44Chapter 7 : Saber's Changes
"I ask of thee... Are you my master?" Saber asked as she turned to face her master. But was given the shock of her life to find that it was some scared little girl, instead of could it be? But now that she looked around herself it was a completely different area from where Shirou lived.
'Did the plan fail afterall?' Saber wondered.
-Flashback-
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Merlin asked with a stern voice. His usual personality nowhere to be seen.
But Saber knew that she had to do this no matter what.
"Yes, I must do it." Saber aka Artoria Pendragon noded her head resolutely.
*Sigh* "I don't know what memories you got from that soul fragment, but you must understand that leaving Avalon is a choice one must not make easily. The place you are trying to go back to is in a time loop, it's already a miracle that you managed to escape with most of your soul, leaving only a tiny fragment behind and now you want to enter that space-time again,?"
"Please Merlin, I must go back. Dont stop me." Artoria said in a trembling voice.
Throwing his hand ups, Merlin just sat down on the ground.
"Fine, I will help you. But must understand that space time of that particular event is very very messed up currently and even if I send you there you can end up as someone else's servant or maybe even get sent back to past or future. Who knows? Anything could happen."
"Is there no way? I know you must have some tricks up your sleeve."
"Yes I do but I doubt you would agree, the price is too steep."
"No, I will do anything. Just tell me what it is that I must do."
" The price. It's your morals and honor. Your very being." Seeing the shocked look on Artoria's face he clarified "Earlier you mentioned something about the soul fragment being inverted turning into a Tyrant instead. For this magic to work you must blacken part of your , traveling the corridors between space and time will stretch your body to all the possible versions of you, even changing your very then the chance of success is only 25-26%. Do you still want to do this?!" Merlin almost exploded at the end while explaining it to her.
Artoria lowered her head and remained silent for a while.
"What will happen to me if I blacken part of my soul?"
"Wait-Whaat?! Don't tell me you of all people are considering it. I don't even know what will happen if you do this? Are you seriously out of your mind."
"Merlin. I have decided. Just tell me what I have to do"
-Flashback End-
Artoria then looked at the young girl, who was looking at her just like she used to look up to knights as a child.
"Umm...Thank you for saving me earlier, but who are you?"
"Servant. Saber. I shall ask again Are you my master?"
"Servant ? Master ? What does that mean?"
"Did you not summon me for the the Holy Grail War?"
"Holy Grail War? What's that? Are you a cosplayer Onee-san?"
That's when Artoria finally noticed her body and definitely looked older and bigger. Her height had also increased. In terms of attire, it was her usual Blue and white dress, fitted to match her new body. Her Hairs also turned the same shade as her sister Morgan. The biggest change was her Holy Sword, she didn't even know if it was fit to call it such. Considering, it had turned pitch black with blue runic designs.
"Ummm... Saber-san?" A gentle voice snapped Saber out of her thoughts with a tug on her skirt.
Turning to address the young girl, Artoria thought for a moment before speaking.
"Are you sure you don't know any of the terms I mentioned earlier?" When the girl nodded Saber continued "Then can I see your hands for a moment?"
When she held the girl's hands and inspected them, Saber was once again shocked. Sitting there innocently on the left hand of the girl was the Command Seal the very symbol which symbolised the bond between her and Shirou. But that was impossible, every person had their own personal and unique command seal design. It was impossible for there to be two similar looking ones.
'What if-? Could it be? Is she-?'
With a trembling voice Saber asked " W-what's your name?"
"Kiara Ses-. Kiara. Yes. My name is Kiara."
Hearing her name Saber heaved a sigh mixed with Relief and Disappointmen.
"Then do you know when the symbols appeared on your hands?"
Kiara, however,was getting confused. Why was this lady's emotions changing so rapidly? And what's with the random questions?
Keeping the thoughts to herself Kiara obediently replied "Just today when I entered this city. What was it called again? Ah, yes. Fuyuki City. Yes, when I entered Fuyuki City."
Saber seemed to have been taken aback by this as she scanned the area.
"This is Fuyuki?"
"Yes, well it's outskirts anyway. The main city is still a little faraway."
'If this is Fuyuki, then whether I am in the right world or not can be confirmed once I meet Shirou.'
Then she looked at the girl, just now noticing how malnourished she actually was despite her beauty and even then her clothes were a little too small. Clearly hand me downs or something similar.
"Do you have a home?" She blurred out before she could stop herself. In response Kiara lowered her head in shame. Even though it was nothing shameful.
"I might know a place where you can stay for a while." Artoria once again blurted , Shirou's personality was rubbing on her.
"Really!?" Kiara's mood immideatly brightened when she realised there was no false hood in Saber's words.
"Hmm.. " Saber just nodded
'She said that the main city is still far away, then we would need a vehicle. Kiara likely doesn't have any money then that means, I must Borrow someone's vehicle.' Thought Saber before realising how easily she was considering stealing, something knights frowned upon.' Is the the cost of blackening my soul?'
.tak.
Hearing the sound of footsteps Saber turned to see Kiara bending over the Predator she had disposed of earlier checking his body. Looking for something.
"Found it." Kiara cheered as she slipped a necklace off of the corpse. Then her presence vanished as if she wasn't even there, she was visible to her normal senses but to her instincts and mana sense, she was invisible. Then just as quickly she was back in her senses as soon as she put it must have been a Magic code!
The she continued to search the corpse. Saber for a moment thought of stopping and reprimanding her but then stopped, for in kiara's hands were keys, Bike keys.
Looks like the transportation problem was solved.
Now, she just needed to convince Kiara to waste the Command Seals or cancel their contract. Then she could once again forge a contract with Shirou.
"Wanna go for a ride?" Saber asked as she approached Kiara
To be Continued
A/N: For the sake of stakes Saber has been aged a few years. Looks wise 17-18.
Anyways, please continue to support me.