Chapter 1: The Beginning I
Darkness.
Darkness and heat surrounded him. He couldn't move a muscle. It was getting harder to breathe with each passing second. He could dimly hear flames crackling close by, but somehow, he took little comfort from that. Fire, right now, was bad. Something heavy fell to the ground not far from him. Sounded like metal.
His legs gave out, and he collapsed into dirt soaked with ashes. He tried to move his arms, but it was as if he'd forgotten how. He could barely make out his left hand lying limply in front of him. Still attached… for now…
What had happened…? How did he end up like this? Where was he?
…Who was he?
His eyelids felt so heavy, like he was falling asleep. Or… maybe he was waking up. Waking up from a nightmare… Yeah, maybe if he closed his eyes now… everything would be okay when he opened them…
Everyone was smiling.
It was bright, so bright she could barely make out anything that wasn't right next to her. But that wasn't important. Father was smiling down at her. Mother stood close by, looking the happiest(? Or was it hopeful?) she had been in one year. She rushed off to the manor's front gate, [her big sister right behind her,] and was met with a pat on the head [and a gentle hug from behind].
Father was telling her something, offering her a tome. He was placing his trust in her even as he was about to head off [with Jade], still taking the time for her. She couldn't be happier, [especially when she could feel her sister's faith washing over her].
But then as she looked up from the book, he… they turned and walked away. The light seemed to retract with them, and she felt lonely all of a sudden. She wanted them to stay here, with her and Mother, but she didn't call them back. They were heading off to fight. They needed to fight, for the sake of the Tohsaka family. She couldn't weigh them down now with her own selfishness.
Besides, they were going to win. Both of them would return soon enough.
So, clutching the book to her seven-year-old chest, she whispered after them. "See you soon, Father.
["…Keep him safe, Jade."]*
The garden looked so much happier, she found, as she meandered her way through it. Flowers of nearly every color bloomed in neatly organized patches while the thick, mighty trees stretched out their vibrant branches above Sakura. Even so, the sky in all its blue was still wonderfully visible through the leaves, a sun shining down upon the flora and fauna to warm all its occupants. The culmination of ten years of hard work, persistence, and many beautiful fireworks.
Yes, even a few animals were now wandering the woods in the ten years Sakura and her friend/teacher/Atto had been tending to it. Squirrels chased each other up and across the trees; birds flew high above the girl's head with happy chirps; she could even make out a pair of deer grazing together on her right. Are any of them real, though? She wondered idly while lifting her right hand to let a butterfly with green wings flutter down and land on her index finger. The gentle creature certainly felt to her touch. What else can appear in my dreams? Did they first appear when I wondered if he was getting lonely? …Is he real?
Sakura sighed to herself as the butterfly flapped away again. Such thoughts kept visiting her sporadically over the years… and they usually intensified the closer she stepped towards one particular place.
She hesitantly looked about; sure enough, the trees had taken on dark, twisted shapes and the grass was ashen grey. Before her lay the path drenched in shadows, the one area of the forest that remained unchanged no matter her and Atto's efforts. In fact, with how bright and lively everything else had become, this seemed all the darker for it. The animals didn't dare to wander about in it, and even he couldn't enter its borders.
Of course, Sakura had yet to try herself. Unlike him, she seemed to have no trouble stepping in and out of the dark area. The opposite, actually; something from the shadows seemed to… beckon to her, and the closer she came to it, the more it called to her. Sakura had once walked six paces into the dark area and only stopped on the seventh upon hearing a bird's cry.
Even now, as she stood there at the border, she could feel the pull somewhere in her mind… or her soul. And even though she had yet to recover her memories of that year, Sakura couldn't help but wonder if they were as terrifying this feeling. This darkness scared her, for all its enticing nature. She wanted nothing to do with it one second, and the next, she grew tempted to head in just so she could clear it all away, get this nightmare finally out of her dreams.
Sakura's fingers curled into fists, her nails slowly digging into her skin. What was it about this area…? Why couldn't she just find a way to end it once and for all?
"Some things simply cannot be rushed."
A smile instinctively crossed the girl's lips at that voice, and her body relaxed again as she turned towards its source.
Unlike Sakura or her dreams, ten years had seemingly done nothing to change Atto. He still wore the pristine white robes that matched his long hair and beard so splendidly. His staff was immaculate and humming with magic as ever in his grip, a stark contrast to the one of a simpler brown in his other hand: her training staff. She accepted it with a quick thank-you, her fingers running along the smooth sides and knots up to the tip shaped like a flower bud.
"If you do not feel ready for this, you should not force yourself." And those blue eyes still shined with timeless wisdom as they peered down at her. They had changed, though, in having somehow become softer, kinder, and Sakura loved them all the more for that. One look into them, and she felt like all of her anxieties were washed away by a soothing stream. "And you know that even if I cannot venture in, I would stand by you all the same." Maybe the only thing kinder than the old man's eyes was the smile framed by that soft white beard.
Sakura stepped into his chest and wrapped her arms around him. "I know, Atto. Thank you." She felt his own arms against her back, and for a little while longer, the girl and the old man simply enjoyed each other's company, safe in the forest's light. …At least until they parted ways again with two familiar phrases.
Inside Miyama Town, three young souls slowly awakened to the dawn of a new Monday morning, one that would herald a series of events, fortunate and unfortunate alike, that would change their fates forever.
Fate/Stay Night: Paradoxical Blade Works
Inside a certain plush bedroom, an annoyingly familiar ringing sawed through the last dredges of blissful sleep. Cloth rustled about before one turquoise eye peaked out to glare at the cause, a red alarm clock perched atop a nightstand. "Oh, shut up, turn off!" A hand reached out to fling the stupid clock across the bedroom where it bounced off the chair's backrest and landed on the floor.
…But the ringing persisted. "Give me a break…" Covers had been pulled over to try and block out the noise, but to no avail. "Be gentle with me, I was up late last night." The alarm clock didn't care about her pleas, as it was fulfilling the duty for which it had been manufactured. And the desire to sleep and pride could only do so much to counter said duty. Thus, the covers were pushed off as Rin Tohsaka clambered out of bed. "Ugh, you're so cruel!"
With a click, the infernal thing was turned off, but the dark-haired girl continued to scowl at it for another second. She eventually pushed herself sighing off the carpet, placed the clock beside a worn book of Hobbits and flowers, and made for the door, pausing to place her feet into slippers the same creamy color as her nightgown. No point wasting her ire on a stupid machine, time was a precious commodity.
Rin quickly bounded down the stairs of the Tohsaka home and walked into the dining room. "Sakura?" she called out upon registering the quiet. "Mother? Aren't you awake yet?" Silence was her answer, and then she remembered. "Oh, right. They moved over to our grandparents' home yesterday evening," she reminded herself while heading for the kitchen. It was a necessary precaution for what was about to happen. Rin couldn't risk her family becoming hostages, and no matter what Mother thought, she needed to do this-
She stopped. Tucked in between the oven's door was a slip of paper, one she discovered carried a simple message: Good morning, Big Sister. Best of luck.
Rin opened up the oven to find a complete breakfast, wrapped up in aluminum foil and made last night from the smell of it. A smile flitted across her face, one that grew as she saw the teabags had been restocked. She quickly prepared the kettle and laid out her food onto a plate, now all the more assured of her decision. Sakura had been through enough, and for her to do something like this… Rin would keep her safe and achieve victory for their family's sake. For now, though, she settled for enjoying her unexpected breakfast.
Otherwise, she went through her usual morning routine with practiced ease. A few minutes of freshening up, then Rin slipped on her variation of Homurahara Academy's school uniform for girls: standard brown vest over a white shirt with red neck ribbon, dark skirt over black leggings, then her red overcoat. She pulled her long hair into twin tails held together with red ribbons, the same way they had been all her life, though her fingers had inadvertently begun to braid it before she caught herself. I hate it when they do that…Rin spared an extra two seconds to glare at her mutinous appendages, then checked her image in the mirror. Immaculate as ever; good. "Always elegant," such was the Tohsaka creed.
She retrieved her bookcase and reached instinctively for where Sakura's would be, then stopped. Right. Safe at our grandparents'. Rin straightened and made to leave when she remembered something else. "Oh, the pendant…" A quick trip down to Father's- her workshop, and the young magus found the object of her desire: A vibrant ruby affixed to a long silver chain, nestled atop a black velvet cloth. Only a proper magus could recognize its potency extended far beyond material value.
She picked it up with a fond smile. "It hasn't officially begun, but just in case…" She slipped the precious item safely into her pocket and returned to her preparation for school. The chain's links clinking together brought about a flutter of anticipation, but Rin kept her cool. She knew what was coming, and she knew what she had to do.
Morning sunlight trickled in through the shed's windows, illuminating some of its interior. Cardboard boxes were neatly placed and stacked all over, but there was a distinct method to the madness. It had taken a long time to sort through the accumulated junk inside, and the work was far from done. There were still things yet to be uncovered in here. Still, the shed's most frequent visitor had yet to give up on it.
Speaking of which, a young teenaged boy was lying on a working mat right in front of the entrance. Partially disassembled machines and assorted tools were strewn around him as he slept in dark blue sleepwear. The shed's door was slightly ajar, allowing for a crack of light ran in front of him.
The door slowly opened with a slight rattle of its hinges, but they, too, were kept in pristine shape. A little sunlight was touching the boy's body now, though not enough to reach his face. A small shadow then traveled through the open door and moved up to his side, avoiding the pieces with a sort of carefulness that seemed natural. Not a sound was made as the newcomer halted right in front of his face.
The shadow loomed over his prone body for the longest time, the boy still slumbering blissfully unaware of his company. But that state was bound to change. Something red and glistening with moisture flicked out to prod the boy's face, drawing a groan from him. He shuffled about on his "bed" in an effort to escape, but the wet sensation persisted. The struggle went on until a hand finally reached sluggishly out and met something fuzzy. One eye peeked open, and Shirou Emiya moaned, "Alright, alright, I'm up," to his friend.
Even as his brain slowly rebooted from the last dredges of deep sleep, he glanced up to find a pair of dark highlighted eyes narrowed at him disapprovingly for a split second before they softened again. He offered their owner, a small hound with drooping ears and the kanji for "shinobi" on his forehead, an apologetic glance and a pat, but the canine just retracted his tongue and nuzzled him in greeting. "Morning, Shirou."
Now, most people would've been baffled at a dog speaking fluent human, but the auburn-haired boy had grown comfortable with it after five years. "Good morning, Biscuit." Shirou picked himself off the hard floor and stretched with a slight grunt before rubbing his hand through tan fur. "I know, I know, I shouldn't sleep in here. Especially not when I have a perfectly good futon in my room." He then quickly began packing away the tools and projects he'd been working on; his (human) living mates didn't like him leaving his messes lying around here. If I fall asleep before finishing my work, I've really got to focus better…
"Apparently not good enough," Biscuit huffed back as they walked out the shed and through the backyard. "I swear, one of these mornings, we're gonna find you buried underneath a junk avalanche in there."
"Then you'll just dig me out." A paw swatted against Shirou's shin. "What? Everybody knows dogs like to dig." This time, the reply he got was an unimpressed ruff. A precautionary measure Biscuit and his seven packmates took in case of normal people… well, people unaffiliated with magecraft being nearby. But he'd spent enough time with each of these softies to get a decent idea of their intent without them speaking. Heck, Bull never talked, and his grunts and barks were like perfect Japanese to Shirou and the pack's official owner/alpha/mommy.
Speaking of which… "Aunt Maiya's done all the morning chores?" He figured rousing him to get ready was the reason Biscuit had been summoned, and the bark that followed confirmed it. Shirou scratched his head with a guilty huff before reaching the main house's door. I should've taken care of them myself, she's got enough on her plate… He slid open the door, stepped in and let Biscuit follow before closing it. Damnit…
Before freshening up, he performed his morning 120 pushups and 100 vertical sit-ups in the house's small dojo. Physical exercise was a vital part of a magus' training, not to mention it always helped to keep in shape. He couldn't let up just because he'd left the archery club. Once done, he showered and donned his brown school uniform, coat unbuttoned with a white-blue shirt underneath.
The aroma of freshly cooked fish greeted Shirou the moment he slid open the door to the dining room. The table was already set, a certain feline burying her nose in the paper with her back turned to him and a dog curled up on her right. The TV was broadcasting the morning news. Biscuit trotted in after the boy and made his way to the counter where a bowl of dog food waited, happily tucking in. Shirou spared a smile at him before calling to the one manning the stocked stove, "Good morning, Aunt Maiya, sorry I made you handle all this by yourself."
"Don't worry about it, I was up early anyway." Even while facing the cooking food, her voice came relaxed and sincere, though with an endnote that brokered no argument. Shirou knew better than to insist, so he relented by heading over to the table's other side.
Pakkun was seated beside his cushion, greeting him with a friendly rumble that intensified when Shirou scratched underneath his chin. "Good morning, Bis Sis Fuji. Morning, boys." He made himself comfortable beside the pug while the third member of their household walked over with another bowl.
"Morning~" Huh, she sounded a little preoccupied.
Shirou shrugged, still a bit too tired to puzzle out why. "Thank you for the meal." Then he prepared himself a bowl of rice and yams with some sauce on top and picked up his chopsticks.
Behind her paper, Taiga Fujimura's lips curled onto a cat-like smile. Two dogs snickered quietly to themselves.
Shirou popped some rice into his mouth… and his morning immediately took a turn for the worse.
His aunt watched bemused as he spat out the food, flopped about on the floor and crashed into the wall behind him while Pakkun hopped safely out of range. Her wish for an explanation was nipped in the bud as Shirou glared at the bowl in his head. "Th-this isn't soy sauce…! You don't put any other sauce on top of rice with creamed yams! Least of all oyster sauce!" The offending liquid trickled from his lips like blood.
A cackle revealed the perpetrator behind this grievous crime. Taiga happily cast aside her paper to spring up in a T-pose in her green jacket, yellow shirt with black stripes and dark jeans. "That's because I switched the labels on the bottles!" She twirled around before flashing them her tongue with a wink.
"Who does something like this first thing in the morning?!" An annoyed Shirou wiped his mouth between his scolding. "Turning twenty-five this year, and you haven't grown up one bit, Big Sis Fuji." Then he turned his glare to two chortling hounds rolling about on the floor. "And why didn't either of you warn me? You were right next to me, Pakkun! And you, Akino, would've sniffed out the sauce a mile away!"
"I bribed them with extra treats~" Taiga swung about her rear while bending down to give her co-conspirators a thank-you smooch. But her triumph came to an abrupt end when a spoon bounced off the side of her head, causing her to yelp and tumble to the mats. "But he started it, Big Sis!"
From the front of the table drawled a female deadpan, "Children, behave or I will ground you all." Shirou allowed himself a brief half-smirk even as he quickly got up to get some appropriate sauce (and something else), the brunette across from him hastily returning to her own meal. They'd both learned long ago that Maiya Hisau never made an empty threat.
Thus, the rest of breakfast proceeded in silence with no further pranks. Even the dogs behaved themselves, though Shirou still gave two of them a stink-eye in-between drowning out the awful taste with tea. Taiga glared playfully back at him with her brown eyes before turning to Maiya. "I was just paying Shirou back for yesterday! He had it coming for calling me 'Tiger'!"
"So, that's why you've been so quiet…" Shirou grumbled. "You were plotting this."
Maiya huffed as she set down her bowl and chopsticks and turned to him. "Shirou, you know Taiga hates that nickname. Provoking her only makes her double down on her antics, you ought to know that after spending ten years with her."
"I've got to fight back somehow," Shirou defended himself before smirking. His surrogate sister's own smile flickered and then faltered completely at the sight of what else he'd collected from the kitchen. "But we'll always defer to your fair and unbiased judgement, Aunt Maiya." With that, he revealed a plate of three chocolate square brownies American-style, still fresh from yesterday's batch.
Maiya's dark eyes immediately narrowed at the offering, just as Shirou had predicted. There was a reason he'd developed his baking skills over the years, and seeing the woman who had raised him brighten on account of her sweet tooth always scored literal brownie points.
He set down the plate, and Taiga desperately made a grab for them, but Maiya trapped her in a one-handed arm bar before she or Shirou could blink. Maiya eyed the younger woman flopping about in her grip while taking a victorious bite out of one brownie. After a little chewing, she nodded. "Shirou's motion stands in light of his testimony." Bribewould've been a more accurate term, Shirou knew, but she had taught him to fight resourcefully, and he wasn't arguing with the results as his dear aunt released a sulking Taiga.
Maiya had managed to gain one final growth spurt in the ten years they'd been together ("It's because of Shirou's cooking!" Taiga often joked), leaving her about one centimeter taller than Shirou at full height, and when she was displeased, she towered over her living mates. Despite keeping herself in shape and her "baby sister's" best efforts, she insisted on wearing neutral clothing: this morning, Maiya was dressed in a baggy grey sweater and brown pants that hid her honed muscles along with most of her natural beauty. She also refused makeup, jewelry, or anything else that would make her stand out save for one detail. Her dark hair was still in a bob cut, but for about eight years now, the left side barely reached her earlobe while the right came down to her shoulder. Shirou and Taiga had always puzzled about her choice of hairstyle for its asymmetry. But whenever someone asked Maiya about it, she'd just give a tiny enigmatic smile.
Taiga secretly believed it was in memory of a lost love.
For now, though, the energetic teacher was preoccupied with scooping up the bespectacled dog beside her and burying her faux-teary face into his fur. "Akino, your mommy's so mean to me!"
Back when Maiya had first introduced her pack to Shirou, they agreed that Taiga didn't need to know about the hounds' special talents, but keeping their presence in the Emiya household a secret would've been impossible with how she practically lived here. So, they made up a story of them being eight strays who lived close by and popped in every now and then to enjoy Maiya's hospitality. If asked why they didn't stay in the house full-time, or why Taiga couldn't take them in, the answer was, "They prefer their autonomy."
Five years had passed since Shirou had first met these canine "familiars"; it had been only three days after… the funeral. He must've been looking particularly glum back then, because Maiya had led her charge into the living room and told him, "I want you to meet some… family of mine." Then she bit on her thumb hard enough to draw blood, cast five handsigns, and one Poof later, eight hounds were sitting before him.
He may've come around to accepting their intelligence and capacity for speech, but there were still times he wondered just what else Pakkun, Akino, Biscuit, Urushi, Shiba, Guruko, Uhei and Bull were capable of.
The cuteness routine Akino was putting on now, wide eyes behind his shades and high-pitched whimpering, that Shirou knew all too well. He wasn't even the target of Taiga's grab for power, and he was still tempted to dig out a box of curry-flavored treats; Akino's favorite. As for Maiya, though, she'd developed a much higher tolerance for her "babies'" antics. Probably because she'd known them for a lot longer… Either way, fake cuteness didn't work on her, as evidenced by a cocked eyebrow and the warning, "Traitors don't get dessert for a fortnight," she gave in-between nibbling the brownies away.
Akino promptly stopped his routine and trotted over to his mommy's side, only pausing to give Taiga an apology lick. She in turn pouted. "One day, I will have subverted them all and overthrow you…"
"Challenge me as often as you want, I'll put you in your place every single time." Despite her smirk, Maiya offered her half of the last brownie, which her "little sister" pretended to refuse for only two seconds. The second half was given to Shirou who saved it for afterwards. Unlike the two ladies, he preferred to keep his snacks separate from his meals. Oh yeah, I've got to talk with Sakura about that souffle recipe…
He wasn't the only one with school-related topics on the brain: Taiga straightened in her seat. "Oh yeah, I got so caught up in that prank there are still a couple tests for me to grade!" She quickly scarfed down the last of her breakfast. "Gotta go quick, thanks for the meal!" She plunked down the last bowl and made to get up when she halted in her tracks. "Oh yeah…" Taiga's energy faded a little. "Isn't your trip today, Big Sis?"
Maiya sipped some tea before nodding calmly, all fun gone. "Yes, my ride departs soon. I'll be heading out a little before you, Shirou." The boy inclined his head at that as she patted her sister's hand. "Don't worry, Taiga, it's just a little personal business. I ought to be home again in two days, three at the most."
Taiga pounced onto her with a big hug, one the three doggies slipped into. "I'll still miss you! Ya need me and Shirou to cover the shop while you're gone?"
"Don't worry about that." Maiya patted her back and accepted the many nuzzles. "I've already talked it over with Mr. Watanabe, and Shoji promised he'd handle my shifts. Just take care of yourselves, you hear me?" That last part wasn't just directed at the younger woman, as all five fixed Shirou with the same stare. He silently raised his hands to concede; he'd have swung by for a quick peak in the shop. Just in case.
As for Taiga, she was back to her usual bubbly self. "Alright, good luck then! Bring me a souvenir back!" She skipped away to grab her coat, helmet and goggles before heading outside. Maiya, Shirou and the hounds watched her start up her yellow scooter with a slight rumble. Good thing I changed the motor oil, Shirou mused upon hearing the engine's sounds. "See you at school, Shirou!" His grinning big sis called to him. "Don't be late, and you better not fall asleep again!" She flicked down her goggles and zipped out the front gate, "Don't forget that souvenir, Big Sis! Love you boys!" Aaaand she was gone in a puff of smoke.
They headed back inside, the doggies barking in goodbye, the humans rolling their eyes. "I know Big Sis Fuji is our landlord's daughter," Shirou grumbled as he cleared up the dishes, "but does she really have to eat here every day? She's only gonna mooch off here more while you're away, Aunt Maiya."
"That's just how she is, Shirou." Water splashed inside the sink as she accepted his load and began washing the dishes. "And your buying my impartiality aside, what did you think would happen if you uttered her nickname around her?"
"It was an accident!" Maiya shook her head, long since used to the bond siblings' back-and-forth's. Biscuit scampered over to deposit his bowl with a grateful bark while she could hear Akino and Pakkun scurrying about in the dining room. "And I hope you liked her bribes because you two won't be getting any snacks from me for a while!" Both doggies scoffed at his threat; they knew his vow wouldn't last long.
Meanwhile, the newscaster on TV had just finished wrapping up a story about a minivan with faulty brakes. "In other news, a group of workers in Shinto passed out and were admitted to the hospital last night. A representative of the police informed us that they suspect the cause to have been a gas leak due to the patients being diagnosed with hypoxia. However, they recommend extreme caution in light of a possible link to a similar incident a month ago."
Shirou frowned at the news. "Another gas leak in Shinto, huh? Pretty crazy." He absentmindedly stroked the nearby Akino's head. "Guess we need to watch out, too."
"Eh," Pakkun scratched his ear in dismissal, "so they need to get a couple spots in the city up to code. Knowing you, you'll have triple-checked the gas valve anyway." Shirou rolled his eyes at the playful jab, thereby missing how all three hounds exchanged a glance with their alpha before Poofing away.
Their disappearance didn't surprise the boy; according to his teacher, that technique could only summon contracted animals for a given period of time, dependent on the summoner's od as well as their own. Shirou himself could only call up two dogs, three on a good day, for a couple of minutes before they had to leave again to… wherever they were when not summoned. One more thing on his list with room for improvement.
"Either way, I trust you all to be careful while I'm gone. Don't do anything rash and be at home on time. You have my number, Shirou, so if anything happens, leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible." Maiya cleaned the last of the dishes, then shut off the sink before stepping away. "Be seeing you then."
Shirou exchanged a nod with her, which she expected. What she didn't expect was the hug he suddenly pulled her into. Maiya blinked even as her arms moved on autopilot to return the gesture. "…And what's this for? I'll be back soon."
"I know." The boy she'd cared for ten years now rested his head against her shoulder. "But you look like you need this."
She smiled at that, squeezing him a little more before releasing him so they could look each other in the eye. "Always worrying about others instead of yourself… We really need to work on that." A still smiling Maiya patted his cheek in mock admonishment. "All the same, thanks."
"Anytime, Aunt Maiya." For a moment far too brief, Shirou smiled back at her, and Maiya had long since learned by now that look on him was something to treasure for as long as possible.
For it was quickly gone again, and the boy had his usual determined frown as he made to get ready for school. His surrogate aunt went for her bag with a little sigh. Shirou hadn't been one to express joy easily in the decade she'd known him; not that she could blame him after what he'd been through, but ever since Kiritsugu had… passed, Maiya could count on one hand the number of times her ward smiled, genuinely smiled, per month.
And not once, no matter how many times her boys licked or nuzzled him, had she ever heard Shirou make a certain sound. Her (somewhat) defrosted heart lurched just a little more every time this fact came to mind.
Maiya shook herself and made for the door. Now wasn't the time to dwell on such thoughts, not when "gas leaks" were only the prelude to what was about to happen in this city. She'd seen the signs, known that foreign magi had arrived at one point or another. She had tried to prepare; a quick glare at her bare hands. But despite her most fervent wishes, she sensed that things would go even lesssmoothly than last time.
Outside, she slipped into an alley and bit into her thumb. One way or another, if Maiya was to protect her family, her home, she needed a weapon. She needed help. But she couldn't leave without taking precautions.
With a light Poof, two hounds appeared before her. Their happy panting stopped as soon as they saw her expression. The bigger one, a heavyset bulldog with dark fur, released a low whimper at her expression.
Even in the time before her family, Maiya probably would've had a hard time maintaining her resolve at the face he made. "I know, but I have to go, Bull." The woman reached down to rub his head, drawing a little rumble. She then petted the black Mohawk-like tuft atop the smaller dog's head at his eager ruff. "He said they'd help me, and if we want to keep Shirou safe, I can't let any opportunity slip by. It's already started up again, just like they said." She glared at the bare spot on her hand for a moment. "I want to keep Shirou out of this if I can, but it's too late to send him away, and he wouldn't fall for just any excuse. So…"
"Better to prepare for the worst, right?" Shiba finished for her with a huff. He squared his little shoulders. "Then go do have what you have to. We'll watch over Shirou until you get back." Bull barked in agreement.
Both were promptly pulled into a tight hug as Maiya nuzzled both of their snouts. Ten years had passed, and they had barely aged a day biologically, as had their six packmates; probably because they were technically familiars. But the former child soldier's skill with the Summoning Jutsu had evolved to the point where she could have them about for days without loss of strength for summoner or summoned.
"Goodness' sake, I don't deserve you furry little angels…" And her love for the pack had only grown, too. Is this how you felt, Kiritsugu? Back when you fathered a child with Irisviel…? Still nothing concrete of him…
"We love you anyways." That comment, plus their snuggles, made Maiya beam down at them. She gave first Bull a kiss goodbye, then Shiba, and released them so they could bound off into the shadows.
The woman permitted herself one final moment of basking in this fuzzy feeling of family. But all moments have to pass, and as she turned on her heel, the Mage Killer's protégé rose to the surface.
Once again, it was time for war.
A swing, a lunge, and return to the basic stance. Sakura Tohsaka repeated the drill twice before relaxing with a satisfied sound. She placed the training staff alongside its kin while wiping some sweat from her brow, though with chilly the morning was, the katas were an excellent way to stay warm. Not to mention they helped clear her mind and prepare her for the school day.
Homurahara was one of the few remaining schools that offered a Sojotsu club as well as Kendo and archery. Rumor had it that Makidera-senpai had pressured multiple teachers into keeping the club going when it would seemingly be disbanded; interesting, considering the self-named "Black Panther of Homurahara" divvied her time between it and the track team. Still, Sakura for her part had shocked more than a few of her fellow students by signing up for Sojutsu. Of course, they didn't need to know why she was so keen on wielding a staff for self-defense.
"Ah, Sakura!" She paused on her way to the lockers at a familiar voice calling her. The dark-haired girl turned to find one of her seniors smiling and waving at her. Ayako Mitsuzuri's brown hair shifted slightly amidst the breezes, but she seemed otherwise unbothered by it in her archery garb. "Done already for this morning? Smacking around my brother isn't much of a challenge anymore, huh?" Her teasing grin blunted any edge her words might've had, and Sakura already knew how close the Mitsuzuri siblings were.
Thus, she shook her head while smiling back. "Oh no, he's been keeping himself in shape. I only managed to disarm him three out of five times in our last spar." "Only" three times, Ayako mouthed, her grin widening as her kohai continued. "But what about you, senpai? Finally stepping down as team captain?"
"I wish," the sigh Ayako made became visible in the morning chill, "ever since Emiya quit, I've been short my prime candidate. It'd be nice to kick back a little, take one responsibility off my plate! Matou's still badgering me for the position, and he'd be a decent fit skill-wise if he weren't looking at the whole thing as a vanity project." She shook her head before fixing a scrutinizing eye on Sakura. "Say…"
"For the umpteenth time, senpai, I'm not switching teams, no matter how nicely you beg." Sakura giggled.
"Hey, I never beg!" The older girl pretended to deflate, but her eyes gave her away. "Too bad… you'd have made captain in no time… Well, can't blame a girl for trying," she conceded, the dark-haired girl not budging despite the flattery. She couldn't fault Sakura, having spent some time learning how to wield a naginata herself. They both made to go their separate paths when Ayako remembered something. "Oh right, I saw your sister just now."
Sakura stopped walking and glanced back. "Really? I didn't see her… Wouldn't have expected Big Sister this early, either." Plus, she always gets cranky when someone mentions staff-fighting around her… she added privately. Rin hadn't outright argued with her choice of club, but she didn't visit her during sessions.
Ayako snorted. "Apparently, her alarm clock went off an hour early. Guess mistakes can happen for even the school idol." Sakura's turquoise eyes blinked. Despite her best efforts to keep up appearances, her Big Sister did indeed make mistakes. But the manor had plenty of clocks, and between the two of them and Mother, they always managed to keep them all in sync. Rin would've surely noticed a discrepancy…
Then Ayako's voice broke through her musings. "Alright, I need to get back to the court." She flashed Sakura a two-fingered salute. "Thanks for humoring me, see you later."
"My pleasure, senpai!" Sakura waved back, her smile returning. "Please have the work ready so we can meet up before class." She turned around again and made for the locker room; now was the time to focus on schoolwork.Don't know if I should be worrying about a faulty alarm. Rin wouldn't let that stop her…
The older Toshaka sister was currently having a discussion of her own, though one far less pleasant.
"Well, hello hello, Tohsaka, wasn't expecting to see you here at this hour." The last person she wanted to interact with had popped up near the entrance where Rin had wanted to slip quietly in, and the time mix-up hadn't made her any happier to hear him. "Looks like this is shaping up to be my lucky day." Even with her back turned to him, she could hear the smug lilt in his voice that always made her want to punch someone when it reached her ears.
Such behavior was regrettably unbecoming of a model student like her, however, so she settled for a quiet sigh and put on her courtesy smile before facing him. "Morning to you, too, Shinji Matou. You're rather early yourself."
"I have to be as team captain," the boy bragged as he sauntered a step closer. Rin couldn't help but notice his wavy indigo hair glistened slightly, likely freshly gelled. It matched with how there wasn't a spot or crease in his uniform, and he probably applied lotion to his hands regularly, too. He was of a decent height and had a fit build nicely shaped by the clothes (though there seemed to be a bandage peeking out from beneath his jacket's collar), plus some girls would certainly find those confident purple eyes of his attractive.
But even if Rin had been one of them, the way they kept roaming up and down on her was a definite turn-off. "You're just vice, idiot," she grumbled quietly, not that Matou would've heard her. He was too in love with himself for that. And she didn't owe him any more than this. "Bye." Thus, Rin made to head inside.
Matou apparently didn't get the hint. "Hey, hold on a second. Why don't you come and watch our morning exercises?" His voice was drifting annoyingly closer, and she could hear his footsteps.
"Thanks, but no thanks." Rin scoffed, not even bothering to turn around. "I wouldn't want to bother all the real archers during practice."
"Oh, don't worry, nobody would mind…"
Can't this moron take a hint? Rin barely managed to turn the snarl in her throat into a cold, "In case you didn't get it the first time, I'm not interested." She deliberately dropped the politeness; apparently, it was giving off the wrong impression. "Truth be told, I never cared much for it anyway."
Shinji cocked an eyebrow at her, a motion he'd practiced and successfully used on more than one girl. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed." He inched just a little closer, making Tohsaka step twice as far backwards to his inner amusement. "And all this time I thought you were interested in archery. After all, didn't you keep popping up during the afternoon sessions?"
Rin bristled as this slimy excuse for a boy was suddenly in her personal space. "There must've been something going on that caught your attention," Matou continued, his hand reaching around her. "Or someone… Right, the Sojotsu club's time slots often link up with archery club's. Squeezing out what time they can get…" His smirk widened, wide enough to fit her shoe, she bet. "But that makes it easier to watch both sweet Sakura and me at the same time, right?"
"Stay away from me," the last of Rin Tohsaka's neutral expression melted away while she smacked his arm away with a bit more force than necessary judging by how Matou winced, "and stay the hell away from my sister." She jabbed a finger at him as he stumbled back in surprise. Whether it was from the poke or the glare she shot him, Rin couldn't have pretended to care. "I don't even want to hear her name leave your rotten mouth, Matou. In fact, let's get some things straight while we're at it: My sister is. Off." Another poke. "Limits." Alle gute Dinge sind drei. "I have zero interest in archery, and I have even less interest in you. I honestly never noticed you during the sessions I checked out." All one hundred percent, rock-solid facts. "I doubt I'll notice you in the future." That she planned on making fact.
(Though her reasons for lingering near Sakura's practice and ducking out towards that team were her own.)
Matou gaped at her for a moment like a gasping fish before his mouth shifted into a snarl. The fish look had suited him better. "Who do you think you are, Tohsaka?"
His fists balled as he closed the distance again, but Rin had had enough of dealing with this worm. "Oh, and a word of advice: Try dialing down the personality. Or better yet, get a new one. Anything's better than what you have now." And with that, she turned her back on him and marched into the school, not wasting a second thought on some spoiled jackass from that family. Well, I'm fully awake now, so maybe putting him in his place wasn't a total waste of my time, Rin huffed to herself as she made for her locker.
"Not as cool and collected as everyone says she is…" Outside, Shinji's anger melted smoothly away as he straightened, idly inspecting the hand Tohsaka had struck. "Either she's an Oscar-worthy actor, or she really didn't notice a thing." He smirked at seemingly unblemished skin. "I'm willing to bet it's the latter. Perfect."
His smirk faltered as a bolt of pain shot up his arm, but he forced it down with a deep breath. "Settle down, damnit." Shinji hissed to himself, discreetly checking to make sure he was alone. "It's almost time…"
Two other male students were currently in a club room inside the school, but their intentions were far less sinister. "I swear, the school budget's a complete mess."
"No kidding, most of it goes to the athletic clubs, and the rest are left with the dregs." Shirou replied to his friend's lamentations while he fiddled with a torch and a space heater. An outdated one, at that.
"With priorities like that, it's no surprise that the rooms for the non-athletic clubs are all falling apart." Sitting in a chair in front of him was Issei Ryuudou, dark-haired president of the student council and every bit as responsible as was expected of the position. "They're easily pressured into keeping the Sojutsu club going despite so few actually being part of it, and meanwhile, not a thought is spared for our faulty stoves."
Shirou paused in his work to glance up to the other student. "Are there any other broken heaters?"
"Unfortunately." Most people would've been disheartened at an answer like that. But Emiya, Issei knew, wasn't like most. In ways both good and bad.
He ran a hand along the dark metal surface, muttering, "Thought so. Age has caught up with this one, that's all."
Issei wasn't surprised by the diagnosis or how quickly it was made; his red-haired friend had a knack for machines. It was a talent he was counting on. "Can you fix it, Emiya?"
"Sure."
"You mean it?" Shirou noticed Issei subtly relaxing just a little behind his glasses, then turned back to the heater.
"Do you mind waiting outside, Issei? Shouldn't take me long to get it running again." Not when he had his special tool at his side. But as his mentors always stressed, better to not let normal people see it.
Fortunately, Issei trusted him enough to let him do his own thing. "Not a problem." He stood and walked towards the door, sliding it open before calling back, "Take your time, Emiya." The door closed again.
With that, Shirou Emiya was alone. "Now then…" He calmed his mind and smoothed a palm over the heater, his Magic Circuits lighting up with energy that flowed into the machine. As the magic pulsed through it, the young mage imagined he could see inside the heater, all of its components and how they worked or didn't work. "Two parts about to give out in the heating element… No problems with the transfer pipe… A little electrical tape ought to be enough for the power cord for now." He deactivated his Structural Grasp, one of the only spells he was any good at, and picked up his screwdriver.
Meanwhile, Issei Ryuudou was waiting patiently outside when a certain thorn in his side walked up the stairs and came into view. He flinched involuntarily before he could catch himself. "Tohsaka…"
Rin had still been fuming a little over her encounter with Matou, so Ryuudou's reaction was a welcome opportunity for her to get back into a good mood. "Why, Mr. School Council President himself," she placed a hand on her hip and took on an easygoing demeanor, "doing a little early-morning patrol of the halls, are we? Or are you handling maintenance for the club rooms?" His brows twitched slightly behind his glasses' rims: bingo. She shrugged. "Well, it's none of my business. You're a hardworking student as usual."
Ryuudou grunted even as he recomposed himself. "And what are you plotting this morning? Why else would you be here so early, when you haven't joined any clubs?" There it was, that suspicion he always aimed at her since their days together on the student council in junior high. Like Rin Tohsaka was always one step away from setting a classroom on fire or instigating a school rebellion.
"I just felt like it." Rin's casual explanation was answered with a disbelieving frown; no matter what she said or how she said it, Ryuudou simply refused to lower his guard around her. She couldn't show the student council president any outright disrespect, not that she cared enough to try, and Ryuudou wasn't the kind of guy to make a fuss over another student without evidence, but he didn't trust her.
Which was exactly why she enjoyed riling him up by doing precisely nothing.
He was already drawing breath to likely begin yet another argument between them when the room's door slid open. Then out popped Emiya carrying a space heater. "Okay, Issei, it's fixed."
Rin watched as Ryuudou immediately chilled out again and moved to join the school's resident handyman. "Ah, thanks." His left hand raised in apology, he kneeled next to the heater. "I asked you to help me and you took care of everything. Sorry, Emiya."
"It's alright," Shirou assured him; truth be told, he'd heard the conversation outside and sensed that another spat was about to happen. Hence his timely interruption. "Where's the next heater?" he prompted, trying to keep both Issei's attention and his own off the girl standing over them. "There's not much time."
"Over in the A/V room…" Rin quickly lost interest in whatever Ryuudou was saying as she idly studied the other boy. Emiya had developed a reputation around school for being willing to help with any problem. A lamp needed fixing? Ask Emiya. Could use a second set of hands to carry stuff from one room to another? Ask Emiya. While looking about the same as Matou in height and build, the two couldn't have been more different. Oh yeah, Rin recalled as her eyes inadvertently met his earnest golden-yellow ones, Mitsusuri mentioned he'd quit the club. Meant Rin wouldn't be spotting him at archery anymore. Ah, well…
Then his eyes turned back to Ryuudou, and she picked up on their conversation again out of boredom. "…can't fix it if it's dead. It'd be easier to just buy a new one." Rin suppressed a smirk at that; so even Homurahara's legendary "fake school janitor" had his limits, eh?
"Fair enough, but I'd appreciate it if you checked it anyway…" She decided to walk off, already confident Emiya would give in. But as she'd told Ryuudou, none of this was her business. That was going to take all of her concentration, she reminded herself as she barely registered the sound of him standing up.
"Okay, I'll take a look." As Tohsaka walked past him, Shirou made to speak up but hesitated. It wouldn't have been the first time they'd talked, but that was due to circumstance and usually just consisted of greetings and/or questions requiring one-word answers. That was more than he deserved. Rin Tohsaka was out of his league, that was like saying "water's wet." What could someone like him say to someone like her?
She was nearly out of hearing range when Shirou spoke. "…I wasn't expecting to see you at school this early, Tohsaka." Inwardly, he cringed at what he just said. Smooth, Emiya. You sure have a way with words. Shirou ignored the look Issei shot him and busied himself with the heater. Machines, he knew how to interact with. Sometimes he wondered if that was the only thing he was good for…
As for Rin, she turned her head slightly while reaching the end of the hallway. "Was that him trying to say hello…?" she mumbled under her breath. The prodigy girl spent another seven seconds mulling this over before shaking her head and moving on. She had enough on her plate that she couldn't waste any more time.
Now out of her archery gear and in her school uniform, Ayako permitted herself one last stretch just before she walked down the halls. Nothing like a little bow-and-arrow action on a wintery day to wake oneself up. Too bad Emiya had quit the team, leaving her and the others all alone with Matou… Ayako sighed to herself. She'd try talking sense into him another time, maybe even play on his tendency to help others a little. It was dirty, sure, but if it meant they got back the best candidate besides her for team captain…
But for now, it was time for broader high school curriculum. Other students were rapidly filling the classrooms, and Ayako still had a little paperwork left for the student council. Good thing that group had a reliable junior assistant, she reflected upon hearing a familiar voice in the classroom she was looking for.
Sakura was humming a little tune to herself as she worked. "The road goes ever on and on," she sang quietly while skimming through a collection of papers, "Down from the door where it began," she put that stack down and retrieved another, "Now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow if I can."
Ayako walked into her line of sight with her usual smile. "That's a beautiful song, Sakura," she commented, drawing a blush from the dark-haired girl that made her look even cuter. "Where'd you learn it?"
Sakura bit her lip in apparent thought. "…Oh, just a little something I must've heard over the radio years ago." She shrugged good-naturedly. "It keeps popping up in my head every now and then. You know how it is, senpai."
"Don't we all," Ayako huffed, smile still in place, "the danger of a good song turning into an ear worm."