Whatever it Takes (Fate/Grand Order Fanfic)

Ch. 15: Ideals and Wishes

"I freaking swear—"

Jean looked around the area, only seeing dark black smoke around her. She was stepping in the muddy bloody goo of the Grail, causing her to inwardly grimace at the feel of it. "I freaking swear if this is another mind prison I will—"

"You will what? Defeat that little granddaughter of yours? To think that you actually defeated me," Jean turned to see the white clad version of herself staring back at her. "And you wonder why I hated that little copy cat."

"Oh. You're here, great," Jean sarcastically replied. Despite the hurt she felt at Allura's betrayal, she still hated her Alter self more. "Shouldn't you be out terrorising my mind or something?"

"I would love to, but when your darling grandchild trapped you here. It trapped me too."

"Where is here?" Jean questioned tilting her head up to the glowing golden cup that floated above them. She could easily recognise it as the Grail, but as to why it was there, she didn't know.

"Here? You're asking what here is?" The Alter raised an eyebrow. "Put two and two together. Doesn't this seem familiar at all?"

Jean closed her eyes faintly, drowning out Alter's voice. It did seem familiar, the floating feeling, not feeling any Mana around her. She opened her eyes slowly as the realisation of where they were dawned on her. "This...this is the Grail isn't it? We're inside the Grail."

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!" Alter hopped around Jean, floating faintly. "You know I've got to give it to you, you lasted way long than I thought you would. I mean I thought that the minute you would start fighting Quetzalcoatl was when you'd die. But you held on, that was for sure."

"Shut up will you? I'm trying to think of a way out of here," Jean looked around the area. "The others need me. Allura is strong and Gilgamesh's power is fading. Add that onto the fact that Gorgon is still out there means that trouble isn't too far away."

"Can't you stop fighting for one second?" Alter groaned out. "You've been fighting since you were a kid, just stop and relax for a moment will you?"

"I can't. I don't have the luxury to relax."

"But you need to! Who cares if humanity goes up into flames? It's not your problem anymore."

"But it is!" Jean yelled out towards the white clad female. "It is my problem. My child and husband are still alive and well in the real world! My sisters are still alive!" She turned quickly towards the Alter. "I spent my entire life making sure my family was safe and I'll be damned if they're not safe while I'm dead too!"

Alter gave her a blank look, before speaking. "It's kind of funny. You get onto Shiro for putting others needs before his, yet here you are. Protecting your family when they don't need to be. Do you even know who you are without the Tohsaka name? Without your powers or the growing need to protect the ones close to you?"

Jean stopped for a moment, Alter's words sinking in. "Allura had mentioned to you that this isn't the first timeline. Where do you think I came from? I'm not your dark wishes. I'm from another timeline. The one where you gave up everyone's happiness, for your own. And I gotta say, it was great. It was great not having to deal with anything. It was great not having to deal with anyone. To take what I wanted and not give anything back."

Alter circled around Jean, "Whose to say what will happen if you leave this space? If you even can that is. Whose to say that you will save your family? Your friends? All I know is that if I'm in here, I'm safe. I'm almost guaranteed to continue on without needing to deal with anyone outside of this space. Only me, myself—"

"And I..." Jean mumbled. "But it gets lonely, doesn't it?" She turned to Alter. "You're from a timeline where I gave everything up for myself, right? You made that deal with the Grail when it gave you a choice when you fell in. Where you figured out Allura's true plans, am I right?"