The Grail War has already claimed three people very dear to me. She stood up and stared out the window, tears slowly ebbing. I'll be damned if I let my girls meet the same fate.
Her girls were currently on the same floor of the house as their mother, just in another room. Rin listened from her bedroom's doorway how the downstairs door closed shut, then her eyes drifted towards the hall. She shuddered a little, something that didn't go unnoticed by her current roommate. "You're still not comfortable around Father's office?" Sakura asked.
"Yeah, it's a little silly, but I just…" Rin sighed, the sound tinged with sadness. "I don't like being in there."
Sakura patted her arm. "It's okay, Big Sister. I get it." And she did; she preferred to keep her time in the anteroom as minimal as possible. She couldn't explain why, but the longer she remained in it, the more she felt like curling up into a sobbing ball on the floor.
These last couple months had been… something. Outside, the city had managed to return to somewhat of a normal appearance again, but in this house that just wasn't possible anymore. Rin couldn't even remember much of what happened during the Grail War, mostly the moments with Father and… Jade. She shook her head and stepped out of the room. "I think I'll head down for the workshop if you or Mother need me."
Sakura nodded quietly. Big Sister spent nearly all of her free time in the workshop these days. Mother had even found her sleeping in there a few times. Rin had always been excited about learning magecraft, but now it seemed like it was the most important thing in the world to her. That's not fair, Sakura scolded herself. She still makes time for me.
Her eyes traveled to the book on the nightstand, cursive letters spelling out "The Little Hobbit and her Garden" on the cover. She ran her fingers over it with a sad smile. Uncle Kariya… Mother had begun reading the story to them in the days after the Grail War, and the little tale that was their uncle's last gift gave their young hearts the most comfort besides holding each other. Mother had presented it to them printed and bound as a gift to share.
Sakura loved it, and as much as she said she didn't need bedtime stories anymore, so did Rin. The sisters took turns reading it at least once a week. The way Big Sister's face would always light up when she recited the opening sentence: "In a hole in the ground, surrounded by flowers of many colors, there lived a hobbit." She loved using different voices, too…
Besides, the younger Tohsaka had been quite busy with her own lessons, so getting mad at Rin would've been hypocritical. The forest of her dreams was looking much healthier these days, and Sakura had learned from a few secret tests that she could do her magic in the waking world, too. She had felt a little worried about what others would think, a worry her teacher agreed with, which was why she hadn't shown it to Big Sister or Mother or…
"Ah, returning to your training?"
Rin stopped, a small frown spreading across her face at who was coming up the stairs. Kirei had the same blank look on his face as he usually did, and for a moment, she just wanted to throw something at it. But she swallowed her temper and answered, "Yes, I'm making the most out of the rest of the day." Father may have named this priest her official guardian, but that didn't mean she owed him any affection. She only put up with these arrangements to ease Mother's burden. She already had enough on her plate without Rin making a fuss.
Kirei for his part silently enjoyed the mute irritation in the girl's eyes. Putting up such a strong front despite the depressing atmosphere only an hour ago… It was admirable. And a little annoying. He was a man who derived enjoyment from watching others' pain. But for a young girl to push herself past the losses and shoulder on, that was denying him his reward. And he suspected Rin was doing this partially to spite him. Clever girl…
So much suspicion towards him, and she didn't even know the truth…
His gaze traveled up to where Sakura stood at the top, her own expression more naturally calm, it seemed. She was… a greater puzzle. Kirei wasn't quite sure what the younger sister must've endured inside the Matou house but based on what he'd seen of Kariya and Zouken, it shouldn't have been a pleasant experience. Yet Sakura never rose to any of his subtle baiting or showed a hint of displeasure towards her family. She appeared honestly content with her own arrangements.
Also… the rare moments where she did show pain triggered… a different response from Kirei than what he'd hope for.
Black hair splashed into his line of sight, and he realized Rin had backtracked a little to position herself between him and Sakura. The latter had in turn begun walking down the steps herself. "It's a relief to see you both supporting each other so much, especially today," Kirei noted as they stepped past him together. "I imagine Jade would be proud if she saw you."
Kirei hid his smile at watching that tiny body stiffen. He'd known exactly where to find that old wound he'd made five months ago, when he had made a preliminary report to the Tohsaka's. "Forensic evidence suggests that Jade wasn't by sir Tokiomi when he passed. In fact, she seems to have met her end in a different place only after he met his."
Two sentences which had shaken the poor girl to her core. Everything Kirei had said was true, if missing a few details, of course. And by omitting these details, he had left her free to fill in the blanks herself, come to her own conclusions about what might've happened to the two people he admired so dearly.
For all of her attempts at maturity and the expectations placed upon her, Rin Tohsaka was still a girl seven years of age. Her world still carried wonder and light inside. The world of magecraft she had been born into didn't diminish this joy but increased it. The possibilities were endless to her… and a woman like Jade who wielded weapon and magic so gracefully? How could a girl like Rin have imagined a greater role model?
And yet Jade had failed. Rin's perfect warrior mage of a big sister couldn't bring her perfect father back alive… despite having promised it to Rin. That fact alone had formed the first cracks in Jade's pedestal, and now to learn she hadn't even been in the same room when Tokiomi died-
An adult would've understood. Nothing ever quite goes the way as one expects, and no person is perfect or infallible. Aoi, for example, recognized these bitter truths and had forgiven Lancer X for them. But for a child, something like this was akin to waking up in the morning and finding their lost tooth underneath their pillow, right where they'd left it when the Tooth Fairy should've replaced it with a gift…
Well, there was a reason Rin had stopped braiding her hair since that day. "I don't seek approval for how I care for my family," she replied evenly.
Faith was such a wonderful thing, especially in the young… and yet so easily shattered.
Sakura took her sister's hand and pulled her along, undoubtably realizing the situation. But Kirei wasn't done testing the girls just yet. "I will remain Japan for a little while yet. Is there anything either of you require of me?"
Rin's free hand balled into a fist, but Sakura spoke first. "Nothing at the moment." The priest was taken aback at the friendly smile she shot him. "Thank you for the offer, though, Father Kirei, we appreciate all the help you can give us."
Her head still turned away from the stupid priest, Rin grinned for just a moment. I have the best little sister in the world…
Kirei recognized her hidden expression, though, but kept his cool. Flying into a rage when you were denied what you wanted was juvenile; Megatron and Gilgamesh had taught him that. But they had also taught him persistence.
So, he followed them down the stairs, confident he could come up with an appropriate apology for his delay to Aoi. "Please take of yourself, Rin. The transfer of your family's Crest will continue in six months."
"I'll keep that in mind, thank you." The elder sister didn't even look at him.
"I will be busy with other responsibilities in the meantime, unfortunately, hence my offer before I leave. My apologies that you both have such an unreliable guardian."
"That's just the way it is," Rin retorted, having reached the bottom alongside Sakura. "Mother is still here, and we'll take good care of the Tohsaka name between the three of us." Her expression softened at the supportive nod Sakura gave her, then she took on a dismissive tone. "You don't need to worry about us, so feel free to embark on your crusade against heretics or preaching the good word or whatever you do in your free time. Just don't besmirch our name."
Besmirch… quite the educated vocabulary she was developing. Tokiomi would've been surely proud to see what beautiful, pure gems her daughters were slowly developing into. The many pressures were only making them shine brighter, it seemed.
So, how couldn't Kirei try to tarnish it a little? He had just the thing tucked away in his frock. "Thank you for your faith, Rin. It makes me all the more confident that you should have this." Now with all three at the bottom of the stairs, Rin finally turned around to eye her guardian suspiciously. "One day, you will truly be the head of the Tohsaka family. So, in preparation for that special time, I'd like to give you something very special."
He pulled out the Azoth Sword gifted to him by Tokiomi. His teacher's blood lovingly cleaned away, the blade gleamed like the jewel affixed in its hilt. "Your father gifted me this as a token of my apprenticeship to him," Kirei explained keeping his mouth as straight as possible. How could he not carry this precious blade with him on this day? "I feel, though, that he would want you to have it more."
Rin released Sakura's hand and tentatively accepted the Sword with both hands. This might've been a trick, a replica Kirei had made to taunt her, but the craftsmanship was too fine, too… elegant. Touching the metal and the jewel made her feel a familiar presence. "F-Father…" Her vision blurred, but she could just make out her crying reflection in the blade.
Kirei stepped away from her, drinking in the sight of the heiress' walls breaking down to reveal the heartbroken girl within. And the irony of her tearing up over a gift that was in truth the weapon that robbed her of her father… The father who had sentenced to death the hero she admired and then rejected… Oh, what wine could compare in flavor to this…? It just went to prove you didn't need an alien evil pulsing inside your veins to have a little fun.
From the side, Sakura quietly walked towards her crying sister only to stop. For a moment, she thought it was because Father Kirei might come back and try and stop her. But he made no such move, and yet the younger sister remained where she was. Maybe it was because she didn't know if she'd be any comfort to Rin, or maybe she couldn't think of what to say.
Or perhaps you like seeing her like this, a dark voice whispered from the back of her mind. It wasn't the first time, either. It's only fair, after all. She wasn't taken away like you were. She couldn't recall if the voice belonged to someone she knew, but that harsh yet soft whisper, the one that slipped through her cracks and burned her from the inside. She hasn't lost her Magic Circuits like you. Everybody still sees Rin as the golden child, God's gift to the Tohsaka family. Meanwhile, you were discarded and then picked up again on a whim. Why shouldn't she hurt like you do?
Sakura shook her head. She didn't want to think such nasty thoughts, especially about Rin. It wasn't true, she wasn't jealous of Rin, she didn't want her to feel the same pain she did… didn't she?
Then she thought of a certain someone in white and imagined what he might say if he were here in this moment. "You could stand back and leave Rin alone with her grief," his gentle baritone rumbled in her mind, soothing the burns and chasing away the other voice. "You may have every right to. But is that really what you want, Sakura?"
Rin didn't dare to look at Sakura as she stood there crying over the dagger. She couldn't drag Sakura into this, Rin was the big sister, Rin had magecraft, Rin had to handle this-
Two scrawny arms wrapped around her, and a hand nudged the back of her head into a shoulder. Rin whimpered in shock before hearing Sakura whisper in her ear, "We're here for each other… remember, Big Sister?" She felt her own shoulder grow damp.
Kirei watched both amused and bemused as Rin pulled in Sakura with one arm, their sobs barely audible against one another. Well, it wasn't quite what he had expected, but mutual anguish was still anguish. Yes… Sakura may not have forged quite so strong a bond with Tokiomi or Lancer X, but she still cares for Rin. Seeing her in this state, and when she had no power and cannot help her otherwise…Two pure hearts broken by one little gift. The same gift, in fact, that had robbed them of the man who had fathered them. Oh, the sweet irony.
Sated for now, he walked up the stairs to his teacher's former office, leaving the two sisters weeping together in their sorrow.
Shinji Matou stepped warily inside the Matou manor, finding it similar yet different in the same breath. The walls, the floor, the door Father just opened to let him in… It all looked mostly the same as he remembered, but… fresher, too. It wasn't as worn down or even dusty as he remembered. Huh… Did Grandfather do some renovating or something? He could've spruced up the place a little more if he did. Get with the times…
Father nudged him by the shoulder. "Come on, Shinji. This way." The Matou son followed him up the stairs, inwardly wondering why he sounded so broken. He'd been studying abroad for months, come back with top grades, and thiswas the welcome he got? And I thought he was bad after Mother died, Shinji wrinkled his nose at the alcohol wafting off him, though he fits right in with the gloomy mood of the town. What the heck happened while I was away?
Being raised with no magic in a household of magi wasn't a picnic, Shinji Matou could spend all day telling someone that. He'd heard before leaving for his studies that something called "The Holy Grail War" would be happening, but no one had given him any details. Uncle Kariya had been around, too, at the time, but all Shinji had ever gotten out of him was a pat on the head and the same old advice: "Stay out of the family business." Easy to say for a guy who had magic and could leave to do his own thing. Shinji or Father could never do that.
Well, I'm not gonna just run away or crawl into a bottle,Shinji swore to himself as they walked through the upper floor. Magic or no magic, I was born in this family for a reason. I'll prove that I'm special, no matter what it takes!Father opened the door to Zouken's office just as he made this vow, almost like it was meant to be.
"Come on in, Shinji." Though he shivered a little at Grandfather's voice like always, the boy steeled himself to do as he was told. "You can go, Byakuya." He looked up to Father, unsure if he should sympathetic or smug. Father matched Shinji's gaze with a… weird one. He opened his mouth, then shut it after only a sigh came out, and walked slumping away.
Shinji watched him go, bewildered. What was that about?Then he remembered where he was and that it wasn't a good idea to keep Grandfather waiting, so he hurried inside the office. "Close the door," was the greeting he got, but he did as he was told.
As soon as the door was shut, Shinji turned to where Grandfather was sitting. He wasn't a particularly big man, but from behind that desk, the head of the Matou family seemed to tower over him. His black beady eyes followed Shinji unblinking as he shuffled over to in front of the desk, and he was wearing a little grin. "Welcome back home, my boy."
Those five words rattled Shinji, making him stand all the straighter. "I-It's good to be back, sir." He took a deep breath. "…Has something happened to the house? It feels… different."
"Oh, you may have heard of a series of… incidents that occurred a few months ago," Zouken explained in a casual tone. "Our home took some damage from the events, and a few renovations had been in order for some time anyway. A trivial matter." Shinji nodded quietly, processing the information. He had indeed heard of a lot of things happening inside Fuyuki: kidnappings, strange gases, bombings… And a big fire, all within two weeks. Did these incidents have something to do with-? "Yes, they were connected to the Holy Grail War."
Shinji started, but Zouken's smile only widened. "You've got some sharp eyes there, Shinji. And a sharp mind, too. I'm afraid our family didn't get much success to our name in this Grail War, but from what I can tell, we will be having the next one a little sooner than usual." He threaded his bony fingers together in front of his grin. "And we need a champion for it."
He could feel his eyes lighting up and his heart hammering inside his chest. No way… It took all of Shinji's dignity to keep his voice even. "You… you want me to be it, sir?" He almost whooped in joy at the nod he received; he was finally going to be a magus! After waiting for so long, hearing all the stories about other magus kids, and having to spend time with-
Shinji could almost hear a record scratch in his head. Wait a minute… With a frown, he asked, "…What about Sakura?" Yeah… that little Tohsaka girl who Grandfather had pulled out of nowhere and declared her as Shinji's sister. Always passing him with that blank stare, like he wasn't even worth her time. Being second banana to a girl, an outsider, was so infuriating… Plus, she always looked so gloomy. Made it hard to get mad at her…
Then again, Shinji didn't remember seeing her since he came back. And shouldn't Sakura be here, too, if they were talking about the Matou's future? She was the one with all the talent, after all…
"Yes, Sakura is no longer a part of this family." Is Grandfather a mind reader? Shinji wondered before focusing on the old man's words. "The Tohsaka family insisted… quite strongly on reclaiming her and made a powerful argument." Grandfather's smile briefly slipped into a scowl, but he regained his old expression before his grandson could really see it. "So, given our situation, it now falls on you to make our family shine."
Shinji forced himself to keep smiling. So, that's it. Because you lost your first choice, you have to settle for the runner-up. His hands balled into little fists at the look Grandfather was giving him, but the boy rallied himself. "Well then, I'll be sure to surprise you."
Zouken Matou chuckled at the defiant look his idiot grandson shot him. Ah, to be young again, to believe raw determination can outweigh all of your shortcomings… The loss of the Tohsaka girl was vexing, but as the saying went, "better a weak bulb than a bare one." "I was hoping you'd say that," he placed a wooden box on the desk, "because I have a few things to help you prepare."
This Grail War had been more costly for Zouken Matou than any other, but he had still managed to retain a few special advantages. He eyed the box with the special little Crest Worm tucked away safely inside. This was namely the first one to have feasted on dear little Sakura's virtue. Oh, the potential it carried… She probably wasn't missing it anymore thanks to that thrice-damned Caster X, so that left Zouken free to use his darling as he saw fit.
His "grandson" did possess Magic Circuits, but they were flimsy and closed off. The best way to activate them would be with a massive infusion of Magical Energy, which Zouken didn't have quite so readily. He eyed the battered scorched remains of the Prismatrix Reactor on a nearby shelf. Still, with this precious Worm, it could be possible to give Shinji's Magic Circuits a little jumpstart. Maybe with a few other goodies courtesy of the late El-Melloi…
Shinji for his part felt his enthusiasm burning again. So what if he wasn't the first choice? That just meant he'd have to work a little harder in order to get the respect that was rightfully his. If Sakura had returned to her family, all the better. The Tohsakas are our opponents, so when the time comes, I'll show her how great I really am. I'll show everyone!
The sound of footsteps snapped him from his thoughts, and he turned to find the door swinging open and someone stepping into the office. Meanwhile, Grandfather continued. "We will take great care in finding out just what exactly you're capable of, Shinji. But all talent must be cultivated, and you need someone to help you hone yours. Lucky for you, I know someone capable and eager to assist with the latter." The boy stared up at the newcomer and gulped, having a feeling who said someone was.
He was so tall Shinji had to tilt his head all the way back to see his face. He wore a dark three-piece suit that framed his muscular build pretty nicely, complete with silver buttons and polished boots. His hair was silver and arched down on either side of his face, framing it perfectly to show the wrinkles and narrow cheekbones. A silver eyepatch was affixed with two diagonal straps over his right eye, leaving only the left one visible: a narrow red thing that peered down at Shinji. All in all, the man looked old, but the one eye he had burned with a cold, bright fire. His entire presence seemed to radiate authority and power.
"Shinji, this is your new uncle, Masao Matou. He will be your… instructor from now on."
A new anxiety prickled inside the boy as he met that single red eye. An anxiety that only grew at the sharp smile the man's face sported. "A pleasure to meet you, Shinji. You and I are bound to have a rewarding and delightful time together."
Two Years Later
Waver Velvet's original plan for once the Holy Grail War had ended had been to return to London immediately, best-case scenario, with the eponymous Grail in his luggage and victory to his name. Of course, plans don't always work out the way they're supposed to, and his in particular even less so. In this case, though, he hadn't minded spending an extra two weeks in Fuyuki with the Mackenzie's. The old couple hadn't affected directly by the Fire, thank God, but with the way things had been in the last couple days, they'd needed to spend time with family, even if it wasn't real.
And so did Waver, admittedly. So, he'd delayed his departure and spent his time helping around a little in their house, playing the video games his King had bought, reading, practicing his new party trick, and a few other things. Ultimately, though, the young magus had to leave, and so his foster grandparents had driven him to the airport with teary smiles.
The last thing he did prior to leaving Japanese soil was to arrange the delivery of a few last gifts to Fuyuki.
Waver still had a little bit of money to his name, so he'd taken the chance to travel. He began with walking through the cow-filled streets of India, then followed the route of his King, taking him into Persia, Greece and Macedonia. Oh, there were hardships, of course: thieves, con artists, rival magi and just good old-fashioned bullies. Waver had wanted to curl up and cry on more than a number of occasions, but then remembering three particular faces would drive the tears away and kick him into shouldering on.
It had been an interesting journey. The young man had found himself entangled in various situations like the "Babylon Incident" (The memory of breaking that bastard Barzan's jaw still brought a smile to Waver's lips) or the "Italian Mafia Incident" (he'd honed his Aura and learned how to use a gun there). He had even discovered a knack for giving lessons in Greece through dealings with a Second Owner's sons.
And the less said about the "Colossus of Rhodes Incident," the better.
But returning to Clock Tower was unavoidable, even if he had a pretty good idea what may happen to him. There were no friends or fellow students flicking on the lights to yell "SURPRISE" and reveal a banquet for his triumphant return. No, the second Waver stepped onto the grounds, a pair of magi approached him and "requested" that he come with them.
Now, standing inside a small office, surrounded by representatives of two big-name families, Waver Velvet had already come to one definite conclusion: Vacation's over.
"Would you care for some tea, Mr. Velvet?" A blonde girl asked him from her spot at the side table, teacup hovering away from her smile. Waver declined politely; she was probably eight years old, if that, but she gave off the impression of being at minimum on par with him. Those blue eyes of hers were locked on him with a deadly fire. "I trust you can understand why we asked for you to come here."
Waver nodded in courtesy. "I have some idea, yes." Inwardly, he was relieved the growth spurt he'd gained in his travels had also improved his voice. No more soprano jokes for him. To be fair, he was still on the thin side. "This meeting concerns the Holy Grail War?"
"Indeed," the man sitting at the office's desk rumbled. He had pale dark skin and long white hair spilling out from the top of his head and his chin, the latter in two large stretches. He wore a dark suit with a short cape draped over his shoulders while a cane rested next to him. Cold eyes peered at Waver from behind spectacles. "Do you know who I am, boy?"
"You're…" He swallowed before trying again. "You're Rufleus Nuada-Re Eulyphis. Lord of the Department of Spiritual Evocation." It took all of Waver's strength to keep his voice even. He could sense a dark presence from the man, a heavy suffocating mana. It made the former Master feel as though death was creeping up on him. The rings on his fingers, the jeweled necklace dangling before his chest, the ornate cane… They all hummed with magic.
This was a magus who could vaporize him quicker than he could blink… Waver couldn't help but tremble in primal fear and elation.
The Brand nodded once, raising a sheet of paper on the deck. "As I understand, you were once a student of the late Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald." He gestured to the much younger girl sipping her tea on the couch. "This is Reines Archisorte, his maternal niece and adoptive younger sister." He set the paper down and steepled his fingers. "Lord El-Melloi was also the fiancé of my daughter Sola-Ui," the younger man behind him stiffened, "and would have been the brother-in-law of my son here, Bram."
"Bram" strode around the desk to lean in front of it, his arms crossed. He was average in height and probably attractive for the average woman, the power of a well-tailored suit. But his mouth was contorted into a haughty sneer, making Waver think of a spoiled red-haired cat. Nowhere near as scary as the little girl on the couch, let alone the literal monsters he had faced. "We've found no trace of my sister in two years, and our patience has run its course."
He seemed ready and eager to say more, but a different voice cut him off. "The Archibald family is hardly in a better state." He shot Reines an irritated look that she didn't even acknowledge. Young though she was, she spoke and sat with decorum befitting a lady. "My brother's body was recovered and found to be in a wretched state. Severe damage to his internal organs, nerves and Magic Circuits. A hole in his head and a perforated brain, most probably the results of a gunshot." A wave of distaste swept through the room, and Waver barely kept himself from rolling his eyes. Magi, proud Luddites one and all…
He knew better than to voice such thoughts aloud, though. Especially seeing as Reines was watching him very attentively despite her sweet smile. "With the original overseer's death, we have little to go on about the losses of our respective families. Therefore, it's in everyone's best interest that you tell us everything you know, Mr. Velvet." Including yours.
Two men were standing on either side of the door behind him. A woman had placed herself in front of the window, casting a shadow on Waver, while a third man was right beside Reines' seat. All physical escape routes had been cut off, and he sensed a Bounded Field of at least two layers encompassing the room. Escape was a pipe dream. Resisting? Less than that, even if Lord Eulyphis wasn't sitting there already eyeing him like the joke of a magus was his next victim. Nothing he could do but comply… But if that was the case, Waver Velvet, vassal of Iskandar, was going to do it his way.
Waver took a breath. Having expected a reckoning like this, he'd given some thought as to what he should say. "First of all, I would like to convey my deepest sympathies to both of your houses." He bowed his full upper body towards the seated magi. "That being said, I had nothing to do with either Lord El-Melloi's death or the disappearance of his bride-to-be. I only learned of the latter's presence in Fuyuki while the War was underway, and as for Lord El-Melloi, I encountered him a single time. And it wasn't even face to face."
"You sound disappointed about that," Reines noted as she set down her teacup. "What was your relationship with my dear brother?"
"I wanted to defeat him." Her tone made it clear she already had an idea of the animosity between the two Masters, so there was little point for Waver to play dumb. "My former teacher dismissed my ideas and made me the laughingstock of his class. So, when I learned of the War, I stole the relic he originally wanted and joined as a Master to… get even."
The confession drew a distasteful sneer from Bram, but the other magi gave no reaction. There was no anger or fear in the young man's words, just a clear statement of facts and a rather surprising sincerity. "Once the Servants were summoned, the battles began in earnest, but I could barely keep up with the other Masters. El-Melloi was killed before I could truly face him."
"How?" Lord Eulyphis adjusted a few files before him, his demeanor obvious.
Still, Waver recognized what was expected of him. "I only heard of it the next night, and from a rival Servant, but it seems that after suffering grievous injuries in battle, Lord El-Melloi was then killed in his bed by one of his own Servants." Reines raised an eyebrow at the last word he'd uttered, so he elaborated. "For some reason, every Master ended up with two Servants at their command in this War. How or why this happened, I have no idea."
That earned him a skeptical laugh from the red-haired heir. "Even you had two Servants?"
"Three, actually." Waver's lip twitched before he got it under control. "Berserker X rebelled early on against his original Master, and… the Servants I summoned convinced him to join their side. The mana cost for each Servant had somehow been reduced to about half that of usual, making it possible for me to sustain all three of them."
The Archisorte daughter made a faux-impressed sound, a teasing glint in her eyes. "To be able to handle three powerful familiars in such a stressful situation… I was under the impression that your magecraft was nothing particularly noteworthy, Waver."
"It isn't." He ignored her suddenly using his name and went on. "I said this Grail War's situation made such a thing possible, but that doesn't mean it was easy. It took all I had to keep the three of them strong enough to fight, and what's worse is that other Servants went rogue as well, such as Archer X who was contracted to Lord Melloi and ended up killing him herself."
He let the return to the main topic sink in, noting how the two main participants of his audience showed no surprise to the multiple Servant business. This clearly wasn't the first they'd heard of it, so he hopefully had some credence of truth to his word. "Things really seemed to begin going off the rails after that. No doubt you all know of the multiple incidents in Fuyuki during the Grail War, heavy property damage and many lives lost. I had lost all of my Servants two nights prior to the Fire. Me surviving at all was a complete fluke."
"Obviously," Lord Eulyphis rumbled from his seat. "So, you know absolutely nothing of Sola-Ui's fate?"
Waver shook his head. "I'm afraid so, my lord. The most I know is that she became the Master of Lord El-Melloi's other Servant, Lancer, and the two sought to kill Archer X and use the Grail to bring Lady Reines' brother back to life. Lancer died before Archer X, I believe, so they most likely failed. But I haven't a clue as to what became of Lady Sola-Ui."
"There's nothing else you have to offer then?" The elder magus leaned forward in his seat, eyes narrowing further at his target. "No theories or overheard utterances of her?"
"No, sir." Somehow, he managed to keep his voice even and his body straight.
Lord Eulyphis returned to his backrest while Reines beckoned for her aide to step closer. Everything Velvet had just said coincided with what information they already had gleaned through the younger Kotomine or their own investigations. This business of twice of many Servants was a different puzzle, one that was making plenty of uninvolved magi gossip about. The rumors surrounding the additional Servants, in particular: did they really come from alternate realities?
Such questions were irrelevant to the matter at hand, though. Neither sensed any hint of deception in Waver Velvet's testimony, even if they both knew he wasn't telling everything. Still, he really didn't seem to have anything to do with the lost pair's circumstances. Not everyone was so ready to accept this, though.
Bram sneered. "Listen, you little runt of a commoner, my sister's probably dead by now, and the man supposed to marry her came back as a mangled corpse while a mouse like you just walked away from that shamble of a War untouched?" He grabbed the boy by the shoulder, mana flickering in his free hand. The Archisorte brat shot him a look, but he ignored it. "I expect some real answers from you, so if you want to keep breathing for a few more-"
A second later, the heir of the Sophia-Ri was tumbling to the floor, hands shooting out barely in time to arrest his fall. He crouched there on all fours, breathing heavily… and with some difficulty, he realized. Prodding his nose told him rather painfully that it had been broken.
Bram slowly looked up in rising indignation to see first Reines Archisorte barely covering her grinning mouth with her hand… and turned to glare at the boy before him, fist outstretched.
"Oh dear." Waver Velvet lowered his right arm, discreetly deactivating his Aura with a tiny prayer they hadn't noticed it, then shrugged slightly. "My apologies, I didn't think a mouse like me could hit that hard." A smile tugged at his lips. "Just another fluke, I assure you."
I'm probably going to pay for that, he noted as the older magus scrambled to his feet, his face redder than his hair. But damn me if it wasn't worth it.
Lord Eulyphis hadn't moved or said anything, but somehow, his demeanor seemed to have sharpened. "You do realize you've just sharply decreased your chances of leaving this room alive, yes?" That whisper of death from before was now a looming omen.
"With all due respect, my lord, I knew my chances were slim from the moment I walked into the room." Waver bowed his head to the superior magus. "It's simply that certain acquaintances of mine would be disappointed in me if I didn't get at least one decent hit in." He eyed the room calmly. "Besides, I've found the worse my odds are, the better I perform."
All four unnamed magi had inched closer to the room's center, ready for battle. The Sophia-Ri aide quickly offered Bram a handkerchief before he shoved her back. He wiped his blood away as he took a shaky step towards Velvet. "You… You filthy little-"
"Do stop embarrassing yourself, Bram." He froze and turned haltingly towards his father who met his outraged look with an unimpressed one. "This boy laying a hand on you is one thing, but for you to let a commoner like him bloody your nose is simply pathetic." The senior shook his head with a huff. "What a fool I have for a son." Bram flushed red at his words.
Reines for her part had been trained in etiquette just enough to stifle her giggles. "My, such defiance for one of so young a magus bloodline." She let her amusement flow into a teasing tone towards Waver. "I suppose those rumors of you destroying the Colossus of Rhodes seven months ago aren't exaggerated."
Waver couldn't stop himself from groaning, drawing all attention back to him. "Oh, they are. I didn't actually destroy the Colossus itself, of course. I simply managed to incapacitate the bloody idiot who had called it up, and then it sank by itself back into the sea. Then I wound up trapped on a spit of rock in the water. That incident was an utter mess." The only good that came out of it is that I unlocked my Semblance. But they didn't need to know that.
The future Archisorte heir finally allowed herself to giggle before pointing out one little detail. "That 'bloody idiot,' as you called him, was a renegade member of the Association who'd earned the rank of Fes prior to his Sealing Designation being issued. To think you could incapacitate him…"
"I got lucky," was all Waver offered, further raising her curiosity. An idea was beginning to piece itself together inside her mind…
"It seems the late Lord El-Melloi failed to teach you not to push that luck of yours, boy." Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one in the room, and her senior was rising to his feet. "Fool or not, I cannot have an inferior child strike my son and walk away unpunished. And by your own admission, you have no further information of value for either of our families."
Reines retained her smile despite shifting to her "authority" tone. "I am not yet finished with him, Lord Eulyphis, and for the record, I do not appreciate your insinuations towards a member of my family." She turned towards him even as Bram, visibly eager to see Velvet killed, began talking back to her. The other magi began moving to their respective sides as the bickering increased. Waver remained at his spot, shivering slightly and not taking his eyes off the oldest and most powerful man in the room. But just as the breaking point was reached-
"Now, now, let's not be hasty."
A new voice rang out accompanied by a rhythmic clacking, and the entire room stilled. The door had opened, prompting both guards to turn towards it, but they were met with a sunny smile that seemed to freeze them in their tracks. Thus, they could only let him pass.
The newcomer was around the same height as Waver remembered Qrow, wooden geta providing him with a few extra centimeters. He seemed of Asian heritage with fairly pale skin that matched the messy blonde hair spilling out from under the green-and-white striped bucket hat he wore. The rest of his ensemble consisted of a black coat with a white diamond pattern along the bottom, over dark green Japanese robes. In his right hand, he held a beige cane with a curved handle but obviously didn't need it for mobility; his gait was strong, and the robes exposed some defined muscle by his chest. The left hand snapped a fan closed to reveal an easygoing smile amidst blonde stubble, the hat's shadow obscuring the man's eyes.
All in all, one might've mistaken him for a harmless nutter. But Waver found his limbs frozen in the man's presence. The best he could move was his eyes, and they watched how the other magi, each one more experienced and/or talented than him, stood just as stiffly.
Even Reines' smile had shifted into a straight line. "And what is the meaning of your intrusion? This is a private matter, Mr. Urahara." She sneered out the last words, but Waver could tell her confidence wasn't quite as strong as before.
"Mr. Urahara" for his part snapped his fan open to flap it placatingly, still grinning. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of interfering in the business of your families, milady. Lord Eulyphis." He bowed his head to the apparently elder man who in turn seemed the calmest of them. "I was just passing through and happened to learn about your meeting." He closed his fan again and took on a solemn expression. "My deepest condolences for your losses." That fan reopened to cover his face. "I had heard so much of Lord El-Melloi's abilities, why, he was even entrusted with a prototype of my design, a little while before he left for Japan."
The girl's eyes narrowed. "Do tell…"
"Technically, it was Lord Zeltretch who offered it to him. Behind my back no less, the old rascal." Waver couldn't help but gawk at the man idly tapping the fan against his chin with a chuckle. H-he knows the Lord Wizard Marshall… "Well, I did say he could show it to other magi if he felt it was okay, but to go ahead and let someone else fiddle around with it, oh, that was a teensy bit more than what we agreed upon. But hey, you know how he is." …And is apparently on a familiar basis with him. Waver really, really wanted to sit down now.
"I-I see…" Well, if there was any consolation to the situation, it was that he wasn't the only one struggling to process all this. Reines was visibly struggling to keep her unflappable demeanor; she reached for a fresh cup of tea, the china in her fingers clacking arrhythmically. Bram had propped himself up against his father's desk again, mouth so wide open you could've fit a bus in there. And the nameless magi around them were sweating buckets.
Only Lord Eulyphis appeared to be unfazed, though he had retracted his prior death aura. "How interesting. Now then, at risk of parroting Lady Reines' question, why have you inserted yourself into this discussion? If you wish to be reimbursed for the loss of this 'prototype' of yours, we can surely resolve that matter at a later time."
There was a subtle threat in the elder's tone, but the tension seemed to roll off Mr. Urahara like water off a duck. "No, no," he waved his fan placatingly, "I'm but a humble ruggedly handsome merchant. I have no intention of wasting your time by haggling over one little machine I built on a lazy Saturday." The grin he was sporting would've made the Cheshire Cat turn all shades of green with envy. "Though I'm not one to refuse charity, of course…"
Waver must've been hallucinating from the tension in the atmosphere, for he swore he could see a vein bulging on the Brand's forehead. "I see," he bit out before sighing. "I take it this means you have developed an interest in this boy, haven't you?"
"I think there's a little more to Mr. Velvet here than what his bloodline suggests," Urahara confirmed in a chipper tone. "And as much as Clock Tower is a base of operations for the Association, it's also a haven and a school. A school's duty is to find and nurture talent in the next generations, no?"
Bram snorted, aggravating his nose in the process. He dabbed away more blood and demanded, "Y-you actually mean to sway us with that silly tripe?"
"Why not?" The redhaired heir made to release a belt of mocking laughter, but it caught in his throat as seeing the man's expression. The words should've been naïve and nauseatingly idealistic, but there was no such thing in the smile shot his way or the eyes peering from beneath that silly crime against fashion. Just a calculating, curious gleam that froze his blood.
Waver Velvet found himself on the sidelines somehow, and as much as he enjoyed the chance to catch his breath, his heart wouldn't stop hammering. There was something about this Urahara character, and it wasn't just the familiar sensation he felt every time he looked at him. What's more was that this blonde man in his odd outfit hadn't made a single threatening move; in fact, he was probably the most cordial person to enter this conversation. And even so, he suggested they spare Waver, and no one made a move to challenge him.
Finally, Lord Eulyphis waved his hand in dismissal. "Very well, it is quite clear he is of no use to us in locating my daughter. Do what you want with him, just get him and yourself out of my sight." Bram turned to him in outrage while the blonde man nodded to him in triumph. Before he could turn around, the master necromancer added, "But don't think I won't be watching the both of you. I haven't forgotten our private lessons, Urahara."
He tipped his hat to the patriarch. "You always were a bright student, my Lord."
…Waver really, really, REALLY needed to get out of here before his skull imploded. It was like he was back with the King and those other two bozos. It was a blessing when he let himself be ushered towards the door when Reines spoke up. "N-Not so fast. I still have a thing or two to discuss with Waver, and it may as well be done outside."
"By all means." Urahara shrugged as the young girl exchanged frigidly courteous goodbyes with Lord Eulyphis, including "best wishes" for Sola-Ui's safe return. The door opened and Waver was the first one out, then one of Reines' magi, Reines herself, and her other two escorts, then finally Urahara.
As soon as it clicked shut, Bram rounded outraged on his father who was drawing out files for more leads on Sola-Ui. "What in the name of all that is sane just happened?! How could you let a stranger simply waltz in here and take control of our business-"
"He was in control of this business from the very moment he heard of it," Lord Eulyphis snapped, his foolish son taken aback. He sighed at his blood's ignorance, then began to explain. "That man is… an ally of the Magus Association. He has walked the face of this world for over a century and tends to involve himself in situations which catch his interest for one reason or another. More than a few prominent magi have benefitted from his… advice."
"Like you?" Bram managed to draw the connections between words spoken in the office and those spoken now. "He's a magus, then?"
"He has familiarized himself with many fields of what we classify as magecraft, yes. But he is not some conjurer the Association can reel in easily. He may work with us from time to time, but he is not one of us. And under nocircumstances can you underestimate him, Bram." The older man turned to face the younger one with a cold frown. Rufleus took no joy in his next words. "What I am to that lowborn whelp who broke your nose, he is to me."
Bram trembled a little at the grudging surety in that statement, but he tried to mask it with a sneer. "What, should that silly 'merchant' be considered a Grand?"
"Only because our system offers no higher rank." With that, Lord Eulyphis returned to his work, leaving his son with a jaw so slack he nearly had to pick it up from the floor.
Outside his office, the group of six were ambling down the hallway. Waver was in the middle while Reines Archisorte walked on one side with her escort of three, Urahara alone on the other side. Everyone knew one side was hopelessly outnumbered.
Even so, Reines refused to be cowed by anyone, even the man she'd been warned repeatedly about. "While I can believe you played no direct part in my brother's demise, I can't help but wonder if he had fared any better with the Servant he'd first intended to summon." She came to a stop, as did the party around her, and fixed her gaze on her quarry. "This is far from over. I'll be keeping my eye on you, too, Waver. And he can't protect you forever."
"I didn't expect anyone to protect me when I came back to London, and I still don't." Waver drew in a long breath; he'd had a feeling where this would lead the instant he saw the young girl sitting in Lord Eulyphis' office. He recognized her eyes as exactly like Archibald's. "But the next time we meet, I wish to apologize properly for my role in your brother's death."
Reines eyed him carefully, her smile returning but not quite as dangerous as before. Daring, straightforward, a little cheeky… More than what I'd expected of him. "Until then." And so, she walked off with her three escorts, considerably more satisfied than the other family. Which, of course, increased her satisfaction even more.
"A force to be reckoned with, isn't she? To think they start off so young…"
With no other distractions, Waver was finally able to stare in blatant shock at the blonde man. Even though he was no longer a Master, he could still tell with a glance what he really was. "You're… you're a Servant." His eyes drifted to the cane held comfortably in the man's right hand, the subtle power reverberating from it. The hidden edge. "A Saber…?"
Urahara, no, the Servant smiled a little more. "Very good, Mr. Velvet. I was Saber X, to be exact." His other hand removed the bucket hat as he bowed his head a little, allowing Waver to clearly see pale eyes brimming with intelligence. And currently locked onto him.
"Well, if you really want to get technical, I ought to say I was the very first X."
Five Years Later
Kiritsugu Emiya pushed back the door and stepped out onto the front porch. He took a deep breath of the night air, a cool breeze slipping through his sleepwear to make him shiver a little. Winter had arrived, but it wasn't cold enough yet to be unpleasant. And the full moon above was too beautiful not to be admired. So, he sat down, a dull ache traveling through his body at the motions. No wonder Shirou had taken to calling him, "Old Man," nowadays. Kiritsugu certainly felt like one, and he was only thirty-four years old. His Magic Circuits had long since given up the ghost, and he couldn't even perform ninjutsu anymore; Angra Mainyu's curse at work.
He was just grateful that his adoptive son addressed him as "Dad" just as often.
A nigh-silent thud from above caught his attention; something had landed on the roof. But the Bounded Field hadn't been triggered, and the former Mage Killer knew that kind of sound well. Another thud right next to him, and he smiled even while continuing to gaze up at the night sky. "Any irregularities, Biscuit?"
"All clear, Kiritsugu," the tan hound reported, lying down on the wood. "I checked the whole neighborhood. No signs of magus or even street gang activity." He then rumbled in delight at the light scratching atop his fuzzy head. A suitable payment for his services.
As Kiritsugu played with the dog, he thought back to the early weeks after the fire, after adopting Shirou and collecting Maiya. He still wasn't sure what had prompted him to try and summon the ninja hounds one afternoon while the boy had been napping. He had already confirmed that he could still use the other tricks Kakashi had taught him, but the Summoning Jutsu was different because those dogs had been originally contracted to the shinobi. With him no longer walking around on Fuyuki City, there was a strong possibility they couldn't appear. Even as he had bit into his finger and made the signs required, a part of Kiritsugu figured it was a forlorn effort (like so much of his life) but he still went through with it.
Maybe the lingering remnants of the Mage Killer sought potential assets in case any enemies he'd made would try to harm the few remaining people precious to him.
Maybe he just wanted to have some reminder of the man who had become such an unexpectedly dear friend to him and his wife.
Either way, it had been a very pleasant surprise for the broken ex-Master when all eight appeared in a puff of smoke before him.
The contract Kiritsugu had signed in blood still allowed him to call forth Pakkun and the others without issue. The boys had been heartbroken when they heard about their master, Saber and Iri's fates but immediately swore to help him in any way possible. That of course included trying to retrieve Illya from the Einzbern castle, bless their fuzzy little hearts.
Sadly, even with their help, Kiritsugu Emiya never succeeded in seeing his little girl again.
They came so close in their last attempt, a bit over two years ago. Kiritsugu had pinpointed the castle despite its Bounded Field after so many searches, personal or via Shadow Clone, Pakkun, Urushi and Akino were causing a diversion in one spot while Shiba, Guruko and Biscuit did the same in another, giving him a free pass to sneak in…
And then the mercenaries had attacked.
To this day, Kiritsugu didn't know who they were; men of his former profession were regrettably of easy supply in this world, even if most liked to pretend otherwise. But he recognized their professionalism in how they cut him off from the castle and nearly cornered him. If it hadn't been for Ūhei and Bull, Kiritsugu would've died there in the snow.
To think Old Man Acht would be willing to splurge on soldiers just to keep me from Illya, Kiritsugu lamented as he idly stroked Biscuit. Then again, their sponsor might've been someone else, someone who knew how to coordinate them. I've made a lot of enemies…
Still, he'd taken other precautions to protect Illya. He had mapped out the underground of Fuyuki City and set off explosives in carefully calculated spots. The result was an earthquake in about thirty, maybe forty years that would disrupt the leylines heading for Mount Enzou. Nothing too scary or risky for the population above, but it would suffice to collapse the cavern within and seal away the Greater Grail along with the evil dwelling within it.
There would be no Fifth Holy Grail, not in sixty years, not ever. That was the least he could do to keep his children safe.
The hounds nevertheless proved to be a priceless help; seeing as Maiya had added her own name to the collective contract and mastered the jutsu, the two of them would often summon one or more of their furry friends for scouting the city, just in case any of Kiritsugu's old enemies decided to pay a visit. Heck, Maiya had adopted them in all but name; even if she tried to be subtle, he knew she often summoned one of the boys and gave him a big box of doggy treats to share with the rest. Once he could no longer cast magecraft or jutsu, she alone was capable of bringing their canine friends to this world.
And there was always one dog tailing Shirou whenever the boy went out for a walk alone. He wasn't aware of them; Kiritsugu and Maiya couldn't bring themselves to introduce them to his adoptive son because they knew he would ask questions. Questions that would inevitably lead to him learning about the truth behind the Fire and what Kiritsugu had taken from him.
"You okay, Kiritsugu?" He snapped up from his thoughts to look down into Biscuit's highlighted, worried eyes. The concern in them touched him all the more because he knew he didn't deserve it. He had failed this dog's true owner, dragged him and another hero into a mission doomed from the start, and now he had co-opted these loyal creatures into looking after two of the last people that mattered to them.
And yet Biscuit still gazed up at him in concern, expecting an answer. "…I'm alright," Kiritsugu assured him, stroking his fur. "Just a little tired." He looked back up towards the stars and the moon. "…Biscuit. Could you do one more favor for me?"
"Sure, whaddaya need?"
"If you and the others see… your real master or her again," Biscuit perked up, knowing who he was referring to. Coward, Kiritsugu cursed himself. You don't even have the stomach to say your Servants' names out loud. Pathetic.
But then, you don't have the right either. "If you see them, please… give them my thanks. And… my apologies. For everything."
Biscuit whined a bit, obviously not liking the tone at all. "What's going on, Kiritsugu?" Dear god, a hound this skilled as a shinobi should not be so cute. …Ah, Maiya's gonna care for them just fine. She's practically their mommy now. No point for me to be around anymore…
But the man just gave him a sad smile. "You can return to the others, Biscuit. Say goodnight to them for me." He scratched the whimpering dog's head, just above the symbol for shinobi, one last time. "I'll be all right."
One last whine of worry came from Biscuit, but he closed his eyes and disappeared with a familiar Poof! And then Kiritsugu was alone again.
That was bound to change, though. "You're still out here, Old Man?" Shirou's voice pulled the (somewhat) older man from his melancholy. He watched the boy's red hair rustle slightly from another breeze, relieved to see how much stronger he was now from their first meeting.
"Still?" Kiritsugu smiled a little more. "This is the first you've seen of me since dinner." He chuckled at the twelve-year-old's shrug before offering for him to sit down, too. Shirou mulled it over before smiling in agreement. As he made himself comfortable, Kiritsugu glanced back inside the house. "Maiya's gone to bed?"
"I think so, she said she'd be having an early shift at the shop tomorrow." He hummed to himself. The pawn shop had originally been just a way for Maiya to pass the time and help get her life back on track, but it seemed she was genuinely content with her employment there. She had been living under the same roof as Kiritsugu and Shirou for five years, to the point the boy had admitted to seeing her as a surrogate aunt. Taiga, who visited nearly every day, always tried to tackle Maiya into a hug when she saw her "Big Sis." And Maiya accepted it all with a wry comment at the most. Her time with the pack had mellowed her.
Her relationship with Kiritsugu had become completely platonic. He had to admit, though, his abstinence wasn't entirely out of loyalty to Iri's memory, though that was naturally the primary factor. In truth, he had burned into his mind the memory of when he'd "killed" Maiya inside the Grail. That moment his knife had ripped through her throat, blood splashing in the blade's wake, the light fading from her eyes… Even now, Kiritsugu could recall every detail perfectly. So, he never asked her to join him.
And Maiya never offered. They remained perfectly cordial in their interactions, but the infatuation from before the War, the absolute willingness to lay her life for him without hesitation had… dimmed. She didn't say anything out loud, but Kiritsugu guessed her heart now yearned for another.
And he had a good idea who it was, judging by how sometimes, with a member of the pack on her lap, she would idly run a finger along the Hidden Leaf symbol on his headband.
"Hey, dad." Kiritsugu blinked his eyes open; he'd been on autopilot while talking to Shirou the last few minutes, and those golden-brown eyes were fixed on him. What had they been talking about again? Something about exams and what he wanted to be… when he grew up… right. "Maybe you should go to bed, you're already half asleep."
Kiritsugu managed a weak laugh at his teasing; Taiga had been getting on his case about spacing out these last few days. She really acts so much like you, Shirley… "Don't worry, I'm fine." He made an effort to meet Shirou's gaze, hoping he could look reassuring enough. Eventually, those eyes looked away seemingly satisfied.
Kiritsugu had spent enough time with this boy to know how stubborn he could be, though. He put forth a hundred percent in any task he set before himself. A bandage was peeking out of his robe by the shoulder, a reminder of the fights he kept getting into. Shirou never started one, but he didn't hesitate to step in when another kid was being bullied, and Maiya had insisted on giving him a few pointers, so he had a chance of finishing those fights. When it came to cleaning, Shirou pounced on any dust mite he found and climbed the rafters (literally) for spiderwebs.
He was also spending a lot of time in the kitchen, too; more than half the meals were cooked by him every week now. And the boy was talented. Kiritsugu couldn't remember a time he'd enjoyed a meal so much as the hamburgers Shirou prepared for him. Even Maiya had been subtly encouraging him to try different dishes, which of course, increased the likelihood of Taiga popping in at mealtime.
Archery was another thing Shirou had a knack for. His adoptive father wouldn't have thought that a toy bow and arrow set as his first gift would've been so prophetic, but Shirou had quickly developed sharp eyes and steady hands for aiming. At this point, he may only miss one shot out of twenty, and he continued to improve.
Magecraft, though, wasn't quite so easy for him. His Magic Circuits were young, probably first generation, making Kiritsugu conclude his… original family hadn't been of some prominent magus line. Kiritsugu had to admit, though, he wasn't the best teacher for this sort of thing. Magecraft was what had enabled the Fuyuki Fire, after all. And he didn't want to watch Shirou grow up into a stereotypical cold-hearted fool like all the rest.
However, he had been a little more enthusiastic when it came to teaching Shirou jutsu. Kiritsugu didn't explain the difference between it and magecraft, fearing where such questions of how he knew something like magecraft but notmagecraft would lead. The Shadow Clone Jutsu seemed to be a particular favorite for his son. He'd lost count of how many times he'd bumped into two Shirou's sparring in the dojo or cleaning a room together.
Besides, watching Shirou practice molding his od with his hands in the classic Ram sign reminded the foolish ex-killer of Kakashi. It was a ridiculously sentimental thing, but teaching a young soul these techniques… It was like keeping another part of his friend alive.
Kiritsugu sighed quietly. There he went again, reminiscing on the people he'd failed. "You know, when I was a kid…" he began without thinking, and nostalgia soon took over his mouth. "I really wanted to be a Hero of Justice."
Shirou had turned back to him, eyes shining full of interest. It reminded Kiritsugu of when he'd first picked up this squirt from the hospital. "What's that mean?" He sounded so curious. "You wanted to, but not anymore? Are you saying you gave up?"
"I did," Kiritsugu admitted. He thought he'd cast it all away on that boat with the missile launcher, but what if it really hadn't left him? Kakashi had indicated as much, noting how his actions even as the Mage Killer were tinged with his vow to Shirley. Did that mean he had doomed himself from the start? How many lives could've been spared if he'd just left it be? "It seems the older you get… the harder it is to call yourself one. I just wish I'd figured that out sooner…" Maybe if I had, your parents would still be alive, Shirou…
"Huh," the boy was mulling this over with the same intensity as he did everything else, "I guess there's nothing you can do about that, then."
Kiritsugu nodded in defeat. "Guess not…" In an effort to distract himself from his grief, he turned his eyes back up to the sky. "Ah, there's a beautiful moon tonight…" How many times had he looked up at that same moon inside the room he'd come to share with Iri? Was she up there right now, smiling down at the cynical fool who'd fallen for her…?
"Okay, if you couldn't pull it off, I'll do it for you."
He tore his gaze away from the moon to find Shirou giving him a confident smile. "You're an adult now, so it doesn't work for you anymore," he continued in that innocent determination of his, "but I can be a Hero of Justice. You can count on me."
It was a silly, childish promise, and maybe in another time, he would've been horrified. He would've scolded Shirou, tried to explain to him all the reasons trying to be a Hero of Justice wasn't worth it… But in that moment, his heart felt so much lighter. Kiritsugu smiled softly to himself, an old conversation springing to mind. "The Will of Fire…"
"Huh…?" Shirou was giving him a curious look now, making him realize he'd spoken aloud.
But the man simply continued to smile. "Oh, you just reminded of something a friend of mine told me long ago, Shirou." He turned his gaze up to the stars one final time, marveling how they looked like little sparks. "Sparks drifting from an old flame to grow into new fires elsewhere…"
"Carrying on the warmth, right?"
"That's right." Kiritsugu looked down at this boy, the boy he had saved and who had in turn inspired him to keep living just a few more years. "Warmth… and dreams."
He thought he'd become too broken for such sentimentalism, but… "Leave your dream to me, Dad. I'll make it real."
In that moment, Kiritsugu felt his soul rise up out of the darkness that had held it for so many years. "Alright then…" Hope lifted him up and warmed his heart. The man who had been a killer trying to be a machine closed his eyes to enjoy this last gift given to him by the boy he'd saved and who had saved him. "I can sleep soundly now…"
He didn't open his eyes again. But for the last time in his life, he thought back to that night on Alimago Island, that moment Shirley had asked him a question: "Kerry, what kind of man do you want to be when you grow up?"
And after so many years, Kiritsugu Emiya knew now what his answer would be:
"I want to be a Hero of Justice."
And there we go, the bittersweet ending I promised. Some are doing better than in canon, others… less so, and now the wait begins. Once again, I was inspired in the Kiritsugu segments of this chapter by Love Sprung from Winter by adoranymph. I cannot recommend his works enough; they're very engaging.
The timestamps, of course, all have the same "endpoint," I guess you'd call it: 0:00:00 of the end of the final chapter.
Sorry if Waver's final scene has canon characters acting OOC. I haven't seen or read the Case Files, so my knowledge is limited to what I found on the wiki and TvTropes.
I imagine a few of you will wonder what the deal is with Sakura's new… imaginary friend, so I ought to make one thing clear: He's not Caster X, nor is he Gandalf, not really. Rather, he's a "fragment," a piece of the Servant's being that the Flame of Anor carried with it when it restored Sakura's body. Caster X is dead, but a part of him lives on inside her, though neither fully understands it. Gandalf hadn't planned this, either, he couldn't have planned it; these circumstances were a complete and utter accident.
As for what Sakura is and will become, well… a story for another time.
Oh, and to clarify one little thing about Shinji's new… arrangements, "Masao" isn't going to… have his way with him in that sense. And he wouldn't have done thatwith Sakura, either, if she were still in the Matou family. Not out of any moral qualms, mind you. Masao just considers the concept of organics' "rutting" utterly revolting.
Unfortunately, the ninja hounds won't be able to recognize his scent, either. Being reconstructed from an alien robot into a human being tends to alter a couple of traits, including the way he smells.
And final thing: Thank you, all of you, for sticking with me this long. When I first started writing this story, I was worried no one would bother to read it. Sticking other franchises' characters into a Fate story isn't that original a concept, I'm afraid. But every single one of the comments, reviews, likes, faves, follows and criticism you have all provided me over these three years have inspired me to keep going, rethink some ideas and, above all, enjoy myself. I've had a lot of fun writing Fate/Zero Paradox, and I honestly look forward to writing Fate/Stay Night: Paradoxical Blade Works. The latter won't be for a while, I'm afraid, but I'll do my best to make it happen one day. One day.
Seriously, thanks for everything!
He walked in darkness. He glanced about idly even as his feet continued the same unhurried pace, but no matter where his eyes turned, they found nothing but shadows. Except up ahead, where a tiny light gleamed, becoming him to approach. So, on he walked, and the light grew clearer with each step he took. His smile returned; this was exactly like last time.
The light was coming from a campfire, a warm illumination against the darkness circling him. Three little stumps sat empty around the crackling flames, and a fourth was currently occupied, back facing him. The man who turned to greet him was clad in typical gear befitting a high-ranked shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, complete with the headband depicting a leaf with a swirl. His expression brightened upon seeing the newcomer, and he promptly stood up. "Welcome back, Kiritsugu," he greeted with an open hand that was accepted. "Visiting again?"
"Not this time," Kiritsugu Emiya shook his hand, smiling sadly. "I'm pretty sure I'm staying for good."
The ninja's long silver ponytail fluttered slightly as he nodded. "Well, the fire's warm, and there's plenty of room." He gestured towards the other logs. "How long's it been since the last time?"
The onetime Mage Killer considered where best to sit. "Two years and thirty-four days."
"You don't say," his friend muttered, scratching his chin. "I wouldn't have guessed it; time seems to flow differently here. I can tell it passes, but how much…" He shook his head before turning to Kiritsugu again. "Did you manage to get your affairs in order before your time came?"
His smile dimmed. "Not all of them. I did my best, but… It wasn't enough. I never saw my Illya again." Kiritsugu dipped his head in defeat before registering a gentle pat on his shoulder. He looked up to see dark eyes gleaming with sympathy. "What about you, Mr. Hatake? Is…" He hesitated, unsure if he deserved to say that name. "…Is your son around?"
"I'm afraid not." A sad sigh. "I've been waiting by this spot all this time, but… I haven't seen Kakashi yet." His fellow father slowly turned on the spot, gazing into the surrounding darkness. "I don't want to worry, but that's probably not a good sign…"
Another sigh, then the Hidden Leaf's White Fang found his smile again. "And I told you last time, Kiritsugu, you don't need to be so formal with me. You know my name's Sakumo."
Kiritsugu chuckled as they headed to their chosen spots. "Sorry, it's just… after the mix-up when I first saw you, it's not that easy slipping to casual terms. Kakashi really looks a lot like you, after all, and he was around my age when I met him."
Sakumo shook his head in good humor. "Yeah, though I'm not sure about how to feel about that. You know how it is." Receiving a nod as his answer, he went on. "But before we dive into that, didn't you mention a son of your own?"
"Shirou's doing well," Kiritsugu's smile softened, "better than in those first days. He's going to grow into a fine lad… hopefully, he'll do better than I did. Maiya will keep an eye on him." He eyed Sakumo curiously. "I told you about Maiya, didn't I? She's… a trusted friend of mine. We have history, but I'm positive she now fancies Kakashi more. For a long while."
"Really?" The shinobi beamed at the news. "I was hoping Kakashi would settle down with someone eventually, every old man's fervent hope for his kids." They shared a laugh before he muttered, "Just wish I could help him with that. If he knew a woman was pining for him, who knows…" Sakumo then sat down. "Now then, I believe you agreed to tell me a tale last time you were here? You can't satisfy me with just bits and pieces."
Kiritsugu Emiya slumped onto his log with a weary chuckle. "Well, it's a bit of a long story."
Sakumo Hatake shrugged, smile still in place. "What better way to pass the time?"