Excalibur, Caliburn and the King of Knights

[Amaterasu]

"I understand where you are coming from, Saber." Amaterasu replied slowly. "But making no mistakes is impossible, for anyone. And it is right to be this way, for perfection is a goal, not a path. If one reaches perfection, they have nothing further to attain - no higher challenge to reach. You may be responsible for more lives than a commoner, yes. But that does not change anything - you will still be human, until you attain a higher step in the ladder of incarnation, and you will still make errors and mistakes. Like I said, everyone does. I myself made more mistakes than I would admit, and some I am deeply ashamed of to this day. Would I be allowed even less luxury to making mistakes than you, because my mistakes may plunge the world into darkness or scorch its surface and burn all who live on it? Of course they would weigh more greatly, but if I was not allowed to make a single mistake I would never take up the position in the first place - and then there would be no sun lighting the sky to begin with." She sighed and shrugged. "I doubt, however, that I can convince you otherwise, or that you can do the same to me. There is a grain of truth in your words, as there is in mine, so we cannot prove each other wrong anyway. Shall we agree on that we disagree, for now?" she offered with a smile and held her hand out.

However, Arthuria's snapping caused her to withdraw her hand with surprise and she blinked while listening, surprised at the sudden fervor. "You don't understand, Saber. We are not so different, you and I... nobody is. Like a commoner is responsible for their own life, a mother is responsible for the lives of her children, a farmer is responsible for the lives of his cattle, just like a Shogun is responsible for the lives of their subordinates, and a Tenno, or a King in the eastern lands, is responsible for the lives of their country. A kami is just a step higher on that ladder, for we are responsible for the lives of those who we watch over. Our godly powers are merely a bigger form of what has been bestowed upon you as a King - they are might and control. But that does not mean we are less responsible, or less likely to make a failure." She blinked when her reply was interrupted by a strand of hair that fell over her eyes and brushed it aside before continuing. "An Akuma, likewise, is just the counterpart to an enemy Tenno that a leader may face - an enemy King. Or a hungry wolf that wishes to feast on the lives of the farmer's cattle. If I had not faced Yami, it - he? I never knew - would have devoured all of Japan, if not more. And no Tenno or heroic Samurai can hope to face such a beast themselves, so the responsability falls upon me. So please... do not think that I don't know how heavy the burden of responsability may weigh upon your shoulders." Though those last words may have sounded berating, Amaterasu said them with a smile and in a soft manner to show that she did not intend to scold Arthuria in any way. "I would say that a King, like any leader, must lead. Leadership is not servitude, though it includes that. Like I could never have defeated Yami without the help of the hundreds of people I have met on my journey, you could not have led your people without them serving you and allowing you to lead them. There is no shame in accepting aid. Even the greatest and most honored Samurai has a wife at home who will mend his wounds when he comes home from the battlefield, and care for his home in his absence." Amaterasu weaved a subtle question into that last statement - had Arthuria had someone? She may not notice the question or decide not to reply, of course, but the Goddess felt curious.

Although she had expected a more open reaction from Arthuria than the usual back and forth in words, the summoning of her sword caused her to blink with surprise. Not that she was afraid, she took Arthuria's word for it, but she had not anticipated her to bring out a weapon. She eyed the sword curiously while listening to Arthuria's words, until she let the blade disappear. "I see... hmm, this is fascinating indeed. The tale of swords lodged into the ground or a socket and only being able to be pulled out by the one person that is "worthy" is quite prominent in our land as well - the Akuma Orochi himself was sealed away by the Blade of Kusanagi, lodged into a sealing rock. I cannot speak for whoever placed the spell upon the sword and its socket, Saber, but I doubt that if their intentions were pure the spell was faulted. The blade was most likely right at the time that you pulled it from the stone... though I must ask, why did you pull it out? Was there no King to lead your people, or some reason to dethrone the prior one and bring out a new one? Besides... you speak of that the blade chose a "rightful and just" King, and that your Kingdom fell. From that I hear that your Kingdom must first have risen to power, for only those who climbed may also fall. And the sword picked someone rightful and just, not "the single right person." Perhaps the sword chose you because you were who was needed at that time, but not forever. I am taking great assumptions now, but perhaps you were chosen to build up the Kingdom, not to maintain it? To pass the sceptre eventually?" She shrugged. "I couldn't say why you failed, I am afraid - I know not enough. Perhaps it was your lack of emotion, or perhaps something else that you could not have foreseen. Either way..." She smiled much brighter now. "If we have no path, we of course need to forge one! Let us find out what lies ahead... beyond this hill, to start. I don't understand how everything is so white and untouched out there - it seems like it is an empty canvas, to be drawn to life by the brush of a masterful artist. We should find out." And just like that she began heading down the slope once more, leaving a trail of grass and sprouts wherever her naked feet touched the ground, like a trail for Arthuria to follow.