Chapter 1 – As Far From Normal

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Blood. There was so much blood everywhere. It was sprayed all over the walls and floor, as if forming millions of eyes that were boring into her. She could even feel it on her body, burning her skin where it touched.

A young girl, no older than twelve was shaking. Her body was on fire, pain ripping apart her back and arms. She lifted her hands just enough to look at them, seeing the spattered blood that covered them. Her legs gave out, her body collapsing to the floor. She couldn't breathe, the pain and the fear were too much, it caught the air in her throat and refused to let it enter or leave.

An object in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She slowly turned her head, unsure of what it was. Eyes stared back at her, boring into her. A familiar face, contorted, twisted, and discolored was on the floor looking at her. It was missing its body.

It was her father.

Her vision shattered, her mind broke. The air in her throat finally escaped and a scream pierced the air. The world around her tumbled and the pain tore through her anew. Her body revolted and tossed, before finally giving a solid impact as her eyes shot open.

The view of a pristine white ceiling was the first thing she saw as her blurry vision came to her. She panted heavily, her chest rising and falling against the weight of the heavy blanket that covered her. She pulled her right arm out from under the covers and put it against her face, letting the cool morning air slowly calm her nerves.

It was just a nightmare. A nightmare she’d been having ever since she was a child. She had broken free of it for at least two months now, but it finally showed up again to torment her. A nightmare of a past memory that would forever haunt her no matter how many years passed.

With a groan of grogginess she began to sit up, placing weight on her left arm before hot knives rammed themselves up the length of her arm, burying themselves deep into her shoulder and causing her to collapse on the bed. She squeezed her left arm and sucked on her teeth as she suppressed a scream, her eyes tearing up. She begged for the pain to go away, the biting throb refusing to stop.

She took deep, ragged breaths as she tried to calm her mind, to push away the pain assaulting her. After several agonizing minutes the pain began to calm, but not refusing to go away. It reduced itself to a manageable constant burn, but not a mind-numbing agony. It'd have to do until she got to her medicine.

“God, when did I even last have a flare-up this bad...” Twilight hissed, rolling onto her right side before pushing herself up and into a sitting position. She rolled up her left sleeve to check her arm, to make sure there was no actual damage to her arm. Near her shoulder she spotted a reddish scrape that looked like she had grazed her skin, but there was no blackened or otherwise discolored skin, only the usual scarring around her shoulder. Despite the pain of the flare-up, no necrosis had started to set in, which meant that she was likely fine for another day.

With a sigh of relief she reached over to her bedside table and grabbed her glasses, carefully placing them onto her face. The once blurry world quickly took shape and her vision was clear once more. The various colors of purple and pink decorated the room’s walls, with basic furniture milled about. An elaborate dresser for her clothes, several bookshelves containing her personal favorite literature, a stand for her TV, several smaller boxes containing various school and study supplies, and a messy desk that was covered in various gems and artifacts that she had been studying the night before.

Keeping her left arm as motionless as possible, Twilight got up from her bed and headed over to her bathroom. Flicking the switch, light came to her rather spacious bathroom and with practiced hands she reached for her medicine cabinet. Several bottles lined the cabinet, so many different medications for the various health problems she'd had for so long. She grabbed several with familiar labels, before reaching out for the pain killers. She had a few kinds, at least two types of over the counter for various aches, and two very strong pain killers for when it got debilitating. She opted to grab the stronger one that wouldn't cause a drugged induced state, she still had school to go to after all.

One by one Twilight put the various bottles in her mouth and gripped the cap with her teeth before twisting them open. Not the most sanitary way to do it, but it beat asking for help. She tapped out the prescribed amount from each and added the pain pills for her arm. She'd long since stopped paying attention to what the doctors were prescribing her, sometimes they helped and sometimes they made things worse. She just told them her side effects as things went and she focused on moving on with her life.

Grabbing the small pile of pills she popped them into her mouth and gave a hard swallow. With practice most went down without a fight now. However, just to be certain she filled a small glass she'd left by the sink with water and followed the pills down with a drink of water. Satisfied that the pills had gone done safely, she reached for her her hairbrush and began her morning routine waiting for the pills to kick in.

It was always harder to freshen up with only one good arm, but Twilight had dealt with it for so long that she was a pro at it by now, not to mention she'd become ambidextrous through it all. Though she wished she didn't have the pain flares at all, she had to admit that there was at least that one benefit to them. Or at least her psychiatrist would be happy that she was thinking that way.

Despite her arm being out of commission she made decent progress. She brushed her unruly hair, cleaned her teeth, washed her face, properly deodorized, and was ready to get dressed. She had gotten into the habit of wearing button up shirts due to her arms and today was a day where she benefited from that. Undressing was a breeze and she already had her school outfit waiting for her.

The only part that gave her trouble was her bra, it requiring her to move her left arm some and causing shooting pain to fill her side. She clenched her teeth and did her best to deal with it, before finally managing to get it on right. The shirt and skirt were easy enough, and the vest followed quickly. Tying her hair up or tying a bow-tie were tasks that required a second good arm, so they could wait till her pain killers had properly kicked in.

With a quick look into her rooms body-length mirror, everything that she could handle appeared to be in order. She looked like just another school girl on her way to Crystal Prep Academy, if a little awkward and having a stiff arm. No one could see the scars that littered her back and shoulders, the result of a magic catastrophe in her youth. A result of her parents passing their magic down to her before she was ready for it.

She was the last remaining member of the Sparkle family now. Despite what had happened it was her duty to continue studying her family's magic. If she didn’t, their magic would simply fade from existence, only to be remembered in the pages of history.

With a reminiscent sigh, she turned from the mirror and headed for her door. Opening it revealed a lengthy hallway filled with many doors that led to empty rooms. Walking down the hallway her footsteps echoed on the wooden flooring, a constant reminder that she lived alone in a large mansion. Any room that was not in use had its furniture covered in tarps and was just waiting around for a day when they would be needed again.

As she reached the stairs down to the second floor, the scent of cooked food wafted up to her nose. She could make out the scent of sugary pancakes and her stomach growled with need. Licking her lips she made her way downstairs, knowing that a familiar face was already getting breakfast ready in her kitchen.

“Ah, good morning Twilight!” An older woman with dark magenta hair and pink skin said, happily turning from the pan of pancakes she was cooking. “Hope you slept well.”

“Hey Cheerilee, my night was... Alright, I've had better.” Twilight shook her head, stepping over to the table and taking a seat. “Really, it was waking up that was awful. I'm having one of those mornings.”

“I can tell.” Cheerilee flipped her pancake onto a plate, picking it up and walking over to put it in front of Twilight. The heavenly scent of fresh pancakes filled her nostrils and her stomach growled with a reminder of how hungry she was. “Once you've finished breakfast I'll fix your hair and bow-tie. Though I can’t stay too long, I’ve still got to prepare for class.”

“Thank you.” Twilight sheepishly smiled before picking up her fork with her good hand and digging into the meal. The heavenly fluff of sugar hotcakes coated in syrup and butter was almost enough to make her forget about the searing pain in her arm. Almost.

Twilight considered herself lucky to have Cheerilee in her life. While the older woman wasn't her guardian, she might as well have been considering how much she saw her actual guardian, though that was all for the better. She often came over to help Twilight in the mornings and evenings to make sure she was alright, that she had taken her medications on time, cooking meals for her, and making sure that on days like today she had extra hands around the house. Cheerilee doted on her like a mother, but she never felt imposing or judgmental. She seemed to instinctively know when Twilight needed space and when she needed someone there for her, even when Twilight didn't know which was the case.

Cheerilee had been the daughter of a family friend growing up, though Twilight had never associated with her very much when they were growing up. However, once her parents had died Cheerilee had taken up part of that vacant void in Twilight's life and helped her grow up into the person she was today.

The main problem though was that Cheerilee was not a Magus. Cheerilee's family was only friends with her parents out of convenience, not out of genuine friendship. That meant Cheerilee didn't know anything about magic, and one of the first things Twilight was taught when she began her magical training was that those without magic were not allowed to know unless they were being directly added to the family, and even then some Magi would never tell their significant others about magic if the other didn't possess any.

The world of Magi was about ensuring that your magic would be passed on to your progeny, even if it meant staining your hands red. Preserving your magic was the only thing a Magi cared about, even if it meant risking the lives of your family.

Twilight had seen this all first hand. It was why she kept quiet about her magical abilities to Cheerilee, she didn't want the wonderful woman who helped her every morning to ever step foot into that world.

“Alright, let's go ahead and fix this up for you.” Cheerilee almost sang as Twilight felt her older woman's hands on her hair. Twilight couldn't help but quietly smile as she closed her eyes and let her hair be wrapped up into the usual bun she had it in.

A few years ago when she was younger and still dealing with constant doctor visits and constant flare-ups, she felt humiliated and mortified to get this kind of help. But she knew Cheerilee meant no harm with it, wanting to help her out because she genuinely cared then because she felt pity or remorse for Twilight. There were still days that Twilight felt like a burden, but the more she did for herself the less she felt bad about leaning on Cheerilee on her off days.

“Aaand perfect.” Cheerilee pronounced, a bun of purple hair now perfectly adorning Twilight's head.

“Thanks...” Twilight gave an awkward grin before taking the last bite of her pancakes before pushing the plate away.

“No need, I'm happy to help.” Cheerilee said walking to Twilight's side and knelt down, reaching out for the hanging bow strings. Twilight turned her body to give the older woman free access and the strings quickly began to be tied into a bow. “I need to start heading out to prep for class though, you going to be alright getting to school on your own?”

“Mhm.” Twilight nodded with a smile, “I can feel the pills starting to kick in so my arm should be fine by the time I get to school.”

“Glad to hear it.” Cheerilee smiled back before getting up, “And of course I'm always a phone call away if you need me. I'll see you at school Twilight.” She waved to the girl as she quickly made her way out of the kitchen. Twilight waved her out before she heard the front door open and close, signaling she was once more alone in the large empty house.

Twilight let out a short sigh as she looked down at her left arm. She could feel the pills starting to kick in, but the flare-up that morning had been so bad there were still lingering claws digging into her arm and shoulder, making any slight movement to the side of her body made her want to collapse on the ground and stop moving for the rest of the day.

There was no reason for her to just take the day off though. While it hadn't been this bad in a while, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle, and in a few hours the pain would subside anyway. If it didn't, then no amount of rest would help her and she'd likely have to be rushed to the hospital.

Pushing that unpleasant thought of her head, she got up from her chair and quickly made her way back up to her room. She looked over her school supplies, making sure she had everything she needed, packing up any finished homework before zipping her bag up and slinging it over her good shoulder. With everything in order, she made her way back out, only to stop in front of a small picture that was framed on the edge of her desk. Pictured inside was a family of four, an older woman with white and violet hair in gray skin, an older male with dark blue hair and light blue skin, a younger boy with white skin and blue hair, and a much younger little girl with lavender skin and purple hair with pink streaks.

“...I'm off to school mom and dad. I'll try and make you proud.” Twilight gave a sad smile at the picture, before making her way out of the house.

The Sparkle family manor stood out in the neighborhood, the largest house around atop a hill giving it a scenic view over the city of Canterlot. The house was conveniently placed so that in a short walk one could make their way downtown or into the heart of the city. Even Crystal Prep Academy was within walking distance. It made life simple for her since learning to drive was likely out of the question for her, not when half of her body could potentially stop working mid-travel.

A crisp autumn breeze blew by, reminding Twilight that the temperature was starting to drop and that she'd need to start dressing in warmer clothes soon. Adjusting the bag on her one shoulder, she began to make her way towards school.

The road to school was a peacefully quiet one, one that rarely had pedestrians or cars going by. The few that did either were lost or on their way to some of the other opulent houses on the street, though none were quite as well off as the Sparkle family manor. She had never taken the time to get to know the neighbors, preferring to just stick to herself when possible.

That morning was one of the rare oddities for Twilight as she noticed a girl about her age was walking in the opposite direction of her on the sidewalk. Blinking in surprise, Twilight had never seen the girl before as she drew closer. The girl had light purple hair with pale blue streaks going through it tied back in a ponytail and pale pink skin. She was wearing an open dark purple vest with a black shirt underneath, a matching purple skirt with a black edge that went halfway down her thighs, and black shoes with knee-high purple socks. She seemed to be walking with a confident smirk about her, a look that made Twilight feel a little unsettled.

Making sure not to stare at the person walking by her, Twilight adjusted her movement to give the stranger some space as they drew closer to each other. Twilight wasn't sure why she felt so uneasy around this person, but she couldn't wait to get by them and continue on her way to school.

The two passed each other, Twilight letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, before a voice spoke up. “You'd better summon one soon, or else you're going to die.”

Chills of fear ran down Twilight's back as she quickly turned around to look at the girl that had spoken, only to see she was now gone. Twilight looked back and forth frantically, unsure now if what she had seen was some just some kind of hallucination, or if someone had actually been there.

In the world of magi, either was a dangerous possibility.

Gulping down some of her nerves, she channeled some magic into her magic circuits, wincing in pain as they coursed right through her flaring arm. She raised up her good hand, and quickly chanted quietly.

“In this barrier you will not hide, by my rules you will abide.”

A bubble of mana exploded outwards from her body, creating a radius around her. It crossed the length of the street and stretched into the houses along the side of the road. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the spell. It was a simple detection spell, alerting her to anyone that was nearby and if they had magic circuits coursing through their body.

Twilight could sense a few people still lingering in their homes nearby, a few getting ready to leave but nothing out of the ordinary or containing magical circuits. She pushed out the sphere a little further, checking the area around her specifically. However, the spell returned no results, only the normal families that should be there. Twilight frowned at that, calming her circuits and letting the bubble linger for a moment longer.

Perhaps it had been an illusion, but there was no denying that the girl's presence had felt alarmingly real. The voice still lingered in her mind too, a cryptic threat looming over her head.

Twilight decided to leave the sensory magic up while she walked the rest of the way to school, not wanting to run into anymore unwanted guests.

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

There were no more incidents on her way to school, so once the preparatory academy came into view Twilight let the detection barrier down and let out a relieved sigh. She was still nervous about the encounter from earlier, but at least no self-respecting Magus would do anything to her while she was in public view of everyone.

Twilight pulled out her cellphone and quickly checked her time. Class would start in ten minutes, so she had time to get there and it was likely Cheerilee had already gotten everything prepared by now.

“Morning Twilight!” A familiar voice called out, catching Twilight's attention. Putting her phone away, she turned to see the familiar face heading towards her. A head of messy green hair that seemed to bounce impossibly against the wind, light purple skin and emerald green eyes. “Boy, you look like something the cat dragged in, you having a rough morning?”

“What makes you say that Spike?” Twilight blinked, “I washed up and made sure I was looking fine when I left. Do I look like something's wrong?” She had to pout. Twilight liked to consider herself good at hiding her feelings when she needed to, but Spike had always somehow had a keen eye for noticing little things wrong with her.

“Well, the biggest clue is that your left arm is stiff and barely moving, which means you probably had another one of your flare-ups. While you did a good job hiding the bags under your eyes, they're still somewhat noticeable, not to mention you've got a bit of redness to your eyes that most wouldn't notice.” Spke put a hand up to his chin and smiled, “That, and I saw that anxious look you had on your face as you were approaching the school. You always get that look when you feel like you're being watched or followed.”

Twilight let out an exasperated sigh, but she certainly couldn't refute the boy's claims. “Right again Spike.” She said, looking at her left arm. Either the pain had finally started to subside or the pain pills were kicking in, either way she was able to move the arm a little more freely now. Though she could still feel that it was very stiff. “I had a pretty bad flare-up this morning, but it should be getting better now. As for the anxious look...” Twilight thought to tell Spike for a moment, but shook her head and decided against it, it wasn't something he needed to worry about. “I was just being paranoid because I had a bad dream last night. What's new with you though?”

“Something pretty significant.” Spike gave a toothy grin, “Though I can't tell you it here though. Meet me on the roof for lunch and I'll give you all the details.” He winked.

Twilight knew what that meant. After all, Spike was the only other Magus in the school, as the head son of the Draken family. Twilight had grown up with Spike as a friend, though she didn't know he was a Magus at first. If there was something he couldn't talk about in front of the school, it meant something had happened with his magic training.

“Ah, well I look forward to hearing about it.” Twilight gave a meek smile. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in what news Spike had, Twilight just always felt pangs of jealousy whenever he had exciting news about magic to share. Magic always seemed to come so naturally to him, and being part of the prestigious Draken family helped that immensely. She struggled with it though, and she would never be able to attain anywhere near the skill he'd be able to achieve. No matter how hard Twilight tried, her magic circuits were permanently damaged, she'd never be able to wield magic like him again.

“I'll get heading to class for now then, see you at lunch.” Spike nodded happily, before swerving around Twilight and heading into school. “Oh, and don't you buy lunch for yourself today, I'm buying for us both!” Spike grinned before disappearing behind the school's gate.

Twilight let out another sigh, adjusting her backpack and heading for class herself. Twilight had the strange feeling that it was going to be a long day.

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

Despite the unusual morning Twilight had been having, classes had proceeded as normal. It was the middle of English now and Cheerilee had passed out a reading comprehension worksheet based on the current book the class was reading. It was a fairly casual assignment for the class, so Cheerilee was allowing the students to mingle amongst themselves for now.

And as usual, Twilight found herself coaching someone who had asked for her advice.

“So like, I get that the author was trying to show the social differences between upper and lower class. What I don't get is what that has to do with the Nobleman selling his daughter to another Nobleman.” The blue haired athlete known as Indigo Zap complained, pressing a finger down at the paper in front of Twilight. “That doesn't have anything to do with upper and lower class social differences!”

“Well, on the surface that's true.” Twilight spoke up, adjusting her glasses. “However you have to think about it in the time period that it was written. Even amongst the nobles, there was a hierarchy system in which upper class nobles got more advantages. The daughter being sold off to a more influential man is supposed to tie into that.”

“UGH! That's too abstract! Why can't old books just be more straightforward about these things?!” Indigo growled in frustration, looking over the assignment sheet.

“It's not too surprising that the concept is lost on you.” A girl with striped violet hair and light blue skin known as Sunny Flare sitting next to Twilight chuckled. “You always have your head on the field rather than in your textbooks.”

“Oh shut up Sunny! I'm still in the top twelve students in the school and you know it!” Indigo growled at the indignation.

“Just barely.” Sunny scoffed with a grin, “We all know the only reason you keep your grades high is so you can get that sports scholarship. You couldn't care less for the actual academics.”

“Hey, results are results right? Motivation doesn't matter so long as you've got the numbers to back them up.” Indigo proclaimed boldly.

“You can brag like that once you get out of twelfth place then.” Sunny mockingly grinned.

“Guh.” Indigo rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the assignment at hand, reading it over one more time before scribbling some words down on the sheet. Twilight simply sat there while the girls squabbled, she'd found it best long ago to just let them sling their banter back and forth than to try to intervene. They would still be good friends afterwards, so the awkwardness had long since stopped bothering her.

Twilight looked down at her own assignment, tapping her pencil against the page. She had already answered everything, but she wasn't sure if they were up to her usual quality standards. Her mind kept going back to the girl that she'd ran into on the road and Spike's surprise announcement at lunch. If his family would just let him have a phone it'd be easier to just chat about things like this, but no, Spike's immediate family were a lot more traditional as far as magi went. That meant not trusting technology as far as they could throw it.

Her eyes wandered to the window and looked out at the playing field, looking around for signs of anyone possibly keeping an eye of her. Of course, only the usual PE class was out in the field right now, and none of them were looking up at the windows.

Maybe she should set up a detection system around her house, if anyone approached she'd know the moment they trespassed. However, it'd be going off at literally everything, from the passing cars to any birds that might fly in the area. It was already hard enough to maintain the wards on her manor that kept small animals away, let alone extending that protection out into the street.

She could try and make a barrier that only activated with malicious intent, but that was far too inefficient, and any magi worth their salt would be able to pass through it until they got close to their target. There was just too much to keep track of and she didn't have any concrete answers on what to do, and that was frustrating her more than anything.

“Twilight! Earth to Twilight!” A hand on Twilight's shoulder snapped her from her thoughts, and she turned around to see a girl with almost neon-green hair and pink skin that went by Lemon Zest smiling at her, “You alright girl? You were like, really zoned out there.”

“Sorry, I was just deep in thought.” Twilight nodded, adjusting her glasses. “How can I help you?”

“I just wanted you to double check my work, make sure everything sounds correct and all.” Lemon held out her assignment page. Twilight blinked in surprise at that, taking the page.

“I don't mind taking a look, but don't you usually get Sugarcoat to look at your stuff?”

“Well yeah, normally. But she's kind of out of it today for some reason.” Lemon nodded her head towards the girl in question, Twilight's eyes following. Sugarcoat's signature twin pigtails with her white hair against her light purple skin instantly caught Twilight's attention. The girl in question had a book open and was reading it. Twilight assumed she had already finished with the assignment. A girl with pink hair and yellow skin named Sour Sweet sat next to her, frowning at Sugarcoat as she huffed in frustration. Sugarcoat wasn't the most social of people, but she usually wasn't one to ignore her friends like that.

“That is kind of weird for her.” Twilight turned back to Lemon, “Do you know what might be causing it?”

“Beats me. I asked but she refused to talk about it. She's just doing all of her assignments and not saying a word to anyone.” Lemon shook her head.

“Well, I guess even I have days like that. I'd just give her some space.” Twilight nodded her head before looking down at Lemon's paper. Quickly reading it over, she smiled and handed the paper back. “Everything sounds fine to me Lemon. Unless there's a curve ball even I don't know about, you should ace it for certain.”

“Sweet!” Lemon pumped her arm before taking her paper back. “That means more time to listen to my tunes!” She lifted a pair of headphones that had been wrapped around her neck and placed them on her head. Twilight could hear the faint echo of music from them as Lemon bobbed her head all the way back to her seat.

“Does it ever get tiring being such an egghead?” Indigo couldn't help but tease.

“We each have our own talents that we need to nurture.” Twilight tried to lightly chuckle, giving a half grin back to Indigo, “You're great with sports and I love reading. There's no reason we need to compete over that.”

“Says the number one best student in the school.” Indigo snarked with a grin. “Though if you don't watch your back Sugarcoat will pass you, your grades are pretty much neck and neck.”

“I wouldn't mind if that happened at all.” Twilight let out a genuine chuckle, a rarity for her. “Sugarcoat is a brilliant student, I'm surprised she's only number two, she easily deserves the number one spot. I would be proud of her if she took the spot from me.”

“Ugh, it's hard to enjoy teasing you when you're such a goodie two-shoes all the time.” Indigo rolled her eyes at Twilight's response. “You should try and take a bit more pride in what you do, have some ego sometime. It might make you a bit less of a stick in the mud.”

Twilight frowned at that. “I'm not a stick in the mud...”

“Sure you're not.” Indigo shook her head, but gave Twilight a smile. “Does that mean you're gonna show up to Lemon's birthday party this weekend?”

“I uh...” Twilight fidgeted, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She'd actually forgotten about her invitation. “I was considering on going, honest.”

“Considering ain't going though.” Indigo pointed the eraser end of her pencil at Twilight. “You should come. All of Lemon's friends are coming and she considers you one of them, just like the rest of us. Though it's hard to really think of you as a friend when you're always avoiding going out on the town with us.”

Twilight looked away feeling a bit embarrassed at Indigo's words. It was true that if she had an excuse to get out of going out in public she would take it. There was just something uncomfortable about being in public view that she couldn't stand. Sometimes the feeling would get so bad her old scars would flare-up and she'd need to rush home to get them to calm down. The girls knew she had pain flare-ups, but they never truly knew just how bad they could get. Mostly because Twilight never told them how bad they got.

“I'm sorry.” She felt the need to apologize, even if Indigo didn't know for what. “It's not that I don't want to hang out with you girls, honest. It's my own anxieties, they make it hard to do that sometimes.” She took a deep breath and turned to Indigo to give the girl a smile, “But I'll do everything in my power to make it on Saturday. I promise.”

Indigo gave Twilight a look that said she wasn't entirely convinced, but she shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her assignment. “If you say so Twilight. I won't hold my breath, but if you do make it I'm gonna make sure you socialize while there.”

Twilight fidgeted in her seat, not sure if she was comfortable with that thought. However, she was saved from her own thoughts by the sound of the bell ringing, class having ended.

“Alright, lunch time!” Indigo stood up quickly, stretching her back out. “I am starving.” She grabbed her backpack and stuffed her assignment inside before quickly heading out. The students were quick about making their way out, Twilight's eye catching Sugarcoat as she put her book away and got up. She couldn't help but get the feeling that Sugarcoat was just waiting for the day to end already, that she wanted nothing more than to go straight home.

It was a feeling Twilight felt all too often.

She was suddenly reminded of the promise she made to Spike and she quickly packed up her own bag and made her way to the door. Before she made it through, she ended up bumping hard into a fellow classmate, stumbling back a bit as her glasses shifted.

“Oh, sorry, didn't mean to bump into you Twi.” A familiar male voice spoke up. Twilight found her footing before pushing her glasses up her face. She looked up and saw the face of a spiky blue haired boy with orange skin smiling at her.

“Oh, hey Flash, were you looking for me?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Yeah, I just wanted to know if you were interested in having lunch with me today?” Flash offered, rubbing the back of his neck as he asked. Twilight grimaced at that. She always hated letting people down, even if she had no control over it.

“I'm sorry Flash, I already promised to meet someone else for lunch today.” She answered honestly.

“Oh, well, that's okay I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders before placing his hands in his blazer pockets. “Well hey, what about a dinner date? I've got a gig tonight, but I'm free Friday night. Wanna meet up then?” He smiled awkwardly, a small blush forming on his face.

Twilight shifted uncomfortably in her spot. It wasn't that she was uninterested in his offer, she just didn't really think of herself as the dating type. She wasn't even sure what Flash saw in her, there wasn't anything really interesting about her, and if he got a look at the mass of scars on her back he'd likely just run away.

“I mean... I guess it couldn't hurt?” Twilight said hesitantly, she wasn't ready to commit to the plan, but she didn't want to upset him either.

“Great! I can swing by your place and we can go to dinner together, say around seven? How's that sound?” Flash asked all too eager all of a sudden. Her saying yes seemed to have made him light up.

“Uh, sure. You have my number right?”

“Yup, and you have mine.” He nodded eagerly. “Don't worry, I'll pay for everything so you just enjoy the dinner. You can text me the address later.” He was practically jumping up and down on the spot, though Twilight couldn't say she shared his enthusiasm.

“I should go meet my friend for now though. I'll take to you later Flash, okay?” Twilight asked hurriedly, not wanting to waste too much time and leave Spike waiting.

“Oh! Yeah sure no problem, talk to you later Twilight.” Flash smiled as he stepped out of the way. Twilight gave a small wave of acknowledgment and quickly rushed her way towards the stairs.

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

Twilight was out of breath by the time she reached the top of the staircase to the school's roof. Thanks to Flash, she had sped there much faster than she had intended to and was now panting heavily. She was not a very athletic person, she left that sort of thing to Indigo. She could have used her magic to enhance her physical endurance, but in the middle of school there would've been too many people that would've noticed.

Taking a deep, calming breath, she opened the door to the school roof and took a look around. Plenty of open air and space encased within a chain-link fence several feet high, but an otherwise empty area. It made sense though, since students weren't allowed up on the roof, however that made it a perfect sanctuary for Twilight and Spike when they needed time away from the rest of the student body. A quick aversion spell and anyone who came looking suddenly realized there was something else they needed to do and wandered away.

“Guess Spike's still buying lunch.” Twilight shrugged, walking over to their usual spot. A small corner with a perfect view of the door so they’d see it opening before the person opening it would see them, so if anyone did get past their aversion spell they would know right away. She slung her backpack to one side and sat on the cool cement, leaning her head against the fence and taking in the crisp autumn air.

A breeze went by the school roof, rustling her hair and caressing her skin. In the very distance she could hear the bustle of students milling about the courtyard. The roof was a very serene spot for her, the open air, the calming breeze, and being far away from all of her peers. She would eat lunch up there everyday if she had the chance, but she knew better than to push her luck disappearing for lunch every day.

The roof's door let out a loud clank as it was pressed open, Twilight opening up one eye to see Spike entering the area, carrying two boxes.

“Hey Twilight!” Spike grinned holding up the boxes, “Lunch is served.”

Twilight giggled a little at that, “Well thank you kindly sir. I appreciate the swift service.”

“M'lady's lunch.” Spike gave an exaggerated deep bow as he handed the box meant for Twilight out to her. With a smirk she grabbed the box and pulled it to her lap before Spike took his seat next to her. “ I got your favorite. It was a little extra, but today's a pretty big day for me.” Spike gloated.

“Aw Spike, you didn't have to do that.” Twilight smiled at her friend, before opening up the box and looking inside. A well packed array of fried rice, season chicken, and mixed vegetables. Spike knew her tastes pretty well. “This news is all you've talked to me about since you saw me this morning, must be pretty exciting.” Twilight mused, grabbing her fork and scooping up a sizable portion of rice and stuffing it into her mouth. The melting flavors were perfectly blended, a rarity for a box lunch like this.

“It's probably the most exciting thing to happen to me since I started training as a Magus.” Spike said opening his own box and taking a big bite of his own pile of rice. “There's a lot of preparations going on back at my house for later tonight, I can't wait to get started.”

“So what exactly is this about?” Twilight could tell Spike was dragging out the announcement as she stabbed a piece of chicken and stuffed it into her mouth.

“Perhaps it'll be better to show you than to just tell you.” Spike said swallowing another large bite of food before putting his box down and standing up. Twilight blinked as she watched the boy step in front of her, turning to face her with a grin.

Spike reached up to the top of his uniform's blazer and began unbuttoning it one by one. Twilight blinked again in confusion this time, stopping mid chew as she watched her childhood friend sliding it off his shoulders. He then reached down and grabbed the bottom of his blue undershirt, before slowly pulling it up his body.

“S-SPIKE!” Twilight cried, blushing deeply as she looked away covering her eyes, “What are you doing!?”

“I'm showing you what happened... Why are you looking away like that?” Spike asked confused.

“BECAUSE YOU'RE STRIPPING!” Twilight yelled out in embarrassment.

“It's just my chest Twilight, you've seen it plenty of times.” Spike was growing more confused as it went on.

“When we were kids, yeah! We're young adults now!” This was a situation she had never thought she'd find herself in. She had never really seen her closest friend in a sexual manner and there he was just stripping naked right in front of her! She could feel her face heating up, she had to be red as a tomato.

“Twilight...” Spike sighed, shaking his head. “Just look at me, I promise you I'm not doing anything weird.”

Twilight gulped at his request. She couldn't think of any time that Spike had really lied to her before, but she couldn't deny that this situation was pretty weird. She'd trust Spike for a moment and give a look, but if he was going to stay shirtless she might just end up running away.

Moving her hands away from her face, she cracked an eye open and looked in Spike's direction. The boy was indeed shirtless, his hands pressed against his hips. It really had been a long time since she'd last seen Spike shirtless, and she was immediately astounded by just how buff his body actually was. His clothes did not do his figure justice. While his muscles weren't expanded, they were shapely and toned. She could easily count his abs if she wanted to, and even his torso was well defined. The only blemish to his figure was the red markings that scarred the area just above his heart, but beyond that...

“Wait...” Twilight's eyes popped open as they zeroed in on the three distinctly shaped red markings on his chest. They were carved into the pattern of an eastern dragon, as if curling around to protect his heart. She had seen marks like those a few times before, when reading up on the books of Canterlot's magical history in her parent's library. “Spike... Are those...”

“Yup!” Spike proudly pushed his chest out, raising a hand and pointing a thumb towards the mark. “I've officially been chosen as a master in the Holy Grail War! My family's making preparations to summon our servant tonight as we speak!”

The Holy Grail War, a tradition started centuries ago by the most prominent magical families in Canterlot. Seven masters are chosen by the grail, which grants them the privilege of summoning Heroic Spirits as servants to fight for ownership of the grail. The one who wins the grail can make any wish their heart desires and have it granted. The very first war was started with the intention of creating a device that contained so much pure magical energy, that it would allow a Magi to achieve the greatest desire of all Magi for centuries. To reach Akasha, the root of all magic, to understand the very fabric of reality and all of creation.

However, if the goal of the Holy Grail War was to reach the root, then in the centuries long conflict, no one had achieved that goal. While the books in the Sparkle family library contained an extensive history of the war's conflicts, what families participated and the resulting cataclysms that came from the fighting, it never described who had won each war or what their wishes had been.

“Spike...” Twilight spoke hesitantly, her hands squeezing down on the edges of her boxed lunch, “Are you sure about this? The Holy Grail War is a violent and bloody battle... You'll be fighting other masters and servants, who will have every intention to kill you.” Twilight felt a lump form in her throat.

“Well, yeah. It comes with the territory Twilight.” Spike explained, picking up his blue shirt and putting it back on. “A Magus prepares for death his whole life, it's not something we should be afraid of.” Spike shook his head as he slipped his arms back into his blazer and buttoned it back on. “Besides, I doubt I could back out even if I wanted. I'm pretty sure Grandma would actually skin me alive if I did. She is not a woman you want to piss off.” He laughed nonchalantly at that.

“I just... I just don't want to see you get hurt Spike...” Twilight murmured, looking down at her box. If Spike died, then she would have no one left to talk with about magic, to indulge in magical theories or to show the newest thing she'd manage to learn to. Even if she was jealous of Spike's ability to far surpass her, it didn't mean she didn't enjoy his company.

“Hm...” Was all Spike said, walking back and sitting down next to her, looking up at the sky. “You are right about this being a fight. Chances are I'll find myself in kill or be killed situations, and I might not have as much strength as my opponent.” Spike let out a bit of a sigh, before turning to Twilight with a smile. “But I won't let them take me down easily Twilight. I'll give them hell before they take me to the grave.”

“I'd rather just have you here than know you died doing your best...” Twilight closed her eyes, curling up into a ball, wrapping her arms around her knees, and burying her head.

“Hey, come on now, it'll be alright.” Spike said comfortingly, wrapping an arm around Twilight. “You'll see, I've got a powerful Magi family backing me up, and they've been spending all day getting the perfect Servant for me. I'll be the winner for sure, you can count on that.”

Twilight lifted her head up to look at the smiling boy's face. His words didn't really make her feel any better, but at least his heart was in the right place. She let out a collective sigh and forced herself to give him a smile.

“There we go, feeling better?” Spike grinned at the sight.

“No, but you're sort of right. There really isn't a point to me worrying if there's nothing I can do about it.” Twilight shook her head, before giving him a more genuine smile. “I'll be rooting for you Spike, I'm sure you can do it. And I guess if there's ever anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to contact me.”

“Absolutely Twilight, you have my word.” With that, Spike grabbed his box and began scarfing his face full of food. It really had done little to calm her nerves, but Twilight grabbed her own box lunch and began to eat as well. Her favorite food felt a bit numb on her tongue now, her mind was too focused on trying to not picture Spike in the middle of a deadly conflict.

Her mind flashed an image of her father's head, and then flashed to replace it with Spike's and she felt a cold dread sink to the bottom of her stomach. Her eating slowed down, but she managed to keep taking tentative bites to try and not worry Spike.

She had planned on going straight home after school that day, but now she needed to make a small detour. There was somewhere she needed to go, and she wouldn't feel comfortable until she had.

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

With the school day ended Spike had said a quick goodbye and made his way home quickly, excited to see what servant his family had picked out for him. The other students were quick to make their way home as well, no one wanting to stay at school longer than necessary. Once Twilight made sure she had everything she needed, she began the lonely walk home as well. With the fall sun descending quickly in the sky, it'd only be another hour or two before night would fall, and Twilight wanted to get back home before then.

On her usual route home, there was a split in the road, leading around the hill that her house resided on. Deviating from her usual path, she turned down the split path and walked along it for several moments. The chilled breeze was the only company to her thoughts, but she stayed focused and her destination came into view.

Fair View Cemetery. The place the Sparkle family had been buried for generations.

Walking through the gate, Twilight kept silent as she walked towards her destination. Common graves were placed all over, neatly lined up in columns and rows, making it easy for people to walk through for visiting. Twilight remembered trying to count them all once as a child, back when her family was still happy and together, but she'd easily lost count. It wasn't an exclusive cemetery for her family, a lot of locals from Canterlot were buried here.

Towards the back of the cemetery, she spotted two familiar headstones that stood out amongst the common ones she had passed by. Two regal headstones in front of a memorial slab in memory of all the members of the Sparkle family that had passed on. The two newest headstones that had been placed in the cemetery, and Twilight came to a stop in front of them.

“Hey mom... Hey dad...” She spoke up at barely above a whisper, a sound that likely only the dead would've heard. The names of Twilight Velvet and Night Light were clearly visible on the stones, and Twilight adjusted her glasses as she stared down at them.

“Well... I found out today the Grail War is starting again.” She mumbled the words, lifting her right arm and clutching her left with it as she spoke. “I'm sure if you were still around you would've wanted me or Shining to participate, though considering how things went, maybe you'd want to do it yourself... I never could figure out what was going on in your heads...”

The consistent breeze blew once more, Twilight wondering if it really was a sign of her parents understanding or just the usual weather phenomenon. She'd been feeling it since she walked there, so it was doubtful it was a sign from the beyond. She just continued despite that.

“Spike's joined as a master, can you believe that? I know you didn't see much potential in him when we were growing up, but he's a pretty amazing Magus all things considered. I wish I was half as good as he was.” She lightly squeezed her left arm at those words. “Canterlot will be embroiled in the war soon, though most people won't even know it. They'll be quietly asleep in their homes, while mages battle to kill themselves over that wishing cup...”

Twilight let out a sigh, closing her eyes and feeling the cool air on her skin. “Though the only thing I'd wish for right now is for Spike to stay safe...”

“Touching.” A female voice suddenly spoke up, Twilight's eyes shot wide open. Thick mana suddenly filled the air, stifling her breath as she felt the most intense killing intent she had ever felt in her life. Her magic circuits instantly flared up on instinct, her body moving on its own. A beam of light was shot at her, nicking her right arm as it went by before slamming into the ground. Twilight stumbled away from where she’d been standing, reaching up with her left arm and grabbing at the cut. She could feel fresh blood beginning to ooze out of the wound.

“You actually managed to dodge it. I gotta admit, I didn't think mages of this era could dodge even a low level attack like that.” The female voice spoke up, as a body appeared from thin air, emerging from the ether.

Her attacker was clad in a thick white armor, elongated pauldrons on her shoulder, a fairly form fitting plated chest piece that went down to her hips, form fitting metal leggings and boots, and a white pointed mask that completely covered her eyes. The white armor gave stark contrast to the thick prismatic hair that flowed down her back.

The woman in white armor reached her hand out and grabbed a long white spear that was jutting into the ground where Twilight had just been standing. The ornately decorated spear was pulled out of the ground, the silver head shining in the light of the setting sun.

“You... You're a...” Twilight stammered, her heart slamming against the ribs in her chest as her magic circuits were flowing at maximum capacity, a painful twinge gripping her shoulders and back from the exertion. She put a hand into her uniform's vest, grabbing hold of something inside.

“Still, are you good enough to dodge it again?” The servant smirked broadly, pointing the spear at Twilight.

“What do you even want with me!? I'm not a master!” Twilight shouted, glaring daggers at her attacker as she tried to focus mana down into her legs, preparing herself to run.

“You sure about that?” The spear wielding woman asked mockingly, a grin on her face. “Either way, it's nothing personal, I'm just following my master's orders. Doesn't mean I can't have some fun though, it's more fun to play around with the weak prey.”

Twilight grit her teeth, realizing there was no reasoning with the servant. Servant's lived to obey their masters, if someone had ordered it to kill her then she had to escape.

“Fine, but you'll have to catch me first.” Twilight declared, before pulling her hand out and tossing three gems into the air. “LIGHT!” She yelled out, the three colored stones suddenly bursting with a bright radiant light. The servant let out a grunt of annoyance, as Twilight turned, surged her mana through her circuits, and ran.

A small crater was left behind as she bounded away, moving as fast as she was physically capable of. She was no match for a servant, not out in the open like this. If she could get to her house, there were artifacts and weapons she could use to defend herself. If she could make it to her workshop there was at least a small chance she could make it out of this. She could already see the cemetery's entrance, it was just a short run over the hill and into her backyard-

“Hey, nice move back there.” The female voice spoke up, now running side by side to Twilight. Twilight turned, her heart sinking as she looked into the white mask that was staring back at her. “You're pretty fast too, though I don't think you'll be escaping anywhere anytime soon.”

“FORCE!” Twilight shouted, extending her hand out at her opponent and firing out a concentrated blast of magical energy. The armored woman simply raised her hand and caught the blast in her hand like a ball, simply letting it explode.

“Whoa, that one had some kick to it.” She laughed, as if this whole situation was funny to her. Twilight grit her teeth and aimed her arm at the ground.

“FORCE!” She yelled out once more, this time pouring even more mana into the shot. The ground right in front of her attacker exploded, the gate into the cemetery shredding into pieces as chunks of dirt, rock, and asphalt went flying into the air. The distraction ended up working for a few seconds, the spear wielding warrior raising her weapon to slash at several of the heavier debris, getting them out of her way.

Twilight managed to break away, pouring extra mana into her legs and launching herself up the hill just outside the cemetery. Her magic circuits were beginning to burn, the painful throb of overexertion making itself known. Twilight pushed it out of her thoughts as best she could, her very life was at stake here, she couldn't falter.

Twilight's foot hit the side of the hill, pushing down to jump forward again only to have her foot sink a bit deeper than she expected. Her body lurched forward at the unexpected awkward landing, before feeling a powerful gust of wind fly past and the sound of something exploding above her.

Twilight's hair unraveled down her back as she looked up in shock, now seeing a good chunk of her house's roof missing from the corner. She had just been inches from losing her head and was only saved by unfortunate footing.

“Huh, thought I had you for sure that time.” The woman's voice spoke up from below her, the surprise making her stop in place for a moment. Unable to falter again, Twilight pushed her mana to its limits and rushed forward again. The tall back wall of her yard appeared and with a quick spring she was over it in a single leap.

She rushed forward and rammed her shoulder into her back door, breaking it open and entering the house. There was no time to deal with locks, she needed to get to her basement. With a quick glance she reorientated herself with her position in the house and ran straight for her basement door. She could hear the clanking of armor as the servant stepped foot into her house, she had seconds at best to formulate a defense.

“Nice place you got here.” The woman's voice antagonized, clearly mocking Twilight. “It's a shame it's gonna burn down once I kill you. Can't leave any evidence behind and all, you know how it is with you Magi.”

The basement's door flew open and Twilight jumped down the stairs, not wanting to waste even a second. Landing on the bottom she could instantly feel the familiar flow of magical energies that were woven through the entire room. Gems and weapons were scattered all over the place, the most powerful weapons the Sparkle family had ever created were at her fingertips and even some of her practical prototypes were within reach. She could manage here.

“I see you down there.” The woman laughed as she began to make her way down the steps, one loud clanking step at a time. Twilight didn't have time to think. She quickly ran over to her desk and grabbed several gems before tossing them straight at the stairwell.

“MARK! SIGN!” She bellowed the commands as the gems lit up, trailing their magical energies as they flew in the open air and aimed straight for the descending foe. They lit up brightly and exploded in the hallway, powerful tremors rocking the house as the pathway to the basement began to collapse.

Knowing full well her foe wouldn't be taken down that easily, she grabbed hold of two daggers laying on the desk nearby and flung one at the quickly forming pile of rubble. “SEAL!” The dagger lit up with a large magic seal, flowing with magical energy as the area before it became embroiled in turbulent mana. The rocks began to disintegrate in place, looking as if a hole to hell itself had opened up and was obliterating everything its light touched.

A swift glow of prismatic colors cut through the air and the magic seal that had opened was dashed away in an instant, the violent mana dissipating into the air. The armored woman stepped through the large debris and leftover mana as if they had simply never been there in the first.

“Good light show, if that was your intention anyway.” The woman laughed, flicking her spear to her side and letting the rest of the turbulent air around her clear. “That all you have?”

“...Fine.” Twilight grit her teeth and dropped the dagger in her hand, moving to the wall opposite the stairwell to the basement and grabbing hold of a handle of a large broadsword mounted to the wall that had several gems encrusted into the base. The weapon seemed to glow with a magnificence beyond her years, even while it lay dormant. “This is the most powerful weapon my family ever created.” She grit her teeth, pulling the sword down and wielding it in front of her. “You're the first one worthy of it being used on, I hope that means something to you.”

“Not really, but I can humor you.” The woman chuckled with a grin. “Oh no! A big sword! I'm so scared!”

“This sword took fifty years to forge, and it contains some of the most powerful magic our family has been able to conjure!” Twilight yelled, clenching her hands and forcing mana into the item itself, the gems activating from a long kept slumber. The blade began to glow, shining with the power of the raw mana that was infused into it. “Don't look down on it lightly, with this, even I can defeat you!” Twilight roared as she felt a surge of power coursing through her body and into the blade itself.

Wind began to rush around her, filling the room at the very activation of the weapon Twilight was wielding. She felt powerful with it, that even if it was her that she was capable of standing toe to toe with a servant. She grit her teeth and squeezed her hands down hard. The sword sparked with a large flare of magic and Twilight stepped forward.

With a loud cry she raised the sword up over her head, the sword shining bright with the immense power flowing through it from the decades of crafting. Her foe stood unflinching, merely smirking at her efforts. With a stomp of her foot forward, Twilight brought the sword crashing down at her opponent.

The blade hit something, Twilight wasn't entirely certain what, but she felt the blade be struck and shattered. Glinting pieces of metal flew across the room as Twilight stared in horror, the culmination of her family's hard work reduced to nothing more than a gem encrusted handle within seconds. The mana that had been churning inside scattered just as easily as the sword had, some of it burning parts of the basement, others making short bursts of wind and ice, but all of them dissipated within seconds and nothing about the sword's majestic powers remained.

“I have to admit, if you were looking to swat a fly, that sure was a flashy way to do it. And I like flashy.” The woman laughed. “But if you thought that was going to do anything to me, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there was never anything you could have done to me.”

Twilight staggered back a few steps, still recoiling from the realization of what was happening. Her legs finally gave out and she found herself sitting in the middle of her basement, a horrific realization filling her mind.

She was going to die. This was where she was going to meet her end and there was nothing she could do about it. All because some master somewhere had decided that they didn't want her around, for whatever selfish reason they had.

Twilight couldn't decide what was more cruel. The fact that her entire life had simply led up to this moment, or that it had made her suffer so much for so long only to end it like this.

“That all the fight you got left in you kid? Damn, I was kind of hoping to have more fun with you. Ah well, if that really was your ace up the sleeve I can't blame you for being heartbroken.” The woman shrugged her shoulders before raising up her spear and aiming it at Twilight's heart. “At least we had some fun.”

“I don't want to die...” Twilight's voice choked out as tears streamed down her face.

“And people in hell want ice water kid. We don't all get what we want.” The woman pulled her spear back, before thrusting it forward.

A suddenly bright light filled the room, the woman's spear stopping just short of Twilight's skin as she looked down in surprise. A large red seal that had been hidden and laying dormant had suddenly come to life, a powerful wind blowing through the area. The woman jumped back in surprise, before a large wave of fire suddenly surged from the ground, forming a tornado in the center of the room.

Twilight stared in shock as the tower of flames suddenly vanished, before the blinding fire rushed forward and struck hard at the woman in white armor. She raised her spear up in defense, only just barely able to block the attack that had been swung against her. With the force behind the assault, she was blown away, smashing into the pile of rocks at the bottom of the former stairs.

Standing before Twilight was a woman clad in golden armor, though thinner and less form fitting than the woman in white had been wearing. This woman's hair was a mixture of red and yellow, giving it the look of a warm burning fire. She turned to face Twilight, holding in her hands a clear blade that looked as if it was made from crystal. Twilight could look into her eyes now, seeing the passionate solid green eyes against amber skin looking back at her.

“I ask of you...” The woman spoke up, a regal tone to her voice. “Are you my master?”

Chapter 2 - One Day of Peace

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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.

Chapter 3 - To Fight for the Grail

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“We're here now, it's safe to let go.” Saber tried to say comfortingly, but couldn't hide how ridiculous she found the whole situation. Twilight had refused to let go of Saber the moment she had jumped from the building's roof, clinging for dear life even after Saber had landed on the ground. It wasn't until they had arrived outside the front gates of the church that Twilight even opened her eyes.

With shaky hesitation, Twilight gently unwrapped her arms from around Saber and slid down onto her own two feet. She wobbled a bit, still shaking off the last remnants of fear from the fall. She slowly steadied herself, taking in several deep breaths of air to calm herself down before finally being able to stand normally.

“Feeling better yet?” Saber asked, placing a hand on her hip.

“Just... Just warn me next time, okay!?” Twilight asked, turned away from Saber, crossing her arms. “It's easy to forget you're a servant when you're not in your battle attire! My mind couldn't process fast enough that we were going to be fine and... And...”

“And you thought I was gonna let us fall to our death.” Saber sighed, shaking her head as she ran her fingers through her bangs. “No, it's okay Twilight, I get it. Just remember, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, okay?”

Twilight wanted to sass Saber back, still a little upset with the girl, but it had never been her strong point. Deciding it was better to just let it go, she let out a sigh and turned from Saber, waiting for Spike and Rider to catch up. It didn't take long for the two though, as the sound of Rider and Spike landing behind them made Twilight turn to see their arrival. Spike quickly jumped down from his sitting spot on Rider's arm before walking over to Twilight with a smile.

“Well that worked out, we made it here in record time.” Spike chuckled. “Rider may not look it, but she's pretty strong. She can carry me without breaking a sweat.”

“That's standard for any Servant darling.” Rider smirked herself, quickly bobbing her long front hair curl with her hand. “But I appreciate the compliment all the same.”

“So, the judge for the Holy Grail War resides in there, huh?” Saber asked, crossing her arms as she turned to look at the imposing church. During the day it most likely looked like a lovely place, but at night it had a sense of foreboding and gloom to it. A fence guarded the church's entrance, leading to a short pathway and front yard to the building. The building itself was fairly stereotypical of a modern Christian church. Symbols of crosses adorned in several places, especially on the windows and doors, stained glass windows, and large imposing doors.

“Yup, though in all likelihood you'll never get to see inside of it. It's forbidden for Servants to step on church ground.” Spike explained as he walked up to the fence and unhinged it's latch. “The church is neutral ground for all Masters and Servants, so the two of you will just be keeping watch out here, understood?”

“But of course.” Rider proclaimed with ease, before disappearing into the aether. Twilight turned to Saber, expecting her to disappear as well, but instead got a nod before she turned to face the road they had traveled to get here.

“Come on Twilight, the sooner we talk to him the sooner we can figure out the plan from here.” Spike said with a smile. “And I'll be here for you the whole time, don't worry.”

“Alright.” Twilight let out a sigh as she brought a hand up to her blouse and gently squeezed it. She hated going into the church, if she could put off going inside forever she absolutely would. Even stepping past the gate felt like she was making herself walk into her own torture chamber. Spike closing the gate behind her didn't help her feel any less trapped.

Spike gently patted her shoulder comfortingly, Twilight giving him a quick nod in reply, before the two of them made their way to the Church's entrance. The walk always felt longer than it actually was to Twilight. Spike reached out and grabbed the large wooden double doors that made up the entrance and gave a heavy push, the two doors opening slowly and with a loud, droning creak.

The dim light from within the church came into view, candles lit all along the side walls meeting at a large podium at the front center that held a shrine full of lit candles. The empty pews made the building feel hollow and lifeless, a dull red carpet on the ground leading towards the shrine. A podium stood near the front, the position where the priest would make his sermons. The entire church seemed to exude a feeling of emptiness, as if no human was meant to be there.

And standing there, next to the podium with a bible in hand, was the priest of that church and the judge of the Holy Grail War. A man close to middle-age, with gray skin and jet black hair that was slicked back with a greasy hair gel. He wore the usual attire of the church, a buttoned up dark blue suit with matching long pants and a holy cross dangling from his neck. The priest turned his gaze up from his book to the new arrivals that had appeared, his blood red eyes meeting Twilight's.

Twilight couldn't help but feel a cold shudder run down her spine as he looked at her. Even when she was younger the priest had always made her feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. She watched a somewhat twisted smile appear on the man's face before he closed his book and placed it on the pew.

“Well, this is surprising.” He spoke, walking closer to his two guests. “It has been a while since we last saw each other, Twilight.”

“Sombra.” Twilight spoke coldly, not wanting to be in the man's presence for longer than necessary.

“And I see Spike is with you as well. Tell me, what brings you two to the church on this fine evening?” Sombra asked with that simple smile on his face. Twilight hated the way he always seemed so condescending, feeling as though the man merely put on a facade to appeal to those who came to see him. There were no words of genuine curiosity behind his question, he was a man who simply asked for clarification of the facts and nothing more.

“There's only one reason I came here tonight Sombra.” Twilight spoke coldly, not even bothering to hide her dislike of the entire situation. She reached up to the left sleeve of her blouse and gently rolled it up, before tugging on the cloth just enough to reveal the three red marks in the shape of a star branded to her shoulder.

“Well, this is a surprise.” Sombra said almost whimsically, his eyebrows raised at the sight. “The grail chose the current head of the Sparkle family to be a Master in the war. I suppose that is fitting. After all a Sparkle has represented the family in every grail war since it's inception.” Sombra raised a hand to his chin and stroked it in thought. “So you are here to officially register as a Master for the Grail war I presume?”

“I haven't decided yet.” Twilight returned, pulling her sleeve back down to cover the marking. “You and I both know I'm not qualified in any way to be a master in this war.”

“The only qualification to be a Master in the grail war is to be in possession of command seals, Twilight.” Sombra spoke simply, putting his arms behind his back as he continued that unemotional smile. “Anyone can be a Master so long as their desire for the grail is true. Even someone without magic circuits could compete, so long as the grail chooses them. The grail does not choose it's Masters lightly.”

That wasn't exactly the answer Twilight was expecting, or wanted to hear. She had been hoping that it was somehow an error, that something somewhere was mistaken in giving her command seals. However, Sombra made it very clear that her being chosen wasn't an accident. She had been purposefully chosen to be a Master on purpose, but whatever twisted magic dictated the Grail War.

“If, however, you would choose not to participate for any reason, that is an option as well.” Sombra explained, making Twilight focus her attention back to him. “It's simply a matter of having your command seals revoked and staying here at the church for the duration of the war.”

“So... I'd have to stay here.” Twilight took a quick look around the room, grimacing at the prospect. “And my only other option would be to participate in the war...”

“Tell me, have you summoned a Servant already? If you have not, it would be a simple matter of making it as though you had never been chosen as a Master in the first place. The grail will happily choose another to take your place.” Sombra gestured the offer to Twilight, which only caused Twilight to let out a frustrated sigh as she rubbed her forehead. Sombra let out a short chuckle at the gesture, returning his hand behind his back. “Then I take it you've already summoned a Servant. That does complicate things a great deal.”

“It's not like I had a choice in the matter...” Twilight muttered under her breath, before glaring at Sombra and speaking up again. “Then tell me, what are the winning conditions for the war? I've done enough research to know that it's generally a death battle, but is killing each other really the only way?”

“Well, killing each other is simply the easiest way to win for certain.” Sombra explained coldly. “You could just kill every other Master's Servant, but not only is this not an easy task, it doesn't guarantee the Master's removal from the Grail war. Should there be a Servant who has lost their Master, they could team up with a Master who has lost their servant and rejoin the war. Or you could always try making a master rid themselves of their command seals, however even that does not guarantee their removal from the war. A Servant does not disappear if a Master has no command seals, you simply lose the ability to give them a direct command that they cannot disobey. After all, command seals are the only things stopping a Servant from killing their own Master if they felt like it.”

“So... The easiest way to win really is to just kill all of the other Masters...” Twilight responded bitterly, turning away from Sombra.

“Staining one's hands red with blood is not uncommon for a Magus. I'm sure this is nothing that comes as news to you though.” Sombra's smile curved up just a notch, enough for Twilight to notice. She gave the priest a death glare, her teeth clenching tight at the sight of his smug smirk. He really made her stomach churn.

“There really is no other option then...” Twilight lowered her head as she slowly felt the reality sink in. “If I fight, I have to kill...”

“It sounds to me like you've already reached a conclusion on your own.” Sombra turned around, heading for his podium. “All that's left is to say it out loud.” Reaching the stand, he turned to look at the two young adults standing near the entrance. “Twilight Sparkle, will you participate as a Master in the Holy Grail war?”

Twilight took a deep breath and squeezed her hands into fists. Spike gently placed his hand on Twilight's shoulder for comfort. She steeled her nerves and lifted her head, glaring at Sombra as she spoke the words. “I will. I will become a Master in this Grail war.”

“Very well.” Sombra nodded his head, before extending his arms. “Then all Masters and Servants are accounted for. The Holy Grail war has now officially begun.”

“Come on Spike, let's go.” Twilight turned away from Sombra, wanting to leave as quickly as she could now that her business was finished.

“If I may say one more thing Twilight.” Sombra spoke, stopping the two in their tracks. Twilight turned back to Sombra with a glare. “You seem to believe that due to your current magical abilities that you're the least qualified to be a Master in this war. However, having watched you grow up with my own eyes, I can attest that you may very well have the greatest potential out of any of the other Masters. Do not count yourself out so quickly, the others have more to fear from you than you do from them.”

Twilight let her glare linger, her hands squeezing into tight fists as she heard his words. She whipped her head back around and quickly walked out, Spike following behind her.

“Well, at least we got that taken care of.” Spike spoke up first after closing the church's front doors. “I have to admit, I'm a little surprise you didn't take up the offer to stay here and stay out of the fighting.”

“Spike... Let me make this perfectly clear.” Twilight crossed her arms, turning away from him so he couldn't see how angry she was. “I would actually rather die than stay within fifty feet of that man.”

“...He's your guardian isn't he?” Spike asked looking back at the church then back to Twilight. “You never talk about him though and he never comes over to your house. Did he do something to you?”

“I've never liked him, even when I was a kid.” Twilight sighed, turning to face Spike. “He's never done anything to hurt me, but you saw how he was, the way he talks, the way he carries himself. It's like he's always hiding something, like he doesn't really care about what you have to say. He loves to hear himself talk and he loves to think he's right. He's so arrogantly smug about everything, he thinks he's above everyone. I can't stand him.” She shook her head, letting out a sigh and starting walking back towards the church's front gate. “It doesn't matter though. Let's just get out of here.”

Spike glanced back at the church one more time before following after Twilight. The church's front gate noisily opened once more as Twilight stepped through, Saber turning to look at the returning masters.

“That didn't take very long.” Saber commented, her surprise showing.

“I asked my questions, he gave me answers, and then we left.” Twilight shook her head. “I'm ready to go home, get as far away from this place as I can.” Twilight's discomfort with being there was clear. Saber just shrugged her shoulders and started walking away, Twilight and Spike quickly following after.

No one really spoke up for a while as they walked, Twilight not feeling like speaking up the most so long as they were still close to the church. The streets of Canterlot were quiet at that time of night, especially in the suburbs area that they were fairly close to. While they were somewhat off the main road, they were heading for it and it wouldn't be much different. Everyone generally went to bed pretty early around the area, be it for work or for school, no one had much to do late at night. It wasn't till about twenty minutes into their walk that someone spoke up.

“So... What was the verdict then?” Saber asked once they'd made it a decent distance from the church, having waited long enough to ask what was on her mind. “Are you participating?”

“Yeah... Yeah I am.” Twilight responded hesitantly. “ I'm still not comfortable with the idea, but he made it pretty clear that I really don't have the option to comfortably not participate. So, whether I like it or not, I am a Master in the grail war now.” She turned to Saber and smiled, “And I'm going to keep my promise to you about taking the war seriously. Since I'm fighting, we'll be fighting to win.”

Saber smirked. “I do like the sound of that.” She said before turning to look at Spike. “Though that does mean that we'll be fighting against those two now. How are we dealing with that?”

Twilight stopped walking, Saber stopping with her. Spike stopped as well, as Twilight turned to the boy. Spike blinked a little confused, unsure of what Twilight was doing.

“Listen Spike, as it stands, the both of us are now Master's in the Holy Grail war. Since I doubt there can be more than one winner to this war, it stands to reason that the two of us will have to fight for it at some point.” Twilight spoke with natural ease on the topic, a smile on her face. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, giving her glasses a quick adjustment before continuing. “However, I see no reason that we have to be antagonistic towards each other to accomplish that goal. As such, I am proposing a partnership.

“The two of us will work together with the purpose of eliminating the other Masters from the running. Then, when every other Master has been eliminated, we'll have Saber and Rider fight in an honorable, clean, and fair fight to determine the final winner. No matter which of us wins the Grail war, there will be no hard feelings or anger towards the other. Do you, Saber, and Rider agree to these terms?” Twilight finished laying out her idea.

“Heh, thorough as always Twilight.” Spike smirked, placing a hand on his hips. “You know that I have no objections to the proposal. However, how do you feel Rider?” Spiked turned his head to look over his right shoulder at the air. Rider materialized from the aether with a hand on her chin in thought.

“Well, I certainly can't say that the proposal doesn't make sense. You two are genuinely friends that care about each other deeply, that much is obvious, and I doubt it's the kind of friendship that even an omnipotent wishing device could break apart.” Rider crossed her arms, turning to Saber and Twilight with a smile. “So long as you two continue to prove you're not the kind to stab us in the back, I'm willing to agree to these terms.”

“You're awfully trusting, aren't you?” Saber raised an eyebrow curiously at Rider.

“I would like to imagine I've always been a fairly good judge of character.” Rider smirked. “After all, it was that trait that allowed me to eventually become a Heroic Spirit in the first place.”

“Be that as it may, I can't say I'm completely happy with the terms.” Saber crossed her own arms frowning. “If I had my way, I would be the one getting the guaranteed victory from this partnership. After all, I have a reason to seek the grail, and I don't intend to yield it to anyone else.”

“Don't pretend like you're the only one who has an important wish for the grail darling.” Rider frowned back, “I have a wish that I would consider just as important. In fact, I do believe that every Servant participating feels the same way. And even you have a wish, don't you Spike?”

“I do.” Spike nodded his head. “However, I think that Twilight's terms are the fairest shot everyone here has at getting their hands on the grail. While I can't speak for Saber, I don't think the rest of us could live with a guilt-free conscious if we betrayed an alliance like this or stabbed each other in the back in order to get our hands on that wish. So, a truly fair match between Servants as the final round of the Grail War seems to be the best option. Do you not agree Saber?”

Saber let out a sigh of frustration. “You make a sound argument. I hate to admit this, but I'm just not the betrayal type. It frustrates me that I can't more soundly secure the Grail for myself, but this alliance is genuinely the best chance for any of us to win the grail.” She glanced at Twilight before looking up at Spike. “So if Twilight thinks this is for the best, I'm going to trust her judgment on this one.”

“Then let's make it official.” Twilight smiled, extending her hand to her childhood friend. “Partners?”

“Partners.” Spike smiled back as he took Twilight's hand and shook it. It was the first decision of the whole grail war that Twilight felt comfortable with making. She had the feeling that the war was actually going to be possible with Spike and Rider on her side.

“Well, isn't that absolutely heartwarming?” A feminine voice broke the conversation. Twilight and Spike quickly turned to the source of the voice, looking up towards the top of the road they had been making their way down.

Twilight recognized the girl instantly, the same pink skinned with light purple hair girl that had issued a menacing warning the other day. She was standing there, lit by a street lamp, with a smug smirk on her face.

“It's too bad your little 'team up' won't last very long. Not with me around, that is.” The girl raised her right hand before snapping her fingers. From the aether behind her, a massive figure materialized that easily towered over her. Thick, white armor glinted from the street light as it appeared, completely encasing the Servant from head to toe. Golden armor shaped like flames were attached to the Servant's gauntlets, feet, and pauldrons, as well as a regal neck-piece that draped around it's neck and chest. A torn up dull-red cloth hung from it's waist, marked with a faded regal pattern and a dark red aura seeped like a smokey mist from every crevice, every feature of the servant concealed by the bulky armor. “This is where the two of you meet your end. At the hands of my servant, Berserker.”

Without hesitation Saber jumped in front of Twilight, her own armor quickly materializing as she summoned her translucent blade. Rider stepped forward as well, a regal purple dress plated with patches of gold armor appearing over the clothes she had been wearing. The dress was regally elegant, three large pleated layers hanging down her sides from where it extended out from her waist, the borders trimmed with a golden color. Three blue diamonds were adorned to the front of the dress, and a regal golden ballroom mask covered her face.

“The Grail War hasn't even officially been going on for a day and you want to jump right into the bloodshed huh?” Spike spoke up, glaring at Berserker's Master. “Aren't you even going to dignify us with your name?”

“Tell you what, I'll make you a deal.” Beserker's Master mocked, her grin growing broader. “If you survive Berserker's assault, I'll tell you my name.” She raised her right hand and held it open towards the recently made alliance. “Berserker. Kill them.”

The giant hulking mass of gold armor let out a terrifying roar, a garbled mess of a nearly human noises that had been mutilated by the raging insanity of the Berserker class. Then, in the blink of an eye it lunged forward, smashing deep craters into the road where it's feet dared to land.

Saber let out a battle cry of her own, her body igniting with sparks of fire as her sword became enveloped with her magic, before lunging forward herself. Her sword swirled with a vortex of fire as she focused on her attack, swinging it with incredible force to stop Berserker in their tracks. Berserker's fist came crashing down against Saber's blade, the two colliding and releasing a powerful shock wave, blasting apart the road beneath where the attacks collided.

Saber grit her teeth, pushing down on her feet to fortify her stance as she pulled her blade back and swung again for another strike. Berserker's fists moved with uncanny speed, able to match the speed of Saber's blade and slam into it to stop the oncoming assault. A flurry of blows were exchanged in rapid succession, the sound of metal glancing off metal reverberating through the air. Flashes of collision sparks danced through the air with each exaggerated blow, each servant keeping up pace with the other as each refused to let the other gain any ground.

Realizing the frontal assault wasn't working, Saber stepped one leg back as the fire surrounding her body flared up, cascading flames quickly rising into the sky. A tornado of fire engulfed Saber, halting Berserker's attacks for just a moment as it hesitated to launch a punch into the hellfire before them.

When the tornado broke, Saber was in the air above Berserker, magic pouring into her blade as she launched a downward strike towards Berserker's helm, intending to split it apart with one strike. With blinding speed, Berserker's arm shot up and grabbed hold of Saber's blade, stopping the attack immediately. Saber's eyes widened with shock, before Berserker swung Saber around like a ragdoll and slammed her down hard against the pavement.

Saber felt the air escape her lungs as she impacted the ground hard. Berserker's heavy metal foot raised their foot above the ground, Saber only narrowly managing to roll out of the way as the foot came crashing down. Another huge crater opened in the road, spewing cement and rubble in every direction.

Saber got up on one knee and quickly jumped away, swiveling to face Berserker with her sword raised. She was already starting to breath heavy, and she couldn't tell if she was making even a scratch on the behemoth's thick armor. Berserker pulled it's foot out of the hole it had made in the road with ease as it turned to face Saber, the undaunted foe seemingly glaring her down despite it's face being hidden.

“Twilight, Spike, I think the best course of action right now is for me to aide Saber.” Rider spoke, turning to face the two Masters. “Berserker is tossing her around too easily for her to handle on her own, but this will leave you open to anything Berserker's Master might do.”

“Against a Servant we don't stand a chance.” Spike explained before turning to glare at the pink girl who continued to stare with a cocky grin. “But against a Master, the two of us together can hold our own.”

“Are you sure Spike?” Twilight asked hesitantly. Her fight against Lancer hadn't been a fight at all, it had been a one-sided struggle for survival. It didn't fill her with confidence that she'd be able to handle a Master.

“I'm sure Twilight.” Spike said with a reassuring smile. “You let me lead the assault and you support me from behind. We should be able to take her down easily that way.”

“Alright Spike.” Twilight agreed, though she couldn't help but notice that her knees were shaking. The thought of another one-sided fight terrified her, but if Spike was confident she was going to put her trust in him.

“Very well. Just remember, if the worst should happen, use a command seal to summon one of us. Don't let yourself get caught unaware.” Rider quickly explained before putting her fingers up to her lips. A high-pitched whistle quickly filled the air, causing a bolt of lightning to suddenly descend from the cloudless sky. The bolt crashed down next to Rarity, illuminating the street for just a moment. When the light faded, a white horse dressed in matching regal armor stood there. Without skipping a beat, Rider quickly mounted the beast, gripping it's reigns in her hands. With a quick snap of the reigns, the horse let out a loud cry and ran towards the fight against Berserker.

“Having both of your Servants fight Berserker really is the smart choice.” Berserker's Master chuckled as she watched Rider race towards the fight taking place just off the side of the road now. “However, even with both of your Servants combined, you don't have the stopping power it takes to beat Berserker.” She turned her attention back to Twilight and Spike, extending her right hand out as mana flowed through her magic circuits. “Just like the two of you don't have what it takes to stop me.”

In the girl's open hand, a blue orb of magic appeared before quickly shooting out vertically into a long pole. She gripped it firmly, the magic dissipating and revealing a long red twin-pronged lance that was the length of her body. She slammed one end of it down into the ground as a show of intimidation.

“Well,” Spike spoke as he stepped forward, his own magic circuits starting to flare, “We survived Berserker's first assault. Will you at least tell us your name?”

“I suppose that's fair.” The girl mocked as she swung the lance, holding it out to the side of her body. “Let this information be what you take to the grave. That my name is Starlight Glimmer.”

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

Saber slammed her sword down, the ground erupting with a show of force as Berserker jumped to the side, dodging the blow. Her plan was slowly working, Berserker was being pushed away from her Master. She had pushed the behemoth into an empty field that was near the road they had been on that was the perfect place for her to fight Berserker with her full strength. She wasn't happy with the beating she had taken to get the brute to this point, but she was going to take what she could get.

Berserker rushed towards her, arm raised to strike at Saber. Saber adjusted her footing and dodged to her right as Berserker swung their arm down, Saber feeling the pressure of the wind coming from the force of Berserker's punch as it missed her by inches. Using the opening, Saber swung her sword up at Berserker's midsection, slashing against the golden metal. Sparks flew off the armor as Saber's sword ran along the surface, though if it had any effect on Berserker the behemoth didn't show it. Without a delay, Berserker's other arm raised and came slamming down, Saber just managing to dodge out of the way as it came crashing down right where she had been standing.

Back stepping to gain some distance she looked at the area she had attacked. A barely legible scratch had formed on the surface, causing her to curse at herself. If she was going to do serious damage to Berserker, or even just to the armor, she couldn't go throwing around half-assed attacks. She was going to have to put everything into each and every blow if she was going to start making headway.

If worst came to worst, she'd have to unleash her Noble Phantasm.

“Over here your massive brute!” Rider's voice called out. Berserker turned it's head just in time to be met with a pair of hooves slamming down onto it's body, pushing the bulking behemoth back. The white horse landed it's back hooves against Berserker's body next before powerfully kicking off and landing a short distance away. Rider turned to look at Berserker, the brute letting out another roar as it's armor seemed to have been dented.

“Are you sure it's okay to leave them undefended?” Saber asked, sparing only a moment to glance at Rider.

“I told them that if they get into any trouble to use a command seal.” Rider explained, the horse walking at a slow pace around Berserker from a safe distance. “Berserker is a powerful servant, right now it's in our best interest to team up to take him down.”

“Don't trust my ability to fight him alone then huh?” Saber chuckled as she tightened the grip on her sword.

“On the contrary, I think you'll do fine, but that it might take your trump cards to do so. It's no insult to your strength Saber, but a testament to how terrifying I feel Berserker is.” Rarity's horse came to a stop as Berserker seemed to take several deep breaths, it's dark aura growing more intense as it seemed to consider it's options.

“For the most part I agree with you, so I won't take that as an insult.” Saber said, her magic surging and the flames on her sword growing in intensity. “However, don't blame me if you start falling behind.”

“Perish the thought darling.” Rider spoke before snapping at her reigns. The white horse stood up on it's hind legs as it let out a whinny, before running off at full speed. Saber readied herself and then rushed towards Berserker, a trail of fire blazing behind her.

Berker's entire body began to shake, as they curled their arms around their body. Just when Saber and Rider were about to collide with them again, a roar erupted from the giant, causing their body to shine with magic. Saber and Rider's eyes both widened at the sight, stopping as quickly as they could to jump away as a torrent of magic unleashed straight up into the air. The ground around Beserker's feet disintegrated as a funnel of bright magic erupted from their body.

With another shout, the attack ended as abruptly as it started and Berserker launched straight at Saber from a near standing position. Just as Saber landed comfortably on her feet Berserker was right on top of her, the gargantuan Servant bringing its fist down and up, slamming straight into Saber's stomach. Saber's eyes widened as the air escaped from her body once more, pain assaulting her torso as she was launched up by the more powerful Servant's attack. Without giving Saber a chance to recover, Berserker's foot rose into the air and struck Saber in succession, Saber's body crashing and tumbling through the field.

“SABER!” Rider cried out, forcing her horse to make a sharp turn without slowing down her momentum. Berserker's attention immediately snapped to rider, one of their fists suddenly glowing with their energy. Rider glared and reached into her dress, pulling out three gems held between her fingers. Berserker rushed forward, arm pulling back to strike Rider. Rider pulled her own arm back and lobbed the gems straight at Berserker.

Bright light filled the air, right before each gem exploded with tremendous force. Seemingly unphased by the attack, Berserker burst through the left-behind smoke cloud of Rider's attack and came down on her. The force of Berserker's magic infused fist collided with Rider's mount, the magic exploding upon impact and launching Rider and her mount back. Rider let out a cry of pain herself as she fell from her horse, hitting the ground hard and rolling to a stop. Her ride barreled just next to her, before returning to the aether that it had been summoned from.

Berserker let out a steamed breath through the mask hiding its face, before letting out another roar across the field. For the hulking servant, the fight had only just begun.

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

The red lance flashed through the air as it swung at it's target, being met with a blaze of green fire that knocked it off it's course each time. Starlight let out a maniacal chuckle as she swung again, only for the same fire to knock her attack away. The flurry of blows were exchanged several times before Starlight jumped back, swishing her lance through the air as she grinned at her opponent.

Spike let out a slow breath as he raised his hands up into his fighting stance, the green flames that had been surrounding them quickly vanishing. His entire demeanor had changed the moment he activated his magic circuits, transforming the boy from a kindhearted and somewhat nerdy teen, into a ruthless magi ready for battle.

Spike's usually messy green hair had been slicked back, the crests of his circuits had appeared along his arms and legs, sharpened canines had appeared in his mouth, his gentle eyes had narrowed into an aggressive glare, and even his pupils had transformed from their usual dots to snake-like slits.

No matter how many times Twilight saw Spike this way, it always left her feeling unsettled. In Twilight's time studying magic, the Draken Family's style of magic was so different from everything she had read. For generations the family had focused on one thing; obtaining the power to match a dragon in combat.

They had originally intended to use magic to transform their bodies into dragons, but even for the grandest of mages such a task was impossible. So instead, they focused on making themselves as similar to dragons as they could. The result was a very physical style of combat, where their bodies were augmented and their magic focused on specialized fire spells.

At that very moment, Spike was as close to being a dragon as a human could get. In a matter of hand to hand combat, there wasn't anyone Twilight could think of that could match him. That's why in their fight he was leading the vanguard, and she was supporting him from the back.

Though, she would use the term 'support' loosely. She was watching Starlight's battle with Spike, looking for any possible opening she could use to assist him. Her assistance at the moment didn't mean much more than using a 'Force' spell on Starlight if her back was open, but she never let her guard down. The few times she thought she had seen an opening in Starlight's attack, Spike had accidentally ended up moving in her line of site, so she couldn't attack.

As a result, she ended up feeling more like a helpless bystander than a mage engaged in combat, but she couldn't risk her body collapsing on her and making Spike's fight harder. For now she'd have to endure those feelings and not be a burden on Spike.

“Not bad kid, I really wouldn't expect less from the Draken family.” Starlight complimented, giving her lance a quick twirl. “However, I don't think that alone is going to be enough to stop me.”

“Starlight Glimmer... Your name rings a bell.” Spike growled, deepening his stance. “The Glimmer family is a famous magi-family back at the Clocktower, aren't they?”

“Flattered you've heard of us, though begging for mercy really won't help you now.” Starlight said, lifting her lance and pointing it past Spike and at Twilight. “You won't stand in the way of me killing Twilight Sparkle.”

“Me!?” Twilight cried in shock, “Why me!? Spike's a Master too!”

“I have my reasons.” Starlight lowered her lance. “Spike will have to die as well of course, he's a Master in the grail war, it's only natural that I kill him to get my wish. However, Twilight is my main objective. Even if I lose the war, I'll be satisfied with her gone.”

“Over my dead body.” Spike snarled.

“If I must.” Starlight cockily grinned. Starlight quickly lifted her lance, pulling it back and arching her back and shoulders. Spike tightened his stance and grit his teeth, as Starlight poured mana into her arm and carefully took aim. Twisting her whole body and putting every ounce of momentum she could into it, she hurled the lance forward, cutting through the air and sailing not for Spike, but straight at Twilight.

Spike's hands ignited in green flames as he launched his arm upwards, striking the lance as it sailed near his head. The red lance was struck perfectly, causing it to fly off into the night sky and away from Twilight. Spike's eyes widened as he realized that Starlight's attack had been meant to distract him, quickly noticing she had closed the gap between them. He tried to back away, but Starlight's arm was already launching an attack. With no time to dodge or block, Starlight's open palm sailed through the air before slamming to a stop inches from his face, a wave of air blasting through him.

Confused but still angry, he swiped at the outreached arm, only to find it slipping through his grasp. He blinked in confusion for a moment as he was certain he had judged the right distance to grab her, his heightened senses would've made sure of that. All too quickly Starlight's hand extended again, blasting another wave of air towards his chest this time. In angry retaliation, Spike gathered a large quantity of fire in his hands and slammed them down at where Starlight was standing. A burst of fire exploded around his feet, but his target had disappeared by the time they collided.

“What's wrong Mr. Draken? You don't seem to be fighting as well all of a sudden.” Starlight's mocking voice spoke up, and Spike glared up at her. It was then that he realized something was wrong, Starlight wasn't standing still. Or rather, the world was shaking with her. He tried to focus on her, but his vision refused to stabilize, his legs felt shaky and his breathing was growing heavy.

“The hell did you do to me!?” Spike yelled, his anger flaring at his own body for refusing to listen to him.

“With your senses so heightened by your own magic, it's pretty easy to use a simple disorientation spell on you. A little weakness I picked up about your family while I was researching the war.” Starlight smirked, lifting her hand up as another orb formed before quickly shaping itself into the twin-pronged lance once more. “If you don't adapt quickly, you'll die.”

Spike let out a roar of frustration, the animalistic nature of his transformation taking over. The green fire on his hands spread up his arms and flaring around his shoulders. Fire spread around his shoes and up to the knees of his legs. His breath was tinted with the green fire as he glared at Starlight, his rage growing.

“I won't let you lay a single finger on TWILIGHT!” Spike roared, rushing forward at Starlight. The girl merely laughed as she brought her lance forward, it clashing with Spike's fists.

“Your anger makes you reckless!” Starlight laughed, kicking her leg up high and striking Spike in the jaw. The blow knocked Spike's already disorientated senses around even more, breaking his guard. Starlight quickly spun around, launching a second kick right into Spike's gut. The boy toppled over, letting out a grunt of pain as a third kick sent him flying backwards, landing on the cement ground with a hard thud.

Spike let out a groan and a growl as he tried to lift himself up front the ground, only to find searing pain suddenly shooting through his body. Starlight stomped down hard on his chest as she dug her lance deeper into his shoulder, pinning Spike to the ground and immobilizing his arm.

“Stay right there for a minute, okay?” Starlight chuckled, turning her attention up to Twilight. Twilight was frozen in terror as she watched the strongest mage she'd ever known and her childhood friend get so easily pinned to the ground by Berserker's master.

Starlight gently stepped off of Spike as the boy howled in pain, walking towards her with that awful smirk on her face. Twilight stood in shock and fear, unsure of what to say or do. She needed to launch an attack, she needed to summon Saber, she needed to do something.

But she couldn't. Her legs were shaking and her body was struck with terror. Starlight was giving her the same look that Lancer had been giving her. A look of bloodlust and death.

Starlight had every intention of killing her.

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

Saber stabbed her sword into the ground as she got to her knees, spitting out a small pool of blood that had formed in her mouth. Gentle yellow flames had ignited around her body, burning primarily at the spots her body had been injured the most by Berserker's attacks. She made her way on to her feet as she stared at the hulking Servant a good distance from her now. Berserker's kick had knocked her quite some ways, and it seemed that Rider wasn't fairing any better either. Berserker was not the kind of opponent they could go easy on.

“I guess I have no choice.” Saber whispered to herself, pulling her sword out of the ground and gripping it with both hands. “The fire hasn't been doing it's job. I don't need an inferno, I need the heat of a sun!”

Saber closed her eyes as her magic flared up and flowed into her blade, causing the crystalline blade to shine. Her fire began to circle around her once more, a torrent of wind and fire being churned by her channeling. Her blade began to glow with a white light, heat emanating from it's very essence as it glowed brighter. Sparks of electricity and plasma began to emit from the blade, striking the ground around Saber and igniting the grass it struck. The wind howled stronger and stronger, the fires growing more intense as her blade flared with power.

The turbulent winds and the arcing electricity came to a sudden stop as the blade finished charging, a white glowing sword now replacing the formerly clear and crystalline blade. The very air around the blade seemed to evaporate from the immense heat that was being contained in such a small space.

None of Saber's actions had gone unnoticed, Berserker having watched this all play out. Saber lowered her blade and channeled some magic into her feet. This time she wasn't going to be taken by surprise, she was going to take Berserker down. With her mind steeled, she rushed forward, rapidly closing the distance between her and Berserker.

Berserker widened it's stance, it's foot sinking into the ground as it reared an arm back. Saber was ready for it, using the momentum of her run to ready her blade. Berserker let out a roar as their arm came crashing down, striking down at Saber to take her out. Saber's blade came flying forward, matching Berserker's attack and returning with her own.

The blade of light crashed into Berserker's golden fist, the two attacks erupting with a burst of air and sound around them from the sheer magnitude of their power. Berserker roared as their fist pushed against the heated blade, still pouring as much strength as they could into the attack. Saber grit her teeth and pushed back, not relenting on her attack.

Berserker's armor cracked first, a severe fissure forming in the glove where Saber's blade collided, before shattering into pieces. Saber's blade flew past Berserker's fist and slashed across the chest plate and upper arm of Berserker's armor, a serious scratch being left behind by the singular attack. Berserker let out a roar as it's other gloved arm came swinging at Saber, only to whiff against the air as Saber jumped out of the way.

“So, your armor can be broken.” Saber re-gripped her blade, a smirk forming on her face. “Good. That means I can win this fight.” She knew better than to let her ego get to her head, Berserker wasn't about to be pushed over that easily, but she had a way to break the gargantuan servant's defenses. The fight would be hers once she could start doing serious damage. Saber glanced at the hand that had been freed from the armor, to try and gauge how strong the person in the armor had to be to wield such a bulky attire.

To her surprise, the hand in the armor was much smaller than she had been anticipating. The glove she had broken had to easily have been double the size of the hand it had been fitting. In the place of the glove was a small, almost dainty white-skinned hand, with long slender fingers and graceful skin. It was not the kind of hand Saber had been expecting in the slightest within the giant golden armor.

Berserker let out a furious roar, a roar angrier than any of their previous ones, causing Saber to jump out of her thoughts and back to the battle. Berserker was charging magic into the fist that still had it's glove, preparing to launch another assault on Saber. However, before the assault could be carried out, several small explosions struck against Berserker's back, knocking it's concentration away. Saber saw a glint of red light flicker in the air before another explosion erupted, causing Berserker to roar out in frustration.

Taking advantage of the sneak attack, Saber rushed forward and struck at Berserker, slashing her heated blade up along the length of Berserker's entire body. If not for the armor, the Servant would have been severed in half as a long, damaging gash formed along the armor from the left knee to the right shoulder of Berserker's armor.

Berserker's cry rang out as the arm coated in their magic came crashing down towards Saber, but in their haste made it easy for Saber to dodge. The ground exploded from the force of Berserker's impact as Saber landed away from it. Not missing such an oportunity, Saber rushed forward and slammed her sword down onto Berserker's helmet. Saber grit her teeth and poured her strength into finishing it with this attack, aiming to decapitate the Servant.

With a final push, Saber's blade sliced through the helmet, opening a gash across the helmet. Saber stared into the open hole of Berserker's helmet, a gash diagonally through the golden armor to see if she had achieved her goal. Through the hole she could only make out one clear detail, the cold emotionless purple eye of Berserker.

Realizing the servant wasn't down for the count quite yet, Saber jumped back, feeling the bloodlust coming from Berserker. Berserker stood up, a steaming breath escaping through the holes in their helmet. Saber readied herself for the next assault of attacks, waiting for Berserker to make the first move.

However, instead of an attack, Berserker disappeared in a warp of magic, as if they had never been standing there in the first place. Saber's eyes grew wide with realization. That hadn't been a normal teleport spell, it was the kind of distance warping only achievable by command seal.

“SABER!” Rider's voice cried out, Saber quickly turning to see Rider racing towards her on her white horse with her hand extended. Realizing that Rider could get them back faster without a command seal, she nodded her head and grabbed hold of Rider's arm as she passed. With the aid of the other servant she quickly jumped onto the back of the moving animal without losing momentum.

“That's quite the sword you have there Saber, I can't say I've seen anything like it.” Rider commented, taking just a moment to look back at the other Servant.

“Save the comments for when our Masters aren't in danger.” Saber growled, gripping Rider's shoulder harder as the horse raced towards Twilight and Spike.

'Twilight,' Saber cursed in her mind, 'Why haven't you use a command seal to summon me to you!?'

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

Twilight couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. Her legs shook as she watched Starlight walk towards her. That cold, callous smile was all she could see as Starlight drew closer.

Twilight could feel her heart in her throat, every beat, every pulse of her body. The world felt like it was falling away, the only two things in it anymore being her and Starlight. The world was warping around her, and the only thing she could understand was that she was afraid.

Starlight stopped just in front of her, Twilight's breath caught in her throat. Starlight reached out, her hand finding Twilight's throat, and began to squeeze. Twilight let out a strangled cry as her hands reached up and grabbed hold of Starlight's arm, desperately squeezing and pulling at it to let go, but Starlight's hand didn't budge.

“You know, I thought I was going to have to kill you with magic.” Starlight coldly laughed, “But you're willing to just stand here and let me strangle the life out of you with my bare hands. I really couldn't ask for a better way to kill you.” Starlight's malicious smile grew wide, that awful menacing grin etching itself into her mind.

Twilight struggled to breath, but nothing could enter her windpipe. She really was going to be choked to death, and she wasn't even going to put up a proper fight. Any will to fight that rose within her was immediately stomped out by the reality of the situation before her.

She was no match for Starlight, anything she'd do would just be deflected easily. Perhaps it was better to just stop struggling and let herself be taken out. She was already losing consciousness after all, it wouldn't be long before she was gone completely. And when she was gone Spike could take Saber, and with two Servants he'd easily win the war. Then she could stop suffering. She'd be at peace finally.

No more days of constant, agonizing and debilitating pain. No more long, tedious doctor visits that just told her everything was wrong with her. No more worrying about trying to be a proper magus or having to kill anyone. She could finally stop worrying about everything. She could finally just be with her mom and dad. She could just be herself.

Dying really didn't sound so bad.

“LET GO OF HER!” Spike's voice yelled as he tackled Starlight from behind, locking his arms up around hers and pulling her away from Twilight.

“WHAT THE?!” Starlight cried in surprise, letting go of Twilight throat as she was pulled back. Twilight collapsed to the ground and coughed violently, her hands quickly moving to her neck where Starlight had been choking her. The world around her spun as her senses violently came back to her, having just been moments away from blacking out. “LET GO OF ME!” Starlight cried out.

In response, Spike opened his mouth and bit down hard with his sharpened teeth onto Starlight's shoulder.

“AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!” Starlight screamed in pain as she struggled to fight her captor's hold. “GET OFF GET OFF!”

Twilight managed to lift her head to look up at the flailing Starlight, still gasping for air as she watched Spike struggle to hold her. It felt unreal, but Spike had just saved her life. It was the second time in two days that someone had come to her rescue in just the nick of time. However, unlike before, the threat wasn't being fought off by her savior, only held back. Despite her mind still feeling fuzzy, Twilight realized that there was something she could do.

Quickly raising her hand up, Twilight aimed her hand at Starlight and forced magic into her circuits. She charged up as much as she could, focusing it all into one powerful attack. Starlight's struggle against Spike meant that she didn't realize what was happening until it was too late.

“FORCE!” Twilight yelled as loudly as she could, a dark orb shooting out of her hand and colliding hard against Starlight's chest. The powerful Master let out a cry of pain as all the air escaped her body, knocking her backwards with tremendous force. Spike wasn't able to maintain his hold as they flew back. A piece of large debris hit his foot causing him to trip from the upwards force and hitting the ground hard against his back, while Starlight was sent tumbling further back.

A sharp jolt of pain shot through Twilight's back, forcing her to lean forward as pain assaulted her body once more. Spike struggled back to his own feet, turning to face Starlight with blood dripping from his mouth. Starlight hissed out a growl, as she quickly staggered to her feet, holding a hand up to her shoulder from the wound Spike had inflicted.

“This isn't... How it was supposed to go.” Starlight hissed, clearly having trouble breathing from the force of Twilight's attack. “I should... Unleash everything. Right now. Kill you all.” Starlight growled intensley. “BERSERKER!” She cried out, as a small flash of red appeared from her body. In that next instant, the hulking Servant reappeared behind her, though now far more dented and scratched than when they had first appear. Spike stood up to his knee, ready to use his own command seal to bring Rider back over.

“However,” Starlight spoke up, making Spike stop mid-use of his seal, “I've had enough for tonight. What's the point of revenge if I just wipe you out instantly, no bodies left behind?” Starlight spat. She leaned back as Berserker dropped a hand down, before stepping on to it and being lifted up to sit on Berserker's shoulder. “Consider yourselves lucky I chose to spare you today. The next time we meet, you won't be so lucky.”

Then, as quickly as she had arrived, Starlight left, Berserker rushing off with their master in tow. Spike stared in disbelief as Starlight fled from the battle. He stared just long enough to be certain she was gone.

“Twilight, you alright?” Spike quickly turned to Twilight, staring at his best friend on the ground.

“I... I think...” Twilight spoke with hesitation, her hand moving up to her neck and gently rubbing where Starlight's fingers had been. “I'm... Alive at least...”

“Twilight! Spike!” Saber's voice suddenly called out, the two of them turning to see Rider and Saber approaching them quickly. Saber jumped from Rider's mount and rushed over, kneeling down next to Twilight. “Twilight, thank goodness you're alright! Berserker just vanished and I feared the worst. What happened?”

“The fight didn't exactly go as planned, but Starlight ended up escaping.” Spike said, wiping his mouth of her blood as his magic circuits finally began to calm down, his appearance returning to normal. “It looked like she summoned Berserker using a command seal, but used Berserker to make a tactical retreat instead of attacking.”

“We should be thankful then.” Rider spoke up, jumping down from her horse as it disappeared into the aether. “We were thoroughly unprepared to fight Berserker, and a prolonged fight might have gone either way.”

“I could have beaten them...” Saber scowled at Rider.

“On your own, I have my doubts. If I hadn't been there, the tides of the battle would have been much worse.” Rider crossed her arms as she looked at Saber. “Understand Saber that I'm not saying this because you aren't a powerful Servant, but that Berserker truly is just that powerful of a monster.”

Saber could only scoff at the statement before turning to look at Twilight again. She lifted a hand up to Twilight's chin, before noticing the marks around her neck. She reached over and gently touched them, causing Twilight to wince and suck on her teeth in pain.

“Twilight, what happened?” Saber asked with a deadly seriously tone, pulling her hand back to not hurt her Master further.

“Starlight pinned Spike to the ground and... I just... I just stood there and she... She started choking me...” Twilight looked away from Saber's gaze as she tried to explain. She couldn't look Saber in the eyes as she admitted her weakness. Saber wasn't happy with the answer either.

“SPIKE! Oh my goodness Darling, what happened!” Rider suddenly gasped, rushing to Spike and leaning down to inspect his wounds.

“Oh, right. Starlight managed to stab me with this weird lance she was wielding.” Spike said bringing a hand up to his shoulder where two holes had been punctured. “However, I don't think she realized just how sturdy I can be when using my magic, so it actually doesn't hurt all that much.”

“It doesn't matter if it doesn't hurt! We need to get it taken care of.” Rider fussed, reaching into her dress before pulling out a lengthy handkerchief and pressing it against Spike's puncture wounds. “We need to get back to a safe location so I can properly wrap this for you.” Spike simply let out a sigh of compliance.

“My house is closer.” Twilight spoke up, “Let's bunker down there for the night, before anyone else shows up.”

“Right.” Saber nodded, quickly grabbing hold of Twilight and picking her up in her arms once more. Twilight let out a squeak as she was picked up.

“I-I can walk you know.” Twilight responded, feeling her face flushing from being lifted bridal style once more.

“It'll be faster carrying you, come on Rider.” Saber didn't feel like mincing words anymore, and jumped away, Twilight clinging to her Servant tightly as they moved through the air.

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

With the Servants carrying them it wasn't a long trip back to Twilight's house, within just a few minutes they had arrived. By the time they had walked in it was already approaching midnight, and a night of rest would do them well.

“Me and Rider will take my usual guest room, that alright?” Spike asked as Rider had already gone to Twilight's storage cabinet and was preparing some medical supplies to treat Spike's wounds.

“Yeah, that's fine. You two get some rest.” Twilight spoke up, before heading for her own room. Saber simply followed Twilight to her room, entering after Twilight and closing the door behind her.

“So uh... Tonight... Could have gone better...” Twilight tried to lighten the conversation a little with a bit of an awkward smile, though Saber merely returned the statement with a glare, folding her arms across her chest. Twilight's smile quickly faded and she grabbed her arm, looking away from Saber, feeling awash with shame and not wanting to look the Servant in the face.

“Twilight, why didn't you use a command seal to summon me?” Saber demanded, glaring down at her master. Twilight felt herself shrink under Saber's question. She knew fully why she hadn't, but to admit that to Saber...

“I... I was scared...” Twilight reluctantly answer. “Starlight seemed to plow through Spike so easily, there wasn't anything I could do to stop her. You and Rider were busy dealing with Berserker and I... I just... I froze!”

“What you mean to say is that you were willing to let yourself die without fighting back because you felt powerless.” Saber scolded her, Twilight flinching at the sharp edge to Saber's voice. Twilight backed up a few steps, feeling her legs growing weak before sitting on her bed. She cupped her face in her hands, unable to deal with Saber being angry at her.

Saber saw Twilight falling apart under her anger and let out a frustrated sigh. She walked over to the bed, before sitting down on it next to Twilight.

“Look, Twilight, I'm not going to say I'm not mad because I absolutely am. You promised me that when you joined this war that you were going to take it seriously. Not even putting up a fight while Berserker's Master choked you isn't doing that.” Saber's voice had calmed considerably, letting Twilight have a moment to breath.

“I know... I'm sorry...” Twilight muttered, pulling her hands down from her face and lacing her fingers together into her lap. “I... I wasn't prepared at all to actually join the grail war. I thought it was something I'd be aware of, but stay out of because I couldn't ever compete. I've just been thrown in head first, being forced to stand up as a Magus for the first time... And I just... When it came time to prove that I really am a Magus, I caved from the pressure.” Twilight lowered her head, closing her eyes. “I'm sure you wish you had any other Master but me...”

“Twilight, my only complaints with you being my Master so far is that you just let yourself get hurt. And I can tell by that look in your eye that you think on some degree that you deserve it, or that you think it's better that you got hurt than Spike, or Rider, or Me.” Saber explained, moving a hand over to Twilight's and gently grabbing it. Twilight looked up at Saber in surprise, the fiery red head smiling at her Master. “We need to have a serious talk about the Grail War tomorrow, but right now we need to rest from the battle today.”

“Alright.” Twilight nodded with a smile. Satisfied with that for now, Saber returned the smile before standing up and walking over to Twilight's wardrobe, opening the doors.

“So,” The fiery redhead asked looking through the various hanging clothes, “You got any spare pajamas that'll fit me?”

“Huh?” Twilight blinked in confusion. “Pajamas? But... Aren't you just going to enter your aetherial form for the night?”

“Not a chance. After two nights in a row of Servants attacking you, I'm staying right here to make sure nothing else happens to you.” Saber explained, pulling out a combination t-shirt and pajama pants that had hearts decorating the entire thing. Saber couldn't help but suppress a laugh at the sight of them. “Wow Twilight... These sure are some childish pajamas you've got here.”

A fierce blush covered Twilight's face as she stood up and rushed over to the wardrobe and yanked the pajamas from Saber's hands. “L-Look, it doesn't matter what my pajamas look like okay!? The important part is they're comfy to sleep in!”

“Calm down Twilight, I think they're rather cute.” Saber chuckled, though it didn't calm the raging blush on Twilight's face. “Look, I'll just wear this, alright?” Saber pulled out a loose fitting light purple shirt from the wardrobe. “It's simple, comfy, and uh, no offense to you or anything, but it'll better fit my chest than most of your other clothes.”

“Ugh! Fine! If you must!” Twilight said in frustration, storming across her room and into her personal bathroom where she slammed the door shut. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down, slapping her cheeks as the burning blush refused to fade out. Letting out a frustrated sigh of her own, she tried to move on from the teasing and get dressed for bed. She didn't really have much choice but to change into the heart pajamas she had taken from Saber, but she hadn't lied when she said they were comfy.

Once she had finished changing she re-entered her bedroom and walked over to her bed, pulling the covers back. It was then that she noticed that the bed already had an occupant, Saber was sitting up just under the covers on one side of her bed with a book in her hands, casually reading.

“W-What-!?” Twilight tried to start a sentence, but only confused jibberish escaped her lips. Saber spared a glance over at Twilight, before looking back down at her book.

“The best place for me to be at night is right next to you, so sharing a bed just makes sense.” Saber explained casually as she flipped to the next page in her book. “You'll be the safest with me here, so you'd better get used to it.”

Twilight struggled to find words, but nothing came to mind. Saber was sitting so casually in her bed, just saying they were going to share it like it wasn't a big deal that she was going to be sharing her personal bed with someone she had only met the other night! Unable to formulate the words for a proper counterargument and knowing she couldn't just move to a different guest room without Saber following her, Twilight hesitantly pulled the cover back and slid in herself.

But not before noticing that Saber was wearing her purple t-shirt, and seemingly nothing else under the cover.

“Um... Uh... Um...” Twilight's mouth started again, unable to form sentences as her face turned a deep shade of crimson at the realization that she was laying in bed next to a half-naked beautiful woman who was obliged to obey her every command.

“What is it? You seem like you have something you want to say.” Saber spoke up casually, still not looking directly at Twilight as she turned another page.

“Is... Is that...” Twilight gulped as she gripped her bedsheets tight, “Is that... What you normally sleep in?”

“If you mean do I normally sleep in a shirt and panties, then no.” Saber gently shook her head. “I'm simply wearing this for the sake of your comfort. I would prefer to sleep in the nude if given the option to.”

That was Twilight's breaking point.

“Oh well that's perfectly normal, haha! I'll be sure to keep that in mind, boy howdy it sure is late and I'm really tired! Good night Saber I hope you have a wonderful rest and be sure to turn the lights off when you're done reading!” Twilight babbled out quickly before slamming her head down onto her pillow and burying herself in a nest of bundled up blankets as she tried not to scream from the embarrassment of everything.

Saber merely looked at Twilight and blinked in confusion at the girls reaction. She stared for a minute to make sure her Master was okay, then gently shrugged and went back to reading her book.

Chapter 4 - The Balance Between Life and War

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A crystalline sword sank into the ground, a tired and wounded warrior resting against it. A gentle breeze blew through the air, petals of the nearby flowers flying around the injured maiden. The large pale moon illuminated everything in a gentle white light.

Before the injured warrior was a tall statue, the grave of a goddess that the warrior had worshiped in life. A life the warrior now looked back on with shame, and regret. Her blood splashed against the grass, her wounds refusing to close now.

In these last moments of her life, the warrior paid her respects to the one she had cared about most in life. Asking for forgiveness, though knowing she didn't deserve it. These would be the thoughts she carried into the next life.

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

Daylight filtered into Twilight's room, causing the sleeping girl to stir. There was still a throb of pain coming from her back, but compared to the last few days it was mercifully gentle. Her bed felt cozier that morning somehow, the blankets had an extra warmth to them they didn't usually have. She squeezed the blankets a little closer to her body, just wanting to enjoy the warm sensation for a little bit longer.

Twilight gently rolled over in bed, getting herself nice and comfortable to enjoy the feeling. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting the site of red and golden hair framing the face of a beautiful girl. Twilight's eyes widened in surprise, a blush forming on her face, before remembering that Saber had spent the night in the same bed as her last night.

The lavender girl curled up a little, just staring at Saber's sleeping face. The last time she had shared a bed with someone was during a sleepover at Spike's house at least eight years ago. The sensation of someone else being in her bed was weird and embarrassing, though not necessarily in a bad way. It wasn't like they had done anything last night, just slept in the same bed. There was something comforting about having another person sleeping next to you, especially someone you trusted.

Twilight studied Saber's face while she slept, entranced by how calm the beautiful girl was while she slept. Her skin seemed to radiate in the morning sun's light, giving Saber an otherworldly beauty to her. There was something about the girl that was drawing all of Twilight's attention and she couldn't explain what it was.

'Was that Saber I saw in my dream?' The image of the injured warrior came to mind, sitting amid that field of flowers before a large statue. She hadn't been able to get a good look at the warrior from the dream, but the sword in it had been unmistakably the one that Saber used.

A loose strand of red hair fell in front of Saber's face, partly obscuring Twilight's view. Twilight's brow furrowed at the strand, a little annoyed that it had interrupted her viewing. Almost instinctively she raised her hand up to move it aside, but hesitated for a moment realizing she might wake Saber up. She paused for a moment to watch Saber's breathing, seeing her chest rise and fall from deep sleep, and decided to take a chance. Without touching Saber's face she rested her fingers underneath the fallen hair strand and slowly lifted it up, carefully pushing it back up around her face and tucked back behind Saber's ear.

Saber's eyes slowly opened and looked directly into Twilight's, causing her to freeze in place as a deep blush quickly formed on her face. Saber merely blinked, before smiling at the blushing teen.

“Well, good morning Master.” Saber's smirk widened, before she sat up. The blankets gently fell to her lap as she stretched her arms out above her head.

“H-How long have you been awake?” Twilight managed to squeak out, her face still flush with embarrassment.

“Depends on your definition of sleeping. If you mean having lost conscious awareness of my surroundings while resting, then I've been awake all night.” Saber swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “If you just simply mean laying down with my eyes closed to restore some of my mana, then I only just woke up now.”

The answer didn't provide much comfort for Twilight, who only sunk further into her sheets with shame. Saber stood up and put her hands on her back, gently leaning back to to stretch further. She let out a rather satisfying groan as she did, which only made Twilight blush harder at the sound.

“Since you're awake, let's go ahead and get ready for the day. We've got a lot to talk about, and the sooner we get started the better.” Saber explained, before grabbing the bottom of the shirt she had slept in and pulling it off over her head. Twilight's eyes shot open in shock as the bare skin of Saber's back came into view, her jaw dropping at how brazenly her Servant was willing to get naked.

With a beet red face her eyes watched Saber's gorgeous figure walk across the room to where she had left her normal clothes the night before. Twilight put a hand to her mouth as Saber bent over at the waist, giving her a view of her perfect pantie-clad ass. Twilight's head began to swim, feeling like she very well just might pass out from the over stimulation. Saber turned her body and was carefully putting her jeans on one leg at a time, before stopping and looking over at Twilight in confusion.

“You gonna get up or just lay there all day?” Saber asked, furrowing her brow at her Master. Twilight responded to this in her usual calm and collected manner by rolling off of her side of the bed, dragging all of her blankets and sheets with her and hitting the ground with a loud but totally graceful thud. Saber blinked at the sight, before shrugging her shoulders and finishing getting dressed.

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

After what had to easily be the most embarrassing morning Twilight had ever had, she managed to get dressed, take her medication, and head down for breakfast without further incident. She had been expecting Spike to be in the kitchen preparing breakfast, but instead found Rider humming a delightful tune as she was sauteing some rice and vegetables.

“I do hope you all don't mind my cooking, I'm not terribly familiar with modern recipes from your country, but it should be edible at the very least.” Rider's voice practically sang as she moved gracefully through the kitchen, readying different pots filled with different foods.

“It does smell wonderful,” Twilight smiled, smelling the wonderful fragrance of the exotic food being cooked. “Though I was expecting Spike to be cooking for us.”

“Oh darling, I simply couldn't allow my Spikey Wikey to cook while his injuries were still recovering!” Rider girlishly giggled as she seasoned a pot.

“Spikey Wikey?” Twilight raised an eyebrow turning to look at Spike, the boy just letting out an embarrassed groan.

“Rider, my shoulder is fine! The Draken Family has powerful self-sustaining healing magic, not only are my wounds already closed, but I can't even feel them anymore!” Spike defended himself.

“Be that as it may, it would be unladylike of me to just simply let you work while you're still recovering! At the very least it's just breakfast Spikey, I can do that much for you.” Rider stood her ground firmly, refusing to budge from her cooking spot. Spike just let out a defeated sigh as she slumped further into his seat at the table.

“Spikey Wikey? Seriously?” Twilight snorted a little, chuckling at the cute nickname.

“Don't ask me, she just started calling me that last night.” Spike rolled his eyes, a blush forming on his cheeks. “I wasn't exactly going to tell her not to, you know?”

“You don't seem to be hating it either.” Twilight chuckled, causing Spike to groan again. There were very few times where Twilight was able to successfully tease and slightly embarrass Spike, usually it was the other way around.

“Oh I dunno, I think it's kind of cute.” Saber joined in on the teasing. “I think it really shows how close the two of you are, to be her precious little Spikey Wikey.” She emphasized the last words with a mocking tone. Spike just let out a longer groan of frustration, leaning forward and hiding his face behind his hand against the table. Twilight and Saber couldn't help but share a giggle at the flustered boy, enjoying the lighthearted moment.

“Breakfast is ready!” Rider sang across the kitchen as she quickly began adorning dishes with her creations. With beautiful grace, Rider quickly slid a plate in front of everyone sitting at the table. On the plate sat a pile of sauteed rice and vegetables on one side, carefully prepared sliced sausage on another, and still gently steaming small bowl of red soup. “Now it's not quite a traditional breakfast from my home land, but I thought you all would enjoy it as a breakfast meal. Plus I only had so much to work with from your fridge.”

“Everything looks wonderful Rider, thank you!” Twilight genuinely complimented, picking up her fork and taking a bite of the rice. While not quite the flavors she usually preferred for her rice, it certainly wasn't bad by any means.

“Oh wow, this is delicious Rider!” Spike sounded amazed as the food melted in his mouth. He wasted no time shoveling more of the delicious cooking into his mouth.

“Definitely better than I was expecting.” Saber teased with a mouthful of food. “Hope you made enough for a second serving at least.” the fiery Servant took delight in her gluttonous eating habits as she quickly devoured more food.

“I have taken your appetite into account and made a sufficient amount of another serving.” Rider declared with a haughty huff to her voice, as if appalled at the implication she wouldn't make enough for the people she was serving.

The group of four were enjoying their breakfast, when the sound of Twilight's front door opening and slamming shut interrupted them. Saber and Rider instinctively stood up, ready to defend their masters from any threat that was bold enough to just walk right on in.

“Oh, that's a new smell. Getting exotic with breakfast Spi-” Cheerilee's happy voice called out as she stepped into the kitchen, only to stop in surprise at the sight of two people she'd never seen before. “Oh uh, hello there, I don't believe we've met.”

Spike quickly and loudly cleared his throat as he stood up. “Cheerilee, this is my cousin Rider and her friend Saber. They're visiting from out of town right now and I was introducing them to Twilight. Saber, Rider, this is our teacher Cheerilee.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief as Spike quickly covered for everyone, Saber and Rider's guard slowly being lowered but not completely down.

“Oh well, it's very nice to meet you miss Cheerilee.” Rider said, giving a quick bow of her head before sitting back down at the table.

“What brings your school teacher around?” Saber asked still a little on the defensive, but slowly sitting back down as well.

“Cheerilee was a family friend through my parents, so I've known her since I was a kid. She often comes round to help me out around the house.” Twilight explained with a smile. “You could think of her more as my guardian than my school teacher.”

“It's certainly nice to meet you both as well.” Cheerilee nodded, giving a quick wave to the two new girls. “I was just coming over to check up on Twilight and Spike this morning, see if they were going to head to school or not.” Cheerilee smiled, walking up to Twilight and gently placing her hands on the teen's shoulders. Twilight stiffened a little as Cheerilee carefully rolled her thumbs between her shoulders. Twilight winced at the feeling, a small bit of pain shooting up from her back, though also being balanced by Cheerilee's gentle massage. “Spike told me what happened, though you seem to be doing better.”

“Yeah, I still have some pain, but I definitely needed the time away.” Twilight explained, gently rolling her shoulders alongside the massaging.

“Would you like to join us for breakfast?” Spike spoke up, smiling at the teacher.

“I'd certainly love to, but I don't have very long.” Cheerilee said, gently patting Twilight's shoulder before pulling out a spare seat at the table and sitting down. “So just for the moment, Saber, Rider, tell me a little about yourselves. It's not often Spike has guests from out of town.”

“What do you want to know?” Saber asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Oh you know, where you're from, hobbies you enjoy, maybe something your passionate about.” Cheerilee offered with a smile. “I just want to get to know you a little, since you'll apparently be spending most of your day with Twilight.”

Twilight blinked at Cheerilee's words before letting out a groan and putting a hand to her face. She had forgotten how overprotective her teacher could get around people she didn't know. She knew the animosity wouldn't be lost on the servants either, though to both of their credit they didn't react like they felt it.

“Well I'd love to tell you about myself!” Rider spoke up with a bright smile on her face, “I was born in Manehattan, fashion capital of the world! I've grown up admiring fashion for so long, I knew almost right away it was my dream to create marvelous fashion pieces that would be known world round! Of course, achieving such a dream takes time and dedication. Right now I'm training as an apprentice seamstress underneath a Master Tailor back in Manehatten, though I am taking a bit of a vacation to visit my dear cousin Spike.” Rider seemed proud of herself.

Twilight couldn't help but blink surprise, her jaw a little slack at how well Rider had just conjured up a believable story. Twilight leaned over to Spike and quickly whispered at him, “When did Rider...?”

“Don't ask me.” Spike whispered back, “The only thing we talked about was being introduced as cousins if need be, she made that all up herself!”

“A fashionista? That's quite the ambitious career goal, but an admirable one all the same.” Cheerilee smiled brightly at Rider, getting good vibes from the girl. The teacher turned to Saber next, expecting an enthusiastic reply in turn. “How about you? Any dreams for the future?”

“Dreams of the future?” Saber's brow furrowed as she tapped her fork against the remaining food on her plate. “Not... Really. I'm just sort of trying to find my place right now. I jump from job to job that's needed of me, and I just haven't found anything that really suits me. Rider here helps me out a lot with a place to stay, but that's all there is to me. I'm just a wanderer.”

“A story I hear from kids a lot these days. The world is so vast that it's hard to pick any one thing to settle down and do.” Cheerilee nodded her head in understanding. “Tell me, how old are you?”

Saber hesitated, looking at Twilight in thought before coming up with an answer. “I turned nineteen just two months ago.”

“And graduated from school I assume.” Cheerilee smiled as Saber quietly nodded. “It's fairly normal to not know what you want to do at your age yet. The economy isn't as strong as it used to be and finding a job that you're passionate to work for can seem like it's unreachable. But, if you keep your mind to it and work towards that goal, it'll be more reachable than you might think.”

“Sounds like you have some experience on the matter.” Saber spoke with a hint of surprise to her voice.

“A little, I'm definitely the youngest teacher at the school right now, that's for sure.” Cheerilee chuckled a little. “But I've been teaching for a few years now and I've heard plenty of similar stories. I'm sure once you find that one thing that sparks passion in your life, everything else will fall into place.”

“Well, let's hope there is something that sparks it then.” Saber gently shook her head before returning to eating her breakfast.

Cheerilee quickly checked her watch before standing up from the table. “Well, I really don't have anymore time to spend, I really just came to check up on Twilight but it was lovely to meet you two.” The pink teacher gently put a hand on Twilight's shoulder as she gave her student a smile. “I take it you'll be taking the day off again then?”

“Sorry.” Was all Twilight could say in return, giving Cheerilee a sheepish smile.

“Don't worry about it too much, it's Friday anyway so you can just think of it as a long weekend. I'll be sure to bring you all your makeup work later so your grades don't fall behind though.” Cheerilee's voice was chipper, before leaning in close and gently whispering in Twilight's ear, “And if those two give you any trouble what-so-ever, don't hesitate to call or text me and I'll come running. With a bat if necessary.”

Twilight could only let out an awkward laugh at that. “They've been nothing but angels Cheerilee, honest. You have nothing to worry about.” She tried to reassure her teacher as comfortingly as possible.

“Just keep an eye out then.” Cheerilee gave the last word of warning before pulling back up with a smile. “Anyways, I have a class that needs to be prepared for. See you kids later.” The teacher beamed as she headed out of the kitchen. Everyone collectively waited till they heard the front door closing, before Twilight and Spike let out a sigh of relief.

“Twilight,” Saber spoke up next, having finished eating, “Does she come around often?”

“Almost every morning at least.” Twilight explained with a smile. “She's been looking after me for so long that she's basically my Guardian. She'll cook me breakfast, help me get ready for school, make sure I can get to my Doctor appointments, all that stuff. I really don't know where I'd be right now without her.”

“So we can expect to see a lot more of her huh.” Saber shook her head frowning. “That's not a good thing Twilight.”

“I-It isn't?” Twilight hesitated, not expecting Saber's hostility.

“Twilight, we're in the middle of the Holy Grail War, and Cheerilee is obviously not a magus. If any of the other Masters see her hanging around you a lot or know how close you two are, they're going to take advantage of that fact.” Saber's tone had turned deadly serious, causing Twilight to shrink in her chair.

“B-But the war is supposed to just be between us Magi! We're supposed to fight when there's no threat to people seeing us or finding out about us, so why would they want to hurt someone unrelated to the war?” Twilight tried to argue against Saber's logic.

Saber merely let out a sigh at the response, standing up and picking up her plate and taking it over to the sink. “Spike, it seems Twilight doesn't know all the rules of this war. Would you kindly inform her of what would happen if a civilian happened to see a battle between Magi?”

Spike fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably, before letting out a sigh of his own as Saber starting washing her plate. “If a civilian should happen to bear witness to a battle between two Magi, we're supposed to silence them. The preferred method is with a memory altering spell... But if one isn't available to the Servant or Magi available... Well...” Twilight's eyes widened in shock at Spike's words.

“N-No! You can't be serious!” Twilight quickly stood, her chair screeching against the floor from the sudden movement. “We're supposed to kill them!? Just like that!? For wandering into a situation they had no idea about!?”

“The Mages Association has very strict rules on how events like this are meant to be handled Twilight.” Spike sighed, running a hand through his hair as he leaned against the table. “I'm not happy with it either, but the fact remains that if we have to, the Mages Association will cover up any civilian murders we commit so long as it's for the sake preventing magic from being exposed to the rest of the world.”

“So you'd just be willing to kill someone!? Just like that!?” Twilight cried, unable to believe her childhood friend was saying something so casually.

“Of course not!” Spike defended himself, glaring at Twilight. “I made sure to learn some memory altering spells just in case something like that happened! If I can avoid killing someone, I would prefer it.” He leaned back against his chair, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, a cold demeanor emanating from him. “But I'm not about to cry over someone I don't know or didn't care about dying. The life of a Magus is one stained with blood, I've known that ever since I became one.”

Twilight felt like she was going to be sick. She'd heard Spike talk about loving magic, she'd heard him go on and on about his lessons and how much he enjoyed being a Magus, but she had never heard him talk like this before. Like human life meant so little or was so worthless to him. That wasn't the friend she'd known all of her life.

Twilight nearly jumped in place as she felt a hand touch her shoulder, quickly turning to see Saber standing there. She was starting to visibly shake and the Servant was just trying to help her calm her nerves.

“Come on, let's move this conversation to the living room where you can be more comfortable. There's still a lot left to talk about.” Saber said calmly. Twilight hesitated, but gently nodded, heading to the living room with her arms over her stomach. Spike and Rider quickly cleaned up the rest of the plates and the four of them sat on the couches in Twilight's living room facing each other, Saber next to Twilight and Rider next to Spike.

“I just... It's so hard for me to wrap my head around.” Twilight spoke up, keeping her head low as she ran a hand through her bangs. “I've read about the Mages Association doing things like that in the past but... To actually feel the gravity of the situation in person...”

“Yeah, no one ever said being a Magus was easy.” Spike shook his head, leaning over and resting his elbows on his knees. “Listen, Twilight, I know a lot of this is still fairly new to you; in terms of Magi you're still fresh and learning, and this might be the only time in your life where you actually feel the weight of being a Magus. But my Grandmother has instilled these fundamentals of being a Magus into me since I was young. A Magus lives to transfer their magic to their progeny, so that it can grow stronger over time. A Magus mustn’t be afraid of death, be it themselves dying or killing others. And a Magus must understand that magic governs the world first and foremost. Every Magus who works for the Mages Association lives and breathes these tenants.”

“It doesn't seem right though!” Twilight looked up at Spike. “Magic isn't something that just anyone can learn, I get that being the reason we keep it secret, but why would we have to go so far as to kill witnesses if we can just alter their memories? It's so unnecessarily cruel!”

“Memory altering isn't perfect Twilight.” Spike shook his head, intertwining his fingers. “I've only tested it out once, just to make sure it worked, by making someone forget having written a note. But the magic is imperfect and unreliable. The bigger the memory, the harder it is to erase or keep hidden. Then there's always the possibility that something might trigger them to remember the events anyway, and then you have to deal with them again. So for most mages, the easier option is to just simply...”

“...Kill them off.” Twilight finished Spike's sentence, looking down at the floor.

“I don't like the idea anymore than you do Twilight, but that's just how it is. If I can avoid having to kill anyone uninvolved, I'm absolutely going to do everything in my power to do so. But if the time came where I had no other choice...” Spike trailed off again, just lightly shaking his head.

“...You... You haven't... Killed someone before, have you?” Twilight hesitated to ask, looking up at her childhood friend with trepidation.

“No.” Spike said firmly. “I've been fortunate enough that there haven't been any situations where I've had to do that. However, the Holy Grail War might very well be the first time I might have to. If we see Starlight again, I'm not going to hesitate to take her out.” The boy's voice with laced with venom as they escaped his mouth, Twilight having never heard him so genuinely angry before.

“...When Sombra told me that the easiest way to win the Grail was to kill the other Masters... I agreed with his reasoning and I thought I could prepare myself for that.” Twilight shook her head, wanting to just curl up right there. “But hearing you talk so casually about killing made the very thought of killing others just... So much more real than just saying I could do it. I was reasoning that killing the other Masters would be easier because they brought the Grail war upon themselves but... I don't know if I really have what it takes to kill anyone!”

“The first time is the hardest.” Saber finally spoke up. Twilight turned to look at the fiery headed Servant, who sat with her back to the couch and arms crossed. “It's a moment that'll live with you for the rest of your life. The more you do it though, the easier it gets. The easier it is for you to numb yourself from the feeling.” Saber opened her eyes, looking into Twilight's. “In this war, we will likely end up killing the other Masters. It's an inevitability you have to live with.” Saber then smiled a gentle smile. “However, you shouldn't just throw away how you feel about it right now either. Understanding the weight of human life should balance all of your actions. It keeps you human.”

Saber's words were both comforting and haunting to Twilight. She spoke from experience, but that same experience is what brought Twilight some modicum of comfort. The Grail War was going to be harder on her nerves than ever before, but if Saber was at her side, she would manage somehow.

“So, do we have a plan on what to do about Cheerilee to keep her as uninvolved in the war as possible?” Saber continued, turning to look at Spike.

“With Cheerilee not being a Magus, it should be a simple matter of me casting a spell to keep her away in the morning and afternoons. It won't hurt her, and it'll only be a temporary solution until the war is over. Is that okay with you Twilight?” Spike explained, looking at Twilight. Still reeling from her emotions, all she could do was give a quiet nod that seemed to satisfy Spike.

“Now that we've come to an understanding on all those topics,” Rider finally spoke up, clapping her hands together to draw attention, “We should focus on our strategy for the war. Needless to say, we were thoroughly unprepared for when Berserker showed up and we should prepare not only for further encounters with them, but what other surprises the other Masters might throw at us as well.”

“I agree with Rider on this once,” Saber nodded her head, “We need to spend today fortifying our defenses and coming up with strategies on how we're going to fight this war.”

With the conversation having moved on, Twilight took a deep breath to steel her still shaking nerves and sit up to listen in and contribute as needed.

“First thing first then, let's discuss what we've learned about Berserker.” Spike lead the conversation now, “What did you two learn about him in your fight?”

“They're a terrifyingly powerful brute.” Rider spoke first, “They have immense physical strength, far more than you'd aspect a normal Berserker class servant to have. And that's on top of their terrifying speed. They're a force to be reckoned with.”

“That's on top of their armor instantly nullifying any low-tier magic or physical used against it.” Saber shook her head. “My sword could barely even scratch it with my normal spells flowing through it. I had to damn-near activate my Noble Phantasm to start tearing into it.”

“The scary part of the fight is that we didn't get to see Berserker's Noble Phantasm either.” Rider folded her hands on her lap. “The simple fact that they were able to hold off both me and Saber with relative ease means they could very well be the strongest Servant in this war. I have a hard time imagining any of the other Servants coming even close to defeating him on their own.”

“You can tell that without knowing who the other Servants are?” Twilight blinked in surprise at the bold statement.

“While there are some exceptions, there's a general agreed upon hierarchy to the Servants.” Spike spoke up. “Generally the Saber class servant is considered the strongest as it has the best over-all stats of any of the other Servants. Following close behind are the Archer and Lancer class servants, as alongside Saber, they're considered the Knight class servants and are likely to spawn Heroic Spirits of well known legends. After them comes Rider, Caster, and Berserker, who generally have weaker stats but make up for that by having specialized skills. And then coming up in last with the lowest stats is the Assassin class. It's pretty much agreed upon that it's the worst class to get in the Grail War, as it's the only class not built to fight against other Servants.”

“Not meant to fight other Servants? But why would you...” Twilight stopped mid-sentence as she realized the answer to her own question.

“Killing other Masters is the easiest way to win, so what easier way to do that than with an Assassin?” Spike shook his head. “If we stay on our toes though, we likely won't have anything to worry about from Assassin.”

“With all that in mind, it's easy for us to gauge just how strong an enemies Servant is as a result.” Saber spoke up looking at Twilight. “So when we say Berserker is strong, it's not an understatement.” The servant then gave a cocky grin. “However, I can beat them.”

“You're certain of that?” Twilight asked in surprise, looking at her Servant.

“I'll have to go all out for it, but I'm sure of it.” Saber nodded her head. “Berserker's armor isn't impenetrable, and I'm sure I can handle whatever they have hidden up their sleeve.”

“Berserker still isn't anything for us to relax about though.” Rider spoke up this time. “As confident as Saber is in her abilities, we do have to keep in mind that Berserker isn't fighting alone. They have a powerful Master on their side, as Spike will explain.”

“I had a familiar go back to my house and search up what information we had on Starlight Glimmer in our archives.” Spike explained, looking grim. “I knew I'd heard about the Glimmer family before, but I didn't realize just who she was until my familiar found the information. The Glimmer family is one of the oldest and most powerful Magi families still alive in the Mages Association. Starlight is the newest member of it, and is considered by everyone to be a child prodigy.” Spike's words were heavy, causing Twilight to swallow her nerves as he spoke.

“Her name carries a lot of weight in the association. They have an insane amount of wealth and power at their disposal and a nearly bottomless well of resources behind them.” Spike glared at the floor, squeezing his fist as he explained. “And for some reason, she's set her sights on killing you Twilight.”

“But why!? I've never even met her before!” Twilight was as confused as she was frustrated. “She has no reason to pick a fight with me!”

“She could have a grudge with the Sparkle family in general.” Spike offered, “It's not unheard of for Magi families that have lasted a long time to have quarrels with each other that lasts generations.”

Twilight let out a groan as she buried her face in her hands at that. If Starlight really did have a grudge over something her former family members had done, then there was likely nothing she could do to persuade her from killing her. She was just going to have to rely on her companions to put a stop to Starlight's plans, as there was no way Twilight would even come close to being a match for someone as powerful as Starlight.

“The good news though, is that we now know Starlight and Berserker are after Twilight.” Spike spoke with confidence this time. “That makes it much easier to prepare for when she shows up again. If her and Berserker come to the house, we'll know right away. We can also keep simple familiars up that look for their specific mana as an early detection system. And if we play our cards right, we should even be able to take down Berserker and her Master.”

“We can discuss the specifics about how to fight Berserker as well.” Rider added, “But we should come up with a plan on how to find out who the other Masters and Servants are as well. We can't just expect them to reveal themselves for our convenience.”

“Right.” Spike nodded in agreement. The conversation on how to look for and deal with the other Masters and Servants lasted for several hours, the four of them working to the best of their abilities with the limited knowledge they had on hand.

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

Twilight carefully made her way around the broken rubble of what was once the stairway to her basement. She stepped into the middle of her workshop and looked around at the damage, before letting out a sigh. There was serious damage throughout her basement, most of it having come from the broken fragments of the sword she had tried to defend herself against Lancer with. When the shattered pieces had hit a surface, they had exploded with the contained magic. Stone, wood, glass, and metal was scattered everywhere and the room was nearly unrecognizable.

In it's current condition, her workshop would be unusable.

Letting out another sigh, she walked over to a door on one side of the room, quickly kicked any debris out from in front of it, and opened it up to reveal a small utility closet. She grabbed a broom from inside, and quickly began to sweep up a majority of the small debris from around the room. It would take a while, but she was going to get it cleaned up and usable again.

“Sorry about all this.” Saber's voice came from the stairwell, Twilight turning her head to look up and see the fiery redhead navigating the rubble. “Wish there was more I could have done to prevent it from getting this way.”

“It's alright, I can't possibly thank you enough for saving my life in the first place really.” Twilight shook her head, before turning back to her sweeping. “It'll take some cleaning, but I'll have this place looking like my workshop again in no time.”

“Do you not know any spells to help you clean faster?” Saber asked curiously, staring at Twilight's broomwork.

“I do... But I'd prefer to only cast repair spells on things that explicitly need it. Chunks of rock and debris I can just move move aside and throw out for now. Besides, I don't have the ability to use magic as freely as Spike does, so if I can do something by hand I prefer to do it that way.”

“That's fair.” Saber nodded in understanding as she moved over to the utility closet, “I can certainly help out at least then.”

“Oh, you don't have to if you don't want to.” Twilight blinked in surprise.

“Well it's a good thing I want to then.” Saber chuckled, grabbing a spare broom and quickly moving next to Twilight. “Besides, Spike and Rider are taking care of doubling the house's defensive wards and getting the familiars ready for surveillance, so I don't have anything else to do right now.”

“I... Well, I guess that's okay then.” Twilight didn't put up much of a fuss and just returned to sweeping. With the two of them at it, it wasn't long before the majority of the floor was cleared of the major sweepable debris and a nice pile had formed in the corner of the room to be dealt with later. With the sweeping done, Saber set to the task of clearing the stairwell while Twilight managed to take stock of the weapons and materials that had survived the attack.

As Twilight was counting out her remaining gem stash, one fell from the table and rolled across the floor. Putting them aside, she quickly walked over and kneeled down to pick it up, but paused as she stared down at the floor now that it was clear of the debris. The summoning circle that had called Saber forth and saved her life was still there, most of it faded and darkened from use and the magic clearly having been expended, but the markings were still visible. Twilight furrowed her brow at the circle, her mind realizing everything it being there implied.

“What's the matter?” Saber asked, dusting her hands as she walked over to Twilight.

“I... I just sort of realized...” Twilight stood up, looking away from Saber as she clutched her arm, “This circle was the entire reason I was even able to summon you. But the only ones who would have been able to set up the circle... Was my parents...”

“Your parents?” Saber tilted her head. “Were they preparing for the Grail War?”

“Yeah, they knew that the grail war was going to happen by the time I became head of the household, so they ended up trying to rush my development into becoming a powerful Magus.” Twilight lightly shook her head. “But to think they were planning so far ahead that the circle would even be here and functional...”

“How old is the circle then?” Saber asked curiously.

“...At least six years.” Twilight's response was quiet, though Saber heard her clearly.

“Six years huh? They couldn't have made it any sooner than then?” Saber bent down, running her hands against the circle, examining it for herself.

“It'd be impossible for them to have made it any sooner than that.” Twilight's voice hitched as she turned her body away from Saber. “Because... They died six years ago.”

“Oh.” Was Saber's response. “I had a feeling as much when you talked about Cheerilee being like your guardian and them being nowhere in sight, but still, I'm sorry for bringing it up.”

“No, it's fine.” Twilight shook her head. “It happened a long time ago, pretty much everyone knows they're gone by now. I wasn't trying to hide it from you either.”

“So, they even had a catalyst prepared for you as well, huh?” Saber put a hand to her chin in thought as she stood up, looking over the circle. “With this much preparation, I'm surprised you have so little knowledge about the war.”

“A catalyst?” Twilight blinked in surprise, turning to Saber. “A catalyst for what?”

“A catalyst for wha- Wait, are you serious?” Saber asked completely dumbfounded. “I knew summoning me was an accident, but you didn't even have some kind of catalyst prepared?” Twilight felt awkward, but slowly nodded her head. Saber felt her eye twitch, before letting out a groan and squeezing the bridge of her nose. “Twilight, it's impossible to summon a Servant unless you have a catalyst. The catalyst is what determines what Servant you summon, which is why you can't even summon a Servant if you don't have that.”

“O-Oh...” Was all Twilight could say in response. “I... I guess my parents did prepare one then? I just didn't know what it was...”

“So that means you have no idea what Servant I am, does it?” Saber crossed her arms, looking a little agitated at Twilight.

“I'm sorry...” Apologizing was all Twilight could do. “I didn't think it was important...”

“Good grief Twilight.” Saber let out another sigh, walking over to her Master and placing a hand on her shoulder. “You need to stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault. Look, it's a little frustrating that you're so unprepared for this, but it's nothing we can't work around. What's important is what we do from here on out, alright?”

“Okay...” Twilight sheepishly replied, looking up into her Servant's eyes. “So... What Servant are you?”

“I'll tell you so long as you keep it a secret from Spike, alright?” Saber said very seriously. “It's not that I don't trust him, but the fewer people who know the safer it is. Once a Servant's identity is revealed, you can learn their strengths and weaknesses just by looking up their heroic deeds in a book.”

“Like how we know that Lancer is Rainbow Dash?” Twilight thought back to the first night Saber had been summoned.

“Correct. Rainbow Dash is a famous Equestrian lancer from the age of Monarchs who became the right hand spear to the King. As such we can research her past deeds and know what kind of tricks we can expect from her. The same would be true if we knew who Rider or Berserker were.” Saber explained with a smile.

“Alright, I can promise that.” Twilight said with a nod. “I won't tell Spike or Rider your identity.”

“Thank you Twilight. As for who I am...” Saber smiled, before stepping away from Twilight. She stretched out her hand and summoned her crystalline sword and rested the tip against the ground, placing both hands on the handle as she turned to face Twilight. “In my homeland I am known as the Swordsman of Flames, the Phoenix given Flesh, and The Daughter of the Sun Goddess.” Saber gave a smirk. “But you may call me Sunset Shimmer.”

Twilight blinked in surprise as she felt her mouth start to gape. Saber seemed amused by the reaction, waiting for Twilight's brain to reboot you.

“A-Are you serious? You're THE Sunset Shimmer!?” Twilight gaped in surprise, unable to hold back her shock.

“The one and the same. I take it you've heard of me then.” Saber couldn't help but chuckle.

“Of course I've heard of you! You're the most famous Knight in Canterlot history! Your story has been passed down for ages, retold in so many different plays, it's an iconic story about tragedy and redemption! I've read about your legend at least three separate times in our library!” Twilight was beginning to ramble, completely unable to believe that a person she had read about in her childhood had sprung to life in her own home.

“No need to praise me too much there Twilight, trust me, I don't need my ego inflating that much.” Saber gave a light chuckle as she made her sword vanish. “Be sure to keep calling me Saber as well, but now you should know what I'm capable of and why when I say I can beat Berserker, I'm not just boasting.”

“Yeah, if it's you, I'm certain you can beat Berserker.” Twilight smiled, squeezing a fist confidently. “In fact, we could win the whole war if it's you!” Twilight hesitated a little at that statement, “On the condition I don't drag you down of course.”

“Hey, none of that, I actually like the confidence.” Saber said walking over to Twilight and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Twilight blushed at the contact, but didn't move away. “If my Master has found the strength to win the Grail War, then nothing can stop us.”

“I certainly hope that's true.” Twilight couldn't help but giggle in response, suddenly feeling better about everything. She had no idea how she had ended up with such a powerful Servant, but she wasn't about to start complaining about it.

Twilight's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her ring tone going off, a chipper little beat that was coming from the pocket in her skirt.

“That's a cute song, where's it from?” Saber asked as Twilight fished her phone out of her pocket.

“It's uh...” Twilight felt her face flushing with embarrassment as she explained. “There was a TV show about... Horses learning friendship when I was growing up, and it's the uh... The theme song.” Twilight looked at the screen to see who was calling.

“Heh, that seems to fit you just perfectly too.” Saber couldn't help but chuckle at it.

“Sorry Saber, I need to take this.” Twilight looked apologetically at her Servant.

“Hey, do what you gotta. I'll finish clearing the stairwell.” Saber explained, walking off towards the stairs. Twilight took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before answering the call.

“Hey Flash...” Twilight spoke nervously into the receiver.

“Hey, Twilight! I'm glad you answered, I wanted to talk to you about tonight.” Flash's voice came through the receiver somewhat melancholic.

“A-about tonight?” Twilight blinked in confusion, uncertain of what he was talking about.

“Yeah, we were going to go out on a date, remember?” Flash quickly reminded her. Twilight's eyes widened in shock, only just now realizing that it was Friday night and she had, in fact, agreed to go out with Flash that night. “However, you were absent from school the last two days and your friends told me that you were out sick. I just wanted to check in and see how you were feeling. If you still weren't feeling well I wanted you to know that we can totally reschedule, no problem.”

“O-Oh gosh, Flash, I'm sorry,” Twilight's automatic response spilled out, “Tonight turned out to be a really bad night for going out on our date. My condition flared up and then some people from out of town are visiting and it's a whole mess.”

“Hey, no worries about it Twi, you feeling better is absolutely top priority. Like I said we can just reschedule.” Flash seemed to be taking the news well. “How does Sunday night sound to you? I assume tomorrow would be a bad day since it's Lemon Zest's birthday.” Twilight mentally screamed at herself for also having forgotten that she was invited to one of her friend's birthday parties, especially after promising she really would be there this time.

“I-I'll see how my schedule plays out Flash.” Twilight tried her best to give a vague answer, “I-I agreed to go on a date and I will, but I'm not sure when I'll be free to. I'll try and make time for it, I promise.”

“Hey, you do what you gotta do Twilight.” Flash's voice was as perky as ever. “You feel better and I'll see you at Lemon Zest's party, alright?”

“Yeah, I will.” Twilight nodded, before realizing Flash couldn't see her and felt her face flush.

“Talk to ya later Twi.” Flash said his farewell before hanging up. Twilight let out a long sigh as she quickly pocketed her phone away.

“Trouble with the boyfriend?” Saber teased from across the room.

“He's not my boyfriend.” Twilight shook her head, “He's a guy who just... Seems to like me a lot... For some reason.” She shrugged her shoulders, crossing her arms. “He's a decent guy though, he's very nice and polite. He always treats me with respect, and I'm just... I'm not very good at this whole 'dating' thing. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do or say, and every time I try to talk about it, it feels like there are knots in my stomach.”

“I admit, you do seem more like the kind of girl who needs romance to happen to her, rather than seeking it yourself.” Saber teased again, causing Twilight to huff with a blush on her face. “But if what you say is true, he sounds like a decent enough guy. If you like him enough, that's worth pursuing.” Saber's face looked serious for a moment. “Though again, I would suggest waiting to do anything like dating till after the Grail War.”

“I know, I know, that's why I tried to give him a vague response.” Twilight shook her head at Saber. “I guess it's just that... I've never really felt attracted to anyone before. I don't know if I like Flash the way he likes me or not.”

“Wait, really? You've never even had a crush before?” Saber blinked in surprise.

“Is that really so hard to believe?” Twilight turned her head away, the blush not going away. “My childhood was primarily about becoming a Magus and everything that happened because of that. I never really stopped to consider... Romantic interests.”

“I don't know Twi, people usually have some idea of if they're interested in others or not by now.” Saber chucked the last of the debris out of the stairwell and into the rubble pile in the corner. “Though I suppose you could be Asexual as well, that's always an option.”

“No, I don't think that's the case.” Twilight furrowed her brow as her face grew more heated, remembering the image of Saber bending over to pick up her clothes from this morning. “I've felt sexual desire before just... Not usually about anyone in particular.” She absolutely neglected to mention she had at least thought of one person in a sexual way before.

“Well, I can't say I'm an expert on the subject either way.” Saber dusted her hands, before placing them on her hips and looking at Twilight with a smile. “I'd suggest just following your gut and seeing how it goes. Romance is as unpredictable as a fight, you never know when one move could change everything.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” Twilight tried to find comfort in the words, though they really only made her more nervous for her date with Flash.

“Twilight, Saber! We finished setting up out here!” Spike's voice called out from the top of the stairs. “I'm gonna get dinner started now!”

“Alright! Thanks Spike!” Saber called back up, waiting a moment for Spike to head to the kitchen. “Well, this room's at least a start. Want to take a break?”

“Yeah, a break and some food sounds great.” Twilight nodded her head, following Saber as the two of them headed up the stairs. Her brow furrowed in thought, trying to think of how to broach the subject she wanted to talk about. When nothing witty came to mind, she decided to go for broke and just ask.

“Hey, Saber?” Twilight called out.

“Hm?” Saber responded, turning her head just enough to look at Twilight.

“I know we're supposed to keep our interactions with our loved ones to a minimum... But uh... How do you feel about going to a party tomorrow?” Twilight offered an awkward smile.

Chapter 5 - Parties and Plans

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Shopping for Lemon Zest had not been easy, as Twilight found out. The simple fact that she went to Crystal Prep Academy meant she wasn't short on money to buy the things she wanted, and with her grades as high as they were there wouldn't be any complaining about her getting whatever she wanted from her parents.

So while Twilight knew her friend liked a certain style of music, any album she could possibly think Lemon would like, she likely already owned it. So she thought that perhaps she could get Lemon a new pair of headphones, but any headphones better than the ones she currently owned would be far outside of Twilight's limited budget.

Not wanting to bother her other friends as well, she had just ended up buying a couple of unknown bands that had sounded good in the hope that Lemon would like them. With a quick wrapping job, she was now heading for Lemon Zest's house, hoping that the party wouldn't turn out to be a complete disaster.

“I still think this is a bad idea.” Saber spoke up, arms behind her head as she walked next to Twilight. “It's putting your friends into rather unnecessary danger.”

“No Magus is going to attack a party full of teenage girls Saber, it'll be fine.” Spike spoke up, defending Twilight. “Besides, this is pretty important for Twilight. It'll mean a lot to Lemon for her to show up.”

“I get your point, I just have a bad feeling.” Saber shrugged her shoulders, before placing her hands in her pockets. “I could be wrong though.”

“We'll keep an eye out for any trouble, but it should be fine.” Twilight assured her Servant, before giving a slight frown. “Though I'm surprised you decided to come with us like this. Wouldn't it be easier to scout the area for trouble in your spirit form?”

“Look, Rider's got the spirit form covered for now and can warn us of any threats coming this way. Me being at the party guarantees that if anything should happen, I can react to it immediately. If we're going to do this, it's safer to have us Servants in a pincer formation against any trouble.” Saber explained somewhat defensively.

“Alright, if that's what you want to do. Just remember the cover story, you're a family friend visiting from out of town that is hanging out with us.” Spike reminded her, making sure they had their story straight.

“Yeah yeah, I'm not gonna slip up on that.” Saber rolled her eyes a little annoyed.

“Alright, enough Magi talk, we're here.” Twilight spoke up, stopping in front of a fairly large house of a rich suburban neighborhood. There were quite a number of luxury cars parked out on the road as well as stacked together in the driveway, several balloons tied to the fence along the sidewalk indicating the festivities going on inside. “Let's all be on our best behaviors and make sure Lemon has a good birthday.”

“No worries there Twi.” Spike grinned, confident that he could stay on his best behavior.

“You won't hear anymore complaints for me.” Saber finally smiled, willing to let herself get into the festive mood a bit.

“Alright, then let's head in.” Twilight nodded her head, walking up the path leading to Lemon's front door. Stepping up onto the porch she quickly straightened out her semi-formal skirt before ringing the doorbell. She could already hear the loud music bleeding through the house walls from there, as well as the distinct sound of people socializing before the door even opened.

“Yes, hello, how can I- Whoa!” Sunny Flare opened the door, surprise showing on her face at the sight of Twilight and company. “Hey, Twilight, you made it!” Sunny's face broke into a bright smile upon seeing her friend. “And you brought Spike and uh...” Her face scrunched up in scrutiny as she tried to identify Saber. “Uh, do I know you?”

“Hey Sunny.” Twilight greeted happily, “And no, you don't. She's a family friend of Spike's whose visiting right now, and we didn't feel right leaving her behind so we brought her to the party. I hope that's alright.”

“Hah, you kidding? I don't know half the names of the people at this party.” Sunny waved her hand dismissively, before opening the door wider and stepping out, wrapping an arm around Twilight's shoulder suddenly. “It's actually REALLY great to see you here! I had a gut feeling you were gonna make it this time, regardless of anyone who might've said otherwise. Come on, let me introduce you to the party!”

And just like that Twilight was dragged into the bustling house party that was taking place in Lemon Zest's house. The party was already well underway with several Crystal Prep students littering the front rooms with plastic cups socializing with each other. Twilight put on the best smile she could for anyone that looked at her, waving back at any that waved her way. She was with Sunny on this one, she barely knew half the names of the people there, though she did recognize plenty of familiar faces.

Sunny brought Twilight to the main living room, where everything had been re-arranged into a large dance floor and the music was blaring the loudest. The room was packed with Crystal Prep students dancing away to the beats, having the time of their life. In one corner was a DJ booth with a blue haired girl mixing away at her table, on the other side of the room was a long refreshment table covered with snacks and drinks of all types, and on another end at a breakfast bar just before the kitchen she could see Sour Sweet handing out alcoholic drinks to anyone who could prove they were old enough to be drinking.

“Hey Indie!” Sunny shouted into the crowd of dancing students, “Look who showed up!”

Twilight's eyes turned to where Sunny was shouting and spotted Indigo Zap stop her dancing with a look of surprise on her face, before smiling and quickly walking over.

“Aaaay, Twilight, you made it!” Indigo said with a large grin on her face, “Good to see you came! Lemon's gonna love seeing you here.”

Sunny cleared her throat dramatically, making Twilight and Indigo look at her in surprise before Sunny gave a cocky grin at Indigo and held out her hand. “I do believe this means I won our little wager, no?”

Indigo's face fell into a frown. “Oh... Right, I actually forgot.” She said reaching into her back pocket.

“You wouldn't have forgotten if you had won. Less complaining.” Sunny's hand beckoned at Indigo as the athletic girl pulled out her wallet.

“Yeah, yeah, here you go.” Indigo said pulling out a crisp twenty and putting it into Sunny's hand. “Hey, at least I'm actually happy to have lost this bet.”

“Thanks Twi, you made me an easy twenty bucks! You're a good friend.” Sunny smirked chipperly, patting Twilight's shoulder.

“...You... You bet on if I was going to show up or not?” Twilight asked, feeling a pang of hurt rise up into her chest.

“Come on Twi, you can't deny you have a bit of a track record when it comes to skipping out on stuff like this.” Indigo rolled her eyes a little before smiling, “Besides, like I said, I'm actually glad I lost the bet. I'd rather have you around then not. You wanna dance?”

“Uh... Maybe in a little bit, I just got here.” Twilight tried to smile for her friend, though she was still feeling a pang of guilt in her chest.

“Suit yourself then. If you two don't mind, there's this really hot guy I wanna get back to grinding up against.” Indigo gave her friends a quick two-finger salute before disappearing back into the dance crowd.

“Come on Twi, in celebration of you being here, let's get you a drink!” Sunny declared with a grin, dragging the girl over to the alcohol bar.

“Uh, wait, about that-” Twilight tried to rebuttal but quickly found herself before Sour Sweet, who was currently rinsing out her mixing glasses. The pony-tailed girl turned to face her two friends who had shown up and gave them a quick smile.

“Hey Twilight, glad to see you showed up.” Sour Sweet said in a sweet tone as she dried her mixer off with a towel. “What can I get you?”

“Two cherry bombs Sour! And give em a bit of extra kick.” Sunny declared happily, causing Twilight to look worried. Sour Sweet furrowed her brow in confusion.

“Two? What, are you going to drink them both yourself? That's how you become an alcoholic sweetie.” Sour sassed at the eager girl in her usual sickly sweet voice.

“What? No of course not, one's for Twilight stupid.” Sunny glared at Sour, wondering where the sass had come from.

“...Tell me, were you born dumb or did you just grow up that way?” Sour blinked her eyelids sweetly at Sunny, Sunny giving an incredulous look in return. Before she could retort, Sour spoke up again. “Twilight can't have alcohol because of all the medication she's taking. She could lose her liver, or enter into a coma, or die. So unless you're drinking both of the Cherry Bombs, I'm not giving one to Twilight.”

“...Oh.” Was all Sunny could say in return. “Sorry Twilight, I kind of forgot. With Lemon being the last of us to hit drinking age I was so focused on us all getting at least something in our system that I forgot about your circumstances.” Sunny did her best to apologize without sounding like she was waving it off. “Just one cherry bomb then.”

“It's okay Sunny, I don't mind.” Twilight nervous laughed, grateful that Sour had bailed her out of peer pressured drinking, especially since she really had no idea what alcohol would do to her physically or mentally.

Sour Sweet, to her credit, was a decently skilled bartender. Within a few moments she had pulled out the appropriate alcohol and drink and poured them into her mixer, added some ice, and quickly shook the concoction together. With practiced skill she filled a glass up for Sunny, added a shot of grenadine, and presented the creation forward.

“One Cherry bomb for the alcoholic,” Sour said the first half in a mocking tone, “And a virgin for the virgin.” Sour emphasized the second half with a sweet tone.

“Was that necessary?” Twilight asked her brow furrowed and her cheeks flushing.

“Just callin' em like I see em sweetie.” Sour gave a sweet smile as she quickly prepared to clean her tools for the next drink.

“Well hey, cheers to Lemon's birthday.” Sunny said holding up her cherry bomb.

“Cheers.” Twilight returned, holding up her alcohol free glass. They quickly tapped their drinks together, and Sunny proceeded to down a large gulp of her drink. Twilight put hers to her lips and took a light sip, before nearly spitting it out immediately. She put her hands to her lips to keep herself from just vomiting the wretched drink back out, forcing herself to swallow it quickly. “Ugh... Right... Energy drinks.” She grimaced.

“Don't have to drink it if you don't like it.” Sour quickly replied as well, before turning to the next students who had showed up asking for drinks.

“Right.” Twilight chuckled putting the drink down. “Maybe I'll just have some ordinary punch instead.”

“Table's over there, help yourself.” Sunny smiled, “No one's spiked the punch yet, so it should be safe.”

“And if anyone DOES spike it, they're going to get a royal ass kicking!” Sour spoke up as well, quickly mixing another drink.

“What if Spike gets into the punch though?” Twilight tried to smirk at her joke, just eliciting a groan from Sunny.

“God, your humor is so bad Twilight.” Sunny shook her head with a smirk before downing another chug of her drink.

“I've never been great with jokes.”Twilight tried to chuckle in return, quickly looking around the room for her friends. In the whirlwind of events that had taken place the moment she had arrived, she had lost track of Spike and Saber and couldn't see them in the vicinity. She wasn't worried though, she was sure if she just looked she could find them. Though what did surprise her was that she hadn't seen the birthday girl yet.“So uh... Where is Lemon Zest anyway?”

“Last I checked she was going to take a dip in the pool. She set up a changing room and a ton of spare swimsuits in a variety of sizes if anyone wanted to take a dip.” Sunny explained, before putting her empty glass down. “Hey bartender, I need another over here.”

“I can hear your liver crying for help already.” Sour sassed as she passed out a few more drinks.

“Aw come on, I'm in need of a serious buzz here.” Sunny tapped her finger against the edge of her glass impatiently.

“I think I'll go ahead and say hi to Lemon, let her know I'm here at least.” Twilight chuckled, getting a nod from Sunny. She moved towards the back of the living room, reaching a set of large glass sliding doors that led to Lemon's expansive backyard. The pool area was big enough to fit in at a resort, with several students lounging on deck chairs and several more hanging around the waters edge. Most everyone hanging out back had dressed into a swimsuit and Twilight could easily spot the makeshift changing station that had been set up near the back allowing for privacy while changing.

“CANNON BALL!” Twilight heard the familiar loud cry of the green haired girl as she jumped from the diving board in a curled up position and hit the water's surface with a large splash. Several other teens laughed as they got splashed, swimming away from the splash zone. Lemon surfaced and gave a big laugh of her own as she swam over to the edge of the pool. Twilight figured this would be her moment to at least say hi and moved closer to the pool's edge.

Lemon quickly swam over to the edge, flipping her hair up over her head like she was some kind of model, before pulling herself up and out of the water. Twilight looked down at the swimsuit Lemon was wearing, feeling a blush crawl on her face from how small it was. Her breasts were covered by two triangles, one blue the other green, that seemed just big enough to cover half of her breasts and giving ample amounts of visible cleavage. The bottoms were even skimpier, with a large blue and green triangle covering her crotch but strings hugging her thighs and stretching down into her ass. It took all of Twilight's self control to tear her eyes off of Lemon's body

“Hey Lemon, Happy Birthday!” Twilight put on a bright smile hoping it'd cover her blushing embarrassment, giving her a friend a wave. Lemon ran a hand across her face to move any leftover hair in surprise, before smiling brightly.

“Hey, Twilight, what's up yo!” Lemon reached over and grabbed Twilight's hand shaking it. “I'd give you a hug but you aren't in a swimsuit.” She chuckled happily.

“Ah-hah, that's quite alright.” Twilight chuckled, quite fine to return the handshake. “Maybe I could get changed and go for a swim myself, then you could totally hug me.” She gave an awkward laugh before mentally kicking herself for saying something so weird out of nowhere.

“Totes up to you man, the water's great either way!” Lemon grinned, cocking her hip as she put a hand against it. “I'm really glad to see you came though! Honestly parties are just not the same without you.”

“Oh come on, I usually just sit in the corner not doing anything. Are they really that different if I'm not there?” Twilight asked, feeling she really didn't add anything to the parties and really only went cause her friends asked her to.

“You kidding Twi? Parties are ALL ABOUT hanging out! Even if you don't do much, you being there or not literally makes all the difference.” Lemon put a hand to her chin as she tried to think of how to explain it. “It's like when you have a buffet full of food right? It's got a ton of stuff you like, so you pick away at it. But sometimes when you go to the buffet you want a specific thing to snack on right? But that thing is missing, so you feel kind of bad. It's like that!” She was quite happy with her analogy. “Having you around is like having that missing item! Even if we don't do much, just having you around is so much better than you not being here.”

“Huh... I guess I never thought about it like that before.” Twilight thought, surprised at how much she understood the analogy.

“Glad you can see it my way Twi! A party just isn't the same without ya.” Lemon grinned happily, walking up closer to her and gently elbowing Twilight's elbow. “Besides, if you don't think there's much to do normally, all you gotta do is find something fun to do at the party! If you catch my drift.”

“Uhm...” Twilight blinked confused. “You mean like dancing or something?”

“If you find a cute boy to dance with, for sure.” Lemon laughed. “Have you seen the second floor yet?”

“No, I really just got here and have mostly been meeting up with you girls. Why, what's on the second floor?”

“Well, I didn't put a bowl of condoms near the top of the stairs for nothing.” Lemon cackled at that, slapping Twilight's back. It took a moment for the words to register in Twilight's mind before her entire face lit up like a stop light. “And hey, I hear a certain blue haired guitar boy whose had their eye on you is here. No one would complain at all if you two disappeared for a while.” Lemon gave Twilight a far too encouraging wink.

“LEMON!” Twilight shouted in embarrassment before covering her face with her hands, feeling the steam erupting from her head. This was just the funniest thing to the green haired rocker though, who just laughed at Twilight's reaction.

“Hey, I'm just teasing Twi! Don't let anyone pressure you into anything you're not ready for.” Lemon chuckled, patting Twilight's back some more. Twilight only let out a groan through her hands. “Me though? It just won't be an eighteenth birthday party for me if I don't get lucky. I've got my eyes on this really hot guy too.” Lemon leaned in close to Twilight whispering, “Between you and me, I've caught him staring a few times too, so I've easily got this in the bag.”

“Uggghhh, TMI lemon.” Twilight shook her head before giving her friend an awkward smile. “But at least you're enjoying your birthday.”

“Hell yeah I am!” Lemon grinned giving Twilight's back one last pat. “I'm gonna get back to swimming for now, but you feel free to do what you like! If you want to join in I made sure we had spare swimsuits in your size.”

“That's alright, I think I'll just get some food for now.” Twilight chuckled, just needing some space from her hot scantily clad friend and the sex talk.

“Suit yourself!” Lemon grinned and turned to head back to the pool before stopping. She then turned back to Twilight, "Oh, one more thing, before you head back in. You haven't seen Sugarcoat around have you?"

"Sugarcoat?" Twilight blinked confused. "No, I haven't met her yet. I was gonna say hi to her if I saw her though."

"Hm." Lemon crossed her arms as she thought about it. "Well, so far the other girls said she hadn't arrived yet, which has me a little concerned. Sugarcoat's usually the first to arrive, and if she's gonna be late she usually let's us know. But we haven't heard a word from her."

"Oh, that is unusual." Twilight blinked, putting a hand to her chin in thought. "Maybe something came up that's keeping her from her phone?"

"Could be." Lemon brushed a strand of hair that had fallen loose behind her ear. "Still, it's just unusual that she's not here. If she does arrive at the party and you see her, send her my way, okay?"

"Sure, I absolutely will." Twilight gave her friend a smiling nod.

"Thanks Twi!" Lemon grinned at her before turning back to the pool. “Heads up guys!” She called out before leaping back in and causing another large splash, much to the squeals of several other teens.

Satisfied with having greeted her friend but wanting to shake some of her embarrassment and heated face off she made her way back into the house. She quickly scanned her vision around the dance floor once more, looking to see if she could see Spike or Saber, but not seeing their familiar looks amongst the crowd she decided to head for the buffet table.

“Oof!” Twilight stumbled as her body collided with someone. A hand quickly shot out and grabbed her, preventing her from falling or stumbling too far back. She blinked as she looked up, surprised to see a familiar boy holding on to her.

“Oh! Twilight!” Flash visibly brightened up as he realized who he'd ran into. “Sorry for bumping into you like that, you okay?” He asked, helping her stand straight.

“Yeah, I'm fine, no harm done.” Twilight gave a soft chuckle as she gently straightened her skirt.

“I'd heard some of the others student say you'd shown up so I was just looking for you. You're looking great by the way!” He beamed a smile, trying to compliment her.

“Uh, thanks Flash.” Twilight gave him an awkward smile back, not used to being complimented. “I was just getting something to snack on though.”

“Oh, sure! Let's grab a bite to eat then we can find a place to sit and chat, how's that sound?” Flash offered, clearly wanting to spend time with her.

“Sure, I'm fine with that.” With the plan decided, Twilight quickly grabbed a paper plate and loaded it with a few of the finger foods placed on the table. She also had Flash quickly test the punch to see if it was spiked, and once given the all clear got a cup for herself. With food and drink taken care of, they left the main dance floor and moved to the house's Den, that while still packed with teens, was far less populated than the dance floor. They found a free sitting spot and sat together.

“How are things with you Twi?” Flash started, smiling at her. “I'm glad you were feeling well enough to come to the party. It wouldn't be the same without you.”

“I've certainly been told that.” Twilight chuckled softly as she bit into a cracker. “I still don't really feel like I fit in at an event like this, but it is nice knowing that people like having me around.”

“You're not pushing yourself too hard to be here, right?” Flash asked with a hint of worry. “I'm still not entirely sure what you were sick with. When I asked around I was just told you have a condition that flares up, but I don't know anything about it.”

Twilight fidgeted a little uncomfortably on her chair before taking a sip from her punch. She really didn't like talking about her condition if she could help it, but Flash seemed genuinely concerned with her and it felt rude to just brush him off. She let out a short sigh and decided to tell him about as much of the truth as she could.

“It's... Kind of hard to explain.” Twilight gripped her cup tightly as she tried to think of the words. “There was an... Accident when I was younger. The accident damaged a lot of the nerve endings on my back, and affected how my spine transmits signals to my body. As a result, there are times where the condition might flare up for any reason. Usually it's just painful when it does, so I can just take some pain killers till it goes away. More rarely though, it can cause me to have... Seizures.”

“And that's what happened when you missed out on school, huh.” Flash connected the lines in his head. Twilight quietly nodded, confirming his deduction. “I can't even begin to imagine what that must be like, for you to go through something like that. I also get why you wouldn't just want to go around telling people about that.”

“Yeah, I've really only told my closest friends about it, and they promised they wouldn't tell people about it.” Twilight was fairly confident that her friends had kept their promise too if Flash didn't know about it.

“Well hey, if your condition ever flares up, don't ever feel afraid to tell me. If there's anything I can do to help you out, I'd be glad to do it.” Flash smiled comfortingly at her.

“Ah... Thanks but, it's not really the kind of thing other people can really do anything to help with.” Twilight tried to give him a comforting smile. “I do appreciate the sentiment though.”

“How about right now though? Do you feel any pain?” Flash asked curiously, eying her back.

“Uh... Well... Honestly?” Twilight hesitated again. “I'm... Always feeling at least a little bit of pain.” She gently rolled her shoulders a little, feeling the twinge of ache still resonating through her shoulders. “I don't really tend to notice it though because, that's just how I feel every day now. But if I think about it, I do notice it's there. I just sort of live with the discomfort.”

“Oh...” Flash furrowed his brow as he looked away, concern clear on his face. Twilight fidgeted in place, uncertain of if that had been the right thing to tell him or not now. The awkwardness lasted for a few more second before Flash turned back to her with another smile. “Well hey, at least I understand the situation better. You still interested in having that date sometime this week? I hear the new Captain Hero movie is pretty great. Would you like to go see it?”

Saber's warning about keeping personal affairs away until the war was over came to mind. She hated the idea of continuing to push Flash away, as he was a nice guy and she didn't want him to feel like she didn't appreciate his kindness, but at the same time she did want to keep him out of harms way as well.

“I'll see how my schedule plays out.” Twilight answered somewhat truthfully. “As it turns out, Spike had family come visit while I was sick, and he wanted my help taking care of them while they were visiting. I really do want to go out on the date with you, I just gotta find the right time for it.”

“Hm, hey, that's alright.” Flash said nodding, though his smile wasn't quite as bright as it had been. “It's reassuring to know you do still want to go out on it, though I had kind of hoped we could have set a more solid schedule.”

“I'm really sorry Flash. As soon as my schedule frees up I will let you know though, promise.” Twilight made the promise to the boy. Flash seemed to accept that at least, and offered her a smile.

“Ah-hah! There you are Twilight!” A familiar voice spoke up, causing Twilight to turn her head and see her fiery red-headed servant approaching with a drink in her hand. “I gotta say, your friend knows how to mix up a mean drink. Even I can feel it!” Saber chuckled a little as she took another swig from her cup.

“Oh, Flash, speaking of.” Twilight brightened into a smile seeing a friendly face, “This is Saber. She's visiting with Spike's family and is one of the reasons my schedule is so hectic right now.”

“Hey man.” Saber greeted with a single hand raised, an alcohol flush starting to appear on her face. “I have to apologize, I'm kind of monopolizing all of your girlfriend's time.” She chuckled at her joke. Twilight's face lit up bright red again while Flash had a slight blush tinge.

“Ah, well, we're not really together yet.” Flash nervously laughed, looking away rubbing the back of his head. “We haven't even gone on our first date yet.”

“It'll happen, I'm sure.” Saber winked as she walked over and sat down next to Twilight. She leaned in, and in a quiet whispering voice said, “I made sure to check the perimeter with Spike and Rider. There wasn't a hint of mana anywhere, if not for the city's natural leylines this area would be a magical deadzone. So I figured if we're here we can probably be a little looser than usual. Rider is still on guard though.”

“Well it's a relief to know everyone here is safe then.” Twilight smiled at Saber, glad to know her Servant was on top of things.

“So Saber,” Flash leaned over, giving the girl a smile, “How long have you known Twilight?”

“Two days?” Saber tilted her head, trying to remember exactly how long they'd known each other. “We got in Wednesday night, then hung out with Twilight on Thursday and Friday while she was recovering, and then her and Spike invited me to the party. So here's to day three!” She raised her cup up in cheers, before chugging down a large portion of her alcohol.

“Have you been to Canterlot before?” Flash asked genuinely curious.

“Heh, a looong time ago. Don't even recognize the place anymore.” Saber chuckled cheekily. Flash thought it was just the alcohol making her giggly, but Twilight had caught on.

“You probably haven't had much time to check out Canterlot then, if you've been helping take care of Twilight.” Flash put a hand to his chin in thought. “What if we hit two birds with one stone?”

“What do you mean?” Twilight blinked at Flash confused.

“Well, hear me out. One of the problems with your schedule is spending time with Saber right? And she's basically new to Canterlot. So why don't the three of us spend a night out on the town? It wouldn't be quite as intimate as a date, but we could do that later and do this as breaking the ice.” Flash offered with a smile.

“I uh...” Twilight fidgeted in her spot, turning to look at Saber. “How, uh, do you feel about that Saber?”

Saber finished her alcohol as she considered it, running through the scenario in her head. She scrunched her face in serious contemplation, before finally shrugging her shoulders.

“You know what? If I'm there I think that can be do-able. We'll see how our schedules play out.” Saber smiled at Twilight before looking back at her cup and frowning. “I need more alcohol though.”

“Well that sounds like a plan to me.” Flash said, perking up happily. “It'll be great to just spend time with you two! We'll pick a date and we'll just have fun.” He grinned broadly. Twilight couldn't help but smile in return.

“HEY EVERYONE!” Indigo Zap's voice cried loudly from the second floor's balcony overlooking the party. Everyone in the Den looked up, having an easy view of the blue haired girl. “Important announcement! Birthday girls gettin' lucky!”

An immediate cheer of hoops and hollering rang through the party at the declaration. Twilight felt her head turn red at the announcement, covering her face in her hands, trying not to picture her friend in a raunchy scene.

“Ah-heh... That's Lemon for you.” Flash couldn't help but chuckle as he scratched his cheek with a blush of his own.

"Go get em tiger!" Saber drunkenly encouraged with a broad grin.

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

The party ran on for a few more hours before it really started to wind down. Once Lemon had finished with her booty call she had been met with a crowd of cheers, which had then led to the cake ceremony. With the candles blown out and her wish made, the presents had been opened with reckless abandoned, and Lemon loved them all. She even gave Twilight extra praise for introducing her to a great new band she hadn't heard of before, which was a huge relief off of Twilight's shoulders.

After it was all said and done, the sun had set and the moon was rising well above the sky now. A lot of the students and teens that had shown up had milled out little by little, and by the time the party had officially wound down there was only a small handful of people left.

“Ugh, that was SUCH a fun party Lemon, easily one of your bests.” A very inebriated Sunny Flare complimented her friend.

“Yeah, only three people tried to be jackasses this time round, and they quickly learned why you don't cross me.” Sour Sweet declared triumphantly.

“And Twilight showed up!” Indigo Zap grinned, wrapping an arm around the lavender girl. “That made it an almost perfect party right there!”

“Yeah, almost perfect." Lemon said with a slight frown as she looked around at the other girls. "Absolutely no one has heard from Sugarcoat the entire party?”

“She still hasn't returned my calls or texts.” Sour Sweet said looking at her phone bitterly. “She better have a good explanation for not being at your birthday party.”

“Ah, well, it's not a big deal man.” Lemon did her best to shrug it off. “I'm sure she was just busy.”

“She'll show up and explain herself. Even if we have to drag her out of her house to do it.” Sour Sweet explained almost too eagerly.

“Welp! I need to head home and get ready for this hangover of mine.” Sunny laughed, patting Lemon on the shoulder.

“You sure you don't want one of us to drive you?” Lemon asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

“Lemon, I live like, five houses down the block. Driving that would be ridiculous.” Sunny snorted as she rolled her eyes, before turning and walking off. “But hey, if anything happens I'll be sure to scream extra loud for you to hear.”

“I should get going soon too. My parents hate it if I stay out too late, the vultures.” Sour Sweet grumbled as she looked at her phone some more.

“You can catch a ride in my car, my parents don't care when I get home.” Indigo grinned, beckoning to her friend as the two of them headed out to the driveway.

“And you're gonna walk home with Spike right?” Lemon said looking at Twilight with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, we walked here and it's not too far of a trip. Besides, the exercise is good for me.” Twilight chuckled a little.

“Spike's a good guy, he'll take care of you.” Lemon nodded her head. “Again, I'm really glad you could make it Twi. I hope you'll show up at more parties in the future.”

“I just might Lemon. Tonight really was a lot of fun... If really embarrassing at times.” Twilight joked, which elicited a hearty laugh from Lemon and Twilight giggled with her.

“You're a good friend Twi.” Lemon grinned, quickly walking up and giving the lavender girl a hug. Twilight was rather surprised by the contact, but smiled and returned the hug. “You have a good night now.” Lemon said once the hug was broken, waving to Twilight as she headed back into her house.

“All set then?” Spike asked, walking up to Twilight with a smile.

“Yeah, I'm ready to head home.” Twilight nodded, as the three of them began to make their way back home. “That party was a lot more fun than I was expecting it to be. And all of the girls seemed really happy that I was there.”

“And there wasn't a drop of mana anywhere to be detected either.” Saber spoke up, her face still a little flush from her alcohol consumption, but sober enough to walk in a straight line. “I guess I was being a little overly cautious about you hanging out with your friends Twi. I still think it's a good idea to keep a look out on your surroundings, but maybe hanging out with them won't be so awful.”

“If nothing else, we should do our best to make sure the war ends as quickly as possible.” Spike said with a nod of his head. “The sooner it ends, the less likely any of them are to get into danger.”

“That's a good idea. Tomorrow we should scout the city for other Masters or Servants, see if we can't flush one out and eliminate them before they know what hit them.” Saber suggested, punching the palm of her hand with a grin.

“Well, while I'm nervous about it, I think that's a good idea.” Twilight nodded in agreement. “If we stay passive then the war will just continue to put innocents in danger. But we shouldn't be recklessly jumping into danger either. Let's plan where to search tonight so we know what we're doing tomorrow.”

“I like this strategic side of you Twilight,” Saber smirked at her master, “Show's confidence and reliability. Keep it up!”

Twilight couldn't help but blush and smile at her servant as a gentle breeze blew through the night air. While her first two battles had been terrifying, she felt a sense of ease having the Sunset Shimmer by her side protecting her. If they worked hard, they could win, and with minimal casualties.

Twilight had a good feeling that everything was going to work out for the better.

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

Sunny Flare clumsily flipped through the various keys on her keychain before finding her house key. Though she was still very drunk, she was able to guide the key into the lock and open her front door just fine.

“Mom! Dad! I'm home!” Sunny slurred as she closed and locked the door behind her. She kicked her shoes off and made her way inside. The house was extremely dark that night for some reason, usually her parents would leave a few lights on to make it seem like someone was home. She tried a nearby light switch, though the lights in the hallway refused to turn on. “The heck? Is this thing busted?” She pouted as she flipped it a few more times to be sure, before scoffing and heading deeper into her house.

She blinked her blurry haze away as she noticed that there was a light on in the house. It was coming from a desk lamp in her living room. Figuring either someone was there or the power was just being wasted, she drunkenly wandered over to the doorway entrance and peaked inside. What Sunny saw was not what she expected at all. On the couch, sitting with her feet on the cushions and her back to the lantern reading a book was Sugarcoat.

“You sure took your time coming home.” Sugarcoat announced, turning the page of her book without looking up.

“I... Uh... Sugarcoat?” Sunny blinked in confusion. “What are you doing in my house? And how come you didn't come to Lemon's party?” She concentrated hard on not slurring her words, her brow furrowing in complete confusion.

“Had something more important to take care of. Besides, I couldn't risk running into Spike or Twilight if they were there.” Sugarcoat closed her book, swinging her feet off the couch and standing up. “So, how about her? Does she have more circuits than her parents did?”

“Oh yes. They're completely dormant and have never even been activated, but she has great potential.” A deep voice suddenly spoke up from nowhere, causing Sunny to jump in her skin. She whirled her head around in confusion, before her eyes caught something in the dark corner of the living room.

Her eyes slowly widened in horror at the realization of what she saw. It was her parents bodies, laying atop of each other in a massive pool of their own blood. The overwhelming stench suddenly striking her nose, having been delayed by the alcohol in her system. She stumbled back a few steps, completely unable to register what was going on inside of her home.

Suddenly, an elderly hand emerged from the darkness behind her and landed on Sunny's shoulder. “You'll be coming with us.” The deep voice chuckled loudly.

Sunny screamed the loudest she had ever screamed in her life, but no one outside the house would ever hear it.

Chapter 6 - Old Friends, New Enemies

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That had been Twilight's phone all day. For hours her stomach had been a knot of worry and anxiety as she read the group conversation on her phone again and again. Since the search had began, the girls had been regularly posting areas they had searched and the time stamps of their locations, scouring the whole city for their missing friends. The search had begun in the afternoon, and Twilight wasn't even sure if her friends had stopped to eat even once. Night had fallen by now and was blanketing the town, meaning the search was only going to be that much harder for them all.

“You're still worried about your friends, aren't you Twilight?” Spike asked, turning from looking over the edge of the building they stood on to look at his friend.

“I'm sorry.” Twilight shook her head as she watched another location update pop up on her phone's screen. “I was trying to focus on the war, really I was but...” Her hands tightened against her phone.

“Your friends are important to you Twilight, that's nothing to be ashamed of.” Saber spoke up, scanning her eyes against the horizon one more time before walking over to Twilight. She placed a hand against her Master's shoulder and giving Twilight a smile of comfort. “You want to focus on searching for them, don't you?”

Twilight quietly nodded her head. “We've done a pretty good sweep of the city as it is... But...”

“The only Master we know the location of for sure is Starlight.” Spike crossed his arms, looking out towards the forest on the outskirts of town. “Thanks to my Grandmother, we know the Glimmer family has a mansion on the outskirts of town with a powerful protective barrier around it, and that one of my familiars confirmed that she's still in the mansion as of this moment.”

“The search plan was positively thorough, but we didn't manage to find a single Master or Servant.” Rider furrowed her brow as she stared out at the city lights. “I really don't like what that might imply. The war HAS officially started, so we should have found at least a trace of a Master or a Servant looking to start a fight and win. So if they aren't looking to fight...”

“It's entirely possible that the other masters are just laying low for now.” Spike shook his head. “It's possible they were aware of our battle with Berserker and are either biding their time or waiting for the right opportunity to strike.”

“Which only means that the war is going to be dragged out if that's true.” Saber frowned at the implications, crossing her arms in thought. "The fact we couldn't even find Lancer is what's bothering me the most. She attacked Twilight at her Master's orders, but hasn't appeared since. I'm starting to suspect there's more going on here than we're aware of."

Twilight stared at her phone as another update popped up on her screen. Saber looked over at her fretting Master, before letting out a short sigh and smiling. “Alright, I think that's enough searching for Servants and Masters for tonight then.”

“Huh?” Twilight asked, looking up at Saber in surprise.

“We put in a good effort Twilight, so I don't think anyone here will complain about us going to help look for your friends now. Unless, of course, you don't want to go looking.” Saber chuckled softly at that, before watching Twilight's face slowly light up.

“I-Is that really okay!?” Twilight asked stunned, turning to Spike and Rider to make sure it's okay.

“It's been a quiet night, but I'm not ready to call it quits just yet.” Spike shrugged his shoulders before smiling. “I have one last idea to check on for the night, so I think me and Rider will head that way. Why don't you and Saber start searching for Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare and we'll catch up with you.”

“Oh, thank you Spike!” Twilight cried, quickly wrapping the green haired boy in a tight hug. “I promise I'll help look for Masters another night as well!”

“Sure thing Twilight.” Spike chuckled, patting Twilight's head. “And if for any reason you two find any trouble while you're looking, just release a surge of mana and Rider and I will come running.”

“Got it.” Twilight nodded as she broke the hug, giving the boy a big grin. She then turned back to her Servant, quickly walking over to her. “Saber, let's go to Sugarcoat's house first. Sour Sweet might not have been able to notice anything wrong, but she's not a Magus or a Servant. I'm sure the two of us together will be able to find some clue or trace of where she went.”

“A sensible plan.” Saber nodded smiling, before reaching over and grabbing hold of Twilight's hip, causing the girl to blush. “When you're ready, lead the way Master.”

“Right.” Twilight nodded, gulping down in realization that they were going to jump again. She quickly wrapper her own arm around Saber's shoulders. “Sugarcoat lives that way.” Twilight pointed towards the large cresting hills on the opposite side of town. With a nod, Saber tightened her grip and jumped from the rooftops with Twilight safely in tow.

Twilight was certain she would never get used to jumping off of buildings forty stories tall.

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

Sugarcoat's house wasn't so much a house as it was a large building that contained rooms that had been converted into living areas. To many of the locals the building was simply called 'The Compound', and it was the space where a lot of the more fanatical believers in Faustism lived. Those that lived at the Compound often took part in rituals and living rights regularly throughout the year, as part of their beliefs. The authorities had been called on them several times throughout the Compound's history in Canterlot, but none of them ever found any criminal activities taking place.

The people living there paid their bills, they followed the laws, treated their kids with love, and every aspect required that the people in the religion consented to their practices. Eventually the locals left them alone, despite feeling uncomfortable with their practices. This was the environment that Sugarcoat had grown up in as a home.

Saber landed outside of a long driveway leading up to the large white compound building. It was separated quite a ways from the main road and was hidden by a strategic planting of trees so that those not interested in the compound wouldn't have to care about it on their day to day drive to work. From the road they could see the front gate leading into the building.

“Something's not right...” Saber muttered, looking around the area. “It's too quiet.”

“Too quiet?” Twilight asked, tilting her head trying to listen for anything. She could only heard the sound of rustling leaves in the wind.

“Yeah, with this many trees there should be plenty of insects or at least some small animals nearby. However, their usual ambiance is missing.” Saber glared at the compound, before her armor materialized on her body. “Let's approach with caution Twilight, this might very well be the work of a Servant.”

“Right.” Twilight nodded, staying close to Saber as they walked up the road to the building. Saber pressed her hand against the gate, pausing a moment, before pushing it open and stepping inside.

The compound was just as quiet inside as it was outside, not even the sound of the gate opening echoed through the empty courtyard. Saber took a few steps inside, stopping a moment to look around. The main building of worship was directly in front of them, a church not unlike the one Twilight's guardian lived at stood towering above everyone that entered the area. In front of the church was a white statue of a women dressed in regal robes and holding a globe of the earth. From the research Twilight had done about the religion, she recognized the woman as their Goddess, Faust.

Twilight turned to look around the empty courtyard, looking past the main worship building and towards the houses and shops deeper inside the compound. While nothing was particularly run down or uncared for, there was a lingering sensation in the air that was unnerving her.

“Sour Sweet was right, this place really IS a ghost town.” Twilight murmured, a shiver running down her back. She had been to the Faustist compound a few times in the past when visiting Sugarcoat, and each time she had visited there had always been someone doing something in the courtyard. Whether it was family's playing together, someone setting up for a project or religious ceremony, or just people hanging out, it felt wrong for the courtyard to be so empty now.

“Should we head straight for her house or investigate the area first?” Saber asked, looking back at her Master for a moment.

“I'm really getting an uneasy feeling from this place...” Twilight shook her head, looking around before settling on the main building. “If something has happened to everyone here, we should search for answers as to what's going on. If we find out what's going on with them, we'll find out what's going on with Sugarcoat.”

“Not just helping your friend, but helping everyone here. That's a good idea.” Saber nodded in agreement. “We should check where the most people would be at any given point in time. You know the area better than me, where would that be?”

“Every day the main church is packed to the brim with worshipers.” Twilight motioned towards the main building in front of them. “If we're gonna find anyone, or any clues, that'd be the best place to start.”

The front doors to the church opened with a noisy creak, revealing the main entrance hallway of the Faustist building. The large open hallway was lined with pictures and ornate decor, all symbolic imagery of their religion. There were several branching hallways that led deeper into parts of the church, with the main part of the hall leading to the large double-doors of the main worship hall.

Saber walked towards the large double-doors, keeping her senses on alert as she walked. The dark empty building was just as disquieting as the gloomy exterior, causing Twilight to keep an eye on the shadows as they walked. Saber pushed open the large double-doors, the loud echoing creak reverberating throughout the room.

The inside of the main hall of worship was covered end to end in plush mats meant for the worshipers to sit and pray, a large pedestal placed in front of all of them that contained several unlit candles, golden idols, and a holy book for their religion's gospel. Behind the pedestal was a large pipe organ, and above that was a large carved depiction of the Goddess Faust on the ceiling.

“It's rare for no one to be in this room at all,” Twilight spoke up as she examined the empty room. “At all hours of the day there's usually someone praying or attending to ceremony rights. Even if no one is currently praying, the Faustist priests are usually preparing something for their worshipers.”

“I see... Well, I'm not sensing anything yet... Wait.” Saber turned her attention to one side of the room, something catching her attention. She picked up the pace and made her way over to one mat in particular that had caught her attention. She knelt down to it and placed her hand against it, her face contorting as she touched it.

“What is it?” Twilight asked nervously, stepping closer to the investigate. Saber's hand gripped the top of the mat and lifted it up slowly, revealing a pool of coagulating blood Twilight gasped in shock, putting a hand to her mouth as the wretched stench of decay hit her nose.

Saber's eyes snapped open as she jumped to attention, magic sparking to life in her sword as she guarded Twilight. A sickly purple fog of mana was quickly filling the room, causing the air to grow thick and musty. Twilight whirled her head around in shock, realizing they were quickly being surrounded by the mana.

The sound of squelching flesh came from the ghastly mana, as a fleshy tendril sprung up from it. Saber focused her attention to it, as a shambling mess of decaying flesh followed the tendril. A humanoid figure emerged from the mana, a golem of rotted flesh over decrepit bones had been created, a slimy tendril of flesh reaching out from it's open wounds.

Several more of the creatures began to emerge from the fog of mana, one by one the creatures began to surround the two inside the worship chamber. Twilight stepped closer to Saber, the very sight of the creatures filling her with dread. Saber was unflinching as she stared at them, scanning the room as their numbers continued to increase.

“Well,” Saber grit her teeth in anger, “I think we found out where everyone went.”

“What!?” Twilight cried in shock, turning to look at the aberrations popping up around her. Each one looked slightly different from the other, some were men while others were women, some were taller and shorter, each one was clearly created from a different person. “N-No!”

“Sick bastard.” Saber snarled, gripping her sword tighter. “This is the work of a Servant, I'm sure of it.”

“Saber! What if one of them is Sugarcoat! We have to save her!” Twilight turned to her Servant, beginning her to help save the life of her friend.

“Twilight...” Saber spoke in a low voice, “If your friend became one of these... There's no way to save her...”

Twilight's eyes widened in shock. “N-No!” She took a step back from Saber, clutching her chest. “N-No that's not true! There has to be a way to save them! There has to! We just have to kill the Servant and they'll turn back to normal! R-Right?!”

Saber stayed silent, not even turning to look at Twilight. Twilight felt her heart shattering at the realization that Saber wasn't lying. The people of the compound were dead, turning into the shambling abominations surrounding them. There really was no way to save them.

“You shouldn't lose hope just yet though.” Saber spoke up, pulling Twilight out of her oncoming misery. “We can't save any of them here, but if you don't see your friend amongst them, then there's always the chance that she managed to escape.”

Twilight's hope soared at Saber's words. She quickly whipped her head around looking at each of the monsters in turn. While there were a few teens, none of those matched Sugarcoat's specific looks. Twilight clutched at her chest against, grateful that none of them were her friend.

A shriek cried out as one of the aberrations lunged forward, intent on killing the two just standing there. Saber's sword sliced through the air, eviscerating the creature before it even gotten within a foot of either of them.

“Twilight, I'm going to make an opening so I need you to keep up alright? The Servant doing this has to be nearby, we're going to flush them out.” Saber explained the plan to Twilight quickly. Twilight nodded her head in understanding, alright activating her circuits and pushing mana to her legs.

Saber let out a battle cry as she rushed forward, slashing away at the foes before her. Flesh and gore was sent flying with each swing, Saber slashing a path straight through the church they had just entered. Twilight to her credit was able to keep up, following closely behind Saber as the path was made clear. In mere moments, the two of them were back out in the main entrance of the compound.

Outside, the shambling aberrations were slowly crawling out of the ground around them. “They're likely deeper inside, let's find them before anyone else gets hurt.” Saber looked back to Twilight as she explained her plan. Twilight nodded in agreement, Saber turning and dashing through the shambling creatures with Twilight close behind.

The compound was made up of a series of buildings circled around a central courtyard, with each set of buildings serving different purposes. The church was at the head of the compound so that anyone walking into it for the first time would see it. Next to the church was the housing districts, where the inhabitants of the compound would live, and would have quick access to the church at any time. Next to the houses were the recreation areas of the compound, where the adults and children alike could relax and play after a long day. And then in the back was the personal business distract of the compound, where the Faustists had built their own restaurants, clothing stores, and souvenirs that would be sold outside of the compound. It was everything the community needed to live a happy life.

And in the middle of courtyard was another statue of Faust, this one with her arms spread open as if welcoming all of her children into her blessing. And with each arm tied to one of the statues outstretched arms, was Sunny Flare.

“SUNNY!” Twilight cried out in shock at the sight of her friend. Without thinking, she darted out from behind Saber and ran straight for the statue to help her friend.

“TWILIGHT, WAIT!” Saber shouted, extending her hands to try and stop her Master. Twilight only made it half way to Sunny when the floor beneath her suddenly lit up. Chains of thorny beams of light shot out from the ground, wrapping themselves around Twilight's body. The lavender girl screamed as she was dragged down to her hands and knees, one light shooting out and wrapping around her neck. She was held down tight by her bonds, each struggle against the bindings burning her flesh.

“Wow. You actually fell for that. I didn't think that would work.” A female voice spoke up, stepping out from behind the statue. Twilight stared up in disbelief, Sugarcoat adjusting her glasses. “Honestly, who falls for such an obvious trap like that?”

“S-Sugarcoat?” Twilight's eyes widened at the sight of her friend. “W-What's going on!?”

“It's not like you to be slow on the uptake Twilight.” Sugarcoat snarked, putting her hands on her hips. “I'm looking to win the grail war, same as you. So, if you feel like living, go ahead and surrender or els-” Saber didn't give Sugarcoat a chance to finish, closing the gap between them with a single step. The crystalline blade sparked with magic as it swung up, aiming to decapitate Sugarcoat with a single strike.

The sound of metal hitting metal rang out, the sword never reaching it's intended destination. Sugarcoat's arm had raised just in time, a red gloved hand with a metal arm guard taking the blow. Shock overwhelmed Saber for a moment, not expecting her attack to have been blocked so easily. It was for this reason that when Sugarcoat's leg swept forward, it hit it's target with intense force. Saber's breath escaped her lungs before her body was launched, her back hitting the ground hard. The Servant bounced hard against the cement before she tumbled in the air, landed on her feet, and skidded to a halt.

“Did you think I'd forgotten about you?” Sugarcoat asked, turning to face the Servant. Saber growled, standing up and gripping her blade firmly again, ready for battle.

“SABER! WAIT!” Twilight cried out, struggling against her bindings. “Sugarcoat's not a Magus! If she was, Spike and I would know! You can't go all out on her! She'll die!”

“How very touching.” A deep older male voice spoke up. The air between Sugarcoat and Saber began to warp as magic twisted reality to it's whim. From the swirling vortex a figure began to emerge, starting with it's golden curled shoes, followed by the ends of a blue star and moon patterned robe, a tattered and charred purple animal hide strapped to their chest by a belt, a waist length curly white beard, and a big blue hat that sat atop a blue turban. It was an elderly man who looked very much like a traditional Wizard had emerged from the vortex, his entire outfit adorned at the ends with yellow bells.

“Caster!” Saber growled, recognizing the Servant's mana immediately.

“Twilight Sparkle's camaraderie with her friends is exactly why this trap was such an overwhelming success.” The old man chuckled as he lifted his hands up in the air dramatically. “Stand down Saber, you have already lost.”

“I haven't even begun to fight!” Saber growled, gripping her sword tight as she readied to strike.

“But you've already lost!” Caster chuckled, “Or do you not care about what happens to your Master?” Caster snapped his fingers, the thorny bindings around Twilight's body suddenly constricting. Pain shot through the girl's body, the thorns digging into her flesh and the bindings themselves burning her skin. Twilight screamed in pain, causing Saber to stare in shock. Saber snapped her vision back to Caster, glaring death at him. “I think you get the idea. Now, stand down.”

Saber's arms trembled, her teeth gritting tight as she heard the old man's command. Every fiber in her being was telling her to launch an attack anyway, to rush in and try to kill Caster and his Master before they could do anything to Twilight. But any attack that would kill them both in one hit would take too long to get ready, they would know what she was up to right away. Even if she unleashed the full power of her Noble Phantasm, it wouldn't be enough to prevent them from killing her Master.

Twilight panted heavily, feeling blood starting to trickle down her body. The bindings hurt, but she'd felt worse pain on her own, this wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She just couldn't believe the situation that had unfolded in front of her. She had been so worried about Sugarcoat that she hadn't even considered the possibility that she would turn out to be Caster's master.

Of course she wouldn't have guessed that, Sugarcoat wasn't a Magus. If there had been anyone at school able to use magic other than her or Spike, they would have been found out a long time ago. Even now, Sugarcoat didn't have magic circuits or any mana coursing through her body.

Twilight grit her teeth trying to think of what to do. She didn't know why Sugarcoat had decided to do this, but she had to think of something. She couldn't just sit there wrapped in the trap doing nothing. If only there was something she could do for Saber...

Then it hit Twilight, her command seals! She remembered that she was able to give Saber absolute commands through them. If there was any moment she needed to use them, it was now-

Pain soared through Twilight's mind as her thoughts were tossed out, her head smacking against the hard cement floor as a foot stood on top of her, pressing her down into the cement.

“If you even think about using a command seal, I'll crush your head in.” Sugarcoat spoke up, keeping her foot pressed down against Twilight's skull. Twilight let out a weakened whimper, her head swimming from the pain and confusion of suddenly being struck.

“It's not a boast either.” Caster chuckled deeply. “I have enhanced my Master with my magic. Her combat skills far surpass any human on this planet now.”

“Bastard! You're controlling Twilight's friend to fight against her, aren't you!” Saber hissed, loathing how powerless she felt right now.

“Controlling?” Caster tilted his head at Saber's words, before a large grin formed through his beard and he gave a deep chuckle. “Master, did you hear that? She thinks I'm controlling you.”

“Funny.” Sugarcoat said, not even cracking a smile.

“Sugarcoat... Why?” Twilight managed to gasp out, trying to understand. She wanted to ask so many questions. Why was she a master? Why was she letting Caster do as he pleased? Why had she let him call everyone at the compound and turn them into those monsters? But the only words that had escaped her lips were the two.

“If you live long enough, I'll tell you. Right now, it doesn't matter.” Sugarcoat continued to speak in her usual deadpan tone, speaking about Twilight living or dying the same way she would about an upcoming test. Her words weren't any comfort to Twilight.

“Well, I think that settles that then.” Caster nodded his head at his Master before turning to Saber with a smile. “Now, I do believe I ordered you to stand down. I won't ask again.”

Saber growled one last time, but realized she couldn't stall for any more time. Slowly she loosened the grip on her sword and left her battle stance. She finally stood upright normally, glaring at Caster with enough intensity to set him on fire where he stood.

“It's a start,” Caster chuckled. “Remove your armor and disarm yourself as well.” Saber clenched her fist at the request. Her eyes looked over at Twilight, watching her Master trembling underneath the foot of someone she had called a friend just yesterday. Saber squeezed her eyes shut, but obeyed Caster's orders. Her armor and sword vanished, leaving her in her jeans, blue shirt, and the black leather jacket Twilight had bought for her.

“Good.” Caster said with a smile. From behind Saber, magic circles materialized in the air and instantly fired two thin beams of magic that pierced straight through both of her legs. The fiery red head cried out in pain as her body fell forward, landing on her hands and knees. Her body trembled and blood began to pour from the open wounds, before two flames ignited in the wounds.

“Now, Master,” Caster turned his head to look at Sugarcoat. “Which would you prefer? Owning a mindless puppet, or would you like her to keep some faculty awareness but be absolutely loyal?”

“I already have you, why do I need her to think for herself?” Sugarcoat shrugged her shoulders.

“Mindless puppet it is.” Caster smirked, holding out his hand as a brown book materialized in it. The book looked ancient, the pages made of yellowed parchment, the cover a disfigured mess of crumbled leather that had been warped as if by an intense heat. The book gave off a sickly aura of ghastly mana as Caster opened it's pages. With the spell ready, he lifted his hand over Saber, and began to cast it.

Saber let out a shrilling scream as pain erupted from every nerve ending in her body. The very air around her was twisting as the spell distorted it, sparks of red electricity spreading across her entire body. Saber writhed on the spot, pressing her hands against her head as she curled up, screaming in pain as Caster's spell invaded her body and mind.

Twilight's eyes burned with tears as she heard Saber's horrifying screams, the absolute pain and terror being broadcast in her voice. Caster was intending to eradicate her mind and free will, and to do that he'd first have to break Saber. And all Twilight could do was lay there and watch, trapped in thorns and being stepped on by someone she called a friend.

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut as another wave of Saber's screaming filled her ears, tears streaming down her face as she was forced to listen to her friend being tortured. It may have only been a few days, but Twilight felt closer to Saber than she'd ever felt with anyone else. Even if Saber hadn't known her for long, Twilight had known Saber all of her life.

“Hey, what'cha reading there kiddo?” Her father's voice spoke up, peaking from around the hallway. The young girl looked up from her book, smiling at the older man's voice.

“Knights of the Sun Queen.” Twilight replied happily, holding the book up for her father to see. “I found it in the library earlier and I haven't been able to put it down!”

“Ah, that old tale.” Her father chuckled as he walked over to his daughter and sat down. Twilight opened the book back up and continued reading from where she had left off. “I'm surprised you're so into it, it's not exactly a happy story.”

“I know,” Twilight nodded her head as she turned the page. “But no matter how bad things get, Sunset never stops trying to make things right.”

“Most people tend to see it as a story warning about the dangers of desiring too much. Sunset's entire redemption stems from the mistakes she makes. Her homeland falls into anarchy and chaos because of her actions.” Her father explained, reading up on where his daughter was in the story.

“She has made mistakes... But she only ever did what she believed in.” Twilight said, looking up at her father. “She's not a bad person, she just never got the guidance she needed. She only ever wanted to make her Mother proud, but she didn't know how to do that. And that failure follows her her entire life.”

“That's certainly an advanced interpretation of the story Twilight.” Her father said rather impressed.

“Advanced?” Twilight blinked, looking back at the book, “That's just what makes sense to me. Sunset tries, and tries, but it's just never enough. Life keeps knocking her down, and she keeps getting back up.” The little girl couldn't help but smile at that. “I want to be someone who can do that.”

“With the right people in your life, I'm sure you'll be able to.” Her father smiled, raising a hand and ruffling his daughters hair, getting a small giggle from her. “I'll leave you to your reading then. Just try not to be disappointed with the ending.”

“I won't.” Twilight smiled brightly, “Sunset deserves a happy ending, so I'm sure that's what she'll get.”

Another high pitched scream echoed through the night air, the pained screaming of Saber growing more frantic and desperate as Caster's magic clawed away at her mind.

'I can't let him do this!' Twilight cried in her mind, gritting her teeth. 'Am I really going to let Saber suffer anymore because of me? I refuse to let things end this way!' She desperately searched for something she could do. She could try a command seal anyway, but Sugarcoat would put an end to that before she finished using it.

But what if she drew up Mana? Twilight opened her eyes and looked down at the thorn-covered light tendrils wrapped tightly around her body. There wasn't anything incredibly complex about the trap, it hurt like hell, but there was no underlying mechanics beyond holding her down. If she was able to summon forth enough mana, she could break the trap's hold on her with sheer force.

She squeezed her eyes shut at the idea, realizing how ridiculous it sounded. She didn't have that kind of mana, and her body would give out well before she reached it. Her eyes shot open as Saber let out another pained scream, making her realize what was on the line. If she didn't do something, she was just going to sit here and save her own life while Saber suffered in her place.

She couldn't stand for that. Saber meant too much to her, she wasn't about to let Caster have his way with her.

'Mana. I need all of my mana.' Twilight closed her eyes, concentrating on her magic circuits. Her circuits flared up, mana coursing through her body. It was a desperation tactic, but she only had one chance to try and save Saber.

Of course, her circuits activating didn't go unnoticed by Sugarcoat.

“Hey, what do you think you're doing?” The bespectacled girl glared down at Twilight, grinding her shoe into Twilight's skull. Twilight ignored the pain, and continued to channel as much as she could. “Didn't you hear me? If you try anything, I'll crush your head in.”

'But you haven't done it yet.' Twilight grimaced, withstanding the pain. It felt like electricity was surging through her body as she forced more mana to the surface than she'd ever forced before. Her back hurt far worse than any pain the thorns could provide and it felt like her body wanted to consume itself. A fire was ripping through her body from the intense pain of summoning all that magic, but she didn't stop for a moment. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on one thing.

Saving Sunset Shimmer.

“Fine, if you're going to be that way Sparkle, I warned you.” Sugarcoat glared down at her friend before lifting her foot up into the air. A green glow of magic energy surrounded her foot, enhancing the power of her damage, and stomping her foot down at Twilight's head.

Twilight cried out as she unleashed all of the mana she had been gathering in her body in every direction at once. A burst of solid light erupted from Twilight, the thorny tendrils quickly dissolving from the onslaught of direct mana. Sugarcoat cursed under her breath and jumped back, unable to withstand the direct assault of mana herself.

Twilight got to her feet, the explosion of mana numbing all of her wounds and pain. Her eyes opened, blaring the same light as the mana escaping her body. Sugarcoat stared in shock, unable to believe what she was seeing. Twilight raised her right hand and placing it against her shoulder.

“By the power of my command seal, I order you Saber! Kill Caster!” Twilight's voice seemed to boom, being carried by the mana bursting from her body.

For a moment, the awful pain that filled ever fiber of Saber's being faded as her mana surged. She got to one knee, her armor and weapon materializing instantly. Caster realized what was going on just as Saber's sword flared up, shining with a bright white light that filled the entire blade and vaporized the air around it. Saber's voice roared in the air as she lunged forward, slicing her blade where Caster stood.

She felt her blade connect with something, but almost immediately knew that she hadn't struck Caster with her blade. The floating blue cloth in front of her vanished into the aether alongside him. Even with a command seal, her injuries had slowed her down too much to land a decisive blow.

The mana erupting from Twilight finally calmed, the bright glowing light fading as her body returned to normal. She stood there for a second, before a haze began to fall over her mind. Her body stumbled back a step, before she collapsed into a sitting position, unable to realize what was going on in the world around her.

“Well this is a surprise.” Caster spoke up as he materialized behind Sugarcoat. The twin-pigtailed girl merely glared at Twilight, still struggling with the realization she had let her escape the trap. Saber grunted in pain, but stood up and closed the distance between her and Twilight, standing at the ready in front of her Master.

“I will give credit where credit is due, that was an impressive gambit to gain some ground.” Caster jeered, “but it looks like it was all for nothing. Your Master expended all of her mana, and you're very injured,” Caster's eyes wandered to Saber's struggling legs. They were trembling while holding her weight, as if begging for Saber to take her weight off of them. The flames dancing in her wounds were the only thing stopping the Servant from collapsing completely from the injury.

“As long as I can fight, I will not surrender to you.” Saber growled, gritting her teeth. “You will not lay another finger on my Master so long as I breathe.”

“Well, that can certainly be arranged.” Caster said, opening his book once more. “Turning you into a mindless puppet was just convenient for us because you were in a position where you couldn't refuse. We have no actual use for you though.”

A strange, low pitched demon growl came from the book as it began to ooze the ghastly mana from it's pages, pouring down to the ground and spreading out from where he stood. The cloudy mist of wretched mana flowed freely, slowly forming a wall between Saber and Caster. The sickly squelch came from the fog once more as the aberrations climbed out of haze. One by one, the deformed aberrations rose forming a wall around them. Saber grit her teeth with a growl, realizing how much the odds were stacked against them now.

“Saber...” Twilight whispered, her head still spinning, “I... I can't... Stand up...” The girl's arms shook, barely supporting her ability to sit up. Her body was refusing to move, to act to her commands. She was barely even cognizant of what was going on around her, only aware that Saber was protecting her.

“Don't move Twilight.” Saber ordered, gripping her blade tighter, “I'll get us out of this, so just hold on for me.” The intensity of Saber's blade flared up once more, surging with more of her mana. The power and heat of her blade kept the wretched fog of mana away from them, but they were already surrounded. More and more of the wretched creatures emerged from the haze, Saber having lost count of how many minions Caster was calling forth.

One of the creatures lunged straight for Saber, it's jaws opening wide to bite down onto the Servant. With a single swing of her blade, the creature was split in half, its eviscerated body vanishing into the aether.

It's death seemed to be the signal for the rest of the hoard to roar and attack. Each creature that lunged forward was met with a slash of Saber's burning blade. Each slash sent a wave of heat back at the oncoming crowd as fire began to erupt at her feet. Saber swung her blade wide, a wave of fire launching out in a circle around her against the foes. Though several were now ablaze, the relentless assault refused to lessen. Saber sucked on her teeth, but refused to back down, carving through each one despite their numbers.

“It is rather unfortunate.” Caster mused to his Master. “Even as a mindless puppet, Saber would have a made a formidable ally. Not to mention that an actual Magus like Twilight would have been a perfect vessel for the grail.”

“Plans change, you just have to learn to adapt.” Sugarcoat spoke without a hint of care to her voice. She turned and looked up at her Servant. “You should hurry up and finish them off. The longer we delay, the more likely it is that help will arrive for them.”

“Correct you are Master. We had time before, but they've made quite the ruckus now.” Caster looked down at his book, reaching a hand up and flipping through a few pages. The sickly mana stopped oozing from the book as he stopped on a new page. Her ran his elderly fingers across the written words, the text on the page lighting up a deep red as his fingers passed them. This time, a sickly wail cried out from the book as the mana was summoned from it's depths.

Saber's blade seared through another minion as her breathing began to grow ragged, exhaustion building up. She had to hold her ground, she had to make sure that her Master was alright. Each slash of her blade made her muscles burn and her breath grow more ragged. Magic sparked in her blade frantically with each strike, drawing more of her mana from her body. From a distance it may have looked like she was dancing as she fought, circling her Master with grace as she slaughtered each aberration that came their way, but in reality it was a struggle of will to stay on her feet.

Power radiated from above her, dread coursing through her system as she whipped her head up to the sky, seeing a large magic circle having been formed. Her eyes widened with sock at the realization, the circle pulsing with power. Several smaller circles appeared below it, indicating the spell was focusing it's power into a single location.

Saber stared as the large spell circle shined brightly, it's spell about to be cast. Without any time to think of what else to do, she turned and threw herself over Twilight, concentrating her mana into her body to form a protective shield around her Master. The aberrations quickly swarmed them, claws and teeth digging into Saber's back. The Servant grit her teeth and bore the pain, surging her mana into the best barrier she could muster.

The spell above them fired down, a concentration of pure mana streamed down, intent on vaporizing everything in that spot. The creatures Caster had summon never stood a chance, evaporating in the light of the spell the moment it touched them. Saber cried out in pain, the intensity of the spell bearing down on her with all of it's might, her mana trying to counter the spell as best it could. Constant pain assaulted her, the spell tearing away at her defenses. The spell was one of pure destruction, meant to eradicate everything it touched.

The spell's energy dissipated, the beam of concentrated mana fading from existence. The spell circles in the sky vanished, the hissing of steam coming from below where the beam had struck.

Twilight's head began to clear, realizing that she was laying on the ground. She blinked, trying to focus her vision on the figure hovering over her. Saber's face came into view, smiling down at Twilight.

“S-Saber?” Twilight murmured, her body and mind still feeling numb.

“Good... You're safe.” Saber managed to smile. Twilight felt something wet drip onto her cheek, her vision was still too blurred to see what it was though. Saber shifted from her position, managing to stand up on shaky legs. Her body was torn to shreds, her armor falling apart, and blood dripped from every wound. She turned to face Caster and Sugarcoat, and raised her sword, gripping it with both hands once more.

“She's still alive.” Sugarcoat spoke up, sounding annoyed at this point.

“That's a Saber class for you, more resilient than you expect.” Caster chuckled as he raised his hand once more. “One more should do the-” Caster stopped speaking mid-sentence, quickly grabbing his Master's shoulder instead. A blue jousting lance soared through the air, striking the ground where the two had been standing seconds before, the cement erupting in an explosion of power.

A black string tied to the end of the handle went taught, pulling the lance out of the embedded stone and rushing back to it's owner. A white horse let out a loud whinny as it landed in the courtyard, rushing forward and coming to a stop in front of Saber. Rider swung the lance, prepared to attack anything that came near as Spike jumped off the back and to his injured comrades.

“Saber! Twilight!” He cried out, running up to the two. Saber gave a relieved smile as she lowered her sword.

“Spike, Twilight's unable to move and I'm in no state to pick her up.” Saber tilted her head towards her Master. Twilight was still struggling to get her body to move and obey her commands, but she was stuck laying where she was.

“Right.” Spike nodded, rushing over to Twilight and quickly slipping his arms under her body. “We're getting out of her Twilight, just hold on.”

“Spike...” Twilight managed to whisper, her voice struggling to escape.

“Just hold on Twilight, you'll be safe soon.” Spike reassured his best friend, quickly lifting her up onto the back of the horse and leaning her against Rider.

The sounds of decaying, rotting flesh squelching began to fill the air once more aberrations began to appear, a circle of minions surrounding the Servants. Spike quickly got on the back of the horse, holding Twilight in place as Rider reached into her dress and pulled out a handful of gems. With careful aim she tossed them them in a semi circle around them, the gems lighting up brightly and blinding everything in the immediate area.

The horse let out a whinny as it kicked it's hind legs and quickly turned around, rushing for the exit. A swarm of creatures blocked the path, intent on stopping their escape.

The bright flash of Saber's blade carved through them instantly as she dashed ahead, eviscerating anything that would dare stop their escape. In a short burst of speed, Rider's horse made it to the front gate of the compound and leapt over it, Saber following quickly behind.

The four of them managed to put a considerable distance between them and compound, Rider no longer able to sense Caster's presence for the moment. Rider had fully intended to keep going, except something was wrong. Rider slowed the horse down and looked back at Saber, who had slowed down to a walk, before stopping in place.

“Saber?” Rider asked, looking uncertain at the other Servant. Saber stood silent for a moment, before she fell forward, her armor and sword vanishing as her body hit the ground with a hard thud.

“SABER!” Spike yelled, jumping off the horse and rushing over to the fallen Servant. Twilight could barely move her head, only managing to spot Spike at Saber's side from the corner of her eyes. Spike grit his teeth, before reaching down and picking up Saber in his arms. “We have to keep moving!” Spike ordered. Rider nodded her head in understanding, turning her horse to keep moving forward.

Twilight wanted to speak up, to be able to do something more for everyone, but her mind was too numb. She couldn't even feel the pain in her body anymore. Though she was worried for Saber, her body couldn't continue to function this way. Unwillingly, she closed her eyes, and fell asleep against Rider's back.

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

“Twilight, your Mother and I have something very important to tell you.” Her father spoke, leaning on one knee with a hand on her shoulder. Young Twilight blinked in confusion, but listened intently. “Tell me, do you believe in Magic?”

“Magic?” Twilight tilted her head. “It's just something make-believe in stories, isn't it?”

“That's what we tell those who cannot use magic, yes.” Her father nodded. “However, magic is very real, and you were born into a family of Magi.” He smiled, lifting a hand before her. She watched his hand as a light began to glow from it, before a gem appeared where the light had been. The gem floated quietly above his hand, lightly spinning.

“Wha-” Twilight said in disbelief, her eyes growing as wide as saucer plates. “T-That's not an illusion? You actually used magic!?”

“It's very real Twilight. No slight of hand, just magic.” His father smirked as he grabbed the jewel with his fingers, before placing it in Twilight's hand. The little girl looked at it with amazement, unable to believe that she was holding an actual magical artifact. “And, not only do you come from a family of Magi, we intend to teach you everything we know about magic.”

“Really!?” Twilight said, her excitement rising as she held the precious gem close to her chest.

“It's a great honor to be taught how to use magic in a Magi-family Twilight, I want you to understand that.” Her father said seriously, though never breaking his smile. “It's a secret from the world for a reason. Not everyone is able to use magic, so all of us mages have agreed to keep it a secret. Your Mother and I will teach you magic, but only if you agree to not tell anyone but other Magi about it, do you understand?”

Twilight furrowed her brow in confusion. “But... How will I know if other people are Magi or not?”

“Part of your magic training will be learning how to detect mana, the energy that magic runs on. You'll easily be able to detect if someone is a Magus by if they have mana or not.” Her father explained.

Twilight stared in wonderment at her father, before something crossed her mind. “But... If we're a family of mages... How come I'm only hearing about this now? Did my brother know we were mages?”

“He did know, and in fact we were training him to be a Magus.” Her father's smile finally broke, sadness washing over him as he spoke about his son. “However, he is no longer with us and we can no longer train him to be a Magus. We didn't tell you because...” Her father hesitated for a moment with his explanation, “...Because it's tradition to not start training to be a Magus until you're old enough. And we felt that you were finally old enough to start training.”

At her young age, Twilight was willing to believe her father's answer. She was upset that they had kept the secret from her, and even more so that her brother hadn't told her about it before he left. However, she also understood her father's reasoning and gave him a nod in understanding. “I see. Then I promise, I won't tell anyone but other Magi that I'm training to become a Magus!”

“That's my little girl.” Her father smiled, raising a hand up and ruffling her hair. Twilight let out a happy giggle at the display of affection. “There's a lot to go over, so the sooner we start, the sooner you can become a proper Magus. How would you like your first magic lesson to be today?”

“I'd love to!” Twilight bounced in her spot eagerly, unable to believe how fortunate she was.

“Very well then, let's head to my study then.” Her father stood up, extending his hand for his little girl. Twilight happily took his hand in hers, and walked with her father towards his study.

“Can I be the best Magus daddy?” Twilight looked up at her father with a bright smile.

“If you study hard enough, then one day I'm sure you will be.” Her father looked back down at her with a smile.

“Then that's what I want to be!” Twilight gave a broad, happy grin. “One day I want to be the bestest Magus that there ever was!”

Author's Notes:

And, the grand reveal of Caster! You can probably guess who it is, but I couldn't make anyone else Caster. It was just such a perfect fit!

Also, did you like the picture in this chapter? Well, I'd recommend going back and checking the other previous chapters as well, because Kul has gone above and beyond the call of duty and is now adding pictures to every Chapter! So even if you've read the chapter before, go back and give them another look for the new art added to them! I can seriously never thank him enough for his amazing work on helping me make this fic a reality. This fic wouldn't be half the fic it is without him, and he deserves every bit of credit headed his way.

Other than that, this has been one of the toughest chapters to write for behind-the-scenes so far. It had massive rewrites on account of pacing issues, with things having moved way too fast in the previous version. However, my overall vision for the chapter came through crystal clear, and the revisions were for the best. Writing the next chapter is going to be very interesting~

Chapter 7 - As the War Rages on

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Starlight Glimmer was keenly aware that a familiar had been following her ever since she left the confines of her house to walk the streets of Canterlot city. It was the kind of awareness that made her revel in how powerful she truly was. She was such a huge threat to someone that they had to keep an eye on her, and for now she was going to let them be under the assumption that she wasn't aware of their peeping eyes. However, their familiar was decidedly amateur, enough to maybe fool a novice Magus, but anyone worth their salt in the field would've noticed it immediately.

She wasn't in a rush to get anything done nor was she hiding anything for the moment, so while she approached her destination she just walked casually and reveled in the attention. She knew that whoever owned the familiar was likely cowering in anticipation for whatever it was she was planning, and she liked knowing that.

Everyone deserved to revel in her power. After all, she did come from the renowned Glimmer family. If they weren't cowering in fear at her presence, then that was something she would just simply have to fix.

However, she was finally approaching her destination. At the top of the hill stood the Church, neutral ground of the Holy Grail War. She had business to take care of, a private matter that needed to be handled with care and she wasn't going to tolerate anyone spying on her during it.

She turned her head, looking straight up at the black crow familiar that sat atop the tree branch and smirked at it. Just long enough for whoever was watching her to see that she knew they were watching. And then with a surge of her mana, the small familiar burst, feathers scattering in every direction from the carnage.

With her stalker taken care of, she opened the front gate of the church and made her way across the courtyard. The front doors to the church gave a loud creak as they opened, followed by Starlight stepping inside like she owned the place. Her eyes swept around, realizing that no one was there to great her. She scowled at the disrespect, fully aware that the priest should have been able to detect her approach and should have been waiting there for her.

“Show yourself priest! I know you're here!” Starlight yelled into the church, crossing her arms as she scowled. She could tolerate having to wait for someone to arrive, but what she couldn't tolerate was being shown disrespect.

“It certainly is late for us to be getting visitors.” Sombra's calm voice echoed in the room as he stepped into the room from one of the side doors, arms behind his back with that ever calm smile on his face. “What brings you to the church my child?”

Starlight raised an eyebrow at the man, curiosity overriding her initial reasoning for showing up. “...Huh, you know when I registered for the war I only talked to you through a familiar, I wasn't aware we were being presided over by an Executor.”

“Those are some sharp senses you have there.” Sombra lightly chuckled as he came to a stop in front of his pedestal. “Tell me, what gave away my position within the Church?”

“You reek of blood, like, more than any human ever should. Even for a Magus.” Starlight glowered, staring down the man. “I've only ever met one other Executor before in my life, and he left me with a question that perhaps you can answer.” Starlight uncrossed her arms, placing a hand on her hip as she gave the man a questioning look, “Do you actually believe in the crap you spout? Everything I've ever learned about Executors says that they do the exact opposite of what they teach. How can you call yourselves holy men like that?”

Sombra chuckled at her reaction. “And what do you know of Executors? While we are known by Magi, what we do inside the church is considered sacred and is not public knowledge.”

“Oh please, do you even know who I am.” Starlight ran a hand against her ponytail, flicking the end as she looked dully at Sombra. “I am the head Magus of the Glimmer family. We have knowledge that puts the other families to shame. So if you're going to answer my question, just do it already.”

“Hm, very well.” Sombra smirked at the girl, “I will simply tell you this; to be a part of any branch of the church you must adamantly believe in it's teachings. An Executors job is an extension of that, acting as a force of God rather than as his word. We exist with a purpose, and we execute upon that purpose. Our beliefs never fall into question with our duty. And that is all you need to know about an Executor.”

Starlight glared at the priest, staring him down. She scoffed, turning head to look away from him. “You are a lousy liar priest.”

“I'm assuming you came here for a purpose other than questioning my role within the Church. Whatever is troubling you my child, you may tell me.” Sombra extended his hands in a welcoming fashion.

“You're right, I got off track.” Starlight shook her head before turning back to the older man with a grin. “I came here today seeking the Judge of the Holy Grail War, not an Executor. So allow me to skip the formalities and get to the point.” She reached for the sleeve of her jacket and rolled it up to her elbow, before presenting the back of her hand. Three red marks in the shape of a falling star were carved into her hand, the clear indications of command seals. Part of the falling star's trail had faded away from use. “My command seals have been damaged and I've come seeking their repair.”

“Damaged?” Sombra raised an eyebrow at the curious statement, looking at Starlight's seals. “I see no signs of damage, just the faded remains of a command seal that has been used.”

“Is there a difference?” Starlight glared, lowering her hand. “One of my command seals is no longer usable, and I've come to return it's power.”

“I am afraid I cannot abide by this request. Command seals are not something that can just be given or returned. They are an extremely powerful tool of every Master and they are to be used wisely and with care. If I was to return your spent command seal to you, I would have to do so for every Master in the war.” Sombra explained calmly, placing his arms behind his back once more.

“So, you're just going to refuse to grant me another command seal then, is that correct?” Starlight said in a flat tone.

“I have no other response for you. If you came here only seeking command seals, then I am afraid you will be leaving disappointed.” Sombra's word was final on the matter.

“I see.” Starlight shook her head at the response, a smile on her face. “Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting some resistance to the idea, and I did come prepared for that.” Starlight's magic circuits instantly flared up, her twin-pronged red spear appearing as she rushed the priest, aiming to gouge his eyes out with her first stab.

The stab was blocked by three long blades being held by Sombra, the two attacks holding the other back. “Attacking the judge of the Holy Grail War? I can't say this will go well for you.”

“I'm already a Master and you have no power to take that away from me.” Starlight mockingly smirked. “If anything, taking your extra command seals and preventing anyone else from having a chance to use you as protection is just strategy.”

“I see, your reasoning is sound.” Sombra admitted, as three more long blade appear in his other free hand, slashing them up at Starlight. The girl jumped back as the slash swung clean through the air, only missing her by inches. “However, you won't find me so easy to take down. An Executor's life is constantly filled with danger, and I have fought threats far worse than you, little lady.”

“You seemed to be forgetting one thing though.” Starlight's grin grew broad. The wall of the church exploded as Berserker came charging through it, rushing straight for Sombra. The priest jumped back, raising the six blade to protect himself as Berserker's fist came crashing down. The fist collided with the blades and the force of the punch sent Sombra flying through the opposite wall of the church, rubble and dust flying everywhere. “I have a Berserker.”

Sombra landed with a pained grunt, skidding to a stop on one knee. He quickly wiped away the blood that trickled from his lips as he looked up at his attackers. Berserker's eyes flashed through the helmet, it's intent clear.

Starlight walked up and stood next to Berserker, a hand on her hip and triumphant smirk on her face. “So, we can do this the easy way or the hard way Priest. Hand over the command seals, or I can rip them away from you by force.”

“Well, if I had to guess, you have no intentions of letting me live either way.” Sombra smirked back as he stood. “So, if it's the choice of lying down and dying or standing my ground. I think the choice is obvious.”

“You saw right through me, a pity.” Starlight chuckled as she pointed her spear at the priest. “He needs to be alive for the command seal transfer to work, but he doesn't need the arm they're on to be attached for it either. So if you want to, just rip his arm off Berserker.”

Berserker roared loudly as they lunged forward, a glowing fist of power coming crashing down at Sombra. Sombra raised all six blades up to form a shield, the fist crashing into the blades and instantly shattering all of them. The force of the blow sent him flying once more, though this time he was more prepared and came to a skidded stop in the courtyard of the church.

Berserker's charged hadn't stopped, the hulking mass of armor rushing down at the priest. Sombra summoned six more blades into his hands and quickly tossed them with force and precision, aiming for the holes in Berserker's armor to slow the beast down. Two blades managed to sink into the large gash of the beast's armor, though if it even felt them was up to debate as it didn't slow down for a second.

Sombra jumped to the side as another fist came crashing down where he had been standing, avoiding the blow by inches. With more blades in hand he launched a counter assault, jamming the blades straight through the gouged out hole in Berserker's helmet. He felt the blades hit flesh as he released them, jumping back from the hulking behemoth.

Berserker stood up, reaching up with the hand free from it's gauntlet, and grabbed the blades stabbing it in the face. Without flinching, it pulled the three blades out of it's face and dropped them to the ground before stepping on them, crushing them to dust. Even a direct hit wasn't enough to stun the creature.

The giant monster roared loudly as it's remaining gauntlet glowed with raw power, before Berserker slammed it down into the ground in front of Sombra. The ground began to pulse and bulge with magic, before erupting into a localized earthquake that shattered the ground to pieces and exploded in a huge force of power.

Sombra had no choice but to jump away, being nicked by the debris of dirt and rocks as he escaped the direct impact of the explosion. Before he had even landed, he realized his mistake as he felt Starlight's presence appear behind him. In that next moment his chest was pierced, the twin ends of Starlight's red spear jutting out the front of his body. Starlight channeled a powerful surge of mana through the spear, causing all of Sombra's nerve endings to erupt in pain as the foreign mana washed through his body.

To Sombra's credit, he never once let out a cry of pain as his body collapsed to the floor, steam hissing from his exposed skin. His arms moved to pick himself up, but he was instantly smashed back down by Berserker's heavy foot landing on his back. Sombra grit his teeth as he bore the pain, pinned before the might that Starlight had brought down upon him.

“There, that wasn't so bad now.” Starlight smirked as she walked up to Sombra's right arm. “Now I'm just going to take what I came here for and we'll be on our way.”

Starlight reached down and pulled the sleeve of Sombra's shirt up, revealing the command seals that practically covered his entire arm. She gripped the arm tightly, and began casting the spell to relieve the priest of his seals. Powerful sparks of electricity flowed out from the area of contact as the spells resisted and refused to budge at first, but one by one they began to fade away from his arm and reappeared on Starlight's arm.

The process took some time, but when it was finally finished, Starlight had more command seals than she knew what to do with. Standing up, she rolled her own sleeve up to look at the tens of command seals she had just acquired, feeling drunk with the power they granted her.

“Now see, this is how it should have been all along.” Starlight smirked as she turned away, lowering her sleeve and starting to walk away. “Thanks for the fight old man, but you're not needed anymore.” Starlight stopped and turned her head to look over her shoulder at her Servant with a devilish smirk. “Berserker, go ahead and kill him.”

Berserker let out a loud roar as their foot came crashing down on top of Sombra, blood splattering across the Church's front lawn as his body collapsed under the pressure. Starlight couldn't help but chuckle as she turned away, walking towards the entrance of the church.

“No one stands in the way of what I want.” She was proud of herself, feeling the intense joy of a successful plan fill her. She had her eyes on her prize now, and there was nothing that was going to stop her. “And what I want right now, is the head of Twilight Sparkle.”

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

The battle was over. The last battle she'd ever fight.

It had been taxing, she had put everything on the line for this one. She had fought with her convictions and honor on the line, but she'd never know if she had done the right thing.

Her body was damaged beyond repair, not even her flames would fix these wounds. She crossed a battlefield, scarred with the remains of might and magic that had laid waste to it. If she stopped now, she would never get up again, and there was only one place that she wished to die.

It wasn't until the sun had set and the moon was held in the sky that she reached her destination, managing to stay on her feet that long. The trail of blood she had left behind evaporated into flames as she walked, making it seem like she had never been there in the first place.

She came upon a small field of flowers, planted around a statue of a goddess that the world had once worshiped. As she approached, the fire in her body vanished and her blood remained, splashing against the grass and flowers. She came before the statue, sinking her crystalline sword into the ground for support as she knelt before it.

A breeze blew by, scattering petals to the wind as she paid her penance. She knew not if she had done enough, and if she hadn't she would accept that punishment. She deserved to burn in the fires of Tartarus for her actions, flames so hot that even she would feel their burn. She looked up at the face of the goddess, hoping for some small hint of forgiveness, or sign that her actions had been just.

“I have done everything to save your Kingdom from ruin and despair...” She uttered quietly as she lowered her head once more. “My body is weakened, damaged, and ruined. I can do no more to save it... I only hope it was enough to stop what I have started... So that you may finally rest easy...”

The stone statue gave no reply, and the wind slowly came to a stop around her. A small smile appeared on the warrior's face. She accepted whatever punishment came her way next as her life began to slowly fade away.

Anything to make up for having killed her goddess.

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

Twilight's eyes slowly opened, the familiar ceiling of her room coming into view. She blinked a few times before sitting up in her bed, looking around. At some point she had made it back home safely and had been put to bed.

“Those were Sabers last moments in life.” Twilight murmured quietly, closing her eyes as she remembered the vivid dream. She remembered that scene from the dream, it was the final moments of 'Knights of the Sun Queen', where the story ends with the last of the Queen's knights, Sunset Shimmer, paying penance for her actions before the Queen's grave.

The dream, however, was so much more vivid than the book had described it. She had felt every emotion Sunset had been feeling, felt the pain she had been going through to get to that moment. Sunset's story was a tragedy; a tale of sadness, seeking redemption, and trying to fix your mistakes. And in the end, Sunset never knows if the decisions she made saved her country or not. She dies before any of it comes to fruition, and the story ends with her death.

Did Sunset still carry the weight of her regrets on her shoulders? Twilight had no way of knowing for sure. So far her interactions with Sunset told her that the girl was fine, that she carried herself with a smile and dedication that put Twilight at ease. Sunset had vowed to be her sword, and that as long as Twilight was willing to fight seriously, she would always be by her side.

But Sunset had been good at hiding her emotions in the story as well. She showed up with a friendly smile, saved everyone she could, and moved on before she could linger in one place for too long. And while those around her saw the bright, smiling woman who was their savior, Sunset's emotions were always a wretched turmoil threatening to destroy her.

Scenes of her despairing alone at night, of her hiding her misery for the sake of others, going hungry so that other could eat, suicidally jumping into danger so that others didn't have to, and just letting her sorrow motivate her entire life. If anyone could put on a mask to hide how they felt, it was Sunset.

“Sunset...” Twilight murmured out loud, turning her head to look at the side of the bed where the redhead usually slept. Suddenly, the visions of last night came rushing back, all the vivid memories of their battle with Caster. Saber being tortured, Saber defending her from the aberrations, and Saber taking the blow from Caster's spell so that she could live. Her eyes widened in realization that Saber was very hurt and she had no idea where she was.

In her panic she threw the covers off and stumbled out of bed, her legs giving out from under her as she collapsed on the floor. Her head swam for a moment as she put a hand to her face, remembering how much mana she had expended the day before. She should've realized that her body was going to do this, racked with pain and...

Twilight's eyes opened in realization. She wasn't in pain anymore. She sat up and placed a hand against her shoulder, expecting to feel the numb pulse of pain emanating from her back, but it was completely absent. She stood up on her feet, realizing that the only difficulty she had in walking was a bit of disorientation from having just woken up, but her body felt normal. Too normal.

She shook her head, realizing that while this was significant, it wasn't important right now. Saber was hurt and she had to go see her, to make sure she was fine. She grabbed her glasses off of her bed side table so she could see, and threw her door open before rushing out of her room and towards the living room.

At the top of the stairs she looked down into her living room, spotting Rider standing near the window looking out towards her front yard. Twilight's movements didn't go unnoticed as Rider turned to look up at the worried Master, giving her a smile in return.

“It's good to see you awake Twilight, we were worried about when you would wake up.” Rider said calmly, walking over to the couch as Twilight made her way down the stairs.

“What happened last night? A lot of it's a blur. I remember you coming to save us but...” Twilight shook her head as she reached the bottom of the stairs, walking over to Rider. “Is Saber okay?”

“Saber is alive, you don't need to worry about that.” Rider said with a smile, causing Twilight to give a relieved sigh, “However, she's in no condition to fight right now. If you want to see her, Spike is in the basement tending to her now.”

“Thank you Rider.” Twilight nodded her head before quickly heading for her workshop. The stairwell was still fairly damaged from the previous fight it had withstood, but it was clear enough to be easily navigable now. When she reached the bottom, a faint glow was cast through the whole room as Spike channeled his mana into a spell. A new runic circle had been placed on the ground with a bubble of green magic enveloped over it, concentrating the spell into the center location.

In the center of the circle was Saber, lying on her back with her eyes closed.

“Saber!” Twilight cried out in shock, rushing to Spike's side but being sure not to disturb the magic circle. Saber's eyes slowly opened as she turned her head to look at her master, a smile appearing on her face.

“Hey Twilight, good to see you up and about.” Saber's voice was noticeably weaker than usual, though it didn't seem to deter her mood.

“She was badly injured in the last fight and nearly consumed all of her mana.” Spike explained, not taking his eyes off the spell. “I had Rider put you to bed when we got back and I immediately set up this spell to start the healing process. Caster's magic is no joke, his mana has been interfering with the healing so that progress has been slow, but thanks to your workshop she's out of the dangerous part now.”

“I'm sorry we couldn't save your friends Twilight...” Saber's face fell as she apologized. “Caster's plan caught us unaware and he was more powerful than I was expecting...”

“No, no Saber you don't need to apologize.” Twilight shook her head as she felt tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She sat down next to Spike as she spoke, “I was the one who let myself get caught in such an obvious trap... If it hadn't been for me you might've been able to beat him, and Sunny Flare and Sugarcoat would be fine...”

“I'm the Servant Twilight, I'm the one whose supposed to have the strength to overcome this.” Saber turned to stare up at the ceiling, guilt clearly eating away at her consciousness.

“A servant is only as powerful as their Master.” Spike spoke up, “If something went wrong then you need to accept that it's something that went wrong together,” Twilight shrunk back at Spike's harsh words. “However, the important thing is that you're both alive. That means there's still a chance for us to stop Caster and save your friends Twilight, we just need to recover and and decide on our next strategy.”

“...You're right Spike.” Twilight nodded her head in agreement. “Once Saber has recovered, we can decide on our next move.”

“If the enemy doesn't come to us, that is.” Saber spoke seriously, glaring up at the ceiling. “Caster knows we're injured and I don't think he intends to just let us recover in peace. Then there's also the news that Spike told me...”

“News?” Twilight blinked, looking at her best friend.

“...Starlight's on the move.” Spike growled under his breath, despising the woman as he mentioned her. “My familiar saw her leaving the forest and making her way into Canterlot. It followed her all the way to the church before Starlight noticed it and destroyed it. I have no idea where she is or what she's doing now, but she may also attack us at any moment. I have Rider keeping a look out for now, but we need to be on guard in case either of them launch a full on assault on us.”

Twilight held the cuff of her shirt in her hand, biting her lip as she felt the nervous tension building in the room. The two biggest threats to them were both likely to take action soon and they had no idea when that could happen. Saber was in no condition to take them on either, so that meant they were down a servant so they wouldn't be fighting at full strength. And then they still didn't know the location of Lancer, who was a wild card in the fighting so far.

Three servants, all of who wanted Twilight dead, could take this opportunity to strike while they were at their weakest.

“Twilight, did you just come straight down here when you woke up?” Spike asked, turning to look at his friend.

“Huh?” Twilight blinked in confusion looking at Spike. “Uh... Yes?”

“It's already past noon, you've been asleep for a while. While we have this moment you should go upstairs, take your medicine, maybe shower, and just get ready for the rest of the day. We're hunkering down here for today until Saber's recovered enough to fight.” Spike turned back to focusing on Saber once he'd finished explaining.

“I'll be alright down here Twilight, Spike's taking good care of me. We've got some down time, so you take care of your body while we have the chance.” Saber's smile was so genuine, so sincere. Twilight stared at Saber. In her mind she could still seeing the blood dripping from her servant's face from the night before. Twilight squeezed her hands in uncertainty, realizing that Spike and Saber were right but wanting to just stay by Saber's side for now.

“...Alright.” Twilight finally relented, slowly standing up. “If... If you need me, don't hesitate to come get me, alright?”

“I will.” Saber nodded her head gently, before closing her eyes to rest on her back. Twilight felt a knot of worry in her stomach, but realized that things were being handled there without her. She felt so powerless to help her Servant or best friend, but she knew to some degree they were right as well.

With a heavy heart she made her way back up the stairs and to her bedroom. She stopped in front of her body-length mirror and looked herself over. Her outfit from last night was almost shredded, lacerations were cut into it from where the vines had held her, dirt and dried blood were scattered on the rest of it. They had been in such a rush last night that they had just put her to bed in the outfit.

Realizing she really did need a shower she started slipping the clothing off as she made her way to the bathroom. She tossed her shirt and skirt to the floor before stopping to look at her row of medications that sat near her sink. She reached out to grab them, but stopped in hesitation. Her body felt fine, in fact it had been so long since she didn't feel at least some small bit of pain on a daily basis that her mind was still processing feeling... Normal.

Twilight turned around and looked over her shoulder, looking at her back in the mirror. Her scars were still there, prominent as ever, forever indicating what had happened all those years ago. She reached a hand up to her shoulder and gently ran her finger along the lines she could reach, feeling the bit of bumpy texture they gave her back. She felt no pain, but the web-like network of scars on her back were the same as ever.

With another reluctant sigh she turned around and opened her medications one by one, before swallowing the handful of pills prescribed to her. She didn't know why she felt so normal today, but she could already hear one of her doctors yelling at her for not taking her medication just because she felt normal for a day.

With her medication taken care of she finished stripping and stepped into her shower, turning on the hot water and letting the warmth soak her down. She had to admit, the warm water was soothing her frayed nerves. She leaned against the shower wall and rested her head against the cool tile wall while steamed floated up around her. Her mind began thinking back to everything that had happened last night.

“I'm such a worthless Master...” Twilight muttered quietly, squeezing her eyes shut as the memory of Saber's bloody face looking down at her came to mind. She had been in such a rush to save Sunny Flare that she let herself get caught in an obvious trap, and Saber had been so gravely injured because of her. Not only that, she was helpless to stop Sugarcoat, who wasn't even a Magus. Whether or not she was actually being controlled by Caster, she should've been able to do something for her friend, but she had just been beaten so easily.

How did Sugarcoat and Sunny even get wrapped up in all of this? Was it because she was a Magus? Had she inadvertently dragged her friends into a war she originally had no intention of participating in? She had never met Starlight before and yet she was out for her blood. Caster knew he had an advantage holding two of her friends hostage and was likely to target her. And Lancer had even less of a reason to attack her than both of them.

Twilight slammed a fist against the shower wall as she struggled to hold back tears, gritting her teeth as her emotions ran rampant inside her mind. In just a few short days her entire world had turned upside down and she no longer knew what the right thing to do was. She had no choice but to fight, even if she rolled over and died there was no guarantee that the people she cared about would be safe. At the same time, she was a worthless, broken Magus who could do nothing but get injured and hold everyone back.

So what was she supposed to do?

Twilight took a deep breath and let it out as a slow, shuddered breath as she wiped her face. She cupped her hands and gathered some water before splashing it against her face. Feeling worthless wasn't going to change anything and she knew that. She'd just have to bottle those feelings and press forward.

She was used to that though. She'd been doing it for so many years now that she could suppress them for a little while longer.

Twilight finished cleaning herself in the shower, going through her usual routine to take care of her hair, before turning off the hot water. She wrapped herself in the dry towels and walked out into her room, where she heard the buzzing of her phone vibrating against her nightstand.

Picking up the phone she saw quite a few messages that had been left throughout the day. The first had been from Cheerilee. “Spike told me how you were out late looking for your friends. If they don't turn up today I'll contact the police. Take today to rest up and try to go back to a normal schedule tomorrow, you won't be able to help anyone if you're stressing yourself out too much. I know how you get, just keep your head held high and you'll be alright.”

That was Cheerilee for you, she knew Twilight like the back of her hand. Twilight couldn't help but give a small smile at the words, knowing Cheerilee was looking out for her. The next few messages were from the girls, a mixture of worry and tension was evident in their texts, but they hadn't given up hope yet. They were apparently still on the search, having skipped school as well. Twilight quickly gave them an update on her status so they wouldn't worry before moving on to the last message.

This one was from Flash, telling her that he had talked with the girls via text about what was going on. He was checking in on her to make sure everything was alright. Twilight couldn't help but smile and gave him a status update too, apologizing for missing school again and that things would be alright.

Her friends were a comfort on her mind, even on her darkest days they always managed to put at least a smile on her face. It wasn't much, but she was at least able to calm their worries about her and that brought some small peace of mind to her.

With her friends messaged she put on a fresh outfit and tied her hair up into a ponytail, forgoing her usual bun for now. She didn't particularly care if she looked good or not right now, she just wanted to be ready for anything that might happen.

Twilight made her way back downstairs to the living room, spotting rider sitting on the couch sipping at a cup of tea. She looked up at Twilight and gave a smile, nodding her head as an invite to join her. Twilight accepted the invitation and sat down at her couch, pouring out a cup of tea for herself.

“I can see how worried you are.” Rider said calmly, sipping at her cup.

“That obvious?” Twilight grimaced at Rider being able to see through her so easily. She looked down at the cup of brown liquid, seeing her reflection staring back up at her.

“You're not very good at hiding your feelings darling,” Rider chuckled softly as she gently swirled the liquid around in her glass. “However I don't blame you either. Things are tense right now, taking what small leisure we can will help ease our minds.”

“I just...” Twilight quietly shook her head, placing her cup down. “I never realized before how much weight my name had in being a Magus, of being the head of the Sparkle family. Starlight heard of me long before I even knew she existed, and Lancer most likely attacked me for a similar reason. And... I get the feeling Sugarcoat and Sunny Flare are mixed up in all of this just because I'm a Magus too.” Twilight lowered her head, running her fingers through her bangs.

“All of this because of who I am, and I had no idea about any of it. I took being a Magus seriously but... I never expected it to amount to anything. I always assumed I would be the last of the Sparkle bloodline and our name would die out, joining so many other Magi family in the history books.” She shook her head, placing her hands down on her lap as she stared at the floor. “But now the quiet life I tried to live has been thrown back in my face... And I feel so helpless, so powerless...”

Rider contemplated Twilight's words carefully as she sipped her beverage. Emptying her glass and gently placing it on the table. She folded her hands over her lap as she gave a warm smile.

“Well, I can't say what kind of life you must have led, I've only known you for a short time after all. What I can say, is that from what I've seen so far, you've been willing to do everything currently in your power to accommodate everyone around you.” Twilight looked up at Rider as the elegant Servant spoke. “Even if you don't have the strength necessary to accomplish everything on your own, you want what is best for everyone. You spent a wonderful day showing me and Saber around to accommodate us to our new surroundings and our new masters, you agreed to fight in the war for Saber and Spike's sake despite your own hesitations, and you still found time to spend with your friends at a party. I'd honestly be more surprised if you abandoned them rather than try to help them at this point.

“In the end it doesn't matter what reason Starlight, or Lancer, or even Caster have for attacking you personally. What matters is that it's because they're afraid of who you are rather than any personal transgressions you've slighted them with. They know you're a Magus to be feared, even if you yourself do not think so.” Rider gave Twilight an encouraging smile. “So what you should do is take that to heart. If they fear you, use that to your advantage. Make them realize you truly are something to be feared.”

“...But how do I do that when all of them out-class me?” Twilight shook her head. “They've seen me try and use magic before, they know that I don't stand a chance against any of them.”

“You have your allies darling,” Rider grinned. “You've forged a powerful alliance with one of the strongest Magi families in the town, not to mention you have two Servants fighting by your side. Do not look down on the bonds you've formed, they are your strongest weapon.”

“...So what you're saying is, we're going to save the day with the power of friendship.” Twilight couldn't help but chuckle. “Sounds like a lesson I would've learned from the cartoons I watched as a kid.”

“Well, it's a simple way of putting it, but I do not thing it's wrong to say it like that.” Rider couldn't help but give a gentle chuckle herself. “I admit, Saber was not the only one who had hesitations about forming an alliance with another Master, but I can see now that my worries were misplaced. I've never felt stronger in my life than I did before I knew that you and Saber would have my back in a fight.”

“...Thank you Rider, that means a lot to me,” Twilight gave her a genuine smile. “I'll try to live up to those expectations.”

“Think nothing of it darling, I was simply speaking the truth.” Rider smiled brightly, reaching over to a warm kettle and pouring herself another cup of tea. “We may only get to know each other for a short period of time, but if we had lived in the same time period, you are someone I could easily have seen myself being friends with.”

“I feel the same Rider, I'm glad I could confide in you.” Twilight had to admit that Rider made her feel safe in a similar way that Saber did. She knew that if their plan was successful that she would have to have Saber fight Rider in the end, but she felt no animosity towards the beautiful woman. She really couldn't have asked for better allies in this war.

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

The next few hours dragged on and on for Twilight. Between the tension of not knowing if an enemy was going to attack and hoping for Saber's quick recovery, she found herself wandering the house looking for something to occupy her mind. She had spent quite a long time down in the basement with Saber, just sitting quietly as Spike healed her slowly. She'd also spent quite a bit just hanging out with Rider, and while there wasn't a lot of conversation to be had, the few shorts ones they had were friendly and comfortable.

The sun was beginning to set just as Twilight finished the book she had been reading. She let out a soft sigh as she pushed it aside, checking the time on her phone once more. The messages from her friends had slowed down now, a somber mood tinting the messages as the girls were exhausted from searching and upset that they hadn't found any clues as to the whereabouts of their missing friends. It ate Twilight up inside that she couldn't tell them where they were, but she did do her best to stay optimistic for them.

She lifted her head up from her spot on the couch and looked out the window, seeing the orange hues of the setting sun washing over her yard. Feeling cooped up in her large house, she got to her feet and walked over to the glass door leading to her back patio. When she pushed the door open, the still warm but gentle air of the setting sun wafted over her skin. It felt wonderful after a day being stuck inside. She stepped out and closed the door behind her, walking towards the waist-high fence overlooking her back garden.

Leaning against it, she admired how beautiful her garden looked in the wash of orange and reds. Between studying for school or studying magic, she liked to do a little gardening here and there. It was a hobby her Mother had enjoyed as well, and tending to a few of the flowers or bushes made her remember those simpler days. The garden she kept wasn't anything compared to how it used to look when her Mother was around, but the flower beds had vibrant blooming plants in them, the bushes were neatly squared off, the grass was kept short and leveled, and she even dusted the rocky path from the patio to the backyards small gazebo.

She took a deep breath of fresh air, smelling the calming scent of her garden, and letting her mind relax for just a moment. There was always something calming about her backyard, and at times like this, she just needed a moment to reflect on the simpler thing.

The washing light of orange and reds faded quickly, being replaced with the tranquility of the approaching twilight. Her garden was slowly being swallowed by the dark blues and purples of the night. She didn't plan to stay outside for much longer, just needing that quick breath of air before night fell and she'd head back inside.

Though what stopped her from heading back in was the sound of someone's voice that she didn't recognize. She lifted her head, trying to gauge where it was coming from. It was distant, but it was clearly the voice of a woman singing. It wasn't a complex tune, a simple rising crescendo that then lowered before rising again. There were no lyrics, just her sultry voice swimming through the air.

Twilight wasn't sure if she'd ever heard anything like it before. She'd heard singing before of course, Crystal Prep had a music department that trained singers, but this felt so different. She stepped down from her patio into her lawn, trying to get a better vantage point to listen to the beautiful song.

It was simply enchanting, she had to hear more of it, she had to know where it was coming from and who was singing. Her body felt so light as she walked, as if she was floating along the ground with each step. That voice made her feel so wonderful, it was unlike anything she'd heard before. She glided through the gate of her backyard and began walking down her street.

The singing grew louder as she walked and she grew more entranced. Her head was a haze of lights and sound as she strolled, unable to discern anything around her. Everything was a cloud of lights and colors, all swirling in a haze to the beautiful music playing in her ears. She had no idea how much time had passed or even where she was going, none of it mattered so long as she had that song to listen to.

So when the song ended, all of her senses abruptly returned to her. She opened her eyes wide, and standing before her was a young girl about her age. She had purple hair with aquamarine streaks running through it that framed her face and was tied up into twin pigtails with seashells. Her skin was light pink set against eyes that matched her hair. Around her neck was a black color with a strikingly beautiful red gem lightly glowing with the pulse of magic on it, and her body was wrapped in an ancient Romaneian toga. The ends of the girls hands and legs were wrapped in white bandages that were stained with blood and a pair of sandals adorned her feet.

“You're a Magus alright, the moment my song ended your senses came back to you.” The girl let out an annoyed sigh as she put a hand on her hip, “But you weren't strong enough to avoid the effect of my song entirely, so kidnapping you was fairly easy.”

Twilight was suddenly very aware of the fact that her arms were tied together above her head as she struggled to move them. The ropes tying her hands together were suspended from a hook off of a wall, and it felt like her energy had been drained. She gripped her fists tight and began to pour mana into her circuits, intending to break her bonds. A spell around her activated, sending sharp, painful shocks of electricity into her body caused her to scream in pain and cut the feed to her magic circuits. The moment her circuits died down the painful shocks stopped as well, causing Twilight to lower her head and pant heavily from the pain.

“Yeah, I wouldn't try escaping right now either.” The female spoke up, turning her head and flicking one of her pig tails back over her shoulder. “My Master set up this cell specifically to hold a Magus, so if you use your Mana it'll kill you before you get the chance.”

Twilight lifted her head up, wincing in pain from the burns the electricity had given her. It didn't take her long to connect the dots in her head. The strange clothes, the inhuman level of mana, the frank nature in which she spoke about life and death. This girl was a servant.

“Well...” Twilight managed to speak up, lifting her head as she glared at the girl, “You don't look like an Archer... So let me guess, you're Assassin.”

“I'm as close to an Assassin as you're going to get.” Assassin shook her head, before giving a dull look up at Twilight, “But yeah, as much as it matters to you, I'm Assassin.”

Twilight grit her teeth in pain, anger, and frustration. This was exactly what they had been trying to avoid all day, and in just one moment she had let herself fall prey to a trap. She wasn't upset at anyone but herself for being so stupid, for being so easily captured. She looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was.

Almost immediately she recognized the large open room she found herself in. It was the church of worship at the Faustist compound. Her eyes opened wide at the realization, her head snapping back and forth at the familiar room, before spotting someone hanging from the wall next to her. Sunny Flare was hanging just like she was, unconscious and unmoving. Twilight snapped her head back to Assassin, glaring death at the girl.

“Scary.” Assassin snarked at the glare, not even batting an eyelash at Twilight's aggression.

“Where's Caster!?” Twilight yelled, violently struggling against her bindings. “Is your Master working with him!? What do you want with me!?”

“God you're noisy.” Assassin growled, lifting her right arm up in front of her. The bandages on her arm started unraveling on their own, a fleshy fin emerging from her wrist. Three ribbed scales held the transparent film, the film gleaming as the sharp edge revealed itself. “I was ordered not to kill you, but if you don't shut your trap I'm going to make this a very painful experience for you.”

Twilight grit her teeth, just glaring at the Servant before her. She had every reason to believe Assassin's word, after all, they had gone through the trouble of tying her up and keeping her hostage alongside Sunny Flare when they could have just as easily killed her while she was hypnotized. Assassin held out her blade for a few seconds, waiting for Twilight to retort before the fin retracted back into her arm. Twilight couldn't help but notice that the portion of Assassin's arm that had been bandaged looked like it was severally scarred or burnt.

Assassin began to slowly rewrap her arm as Twilight hung there waiting. Her arms were already starting to go numb from the blood rushing out of them, and without her magic she knew there was no escaping her bonds. For the time being, she'd just simply have to wait for Caster or Assassin's Master to arrive to find out what it was they wanted with her.

She didn't have to wait long to find out though.

“Well this is a surprise, I wasn't expecting her to be captured so easily.” Caster's familiar deep voice echoed in the large room. Assassin turned around, Twilight's eyes following, noticing a spot of space distorting in the middle of the room. From the distorted space, Caster casually walked out, that ever present smug grin on his face.

Sugarcoat also walked out from behind Caster, with the same constant bored look still on her face. Twilight's heart tightened in her chest as she saw her friend again. She still couldn't believe Sugarcoat was part of all of this, or that she had gotten Sunny Flare involved.

“Caster!” Twilight growled, yanking on her bindings again, “What the hell do you want with me!?”

“Well, there are two answers to that question, though neither require your cooperation.” Caster chuckled as he walked closer. He turned to look at Assassin, the girl looking up at him with a glare while he looked down on her amused. “Good work Assassin, you've served me well.”

“Not like I had much choice in the matter.” Assassin rolled her eyes and turned away with a slight snarl to her voice.

“Regardless, you've done good work here. Now I want you to go guard the front gate of the compound. Twilight's friends have likely noticed she's gone missing by now and this will likely be one of the places they go looking for her. So, I need you to keep watch for them and if they show up, delay them long enough for me to arrive and help you take care of them.” Caster explained.

“Fine. As you command, Master.” Assassin gives the old man a short bow while her voice dripped with venom. Either he didn't notice or he paid it no mind though, and she quickly vanished from the room in a pool of dark shadows.

“Master?” Twilight's brow furrowed in confusion. “You're not a Master, you're a Servant!”

“But I am also a Magus, am I not?” Caster chuckled as he drew closer to Twilight. “I see no contradiction in the rules here. A Magus can be chosen as a Master, and so I summoned Assassin as my Servant. Does that not make sense?”

Twilight opened her mouth to counter, but closed her mouth and grit her teeth. She didn't know nearly enough about the grail war to be able to counter Caster's claims. Even if she did though, it wouldn't change the fact of the matter that he actually had summoned a Servant of his very own. A Servant that had succeeded in kidnapping from her own home under the nose of two other Servants and a Magus.

“That is a trivial matter though, what's more important is why you're here.” Caster lifted a hand and brought it up touch Twilight's cheek. She winced and tilted her head away from the older man's touch. “You're probably wondering why we haven't just killed you yet, am I right?” Twilight glared at him, but remained silent. “Let's start with the first and most important reason, as it's the one that if you cooperate, will go by with the least amount of issues for you.”

Caster's hand slowly slid down Twilight's cheek, sliding down her neck and towards her left shoulder. Twilight shuddered in disgust at the touch of Caster, uncertain what his goal was, but not liking the way he was touching her. Caster's hand then glowed with magic, before a painful blast of mana tore apart Twilight's shoulder.

Twilight let out a scream as the pain tore through her shoulder, the cloth of her shirt and bra tearing away as a hole appeared. Caster grinned as what he desired came into view; Twilight's two remaining command seals. One half of the six-pointed star had faded, the other half and the center circle was still a vibrant red. Twilight sucked on her teeth as the pain started to fade, but was instead replaced with his the cold sensation of his fingers touching her seals.

“Well, it's not three seals, but it's still better than none.” Caster chuckled as he pulled his hand away, Twilight glaring at him with all of her hate. “I recognize that you are a novice Magus, so I will explain how this works. I want your command seals, and I will have them. However, there are two methods for me to obtain them. The easiest way is for you to give them to me with your consent. There won't be any pain, and I'll obtain your seals with little fuss.” Caster's grin grew large and sinister.

“The other is for me to rip them off of you. It'll be very painful. Your command seals are tied directly to your magic circuits, and forcibly ripping them off is akin to ripping your nerve endings out. In the best case scenario you'll lose the ability to use the limb they were attached to. In much worse scenarios, you'll be severely crippled in a myriad of ways, possibly even becoming a vegetable. Or, in the worst scenario of them all, you could just die from the sheer trauma of having them removed.” The old man couldn't help but chuckle at the options. “I'll give you ten seconds to decide to consent. If not, I'll just start preparing to remove them forcefully.”

Twilight clenched her fists and grit her teeth. The bastard was asking her to consent to no longer being a Master, to forsake and betray the bond she had forged with Saber to save herself from trauma. It was a stupid question to begin with. If Caster had known anything about her, he would've known the answer before he even asked the question.

“Well?” Caster asked, raising an eyebrow curiously at Twilight after the ten seconds had passed. Twilight merely responded in a way she never thought she would do, and spit on Caster's outfit. “Hm. Well that's a shame.” Caster chuckled as he didn't even acknowledge the spit. He lifted his hand as the brown leather-covered book appeared once more. “Master, it'll take me just a moment to finish all the necessary preparations for the spell. Since the operation may kill her, would you like to take this opportunity to share a few words with your friend?”

“That depends on if she even wants to talk to me.” Sugarcoat said stepping closer and looking up at Twilight. “I'd be a little surprised if she even considers me a friend at this point.”

“Sugarcoat!” Twilight cried, yanking on her bindings as her friend approached. “Why are you doing this!? Are you really not under Caster's spell!?” She begged, staring at her friend and looking for answers.

“I'll give you two a moment.” Caster chuckled darkly as he stepped a few feet away, scanning his fingers over his book as he began the process.

“Why am I doing this huh? I suppose that's a fair question.” Sugarcoat said calmly, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Tell me Twilight, have you ever gone your entire life believing something is irreversibly true? So much so that it shapes the entire way you look at and appreciate life?” Sugarcoat paused as she scowled. “Probably not, since you've been a Magus most of your life.” She shook her head before letting out a short annoyed sigh. “Can you even imagine living that way for a moment, believing it with all of your heart, only to one day discover that your entire way of thinking, your entire reasoning to live, that everything you'd thought was real was just a lie? Well, maybe not a lie, but that it wasn't the only truth?”

“What?” Twilight asked baffled, “I don't get it, what does that have to do with this?”

“My parents have been Faustist all of my life Twilight, they raised me expecting me to follow in their footsteps. And I was okay with that, until I started school.” Sugarcoat looked away from Twilight. “Almost immediately I began to realize... Magic, mysticism, faith, religion, none of it was real. They were all fairy tales adults made up to make themselves feel better. And so, I lived my life believing that, for 12 years.

“And then I met Caster.” Sugarcoat turned back to Twilight. “I met him standing over the corpse of his former Master in this very compound. In that moment I found out that everything I had thought was the truth, wasn't the whole truth. Magic exists, there are Gods out there, and rituals will grant you immense power.” Sugarcoat closed her eyes. “Caster taught me so much in such a short period of time, I couldn't just simply let him die. So, I willingly agreed to be his Master.”

Twilgiht stared in disbelief at Sugarcoat. She had willingly become Caster's Master? No tricks, no spells, just acceptance? Twilight couldn't believe that, she didn't want to believe it.

“Sugarcoat... What about all the people he killed?” Twilight begged, trying to reason with her friend. “All the people here, he killed all of them! Weren't your parents among them?! Why would you become the Master of a monster like that!?”

“I can't undo their deaths by hating him Twilight.” Sugarcoat shook her head without showing a hint of remorse or care. “Nothing in this world, not even magic, can bring them back. I've known everyone in this compound since I was a child, and now all of them are gone forever." Sugarcoat crossed her arms, "Should I just wallow in despair and sadness for the rest of my life knowing I can't change that? Or should I at least make sure that something became of their deaths?" Sugarcoat shook her head once more. "What I can do is learn as much about this world as I possibly can. There's still so much out there for me to learn, and I can't learn any of it without Caster. So if this is the way Caster wants to do things, I'm not going to stop him. There's no point in me trying to turn back now.”

Twilight felt her nails digging into the palm of her hand as she clenched her eyes shut, feeling anger welling up inside of her. Everything Sugarcoat was saying sounded like the friend she'd known for years. The way she came to conclusions, and the way she analyzed the situation. But it was one thing when it was math problems or a science project, these were people's lives she was playing with! Did she really feel nothing for the deaths of so many people? That letting Caster do what he wanted was the right thing to do?

“Fine...” Twilight relented, unable to think of an argument that would make Sugarcoat come to her senses, “Fine, you're right. As a Magus I get it. People die and we have to accept that and move on. We can only use their deaths to further our own knowledge and ambitions.” She glared at her friend, feeling tears burning at the edges of her eyes.

“But why do you have to involve Sunny in all of this then!? As Magi we're supposed to keep innocent people out of our affairs as much as possible! You can't just go around kidnapping or killing people!” Twilight yanked against the ropes binding her as her head looked down, clenching her eyes shut. “I understand kidnapping and hurting me, I'm a Magus who kept all of this from you and I'm an enemy Master in the war. But Sunny hasn't done anything! She's not a Magus or a Master! So why?! Why are you hurting your friend like this?!”

“She's our back-up vessel in case anything happens to you.” Sugarcoat said without a hint of remorse or guilt from Twilight's words. “Once Caster has finished removing your command seals, it's possible you might die, and we can't use a corpse as a proper vessel for the Holy Grail.”

“...What?” Twilight weakly muttered, not comprehending what Sugarcoat was saying. “Vessel for the grail? What are you talking about?”

Sugarcoat raised an eyebrow at Twilight, surprised to hear Twilight not knowing about this. “You're a Master in this war and you don't know about needing a vessel?” Sugarcoat put a hand to her chin, turning to look away from Twilight in thought. “That's very interesting...”

“Sugarcoat! Why do you need a vessel for the Holy Grail!?” Twilight demanded an answer, glaring at her friend.

“I'll explain it to you the way Caster explained it to me, Twilight.” Sugarcoat faced Twilight, adjusting her glasses as she began to explain. “The Holy Grail is not just some tangible object you 'win' upon defeating the other Masters. It's something that has amassed so much mana into a single spot that it allows for the creation of miracles. Any wish can be granted because with that much mana, nothing is truly out of your reach.

“However, in order to get all that mana in one place, it needs to collect within a vessel. The vessel needs to be something that can move and protect itself if necessary, thus something living and preferably with magic circuits. That is why we choose Sunny Flare to be our vessel at first.” Sugarcoat turned to look at the unconscious girl hanging next to Twilight. “Caster was able to research Magi families in Canterlot, and as it turns out, Sunny's family is a now defunct Magi family. They lost their power two generations ago, but their bloodline did pass on Magic Circuits just fine to her. As a result, she was a prime candidate to be the vessel.

“However, we now have you Twilight.” Sugarcoat turned back to Twilight. “If you survive having your command seals removed, you'll make a far better vessel for the grail, being an actual Magus and all.” Sugarcoat couldn't help but let out an amused snort, “The fact that Spike didn't tell you any of this means that he probably intended to use you as his vessel.”

“Spike would never use me like that!” Twilight yelled, glaring death at her friend. “Spike has been my friend since I was a child! He's never once done anything to hurt me! If he wanted me to be his vessel he'd ask me or find someone else!”

“You have so much faith in a fellow Magus.” Sugarcoat scoffed, “Hasn't he ever told you that a Magus's life is stained with blood?”

Twilight's eyes widened at those words, her body going limp against the wall. She had heard him say those exact words before. If Spike had no choice, he wouldn't hesitate to kill another living human being just to keep Magic a secret from the populace. But that didn't mean he'd betray his best friend, would it? To just toss everything they've shared over the years away like it was nothing, all so that he could get his hands on the grail? That didn't make sense to her, that wasn't the Spike she knew or cared about.

But at the same time, the Spike she knew was also a proud and devoted Magus. He would do whatever was required of him as one.

“Seems you two have said your peace to one another.” Caster chuckled as he approached, closing his book and tucking it away into his robes. “I am ready to proceed with the ritual, if you have no objections Master.”

“No, I've said everything I needed to.” Sugarcoat shrugged her shoulders, “Besides, Twilight's pretty resilient. I'm sure she'll survive.”

“Your faith is admirable.” Caster grinned before approaching Twilight. She glared at the old man, making sure he could feel her contempt. “Now hold still, the process may be a little less painful if you're not moving.”

Twilight glared at his hand as it approached her shoulder, the mana flowing through his hand caused the skin on her exposed shoulder to tingle. She grit her teeth as his hand inched closer and closer. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to watch his fingers touch her and start the process of stealing her command seals.

Caster's hand stopped just before he touched her shoulder, turning to look behind him as the sound of a metal object rolled into the room. In that next moment, a loud bang and a massively intense light erupted from the object. Twilight cried out in pain as the intense light even pierced her closed eyes, and the sound wave of the explosion hitting her chest like a truck. Her ears were ringing like crazy, making her unable to hear anything.

Something struck at the ropes holding her up, releasing her and sending her crashing to the floor. She crumpled against the ground, shaking her head as she began to sit up. She rubbed her hands against her eyes, trying to rid them of the intense burning light that had filled them. She immediately jumped as she felt an unfamiliar hand touching her right shoulder, turning her head to try and look at who was there.

“-wil-!” The voice was muffled from the ringing and the figure was just a blur in her vision. She shook her head one more time, opening her eyes wider as her vision finally began to clear. “Twily! Are you okay?”

Twilight's jaw dropped open as she finally recognized the older man's voice, looking into the blue eyes of someone she hadn't seen in a long time. A head of messy blue hair that was much longer than she had last seen it, stubble around his mouth and chin, and alabaster skin. The black trench coat he was wearing was new, but it couldn't have been anyone other than her older brother Shining Armor.

“S-Shining?” Twilight managed to gasp, her body trembling from the sudden reunion.

“Just hold on, I'm getting you out of here.” Shining quickly spoke up, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and getting her on to her feet.

“We don't have time for chit-chat, we need to move, now!” A new female voice spoke up in front of them, causing Twilight to look at the other figure standing in front of her. It was a tall, exceedingly beautiful woman, wielding a crystalline blue bow with an arrow notched in it at the ready. She had long hair that flowed down to her waist that was colored in three pastel colors; pink, purple, and yellow. Her skin was a perfect light pink and she had beautiful sparkling lavender eyes. Her body was wrapped in a beautiful white dress that seemed to hug her generous curves, but not revealing all that much skin at the same time. She looked more like an angel than a fighter.

“Well, I was not expecting Archer and her Master to appear at my doorsteps.” Caster's voice chuckled as his form materialized in the middle of the room, Archer quickly raising her bow ready to attack. Shining Armor turned and glared at the older magician, his grip on his younger sister tightening. “However, your attempts will end up futile in the end. I was prepared for two Servants to attack us, one will hardly prove to be a challenge.”

With those words, Caster raised his hands before him, several magic circles appearing behind him, mana sparking through the air as he prepared his onslaught.

“Archer's going to distract Caster for us and we're going to make a break for it,” Shining whispered his plan to his little sister. “There's no point in fighting Caster in his workshop without a solid plan first.”

“Wait!” Twilight realized something as she turned to her brother, “We have to get Sunny out of here too! We can't just leave her!”

“Who?” Shining quickly countered, looking dumbfounded at his sister. “We need to go now Twilight, forget about her and let's go!”

“She's my friend! She's right behind you right now! I'm not leaving without her!” Twilight cried, wrenching herself out of Shining's grip as she turned around to look at Sunny Flare who was still hanging from the wall. Her magic circuits flared up as she aimed her hand up at the ropes holding her friend to the wall.

“No one's going anywhere.” Caster declared as a barrage of magic erupted from the spells behind him, several beams of light bearing down on the intruders.

Archer turned her bow on it's side, the notched arrow suddenly splitting into a multitude of arrows, before firing them all at once. Streams of light filled the air as the arrows flew with great precision. Each one struck a beam of light that had been fired, the collision of mana causing the air to erupt in a stream of explosions and light.

Archer didn't delay for a second and another arrow materialized into her bow as she fired another round straight at the magician. A spell circle appeared before him, the arrow exploding on impact with the circle as if a wall had been placed in front of him. Caster reached into his robe and pulled out the leather bound book, the book opening and the pages beginning to flip rapidly as a loud piercing wail erupted from it.

Twilight fired a concentrated blast of mana at the ropes binding Sunny's arms together, the ropes being ripped to pieces by the onslaught of magic. Her body fell to the ground, slumping over in her unconscious state. Twilight quickly ran over to her friend and wrapped an arm under her body and legs, lifting her up. She poured mana into her circuits, giving her the strength she needed to carry the body of her friend, before turning to Shining with a determined look in her eyes.

“Fine, let's just get out of here.” Shining said, turning towards the fight as he pulled out a fully-automatic SMG from his coat, aiming it in Casters direction. “Start running and don't stop! I'll be right behind you!” With that order, a hail of gunfire began to rain down in Caster's direction. Several more magic circles appeared in front of him, blocking each of the bullets the same way that they had Archer's arrow.

Twilight didn't need to be told twice and began running for the exit of the place of worship. The magic flowing through her circuits allowed her to run faster than she ever could on her own, the wind rushing past her face from the sheer speed of her sprint. The familiar sickly mana was already starting to rise up from the ground around her, the squelching of flesh and tentacles rising out of the mist.

She paid it all no mind and rushed forward, exiting the room of worship and down the hallway to the front doors. The doors were sealed shut, but she wasn't about to stop running. She grit her teeth and pumped mana directly into her shoulder, she turned her body and rammed the doors with her full strength.

The twin doors to the church broke apart, breaking away from their hinges and scattering away around her. Her body flew threw the air from the sheer force of the impact, gliding over the length of the stairs leading up to the front doors, before managing to stick her landing. She let out a sigh of relief at seeing the outside once more, knowing that freedom was just a short sprint away.

A heavy impact slammed against her chest, all the wind escaping Twilight's body as she was knocked off of her feet. She couldn't maintain her grip on Sunny, and the unconscious girl flew out of her hands as her body tumbled through the air before bouncing against the ground with a hard thud.

Twilight groaned in pain as she forced herself to a knee, looking up at what had hit her. Sugarcoat stood there, her fist extended, having punched Twilight in the chest and having sent her flying. She lowered her fist, glaring at Twilight, determined to stop her escape. Twilight grit her teeth and looked to her side, seeing Sunny Flare crumpled on the ground not far from her. She rushed to her feet and stood in front of Sunny, lifting her hands up defensively to protect her friend.

“I don't think you're going to beat me in a fight Twilight.” Sugarcoat said, approaching with a walk, “You're a novice as a Magus and you're weak as a human. The only thing you ever had going for your was your intellect. Do you really plan to stand in my way?”

“I'm not just going to let you have your way with our friend Sugarcoat!” Twilight retorted, glaring back at the approaching girl. “I don't know what's happened to you, but you used to care about your friends! You don't have to do any of this! Things can go back to the way they were!”

“I'm not getting my old life back Twilight, it's too late for that.” Sugarcoat stopped, adjusting the glasses on her face. “Nothing is going to bring back my parents, nothing is going to make this whole war okay, and nothing will stop this world from being twisted. I'd rather die than go back to being ignorant. There's only two ways this war ends for me. With me as the victor,” Sugarcoat swept a food behind her, bending her body as she prepared to rush at Twilight, “Or with me as a corpse.”

“Dammit Sugarcoat! Those aren't your only options!” Twilight screamed, feeling her body shake with rage. “There's so much more to being a Magus than killing or bloodshed! We don't have to have this be a war that ends in only death and destruction! We can still be friends!”

“Then you're going to have to prove that Twilight.” Was Sugarcoat's response, before she rushed at Twilight. Twilight grit her teeth in frustration and rage as her own mana surged, ready to take on her friend who refused to back down. Sugarcoat's gauntlet clad fist came down, aimed straight for Twilight's chest once more. Twilight raised her arms up as a guard, mana surging to them as Sugarcoat's fist collided with her makeshift shield. She winced in pain but the shield held, absorbing Sugarcoat's blow. A leg swept past the side of the shield, colliding with Twilight's shoulder and striking her hard, causing her to loose her balance and be sent flying once more. Twilight hit the ground hard, but managed to spring back to her feet.

She didn't have time to wince at the pain as Sugarcoat was rushing her once more, refusing to let up her assault. Twilight realized she couldn't stay on the defensive and needed to fight back. A rush of mana poured through her body as Sugarcoat neared, a fist pulling back to strike at Twilight's head. Twilight grit her teeth and jumped forward, weaving her head to the side as Sugarcoat's fist went sailing past it. Twilight squeezed a fist of her own and used her momentum to swing it up and into Sugarcoat's gut as an uppercut.

The blow landed hard, the air escaping Sugarcoat's body as she gasped in shock at the sudden pain. Twilight pushed more mana into the arm that had collided against Sugarcoat and concentrated a spell into the fist. Once the full force of the uppercut had transferred into Sugarcoat's body, she launched the spell, a force of pure mana acting as if a second punch from the single hit.

It was Sugarcoat's turn to go flying, launching away from Twilight before hitting the ground with a hard thud. Twilight panted heavily from the exertion of her strength and mana, already starting to feel her limits being reached as a familiar pain was starting to encroach upon her back.

Sugarcoat put a hand to the ground and lifted herself up to a kneeling position, panting heavily as a stream of blood was now trickling down her face from the impact to the ground. She put a hand to her knee and pushed herself up to a standing position, before crouching into a battle stance once more. Twilight grit her teeth in frustration, realizing that Sugarcoat fully intended to continue the battle.

Sugarcoat's eyes suddenly went wide as she turned her head to look towards the church, before sprinting away at full speed. Twilight was about to question why, before a hail of bullets began to spray in the direction Sugarcoat had run off in.

“Twily!” Shining yelled as he ran over, ejecting the spent clip of his SMG, “Are you okay!?”

“Shining! What do you think you're doing!? You could've killed her with that!” Twilight yelled, pointing at the gun.

“That's the idea Twilight.” Shining glared in the direction Sugarcoat had run as he quickly reloaded his gun. “Seems she got away though, let's get out of here while we have the chance.”

Twilight wanted to yell and tear into her brother at that moment, but it would have to wait for when they were somewhere safe. She sucked at her teeth and swallowed her frustration, quickly running back to where Sunny Flare was laying. As she picked Sunny up, Twilight inspected the girl for any serious injuries, but only saw minor cuts and bruising from the tumble.

A large explosion blew the roof of the church away, Twilight turning towards it in shock. Archer gracefully flipped through the air above the opening of the hole, a pair of ethereal wings shining from her back as she hovered in the air. She aimed her bow down into the hole in the roof, the notched arrow glowing with the bright light of mana as she did. A large yellow circle suddenly appeared before her, snapping into place at the spot she was aiming. With the preparation set up, she let the air loose as it flew through the ring.

The moment the arrow hit the center of the ring, it multiplied infinitely and became a hailstorm of arrows raining down into the church. Several explosions began to rock the church, the walls beginning to collapse in on themselves. Within seconds, the regal building that had once been the main house of worship for the Faustists had become nothing but a giant pile of rubble, smoke and dust spreading out like a blanket across the compound.

“Move now! While we've got the chance!” Shining yelled, grabbing Twilight's shoulder and jogging her out of her stupor. Twilight realized she had been staring and turned around, running towards the front gate of the compound. Shining Armor was by her side running, with Archer quickly joining them as they did.

The three of them jumped over the front gate, escaping down the road back to Canterlot. As they did, Twilight couldn't help but look to the side as she saw Assassin, leaning against a tree with a smug look on her face as she watched them escape. Twilight was confused, but she had no time to question it as she ran.

Assassin didn't give chase, letting them get away with ease once they had finally left the compound. Twilight wanted to escape back to her house, to quickly find her friends, but Shining Armor had different plans. He quickly directed them towards an abandoned warehouse just far enough away from the compound to be out of Caster's reach, and would give them a moment to collect themselves.

The abandoned factory was caked in dust and cobwebs, and was nearly pitch black on the inside when they entered. Shining quickly directed them to a side room of the factory, what used to be a break room for the workers. Shining stepped into the room and lifted his hand, an orb of light materializing and lighting the room up for them.

“Alright, we should be able to rest here for the moment.” Shining spoke up, finally putting his SMG away once he was certain they weren't in any danger.

“I would've prefered someplace a little less dusty, but I suppose not every hiding spot can be a winner.” Archer lightly chuckled, her bow fading from existence as well.

Twilight walked over to a nearby wall and gently placed Sunny flare down next it, resting her in a sitting position with her back to the wall. She looked Sunny over more carefully this time, making sure she really wasn't seriously injured. She was showing signs of some bruising, and the few cuts she had were already closing up, so she was going to be fine. Twilight let out a relieved sigh, grateful that she had managed to save her friend's life.

All that left now, was dealing with the realization that her brother had shown back up in her life out of nowhere.

She stood up and turned to look at her brother, staring at him as he looked at her with a smile. There were so many emotions running through her head at the moment, she couldn't even process them all. Her first thought was to tear into him, yell at him for having tried to kill Sugarcoat or even suggesting that she should've abandoned Sunny Flare to her fate. To scream at him for having left so long ago and left her alone with her parents, thus letting the accident that crippled her to happen.

“Well, now that we're somewhere more calm... Hey Twily, long time no see.” Shining Armor spoke with a nonchalant smile, as if seeing her was the most normal thing in the world.

Twilight grit her teeth and her eyes burned as tears formed at their edges. Her body began to tremble as her emotions began to overwhelm her and anything she wanted to say flew out of her mind.

She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her older brother, burying her head into his chest and began to sob. Hot tears flowing down her face as she squeezed on tight, not wanting to ever let him go.

Shining smiled down at his sis and gently put a hand to her head, the two of them sharing a moment that they hadn't been able to have in so very, very long.

Her brother was finally home.

Author's Notes:

As always, art has been provided by the ever generous and amazing Kul!

And with this, all seven Servants have been revealed! I'm sure it hasn't been too hard to guess all of them, some of them having been easier than others, but I'm proud of my picks and feel they'll all benefit the story the most.

Things are starting to get into the thick of it, and we're getting due for some exposition dumping soon, so I hope you're all looking forward to the plot twists I have planned coming. I'm doing my best to make them doozies for sure! It's hard for me to gauge how long the story will be from here, but I don't even feel like we've hit the half-way mark yet. So hold on to your butts!

Other notes: This chapter was originally going to end on a cliffhanger of Archer facing off against Caster, but as I started writing the scene leaving the cliffhanger there didn't feel right, so I moved the story on a little further to give it a much better ending note, and I'm very satisfied with it.

I have a rough idea of the direction the next two chapters will take, it's just a matter of how well I can pace them out. If we're lucky, the first Date of Fate/EQG will happen next chapter! If not next chapter, probably the chapter after, we'll see how the writing goes hehe.

Thank you for enjoying the story so far, your feedback has been important to me and helps motivate me with my writing!

Chapter 8 - Regretful Reunion

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Twilight wasn't exactly sure how, but at some point Archer had gotten them coffee. She certainly found it incredible what Servants could conjure up when they were needed, and after having letting out all of her pent up emotions for so long, she welcomed the invigorating dark liquid. Shining had taken a look at Sunny Flare himself and said she'd be out for some time, but that she wasn't injured at all. She'd just be dazed and confused for a while upon waking up and Twilight was relieved to hear that.

Twilight had wanted nothing more than to take Sunny home, and for Shining to come home with her. However, her older brother seemed strangely adamant against leaving just yet. Twilight was confused, but decided that it might be best for the time being to hear him out on his terms. So the two found themselves talking in that old abandoned factory.

“You've certainly gotten a lot taller since I last saw you.” Shining smirked at his little sister, the two of them sitting next to each other at the abandoned break room's table, “You were still just a munchkin back then.”

“A lot changes in seven years Shining...” Twilight shook her head as she stared down at her coffee cup. “So much has happened since you've been gone, I don't even know where to begin...”

“I guess I'll start by... Apologizing.” Shining shook his head as he leaned forward, linking his fingers together. “The entire reason I left was because Mom and Dad were ready to transfer the family crest to me. They had been raising me as a Magus since I was six and had kept you in the dark because if they were transferring the crest to me, then there was no point in teaching magic to you since... Well, you can only transfer it to one person, and that's usually the oldest.

“I had asked several times for them to teach you magic anyway, since it didn't feel right for you to be left out regardless. But, towards the end of my training they simply told me you were too old to start learning magic now, so it was too late to even bother trying.” Shining gave a sarcastic chuckle, “Seems they were lying about that one.”

Twilight remained silent, just staring at her brother as he told his story.

“I was just sick of it all. I had met other Magi, I had been told about our history, I read plenty of books, and all of it just brought me to one conclusion.” His gaze turned deadly serious, “I decided that I hated the world of magic. I hated that it separated us the way it did, I hated that it was so full of bloodshed, I hated how easily it corrupted people, and I hated how the Magi saw peoples lives as insignificant. They truly believe that killing people doesn't matter, so long as magic is kept pure in their eyes. Someone could commit genocide and they'd just overlook it.

“So, thinking Mom and Dad wouldn't bother trying to teach you magic, and hoping you wouldn't get dragged into this world because of that, I left.” Shining Armor closed his eyes as he squeezed his eyes shut. “I went to finish my training as a Magus on my own, with one goal in mind. To rid this world of the wretched Magi that think human life is irrelevant.” Her opened his eyes to look back at Twilight, this time a somber expression on his face. “And it was with that goal in mind that I find myself in this war. It's how I found you.”

Shining's eyes wandered down to Twilight's exposed shoulder, seeing the command seals branded on her skin. Twilight felt herself shrink a little under his gaze, unsure of what he was going to do, before he let out a sad sigh. “I wanted to keep you out of all this, but it seems you've been dragged into the middle of it anyway.”

“I... Was going to stay out of it originally.” Twilight spoke softly, raising her right hand up to her shoulder. “But, the seals came to me on their own. And then one after another, Servants and Masters alike began to attack me. If I hadn't summoned a Servant... I wouldn't be alive right now.” Twilight shook her head somberly. “I have no choice but to fight in the war Shining. To not do so would be to roll over and accept dying. And that's the last thing I want to do...”

Shining was quiet upon hearing that, contemplating what to do or say next. He grabbed his coffee cup and took a drink from it, letting the warm liquid invigorate him before putting it down.

“You said you were going to stay out of the war originally,” Shining put the cup down as he turned back to his sister, “so Mom and Dad weren't pressuring you into participating?”

Twilight froze at the mention of their parents. For some reason she had just assumed that Shining Armor knew what had happened, that he had kept up with any news from Canterlot. But it seems he had returned completely in the dark about what had transpired all those years ago. He had no idea about the fate of their parents.

“Twily?” Shining spoke up, noticing his little sister freeze for a moment. Twilight shook her head and tightened her hands around her own coffee cup, trying to not let her body tremble from the memories.

“I'm sorry... I just... I thought you knew for some reason.” Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming her nerves enough to not stutter while she talked. “Six years ago... Mom and Dad passed away...”

“...Oh...” Shining paused for a moment in quiet contemplation. “But... Weren't they the ones who were teaching you to be a Magus?”

“They were. When you left they panicked about losing their heir... So in their desperation to make sure their lineage would continue, they began to train me.” Twilight squeezed her mug tighter as she remembered her past, trying not to let her emotions consume her as she spoke about them. “They trained me for one year... But, they didn't like the amount of progress I was showing. I wasn't learning as fast I should have been, even for someone just starting out in magic. They figured it had to be due to my age, and that if I was going to become the heir they wanted, they needed to do something to... To speed up my growth...”

Twilight stood from her chair, turning away from Shining. Her older brother stared at his sister in confusion, not fully processing what she was saying just yet. Without a word, she began to undo the buttons of her blouse, gritting her teeth as she steeled herself for what she was about to do. Once her shirt was undone, she reached up to her shoulder and pulled it down, exposing her naked back to her brother. “This was the result...”

Shining's eyes went wide as he saw the cobweb-like pattern of scars that littered her back. He knew exactly what they were, having seen them before in his travels. When magic circuits were put under sudden and intense heavy loads, far more than they were capable of handling, the circuits themselves became unstable and dangerous. The result was the destruction of those circuits and of the part of the body attached to them, with the onset of necrosis in the body that could lead to one losing functions of their body, if not their life.

“Twilight...” Shining's voice was pitched with anger as he stood from his chair suddenly, “What did they do to you!?” He was shaking with anger, not directed at her, but at the parents who had done this to their daughter and his beloved sister.

Twilight pulled her shirt back up over her shoulders, suddenly feeling far more exposed than she ever wanted to be. She sat down and buttoned her shirt back up, before lowering her head and closing her eyes. She didn't want to remember that awful time, but her brother deserved to know what happened. So for his sake, she began to retell the events of what happened so long ago.

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

“Now, we're going to numb the pain as best we can, but this will probably still hurt quite a bit. So just bear with it, and it'll be over before you know it, okay?” Her father spoke to her, trying to sound comforting. A young Twilight was laying on her stomach, dressed in nothing but a loose fitting white tank top and a pair of purple shorts.

“O-Okay...” Twilight weakly agreed, feeling incredibly nervous about all of this.

“You'll be fine Twilight, you can trust us.” Her mother said comfortingly, placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders. Twilight could feel her Mother's weight making sure she was being held down, followed by her Father putting his own pressure on her back. She felt trapped as the the two adults kept her from moving. She didn't know what was about to happen, but she didn't feel comfortable or reassured at all.

The back of her tank top shifted as her father pulled it down, exposing more of her back to him. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, not knowing what was about to happen, just waiting for it to be over. Then, she felt it. A sharp, burning pain erupting from her back where they had tried to numb her. Her eyes shot open as she let out a scream, wanting to escape and get away from what was cutting into her back, but the combined weight of her parents kept her in place.

She trembled and cried, hot tears streaming down her face as the blade pierced the flesh of her back deeply and cut into her muscles, forcing a deep gash to appear on her back. The process lasted only a few seconds at longest, but the searing pain made it feel like an eternity. Once the gash was big enough and deep enough the blade was removed, Twilight burying her head into the ground as she heavily sobbed, struggling to breathe or think.

That wasn't the end of the process though, as her father gently pushed the wound open and inserted something inside of her. Twilight thrashed against her Mother's hold again, giving a wailing sob as whatever it was burned against her flesh and felt like it was a fire inside of her body. The thing was pushed deep into her body, and she swore she could feel it press up against her spine.

It was only once the item was inserted into her, that her father began to conjure up the magic to heal Twilight's wounds. The magic had a light numbing effect, that eased the pain she was feeling, but didn't stop her shaking sobs. The muscles and skin fused back together around the object inside of her, the incision closing quickly before vanishing entirely, as if she hadn't been cut at all.

“There, all done.” Her Father said with a gentle smile, easing off of his daughter's back. Her mother released her hold as well, and Twilight flung herself into her Mother's embrace, sobbing into her chest as her entire body shook.

Even if the pain from being cut open was gone, whatever they had put inside of her was still burning. She could feel it's heat wanting to set her whole body on fire, and the burning heat was beginning to spread. It was like flames were crawling through her veins, surrounding her mind and rushing to the tips of her fingers and toes. Her body was being consumed by the fire.

“There, there.” Her Mother soothed, gently brushing the hair on her daughter's head, “It's alright. It'll just take a few minutes for your body to adjust, but you'll feel so much better before you know it.” Twilight couldn't respond, only continuing to sob into her Mother as the fires consumed her body.

Those few minutes were an eternity of hell as far as Twilight could remember. But, just as her Mother had said, her body began to adjust to the new invader and the fires consuming her began to calm down. Her crying slowed to a stop, leaving her hiccuping and taking deep breathes of air as she continued to tremble, but she wasn't in tremendous pain anymore.

“Better?” Her Mother asked with a tilt of her head. Twilight was calming down, and managed to quietly nod her head, though not breaking from the embrace. “That's good.” Her Mother smiled as she wrapped her arms around the young girl and held her close.

“What...” Twilight loudly sniffed as she wiped at her face, looking up at her Mother, “What did you do?”

“If we succeeded, we should have been able to get your skill in magic to the level you should be at for your age. Let's test that shall we?” Her father said proudly, walking closer and holding out Twilight's Rubik's cube for her. Twilight looked at it curiously, before taking it in her hands. “Just practice solving this puzzle with your magic like usual, you should notice a significant difference.”

Twilight had learned how to solve a Rubik's cube a long time ago, she had taught herself and found solving them fun. As such, her parents had decided that having her use her magic to manipulate the sides into turning would be a great way for her to practice her magic. While she had made progress, it was extremely slow and she had always struggled to make the sides turn the way she wanted them to.

She wasn't sure how this time would be different, but like usual she poured mana into her circuits and cast a field around the cube. The cube began to hover between her hands; that was the easy part. She concentrated on having the mana grab the sides of the cube and turn it.

The side glided into the position she wanted with ease. Twilight was shocked at the development, unable to believe how easy it had been to move the corners the way she wanted. She twisted another side just to be sure, and it too glided with ease. A bright smile appeared on her face and happiness swelled inside of her. In short order she quickly began solving the cube, her magic obeying her every command and the sides twisting in every direction she wanted them to.

In just a few minutes, the solved cube sat in her hands, pride swelling through Twilight. While it was by no means her fastest time solving the cube, the fact she had achieved it with magic, something she had began to think was impossible, made her overjoyed.

“It worked!” Her Mother also beamed with pride, “It really worked! Twilight sweetie, that was wonderful!” Her Mother lovingly praised her daughter, proud of what they had accomplished together.

“That's my girl.” Her Father grinned proudly, “You're looking like a true Magus now.”

Twilight couldn't remember feeling as happy as she did in that moment. For the past year she had been working so hard and struggling so much to be the Magus her parents wanted her to be, and she had felt so awful for always coming up so short. But now things were different, she could use her magic so easily and so freely now. It had hurt a lot, but if this was the result then the pain had been worth it.

The next few days consisted of them testing how much the operation had boosted Twilight's abilities. They went through all of the normal evaluations, practiced all the spells she had been learning, and making sure her mana and circuits seemed stable. She excelled at everything presented to her, surpassing all of her previous attempts. Her parents were elated, and as a result so was she.

So they had felt confident in moving forward with the next part of Twilight's training. And that was where everything went wrong.

Her parents had set up the workshop that day, making sure everything was prepared for the ritual. It wasn't a terribly complicated affair, but it was possible for something to go wrong during the transfer of the family crest, so they wanted to be prepared for that possibility. She was standing in the center of the room, her Mother watching with a smile as her Father prepared.

“Now, traditionally the Sparkle family places our family crest on the back,” Her father explained as he gently caressed his daughter's back through her shirt, preparing her for the transfer. “Not every Sparkle has had it there, but if we can put it there we're going to try. Are you ready Twilight?”

Twilight nodded and her father smiled. “That's my girl. Now, all you need to do is close your eyes and accept the transfer of the seal. Everything should go smoothly from there, and then you'll be training as a full fledged Magus.”

Twilight gave another nod and closed her eyes as her father pressed his hand firmly against her back. She took a deep breath as she prepared herself, already feeling the mana flowing through her father's hand. She accepted it, giving her consent for the mana to flow into her body. As a result, the process didn't hurt, more just tingled and made her body feel weird. The symbols of the family crest etched themselves into her skin one by one, and in just a few short minutes the process was finished.

“There, that wasn't so bad.” Her Father smiled as he pulled his hand back. Twilight blinked in surprise at the process already being over, having expected some amount of pain like when they had put something in her back. “You now have access to all of the Magic the Sparkle family has been accumulating for generations now.” Her Father walked in front of her, looking as proud as her Mother did. “You should be able to feel the spells etched into your very circuits. Go ahead and try any one of them, you probably won't be able to succeed with it at first, but we're going to train you on how to use all of them.”

Twilight smiled brightly as she nodded at her Father. As she charged up her mana, she could feel the new spells inscribed into her circuits. So many new spells and so much time to learn them all, she was excited to start her next step of becoming a Magus. Her Father had told her to pick any spell, so it didn't matter which one she chose. She felt a spell and it's purpose came to her mind, a simple spell that conjured a dagger before her. Projection magic. It wasn't a particularly remarkable spell, in fact it wasn't even one of the types of magic her family specialized in, but a simple spell was all she needed right now.

Her mana flared and it traced the incantation of the spell in her body. She extended her hands and held them out for the spell to complete. In a matter of seconds her mana was transformed, summoned forth as steel in the shape of a dagger. With a quick flash the dagger appeared in her hands, completed as intended. Just a simple dagger that would soon fade away once her mental image of it had broken.

Something was wrong though. The spell had completed but her mana hadn't stopped flowing through the circuits. In fact, the mana was growing more intense and had started spreading into other spells.

Her parents were congratulating her, but their words were being drowned out by her quickly rising panics about her mana not shutting off. She repeated the training she had for shutting her circuits off before, but even though she repeatedly closed the valve, the mana was still pouring out.

“S-Something's wrong!” Twilight managed to stammer as her mana was flowing out of control. It had spread through the entire family crest and was now spilling out into her normal circuits. Her body was starting to heat up again, her mana was spreading like wildfire through her body.

Her parents were at her side, trying to gauge what was wrong as soon her entire body was consumed by her mana. Her body erupted in a flash of light, her irises turning pure white, and a shield of raw mana surrounded her body. Whatever her parents were doing, she couldn't hear or see them anymore, she had been consumed by the raw light of her magic. Her mind was a scrambled mess as the energy consumed her, the fire burned her entire being.

The only things she could remember was the intense light, the burning pain, and everything being consumed.

She didn't know how long her body seethed with the burning light, but at some point it just stopped. Like a switch being flipped the raging mana inside her body had been completely consumed and there was nothing more for her body to summon. She was standing on her feet, only barely conscious of that fact, her mind still reeling from the rush of mana and the agony that was making it's way across her back.

What hit her next was the smell of thick copper, and suddenly her eyes adjusted back to the room. The entire workshop was now coated from wall to wall with blood. Her mind began to reel, her heavy breathing growing panicked, her mind trying to deal with the sensory overload of agonizing, crippling pain, and the realization that she had done something to coat the room in blood.

She lifted her hands, seeing blood splattered across her arms. Her body was coated the same way the walls and floor were. Her legs gave out, she collapsed into a sitting position, no longer able to breathe. Too much was happening at once, she couldn't keep up with it. The pain burned her mind, the blood filled her with fear, and the silence was deafening.

Something caught the corner of her eye. She didn't know what it was, she didn't know why it was there, but she turned her head to look at it.

She saw her father laying there, his face twisted and discolored, the eyes staring back at her. She was going to call out to him, reach for him, try to get some answer as to what was going on. But she immediately realized what was wrong.

He didn't have a body anymore. He was just a head.

Everything in her mind broke at that very instance. She screamed the loudest she had ever screamed in her life, and once the air had left her lungs, her body collapsed and everything faded into darkness.

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

“When I woke up, Sombra had already taken me back to the church to rest. Apparently he came to check on us and found me passed out in their blood...” To Twilight's credit, she had managed to keep her composure for most of her story. It wasn't until she had gotten to seeing her parents dead bodies that her breath had hitched. “My body was destroyed from the incident as well... Ever since, I've suffered from constant pain, seizures, mobility issues, lack of stamina, and just anything else you can probably think of. Even my Magic Circuits were nearly completely destroyed as a result.

“I've been in and out of Doctors' offices for years just trying to treat the symptoms. And all this time...” Twilight quietly shook her head, “All this time... I still hadn't given up on being a Magus.” Twilight folded her arms on the table, her emotions calming after having gotten through the hard part of the story. “My body fought me the entire time, but slowly I trained myself in Magic with the library Mom and Dad had left behind. Sombra had offered to let me live at the church... But I refused that offer, and I've been taking care of myself in the house alone.

“If it hadn't been for Spike and Cheerilee... I doubt I would still be here.” Twilight hated to admit it, but she couldn't deny how many times she had thought about ending it all. “Magic destroyed my entire life... But it was the only thing I had left after everything that happened. I don't have the strength, in magic or in mind, to be a Master in the war, but I have no choice in the matter.” Twilight squeezed her fist as she stared at the table, “And while I was dealing with everything going on in the war... You showed up again.”

Twilight took a deep breath and looked back over to her brother, the first time she had looked at him since she started her story. “So that's what you missed... I killed our parents and have been living in misery for the last six years...”

Twilight had difficulty reading Shining's face once the story had finished. If she had to guess, it was a look of shocked indifference, as if it wasn't the worst thing he'd had to listen to in his time away, but it wasn't a story he had ever expected or wanted to hear coming from his baby sister. He just continued to stare with that expression locked to his face for several moments, before a hand come up to his face and he ran his fingers through his hair. He clenched his eyes shut as he lowered his head, just letting everything he'd heard sink in.

“I never should have trusted Mom and Dad...” Shining growled under his breath, hanging his head in anger and shame. “I knew they were Magi... I knew that they wouldn't take me leaving home well but... I thought they'd find another child outside of the family, or just have another one, or something... Anything but...” Shining slammed a fist against the table. “God, DAMMIT!”

Twilight flinched at the slam, but didn't move away from her brother. Shining sucked in a harsh breath, before letting it out slowly. He looked back up at Twilight, his eyes feeling colder than they had just a moment ago.

“I want to say I should have been here for you Twilight... That I'm your older brother, that I should have protected you from them.” Shining put a hand to his face, closing his eyes, “But I made my decision to leave and I can't accept regretting that. To go back on everything I've done to get to this point would throw my entire life into chaos. And I can't do that.

“What I can promise though, is that nothing else will happen to you from now on. I'm going to put an end to this war, and once it's over everything will be better.” A smile finally returned to Shining's face. “You can leave everything to me now, Twilight. You can drop out of the war now, there's no reason for you to fight anymore.”

Twilight quietly shook her head before giving her brother a smile in return. “It's fine Shining. I've already come this far, I can handle the rest just fine. Caster caught me unaware today, but only because I didn't know the full extent of what he was capable of. I do now, so he can't pull the same trick twice.” Twilight looked down at her shoulder, lifting a hand up and touching the command seals that rested there. “Besides, Saber saved my life, and I promised her I would fight alongside her as her Master. So I have no plans of dropping out...” Twilight looked at her brother with a hopeful smile, “But Spike and I have already formed an alliance in the war. If the three of us fought together, we'd defeat all the other Servants and we could end things peacefully and without bloodshed between us.”

Shining's face fell into a serious glare and Twilight's smile hesitated at the look. Her offer had sounded good in her head, but the moment she had extended it, Shining seemed to have gotten angry.

“Twily. I'm telling you to drop out of the war. Now.” He spoke with a commanding voice this time, his words laced with a hint of anger. Twilight raised a hand to her chest defensively, not expecting her brother to be so forceful with her.

“Shining... I-I can't-” Twilight tried to defend herself, but her brother cut her off before she could defend herself.

“Twily, if you continue to be a Master, then that means I have to fight you.” Shining's glare grew more sinister, his teeth baring and his fist tightening, “And if I fight you, I don't care if you're my sister, I'm not going to hold back. Winning this war is too important to let even my family hold me back. If you continue to fight in this war... I will kill you.”

Twilight's eyes widened in shock. She could feel the killing intent in Shining's words. He was deadly serious. It really didn't matter to him that she was his sister, he'd kill her in cold blood to achieve his goals.

That wasn't the brother she remembered. The Shining Armor she remembered was always so kind and gentle, who made time for her no matter how busy his schedule was. She remembered so many times that when she was in trouble or distress, he'd be there to protect her or help her. When she was alone, he would be the one to keep her company. He loved to play games with her, teaching her the rules and how to strategize, and her most beloved memories were playing those games with him.

She saw none of that loving brother before her now. Before her was a man who would gun down Sugarcoat without a morsel of regret for his actions, a man who could say he was going to kill his sister without remorse, a man who had changed so much in the six years he'd been gone.

Twilight was too terrified to speak, to even react. The look in her brother's eyes drove fear into her soul. She clenched the hand at her chest, feeling her body shake from the intimidation. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she'd felt so afraid, not just of losing her life, but of losing the love of someone she cared about.

Archer's hand appeared, placing itself on Shining's shoulder. Shining's glare broke as he turned to look up at his Servant, who was looking down at him with an understanding smile. Shining looked up at her for a few moments, before letting out a sigh and standing up.

“Listen Twily, I don't want to fight you. I want you to give up being a Master and get out of this war as soon as you can.” Shining turned and walked towards the exit of the break room, Archer following suit behind him. He stopped at the door and turned to look back at her. “But you have been warned. If we meet again and you're still a Master, then we will end up fighting. And neither of us will be happy with the outcome.”

With those words, Shining Armor and Archer left, their footsteps echoing loudly down the empty hallway until Twilight couldn't hear them anymore. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding in and lowered her head, running her hands through her bangs.

She had dreamt about reuniting with her brother for so long, but never in her wildest imagination had she imagined it going like that. After being separated for so long, they had been reunited, only to turn into enemies in the same War. Fate had to be playing a cruel trick on her, it was the only explanation. Every Master in the war had some reason for wanting her dead, even Spike was a possible threat until she could determine that he didn't need her for a vessel.

She took in a sharp breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm her beating heart. She couldn't let herself cry. She'd already had a moment of weakness with her brother, there was no reason to let out anymore tears. She could handle this, just like everything else that went wrong in her life.

She turned and looked at Sunny Flare, still resting against the wall of the break room asleep. Before anything else, she needed to figure out what was going to happen to her friend next. She got up from her chair and quickly walked over to her friend, checking once more to make sure she was alright. Then, she picked Sunny up in her arms and closed her eyes, summoning her mana into her command seals.

She didn't need to use a command seal to order Saber to her location, but it did give her a direct link to her Servant. They had probably been looking for her by now, and she didn't want her time with her brother to be interrupted before. Now that he was gone, it was time for them to group back up.

By the time she had navigated her way out of the abandoned factory, Saber, Rider, and Spike were rushing down on her location. She gave them a comforting smile as they approached.

“Twilight! Are you okay!?” Saber spoke up first, rushing up and putting her hand on Twilight's shoulder, “What happened!? Where'd you go!? How'd you get Sunny Flare!?” Her Servant asked each question in rapid succession, trying to process everything she saw at once.

“A lot happened all at once Saber, and I promise I'll explain everything. But first we need to get somewhere safe,” Twilight explained. Saber nodded in agreement and they quickly made their way back to Twilight's house.

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

When they had arrived back at Twilight's place, they had put Sunny Flare in one of the spare rooms before convening in the living room. Twilight told her friends everything that had happened, about being hypnotized by Assassin's song, Caster's demand for her command seals, Sugarcoat's need for a vessel, her brother showing up with Archer, and him declaring his intentions to fight them.

Once Twilight had finished explaining, everyone was quiet for a moment as they thought about what had happened. Spike was the most pensive while Saber was the most angered over the story.

“Well, the story at least explains everything that happened, especially why Sugarcoat needed Sunny Flare.” Spike crossed his arms as he sat in thought, “And with Archer a more active threat against them now, they likely won't take the initiative in attacking us. It'd be wiser to fortify their defenses first and then make a move after that.”

“I don't like any of this.” Saber growled quietly as she glared at nothing in particular, “Caster has a Servant of his own and Twilight's brother is going to try and kill her? Nothing about this feels right.”

“Regardless of how it feels though, those are the facts of the matter.” Rider chimed in, “The only thing we can do is try and plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

“Rgh!” Saber slammed a fist against the couch, before turning and heading for the kitchen. “I need something to sink my teeth into.”

“Spike...” Twilight asked more timidly than she intended, the green haired boy looking up at her curiously. “I didn't know that we needed a vessel for the grail until Sugarcoat told me... W-What was our plan for a vessel?” She didn't know if Spike was going to be honest with her or not, but she had to know the answer.

“Well that's easy, Grandma said she was going to create a homunculus for me.” Spike smiled like he always did, “It's definitely way easier to have an artificial human as your grail vessel than a real one, though I doubt Caster has the necessary tools to create one with his current set up. I figured regardless of who won between us, that we'd just share that vessel.”

Twilight let out a relieved sigh at his explanation. It actually made sense and he had said it in his usual manner without hesitation or looking wary, so she had every reason to believe him. She was grateful that he wasn't planning on using her as his vessel, and she genuinely felt like she could trust him again. She didn't want Sugarcoat's words to taint her image of Spike.

“Our most immediate problem right now though is Sunny Flare.” Spike said seriously, “Caster kidnapped her from her home, and quite easily too. If we just put her in a hospital or let her go home, then she'll just go straight back into being in danger of being taken until Caster or Sugarcoat is taken out of this war.”

“...What should we do then?” Twilight asked hesitantly, unsure of what Spike had in mind.

“Honestly, the best plan right now would probably be just to keep her under a sleep spell and locked in a guest room.” Spike shrugged at the thought, “We can seal it off so even Caster couldn't detect her in there, and she'd likely be out of harms way even if another Servant did attack the house.”

Twilight bit her bottom lip thinking about the plan. Spike was right, it probably was for the best that Sunny Flare stayed asleep for now. She hated the thought of doing that to her friend though. She wanted Sunny to be in the company of her friends who missed her so much, to know that everything was going to be okay after everything that had happened.

“That's our only option then?” Twilight asked hesitantly, unsure of what else they could do.

“...Well, we could take her to the church and have Sombra watch after her,” Twilight could feel her skin prickle at Spike's suggestion. “Or we could let her be awake but under mind control so that she can wander the house and interact with us, but not be aware of the magic going on and staying out of trouble.” Twilight couldn't help but shake her head at that option as well. “Or we could just let her go home and kind of just hope for the best.”

“So keeping her asleep in a guest room really is the best option...” Twilight sighed running a hand through her bangs as she closed her eyes, “I hate keeping her here like she's a prisoner though...”

“I know Twi, but I promise, we'll take care of Caster as quickly as we can and then Sunny Flare can go home safe and sound.” Spike offered with a comforting smile. Twilight could only return it with a small smile herself.

“It's well past midnight at this point, and after what Twilight went through, I think it's time she got some rest.” Saber spoke up, returning from the kitchen. Twilight blinked in surprise at the suggestion.

“Yes, even I think that's for the best.” Rider nodded her head in agreement. “Spike and I can take care of the night watch to see if Starlight or Berserker intend to make any moves, and you two should continue to rest.”

“A-Are you sure?” Twilight asked hesitantly, fully aware that Spike and Rider must have been up for most of the day already, either with guarding the house, healing Saber, or looking for her.

“Rider doesn't exactly need sleep, and I've got the fortitude of a dragon.” Spike said proudly as he put a hand to his chest, “Don't worry about us. You need to be in top-shape to fight in the war, so you should take this time to rest. We've got you covered.”

“If... If you're really sure about that.” Twilight said not completely convinced. She had already done so much sleeping for the war, she felt bad doing more of it and leaving so much more work to Spike and Rider.

“Come on Twi, lets head up to bed.” Saber said placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Twilight looked up to see the smile on Saber's face and couldn't help but feel a blush form on her cheeks. Her resistance crumbled and she gave a slight nod, getting up from her seat on the couch and following Saber upstairs.

She checked up on Sunny first, seeing her friend still sound asleep and tucked under the covers of her guest bed. She looked peaceful now, resting comfortably rather than being tied up and hung against a wall somewhere. She knew better than to assume she was dreaming, magic induced sleep was more akin to anesthesia than normal rest, so when Sunny awoke she wouldn't have any clue how much time had passed.

Twilight ran a hand gently across Sunny's bangs, moving them out of her eyes. The girl didn't even register her touch, and Twilight let out a soft sigh. She hated to do this, but she knew this was the best for Sunny at the moment. She then placed her hand against Sunny's forehead, channeled her mana, and recast the sleeping spell on Sunny.

She could feel the remaining twinge of Caster's magic inside Sunny, but it didn't fight Twilight as she cast her spell. If she had to guess, there was enough magic in the spell for Sunny to sleep three days as it was now. It'd be easy enough to undo the sleeping spell once all of this had passed over, so for now Sunny was safe.

With her friend's comfort taken care of, she stepped out of the guest room, closed the door, and enhanced the sealing wards on the room. The whole house was protected from foreign magic, but now Sunny's room had an extra layer of thick protection.

That covered everything she needed to do to ensure Sunny's protection. Knowing her friend was safe, she stepped further down the hall and entered her room, finding Saber staring out the window to the backyard. Her leather jacket was gently placed against the end of the bed, but she hadn't changed for sleeping yet.

“Assassin's song wasn't traditional magic, was it?” Saber asked, not breaking her gaze from the window, “To break through the wards of the house without setting them off, that would mean there was more to it than we'd think.”

“If I had to guess, it had some hypnotic effect based on the singing alone.” Twilight shook her head as she undid her ponytail, letting her hip length hair fall to her waist. “Once I was out of range of the house I could tell magic was added, but before I even realized what was happening, I was completely enthralled.”

“A siren's song...” Saber muttered quietly as she put a hand to her chin, “That drastically narrows down the list of candidates of who Assassin could be. There aren't many heroes who can hypnotize with their voice alone, even fewer who can then add magic to their lyrics.”

“Saber...” Twilight spoke up quietly, approaching her Servant, “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Saber broke from her thoughts, looking at Twilight confused, “What do you mean?”

“Did Spike finish healing you? You were injured so badly, and then I suddenly disappeared...” Twilight gripped her arm as she looked away ashamed, “I just... I didn't know if you'd had the chance to fully recover or not.”

“Oh, that.” Saber turned back to looking out the window. “I'll admit... I'm not back at a hundred percent yet. I can still feel several tendrils of Caster's mana squirming around in my body, but it's nothing I can't manage. Even if I stayed in Spike's healing cocoon, it wouldn't heal me all that much faster. What I really need is to just relax and rest up...” Saber paused at her words, mulling them over.

Twilight tilted her head curiously at Saber, still worried, but curious as to what she was thinking about.

“Twilight... How about tomorrow, we take the day off?” Saber gave Twilight a comforting a smile, “Just... Let's forget about the war for a day and just spend the day relaxing and resting. We could even go on that date Flash has been pestering you about.”

“Huh?” Twilight blinked in confusion, uncertain she had heard Saber right. “You... YOU, want to take the day off from the War?”

“A lot has happened in the last week Twi, both of us could use some rest.” Saber crossed her arms as she spoke with a smile, “I need to still recover from Caster's magic, you've been stressed out and hurt several times. We can go to the heart of Canterlot where it's the busiest and just spend the day there. No Master or Servant will bother us, and with everything we've learned about the other participants, I doubt they would do anything to stop us.”

“Saber?” Twilight hesitated, feeling a weird disconnect from Saber's words and her emotions, “Are you... Are you sure that's what you want to do?”

“I think that'd be in the best interest for all of us.” Saber nodded. “The war is taking so much out of us, that we could use just one day like that. For me to recover, for you to rest, and I'm sure Spike would enjoy the time off too. So let's do it.”

Twilight felt a little uncertain. Saber had been the one who had been pushing to continue the war so hard in the first place, and now here she was saying they should take a break from it. The war wouldn't just stop for them to take a day off either, but she did have a point that none of the other Masters or Servants would dare to try anything in broad daylight or in a huge public area.

She also couldn't deny that another day away from the war would be wonderful. They had gone to the party, but everything since then had just been one thing right after another. And now with her brother thrown into the mix, she didn't know what was going on inside her head.

“Alright...” Twilight finally agreed, though somewhat reluctantly, “We'll take tomorrow off from the war and spend it having fun.”

“Good.” Saber seemed to physically relax once Twilight had agreed, a smile on her face. “You can ask Flash tomorrow if he's available to hang out with us. If nothing else that'll at least satisfy his need for a date until the war is over.” She walked over and gently patted Twilight on the shoulder before walking past to get the pajamas Twilight had lent her.

Twilight had an uneasy feeling about Saber's words. It didn't feel like Saber actually wanted to take the time off from the war, but rather was forcing herself to. As if she wasn't making the decision for her own benefit, but for the benefit of those around her.

If that really was the case, then Twilight was going to do her best to make sure that Saber had fun tomorrow. Something was bothering Saber, though she didn't know what yet, and she was going to do her best to make things right.

She owed at least that much to Saber.

Chapter 9 - Love in the Middle of War

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Twilight stared at her reflection in the store's display window. She wasn't satisfied with her hair, she hadn't been for hours. She swept the bangs to one side, trying to get them to look just right. They stubbornly fell back into place, in defiance of her actions. She let out a huff of annoyance as she brushed at them again, trying to get them to cooperate.

“Twilight, stop fussing. You look fine.” Saber chided like she was a parent observing her child. She couldn't help but find Twilight's antics adorable and amusing.

“I can't help it, I always get detail orientated when I'm nervous.” Twilight groaned, moving her hands away from her bangs and gripping at her skirt. “I've never been on an actual date before! What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say? Is my hair alright? Do I have too much makeup on? Not enough? Am I supposed to take the lead? Is he? Do I let him pay for everything? Do I-”

“Twilight.” Saber interrupted, placing her hands on Twilight's shoulders. “Relax! You look great, you spent long enough making sure of that. Things will go just fine. Flash seems like a pretty laid back guy, I'm sure the moment you asked he couldn't wait for school to finish so he could come straight here.”

“You really think he'll come straight here?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Well, he might stop at home to freshen up first, but there's no doubt in my mind he wants to get here as quickly as possible.” Saber chuckled, gently reaffirming her grip on Twilight's shoulders. “Just relax and enjoy yourself. This might be the only day you get to after all.”

The reminder of their situation did help Twilight put things into perspective for the moment. Compared to nearly dying several times in the last few days, a date seemed almost trivial.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling her nerves calm down finally. She looked up at Saber with a genuine smile, finally feeling good about the day.

“That's my Master.” Saber grinned, patting Twilight's shoulder. “You can do anything you put your mind to. You just need to be confident in yourself, that's all!”

“I guess you're right.” Twilight nodded, before a soft blush formed on her cheeks. “Though I doubt I'd be this strong if it wasn't for you here. You really do help push me to achieve things I never would have on my own.”

“Ah, you give me too much credit.” Saber grinned, “You would've been able to achieve great things on your own. You just didn't know it yet.”

Twilight couldn't agree with Saber's outlook, but she decided not to voice that opinion. Twilight had spent a lot of time alone in the Sparkle manor studying and practicing magic all by herself, and it had barely amounted to anything. She had lived a solitary life alone for so many years, just living day by day, struggling to achieve even small feats of magic. The only thing that had kept her alive for so long was the idea that she needed to not let her parents have died in vain.

The only reason she had gotten this far in the war was because she had Saber by her side. Even if she had somehow summoned a different Servant she had her doubts about how long she would have lasted in this war. She could easily see herself having died to Lancer's spear, or in Berserker's grip, or in Caster's trap, or even to Assassin's song. And even if she had survived all of that, if it wasn't for her loyalty to Saber, she might have accepted her brother's ultimatum.

Saber was the one who had stuck by her and helped her during her weakest moments, who pushed her to be stronger, and was the reason she was alive right now. She owed everything to Saber, and that wasn't something she could ever replicate on her own.

So, instead of saying anything, Twilight turned back to the window and stared at her reflection. She would at least try to take Saber's words to heart though, to simply relax and just let whatever happens on the date happen.

Though she still wasn't satisfied with her hair at all. She brushed the bangs to the side, trying to get them to her liking. They just fell back in place, eliciting a small groan of frustration from her.

“Twilight! Saber!” A familiar male voice called out, breaking Twilight's attention from her reflection.

The two of them were in the middle of Downtown Canterlot, on a busy street that had people milling about constantly. Stores of all types lined the edges that were brimming with people. It was one of the busiest streets in the city, and also often used as a meeting spot for people looking to spend the day downtown.

Approaching them with a wave and a smile was Flash, making his way through the crowded street. As Saber had guessed, it looked like he had stopped at home after school had let out to at least freshen up. His hair was neatly combed back and he was wearing one of his best casual outfits without going too formal.

“Sorry if I took too long, I got here as soon as I could once school let out.” Flash apologized with a smile, “School's definitely not been the same without you around Twilight.”

“Well, you know how it is, life's just been difficult lately,” Twilight tried to brush off just how much she'd missed. “Once I'm back to full health and everything's taken care of, I should be able to catch up on everything I've missed.”

“You sure you're okay to go on the date then?” Flash raised an eyebrow curiously, “I don't want to push you into anything if you're still not feeling well.”

“I'll be fine,” Twilight genuinely smiled for him, “I'm the one who asked you if you wanted to do the date today after all.”

“That's true, I'm still having a hard time believing we're finally doing this.” Flash chuckled softly as he rubbed the back of his head. “So uh, what'd you two want to do for the date? I'm up for anything if it's with you.”

“Well, Twilight was telling me that Canterlot has an amusement park set up close to downtown, and I thought that'd be a great place to spend the day!” Saber explained, a happy grin on her face.

“That'd be a perfect place to spend the day, for sure!” Flash agreed with a smile, “Are we all in agreement on that?”

“I haven't been there in a few years, not since Spike took me when we were both still kids. I'd love to go again.” Twilight gave her approval.

“Awesome! Sun Land Park, here we come!” Flash happily exclaimed.

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

Sun Land Park was a whirlwind of lights and sound as the group entered the park. Even in the middle of the week the park was seemingly packed with people milling about, moving from concession stands to waiting in ride lines to playing mini-games for prizes. There was the loud roar of screams in the distance from the park's roller coaster and go-karts, music from different rides mixing in the middle of the roads, and the constant barrage of conversations from the mingling crowd.

It was all incredibly nostalgic for Twilight, though it also seemed a little overwhelming now. The throngs of people, the lights and sounds, even the scents of the park were making her a little dizzy in the head. It was a very different feeling from when she had been a kid enjoying the park with her parents, or even enjoying the festivities with a close friend like Spike.

“This place never gets old for me.” Flash's voice managed to break Twilight out of her dizzy spell, giving her something to focus on. “Though since this is your first time here, is there anything in particular you want to do first Saber?”

“I've really never been to an amusement park before, so honestly all of it looks interesting.” Saber looked around at the different rides, an excited smile on her face. “Though I'm being particularly drawn towards the thrill rides. The roller coaster looks like a lot of fun.”

“I can recommend this coaster too,” Flash grinned, looking over at the twisting mass of steel. “Every time I come here I make sure to ride it at least once. It's a ton of fun.”

“I uh, I've never been on a roller coaster before.” Twilight awkwardly chuckled, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt.

“Well that's perfect then! You and Saber can experience a coaster for the first time together! It'll be fun!” Flash said excitedly, with Saber turning to look at Twilight excitedly. Twilight gulped, her nerves flaring up. The reason she'd never gone on the coaster was that it had scared her as a kid. It was well established at this point that she did not do well with heights.

She did try to put it into perspective in her mind though. At least a hundred people per day rode the coaster, and they were all still alive and well. The fear would be generated in her head, and if she could survive jumping off a roof with Saber, she could probably survive riding on a roller coaster at least once.

“Yeah, sure, sounds like fun.” Twilight nervously chuckled, forcing a smile to her face. She didn't want to disappoint either Saber or Flash after all. How bad could it be?

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

Twilight sprinted to the nearest trash can, dunked her head past the rim, and lost what little food was left in her stomach.

“I never knew you were so motion sick Twilight.” Flash said in surprise.

“There, there, feeling better?” Saber asked comfortingly, gently rubbing Twilight's back.

“Ugh, sorry.” Twilight groaned, taking the napkin Saber was holding out for her and wiping her mouth. “I thought I'd be fine, but apparently my stomach had other plans.”

“No need to apologize for that,” Flash smiled reassuringly, “We'll just do something easier for the next ride to give your stomach time to calm down.” He said as he turned to look at the nearby rides. “How about the Merry-Go-Round?”

Twilight lifted her head, taking a look at the ride for herself. The line wasn't too bad, the ride was slow and gentle, and it was playing a fairly simple tune. She glanced back to the roller coaster she had just gotten off and felt her stomach do another flip in protest.

“Yeah, the Merry-Go-Round sound good right now.” Twilight nodded, tossing the napkin away. Saber gave her back one more rub before the three of them made their way over to the ride.

The wait was shorter than they expected and Twilight quickly found herself climbing onto a rigid plastic unicorn, wrapping her hands around the pole piercing it's torso. The ride had the horses fairly evenly spaced out, with three to a row. She was in the middle, with Saber and Flash to her sides. Once everyone had been seated on the ride, the ride began and the playful music started up once more.

It had been years since she had last ridden the Merry-Go-Round, but the ride was just the same as she had remembered it. The horse began to gently bob up and down to the music while the ride spun in a circle, the motion putting a smile to her face.

It was a nostalgic feeling, riding the ride after so long. The last time she had ridden it was when Spike had taken her for one of her birthdays at least five years ago. And before then, she remembered riding it with her parents and brother, the four of them sitting as close as possible and enjoying the ride together.

“Now hold on tight Twily,” her brother said sitting next to her, “the horse will go super fast!”

“It does not!” Twilight puffed her cheek pouting, gripping the pole tightly. “You're just trying to scare me!”

“Well if you're such a big girl I'm sure you can handle yourself.” Her brother chuckled as he sat on his own horse next to her, “But if you need me I'll be here.”

Twilight stuck her tongue out at him, showing her disapproval. Before anything else could be said, the ride lurched a moment, making Twilight nearly jump from her seat. The ride started moving and the music started playing, and she gripped the pole tight.

The amusement park moved around her as she rode, taking in the sights as the music played. A big smile formed on her face as she giggled in glee, enjoying the ride. Her brother looked at her with a smile, as the both of them enjoyed the ride together. She wouldn't say it to him out loud, but she was having so much fun.

“Hey, you okay Twilight?” Saber's voice broke her from her memory. Twilight blinked a few times before turning to look at her servant, who was tilting her head curiously. “You were spacing out something fierce.”

“Ah, sorry, I was just being nostalgic.” Twilight chuckled softly with a soft blush on her cheeks. “I've only been here a handful of times, and one of those times was back when my family was still together. So I just... I was remembering those days.”

Saber was quiet for a moment, just watching Twilight as the ride gently spun. She thought over what she wanted to say, before giving Twilight a comforting smile. “Hey, there's nothing wrong with remembering the past, but don't forget to make memories today too. We came here to forget about everything and enjoy ourselves, right? So try to focus on that for now.”

Twilight blinked at Saber, just taking in what she said for a moment. She gave a small smile and nodded her head, “You're right Saber. I'll focus on making today great, for both of you.” She then turned to look at Flash on her other side, who turned and looked at her with a smile.

“Having fun?” He asked curiously.

“Yeah, the Merry-Go-Round was always one of my favorites.” Twilight smiled warmly, letting herself enjoy the ride. “Hey, do you want to get something to eat after this?”

“Your stomach feeling better now?” Flash asked curiously.

“Yeah, it's feeling better now.” Twilight nodded, “I guess it realized how empty it got and now it's asking to be filled again.” She awkwardly chuckled as she gently rubbed it.

“Sounds good to me then. I'm buying though.” Flash winked with a grin. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle.

“You might want to reconsider once you see Saber's appetite.” Twilight smirked back at him.

“Oh come on, how bad could it be?”

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

“-Three hot dogs, a large popcorn, two large sodas; no ice, two large pretzels, two corn dogs, three-” Saber continued to list off her large order to the teenager working the concession stand. The teen was having difficulty keeping up, doing their best to keep the order straight on the register while their partners were flailing around making sure they got everything prepared right.

Flash stared at the scene with his mouth slightly agape, his hand hovering over his wallet

“I did try to warn you.” Twilight softly chuckled. Flash looked down at his wallet in despair, already envisioning moths flying out of it. He was broken from the illusion when Twilight's hand gently touched his arm. “It's alright Flash, I know you wanted to pay for both of us, but it's probably for the best if I pay for Saber.”

“I came expecting to spend money, but I certainly wasn't expecting an appetite like that.” Flash shook his head as he looked back at Saber, who was eagerly eying her tray that was having more and more food piled onto it. “I can still pay for you though. I have to do at least that much, my chivalry demands it.” He raised a clenched fist to his heart as he proclaimed those words.

“Sure thing Flash,” Twilight couldn't help but smirk at Flash's cheesiness.

As soon as the clerks were finished carefully piling up Sunset's food, Twilight stepped up and pulled out her debit card to pay for it. While Twilight wouldn't call herself rich by any means, she had been living off of what remained of her parents inheritance since she was a kid. She had learned very quickly how to optimize her monetary needs and how to keep it earning enough interest so she wouldn't run out. And even then, her biggest expenditures were on food and the occasion magical item she needed. She was very strict about her spending budget.

But for days like this, she didn't mind splurging a little. Especially when she got to see Saber smiling so brightly at her meal.

With Saber's meal taken care of, Twilight ordered her own meal. Much to Flash's relief, it was just a simple burger and fries with a drink. He ordered a double of her meal for himself and paid for the both of them.

“So, do we know where we're sitting?” Twilight asked, taking a quick look around.

“Since you haven't been here in a while, you're in for a bit of a treat. Around last year Sun Land Park thought about providing some entertainment to people while they ate. They set up a stage in front of an eating area where people can perform music or plays.” Twilight tilted her head and saw that they were indeed heading towards a medium sized stage with a fairly large amount of tables in front of it. Only about half of the tables were full that day, most of the attendees eating while casually looking back up at the stage.

“Sometimes the park pays for bigger names to play or act on the stage, and they can really draw a crowd when they do. But during down times like today people can offer to perform something if they want, so long as it's approved beforehand.” Flash grinned brightly as he placed his tray down on an empty table, “I've even had a chance to play up on the stage with my band. Not a huge crowd, but it was still fun nonetheless.”

Glancing at the stage once more, Twilight could tell that there was indeed some kind of performance taking place right now. Though it wasn't a band singing or even actors performing some play, but rather a puppet show. A smaller stage was hiding the puppeteer as the miniature figures bounced and bobbled to a story for everyone's enjoyment.

The three placed their meals on the table and Saber wasted no time digging in. Flash couldn't help but stare at the voracious appetite, wondering where the girl managed to put all of it. Twilight softly giggled in amusement at Flash’s expression before taking the first bite of her burger. She had to admit, she was having fun so far. Sure she had puked after the coaster, but if she looked past the sheer rising terror at the idea of getting back on it, the ride had been fun while it lasted. It was a wonderful contrast to the days she'd been having, and she was looking forward to having more fun after their meal.

“I'll not let you destroy my country villain!” A triumphant female voice called out from the stage, catching Twilight's attention. She looked up, curious as to what kind of show was being put on display, but nearly dropped her burger in surprise.

The lead puppet was a woman glad in golden armor, with fiery hair and piercing green eyes. The puppet then launched into an epic sword fight with its opposing actor, a puppet clad in dark armor. If Twilight remembered correctly, it was the final battle of 'Knights of the Sun Queen', though she had never seen an interpretation that was so... for lack of a better word, cute.

The two puppets smacked two tiny wooden weapons together in what was meant to be an epic clash, the small bits of wood projecting the sounds of their battle surprisingly well. What confused Twilight the most was just the fact that she was watching this at all. What were the chances that on this particular day, this puppet show would be performing that particular story? The odds seemed astronomical.

The puppet battle didn't last for very long, with puppet Sunset finally landing the final blow on the puppet in dark armor, but not without sustaining an injury of her own.

“You've doomed this country to chaos Sunset.” The dark figure laughed, “You truly seek its destruction.”

“You're wrong Artemis. You were the one plunging this land into chaos. With you gone, order can finally be restored.” Sunset's voice spoke with a grave seriousness, betrayed only by the cute smiling face on her puppet.

“You'll never know though, will you?” Artemis chuckled one last time before his puppet fell over.

Twilight couldn't help but turn to look at the real Sunset that was sitting next to her. The puppet show hadn't escaped her notice either, and her eating had slowed as a result. As the puppet show began to wrap up it's final scene, Saber gently shook her head before returning to her meal. Twilight wanted to speak up, to say something, but she wasn't sure what to even say. Not to mention, she couldn't reveal Saber's true identity in front of Flash. She decided that it was best to leave it alone for now, and took another bite from her burger.

“Enjoying the food?” The question caught Twilight be surprise as she looked up at Flash.

“Huh?” She meekly responded.

“I was just asking if the food was good.” Flash raised an eyebrow curiously, “You were hungry a moment ago but you aren't really eating.”

“Oh, no, sorry, I just got distracted.” Twilight forced a grin to her face and awkwardly chuckled, before taking a bite out of her burger. “Mmmm, delicious!” She forced out as she ate. It really did taste fine, she just didn't want Flash to worry.

“If you say so.” Flash relented, a little confused by Twilight's actions, but decided against pushing the issue.

Twilight turned her attention back to the stage, watching as the curtains fell on the performance and the few people that had been watching gave the show an applause. From behind the puppet show emerged a woman that looked to be in her late twenties with strikingly vibrant red hair against an alabaster white skin. A dark brown jacket adorned her shoulders, opened down the middle to reveal a striped pink shirt with a belt tied around her waist and long magenta pants.

The woman gave a courteous bow to the audience, before stepping off the side of the stage. Twilight couldn't help but stare at the woman. There was something about the woman that felt strange to her.

Had she met the woman before? No one that looked like her sprung to memory, but there was the nagging feeling that she recognized the woman from somewhere.

The other thing she felt sent a chill down her spine. It was as if the woman had no presence whatsoever. It was like she wasn't even there, a ghost walking amongst the living. She hadn't even realized how much she was staring at the strange woman until she stopped next to their table and looked her way. Twilight felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as the woman looked at her with a complacent smile.

Then the woman's eyes turned to looked beside Twilight, and her eyes widened in surprise. Twilight blinked and looked back at Saber, who was staring back at the woman. Twilight didn't see any anger or surprise in Saber's eyes, but it wasn't a natural stare. It was as if Saber was staring down a predator that was currently pacified, but could pounce in surprise at any moment.

“My goodness,” The strange woman smiled brightly, placing a hand against her cheek as she spoke, “Has anyone ever told you that you bear a striking resemblance to the Daughter of the Sun Goddess?”

“...I've heard that before, yes.” Saber said blankly, not wanting to tip her hand but also not reveal any weakness to the woman.

“It truly is uncanny.” The strange red-headed woman chuckled, admiring Saber for a moment longer. “Thank you for giving me the chance to meet someone like you.” The woman then gave a quick bow to Saber, before turning and continuing to walk away from the stage area.

Twilight didn't feel her nerves calm down until the woman turned a corner and disappeared from sight. Once she was gone, she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

“Well that was weird.” Flash furrowed his brow, still looking in the direction the woman had gone.

“Weird indeed.” Was all Saber responded with before returning to her food.

Twilight stared down at her own burger in thought. She couldn't explain what she had felt from that woman. She didn't have any mana, so she couldn't have been a Magus or a Servant, but at the same time she felt... Otherwordly. And she still couldn't get over the strange feeling like she had met her before.

“I think I know where we should go once we finish lunch,” Flash said with a grin after finishing another bite of his own food. “It's easily one of my favorite parts of this place.”

“Oh? Where's that?” Twilight asked curiously, pushing the thought of the woman out of her mind for now.

“The arcade!”

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

The arcade was a bustling hub of noise, lights, and sound that made it difficult to understand someone even if they were standing next to you. Several rows of games were lined up and people of all ages were gathered around them playing every type of game imaginable.

Accompanying all of the sounds of gameplay, chatting, and clacking of joysticks, was the loud pulsing beat of music coming from one specific machine. Flash was in front of the machine right now, stomping his feet on the giant gamepad. Arrows flashed up the screen in time with the song, and Flash was doing his best to hit each of them in turn. Despite a few slip-ups early in the song, he had a decent combo going and he'd gotten into his groove with the song.

In short order the song ended with one final stomp of Flash's feet, and the small crowd gathered around the machine clapped for him. He turned to the crowd and grinned, soaking in the attention.

“Huh, interesting,” Saber spoke as she examined the machine. “So it's a game about pressing the pads in rhythm to the beat? Certainly looks like fun.”

“Would you like the next turn?” Flash asked, offering the machine to her.

“Well, what about you Twilight? Would you like a turn before me?” Saber turned to her Master with a smile.

“Oh, no, that's much too energetic a game for me.” Twilight waved her hand with an awkward chuckle. “I'll just watch. It's just as fun for the spectators too.”

“Well, if you insist.” Saber said in understanding, before slipping off her leather jacket and handing it to Twilight, “Do you mind holding onto this while I have my turn then?”

“O-Oh, no, of course not.” Twilight said, feeling her cheeks heat up with a blush. She found herself staring at Saber's shoulders as she took the jacket, her eyes then wandering down to the valley of cleavage at the front of Saber's shirt. She'd almost forgotten how revealing Saber's outfit was without the jacket. It took her a moment to realize she was staring before her eyes snapped back up to look at Saber's face, and saw the proud Servant merely grinning at her knowingly. Twilight's felt her face flush harder before quickly looking away, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Saber didn't comment before turning and stepping up to the machine as Flash stepped down. A couple males in the audience let out a few whistles of appreciation at Saber giving them a show. Saber quickly began to look through the list of songs, looking for any song in particular that stuck out to her. Twilight couldn't help but watch with fascination, wondering just how well Saber was going to do.

Saber stood, a cock to her hip, one hand resting on it, a smirk on her face, and confidence oozing from her aura. The machine paused for just a moment to load up her song choice, and then the screen lit up with a colorful image and the opening beats to the song began to play. Then the first few arrows scrolled onto the screen, Saber lifted her foot, twisted her hip, and with perfect timing began to play.

The crowd was immediately in awe as Saber began to flawlessly play the song in perfect rhythm. It was like watching a dancer perform a routine they had practiced all of their life. Her hips swayed with each stomp of her feet, her hair danced and twirled with her movements, and with each successful hit the game made a satisfying confirmation of Saber's growing combo.

Twilight stared transfixed, her eyes drawn to the beautiful woman dancing before her. It was like a scene out of a dream, watching a beautiful woman put herself on display like this. Twilight couldn't help but notice how full Saber's hips were as they swayed seductively to the beat. In a display of showboating, Saber even spun around and struck a few notes blindly before spinning back around for a heavy section.

Twilight had been too distracted with the sight of how perfectly Saber's full and perky bust had bounced to the beat.

Saber's impressive display had not been lost on the audience either, as the earlier cheers and whistles had grown in intensity now. Twilight was still aware of just how many people were watching Saber at the same time she was, but somehow it felt like they were a thousand miles away. It felt like in that moment the only things that existed was her and Saber. Watching the beautiful woman dance was more entrancing than she could have ever imagined it being.

And just as quickly as it had started, it ended with the final stomp of Saber's legs. Saber let out a triumphant breath as she put a hand behind her neck and gave her hair a quick flip. The audience let out another cheer of approval, having thoroughly enjoyed the display.

“Encore! Encore!” A random audience member shouted as a challenge.

“You want me to do another one?” Saber asked curiously to the crowd. She was met with a cheer of approval. She couldn't help but shrug her shoulders with a smirk, before turning to pick another song to play.

“She's a natural at this, isn't she?” Flash couldn't help but chuckle, turning to Twilight.

“Yeah, she really is...” Twilight said in a bit of a stupor. She couldn't take her eyes off of Saber the whole time. She was captivated by the woman who stood before her, the one who called her Master.

Twilight didn't know what it was she was feeling, but it was something she had never felt before. She couldn't describe it. There was a heat to her face, a flutter in her chest and stomach, and a weakness in her knees. There was something about Saber that was doing something to her...

She just didn't know what that was.

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

“It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?” Flash spoke up, staring out the window of the Ferris Wheel's car door. The sun was starting to set over the edge of the city.

“Yeah, it is.” Twilight said, staring off into the sunset. It was just her and Flash in the Ferris Wheel car, Saber having decided to sit this one out so the two of them could have some time together before the date officially came to an end.

“Did you get to do everything you wanted to do?” Flash asked curiously.

“Pretty much everything I like to do here, and some new experiences too.” Twilight softly chuckled, squeezing her hands together in her lap. She couldn't help but feel some of her social awkwardness spilling out into this situation.

She knew this was supposed to be a date for the two of them with Saber tagged along, but she didn't really think that she'd been all that great as a date partner. She'd had fun, sure, but had the date been everything Flash had been hoping for? She had no way of knowing.

“Saber is something else, isn't she?”

“Huh?” Twilight was broken from her thoughts by Flash.

“I didn't really know what to expect from us taking her out with us, but she'd certainly been full of surprises.” Flash chuckled leaning back into the car's seat. “And you and her get along pretty well too. Any time you were feeling down she had your back. It feels like you two have been friends for years as opposed to just a few days.”

“You really think so?”

“Definitely. You two seem to know a lot about each other and trust the other without hesitation.” Flash chuckled at that, “For instance, at lunch. She went ahead and just bought all the food she wanted trusting that you'd have her back on paying for it. Or on the coaster, you were able to get on it because she had your back. You two are so close, I'm almost jealous.”

Twilight blinked, unsure of what to say at first before turning to look out at the setting sun. She hadn't even realized it herself, but everything Flash had said was true. Flash didn't know everything the two of them had been through together in the last few days, but he still had a point. Were those short experiences really enough for her and Saber to have connected in the way they had? To know each other so well over a few short days?

She liked the idea that it was possible, that her and Saber were connected so closely to each other like Flash suggested. It made her feel warm and happy on the inside, knowing the Saber truly had her back and that Saber could trust and rely on her.

It wasn't a feeling Twilight was accustomed to. She was so used to being the weak link in any of her social circles that having someone that truly knew her, trusted her, and had her back felt... Nice.

“I guess we do, huh?” Twilight chuckled, shaking her head lightly. “I just hadn't really realized it until you pointed it out though.”

“The two of you are pretty remarkable,” Flash smiled, “I can't help but admire what you two have.”

Twilight couldn't help but give a short chuckle herself at that. She stared out at the sunset with a smile on her face.

It had been a good day for her.

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

As Twilight walked up to her front door, she had to admit that the day had gone far better than she had expected. All of her anxiety and trepidations about going on a date that she had from the start of the day had all melted away and she couldn't help but have a smile on her face as she walked up to the door.

“So,” Flash spoke up, stopping short of the door with a smile, “Would you call that a successful date?”

“I guess so.” Twilight gently chuckled, turning to look at Flash with a smile of her own.

“I'll head in inside for now so you two lovebirds can say goodbye to each other.” Saber smirked at the sight of the two of them, before heading inside and closing the door shut behind her. Twilight felt her cheeks flush at Saber's comment, but couldn't think of any witty retorts.

“I gotta say, I was really surprised when you finally agreed for us to go out Twilight,” Flash rubbed the back of his head with a smile. “You kept putting it off so much that I was starting to think you really weren't interested. So I'm really glad I got to have this chance to hang out with you.”

“It was a fun day, I don't think I could've asked for a nicer break from all the stress in my life,” Twilight smiled back. “If nothing else, it was nice to relax.”

“Well, I don't suppose then...” Flash started blushing as he stepped a little closer, “That we could possibly do this again sometime?”

“A second date?” Twilight thought about it, “I guess that'd be alright. Would give us more time to get to know each other, right?”

“Yeah, I'd like that.” Flash couldn't hide the happiness from his face. He gently reached out to grab Twilight's hand, an action that was a little lost on her as she felt his fingers gently grip her.

“So uh...” Twilight fidget on the spot, not really sure what to do next, “Are we... Supposed to kiss or something?” She tried recalling what she'd read about dating during her research preparation for the date. A few of them had suggested that if the date had gone well, that a kiss was a good way to show interest for a second.

“If that's what you want.” Flash couldn't hide his grin as he stepped in a little closer. He was terrible at hiding his enthusiasm for the idea, as he'd likely been dreaming about it for a while.

“Couldn't hurt?” Twilight awkwardly chuckled as she looked up at the boy who was mere inches away now. Flash couldn't help but smile brightly, as he brought his hand up to cup her cheek. He then slowly leaned in and closed his eyes, Twilight following suit, before his lips pressed against hers.

Something felt amiss though. She had expected some sort of spark, or a flutter of the heart, or the heat on her face to increase, some sign that she was enjoying the experience of Flash's lips pressed against hers. Instead all she really felt was the feeling of skin against skin, but focused on her lips. There was a faint, musky scent that she could smell and taste as he leaned into her that wasn't exactly appealing either.

She pulled back from the kiss, blinking a little in confusion. Her experience with the kiss was so different from anything she had read from the books on the subject that she was seriously thrown for a loop. Everything was pointing in the right direction after all. The date had gone well, Flash was genuinely a great guy, she had enjoyed her time at the park, all of the pieces seemed to be in the right order.

So why wasn't she feeling anything?

“Twilight?” Flash asked curiously, breaking Twilight from her stupor.

“Oh, uh, huh?” Twilight blinked in return, realizing she had missed anything Flash had said.

“I was asking if you were alright, you kinda spaced out there.” Flash chuckled with his ever present goofy grin.

“Oh, yeah, I'm...” Twilight blinked as she tried to process her thoughts. Maybe there was some variable that was off? It was entirely possible that things weren't as correctly aligned as she thought, and what she needed was to test for more variables. “Uh, this... This might sound a little weird...” Twilight couldn't help but blush in embarrassment at what she was about to ask, “But uh... Could we, maybe, do that again?” She sheepishly asked.

“Uh, sure,” Flash gave an awkward chuckle at the request. “We can do that as many times as you like, I'm willing.”

Twilight couldn't help but internally roll her eyes at that statement, but leaned into him for another kiss. She closed her eyes and felt the pressure of his lips against hers once more. She was picturing Flash in her mind, but she still wasn't feeling any real connection with the kiss. Something was really off and she couldn't place her finger on it.

The book said that if she was kissing someone she truly liked, that something would happen. She liked Flash just fine, but maybe she needed to try something else? So, with Flash still pressing his lips against her, she imagined the first person that came to mind that she was closest with.

An image of Saber appeared, her eyes dripping with seduction aimed her way. Her shirt was lopsided, one of the shoulder slipping down her arm while even more of her cleavage was being exposed to her. She crawled up to Twilight, wrapped her arms around her, and pressed herself against her in a tight, passionate embrace.

Twilight's eyes snapped opened, her face heated and flushed at the very thought of it. Her hands instinctively shot up to Flash's chest and gently pushed back, the boy opening his eyes in surprise but quickly broke the embrace in confusion.

“Twilight? What's wrong?” He asked, very concerned that he had done something wrong.

Twilight felt herself lightly shaking, her breathing growing ragged as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Her legs refused to hold her weight up any longer and she stumbled into a sitting position. She brought her knees to her chest and curled up on the front step of her house, struggling to accept the realization she'd had about herself.

“Twilight? I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?” Flash quickly bent down to one knee next to her, gently placing a hand on her back. The motion was soothing, but it did little to ease her mind.

She was thinking back to every moment in her life when it was seemed so obvious, that this is how it had always been for her. She had always been so easily flustered by her friends when she was hanging out with them, but never when they were gossiping about boys. She always had to hide her embarrassment while changing in locker rooms as she knew she was likely to stare at the others changing. Shopping for bikinis or underwear had always been such an ordeal because she couldn't help but picture how they looked on other girls.

The truth had always been right there in front of her and yet she hadn't even realized it this whole time.

“Twilight, come on, speak to me.” Flash pleaded, doing his best to try and seem comforting. Twilight gently shuddered, realizing what she had to do next. She lifted her head up, tears brimming at the edges of her eyes.

“...I'm sorry Flash...” She quietly muttered, before turning back to stare at her knees.

“Sorry? Sorry for what?” Flash asked confused and worried. Twilight just sat there quietly, unable to say anything for several moments, before swallowing the lump in her throat.

“...I think I’m...” She said quiet as a mouse.

“You think what?” Flash asked leaning closer, not hearing her well.

“I think I'm gay.” Twilight said louder this time before burying her head into her knees. “I'm sorry... I... ” Was all she could mutter out. Flash was stuck in a state of shock for the moment, still processing what he had heard. He was stone still, before falling into a sitting position next to Twilight. He blinked several times, the words echoing in his head.

He turned to properly sit next to her, the both of them facing her front yard now in silence together. Flash was trying to think of what to say, how to respond, having never expected the date he had always dreamed of going on Twilight with ending this way. He ended up scratching the back of his head in confusion, looking for the right words.

“I just… I’m not sure what to say…” He rubbed the back of his head as he tried to gather his own thoughts. “You really had no idea until just now?”

Twilight quietly shook her head in response. “I just... I'd never really thought about romance at all...” She lifted her head and rested her chin on her knees, staring out into space. “With my condition, I just assumed no one would be interested, so I never really thought about anyone that way...” She let out a sigh and lowered her head, “Not that there weren't signs though... I just didn't put the dots together until now...”

“So... All those times you didn't show interest in dating...” Flash mumbled as he stared up to the night sky, thinking things through.

“I just thought it was my nervousness about being romantic with anyone...” Twilight shook her head. “I'm sorry Flash... I didn't mean to lead you on...”

Flash rubbed the back of his head again, grimacing a little at the news. “So... The reason you asked to kiss again was to confirm your feelings? And you don’t have any sort of attraction to me? At all?” Twilight felt a grip on her chest. She didn't want to hurt Flash, but she didn't want to lie to him either.

“I'm sorry...” Was all she could muster as she buried her head again.

“Well that's... Disappointing.” Flash muttered, finally starting to realize that his dream of dating Twilight was coming to an end. The two of them sat there quietly for another a moment, the thoughts whirling through Flash's mind about the whole situation. Twilight felt awful about the whole thing, feeling like she had single-handedly shattered Flash's heart into a million pieces without meaning to. She wouldn't blame him in the slightest if he hated her from that day forward.

What she didn't expect, however, was to feel his arm wrap around his shoulders and embrace her in a comforting half hug. She blinked back some of the tears forming in her eyes and turned to look up at him.

“Well, I won't lie and say I'm not a little heartbroken at the realization, but...” A smile formed on Flash's lips as he turned to her, “You can't change who you are, right? If anything, I'm at least glad I could take you out on a good date before you realized it.”

“You're not mad?” Twilight asked a little confused, having fully expected Flash to retaliate in some way.

“Not mad, no.” Flash shook his head with a smile. “Honestly, it actually kind of explains something I noticed while we were on the date.”

“What's that?”

“You would have these moments between you and Saber where you would just, light up,” Flash poorly demonstrated by trying to smile brightly. “I was honestly a little jealous that she could elicit such a reaction out of you, when I was trying my best to do the same. But, now that you've realized that about yourself, it kind of makes sense.”

Twilight blinked at Flash for a moment, before turning to look back out into space. He was absolutely right. Anytime she'd felt her heart flutter, or her cheeks heat up, or felt a sense of longing, was anytime her and Saber had a moment together. Not to mention, now that she wasn't denying her feelings anymore, she had lost track of how many times she'd ogled Saber's body. There really was no denying it.

She was falling in love with Saber.

Twilight let out a groan of embarrassed frustration as she buried her head into her knees again, her face flushing with heat at the thought of her servant waiting inside.

“Hey, who knows, maybe she'll like you back Twilight.” Flash smiled, gently squeezing her shoulder. “I may not be the one to steal your heart, but I can still wish for you to be happy at least. And from what I've seen, Saber seems genuinely awesome and nice. I'm sure if you tell her your feelings, the worst that'll happen is she won't return the feeling but you'll still be friends.”

“If you only knew the half of it.” Twilight grumbled into her knees. Flash didn't even know a fraction of the full story between them. A master and a servant in a relationship? That was something that had to be doomed to failure.

“You never know if you don't try,” Flash chuckled softly. “And hey, even if you're not interested in dating, I'm still interested in at least being friends. If you need any help, I'd be willing to try.”

Twilight let out a contented sigh and lifted her head, looking up at Flash with a smile. “Thanks Flash. Honestly? If I was straight, you'd probably have made a great boyfriend.”

“I'd call that a successful day for me then!” Flash grinned brightly. “It's probably about time for me to be heading home though,” He said, standing up and dusting himself off. “There's certainly no need to rush your feelings Twilight. You just realized this about yourself, so there's no need to dive into the deep end just yet, so take some time to think about how you feel. And if you need to chat you can always call me.” He gave her a reassuring smile, “See you when I see you then?”

“I guess so,” Twilight chuckled softly. “I'm not sure when I'll be returning to school. Hopefully soon.” Flash nodded his head in understanding. Then with a final wave of his hand he stepped into his car and drove off into the night.

Twilight sat on her front step for a few more moments, letting her thoughts calm down. When she went back inside she'd have to confront Saber again, and she had no idea how she was going to deal with her newfound feelings.

She was falling in love with the servant, that much she couldn't deny anymore. But saber WAS a servant, and that meant she had a single solitary focus on winning the grail. And once the grail war was over, she'd return to the aether she'd been summoned from.

The one who wins the grail can make any wish their heart desires and have it granted.

Twilight's eyes opened wide as the conditions of the grail war flashed through her mind. This entire time she had been fighting in the grail war as a matter of survival, and ensuring that someone like Starlight Glimmer or Lancer's Master didn't get their hands on the grail.

But the grail was an omnipotent wishing device. If she so desired it, she could win the grail, and wish for Saber to be reincarnated into this time period. It was possible for them to live a happy life together. And all she'd have to do was win the grail war.

“I would prefer it if my Master was the one who summoned me, but I have my reasons for participating in the war.”

“If I had my way, I would be the one getting the guaranteed victory from this partnership. After all, I have a reason to seek the grail, and I don't intend to yield it to anyone else.”

Saber's words echoed through her mind next. She had almost forgotten that even if they did win, Saber had a wish all her own. It was the desire to realize that wish that kept her so dedicated and loyal to the fight at hand. That desire that drove Saber to protect her master so fervently.

Twilight hadn't even thought of asking Saber what her wish was before. Since she had no wish of her own, she had been more than complacent with fighting to end the war as quickly as possible and ensure that one of her allies got the wish.

But if she wished for Saber to stay in this time period, would Saber be happy with that? Would she even return Twilight's feelings? Would that be asking for Saber to give up her wish in exchange?

There were too many variables that Twilight didn't know, and a lot of them revolved her own feelings for Saber. Unless she knew exactly what Saber's thoughts on the matter were, she couldn't simply resolve to make a wish that might leave Saber unhappy. She wasn't so selfish as to not consider what Saber would want.

But that would mean she'd have to ask what Saber's wish was. And about how the servant felt about her.

It wasn't going to be a fun conversation, just thinking about it made Twilight grimace, but it was one that was going to have to be had.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she finally opened her front door and stepped inside. Spike looked up from his seat on the couch, having been reading a book. He gave her a warm smile as she walked in.

“You certainly took longer to come back in than Saber did,” Spike couldn't help but chuckle as he turned back to his book. “Having fun with Flash out there?”

Twilight felt her cheeks flush at the insinuation before letting out an exasperated breath at Spike's teasing. “We just talked for a while Spike, that's all.”

“From what I hear, it was a pretty important first date for you,” Spike couldn't help but chuckle. “So did everything turn out the way you'd hoped it would?”

“I don't even know what I hoped for during the date Spike.” Twilight shook her head, running a hand through her hair as she made her way to the stairs. “At the very least it didn't end the way I expected it to.”

“That a good thing or a bad thing?” Spike raised an eyebrow confused.

“I'll let you know once I've figured that out for myself.” Twilight said as she finished climbing the stairs. Spike was confused at Twilight's reaction, but she was out of earshot before he could respond.

Twilight stood outside the door to her room, hesitating to enter. She knew Saber was most likely inside, waiting for her. Saber had likely changed into her pajamas for the night too. Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat, realizing she was going to be spending another night sleeping in the same bed as her crush.

Twilight buried her head in her hands as she let out a quiet groan. Her quiet nights had suddenly just gotten so much more complicated, she wasn't even sure if she was going to be able to get to sleep tonight.

A quiet slap echoed in the empty hallway as she smacked her cheeks, steeling her resolve. She was only delaying the inevitable now, and it was time to stop putting it off. Gripping her doorknob tightly, she opened her bedroom door and stepped in.

“Hey Master,” Saber said smiling from her spot on the bed, “Did you have a good time with Flash?”

Saber was sitting reading her book, dressed in her pajamas and half tucked into the covers like usual, yet somehow this time the image was so much more... surreal. Her crush was waiting in bed for her, and now that she realized it, she almost couldn't process the image.

“Twilight?” Saber's voice spoke up, breaking Twilight from her trance. Twilight shook her head, and rubbed the back of her head giving an awkwardly chuckle in response.

“Well uh... You see... the thing is...” Twilight fidgeted as she felt her face heat up, her feet shifting uncomfortably. “Flash and I... We sorta decided to just stay friends.”

“Really?” Saber blinked in surprise. “Huh... I thought the date went pretty well. You two seemed like you were hitting it off pretty well too.”

“Oh, you know, sometimes you just don't realize how you feel until you do something.” Twilight tugged at her shirt as she stared down at the floor. She felt like she was a middle schooler desperately trying to hide a secret and failing miserably at it.

“Hm... I suppose that's true.” Saber tilted her head in thought as she looked away. “You're not too disappointed, are you?”

“Oh no no, it was pretty mutual honestly! We'd make great friends, but pretty lousy dating partners.” Twilight waved her hand with an awkward laugh. She wondered if Saber could see how red her face felt at the moment. “I'm just going to quickly get changed into my pajamas now and get ready for bed!”

With a speed that would make rider blink in surprise, Twilight grabbed her nightwear and rushed into the bathroom slamming the door shut behind her. She leaned against the bathroom door, taking in several deep breaths to calm her beating heart.

'Well that could have gone better.' Twilight chastised herself as she buried her face in her clothes. There was no way Saber didn't notice her strange behavior, though if she was lucky she would just write it off as post date nerves or something.

As Twilight changed into her nightwear, she realized that getting into the room had definitely been the easy part. Now she was going to have to deal with the reality of actually getting into bed with Saber. It was far from the first time they had shared a bed together, but now it felt so different. It felt like she was going to be intruding on Saber's personal space before having permission to do so. Saber had said repeatedly that she didn't mind sharing a bed, but back then Twilight didn't have feelings for her.

Love really liked to complicate things tremendously.

Twilight looked at herself in the mirror, looking herself over in a way she hadn't in a long time. Her hair was a bit frazzled but now hung freely down her back. The thick rimmed glasses on her face weren't flattering in the least. Her nose was small and pointy, her lips were almost nonexistent, her frame was way too skinny and bony. Not to mention, there was still the network of incredibly unattractive web-like scars covering her back.

She was not a girl that one would look at and expect to be attracted to. She certainly believed so at least.

Even if Saber was willing to have feelings for her, even if she was willing to remain in this world with her, would she really be attracted to this scrawny, mousy girl with so many emotional and physical issues? It was a lot to ask of anyone, let alone a magical servant from another plane of existence.

Shifting uncomfortably in the quiet bathroom, Twilight wasn't sure what to do. The only thing she could do was play the whole situation by ear and see where it went. At the very least, she had to learn what Saber's wish was before the end of the war was in sight. Once she knew that, she could make a decision easier.

Tonight probably wasn't the best night to ask though, not with her own emotions running rampant inside her. The smartest thing to do would probably be to try and get some sleep for now.

With one last deep breath, she opened the bathroom door and stepped into her room once more. Saber looked up at her with a smile before returning to her book. That put Twilight at ease somewhat. She wasn't sure what she'd do if Saber bombarded her with questions or accusations.

Stepping up to the edge of her bed, she stopped and stared down at the sheets. Suddenly, the simple act of slipping into her bed felt as intimidating as staring down Berserker. It felt like the bed might leap out and attack her, or touching it might cause the universe to become misaligned, or that she'd ruin any chances of Saber liking her forever.

“Something wrong?” Saber asked curiously, looking at the frozen in place Twilight.

“O-oh! Uh,” Twilight fidgeted, laughing awkwardly as her hands fumbled around with each other, “I-It's nothing, really. Um...” Twilight rubbed the back of her head and sheepishly smiled as her cheeks burned red, “I-Is it okay if I, uh, j-join you in the bed?”

“Well of course you can,” Saber chuckled. “It's your bed Twilight. I thought we'd already gotten past this.” She shook her head with a smile before turning to look back at her book. “Besides, if anyone should be asking permission, it's me.”

“Right, right, that makes sense.” Twilight nervously laughed again, before swallowing a lump that formed in her throat. Knowing she had permission now, she reached down and pulled her sheets aside, before slipping into bed.

Saber's warmth permeated the bed and made it so much more comfortable than it normally was. There was a weight and a presence to having Saber right next to her that she didn't have a few weeks ago that made her feel safe. It was like she was floating atop a bed from a dream and she never wanted to wake up from it.

She rested her head against her pillow and pulled the sheets up to her chin. She tried to stare up at the ceiling to distract her thoughts and get to sleep, but her mind was racing far too much to get comfortable enough to sleep.

“What's on your mind Twilight?” Saber asked, putting her book down on the bedside table.

“N-Nothing!” Twilight squeaked out, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to will herself asleep.

“Doesn't look like nothing to me.” Saber said, laying down on her side and turning to look at her master. Twilight turned her head, her cheeks blushing crimson as her eyes met Saber's. “If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but you're certainly acting a lot more jumpy tonight than you usually do.”

“R-Really? I hadn't noticed.” Twilight to brush it off with a laugh.

“Mmm...” Saber murmured, not believing Twilight for a moment. “I guess I won't pry for the moment, but try to get some sleep, okay? We never know what might happen tomorrow, and you should be prepared for that.”

“R-Right.” Twilight nodded at the sobering reminder.

“And if you need anything, I'm here for you.” Saber gave a comforting smile, before turning over and turning off the light. The room fell into the darkness of night and Saber got comfortable on her spot on the bed. Twilight was staring at Saber's back, admiring the girl's slender shoulders and mess of fiery hair. It did little to ease her mind, but the view was nice.

Twilight stared for a few moments, before turning over herself and putting her back to Saber's. A warm smile was spread across her face and she could still feel her face flush with excitement. It might not really mean anything to Saber, but sleeping in the same bed meant so much to Twilight at this very moment.

Twilight closed her eyes and sank into her bed further, pulling her covers up to her nose. While it lasted, she was going to enjoy the feeling of having Saber by her side. She never wanted this feeling to go away.

She could only hope that Saber felt the same way.

Fate/Equestria Girls

by SamRose

Chapter 1 – As Far From Normal

Chapter 2 - One Day of Peace

Chapter 3 - To Fight for the Grail

Chapter 4 - The Balance Between Life and War

Chapter 5 - Parties and Plans

Chapter 6 - Old Friends, New Enemies

Chapter 7 - As the War Rages on

Chapter 8 - Regretful Reunion

Chapter 9 - Love in the Middle of War