Fandom: Fate/Stay Night
Title: Clairvoyance
Characters: Taiga Fujimura, Irisviel von Einzbern, Emiya Shirou
Rating: T
Word Count: 4693
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Summary:

In spite of her claims, Taiga Fujimura's life has been completely normal. She met Servants, lived with mages, and survived two Holy Grail Wars - none the wiser about the existence of magic. All in all, she avoided the mystic - with one minor expectation.
A decade after the fourth War, banished memories grow into nightmares. In order to solve the mystery - and get back her peace of mind - Taiga jumps in the fight. A story that should not be with consequences even her Servant: a mysterious Archer, cannot predict.
The expanded version of 'Fight By My Side'.

Notes:
Here it is - the long-awaited first real chapter of the fic! I had planned it to be a little longer - but in the editing process, I might have cut a lot of words out. But at least I managed to get myself in a writing rhythm. Also, the next chapter is a tad shorter, so you can expect a shorter wait!
As always, comments are definitely welcome!

Read it on AO3 or FFN

Taiga shot up, clutching her sparkling green blanket. Deep wrinkles crumpled it as the fabric coiled around her like a shroud. Her body was dripping with sweat, ravaged by coursing heat. She carefully rubbed the solid, soft, real mattress - and it did not burst in flame, melted under her touch, nor tried to devour her whole. Her shaky fingers did not sink in the sticky mud that had been haunting her nightmares. There was a 99% chance that Taiga had fled the dream. She did not entertain the remaining percent.

“A teacher and a student.” Taiga rose, now sitting on the bed. “But which was the which?” Irisviel von Einzbern - Taiga pronounced the name like an oath on her lips. An additional connection with the smiling, gentle teacher, who fought to the bitter end and stayed while Taiga escaped. Even though they should flee together, live free from the shadow of fear. A lump formed in the woman’s throat. As if she were a marionette with her strings cut, Taiga fell on the mattress, her head sinking in the soft pillow.

Iri should have died. Wait, did she not say they had already perished before entering the Grail? But Taiga had survived that, none worse (not counting a few months of twitching around swamps). Could the Grail’s spirit have lied to them again? Taiga pulled down the bedsheets so fiercely that they would rip apart beyond repair. “And what if it has?” She closed her eyes, hot tears soaking the pillow. “How can I help her?”

In her pajamas, Taiga jumped out of her bed and raced over the creaking floors in total darkness. The road to the dojo had edged itself in her heart, next to every equally useless technique. What use did the kendo have when it could not stop a Servant? Stumbling down the hall, she grabbed the first kunai her fingers found and clicked on the lamps. If someone woke up, Taiga hoped, they would decide she had just begun a midnight training spree on a whim. And if they complained about noise, so be it!

The first smash was swift and merciless. Bamboo splinters flew as Taiga slammed her sword into the dummy’s neck. Tears - searing-hot - fell out of her eyes. “Does it matter if she’s alive?” Another strike - this time in the abdomen. “What would I do if we meet?” The sorrowful waterfall hit her fingers. “She gave her life for me!” The final slash shattered the kunai, and the top half flew across the room. “And I wasted it!” What kind of pathetic woman was she, still living off allowance and falling for childish taunts? What chance did she have against Masters-Mages? If the Instructor met her now… “She would offer her hand to me and ask to help.”

Her sword had snapped; the training dummy stood proud and mocked Taiga with its expressionless face. Result: one to zero - and not in her favor. Did she do anything the right way? How many had she saved after the promise? And how often did others save her? Taiga crumbled on her knees, bowing head in her hands, and began sobbing. No matter how large a disappointment Taiga was, Iri would tag along, encouraging all the way. She was the wiser, the more experienced, the more admired.

Taiga was just a student who owed Iri everything and would never repay the debt because the Holy Grail stole her teacher! And she could not adapt, become a proper instructor in her own right! No more lazing! Was there a way to make the cursed tool pay for devouring Iri, using her body as a puppet and facing no consequences? She would accept any cost if its spread ended and the horrific curses stopped!

Taiga’s hand burnt. A precise fire carved a shape into it. The small, red sun appeared: a round dot, a thin circle around it, and an enormous, curly crown. It covered the back of her palm, the longest wisp reaching far past her wrist. Her Command Seal. Her proof of power. Her right to participate, to fight, to save people. Her chance to end the madness. Her ability to rescue Iri. Her possibility to destroy the Grail. Her time to prove herself!

“That’s it!” Taiga took the hilt of the destroyed sword and knelt before her imaginary fair lady. “For you, I swear: I shall join the War! It will not claim more lives - I guarantee it! And, if you are alive -“ Taiga coughed, as another wave of tears broke her down, yet kept her position “- I will find you!” Why if? Iri had met her in a dream! She had to have survived!

Every drop that burnt her hand hissed and boiled, evaporating as soon as they touched the Command Seal. She threw the bamboo stump; for a Holy Grail War, she needed a more potent weapon - a Servant of her own, the greatest hero to live.

After a few hours, Taiga’s alarm rang for a second time. One housekeeper discovered her asleep on the dojo floor, with red eyes swollen from crying and clenching a hand over the other. And no nightmare had crossed her sleep.

---

“Fuji-nee, can you pass the soy sauce?”

Taiga’s mouth opened wide enough to swallow an entire swarm of flies as she yawned. “R-right now,” she muttered, lazily blinked a few times, and set down the newspaper. Would more sleep for no breakfast be an acceptable trade? However hard it was to teach multiple classes with a starving stomach, she would not have to force herself awake all the time. And, since she started a trip to dreamland as soon as her eyes closed, it would take much effort. But first, soy sauce… Ah, there! With a gloved hand, she passed the nearest bottle to Shirou.

“That’s the oyster sauce! I asked for the soy!”

“Fine, fine.” Taiga leaned onto the table, the newspaper rustling under her elbows. Her eyes were squirming, torn between staying alert and catching some snooze. “Doesn’t it go with…” Even taking notice of the meal tried her. “With whatever we’re having for breakfast?” That was a genius trick to avoid suspicion! Lack of sleep created the brightest thoughts - like the sudden bursts of inspiration that visited Taiga in the darkest nights.

“Oyster sauce with yam soup?” Sakura winced. “Fujimura-sensei, are you sure about this? It’s going to taste horrible!”

“Hey, that’s an idea. I should have replaced the labels instead of putting a bucket above the atelier door. Shirou’s expression would be so fun to watch. He can’t stand to eat disgusting food.” Lightheaded, she almost dropped on the table, coming back to her senses at the last moment. Maybe she should call sick tomorrow and compensate? Her students could enjoy one free class.

“Did you blurt that out loud, Fuji-nee?” Shirou laughed. “It seems today you have forgotten to hide your true colors.”

“But, senpai, when has she hidden them?” asked Sakura.

“Ah!” Taiga slammed a hand on her chest. “I would trust you with my life, and yet you take Shirou’s side? Traitor, such a horrible traitor! As for my dear boy, weren’t you a future hero of justice? They don’t hurt the weak and vulnerable teachers; only the corrupt and the evil! And they never, ever gang up on one person! This is not fair! Absolutely not!”

“It would have sounded better if the most corrupted person did not say it. In your case, Fuji-nee, this is a deserved payback! Karma’s catching up for once.”

“My family! Please, Sakura-chan, can’t you realize he’s using you? Return to your senses and protect me!”

After the argument started, the purple-haired girl had not stopped laughing once. “But isn’t this a household matter! Should I pick a side?”

“It is! That’s why we need someone impartial to pass judgment! Tell this little superhero wanna-be that he’s tormenting an innocent civilian!”

“Senpai,” Sakura held her cheer back, “did you want to be a hero? I don’t blame you - every kid has this dream, and…”

Taiga grinned as a wild beast - but not a tiger! Never! “Oh, make no mistake. That’s still his goal. But as a child, he was worse. I have kept one of his essays if you would like to hear.”

She stood up, determined to recover the incriminating paper. The chief detective in this convoluted case: such a role she played today, and nobody would stop her investigation. “I find it in no time.”

“Nope,” Sakura said politely, and Shirou sighed out, the tension in his body relaxing its gasp. And then it returned as the girl continued, “I can imagine it quite well.”

“You can’t!” he argued as the tables turned on him. “Both of you are going to give me gray hairs early - and wrinkles, too! If you are full enough to make stupid jokes, then…” Shirou noticed the untouched bowl of yam soup and slipped into caretaker mode. “Fuji-nee,” he asked, “why you haven’t eaten anything?”

“Not hungry, I guess.” If she stayed and ate, Taiga doubted she would remain awake. A little stillness waxed her into a dream easily. “But because I am not eating, it doesn’t mean I’d not be a ravenous bear at lunch! Whip up extra to make up for the lost breakfast!”

“You?” Shirou rubbed the bridge of his nose, frowning sharply. “Not hungry? Next part of the forecast, pigs are flying around. Are you planning yet another trick?”

If only she had energy for further jokes! “Nothing like that. Good thing you care for your poor teacher now, but you can’t help everyone constantly, Shirou.” No average human could. “And if you don’t pay attention to yourself, you will suffer for it. For example -” she glanced at the clock on the wall “- if you waste your time, you’ll run like a madman! I have homeroom first class, and your tests are nowhere near graded!”

“Wait!” Shirou’s shouts followed Taiga as she closed the door and dashed to school.

---

On the one hand, Taiga could subject herself to hell, accept her mistake, and grade the tests. Or, she could argue the worth of leaving responsibilities for the last possible second. Pluses: she had fun in the freed time. Minuses: she barely had a day to check the exams of three classes. And any dent filled up with extra papers. Were she fair with herself, she might advance far faster. But why focus so much effort on the job when there were higher priorities?

The door to the teachers’ lounge opened, and an impressive stack of documents - as imposing as Taiga’s - entered. Its carrier walked in a second later.

“Hello, Kuzuki!” Taiga greeted her colleague. “You also left your exams for today?” She clicked her tongue. “Such laziness from the strictest teacher? I would never expect it. But, since you’re still to grade them, why don’t we keep each other company until the first period? And -“ she added, recounting her pages, “- after the classes end.”

Kuzuki raised an eyebrow slightly; if they had not worked together for a while, she would miss his minute tick. “Those -“ he set the documents on a distant part of the large table “- are handouts for today. My exams were checked and are already returned.”

“All for the students?” Taiga winced and swiftly moved her gaze from the mountain. “No wonder why they don’t like your subject. You’re overworking the poor kids! And this is for one class?”

“My job is to teach, not to be liked. I have not found a more efficient method than countless exercises until the material becomes a part of one’s thought process.”

“Do you want a friend’s honest opinion?” Taiga was absolutely not waiting for an excuse to postpone the work! “Exercises have their place, but this much? Can’t you hand over the children less torment? Otherwise, they’ll detest you and hate history on principle. An angry crowd comes under your window, protesting the homework. Why do you think I rarely give any?” Not that she had ever gotten a flock outside her house, but some measures were best taken in advance.

“Their feelings are irrelevant. It matters that I teach the course.”

“Catching their attention and ensuring they enjoy being in class works better than forcing them to repeat the dry material. Kuzuki, Kuzuki… Everybody hoped some passion would melt your icy heart. Yet you have barely changed. How does future your wife handle that? She must be super patient!”

“Indeed, she is. I wonder how a man like me met a woman like her.”

“I’m talking about that.” Taiga sighed. “Only you say those words with a straight face. Would one smile kill you? I bet she’ll fall heads over heels in love with you after you change your gloomy personality. Unless she prefers dark, expressionless men - in that case, max the gloom!”

“Fujimura, do you realize how much your advice contradicts itself?”

Taiga scowled, crossed her arms, and looked up at the ceiling. “I wanted a little gossip. You found the woman of your life - an exotic, foreign beauty - and that’s all we have learned! Can you tell me at least her name?”

“I would rather not share any personal information. My fiancee on privacy.”

“Please!” Taiga would grab him by the shoulders, but a colleague could walk in anytime. She would not survive explaining it. “Not even with me? I bring the alcohol to the new-year parties. Including those strange drinks, you mentioned once! You owe it to me!”

The bell rang, and Taiga’s interrogation ended. Students being late for the class was one thing, but a teacher? Unforgivable! She dashed to her classroom, leaving the exams to sit on the table. “Right!” she shouted while passing by Kuzuki. “Nobody spells Elizabethan like that! Sorry to crash your hopes!”

---

“Hurry, Shirou! Please!” Taiga held onto the stripe of her purse, her nails digging into the stiff leather. “If I knew you took your sweet time walking home, I’d always join you! With those gas leaks and robber attacks, you can’t slug through the streets after dark!” She turned around, tilting her body towards the slow boy. “What if some criminal catches you unaware?”

“Ah, what horror. I guess you’ll have to cook for yourself if that happens.” Shirou trekked the short distance in a record-long time. “Even when we walk together, it does not bring more security. Do you plan to kick the mugger in the face if he attacks us? Or to outrun the gas leak?”

No, because they were not simple accidents. But if Taiga warned him, she would drag him in the magic and mystery - and no mage lived happily ever after. A pit worse than hell devoured Irisviel alive. Kiritsugu died in Germany, bearing so many painful secrets. Shirou was a decent person; once he found about the War, he would join and fight to save everybody else. Damn that wicked kid, who made her worry!

“Haven’t you heard that there’s power in numbers?” She frowned. “You’re lucky I had unfinished work. If you had to go home alone so late, my poor heart would not handle it. Canät you care about yourself once or twice?”

“You care about yourself all the time. Someone needs to balance it.”

Taiga walked backward, her eyes locked on Shirou. “Such a horrible lie! I am looking after you! Might we strike a deal? If you stop coming home late…”

“You will let me watch TV longer? Or have extra dessert? Fuji-nee, I am not a kid. Those tricks won’t work.”

They had never worked. Kiritsugu could not say no to his precious son. Whenever Taiga tried to enforce some discipline and pretend to be a mighty grown-up, his authority overruled any dished punishment. “I will discover a new one.” She faced the street once again.

And along with it, the girl in the middle of the road. With skin and hair as white as the fresh-fallen snow and eyes as red as blood, she resembled a tiny fairy that has sprung alive from the books.

Irisviel. Taiga’s heart froze mid-beat. Her throat, itchy with too many questions, dried as if she swallowed desert sand.

“Two of you?” she asked in a high, silvery voice and giggled. “It matters not. My words are only for Onii-chan. You will die if you don’t summon it soon.” The girl slid past them as if a ghost crossed the air and disappeared after the turn. “It would be such a tragedy to lose so early.”

“Wait!” Taiga’s speech returned too late. She tugged the emptiness as if that would bring the child back. Two of them? Onii-chan? Was she the big surprise and Shirou the one supposed to participate? No, he would never cross there! A mage might have raised him, but Kiritsugu had not cast a single spell since adopting Shirou. Without Iri, Taiga would not realize his secret! Shirou must not have learned about magic!

“Fuji-nee?” her boy asked. “Do you know her?”

Yes, because she was the spitting image of her possibly-deceased teacher.

“Not in the slightest. Maybe you’re hiding something from me, Onii-chan. She wanted to warn you.” Kiritsugu and Irisviel had a daughter, but the girl was too young. Could she be their child?

“He married once. But he has said nothing about siblings. And what were her last words?”

Shirou would die if he did not summon a Servant. Was she threatening him? Or giving a warning? Taiga had to intervene. She protected not only Iri - not anymore. She ought to protect Shirou, too.

“It was a random child who talked for no reason. She might have mistaken us for someone else. Don’t listen to her. Now come on!” She threw one last glance at the empty street. Did she hope the girl would not chase them? Or that she would return to talk? “Let’s go home. You can make me dinner and forget that she has ever appeared.”

“What, did she scare you, Fuji-nee? What happened with power in numbers?”

“I hadn’t had breakfast today! That’s why!” Taiga protested, trying to turn it into a joke. “If I had eaten, ten armed robbers would not stop me!”

“And whose fault is it you didn’t sleep last night because you were grading tests?”

Taiga sighed and smiled.

---

“Fujimura-sensei,” Sakura asked, “are you doing all right? You ate nothing for breakfast; now you’ve barely had any dinner. Are you feeling sick, perhaps?”

Not exactly. But without a word that described how one small, forgotten detail ripped all hopes apart, ill would suffice. “Maybe.” Taiga nodded. “Don’t be surprised to get a substitute teacher sometime soon.”

Dying. The goal of the Holy Grail War was to kill every opponent and claim the wish for oneself. Expect, there was no miracle, but only dread and a vast curse to obliterate life. Damned if she won and dead if she lost. The silver fairy with Iri’s face rained snow over Taiga’s sparkling hopes.

“Because the usual one is too lazy and needs to postpone giving our tests back?” As courteous as always, Shirou joined their conversation while picking the bowls on the table. “Drop the mask, Fuji-nee. If you could stand up after falling at school, you can deal with a minor cold.”

The ache in Taiga’s forehead flared at the mention. She rubbed it, wincing. OK, she might have been too clumsy in her first class. And she might have smashed her head. Yet it was apples to oranges! “Shirou! Did you dare suggest I was lying?” Which she was doing, but it was not the point.

Sakura gasped. “What has happened, Fujimura-sensei?”

“I wish you were there, my dear girl!” Taiga began her spiel of wallowing sorrow. “I tripped myself and fell. Instead of helping their poor teacher, those vagabonds had fun at my expense! At my lowest, they ganged up and called me that name! All at once!”

“They did not!” Only the slight edge of a smile betrayed Sakura’s faked shock.

“Sakura, you believe the best for people. But those stu… Those monsters! They did it! I swear!”

“Even senpai?”

“He led the charge.” Taiga mocked a fainting spell, her head gently lying on the floor. “My own flesh and blood abandoned me.” She closed her eyes and let out a long-drawn sigh.

Her fingers counted: one, two, three. As if with a set signal, she jumped straight and laughter burst out of the women’s lips.

“Encore!” Sakura cheered, punching the air. “Encore! Fujimura-sensei, I never thought you were an actress!”

“I would never dream of it,” Taiga humbly said while bowing. “The world is not for the Fuyuki miracle.”

“Don’t keep such talent only for yourself, sensei! Let other people also enjoy it! As for you, senpai -“ Sakura’s silky voice dropped lower, now murky black “- how dare you not help your teacher? Haven’t you got any standards?”

“We had to wake her up,” Shirou excused himself and shook his head. “It worked the last time she fell asleep in school. Why should I not use the proved tactic?”

Taiga opened her mouth. She had practiced an excellent lecture on that topic. Alas, the world was not ready for it, either.

“Besides,” Shirou added, “you were healthy enough to shield me from that little girl. You froze only for half a minute!”

A fiery arrow coursed through Taiga’s heart. She hoped to throw the conversation as far off track as possible from the grisly fate that awaited her. “How should I react when a random kid talks to me? Parents these days; they let their kids wander everywhere.” Puffing up like a balloon, Taiga put hands on her waist. Today, She was the supreme child-raising authority.

“She was a small girl. Yeah, she spoke strangely, but what else? Neither of us has met her.”

But they should have, a budding Idea told Taiga. Because if she were Iri and Kiritsugu’s daughter, she would be a part of their family. A relative who would try to murder them. But was she not warning Shirou - to protect her sibling from Emiya’s enemies? He must have left many with his career choice.

Taiga could not accept her advice. If he summoned a Servant, her boy would spend the War looking behind his shoulder. Once he became a master, the first mistake might kill and leave him in a pool of blood. “Shirou,” she asked, “answer me honestly. As a future hero. Should one save others even if it puts him in grave danger?”

Without batting an eye, Shirou gave the expected reply. “That’s what heroes do, don’t they?” A moment later, the words dawned on him. “Fuji-nee, are you really feeling sick? First, you’re not eating and sleeping, now these questions…”

“I’m fine,” she lied. Shirou would not defend himself with the power of a Servant. No, he would jump headfirst to save everybody. “Hey, Shirou. Once I take Sakura-chan home, I’ll come back here. With those accidents, I shouldn’t leave you alone.” Then she should hide the War from him at any cost.

“I can handle it, Fuji-nee,” Shirou groaned. “But if you’ll sleep more easily, I will prepare you a futon in the guest room.”

“Thank you!” she smiled. “Keep up this, and I might forgive you for using that word. Sakura-chan, if you’ve finished eating, let’s go!”

---

Taiga tiptoed to the kitchen, opened one drawer, and hastily snatched a knife. Her hands shook as she fled the house and passed through the yard - a single shadow across the moonlit world. She crashed through the door in Shirou’s kingdom. He had not crawled there to sleep. So far, events were going as planned.

She walked to the circle - the same one that Kiritsugu had used ten years ago. “I…” How would she beg when she couldn’t promise the Heroic Spirit a win? “I have no powers. I lack the blood of a mage. But I need your help, please!” Did Heroic Spirits work for a charity? Taiga had to discover.

Nothing. No sparks, no glow, no sudden bursts of energy. Taiga clenched her hand in a fist - the handle of the knife digging in the skin - and her face wrinkled as she forced herself to remember. She watched herself reading the book while Iri was teaching, her fringes tracing the text. The words were gibberish - lines of ink over white pages.

Yet they were without meaning. Master needed only a circle; anything else was being picky. Taiga did not have that right. “Anyone,” she prayed, but to whom? The Grail - that dark prison, which had stolen Iri? Never! The Heroic Spirits? Could her voice reach their Throne?

The rigid knife slashed through Taiga’s palm. She bit her lips; if she screamed, Shirou would catch her little secret. Blood fell on the mercury - a sacrifice for that who would answer her pleas. The ancient, almost-gone lines sprang to life, connecting the traces on the stone. Power passed through her feet and threatened to throw her on her knees. Flexing her muscles, Taiga struggled to stand, pouring the energy over the circle. The magic twisted in strange spirals - eerie flowers and snowflakes, painstakingly detailed and colored like dried fire. Sparks flew across the air, runes formed, and put the last touch on the enchantment. An otherwordly force tried to break free.

Pain hit Taiga’s knees - a sharp, bone-breaking punch. She wobbled, lost balance, and fell back.

The red flashes froze and crumbled into dust that piled together. A figure appeared in the circle - a tall, muscular man with a crimson coat. He stood with hands in his pockets. For a split second, his eyes glanced straight at Taiga - then he looked away.

Her legs still felt weak - if she rose, she would crumple. Neither spoke - a perfect silence that would love being broken.

“Yes!” Taiga shouted. And her cheer chilled her throat. She had entered that world of magic, of challenges, of death. The cursed mud was no longer her nightmare but a reality she would defeat. Even though her eyes were heavy, even though her body could barely move, she had called forth a Servant. She would win her first - and last - Holy Grail War.

“My, my. What an interesting master has summoned me,” replied the man in a rich, soft voice with perfect Japanese pronunciation. Why had Taiga bothered with English? “What is your name?” He stared at the atelier walls, away from her.

“I would scold you if you were my student,” she muttered. Each word taxed her. The spell had drained her. “ What am I saying? You are around a hundred years too mature. Will you tell me your story -“ a frown crossed the Servant’s face before it returned to his strange smile. “I am no history buff. Ah, right! Myself. The name’s Taiga - an English teacher and your Master.” She showed the small, red sun on the back of her palm.

He took a deep breath. “I am merely an Archer,” he said as if every word were a spell. And for him, they were - revealing a Servant’s identity meant surrendering their power. “If you have nothing else to tell me, I shall wait for orders by your side. Once you recover your powers, we can discuss our strategy.”

One kept Servants in their spiritual form. Taiga had never imagined the change was so simple; Archer melted in scarlet mist. But he remained there; she felt his breathing, heard his voice.

The pressure over Taiga - pressure she had not noticed - diminished, and she stood. A single breeze would push her body on the ground again. If she reached for him, Taiga would touch actual flesh. But she lacked the power. “You cannot disrespect your Master,” she wished to say, but it wasted too much energy. Her hands fell to the frigid floor. She could take a nap before teaching her Servant manners.

“Tomorrow,” she said and wandered in a dream.