towerofanimus | [closed]

Entry tags:

[closed]

Characters: Ruler (

sageprincess), and Saber Lily (

no_longer_a_king)
Setting: Room 2-19; waaaaay backdated to the morning of April 10th
Format: Action
Summary: Ruler wakes up after her first death during Dax's Chosen's infiltration of the admin levels
Warnings: Talks of death of the burning alive kind.

[Ruler wakes up with a scream.

It had all been so sudden. Just one minute they had been moving forward, and the next thing she knew, she was being charged by a beast of flame. And stupid her, she just stood there in shock, could only scream and swing her sword uselessly as the monster pinned her. She hadn't tried to push it off her, she hadn't tried to roll out from under its paws... she hadn't been able to do anything but scream and panic as her flesh charred and bubbled, as the very air around her burned and robbed her of oxygen...

She lets out a growl of frustration as she hunches over in her bed, running a palm over her pale face. It had been so easy to keep herself from panicking the first time. She had held her head high and refused to give in to her fear as the flames spread beneath her feet, as they slowly climbed higher and higher, inch by agonizing inch... she had been afraid then, but she had kept herself together. So why did this ridiculous fear have to cripple her in this life?

Ruler shook her head. No... no. She wasn't going to dwell on this now. There were more important things she needed to worry about. Turning to swing her legs over the side of her bed, she froze before she could stand. She noticed, somewhat belatedly, that she was not alone. And these two most certainly weren't her roommates.]

Ah...

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[Arturia and Zelda had waited outside Ruler's door ever since handing her off to the retrieval units to be revived. Arturia, in her mind, had failed Ruler in letting her be burned, burning her own hands in the process of trying to get the Hellhound off of her. There were bandages wrapped tightly around them, but she waited. Bandages she had no idea would be gone the next day.

Upon hearing Ruler screaming, however, she runs into the dorm room, sword drawn and ready in case something is attacking their comrade.

Only to find Ruler herself, sitting up and looking frustrated. Arturia dismisses Caliburn and stands straight when Ruler acknowledges her presence.]

We wished to make sure you are well.

[Zelda, of course, is quick to follow after Arturia upon hearing Ruler's scream, only lagging behind due to forcing herself into numbness upon returning to the residential area. It was easier to keep quiet that way - paranoid as she is, she wouldn't want someone unrelated investigating should they hear her crying.

That all is thrown out the window upon seeing Ruler awake-- alive, and even if she's been in the Tower for longer than she'd like, even if this sort of thing is a simple fact of life, there's something incredibly primal about seeing a loved one die before one's very eyes that causes her to surge forward past Arturia and practically tackle her friend.

There are no words from her, not truly. Just quiet sobs and barely audible exaltations and apologies.]

[The look of shock on Ruler's face is quite clear as she's tackled, and probably would have been almost comedic had the situation been different. But it quickly melts into a look or worry as she wraps her arms around her crying friend, rubbing her back in soothing circles.]

... Thank you. Both of you. [She looks up at Arturia, smiling weakly.] I'm glad I did not have to awaken alone after such an ordeal.

[The smile then fades as she looks back down at Zelda.] You do not need to apologize, Zelda. We all knew the danger of sneaking into the administrator's floors... I was expecting the worst.

[She wasn't quite expecting dying like that, but that's not the point.]

[Arturia approaches the bed and stands beside the two women, dismissing Caliburn in a flash of light and adjusting her bandages. Truly, she still had no idea how to feel about the death. It had always been one thing when it was her own death, but this is another matter entirely. This had been the (very terrifying and painful) death of a colleague.]

Do you feel well? [she asks quietly. She means physically because there is no way she could be mentally well after what had happened.]

[Zelda stays right where she is, face buried into Ruler's shoulder. Hearing Ruler speak, reassuring her as she always does is enough to gradually calm her, though her breath is still uneven and interrupted by hiccups. Her voice remains quiet, however, more likely due to lacking the energy than interest in being discreet.]

I could not... do anything-- I am sorry.

[She had promised she would do everything in her power to prevent Ruler from needing to die, and she failed. As per usual, it seems.]

I am... well. Still shaken, somewhat, but well.

[She shifts, then, so that she can gently grasp Zelda's shoulders with both hands.] Which is why you cannot blame yourself. [Yeah, she's been spending enough time around Zelda to pick up on that.] I am alive again, and physically I feel fine. That is the most important thing right now, yes?

[Arturia is silent, watching their exchange for a moment. No, Zelda cannot blame herself. They all went down knowing the dangers. As much as Arturia blamed herself (and was still in the cold logical state she had often been in as King), she knew Ruler had known just as well as anyone the consequences of their actions. Ruler had literally just said it herself.

Frankly, they got off lightly.

A thought strikes her: a possible way this could have been prevented.]

Zelda, how much do you know about what Ruler and myself are?

[...

Zelda nods, quietly, at Ruler's words, her only audible response a small, mumbled sound of agreement. She averts her eyes quickly thereafter, however, as even though she can recognize what Ruler is saying is rational, she still feels terrible. And that sort of feeling requires more time than gentle words to lessen.

Swallowing her sobs and trying to regain her composure, she wipes at her eyes as she looks up to Arturia.]

You mean... Servants? ... Not much. You are figures from some world's past, and there is a war you fight in, but other than that...

[Well, she also knows a bit about Noble Phantasms now, but let's not talk about that in this context, shall we?]

[Ruler's brows furrow in confusion at the abrupt subject change. That... certainly came out of nowhere, and she can't really see where Arturia is going with this.]

Why bring this up now?

A thought I had. [She looks between the two of them for a moment. Yes, they seem close. Unlike a traditional war they would have trust already there, something already built up between them. More importantly they have a choice in the matter.

She sits on the bed on the other side of Ruler, keeping her voice low.]

What if you two formed a contract?

[In the haze of exhaustion and grief, Zelda can't quite make the connection either, even when it's explicitly spelled out. After all, no one has told her about the Master-Servant relationship typically required for Servants to take physical form. Her expression mimics Ruler's in a way as Arturia sits, incomprehension in her eyes.]

Contract...?

[.... Ah. So that's why.]

A contract is a magical bond between a Servant and a magus which, under normal circumstances, is what keeps us materialized in this world. This connection allows a Servant to draw on the magi's - their Master's - magical energy to give them power, and in return, the Masters are given three Command Seals - seals which give the Master the ability to issue an order to a Servant that must be obeyed.

[That's... just about as simply as she can describe it. She turns to Arturia, a look of confusion still present on her face.] But why suggest such a thing? We Servants are able to survive in this tower without a Master.

[She looks Ruler dead in the eye. This has been something on her mind a lot lately.]

Zelda could have used a Command Seal to save you or perhaps to save herself in the future. Both of you have such great magical capacity I do not doubt any sort of Command given would be carried out even if it were impossible. On top of that you will be able to communicate across great distances. The issue I see would be trust.

[She leans forward a bit to look Zelda in the eye.]

When you become a Master you will sometimes dream of a Servant's memories as they will yours. Do you trust Ruler enough to allow her to see into your past as you would see into hers? [As she saw into Shirou's past once upon a time.]

It is not a decision to take lightly, but it is something the two of you should consider. There is no Grail War here and I doubt anyone would attempt it. Therefore you should consider the other advantages having a Contract will bring: You will know when the other is in danger or when the Administrators have taken hold of the other through the bond.

Furthermore, I worry with the people appearing within this Tower. It is entirely possible to bind a Servant to a Master against their will. Ruler is meant to be a mediator in the Grail War. The more who know of Servants who arrive, the more dangerous it is for her to go without one.

[She turns to Ruler.] Imagine if one of the villains in this place forced you into a contract and used the Command Seals to make you commit evil deeds.

[She's speaking partly from experience. While her contract with Kiritsugu had been willing, being forced to destroy the Grail in the Fourth War backed by the Command Seals had not been a pleasant experience to say the least.]

[Zelda listens to these explanations and arguments as carefully as she can, occasionally wiping leftover tears from her face. It's... a lot to take in, and she still doesn't quite understand everything Arturia is saying despite her best efforts, but--]

Of course I trust her.

[It's not even a question. Though Ruler might not yet know everything about her past, she's past the point of fearing judgement for it.]

If there is something I can do to help, I would be happy to. Especially given that I know the likes of Ganondorf would attempt to take advantage of Servants if he knew he could.

But... Saber - the one I share quarters with - she does not share your opinion that no one would start a war if it were possible. Would that be an issue...?

Trust is no issue, of course.

[She'll follow Zelda anywhere, no question. She's already told the princess her true name, given her details about the end of her life... this would be nothing.

But Zelda raises an excellent question.]

The contract itself is not an issue, no... if the Grail were to appear here, I would still act as the mediator. The only difference is that I will not be bound to it, and even that is not a problem - my connection to the Grail was the same as the bond between Master and Servant.

[Still, she looks a bit troubled.] But there's a chance that it will put you in danger. I am merely a mediator in the war between Servants, yes, but I am still a Servant. Some may see me as a threat simply because of that. [And her troubled expression changes to one of worry as she glances back at Zelda.] And they might attack you because of me. I don't want that.

Who in this Tower do we know of who is actively seeking the Grail?

[That's why Arturia believes there will not be a Grail War. Of all the Servants and Masters currently in the Tower she does not know of one who actively wishes to bring the Grail War into the Tower itself, nor do they have the means. Not for a proper Grail, at least.]

Furthermore, with how many do not wish for there to be a Grail War--[Including the only two people she knows of as potential vessels]--anyone who attempts to start one will only be faced with much opposition.

[Not to mention the question of what the Administrators would do about it, considering the souls of the Heroic Spirits involved go into the Grail and would not be able to go into the bodies of him. However, this fact is not something Arturia knows yet and would thus not come up as a point of discussion.]

The Saber in black armor has made it clear to me that if the Grail were to appear in the tower, she would fight for it. [That was one of their first conversations, actually.] I do not know if her feelings concerning that have changed, though... it has been some time, after all.

[A look of annoyance crosses her face then.] There are also the other residents to watch out for, should the Grail appear. Thanks to one Master, the fact that there is a "Holy Grail War" was made public knowledge. [She's still pretty pissed at Waver for that.]

So even if all the Servants in this tower agreed to a ceasefire, there is a chance that we might have to constantly fight some of the the less than honorable residents of this tower to keep their hands off of it.

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