it up. There on her shoulder were three red markings in the shape of a six pointed star split in half and a circle in the middle. They were undeniably command seals, the same ones that Spike had on his chest. Somehow, she had been chosen by the Holy Grail to be a master.

“I...” Twilight murmured at the marking, before letting the sleeve fall back down and covering the mark, “I don't know why I was chosen... Surely there are more qualified magi in the city than me?'

“The grail doesn't necessarily choose the best Magi in the city as a Master, but rather those who have the most reason or desire to seek the grail out.” Saber explained crossing her arms. “So of the potential masters the grail could have chosen, you have a reason to join the war.”

“But... But I don't have a wish I can think of I want granted by the grail.” Twilight shook her head. “What reason could I possibly have for winning the grail war?”

“Well, whether you think you have a wish or not, the fact of the matter is that the grail chose you.” Spike spoke up, smiling. “Though you don't have to be a master if you don't want. If you don't want to participate in the grail war, we just have to go to the church and talk to the judge and let him know.”

Twilight stiffened at that prospect. She hated going to the church for any reason, if she could avoid it, she was going to.

“You'll have to go their either way though, if you decide to be a Master or not.” Spike explained. “The war can't officially start until everyone has registered with the church.” Twilight let out a reluctant sigh, her head hanging at the news. Last night had been awful and that just meant she was only going to have another bad day.

Thankfully, the conversation was interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling, causing Twilight to blush again. Spike chuckled a little at that, before reaching over to the tray he had brought in.

“Here, let's get some food in you first. You didn't have dinner last night did you? You must be starving.” Spike pulled out the stands on the tray and placed it on the bed in front of her. She was immediately hit with the delicious smell of freshly baked pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Her mouth began to water, looking at the delicious spread before her.

“Thank you Spike.” She spoke up before grabbing her fork and pulling out a big bite of pancake. The buttery dough melted in her mouth and filled it with bliss. Pancakes were always so much better on an empty stomach.

“So like... Are you sure he's a best friend and not a boyfriend?” Saber suddenly spoke up, causing Twilight to choke on the piece of pancake in her mouth. She coughed and slammed her fist against her chest, trying to breathe properly.

“Saber!” Spike yelled, a fierce blush on his face. “Twilight and I don't have that kind of a relationship!”

“I dunno, its just, you two seem pretty cozy. I feel like I'm watching a husband care for his wife.” Saber shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, if you're not a couple, you act like one.” Twilight covered her face her hands as she felt her face heating up, Spike just glaring at Saber with his own blush going.

“Listen Saber, I don't care what it may look like, but I've been Twilight's friend since we were kids. For a long time I was her only friend too, but I've never seen her as someone I had romantic interest in, and Twilight feels the same. We've talked about this before, so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't make those implications.” Spike said it with as much seriousness as he could muster, though Saber looked hardly intimidated. Twilight couldn't really blame her though, being a Servant there wasn't a lot for her to be afraid of from a magus at this range.

“Hey, fine, I was just making an observation.” Saber raised her hands defensively. “It's pretty clear that you two care for each other, whether that's as friends or more doesn't matter to me. As long as you're not an enemy of my Master, then you're not an enemy of mine.” Saber crossed her arms and turned to Twilight, who slowly lifted her head from out of her hands and looked at the Servant. “I do, however, wish to discuss the matter of your participation in this war. But that can wait till after you've eaten.”

With that said, Saber stood up from her seat and looked at Spike. “Let's wait for her to be ready downstairs. Give her time to recover and think things over. She's been through a lot.”

“Yeah, that sounds good to me.” Spike said nodding at Saber. “You eat and make sure you're ready Twilight, we'll be waiting downstairs.” The two quickly exited the room, leaving Twilight on her own once more.

Twilight stared down at her stack of pancakes, letting out a sigh of frustration before burying her face in her hands once more. Participating in the grail war had been the very last thing she had intended to do as a Magus, she didn't have the skills, the power, or the experience to be a magus that could compete against the likes of Spike or anyone from the Mages association. She loved magic, from the bottom of her heart she did, but she never intended to do anything other than study it and maybe pass her crest on one day.

And even those things she was hesitant to do.

“This is what you wanted, isn't it?” She murmured quietly to herself, lowering her hands as she stared at nothing. “To make me a Magus to participate in this war...” She slowly shook her head and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. She picked her fork back up and began eating the meal Spike had prepared for her.

With each delicious bite, she couldn't help but think that he really was a masterful chef.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once Twilight had finished breakfast she had taken her daily medications and changed into some of her casual wear; a simple blue blouse with a knee-length indigo skirt. Her body was quietly throbbing everywhere, but she wasn't really in pain like she was the day before. She decided against putting her hair up into a bun, it just felt like too much effort since she wasn't likely going to school today anyway.

With her glasses back on and everything else taken care of, she stepped out of her room and heard rather unfamiliar sounds coming from her living room. It was easy to hear people chatting and having a conversation, even from her room. It was a stark contrast to the usual silence that filled her mansion. She stepped down the long hallway towards the sound, the voices becoming more discernible as she got closer.

“-So utterly uncouth!” An unfamiliar female voice spoke up, sounding almost offended. “You have such un-ladylike mannerisms! It's hard to believe you can be so callous!”

“You're one to talk.” Saber's voice spoke up next, “You're so obsessed with making sure everything's so fancy you're losing sight of the things that are important here!”

“Darling, if you can't understand why appropriate manners is simply a matter of common decency, then I doubt we could ever get along.” The other female said with a haughty tint to her voice. Twilight came to the stairwell in her house that overlooked the living room. Saber was sitting on one couch, her arms and legs crossed as she stared with eyes half-lidded at a woman who was standing in front of her.

The other woman was a little taller than Saber, but had hip-length curly indigo hair with an exaggerated curled bang framing her face. Her skin was a fairly radiant milky white that stood in contrast to her blue eyes. She was wearing a long-sleeved baby blue shirt with a a flowing knee-length skirt that matched her hair and knee-high boots.

Spike was sitting next to the woman, trying to calm her down. “Come on guys, let's not fight right now, okay? We have a truce going, let's not antagonize each other.” He said, doing his best to keep the peace.

“Tell that to her, she's the one being unruly.” The indigo haired girl huffed before sitting back down with a huff.

Saber rolled her eyes and looked like she was about to say something in response before she spotted Twilight at the top of the stairs. Her face brightened with a smile, “Hey Master, feeling better?”

“Yeah, breakfast helped a lot.” Twilight nodded as she made her way down the stairs. She had been thinking over what she wanted to say while she was eating, but now that she was getting closer to actually talking with everyone, she was growing nervous again. She quickly took a spot on the couch next to Saber and ran her hands over the skirt she was wearing, smoothing out the wrinkles. She looked up nervously to Spike who was smiling, before looking at the tall woman next to Spike. Even from the top of the stairs Twilight could tell that Spike's servant was exceptional, but being this close she couldn't help but notice that she seemed to radiate a natural beauty.

“Well, you must be Twilight Sparkle. Spike has not stopped talking about you since he summoned me.” The beautiful servant giggled, causing Twilight's face to flush again. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Rider class Servant, summoned by my Master Spike. I do hope you will be satisfied with that, it's far too early in the war for me to be giving out my true identity, even to friends and possible allies of Spike's.”

“Allies?” Saber raised an eyebrow confused.

“I said possible allies, darling.” Rider waved a hand at Saber. “I know nothing is set in stone yet, but I see no reason my Master would want to fight yours until it came down to us as the final two in the war.”

“You seem awfully confident of that.” Saber shook her head, unable to believe Rider's ability to draw early conclusions. “If we do form a truce in this war, and it will be a truce as their can only be one winner, that will be up to our Masters to decide.” Saber turned to look at Twilight. “And my Master hasn't yet decided if she's going to participate in the war or not.”

Twilight fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat as all eyes turned to her. She was the center of attention, and she hated being the center of attention if she could avoid it. She took a deep breath and laced her fingers together, putting them in her lap as she let the breath out slowly. She kept her gaze looking at the ground as she tried to talk. Suddenly the words she had been thinking to say seemed a lot harder to formulate.

“...I'm still not sure what I want to do yet.” Twilight shook her head. “I didn't realize I was a Master, and I had no plans to try and participate in the war. Even summoning Saber was an accident... If that was all there was to it, I don't think I'd have many concerns with dropping out of the war right now...” Twilight gently cupped her hand and squeezed it slightly, before looking up at Spike. “But, Lancer brought the fight to me. I was going to stay out of it, but if I hadn't somehow summoned Saber, I would be dead right now. I don't know why Lancer stopped her attack, but she could very well come after me again. Without Saber, I could very well be killed without ever knowing why.”

“So... You're going to participate as a Master?” Spike asked, surprised to hear Twilight's words. Twilight shook her quickly, lacing her fingers together again.

“I haven't fully decided just yet. If I do participate, I'll easily be the weakest Master, without question. I cannot use my Magic in serious fighting, or my body will outright reject it. And if it rejects it at the wrong time, it'll be the end of me right there. But if I don't fight at all, then I have no right to be a Master either.” Twilight let out a sigh and rubbed a hand against her forehead. “As much as it pains me to say this, if I'm going to make a decision on this... I have to go to the Church and talk to the Judge about it.”

“That makes sense.” Spike said nodding his head, “The Judge of the Grail war would have a lot more insight into this than we would. You have to see him either way, so he can help you make up your mind.”

“Is that alright with you Saber?” Twilight asked, turning to her Servant.

“Let me just ask you one thing Twilight.” Saber said, resting her arms against her legs as she leaned forward and looked at her Master seriously. “If you do decide to be a Master, will you take this war seriously?”

“...I will.” Twilight affirmed. “As the head Magus of the Sparkle family, I would be remiss in my duties to not take a matter involving Magi seriously if I chose to participate in it.”

“Then I have no complaints.” Saber smiled. “I would prefer it if my Master was the one who summoned me, but I have my reasons for participating in the war. Even if I get a new Master should you decide not to participate, I will at least do my best to make sure a servant like Lancer doesn't try to kill you.”

“Thank you Saber...” Twilight smiled at the beautiful red head. It took her a moment before she ended up frowning. “Hey, I've been wondering... How come your mannerisms have changed? Last night there was a very regal tone to your voice... But today you sound... I dunno, normal?”

“What, I'm supposed to sound abnormal?” Saber chuckled, leaning back against the couch. Saber could tell Twilight was gonna get flustered in response to her sass, so she raised a hand up quickly. “No, it's fine, I'm just teasing you. It's just sort of...” Saber scratched her cheek as she tried to think of how to explain it. “I was trained in a very... Regal place during my life, and so when I go into 'battle mode' that training and tongue just sort of starts to slip out. I'm not even really aware I'm doing it. But in a setting like this, I'm much more casual.”

“I see, I suppose that does make sense.” Twilight said thinking back to her own training, and how she had a tendency to slip into a different mindset herself.

“Well, I know we won't be busy today, so we should make it a day trip.” Spike smiled. “I called Cheerilee and told her you had an episode last night and that I'd be taking care of you today, so she's marking us absent for sick leave from school today. We can show Saber and Rider around town, and then stop at the church so you can talk with the Judge.”

“Ooh, that sounds like a wonderful idea!” Rider perked up, clasping her hands together. “The grail granted us basic knowledge of the modern world so we wouldn't experience culture shock, but I'd absolutely love to see a modern Era town for myself! It's going to be so different and interesting, and I absolutely want to get in plenty of window shopping of this era's dresses and outfits!”

“Getting a good look around Canterlot would be a good idea.” Saber agreed, “You never know what area will turn into a battle ground, and it should be relatively safe to walk around during the day. No Magi worth their salt would out themselves in broad daylight.” Saber then gave a bit of an antagonistic grin towards Rider. “And while I'm not interested in the fashion trends like Rider, I am curious to see how food has evolved over the years.”

“There is nothing wrong with having an interest in today's fashion!” Rider huffed again, crossing her arms as she looked away from Saber.

“Sounds like we're all in agreement then.” Spike said clapping his hands as he stood up. “Let's head out to Downtown Canterlot!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Downtown Canterlot has always a bustling Metropolitan City, tall office buildings reaching into the sky, several shopping districts scattered about and separated by interests. A large river splits the city in two, the major skyscrapers on one side, smaller businesses leading into smaller residential districts on the other.

“WahaHAAA!” Rider squeeled out in a girlish manner, as she twirled around at the sights of the city. “The big city is even more wonderful than I imagined!”

“Wow, don't act too much like a Servant now.” Saber chuckled at the girlish actions.

“I am a lady before I am a Servant, I'll have you know.” Rider scoffed at Saber with a grin. “I lived most of my life in a very rich, noble town. So this is just bringing nostalgic memories flooding back.” She cooed to herself, twirling once more as she made her way towards the nearest store. “Such opulent riches in this era, I dare say I am quite jealous to not have been born in it.”

“Geeze, which Servant did you summon Spike? She doesn't seem to be taking the Grail War seriously or a likely contender to be someone powerful.” Saber scoffed.

“Oh no, I'm not that easily loose-lipped.” Spike grinned himself, “I will say though, don't underestimate her for even a second. She's a lot stronger than she looks.”

“I'll believe it when I see it.” Saber shook her head.

“So, Saber, you said you wanted to try out modern food, right?” Twilight spoke up next, “Well it's going to be lunch soon. There's a nearby place I know that has a great menu, why don't we go there first? Then we can take Rider clothes shopping.”

“Yeah, that sounds fine to me.” Saber shrugged. “Lead the way.”

With Twilight leading it didn't take the group long at all to reach the quiet little restaurant that was tucked away between a few buildings. On a weekend or at night the place would be busier, but the business had just opened for lunch and it was the middle of a weekday. The small group practically had the restaurant to themselves as they were seated.

“My, my, quite the selection in this era.” Rider hummed to herself with a smile, “All of it sounds quite delectable.”

“Is there a budget limit?” Saber asked scanning over the list, “Cause I might want to try a bit of everything.”

“I'd prefer it if you don't.” Spike cringed at the idea of a table full of food. “You can get two entrees if you want, but I'm running on an allowance here. Grandma's being pretty strict about my finance usage during the war.”

“I can help pay if you want.” Twilight offered, having decided on her meal already.

“Nah, it's cool Twilight. I've got it.” Spike waved her off as he finished deciding what to eat. Twilight just lightly shrugged at that. The waiter took their order and wandered off to the kitchen and it wasn't long before their food arrived.

Twilight had ordered a simple curry and rice for lunch, one of her usual staple dishes. Spike had ordered a steak rare, with a side of loaded mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables. Rider ordered a fairly elegant seafood salad with thousand island dressing and a side of breadsticks. Saber had two plates, one a large hamburger topped with everything that would fit and a large side of fries, and the other a grilled salmon glazed in a balsamic sauce and served with vegetables.

“Oh this is simply divine!” Rider practically sang, placing a hand against her cheek after her first bite. “The fish just melts in my mouth and mixes so perfectly with the salad, it's heavenly.”

“Glad you like the food.” Spike grinned broadly at his servant before looking at Saber. “How about you-”

Spike stared blankley as he watched Saber fairly inelegantly take a big bite out of her large burger and munch away happily. Saber let out a groan of satisfaction and a muffled “it's good” with her mouth full, barely taking time to swallow before taking another deep bite.

Twilight couldn't help but get a bit of a chuckle out of that before taking a bite of her own meal. The blend of flavors with a bit of spice perfectly mixed on her tongue, especially with the rice absorbing some of the flavors before being swallowed. She really loved foods that had the perfect amount of spice to them.

Breaking free of his stupor, Spike gently shook his head and went back to his own meal. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their lunch as they ate, Saber managing to finish before anyone else. With the bill paid for and stomachs full, the group made their way deeper into downtown and to the heart of the shopping district.

Name brand stores, clothing outlets, and everything in-between lined the street together, with open windows displaying the newest trends in stock. It was instantly visible on Rider's face that she had stepped into shopping district of her dreams.

“This one! We absolutely MUST go into this one!” Rider exclaimed, and before anyone could give any sort of reply she had already entered the high-end fashion store.

“Good luck with that one, she seems awfully high maintenance.” Saber teased Spike, patting him on the back.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.” Spike rolled his eyes before following after Rider into the store.

“Do... You want to see if there's anything you might like in there?” Twilight asked, looking at Saber curiously.

“I really never was one for shopping. I usually only do it if there are things I absolutely need.” Saber shrugged her shoulders. “But, it'll still be a few hours before we head to the church, so I guess it couldn't hurt to take a look around.”

The inside of the store was well air-conditioned and had a fragrance of haughty perfume. The attendant on duty was already seeing to Rider's needs, showing her around to the stores latest fashion. Spike quickly followed behind her while Saber began to wander in the opposite direction. Not wanting to be left behind, Twilight followed Saber, though taking a look around herself.

Back when her parents were still around they would take her to stores like this every now and again. They weren't the richest magi family in Canterlot, but they did have money to spare. Knowing what she knew now, she realized that taking her clothes shopping was one of the ways they had tried to apologize, in their own way, for not teaching her magic. Her parents originally had no intention of teaching her about magic at all, not until plans had changed drastically on them.

Twilight blinked as she turned towards a rack that caught her eye. She reached up and pulled out a dark blue dress off one of the racks. It was a simple dress that had a star pattern motif along the skirt. The dress reminded her of one her mother had gotten her for an elementary school play she had performed in once. A nostalgic memory from a day long since passed. She gently pressed the cloth against her body, trying to picture herself wearing it. She could practically hear her mother's voice in her head complimenting the dress.

“That looks good on you.” Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin as the voice in her head suddenly became real. She swiveled her head around and saw Saber, a hand to her chin as she looked Twilight up and down. “I wouldn't have pegged you for the elegant dress type.”

“I-I...” Twilight felt her face heat up again. “I was just... Feeling nostalgic, that's all.” She quickly put the dress back on the rack, hiding her blushing face.

“Nostalgic?” Saber chuckled, “Did you do a lot of clothes shopping as a kid?”

“Sort of...” Twilight fidgeted her hands, turning away from Saber. “My... Parents used to take me clothes shopping to a place like this a lot... I was just remembering that...”

“They're not around anymore, right?” Saber asked cautiously. Twilight squeezed her hands together, quietly nodding. “Yeah, that was the same for me growing up. There's nothing wrong with having fond memories from those days though, you should cherish them.” Saber gave her a comforting smile before turning away and walking towards a section that had jackets. Twilight turned to look at the red head in surprise, feeling herself blink as she processed Saber's words.

She shook her head as she felt her cheeks flush again. Twilight couldn't help but realize how bizarre this whole situation had suddenly become. All of her research on the Grail war in the past depicted the event as nothing but a violent, blood shedding battle where Masters killed each other with Servants, all for the hope of getting their hands on the Grail.

Servants were designed to stay hidden, out of sight until it was time to fight or if sent out for a purpose. They were weapons of war, powerful familiars that relied on the Grail to be connected to this world.

And yet here she was, not only a potential participant of a war she had never intended to fight in, but casually browsing a clothing store with two of them in tow. Even in the world of Magi, this was weird. This wasn't a normal everyday event. Just last night she was seconds away from dying to one, and now she was clothes shopping with two of them.

Twilight watched Saber as she picked up a jacket from one of the clothes rack, examining it closely. Saber seemed so different from the girl Twilight had met just last night. When she had first laid eyes on her, she seemed cold and distant, focused on the fight at hand. Now she seemed like an ordinary teenage girl.

Even when she had seen it for herself, she had a hard time believing the beautiful red head before her was the same Saber from last night. She stepped closer to Saber, looking at the Jacket was holding with such interest.

“You've been looking at that for a while, does it interest you?” Twilight asked curiously.

“That obvious?” Saber chuckled as her thumbs ran over the the edges of the black leather jacket. “I always had a thing for leather-based clothing, but in my era you could only ever really use it for light-armor. This though, it's manufactured so perfectly. No seam out of place, the leather is thin and comfortable, and it feels warm. It's everything I'd ever wanted out of leather clothing.”

Twilight watched Saber's fingers gently paw over it once more, contemplating the Servant's words. A thought came over her, a thought that felt very unlike her, but at the same time it felt like the right thing to do.

“Here, let me see it for a moment.” Twilight smiled, raising her hands and gently grabbing hold of the jacket.

“Oh, uh, sure.” Saber blinked in surprise before letting go of the jacket. Twilight gently folder it up and slung it over one of her arms, before heading towards the front of the store. Saber followed behind curiously as Twilight walked up to the register and placed it down in front of the clerk. Within a few seconds, she had finished purchasing the jacket and was now handing it over to Saber.

“Here you are Saber. A new jacket all your own.” Twilight smiled happily as she handed the jacket over.

“Oh... Twilight, you didn't have to do that.” Saber said, surprised at the gesture but smiling as she looked the jacket over.

“You can consider it a thank you for saving my life if you want.” Twilight chuckled a little, her cheeks flushing as she spoke. “I haven't decided if I'm participating yet, but I wanted you to know I'm grateful for what you've done. And that if you do become my partner, that I'd be honored to team up with you.”

“That's awfully sappy Twilight.” Saber chuckled, “But I don't mind that at all.” She lifted the jacket up and quickly slid her arms into the sleeves, the jacket sitting firmly and comfortably on her shoulders. “And it's a perfect fit too. Thank you.”

For some reason those two words made Twilight's heart skip a beat. She couldn't help but chuckle a little and grin broadly, feeling a warm connection with the girl she had only just met last night. It probably had everything to do with having saved her life once before, but Twilight felt so comfortable around Saber.

“Alright darlings, we've finished.” Rider's delightful song-like voice spoke up. Twilight and Saber turned, watching Rider saunter up with a bemused look on her face as Spike followed behind slowly, lugging around eight bags split between his two arms.

“Whoa, Spike, I thought you were trying to budget your money.” Twilight spoke up, shocked at how many gabs Spike was carrying.

“Uhhhh, I spent all the money Grandma gave me, she's going to kill me.” Spike whined as he hung his head in shame.

“Well, you can hardly blame me for splurging a little darling.” Rider chuckled girlishly, “I am a lady of refined tastes. Besides, I'll help you smooth things out with her later.”

“Wow, one day into the war and the role of Master and Servant have already been reversed.” Saber chuckled at the sad display.

“Well come along darlings! We have a city to scout.” Rider ran a hand against her luxurious locks of hair, giving it an exaggerated flick as she turned and made her way for the stores exit.

“...Are you seriously going to carry those around the rest of the city?” Twilight raised an eyebrow curiously at Spike.

Spike merely let out a bit of a sigh of defeat at the question.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dusk was quickly approaching the city of Canterlot when the group had finally finished touring the city. Their final destination found them atop the city's largest skyscraper, overlooking the city from high above.

“You know,” Saber spoke with a hint of amusement in her voice, “If you'd taken us here in the first place, we could've avoided a lot of walking around today.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked curiously, standing as close to the edge of the building as she was comfortable with while looking out at the city of lights.

“Well I mean, I'm no archer class so I couldn't tell you how many bolts are on that bridge over there, but I can memorize the layout of the city pretty easily from here.” Saber remarked as her eyes scanned around. “I've got a decent view of most of the roads, possible escape routes for each area, areas good for close quarters combat and long distance combat, and more.”

“Not to mention, you can feel the prana emanating from the city up here.” Rider remarked as well, sweeping a loose bang flowing in the wind behind her ear. “I'm no Magus, but even I can tell the air is practically swimming in the stuff.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Saber said lifting a hand up to the air, feeling the wind blowing through it before clenching a fist. “This city is sitting directly on top of a magic leyline, it's a perfect location to hold the grail war.”

Twilight stared at the sight of the city for a little longer, before turning and walking over to stairwell of the roof and sat down against the wall. She stared up at the sky, watching the colors change from orange and reds to dark blues and black.

“Well, this is the last stop of the tour.” Spike walked over to Twilight, sitting down next to her. “Are you ready to head to the church next?”

“I'm never ready to go back there Spike.” Twilight let out a sigh as she gently squeezed her hands together. “Too many bad memories...”

“Well... I wanted to at least give you today, if I could, and it seems things went alright.” Spike smiled happily, turning to look at Twilight. “In all likelihood all of the servants were finished being summoned today, which means that starting tomorrow the war will be starting in full force. We likely won't get another day like this for a while, whether you participate or not. So I was glad I could do that for you.”

“...Thank you Spike.” Twilight smiled at him. “I'm sorry I'm such a burden all the time. You're always looking out for me, and I do so little to show how much I appreciate that in return...”

“Ah, don't worry about it Twilight. What are friends for anyway?” He grinned his goofy grin.

“You're gonna have to let me return the favor some day you know.” Twilight chuckled. “I can't be in debt to your kindness forever.”

“We'll cross that bridge if we get to it I suppose.” Spike pressed his hand against the ground, quickly standing up before extending a hand out to Twilight. “Until then, I'll continue supporting you.”

“Thanks Spike.” Twilight smiled up at the boy as she gently took his hand, using the leverage to pick herself up. She gently dusted her skirt off and turned to the city view. “I guess we've spent long enough up here. I'm ready now. Let's head for the church.”

“I know a shortcut if you want to take it.” Saber said with a cheeky grin as she turned to Twilight.

“Oh?” Twilight blinked curiously.

“It's got a great view too. Check it out.” Saber's hands quickly grabbed hold of Twilight, picking the light girl up. Twilight let out a squeak of surprise as she was now being carried bridal style in Saber's arm.

“W-What are you-” Twilight tried to ask, though her sentence never finished as Saber took off in a full speed sprint across the roof of the building before leaping off the edge and into the air. Twilight's eyes widened as the bright city lights swam below her. With the sun having fully set, the city was an ocean of beautiful lights sweeping across the ground below her. The cold wind whipped her hair around as proof that what was happening wasn't any sort of dream, but that she really was a mile up into the air, being carried by her Servant as they began to descend to towards the ground.

“Pretty cool huh?” Saber asked with a cocky grin.

If asked later in life, Twilight would tell people that it was the loudest she had ever screamed in her entire life.

Comments

[magicstorm4]

never mind I know the ansure. still again a alwsome ch and still in it begiang stages. keep up the good work.

[aceina]

no pic of rarity darn it wanted to see how this rarity looked when set for combat

[MagicPopcorn]

Awesome story!

[Divine Path]

And there we have it, season 1 Rarity. Will be interesting to see his this plays out.:3

[Deadmanx513]

this is really good.

[PoisonClaw]

Know what I just realized? In this setting, Servant names don't sound out of place at all. Lancer, Saber, Rider and Archer (which could actually be a real name) are all viable pony names. Though... Assassin would raise a few eyebrows.

[the other sans]

as fire roared across it's length
You're magic circuits were going haywire
It had it's desired affect
trying to breath properly
I dunno, it just, you two seem pretty cozy
with dropping out of the war right now..
Then we can take rider clothes shopping
Within a few second

1. Its.
2. Your.
3. Its.
4. Breathe.
5. Its.
6. Forgot one more fullstop to make an ellipses.
7. Forgot to capitalise.
8. Seconds.

[Solana Vin Neighpal]

Second story of yours I've read so far. I can see that Hunters story was no fluke.
Have a thumbs up and treat yourself to a cookie!