The Shortcomings and the Retribution

Taiga pouted and said, "Between work and everything I haven't had time for Shimei at all. It's no fair what if he likes her more then me!" She pouted and said, "Time to go I'll be by later..." After that she was gone. It wasn't till noon time Rin finished her test. After that she was walking on home as she was going through the park she suddenly noticed blood in front of her on the side walk. Her eyes wide she quickly followed the trail deeper through the trees thinking it was some civilian hurt.

She stopped seeing a figure slumped down by the tree. She knew Rider was close by so she wasn't the least bit nervous. She stopped and was startled to find Joan sitting there unconscious. Obviously the servant didn't return to her master and her wound was quite serious. Joan looked up and saw Rin and she was fast to jump up and move back. "Whose your master and why won't they heal your wounds?" Asked Rin. "I don't feel obligated to speak to you." Said Joan as she stood there. The blood was dripping from her wound and Rin sighed.

Walking over she grabbed her and said, "I can't do much but this now hold still..." She healed over the wound so it'd stop bleeding at least. "Girl you you are really foolish healing your enemy." Said Joan. "Please I only did it because I felt bad for you." Said Rin pulling away. "I see... well as thanks I won't kill you right now and besides I can sense Rider close by." Said Joan. She then jumped up and vanished and Rin sighed before she headed on home.

Rider appeared next to Joan, "You know...I don't know why you follow your master Joan...I mean really your master doesn't even heal your wounds." Rider stroked Joan's hair a bit, "I hate that you hurt my master....but I know of you and your history...you don't attack without provocation..." She said, "We will meet again Joan...oh and for the record I know who your master is...and I saw the command seals before and after the fight Joan...he used a seal to command you to attack Shimei even though you only wanted a duel with Shiro." She vanished and appeared next to Rin, "Let us return now."

The church master said, "You certainly took your sweet time Princess what took you so long huh?"

Sakura said, "Such a sweetheart yes he is..." She began singing happily, "Lah dee dee...oh whistle while you work..." She was cleaning and cooking.

"I hate to be blunt but the attack you forced me to do was all for nothing. I broke the barrier yes but the creator survived still. You just wasted a command seal we need to think more wisely. I had to heal up before I returned as well." Said Joan calmly.

Rin had returned home and saw Sakura cleaning. Shimei appeared and said, "Rider I appreciate your efforts but next time don't be so rash. Aside from you Assassin could not handle another attack all on his own if we were to be ambushed. He himself said we need to stick together and I agree with him." "I see you're better now Shimei." Said Rin. "Yeah I took a hot shower and got some lunch in me. My fever pretty much was gone after that." Said Shimei.

Rider said, "I am aware...but we cannot put our lives on hold just for some assassin trying to attack us.....err no offence Assassin." She saw Assassin wave it off.

Sakura said, "Hey Shimei so you're feeling better than you can try my new experimental cake..." She placed a green cake in front of him, "Believe it or not I had a piece and its delicious...please try some...I promise there's nothing weird in there."

The Church master smirked and raised his hand...the seals were all there again. "You forget I am the judge of the Holy Grail Wars...I can reinstate Command Seals."

"I would Sakura but I can't have too much sugar it's the doctor's orders. All it does is get me sicker at times and with all the sweets you been giving me my body really needs a break from the sugar." Said Shimei softly as he rubbed her head. "I'll take it Sakura it's not like it'll hurt if I snack once in a while on something sweet. As long as I don't do it constantly." Said Rin.

Sakura said, "Sorry I wish I had known I'd have made you a nice gelatin dessert or something." She looked down sadly.

Shiro said, "Joan huh...something is up with her...I have to find out who her master is...I can tell she's only following his orders because she has to...I could tell when she was attacking...her heart wasn't in it." He shook his head, "I have to free her from that corrupt jerk before she does anything worse."

"I don't know but judging by how she nearly killed me her master is probably as corrupt as they come." Said Shimei softly. Rin just took the cake from Sakura and went off to go do her homework. Though Shimei suddenly glanced outside feeling the presence of Joan again. He went outside quickly and saw her just standing there. "Before you attack I just need to speak to the one called Rin." Said Joan calmly. "I'm afraid you are going to have to leave otherwise I won't hesitate to destroy you." Said Shimei firmly. "Please do then and if you're going to make it fast because anythings better then having to deal with such a master like I have on a daily basis." Said Joan softly. "If you're trying to lure me in a false sense of security it's not going to work." Said Shimei.

Shiro said, "Hold it Shimei...she's serious...leave your sword at the entry way and you can come in." He watched her leave her sword and walked her into the living room and sat her down, "If you tell me who your master is...I'll personally stop him." He said, "Joan...I watched the way you fought when you were fighting us...your heart wasn't in it. You didn't even use your Phantasm on me which you could have easily. So tell me who your master is."

Sakura took Shimei's hand and said, "Don't worry Shiro will handle it...and if she does attack Rider, Assassin and Shiro will make short work of her." She had whispered that to him, "And I"ll heal anyone who gets hurt."

Rin appeared that moment and took a seat next to Shiro. "If I do it'll just kill me either way... I can't write it spell it say it in any form of matter. I've been hexed to die if I do so." Said Joan. "That's horrible I've heard of a lot of corrupted masters but to hex your servant. Maybe I can break it I have to do a bit of research." Said Shimei.

Shiro said, "Joan I want you to stay here...I will not let you return to him unless he forces you to with a command seal...I won't let you be taken advantage of like that. What's next he forces himself on you?" He seemed upset. "I need some air."

He went outside and tried to calm down, "Who the hell does her master think he is? Hexing her like that...if I find him, I'll wring his neck."

When dinner came that evening Rin was relieved to see Shiro calm now. Though everyone else was eating Joan just sat there quietly. "You should try some Sakura is an excellent cook."Said Rin looking at Joan. "I can't stay here I should go now." Said Joan standing up and quickly leaving the dining area.

Shiro stopped Joan and sat her down, "Eat dinner if you would...I want to make sure you're fed before you head out...I will find out who your master is and he is toast."

Assassin said, "I will tail her and find where her master resides." He said that to Shimei, "I will also bring Rider with me...that way once we find her, we can storm the location and take out her master."

Joan just shook where she stood and Shimei stood up saying, "Get away from her Shiro!" He quickly blew the two apart as Joan's sword appeared in her hand. Tears ran down her face and she let out a loud yell striking Shiro across the chest with her blade. "Shiro no!" Yelled Rin as he fell back against the wall. Shimei was fast to yell, "I Invoke The Five Havens Of Riaun!" Chains shot up out of the floor and Joan was strapped to a stone pillar that appeared.

Her sword fell from her hand and she said in a shaking voice, "M-Minrou is my masters name..." She suddenly let out a loud scream of pain. Everyone could only watch as she fell to the floor. Rin ran over and said, "Hey you alright come on get up!" She lifted up Joan and held her saying, "Hold still let me heal you..." But Joan grabbed her hand and said, "No... don't.... I need you to go destroy him... Not you but have someone here kill him... Don't endanger your child Rin... Take care..." Said Joan softly as she smiled. She then vanished after that.

Shiro said, "He's mine..." He raised his hand, "I summon thee from the depths of the past...a servant of power and grace and intelligence...come to me...servant of the past..." A blinding light filled the area and a portal appeared revealing a servant of the past wars...a young woman with long blue hair appeared. "Behold...a general from the ancient War of Greece versus Rome...Alexandria..." He smiled, "Welcome..." Sakura said, "She's so cute...oh can I cook for her?" Shiro said, "After she and I get back yes...we have a rat to slay."

Shimei just stood there in shock. "She said Minrou... That was her master..." He said not wanting to believe it. "Shimei you alright?" Asked Rin as she was in tears over having to watch Joan suffer like that before she vanished. "Minrou is someone I know that bastard and I were in high school together and to top it off we were in the same college graduation class! That bastard was her master if so this is fucking personal! I"m going to rip his limbs off! Rider let's go I know exactly where he is!" Said Shimei.

Shiro said, "I'm coming too...you coming Alex?" He smiled at the female servant, "I'm going to need your strength to help...besides I want a crack at that bastard too...he caused the intentional suffering of a servant even to her death...and that is unforgivable." Sakura said, "Please be careful if one of you gets hurt...Assassin go with them but provide backup support if someone gets injured bring that person back to me for healing."

"As you wish miss Sakura." Said Assassin. He then saw Rin still crying. He sighed and got down in front of her saying, "Listen to me her pain was brutal but at least it was short. Even so that's no excuse for what this master did to her. She's now free back in her own era and has no pain. Don't cry it may be hard but we're nothing more then tools for you masters and that's the sad truth." "It still doesn't make it right! You were once human like us and abusing you is no way to act towards any servant who has feelings too!" Said Rin. She then stood up and ran off into her room disappearing." "Silly girl... our feelings don't matter even if what you say is true.... We have no choice but to obey..." Said Assassin softly as he stood up. He glanced back at Sakura before following after the other four and they all left after that.

Shiro kicked the door of the church in annoyance. "Oy bastard get out of hiding." He clenched his fist as the Church Master walked out, "Ah yes Shiro...what can I do for you today?" Shiro said, "Cut the act...I don't know how you survived when I stabbed you in the Grail War but I wish I had cut off your head instead...sending a servant to her death for her ethics...you are a heartless monster...not a human anymore and you will die...that is a promise!"

Shimei's eyes narrowed as he sensed another servant coming in. "I evoke Resistance Conjuration!" A barrier came up around him and Shiro as a hundred blades or more shot their way. They bounced off the barrier and Shimei was putting everything in his power to hold them off. The attack stopped and one last thing came which appeared to be Excalibur though it froze that moment and hit the ground vanishing. Gilgamesh appeared that moment and said, "There's a rat here and he sneaked in after these guys!" Looking around Gilgamesh saw no one. "Matters not time to finish off that nuisance. I'll let you deal with the boy." Gilgamesh then said as he ran toward Shimei. Shimei who was heavily weakened due to putting all his power into strengthening the barrier fell to his knees coughing heavily. "I got you!" Yelled Gilgamesh. Though Saber suddenly landed in front of the two and threw Gilgamesh back.

Shiro said, "Saber? Is that really you?" He shook his head, "Reminscing later...I evoke the Wrath of the Heavens..." He held out his hand and shot a powerful horizontal tornado towards Gilgamesh mixed with lightening. "I always wanted to wipe you from existance Gilgamesh...you're nothing but a waste of a servant..."

Gilgamesh quickly dodged. Appearing behind them Shimei got struck though he managed to block the worst of it as he slid back. Coughing up blood he said, "Fuck not bad you go for the weakest I see! But just because you cracked my rib don't count me out!" He then held out his palm and said, "I evoke heavens wrath one thousand needles of death!" Gilgamesh was forced to shield his face and to avoid being blinded. "Not bad now my turn!" Yelled Saber and she came in though Assassin came in that moment and the two sent Gilgamesh crashing through a wall. Shimei fell down on one knee his vision blurring. "You okay old timer?" Asked Assassin. "Shut your mouth I'm hardly out yet!" Said Shimei standing up. Though the room spun and he grabbed a wall. "On second thought cover me for a moment while I wait for the room to stop spinning." Said Shimei.

Shiro held up his hands, "I evoke...the Constricting Northern Wind...Upon the Freezing ancient ways turn this realm into a frozen wasteland..." He knelt and placed his hand on the ground and created an ice floor that spread out and spread up Gilgamesh's body where he had been thrown through the wall and on the ground. He froze him entirely solid, "I'll be glad to see you eliminated for good Gilgamesh...it's only sad I can't go to your realm and actually end you...you are the worst kind of king...one who senselessly does not guard his own subjects and is willing to sacrifice them at a moment's notice for more swords and weapons." He said that loud enough for Gilgamesh to hear him through the ice. "This is your last chance...Surrender...or die from a combined strike of everyone!"

Shimei finally went down after blacking out. "Issei an order!" Said Saber. "Well I don't care I'm going." Said Assassin going for Gilgamesh. "Striking Swallow!" He yelled and he went through Gilgamesh' heart. The ice shattered and Gilgamesh was gone. Turning on his master Assassin said, "Now you're next..." He ran at Minrou and got ready to stab him through.

Shiro actually darted in and created dual daggers and pushed both of them through Minrou's lungs. "He's all yours Assassin...put him out of my misery." He said coldly to Minrou, "That was for Joan you son of a bitch." he turned and picked up Shimei and said, "Finish him off if you want to Assassin...he's dead either way...those dagger wounds will kill him even if you don't."

Assassin just sheathed his sword and said, "I refuse to dirty my blade any further." He watched at their enemy fell and was dead. He then walked after Shiro. Saber on the other hand just looked at Shiro. Issei came out from his hiding place and said, "Let's escort them home." He and Saber walked after Shiro. Shimei woke up half way there and managed to walk the rest of the way with Saber and Assassin's help. Rin who had been waiting this whole time saw the group walking up and was relieved seeing everyone alive. She ran up and Shimei just pulled away and went back inside without another word. "He's probably upset still. No attack while we were gone hopefully?" Questioned Assassin. "None and that had me worried a bit more." Said Rin.