Fate/Writer's Dream

Chapter Six, More Than Seven

     Liz hesitated to move. She was about to order Enkidu to attack, but that plan changed.

     Nero broke the ice and jumped in front of Archer. "Master! Run!" she yelled. She spread her arms out and prepared to take the hit.

     Archer stared at Nero. He hesitated to release the arrow. "Tch." He untensed the bow and lowered his weapon. Nero looked at him with a confused look.

     "E-Emiya, what's going on there?" a shy voice called from behind the dinosaur exhibit. The little boy peeked from the side and looked at Archer.

     Archer sighed and unsummoned his weapon. "I told you not to use my True Name around strangers, Master," Archer said as he walked up to the child. He crouched down and patted the boy's head. "Don't worry, everything's fine. It's just a group of strangers that appeared."

     Nero lowered her guard and nearly fell back, but John caught her. "Are you okay, Nero?" he asked as he sat her back down.

     "Yeah, just a bit tired." Nero sighed and laid down on the floor. "I'm going to rest... for a bit..."

     Liz and Enkidu walked up to Archer. "Uh, Emiya, is it?" she asked.

     Archer stood up and faced her. "Yes," he answered. He seemed to have a constant stern look at everything he saw, but whenever he looked at the child, his expression softened.

     Liz extended her arm to shake his. "Hi, I'm Liz, and this is my Servant, Lancer, and that's John. I hope you're not our enemy."

     Emiya looked down at her hand and back up from the two of them. "I was going to say the same thing to you." He ignored her gesture and pointed at the child. "This is my Master, Philip."

     Philip hid behind Emiya's legs and looked up. "H-hi," he said shyly. Philip wore a red and black striped long sleeve with a Santa in the middle saying "ho ho ho!" He wore a black pajama pants on and his hair looked like a mess, as if he had barely woken up.

     "Don't mind my Master's appearance. When he accidentally summoned me, he was being beaten to death by his drunken step-father. He was bleeding and badly bruised," Emiya explained.

     "Oh no..." Liz crouched down and offered Philip her hand. "Are you okay?" she asked. Philip nodded and pressed himself closer to Emiya. "When did this happen?"

     "Yesterday, just before everyone disappeared," Emiya answered. "Now I'm protecting him." He picked Philip up and placed him in his arms.

     "What happened to the step-father?" Liz asked as she stood back up.

     Emiya frowned as he caressed Philip's head. "What do you think? Would I just stand there and watch as he was being beaten to death?" Emiya walked over to Nero after he said that. "Move over," he told John, who was trying to make Nero as comfortable as possible as she slept.

     "He killed him...?" Liz asked rhetorically as she rejoined with them.

     "Sit here, Master," Emiya said as he placed Philip down next to him. "I can fix her up."

     "Thank you, Emiya," John thanked as he stepped back.

     Emiya nodded and closed his eyes. He placed his hands on her shoulder and whispered, "trace on." Emiya's arms glowed neon patterns that looked like Magic Circuits. The green light entered Nero's body and spread within her. She winced a little bit, but she kept sleeping.

     Emiya nodded and opened his eyes. The glow disappeared and he retracted his arms. "She has no major injuries or broken bones, which is good. She's just slightly concussed."