Fate/Heaven's Fall

Enlightenment

I look in the mirror the next morning, in the bathroom. I just brushed my long, pink hair, and now let a hand run through the soft, long locks. A sigh comes out through my lips as I wonder if I should go to church today or not. Regret is starting to creep up on me, and most of all I just want to stay home under my duvet - even though I know Archer will just annoy me all day long if I choose to do so.

I shake my head and instead put on my favorite necklace - the one that I always wear and that I can't remember when I got. It was a golden chain, with a small, golden heart as a pendant. I usually don't go anywhere without that necklace, and am always incredibly afraid of losing it.

"Archer, will you go with me, or will you stay here?" I ask as I enter the living room and see my so-called Servant, once again lying on my couch with the very same thick book in my lap as the night before.

"Tch, I have no interest in going with you, mortals. Moreover, the cold outside is completely unbearable," Archer says with an offended tone, "You have my permission to go."

"Thank you, Archer," I say sarcastically, glancing with my Servant's eyes, but at the same time feeling incredibly relieved that I don't have to listen to his endless insults, and I quickly rush out the door before Archer changes his mind.

"Finally, a little peace," I sigh to myself as I make my way down the street, with hasty, long strides, targeting the city's central church. I straighten my white scarf as it is slipping off me. Spring is upon us, but the cold morning wind has not yet left us, and will continue to swarm around us for another month.

"Ugh, I really hope it's worth it as soon as I get to that church," I mutter quietly to myself, putting my arms around myself to keep warm. My thin, brown spring jacket doesn't warm me much, so I speed up to avoid catching a cold in the cold. The church is suddenly within my view, and I can breathe a sigh of relief - hopefully it's just a little warmer inside than out here.

The church's beautiful white bell tower reaches far up into the sky and ends in a spike with a large, metallic cross on top. The church itself has three large roundings as an entrance, where in the middle there is a view of a large, white marble statue of the Madonna, and I slowly wonder whether it is a good idea to go inside or not. What if no one knows anything about the situation I've ended up in, and am I even allowed to talk to anyone about it? Isn't the war supposed to be secret? They'll probably think I'm insane if I tell someone that there's an ancient spirit that persecutes me.

"Oh, what am I going to do," I whisper quietly to myself, clasping my hands tightly and biting my lower lip nervously. This is a war over The Holy Grail, the church must be involved in one way or another, right?

"Can I help with something, young lady?" I hear a man ask, and I get a slight shock as I turn to stand, face to face, with the chief pastor of this church, judging by his clothing, at least. He seems to be quite a bit older in years, maybe around seventy years old, if not older even. He is dressed in a black priest's robe and a long necklace in which hangs a large, golden cross.

"I..." I start by saying, and have trouble looking into his eyes as I have the feeling that he is able to see directly through me; that He is able to see all my sins with ease. I am reminded of a way to find out whether he knows anything about the war or not.

"I need to know something about the Holy Grail, and am looking for someone who can illuminate the subject for me."

"Oh? The Holy Grail? May you ask why it is of interest to you, young lady?" the man asks, and when I decide to look at him again, I can quickly see that the look in his eyes has changed slightly - he is suspicious, something that a priest who had nothing to hide would not be.