Chapter 85

Shirou decided that Arturia was not really good at keeping a secret away from him. She was difficult to read for other people, but to him who had known her since they were young, it was all too easy. The manner in which she could barely hold his gaze with her own was telling. She only ever did that when she was feeling guilty or she was in the wrong, almost like the time he'd caught her with her hand in a cookie jar he explicitly told her not to eat from in their childhood. This event occurred on the day Sir Ector had pressed him to stop feeding Arturia too many sweets that would negatively affect her diet. Of course, Arturia was not too thrilled with the idea, but Sir Ector was adamant, hence the cookie jar incident.

Child Arturia had pilfered the sweets inside when she had thought that no one was around only to be caught by him mid-action. A cookie had been half-stuffed into her mouth as her right hand was already in the process of fishing for another one. She even had the gall to speed up her consumption rate as he approached, stuffing her mouth full and then shying from his gaze when he glared down at her in chastisement. She'd had crumbs on her lips and cheeks, making it impossible to deny her fault, but deny she did.

Her poker face was one of legend even in her childhood, but he'd already known what to look for. Her face was not as expressionless as she thought. Here and there, there'd be a flicker in her eyes, and a subtle biting of her lower lip. Also, if he stared at her long enough, she'd always be the first to give if she wasn't on the side of reason. Her body language though, was perhaps the most honest. Wearing her armour, it would be difficult to see, but when not in her armour, it was clear that she was fidgeting.

It was the same back then as it was now.

Arturia was carefully avoiding his gaze, but the way she fidgeted every now and then was impossible for him to miss.

The day's events were over; the gamble between Gale and Edgar coming to a close in Shirou's victory with Shirou and Arturia retiring for the night in their own tent procured by Natalie. Mordred was resting on the opposite side of the room, her eyes shut closed in blissful sleep. Every now and again, Arturia would glance in Mordred's direction, but she always did so when she was sure that Shirou wasn't looking. She gave her word to Mordred and she would keep it.

Shirou and Arturia had just gotten into a bed roll after the day's events and were both staring into a mirror of water which showed both Artus and Annabel sleeping in their crib. The two were wrapped in bundles of cloth while Merlin appeared to be reading them a fairy tail, the contents of which couldn't be heard but would certainly infuriate Arturia to no end if she heard them. Merlin was part Incubus and a womanizer. What he considered child-friendly was far different than Arturia's, and it was this difference in perspective that would directly impact the children's common sense.

Regardless, for Shirou and Arturia who were out fighting for the sake of peace, just being able to see their children safe was enough to give them a peace of mind. With Artus and Annabel in 'good hands,' the two powered down the mirror of water and settled in for the night. They lay next to each other on their bed rolls. Bed's were a luxury out in army camps, and no experienced commander would wish to expend more resources acquiring carriage horses to pull a bed along rather than cargo.

The bed rolls laid side by side, the two of them lay next to each other with their shoulders touching. Neither spoke a word. In Arturia's case, she was thinking about the progression of their current plan. Presently, everything was going well. They'd recruited Gale's help who now recruited Edgar's help after a bet with Shirou taking on Edgar's army. All that was left now was to continue gathering a large enough force to instate Natalie as the ruling Queen of the Saxons.

Arturia pursed her lips. It all sounded all well and good, but the meaning of raising Natalie up as Queen meant civil war for the Saxons, and they would be the instigators. She wasn't one to believe in superstitions, no; actually, she was one to believe in superstitions as she believed in Goblins as a child and saw them first hand later in life as well, but this wasn't the point. The point was the karma of it all. She couldn't help but feel that somehow or someway that their actions would return to them full circle.

Shirou on the other hand was thinking about something completely different from Arturia, namely, what she was trying too keep from him. In his experience, he'd learned that what he didn't know would almost certainly come back to bite him on the ass. This was why it was always best to nip a problem at the bud before letting it fester.

In a single motion, he turned on his side and stared right at Arturia's face, watching the way she stiffened and attempted to face her back to him. It wasn't happening.

He wrapped an arm around her and gently rolled her until the two of them were staring face to face in utter silence. Her hair matted her forehead which he observed had developed a sheen of cold sweat, and the temperature wasn't even that warm today. She was nervous at being caught; of that he had no doubt. It was the same as criminals in an interrogation room whose hands would sweat profusely or whose foreheads would perspire with beads of sweat.

Shirou knew Arturia's tells, which was why he continued to just stare into her eyes rather than speaking. If she was on the side of the just, then she'd have no reason to back down; it wasn't in her character, but if she averted her gaze, it was game over.

…And bingo. There it was. She didn't move her head or turn away her face, but her pupils glanced downwards rather than straight.

"Arturia," his voice caused her to flinch minutely. Due to wrapping an arm around her, he could feel the way she was beginning to fidget.

"Yes?" She tried feigning ignorance, subconsciously batting her eyelashes up at him and hunching her shoulders.

He'd be lying if he said that her attempt wasn't effective, but he managed to maintain the neutrality of his expression. "Arturia, you know what I'm asking."

Yes. Yes, she did, but it didn't mean Arturia would just say what she was keeping from him out loud. "It's nothing," she deflected, her pupils shifting back to stare him in the eyes, but lacking in resolve.

Yeah no; he wasn't buying that.

"Arturia," he said her name flatly again. "What are you hiding from me?" He stared her down knowing fully that the longer he stared the likelier she'd cave. For a moment, it appeared as if she'd speak, her mouth opening then closing as she pursed her lips. However, she glanced at Mordred's direction and then hardened her resolve.

A promise was a promise.

"Who says I'm hiding anything?"

Shirou had to admit that Arturia could be obstinate when she wanted to be; however, he didn't miss the way Arturia had looked towards Mordred. He followed her gaze and hummed in thought. "Is it Mordred?"

The question caused her features to blank which meant he wasn't far off from the truth. He thought of pressing her, and then she went and asked a forbidden question in hopes of changing the subject. She ended up channeling her own curiosity and suspicions into a single trail of thought.

"Why are you asking about Mordred when I'm right in front of you?" She narrowed her eyes impeccably, catching him off guard. "Say, how did you and Mordred first meet?"

Oh boy. Loaded question right there that he had no intention of answering.

Shirou stiffened and automatically hugged Arturia close, effectively distracting her as the temporary change to his physique was more than just visual. It didn't help that he couldn't fit into his own standard-sized clothing and was sleeping half-naked in a kilt. The warmth of his embrace and the tenderness of his touch had Arturia's mind blanking and wandering elsewhere.

Three kids were her current goal, and she was still missing a third.

She was not so subtly ogling him. She was a Knight; she didn't do subtle. Her face was pressed near the groove of his shoulder as her hands began to roam. Sliding out of her bed roll, she squeezed into his own and decided to use him as her bed.

The conversation ended there and then, and Shirou realized he was temporarily fine with this result. Concerned as he may be to what Arturia was keeping from him, he dared not tread through the murky waters of Arturia inquiry.

Some things were best left remembered and never spoken of.

Mordred seemed perfectly fine by morning, but Arturia continued to scrutinize her after getting properly dressed and bidding Shirou fair well in his meeting with Natalie, Gale, and Edgar.

Arturia had woken up with Shirou earlier, and now that he was gone, the only ones left in the tent were her and Mordred who was just now rousing from sleep. Difficult as it was to accept, she and Mordred shared a fair amount of similarities and it wasn't just their features. Stubbornness ran in the family.

"How are you feeling?" Arturia asked, walking up to Mordred's side and offering a glass of water. She watched as Mordred accepted the drink and proceeded to chug the whole thing down like a mug of beer and noted that Mordred would have to be taught better manners in the future.

"A lot better," Mordred replied, using the back of her left hand to wipe the sides of her mouth. "I told you it was just a small fever. I'm perfectly fine."

Arturia regarded Mordred with an air of suspicion that had Mordred falling quiet, her features dimming. "Alright fine, I'm not perfectly fine, but its better than before. It just feels like a dull numbness now so it means it's going away. Is that enough for you?"

Arturia sighed before putting away the tray of breakfast she'd procured from their supplies on a mini-table and sat down beside Mordred. "It's not weakness to admit when you're sick. That was the first rule Papa Ector always said, and I'm sure you know this well enough."

Mordred frowned. Sir Ector was one of the people she held dear and actually listened to without growing brash or defensive. In another time line, it would also be a misunderstanding from Sir Ector that would encourage Mordred to pursue a path to the throne in hopes of getting accepted by Arturia. This just revealed how important a figure Sir Ector was to Mordred.

"The old gramps has nothing to do with this, but fine. I know what you're trying to say," Mordred conceded. "But look, I'm feeling better. Doesn't that count for anything?"

"I suppose it does," Arturia mulled to herself, her arms crossing.

"Then you won't tell Shirou?" Mordred looked almost hopeful.

"…Don't push your luck." Arturia had always maintained her stalwart principles. To consciously lie about matters that concerned the well being of another was already asking for too much. She was the Queen of Knights who upheld honour and chivalry as the uppermost code of conduct. Mordred should know this. Everyone who knew her should know this.

"I'll be telling him later," Arturia concluded, watching the way Mordred deflated, her shoulders hunching and hands balling into fists. It honestly reminded Arturia too much of herself when she thought of the past, but she'd long since matured. "Think of it this way," she offered Mordred a different perspective. "You're getting better right? That means that when I tell him, he'll be aware that you're recovering. This way he won't worry as much. Besides, would you rather him disappointed in us both for keeping this a secret?"

Mordred opened her mouth to counter Arturia's argument, but quickly realized she had no point to make. "Fine, but let's just get this straight. I-It's not like I care about disappointing him or not. It's just that I don't want to drag him down, alright?"

Mordred's words went right over Arturia's head. She was more interested in the fact that a shade of red was crawling up Mordred's cheeks as she floundered in order to not get misunderstood.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?"

She nodded deftly. It wasn't a lie since Mordred's words were entering one ear and out the other. She wasn't betraying her principles.

Mordred was unsure if Arturia was lying or not, but one thing was clear as Arturia soon went to look for Shirou, the smile disappeared from Mordred's face as she winced.

With the feat of a single Saxon standing up against an entire army bare-handed propagating through the land, word had begun to spread about Lady Natalie's re-emergence, and Edgar could not have wished for anything better.

"Forward, march!" Edgar pointed his sword forward while riding on his horse. Behind him was his entire army combined with Gale's. Arturia and Emily were riding on a horse-drawn supply wagon as Mordred and Shirou walked on either side. "We leave for the capital of Essex before making way to the heart of Wessex where Lord Horsa sits upon his throne!"

Revolution was coming to the Saxons, and with it, a path to end the war that had been raging on for years.

"Send the messenger birds! Once we start, there's no going back."

There was a reason that Gale had come to Edgar first out of all Saxon commanders. He had connections that were intricately linked with over half of the commanders of the Saxon armies and Gale knew this.

Sly bastard, but in the end, it was the right call.

"Raise the banners! Favour shines down upon us from the Gods. We will prevail!" Edgar yelled in encouragement.

A chorus of shouts answered his call, reverberating through the air and echoing out for miles. At the same time, a different order was given calling for a sudden division of troops to begin reinforcing fortifications along the Saxon border with the Britons thereby thinning the available troops in the capital.

It may appear a tad underhanded, but true victory was a path of the shrewd that those who fight in the light would never understand.

War never changes.

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Chaldea Alternative Records, Chapter 8

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-Base time human history: Lostbelt confirmed upon a central matrix surrounded by five supporting pillar worlds.

-Recommendation: Early intervention.

Welcome to the data base of the security organization for the preservation of humanity, Chaldea. Current status, limited. Faculties frozen.

Fingerprint, voiceprint, and DNA authentication cleared. Magical Circuit assessment complete.

-Welcome, member of the primates. Please advise.

(-Chaldea Alternative Records-)

Happiness was not an emotion any Arturia often associated with herself; however, it didn't mean that they could not feel it. It was a giddy sensation, something that could have one smiling dumbly to his or herself not caring if anyone was looking. No matter how hard one tired to force the feeling down, true happiness was impossible to keep contained behind stoicism.

Lily was the greatest example out of all the Arturia's. There was a skip to her steps, and she always started the day with a beaming smile, having taken Shirou's words about freely expressing herself to heart. In this regard, even the other Arturia's had mellowed out and softened their indifferent features out of necessity. The harder they tried to act unaffected, the more deranged it looked when the edges of their mouths involuntarily pulled upward. Most surprising of all was when Lancer Alter broke the mask of her indifference and revealed an utterly contented expression. She just didn't seem to care about appearances anymore, and joined Lily's ranks of free expression.

The sight utterly stunned the other Arturias, but for the life of them, Lancer Alter refused to divulge just what happened in her dream world that had her rethink her entire disposition. At times, she'd stare at her ring finger for hours on end, clearly lost in thought. Only Saber Alter seemed to understand Lancer Alter's sentiment, but she'd never admit that a part of her was jealous of her older counterpart's maturity.

The entire overall situation was still unknown to the Arturias, but frankly, even Saber Arturia was beginning to no longer care. Through both her and her Shirou's efforts, she saw her Kingdom prosper such that even commoners would carry enough devotion to wield their scythes and hoes for the sake of the King and Queen. It was a far cry from when she'd been isolated by her own Knights and people for failing to act human.

When Saber Arturia considered this prospect, she couldn't help but grow thankful. She like all her other counterparts had assumed that they'd be put through hell while watching the difference of how life would have been had they crossed an unassuming wheat field. Now though, now they all saw it differently.

Each Arturia had something they called a 'dreamscape,' but was it really a dreamscape?

All Arturias could sense that the world in their dreams weren't just figments of their imagination. They appeared to be diverging branches of a main timeline, one that they suspected was the one being shown to them. In short, each dreamscape was in fact their own world. Sleep was the anchoring point that allowed them entry into said worlds.

It was unnatural, something that tampered with the history of mankind itself, and yet each Arturia found herself realizing that they'd fight tooth and nail against anyone who'd try to harm it.

Saber Arturia was no exception, as the entire situation seemed like a manifestation of her wish upon the Holy Grail but better. This was the kind of world she would die for without question. It was her world, her reality made through her and her Shirou's efforts.

This sentiment was shared by all.

As the days passed, they continued to observe their younger self's thoughts, actions, and motivations.

At times they were confused about how Excalibur suddenly appeared for young Arturia's use, but none of the Arturias thought much of it, as they knew Lady Vivian had favoured them. It wasn't that far of a stretch for the Lady of the Lake to lend a helping hand.

As time passed for young Arturia, the budding sensation of love became increasingly apparent. They watched events now fully knowing that they'd already diverged from the path that their younger counterpart had taken. For example, Saber Arturia had declared her Shirou and her as King and Queen, while the Alters had diverged directly off track from the original timeline.

Regardless of the Arturias divergences, the feelings between two individuals were still the same.

When they watched as Shirou professed his love to young Arturia, and watched the way she reddened and was unable to voice her feelings back even after kissing, Saber Arturia could relate, but watched in confusion as both the Alters clicked their tongues at the show of indecisiveness.

To matters concerning Shirou and the Ashton Slate, all Arturias were paying rapt attention. Even if their paths had diverged, Shirou's eventual need to complete the task left to him by his assassinated family was the same for each Arturia.

Shock was one word to describe how all the Arturias felt when it became known that Shirou's father had been a Fire Elemental who governed over a World Anchor. Irrational fear was the next as they listened to the ramblings of the Evil Dragon Fafnir which were confirmed by Shirou and his Darkness Elemental, Agatha.

Silence.

"I can't accept this," Saber Alter gnashed her teeth, her magic energy flaring around her in disarray. For the first time ever, she looked shaken, almost helpless. She wouldn't admit it, but her Shirou had become dear to her. Irreplaceable. Far more than what her other counterparts could relate with, as her Shirou had chosen her above all…and had proven that no matter how tainted or rotten she became, he'd never stop loving her even when she herself began loathing herself for her own actions. He was the only one. The only one that would never truly leave her side. "I can't accept this! What does this dragon mean that Shirou will be dragged to the Reverse Side!? N-No he can't. I forbid it. Why should I care about how many people die if it means losing him? We'll go to Merlin, the bastard either has a solution or I'll make him have one, and if not then so what? Why should I care if others die when they turned their backs on me first?"

For once, many of the Arturias were either in agreement, or chose not to comment. Only Lily seemed a bit hopeful.

"Agatha said it's not guaranteed that he'll be dragged to the Reverse Side," Lily spoke up nervously, only to get shot down an instant later by a collected voice that only appeared calm on the surface.

"Then why isn't he around in our timelines?" Lancer Arturia said solemnly. "Think about it rationally. Shirou is strong, hardly anything can phase him from what we've observed and experienced, so why wasn't he around?"

Lily swallowed audibly and stared down at the floor. Lancer Alter gave a valid point, shifting Agatha's words in the Arturia's minds from 'it's not guaranteed,' directly to 'guaranteed.'

A subtle shift occurred in the air, as Saber Alter's eyes became blood shot. After this event, was she doomed to be alone again after relishing in the comfort of her Shirou's devotion? She would break. She didn't know if she could handle it.

"I'm not letting him kill that Dragon. I'll stop him myself if I have to," Saber Alter balled her hands into fists so hard that blood began to seep from her nails. She didn't even seem to notice either. "I can't lose him. I won't."

Suddenly, no Arturia could admonish young Arturia for heeding the words of an enemy and stopping Shirou from delivering a killing strike to Fafnir. Not when they themselves may have done a similar action. And then the fighting began anew.

All conversation stopped as they all paid rapt attention to the following events.

In the end, Shirou had convinced young Arturia to allow him to kill Fafnir, thereby bathing in the Evil Dragon's blood and beginning the process of the Ashton Anchor's assimilation with Shirou.

The Arturias breaths hitched. From young Arturia's perspective, all that they could see was Shirou standing motionlessly with no light in his eyes. For a second, terror seized them all just as much as it did for young Arturia; however, Agatha appeared and soothed all worries by saying that Shirou would be fine.

"H-He's alive." Saber Arturia found herself uncharacteristically stuttering, such was the gravity of her relief. "Which means our Shirous will pull through too."

Saber Alter clenched and unclenched her fists, finally settling on turning her face away as the tears of relief trickling down her cheeks was not something that she wished others to see.

Words could not describe the sheer comfort each Arturia felt at the realization that their Shirous would survive, but as if to trample on their hopes, tragedy occurred with the arrival of Efret's beaten form cratering the ground in front of young Arturia.

And then, then came the Witch.

"Morgan?" The name was spoken by all Arturia's at once, all of them carrying an air of trepidation.

No matter which Arturia or which timeline, Morgan always had a hand in the eventual fall of Camelot. This would be the second time seeing her, the first being at the town of Roan which she'd kidnapped Shirou at much to every Arturia's fury.

Seeing Morgan again, and in this kind of situation gave all kinds of ill omen.

Something just seemed to snap in every Arturia's mind as they felt the sheer despair young Arturia endured as Morgan subdued her and proceeded to 'kill' Shirou right in front of her eyes.

Helplessness. Despair. Ruin.

Young Arturia was seeing red, her body pulling on her restraints so hard that she was drawing blood. She was crying, and yet had no more tears left to spend. She'd even resorted to begging, but the attempt was met only by deaf ears.

All that was left of Shirou after the explosion of dimensional energy swallowed up his body was a piece of fabric and a red jewel which young Arturia cradled to her chest.

None of the Arturia's spoke a word, and in the silence, the distinct noise of laboured breaths, simmering rage, and the weeping of a young Arturia were all that could be heard.

This wasn't going to happen.

Never.

Yet all Arturias had to come to terms with the fact that they were in a younger and weaker body in their dreamscapes. They were only slightly stronger than the young Arturia that they'd just seen get subdued by Morgan.

The chance of Shirou dying despite their efforts was not zero, and this thought was as chilling as the devastation they could feel from young Arturia who seemed to have lost her soul. Her eyes were hollow, expression vacant even as it began to rain once she stepped foot out of the cave.

Lancer Alter's eyes darkened into pools of unforgiving fury. If this happened to her, it would be personal on another level entirely.

Lancer Alter abruptly stood up, expression cold and brutal. "If she kills my husband. I don't care where she is, or where she runs, or who's help she can obtain. I will find her, and I will murder her." It was a promise. An oath and declaration of intent, proving just how much her Shirou meant to her after the trials and tribulations they'd gone through together. Regardless of what she'd done or would become, her Shirou had always chosen to steadfastly stay by her side, look upon her face, hug her close when others scorned her brutality, and then tell her 'I love you.'

Lancer Alter shuddered and swallowed audibly. Her Shirou now meant more to her than words could ever be able to express, a sentiment understood fully by Saber Alter.

The fact that Lancer Alter had just called Shirou her husband went largely unheard except by Saber Alter who mirrored the sentiment with a narrowed gaze and crossed arms. She said nothing, but the sheer coldness of her features and her turbulent magical energy revealed her building wrath.

The two Alters nodded at each other and left individually to plan out a method to keep their Shirou's alive. Saber and Lancer Arturia were no better and left to contemplate on their own with utterly blank faces. The rage though, oh the rage, it was as palpable as the desperation in the air.

If they failed, it was over.

This wasn't an option any Arturia was willing to consider. Not after seeing young Arturia's current state and feeling her sheer agony. It hurt more than any wound, and it struck at the heart.

There were no doubts in the Arturias minds that young Arturia was now just a shell of her former self. How much more would it hurt for them who were stronger than young Arturia due to their experience and mental age should they fail?

Don't think about it. Just don't.

It won't happen.

The thoughts of all Arturias were mirrored, and all chose to have some time to think for themselves.

Left behind, Lily was hyperventilating, her eyes looking bloodshot with anxiety. Barring the fact that she'd convinced Shirou to live with her earlier on, she hadn't strayed too far from the original time line. When Lily looked at young Arturia, she'd always seen herself and found herself making the same choices and decisions. For all intents and purposes, young Arturia at her current age was her, Saber Lily: Her current capabilities and thoughts frighteningly identical to Lily's own, and young Arturia had lost to Morgan despite all her efforts.

Young Arturia lost Shirou, this was a fact that she'd just witnessed.

Didn't that mean she'd lose her Shirou too?

Lily's complexion paled considerably, her breaths growing shallower. There was no escape. The only difference now was that she knew Morgan was waiting for an opportunity to incapacitate her and strike.

Lily didn't know if she could do this. The sheer despair she could feel from the memories of the younger Arturia were suffocating.

If she lost her Shirou, she knew that she'd never be the same. It was the same for all Arturias.

To have a taste of heaven was the same as experiencing hell as soon as heaven is taken away. It makes the contrast that much harder to accept or endure.

It was crushing.