realityshifted | First Seal

Entry tags:

fate/zero (d1) saber/arturia pendragon

First Seal

[The young woman who suddenly manifests on the Astral Plane appears to be a tiny, delicate girl no older than 15 years of age, with pale blonde hair swept up into a braided bun at the back of her head and fastened with a blue ribbon. Yet, the silver armour etched with blue markings declare that this little girl is, in fact, a warrior. Her sea-green eyes flash in a mix of righteous anger and unbending determination. She is clearly in the middle of a heated battle, and her words are all but a roar.]

Archer! You dare continue to mock me, even now?

[The girl stops the instant she realises that her opponent is no longer there. Her previously angered expression calms, morphing into one of puzzlement as she casts her glance around at her new settings. But it is then replaced with a frown, and her voice is laced with a note of frosty disdain.]

If this is some manner of joke, Archer, it is not in the least bit amusing. I have had quite enough of your games.

[She pauses, an armoured hand lifting to her chin in a gesture of thought.]

However, this place...it does not appear to be a Reality Marble. I cannot feel the flow of prana. Master...

[Another pause, and her face becomes deceptively calm as she continues to cooly observe her new surroundings.]

Has my connection to him been severed? If that is indeed the case, how is it possible that I exist, still? Such bonds cannot be severed lightly. Is this within the realm of Gaia? Or is it possible that this is a part of the Holy Grail?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's a happy medium for Saber; being her typical businesslike self is her comfort zone. Though she doesn't seem to relax, at least she is not quite as tense as when she first arrived.]

Yes, I prefer to be addressed by my class.

Generally not. However, if there is no War to be fought, it is not unreasonable that some might relax their secrecy. As for myself, it is merely a preference.

Then Saber it is. I'm Irving Braxiatel. Would you like for me to explain what we do know about this place?

If you would be so kind.

Of course. [As he talks, he counts off the separate points on his fingers, his eyes on NGC 6334, just to the left of her head.] You may come to or leave this place at any time just by thinking of it. With practice, it becomes more reflexive; I wouldn't worry much about it. You'll also be happy to know that while you are here, no time passes at home. No one will have to know you are gone. The second half of that, of course, is that no one else can come here. Items and small animals can be brought to the Plane by physical contact, but people cannot unless they go through what you went through. There doesn't seem to be any way to control that.

[glancing back over to her] Any questions so far?

[Her eyes follow where Braxiatel indicates, uncertain if she should be relieved or worried about those facts.]

It is for the best. Having my previous opponent following me here would not be a benefit to anyone.

[Saber considers something for a moment.]

Is it possible to return to a previous time in one's on plane?

Through time travel? Yes, I've done it myself. But you would have to get time travel technology from someone on the Astral Plane. The Plane itself doesn't allow anyone to control their movement within time.

[She struggles to keep her face frozen in her aloof expression, but she can't completely hide the fact that she is very interested in this prospect.]

How far back would you say is possible?

[As if he is opening the doors to all of history, he spreads his hand in a wide gesture]

Any time, any place. We hold the past, the present, and the future. It is what a Lord of Time is.

A Lord of Time...

[A bit cautiously, since Rider had lectured her once on her reasons for joining the Holy Grail War, and one lecture was more than enough.]

Are you not concerned about how a change in the past might affect the present?

[When he looks at her now, the half-amused smile is gone. This is the face of one whom the Oracle of Dephi called 'the tall man with time in his hands, severe and as old as the sea.']

The present is relative for those who have seen to the ends of this universe, wouldn't you say? We protect all of history. We know what can be changed and what must always stay as it is. Time does not serve us; we serve Time, some of us negligently, some of us with all faith.

[He clasps his hands together behind his back.] There are those of my people here who would carelessly give you what you need to change history. They are the ones who don't uphold their responsibility.

[There is a slight tilt of her head as Saber considers what is an an excellent point; her own 'present' finds her beneath a great tree, dying from a fatal wound. The current era she had been summoned to is her distant future, and so to change the destiny of Britain should be her proper future.

She continues to ask her questions, but guardedly, couching her words with deliberate care. Her wish was not something she could reveal flippantly.]

To prevent the destruction of something -- a family, city, or perhaps even a country -- would such a thing be acceptable?

[His smile is sad, perhaps understanding.]

Or an entire species? Perhaps one whole planet filled with life? The more you save, the greater you change history.

[She nods slightly]

Yes, something of that scope. A simple, small change that would lead to the salvation of many.

Perhaps, in some situations, it could work. In most, it would not. [closing his eyes as he considers it] If we ignore the politics of saving a country or a planet and simply consider the people... These people who ought to have died or been lost will be stronger. In their lives, they will change history. If their fate was to be removed, their children who never before existed would alter history by their existence. These children, too, would change history by what they contribute, by what they take. The effects would cascade down the generations. You would have hundreds and thousands of people who never were doing things that would never be done. Taking into account the balance of history, some of this will be mitigated. The people who never were will take up places that others filled, so those others will not succeed. In the stead of one population, other people will falter and disappear. The people who live, the ones who weren't meant to lead the lives they do, may even be haunted by traces of the old history, feeling all their lives that something of their existence is false and untrue.

[He opens his eyes again to look at her.]

History is very rarely simple. A small change may effect no greater difference. It may also alter the shape of space and time in unimaginable ways.

[She appears to contemplate this, though perhaps not in the most ideal of ways; currently, her entire reason for being revolves around saving Britain at any price.]

Is a permitted change in fate then dependent upon how much is changed?

In a sense. It's about what you risk breaking. Time is not invulnerable. It can snap and break.

What would be its limits? How much could be changed, and what would happen should it break?

The limits are varied. When it breaks... it happens in small chunks across the universe. Areas of 'fractured time.' The minds of species insensitive to time will shatter and lose coherency; those who can see time tend to become sick or insane as they live out in a moment the eternity of broken possibilities.

If enough damage is done, all of history will fracture. The universe will tear itself apart, falling into oblivion. Everything ceases to have ever existed.

[A slight frown; if replacing herself with a more suitable king would cause such problems, simply going back in time might not be feasible. Perhaps the only thing that could help her is the Holy Grail, after all.]

Is there any way to discover if this can be avoided?

In your universe... I don't know. Everything I've said is based on what I know of my universe. The temporal powers - those I mentioned, the Monan Host, the Sunari, and the rest - all concern themselves with monitoring and protecting history. If you could contact one of them, you would know. The ones here could give you fairly accurate guesses, but unless they are able to physically see your universe, to know in more than theory the shape of space-time that is to be altered, it will only be an estimation.

Where might I find one of them? Are any of their number present on this plane?

A surprising number, actually. Omega, the Doctor, the Master, Straxus, Madame President Romana, myself. I wouldn't recommend Omega or the Master. They're both quite mad. Omega can be helpful in a very uncharitable way, but the Master is simply malicious. The Madame President will be busy - affairs of state - but Straxus seems to be on leave. He seems to have a strong enough background in mechanics of the Web of Time. The Doctor may be your safest choice, which is... distressing, really. But he has a good grasp on when to uphold temporal law and when to make exception.

I see. Have you any idea where or how I might find him?

[He smiles, amused by a joke she didn't know she was making.] I've never been able to find the Doctor with any consistency.

[Carefully suppressing a sigh]

It is most fortunate that time does not pass outside this plane.

Regardless, I am most grateful for this information.

First Seal

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