For Want Of A Relic: Butterfly Effect
is a Fate Series Fan Fic posted on Archive of Our Own by f0xh0undvix3n, and sequel to For Want Of A Relic.
A continuation of the prior Point of Divergence story, it veers into full Alternate Universe with Waver Velvet opting to resummon Diarmuid and participate in a Fifth Holy Grail War drastically different from canon. As with the first installment, the fic so far focuses primarily on Waver, Diarmuid, and their interactions with the survivors of the Fourth War.
Begun in early November 2021, ongoing.
For Want Of A Relic: Butterfly Effect contains examples of:
- Anger Born of Worry: After Ilya summons a Servant, she and Irisviel spend the opening of the following chapter in a furious shouting match.
- Ascended Extra: Atrum Galliasta, from canon side character to full-blown nemesis.
- Battle in the Rain: The first major battle of the war begins as a thunderstorm blows in. This gets pointed out in-universe, as one side has Shock and Awe magic.
- Burning with Anger: Berserker's Noble Phantasm, the black flames of Monte Cristo Mythologie.
- Came Back Strong: Diarmuid, technically. Aside from the power boost that comes with being a Servant, being summoned as Saber gives him higher parameters.
- Canon Immigrant: Currently, every named Servant is influenced by or taken wholesale from Fate/Grand Order.
- Classy Cane: Waver utilizes one to compensate for an old injury. It contains a hidden blade that turns it into a short lance. Later, it's revealed to also contain Volumen Hydrargyrum.
- The Confidant: Irisviel to Waver and vice versa.
- Crazy-Prepared: Maiya. Even apart from her Professional Killer training, she immediately starts reinforcing the Einzbern forest's barrier with conventional weaponry.
- Creepy Cathedral: Noted to be dark and full of stagnant air, in addition to no one wanting anything to do with the Holy Church's bad side.
- Deer in the Headlights: While confronting Sola-Ui, Waver suddenly realizes he doesn't have the mental capacity to kill her and remove the Spanner in the Works. She lacks this hesitation, resulting in an escape attempt leading directly into a Curb-Stomp Battle at the hands of Sola-Ui's own Servant.
- Fighting Irish: Diarmuid, again. Later on, also describes the fifth's Lancer.
- Foreshadowing: In Chapter 16, the smell of grilled mackerel nearly triggers Waver's memories of Caster's workshop. He spends most of Chapter 22 inexplicably lightheaded until he realizes the room smells vaguely of salmon scales.
- Greek Chorus: Berserker, of all people, acts like a one-man peanut gallery. Despite being allegedly weak for a Servant, he is completely indifferent at best and entertained at worst by the events unfolding around him. He's particularly amused when disaster strikes and Fionn mac Cumhaill is revealed to be the war's Lancer, deeming the revelation to be 'the most interesting development he could ever have hoped for' and immediately throwing fuel on the fire. It's heavily implied he wants to see what happens when others act on a desire for revenge.
- Inept Mage: While a genius with magical concepts, Waver lacks the Magic Circuits to put them into practice.
- Insecure Love Interest:Waver: I’m not worth it, Irisviel. I may not be Kayneth–or god forbid, Galliasta–but I’m still a conniving, deceptive, black-hearted fucking mage. I thought I could become something better than that, and I was wrong. Someone like me has no right to hope he would ever...that I could ever be significant to him as anything but a Master.
- Insistent Terminology: It's Lord El-Melloi the second.
- In Spite of a Nail: Notably, to date:
- Consistent with several Fate continuities, Waver still becomes Lord El-Melloi II.
- A Saber is summoned in the storehouse at a critical moment.
- Ilyasviel is still the Master of a Berserker.
- Locked Out of the Loop: To date, the only person on Team Einzbern who doesn't know Waver and Diarmuid fought in the prior war is Diarmuid himself. Until he puts the pieces together.
- Magic Contract Romance: Series-typical, although in chapter nine at the slightest undertone of the idea, Waver has a guilt-ridden breakdown.
- Mask of Sanity: Implied immediately with Berserker, who speaks eloquently and is described as having a cheerful smile.
- Mirror Character: Two characters steal ancient artifacts and enter the Holy Grail War in a desperate gambit to rise above their station and gain the recognition they deserve. The difference is that Waver grew to understand he was in over his head, and Sola-Ui is in the middle of refusing to accept the idea of very likely failure.
- Musical Theme Naming: Continued from the previous installment in the chapter titles, with examples being Setting Sail, Coming Home and this illusion.
- On the Rebound: All but outright stated with Waver and Kairi in the past, with the added implication of Lonely Together for good measure.
- Power Incontinence: Volumen Hydrargyrum under Waver's control, becoming an uncontrollable force rather than an elegant and precise weapon.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: A substandard mage, two magically gifted homunculi, a mercenary, and two legendary heroes. It's acknowledged early on that they're fully flying by the seat of their pants.
- The Glasses Come Off: The only time so far Waver completely takes off his Cool Shades is just before breaking Atrum's jaw with his cane.
- Tragic Keepsake: Waver's sunglasses and pendant. Respectively, worn by Diarmuid in the fourth war and the stolen catalyst used to summon him.
- Trauma Button: The sight alone of Gilgamesh briefly sends Waver into a dissociative panic attack, to the point memories of Enuma Elish and the Fuyuki fire flash through the Master-Servant connection.
- Wham Line:Chapter 18: Waver: You're a long way from London, Sola-Ui.Chapter 22: Saber: I would give all that I have to protect him. Just as I surely did the last time that I answered his summoning.
- Wham Episode: Chapter 20 reveals the Archer-class Servant is none other than Emiya Kiritsugu, the Mage Killer who supposedly died in the Fourth Holy Grail War. And he is a Counter Guardian.
- Would Hurt a Child: Atrum's workshop is made specifically for this. Waver does not care for it.
