FateStay night: Across Time

12

Shirou awoke in the middle of the night. His arms felt hot. Must be because of his overexertion today. He stood up and went to the water bowl on the table under the window. He put his arms in the water. He sighed from relief. When his arms had cooled down, he went to the dining room. The fire was almost out, so Shirou trew another log from the pile in it and sat himself in front of the fire.

Suddenly door opened and a servant entered. "Oh, Shirou. I am sorry for disturbing you."
"It's alright. I had a little trouble sleeping, that's all." Shirou stretched his arms out. They still felt hot, but it was not unbearable. "Busy with on the late night shift, I see... Uh, what's your name?"
"Nicholas, Shirou. I came to check on the fireplace." He looked at the fire place. "But it seems you have already done so. I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience."
"It's alright, Nicholas." Footsteps could be heard from the hallway. The next moment Merlin entered followed by a female servant.
"Ah, Shirou. Couldn't sleep either, I see." He walked passed Nicholas, giving him a pat on the shoulder while passing and stopped before Shirou.
"Ah, Elsa. How are you tonight?" Nicholas asked bashfully. His cheeks were turning red.
"Good. Thank you, Nicholas." She smiled, equally bashful. "Eh... the headmistress is searching for you. She wants you to help out at the pantry." Shirou had to smile when he saw the two of them talking to each other. Then Merlin snapped his fingers and Shirou shifted his attention towards him.
"Let me guess. You're arms are feeling rather hot." He smiled a bit from exasperation. "That's what happens when you overdo it. Here, drink this." He handed him a vial with some light blue liquid.
Shirou coughed after he drank it. "Yuck. So bitter."
"It will help you recover faster. It will be better in the morning." Merlin stood up and started trough the door. "I bid you good night." Merlin stopped in front of Elsa. "My dear child, would you like to accompany me for a while?" Merlin asked with a little to friendly-looking smile.
Elsa clearly felt what Merlin's intentions were. "Maybe for a little while. But no funny things, alright?" Elsa warned. Merlin accepted, smiling mischievously. He will certainly try.
"Good night." Nicholas said as he closed the door. When Shirou noticed how Nicholas was glaring at Merlin's back, he had to suppress a grin.
The next morning, Shirou was eating his breakfast in the mess hall, his bow was resting against the table. His arms were no longer burning. Merlin's potion had clearly worked. Though they felt a bit stiff, Shirou reckoned it would not be of much hindrance.
"Good morning." Shirou turned around. Tristan with his usual melancholic expression and Gawain, with a goodhearted smile. "Did you have a good night's sleep?" Tristan asked. Shirou nodded in response. "That is good to hear."
"Shirou, Mordred and Merlin wanted us to tell you that the training will be canceled today." Gawain informed him,
"Really? That is convenient, cause I was planning to test out the bow today." Shirou was a little eager to test how powerful it was. He had planned to ask leave from Mordred, but it looks like that is no longer necessary. "Did they say why it was canceled?"
"Not really. But I know it is because Mordred and Agravain had something really important to tell." Gawain said with a brooding, even worried expression.
"In any case, Shirou, we expected you to want to test your bow out today. So we got up early and prepared a little something for you." Tristan replied cryptic. Gawain had stopped his brooding and grinned. "Would you accompany us?"
"Sure. Give me a sec." Shirou quickly finished his plate and cleared the table. Then he followed them to the stables. There stood three horses ready. They carried saddle bags with rations and quivers. Two of them had bows on them.
"We have prepared some targets on the wide plains, the seas of grass. After that we will go for some hunting." Tristan explained. "Now then. Shall we go?"
"Yes. Let's go." Shirou said enthusiastically. Soon they had arrived at the plains and when Shirou looked around he saw a few targets standing at different distances. "This is the place?"
"Indeed." Gawain and Tristan dismounted. "Don't look so disappointed. These are not the only targets." Gawain pointed into the distance. Shirou strengthened his eyes and saw several more targets standing on the next hill. At least a thousand meters further.
"Uhhh. Hey, hey. There is no way we can hit a target from this distance with a bow." Shirou was clearly stunned. "It would require a rifle to hit something at that distance."
"You are mistaken, Shirou. It is true that one cannot hit such a target with a 'normal' bow. However, let us not forget that your bow is not a normal one." Tristan's tone was one of amusement. "According to Merlin, it should be easy with this bow." Shirou looked at the targets in the distance nervously. Are thy really expecting him to hit those targets from here?
"Shall we begin?" Gawain clasped his hands together. He and Tristan took their bows and quivers. Shirou followed their example. "Who shall be first?"
"Since we arranged this for Shirou, I say he should go first." Tristan suggested.
"True. Alright, Shirou. You are first." Gawain conceded. Shirou took position in front of the target. The target was made from hay, supported by wooden beams. Pretty standard. Then Gawain and Shirou noticed Tristan's bow. A completely normal looking bow. They looked at each other in questioning.
"Is there something wrong?" Tristan inquired. Both shook their heads.
"Okay then. Let's give it a try." Shirou readied his bow. He raised it up and nocked the arrow. Then he drew it as he brought the bow down again. Typical Japanese archery style. He aimed for the target. It stood approximately twenty-five meters away. Shirou felt power welling up inside the bow and arrow. He let the arrow loose.
The result was stunning. The arrow was launched with tremendous power. Shirou was certain that it had just broken the sound barrier. And when the arrow hit the target dead center, it was simply blown apart. The arrow continued further until it buried itself in the next hill.
They all whistled in unison. "I don't think this bow is really suited for hunting." Tristan commented with a dead serious expression.
"Agreed!" Shirou and Gawain responded in unison. They looked at each other, then they burst into laughter. Well, Gawain did and even the usually sad Tristan. Shirou merely smiled.
"Maybe you and Tristan should go first from now on." Shirou suggested.
"Good idea." Gawain took his bow and aimed for the next target, which stood at twice the distance of the previous one. "So Shirou. Do you know what went wrong?"
"I am not sure. When drew, I felt energy flow through the bow." Shirou pondered. Gawain let loose and hit the target near the edge. "I think the key is to adjust the amount of energy using my magical energy. Maybe if I focus on it. Considering the distance, that was a pretty nice shot, Gawain."
"Argh. I am not really fond of using a bow. And Tristan is master," Gawain grumbled as he stepped a side to let Tristan take his shot.
"True enough. We are knights. Fencing is our bread and butter. But knowing how to use a bow is still necessary." Tristan commented as he took aim. "Just as all living things need water, so does any decent army need archers." Tristan loosed the arrow. He hit the target dead center. "Alright. Your turn again, Shirou. And try not to destroy the target again." Tristan patted Shirou on the back. "A piece of advise: Think of nothing but your bow, the arrow and the target."
"I'll try." Shirou sighed as looked at the target and took aim. He reinforced his eyes as he aimed. When he drew, he felt the energy well up. Shirou didn't let the arrow loose yet. He focused on the bow, on the flowing energy.
Concentrate. Try to adjust the bows power. He could feel the energy lessen. When he deemed the energy low enough, he fired. The arrow flew with tremendous speed at the target and hit the target dead center. It pierced the target up to the feathers. Shirou smiled at his successful shot.
"Well done, Shirou." Tristan nodded in approval as he and Gawain applauded. "Marvelous shot."
"Indeed. And the target is still intact too. If it goes like this, you should have a good feel for the bow before the evening." Gawain commented enthusiastically.
They practiced a few more hours on the first group of targets. Tristan hit the second and third target, which stood at one hundred meters distance. With perfect accuracy. Gawain hit the second target reasonably well, but missed the third almost all the time. Shirou, in the meantime, was getting more and more accustomed to regulating the bow's power. He hit all the targets dead center, not missing once.
"That was some fine shooting." Tristan declared as he drank some water from his flagon.
"Speak for yourself." Gawain was a little disappointed by how poorly he did, compared to Shirou and Tristan. "Well, it was to be expected. I have never been good at archery." He sighed. "Now that we had some practice … . Shirou, why don't you try using the bow's full power?" Gawain suggested as he pointed towards the targets on the next hill.
"Why not? Let's see what it can do." Just how powerful will this bow prove to be? "Here I go." Shirou nocked an arrow and drew. He upped the power a little and reinforced his eyes.
"By the way, Shirou. The way you draw your bow. It's not like we are familiar with." This question was on Tristan's mind for a while now.
"Ah, yes. This is the traditional Japanese style of archery." Shirou explained.
"It's elegant like a swan." Tristan praised it. Shirou loosed the arrow. Again it flew to the target with tremendous speed, breaking the sound barrier. The target was not entirely destroyed, but there was a serious hole in the center.
"Did you hit it?" Gawain asked. He and Tristan could not use magic, so they could not strengthen their eyes in order to see far distances.
"I did. The arrow blew a hole in the center." Shirou marveled at the result, since he knew he didn't use it's full power. "I am going to try to unleash it's full power." He decided.
"Ohh. That is something we want to witness. Right, Gawain?" Tristan patted Gawain's shoulder. Gawain nodded firmly. Their faces were now showing pure excitement.
"Alright then." Shirou scoured the distance. He noticed a large bolder which was approximately four kilometers away. The furthest distance at which Shirou was able to distinguish things with his strengthened eyes. "That bolder over there." He pointed.
"We shall have go and see the result up-close later." Gawain shook his head.
"That would be best, yeah." Shirou grinned sheepishly. Then he put up a serious face. He nocked another arrow and took aim. He focused on building up power within the bow. At one point, the bow began to feel warmer as the energy build up. Shirou reckoned he was nearing the limit. So he stopped building up power before the bow became too hot to hold.
"Ready?"
"As we'll ever be." Gawain responded. Shirou exhaled and fired. The arrow blasted trough the sound barrier. And when it reached the rocked, it hit with such force that the arrow simply exploded, leaving a large crack in the rock behind.
"Well?" Tristan asked, bursting with curiosity.
"I think the arrow exploded from the force of the impact." Shirou was unsure, since he couldn't see it clearly from here. "Shall we go take a look up close?"
"I guess it's necessary." Gawain replied. He was already sitting the saddle. Ten minutes later, they had reached the bolder. When they saw the large crack in the bolder, they could only bring up a dumb grin of amazement.
"Incredible." Gawain whispered. They dismounted. As they scoured the ground around the bolder, they found bits and pieces of the arrow. The shaft was reduced to splinters, but they could not find the tip.
"Did you find the tip already?" Gawain asked.
"Not yet." Shirou replied. Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait! I think I know where it is. Come here."
Tristan and Gawain walked up to Shirou, who stood in front of the rock. He was trying to peek inside the crack.
Tristan and Gawain looked at each other. "Do you really think ...?" Gawain questioned softly.
For a moment, a ray of sunlight lit up the inside of the crack and Shirou saw the glimmer of metal deep inside of it. "I no longer think. I know it now." Shirou looked at them with a broad grin. Then they all started laughing.
They had originally planned to go hunting after the shooting practice, but after Shirou's demonstration, they were satisfied. So they returned to Camelot after eating their rations. It was afternoon when they almost had reached Camelot.
"That was some fine shooting. The power of that bow is truly tremendous." Tristan was impressed.
"I know. Look we are almost back. What do you think? Does it equal Failnaught?" Gawain looked at Tristan curiously.
"In terms of range it most certainly does." Tristan was struggling thought about it. "In terms of destructive power not so much. I would like to talk about something else." Something Shirou had said came to mind. "Say, Shirou. There is something I would like to ask you. Something about what you said earlier."
Shirou looked at Tristan. "Sure, go ahead."
Tristan nodded. "What is a rifle?" Shirou was a little surprised at the question. But more because he had expected it sooner.
"Hmm. I would like to know too." Gawain had forgotten with all the excitement from Shirou's demonstration.
Shirou scratched the back of his head as he tried to figure out how to explain it. "Well, it is ranged weapon." He began. "The basic principle is simple. You have a metal tube with one side closed off. The bottom is filled with an explosive powder. Then a projectile is put in. When the powder is ignited, the explosion hurdles the projectile through the tube with great force."
"Sounds powerful." Gawain commented.
"It is. In my age, it is the basic weapon for all armies in the entire world." Shirou continued.
"Interesting. How fast can one shoot with them? How far?" Tristan was really eager now.
"Well, that depends. If you are talking about small arms, that is those that are man portable, they can shoot … ." He paused for a moment as he thought. "When it comes to range … anywhere from close up to more than 2000 yards."
"Impossible!" Gawain replied stunned. "One can not distinguish anything from that distance."
"Normally that is true. But have you ever heard of lenses?" Shirou inquired.
"Lenses? Yes, of course. They allow one who's eyesight has deteriorated to read better." Gawain put his index finger and thumb close together and held them in front of his eye.
"Indeed. Lenses can also be used to created tools which can allow one to see things from great distances."
"I see." Gawain nodded in understanding.
"And as for how fast they can fire, some can fire hundreds of times for every one time a skilled archer can fire a bow." Tristan whistled. "The projectiles are also many times faster than arrows. So I hate to say it, but if you should ever face someone carrying a gun, which luckily will never happen, you would do well to take cover. Otherwise you'll be filled with holes before you can even reach him."
"The way you explain it, it seems to be a formidable weapon." Gawain sounded displeased. "And a cowards weapon."
"I can't really agree with that. Because then you could consider everybody who has ever used a ranged weapon a coward." Tristan replied shaking his head. "I take that the natural the principle was also applied to the artillery?"
Shirou nodded. "Indeed. The principle was first applied to artillery. They are called cannons and they can hit targets many miles away. Later models could fire projectiles that exploded on impact."
"Devastating." Tristan could only imagine what it would be like.
"True. There was this one war in which artillery played a truly massive role. During this war, there were artillery barrages so intense that they changed the entire landscape. I saw some historical images. The artillery shells created fiery explosions that dig deep craters into the ground. And should you get hit, or even if the projectile hit a couple of meters further, your body would be torn to pieces, if not disappear entirely."
Tristan and Gawain were accustomed to war, but what Shirou told them brought a shiver down their spine. Shirou had to shiver himself.
"But it took a long while before they got that sophisticated. When gunpowder reached these lands, that is the name of the powder that made those weapons possible, which was I think in the fifteenth … or was that fourteenth century? Not sure. They did n't knew how to make a proper weapon at first." Shirou reassured them. "I know that the first cannons were made by bell-makers. They would fire a stone or iron projectile and took very long to reload. They also had a fair chance of exploding in your face. Nevertheless, when the cannons appeared the castle wall became obsolete. Weapons like the catapult and trebuchet were the first to be replaced. The bow and arrow still remained active for a long time, since it took a several centuries before a man-portable gun could somewhat compete with it."
"Sounds like wars will change drastically in the future." Gawain made a difficult face. When they finally arrived at the village they saw that it was almost in an uproar.
"What is going on here?" Tristan said cursing. They were shocked to see the village in such chaos. Tristan dismounted and grabbed a villager by the arm. "What is happening?" Tristan asked urgent.
"Ye haven't yet heard then, sir?" The man sounded agitated. "Word has just spread. It has been revealed that the Queen has been unfaithful to the king."
"What?!" Gawain rode next to them. Shirou too, was shocked, but not surprised. "That can not be. Are you saying the queen has had an affair?"
The man nodded fiercely. "Ay, Sir! And what is worse, the one she had an affair with was none other than Sir Lancelot!"
Tristan released the man and looked at Gawain. His expression showed clear denial and confusion. This can not be true. It could not be true. For Gawain too, it was inconceivable.
"Back into the saddle!" Gawain urged Tristan. As soon as Tristan was back in the saddle they rode towards Camelot with all speed. When they arrived, they immediately noticed the charged and tense atmosphere.
When they arrived at the throne room, they found Merlin. He turned around as they entered. They all looked at him with questioning eyes. Merlin nodded. His eyes full of sadness. "I take it you would want to speak to the king about what has happened."
They all nodded. Merlin sighed. "Follow me." They followed Merlin silently as they made their way to the library.
"How was it discovered?" Gawain asked silently.
"Mordred and Agravain discovered it and subsequently revealed it." Merlin replied sadly. "Guinevere is currently imprisoned in the dungeon."
"How? How did this happen!?" Tristan knew the reason. The king doesn't understand how others feel. But still it was quite the shock.
"Oh, I reckon there are a number of reasons. One of them being love. I always stress the importance of love, but it can cause ... unwanted situations." Merlin shook his head. "The king is planning on pardoning Sir Lancelot."
Inside the library they found Ector, Kay, Bedivere, Galahad and Arturia seated at a table. The atmosphere was heavy.
"Ah, Merlin. I see that you brought sir Tristan, sir Gawain and Shirou with you." Arturia spoke calmly. Her face was completely calm, not showing any emotions.
"I have been thinking about the current situation, but I have the feeling that you have already made your decision." Merlin replied. Arturia merely nodded.
"Lady Guinevere will be executed within four days." Bedivere declared heavily. The others remained silent. Kay just stared at the table with a sad and exasperated look in his eyes. Ector was frowning and Galahad was just not sure how to react.
'Executed?!' Shirou turned pale at those words. He thought back of the time he spend with Guinevere. While they had only spoken with each other on a few occasions, he found her a gentle and kindhearted person. It was simply wrong! Was there nothing he could do?
"Does she have to be executed? Is there no other way?" Shirou asked uncertain.
"Shirou. Adultery is already a serious matter, which is punished harshly when it comes to the common people." Gawain explained. He looked sad, but also angry. "But since lady Guinevere is the queen, it basically amounts to high treason." Shirou looked at Gawain and then looked at the others, at a loss for words. "I hear it was Sir Lancelot who courted the queen. Is this true?" Gawain gritted his teeth.
"Unfortunately it is." Ector declared with a deep sigh. "A truly regrettable fact."
"Sir Lancelot. How dare he." Gawain muttered with clenched jaws.
"Enough. This meeting is adjourned." Arturia declared calmly as she stood up.
"Then I will take my leave." Gawain saluted and started to leave the room. As did Tristan, who felt disheartened from what just happened, laid his hand on Shirou's shoulder.
"Shirou, you should go too." Tristan said softly.
"Does it have to be this way?" Shirou blurted out. It was wrong to execute Guinevere and Shirou was determined to change the king's mind. "Arturia, I know you feel the same about this. As the king you surely can ..."
"Shirou!" Ector interrupted him. His eyes were filled with sadness. "We all feel sad about what has transpired, but it must be done."
"He is right, Shirou." Gawain's voice was trembling slightly. "As sad as it may be, it is the law." He sighed and then left with Tristan following him.
"Still I won't accept this. Your highness. We both know why this happened, therefore you can't do this. I know you don't want to do this, so please ..." Yes. This happened because Arturia was forced to hide her gender. Shirou knew that. It was obvious when you think about it. So it is partially her fault too.
"Shirou, I am the king. And as the king I have to be the first one to follow the law." Arturia showed no emotions. Not in her expression, nor in her voice. "Further more, it also means that I cannot let my personal feelings get in the way. What is expected of me is my decision as a king, nothing else."
Merlin laid his hand upon Shirou's shoulder. "My king, are you certain about your decision? Perhaps we can come to a different solution."
"I am sorry, Merlin, but it has to be done." Arturia stood up and left without saying another word.
"It seems that the king will not change his mind." Merlin said with a sad voice.
Some time later. Shirou was sitting on a bench in the terrace garden. The execution of Guinevere. He knew this to be a part of the legend. If he remembered correctly, Guinevere shall be saved by Lancelot. Indeed, during the execution Lancelot shall storm the execution and save Guinevere. And several knights shall lose their lives.
"Hoy, Shirou." Shirou turned around. There stood Mordred, waving casually as if nothing was wrong. "Judging from your expression, I reckon that you know of what has transpired." Mordred sounded content.
"Why? Why did you do it?"
Mordred tilted his head and sighed from annoyance. "The queen had an affair with sir Lancelot. It was something that could not be forgiven. It was the right thing to do. And to be honest it was Sir Agravain who revealed it. I was merely present." Shirou could not help but notice the sneering mixed inside her voice. Then Shirou realized, somehow, that this was done in order to hurt the king.
"Do you resent Arturia that much?"
Mordred fell silent for a moment. Then he responded with a cold voice. "I do."
"Mordred. Does Guinevere have to die just so you can satisfy your hatred?" Mordred remained silent. Shirou could feel his gaze piercing him. "You know I come from the future, right? I know of the legend of king Arthur and which part you play in it. During the short time I spend with you, I can tell in the very least that you are not an evil person. So why?"
"Because I hate him. The perfect king? Ha, I am the only one who is fit for the throne." Mordred's voice trembled slightly. "Shirou, since you know of my father's legend, you also know of what will happen. I don't harbor you any ill will, but I warn you not to interfere. This neither your country nor era. I say this because I have taken some measure of liking to you." Mordred's voice had become calm again. He turned around and left. Shirou looked as he walked off. He reckoned that Mordred must be carrying a lot of anger with him.
After a while Shirou went to make a stroll through the castle until he arrived on the roof. The roof was merely a large rectangle space bordered by ramparts. He kept thinking about what would happen in five days. There must be something he can do? Then he suddenly spotted Lancelot on the far side of the roof. He was gazing at the sunset.
"Sir Lancelot." Shirou called out to him. Lancelot turned around. His face expressing only sadness.
"Shirou. How are you?" His voice was likewise filled with sadness, but was nevertheless surprisingly calm. "How can I be of service to you?"
Shirou hesitated for a moment, not really knowing what to say. "Actually, I wanted to help you. And the queen too, of course. Do you know of a way by which we could change the king's mind?" Lancelot merely smiled sadly.
"I am afraid not."
"Look we both know that Arturia would not want to execute her either, but she just keeps denying her own feelings. We should try to prevent her from doing something that she will come to regret." Shirou was hoping Lancelot might know of a way.
"I doubt the king will change his mind." Lancelot's tone indicated that he had already resigned himself to it. Then his voice suddenly grew heavy with grief, "I tried, but I could not stop myself from loving Guinevere."
"Sir Lancelot. You are planning to rescue the queen from the execution, are you not?" Shirou knew the legend, thus he knew what will happen during the execution. Lancelot looked at him, mildly surprised. "Lancelot, let us try to free the queen before the execution." An idea was forming in Shirou's mind. And he believe that it just might work, ... with a little luck.
"You want to rescue her before the execution? How? We would have to fight all the guards and knights in the castle." Lancelot smiled faintly. "I appreciate what you are trying to do, but the only way I can think of is to free her during the execution, when there is a clear escape route." Lancelot walked to Shirou and laid his hands on his shoulders. "You are a good person, Emiya Shirou. You should keep your distance from the execution platform when the time comes." And he left. Shirou gritted his teeth in frustration. Why is everyone accepting this?
"I wont let this happen." Shirou declared. He was determined to prevent the execution.