Fate/Forever Found (Fate/StayNight Fanfic)

Chapter 6

I see a young Akira, being held by a dark-haired, hazel-eyed woman. The little boy beaming as he's fascinated by something out the window, the woman pointing things out to the boy.

The scene cuts to smoke and flames, I can't breathe, I feel the panic. I hear a crying child in the distance. The next thing I know I'm holding the boy, calling out for Nadia, coughing, feeling the smoke fill my lungs. I find the woman and try to balance her and a crying Akira as I try to cover the boy's face from the smoke as I make my way out of the house.

I'm sitting in a white room, the beeping of machines filling my ears. I see the bandaged body of the woman, covered in burns, my heart hurt. I hold the sleeping boy in my arms, his minor injuries having been treated.

I hear the mumbled Psalm being spoken as I look at the casket in front of me. My eyes burn, my nose stuffed up. A small hand holds my own beside me, tightly.

I see a car pulled to the side of the road and pull up behind it, asking what the problem was. The young woman explains it to me. Something about her tire. I go to help her and the next thing I know I feel excruciating pain as I'm struck by another car, hearing a blood-curdling scream, hearing and feeling the breaking of my bones. So much pain. And then darkness.

I see a dusty wasteland bathed in twilight, as far as the eye can see there are swords, then death, bodies, bodies, and more bodies. Blood. I watch as the wasteland grows dark and dreary until the twilight is clouded completely. But the determination never wavered despite all the pain. I see a familiar shape in the distance, standing on top of a small hill, shrouded by smoke. He goes to turn to me....

I sit up in bed quickly, my breaths labored. It can't be, can it? I feel tears prick my eyes but wipe them with the back of my hand. I look around, the room still dark. I look at the clock and see it's 4am before turning to the couch and see Archer looking at me. I let out a slightly shaky breath, "You showed it to me....your past." I say softly, gripping the blankets.

I see him nod, "It wasn't my intention to cause you any distress, Master." He sighs, "You must know my past, at least in small increments."

I lay back against my pillows, "That was a small increment?" I look at him from the corner of my eye, "I saw a young Akira...You knew him at one point didn't you?" I look up at the ceiling, pulling the blankets around me. He can't be who I think he is. It's not possible...

"Sadly yes. It is all true." He says simply "I did know that boy at one point in my life. But I'd rather forget" He mumbles.

"Why? Did something happen? The fire..."

"No..." He says sharply, before changing the subject, "You should get back to sleep, Master. We'll speak of this later."

I sigh and nod, "I'm sorry, Archer....for all you've gone through..." I say softly as I settle back into bed. I hear him come over, pulling the covers up under my chin, "Rest, master." He says with a weird uncharacteristic sweetness I've never heard before. I brush it off though, closing my eyes as I hear him go back to the couch to resume watching over me.

.............

I sit at the table picking at my pancakes as Archer guards outside. I think about what he had shown me. He knew Akira at one point, he showed me the way he died....and then all that death and pain he had to deal with, the betrayal. I shudder at the thought but at the same time, I understand why he is the way he is. But he can't be who I think he is, can he? No. That's ridiculous. He was mom's servant in the 5th grail war, he can't be who I think he is. It makes no sense. And even then...what made him want to come back? Did something happen? He did say that was a small increment.