Sakura Day #1
"Can you say that again?" Shirou asks, unsure of what he just heard from the sheepish looking landlady in front of him as they sat in the main dining room.
"Mou, Emiya-kun." Miya pouted with a rosy tint to her cheeks as she held baby Sakura in her arms. "All I'm saying is that Sakura-chan needs some toys and baby stuff. She can't keep wandering around the dining area while dragging her blankie everyday. Quite frankly, she's an energetic kid for her age. I was hoping some baby stuff would make her less…restless."
"I think…" Shirou paused before he started pondering about it. It's actually true now he thought about it.
Sakura's always been a restless baby unless he carries her himself. Not to mention, he doesn't have much in terms of baby stuff as they're on the run most of the time previously so he couldn't log around much except pack light with bare essentials in taking care of the baby. As much as he wants to continue such, as the risk of being discovered in ShinTokyo is still high, he couldn't just simply deprive his baby of her basic essentials.
"I think it's a good idea. Unfortunately, I have a job today." Shirou sighs as he remembers today's scheduled repair job. Some broken ACs on an apartment complex and a leaky pipeline. By his estimate, it would take a day.
"Oh, that's unfortunate. I myself have to go to my husband's grave for my usual visit." Miya said before pulling her some hair strands out of Sakura's grubby hands. "Maybe we could have a trip the day after tomorrow?"
Yeah, the baby really needs something else to play with.
"How about Homura and Uzume?" Shirou suggests, not noticing the woman stiffening before giving him the stink eye.
"Homura had a bounty on his head, remember?" Miya huffs, her mood suddenly shifting to which the baby in her arms notices. Tiny little hands reaching up to touch her face to either comfort or play.
"And as I remember, Homura's a master of disguise and Uzume has a collection of clothing waiting to be used." Shirou points out, shooting down Miya's counterargument effectively.
"...They can make the trip. I think Homura's getting restless being locked in the house for days now." Miya finally relented.
"Great, I'll tell both of them and hand over some money for Sakura's stuff." Shirou said as he stood up and walked away to find the aforementioned two. Miya could only stare at his back as he left.
"Sakura-chan, your mother must be so lucky to make that clueless dad of yours have you." Miya said to the baby.
All she got as a response is a bunch of happy baby noises.
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"I don't like this." Homura said, dressed in thick clothing consisting of a thick jacket in exchange of the usual jacket, beanie hat and a sunglass.
Honestly, he looked like a foreigner with his looks. Uzume did a pretty good job of disguising him.
Still doesn't make him feel better while out in public where almost all Ashikabi and Sekirei are hounding his head.
"Oh don't be like that, Homura. You don't wanna make baby Sakura-chan sad with your frowning, don't ya?" Uzume teases, holding the dressed up baby for the outing who's currently enamored at the foreign sights of the mall they found themselves in.
Homura sighs but he can't fault Uzume for this. He's been locked in for days now in the Inn after resigning from his job as a host, much to the dismay of his many customers and colleagues. With that in mind, he's essentially broke with limited funds except what he had saved as Miya won't accept any MBI card, his gathering dust in a drawer.
Not like his card would do anything, it probably won't work anymore with MBI putting a bounty on him now.
As such, he immediately agreed to assist Uzume in shopping some baby stuff for Sakura-chan in disguise. This way, he wouldn't feel so cooped up or useless in the house.
"Look Homura! This baby stroller is perfect!" He turned his head to see his fellow Sekirei already putting the baby on said stroller while a saleswoman stood by.
"A baby stroller? Did Shirou ask that?" He asks. He didn't remember the man asking for one. Heck, he even gave him a general list of what to buy.
"Yes." Homura didn't believe her one bit. Not with the way Uzume can't look at him directly.
Meanwhile, Uzume's sweating bullets under Homura's suspicions. True, the baby stroller wasn't in the list. In fact, Sakura-chan prefers being carried, especially in her daddy's arms. The problem is that this particular item is requested by the landlady.
[Flashback…]
"Huh? You want me to buy a stroller?" Uzume tilted her head, confused by Miya's request.
"Ehem, yes." Miya coughed in her hand, hiding the rising redness of her expression.
Not like Uzume's gonna comment about it. She may like a bit of chaos and mischief in the house but she has some survival instincts herself.
You don't simply poke this kind of bear for fun.
"I just simply noticed Sakura-chan hasn't left the house since staying in the inn. Emiya-kun's a worry wart for his baby but I think it will do some good for Sakura-chan to roam and visit the city from time to time." Miya-san said with a complex expression that Uzume can't tell.
"Okay fine."
"Good, here's the money."
Better not disturb this bear.
[End of Flashback…]
"Don't worry about it, Homura. We got the money to afford it." Uzume waved off the male Sekirei's suspicion, playing the cash route. Something that proved effective as Homura slumped, remembering that he himself is already dwindling in funds with no job after resigning his host job.
"Alright you win but do it right. Let me see that stroller." Homura relented. Uzume almost fist pumped, Safe! The Hanya wouldn't get her this time.
Together, the two asked/grilled the sales clerk about the specifics of the stroller and other options. The female sales woman is more than happy to entertain them, finding their seriousness amusing and entertaining.
Of course, baby Sakura-chan is also there, trying out her options of a new steed. Not to mention, they had a lot of interesting stuff for her.
Then…
"Homura? To think I would see you here. Finally done prancing around the city looking for girls to save?" Homura went stiff as a familiar voice called him out. Next to him, he noticed Uzume pausing and giving him a look. Immediately, he nodded and Uzume understood. Placing Sakura-chan on the current stroller they're reviewing, they face the twins that found them.
"Oh shit! Exes and their twins!?" Homura's eyes almost twitched at the store clerk's comment.
Exes? What ex?!
"Hibiki and Hikari. Here to take my head?" Homura asks straight to the point. Besides him, Uzume is preparing herself to fight. Underneath her sleeves, rolls of cloth are already coiled to strike.
"Maybe." Hikari snorts, "You made a lot of mess a few days ago and now, everyone's after that pretty little head of yours. The only reason there's no rush is that no one actually knows where to find you. Until now that is." She says with a smirk as she looks at Uzume.
"This is your Ashikabi? Hmm, quite the looker she is. Shame we have break you up." Ignore the store clerk Homura, focus on what she just said.
Did she just mistook Uzume as his Ashikabi?
That's…actually an honest mistake.
Yes, Sekirei may come from MBI but most Sekirei haven't interacted with the whole Sekirei population or are capable of recognizing a Sekirei except for a definitive proof of a Sekirei. With how humans and Sekirei look alike most of the time, differentiating both species is hard until the Sekirei exhibits their powers.
He had to fix this mistake.
"She's not-"
"Yeah, I'm his Ashikabi." Suddenly, Uzume threw her arms around Homura's neck, shocking the male Sekirei to freeze on the spot.
"Knowing that, you should leave now. My fiancee and I still need to do our shopping." Uzume continued, laying it thick and pretty much taking the honest mistake into untold levels.
"Hoh? You got some bite in you. Here I thought you just have a wall flower for an Ashikabi, Homura. Good on you." Hikari sneered before raising a hand, electricity already crackling on the appendage.
Homura and Uzume went rigid, now alert to fight back as the situation is now escalating. Homura cursed Uzume's ploy while Uzume cursed her luck and these bitches.
Meanwhile, Hikari's sister, Hibiki, finally noticed something was not right. When her eyes laid on the thing behind the Ashikabi and Sekirei pair, her eyes widened in shock.
"Hikari."
"What now, Hibiki? Can't you see I'm about to eliminate this asshole for good this time." Hikari grunted but carefully listened to her sister. Hibiki's judgement has always been the best call most of the time with her attitude but not something Hikari liked in particular especially against their Ashikabi's constant comparison.
"Baby."
"Baby?" Hikari repeated, confused before following her twin's line of sight.
Just right behind Homura and his Ashikabi, is a bright eyed baby with cutest baby cheeks and a small tuft of albino hair currently playing on a stroller.
Hikari's brain stopped.
Homura and Uzume paused, watching as the twins stared at the baby behind them and back to them for a good while.
"...Is that one yours?" Hikari asked shakily, pointing at the baby with a red face for some reason. Meanwhile, Hibiki took this time to pull out her phone and take a picture of them.
"Yeah. Sakura-chan is ours." Uzume! You're not helping! Homura wants to scream and throttle the girl, can't she see they're in a confrontation and not the time for jokes?
"... Alright. We're very sorry for ruining your family outing. Let's go, Hibiki." Much to their astonishment, Hikari actually apologized and bowed! Bowed! Before pulling away her sister in haste to leave.
"Bye bye, baby." The latter twin said her goodbye's before being pulled away.
Leaving behind a confused pair of Sekirei.
"Did that just happen?" Homura asks.
"Definitely happened. Can't believe I pulled that off?!"
"Pulled that off? I thought we had to fight them in the mall of all places." Homura hissed.
"Not my fault!" Uzume hissed back, "It's not like I'm expecting for someone to recognize you and fyi, your shit in disguise cause someone actually recognized you!" She argued back.
"Oh now it's my fault?!" Homura looked affronted.
"Yeah cause unlike you, I needed my gear to actually fight! So excuse me if I was not prepared to fight in a mall, without my gear and with a baby in tow!" Uzume practically blew up in his face.
"Yeah, well…" Homura trailed off, allowing Uzume to continue.
"And worst of all, you're the one who's at fault because they looked pretty pissed on you. What the hell have you been doing out there?!"
"Uzume."
"Not to mention, the disguise. God, I told you to use my pick but no, you just have to be Mr.fancy and dress up good even though in disguise."
"Uzume!"
"Also, why are you wearing my perfume? Who said you could use that-"
"Uzume! Where's Sakura-chan?"
"What?"
Uzume looked behind and felt her whole world shatter into pieces. Right behind them is the stroller where they placed Sakura-chan for safety, which is now empty. Besides it is the unconscious form of the store clerk slumped on the shelves.
"Homura, where's the baby?"
"I don't know."
"... Miya's gonna kill us."
"I know."
Then they bolted.
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Meanwhile…
"Oh my, you're a really naughty girl Sakura-chan. Very not like your parents, where did you take after that rebellious streak of yours? Maybe from your divine parent? Not like it matters anymore. Ho ho ho."
The old rotting old man chuckled, watching his dear granddaughter use her shadows to move and travel across the area with ease. For such a young age, she's already using her magecraft instinctively and with terrifying control for a baby.
Truly, a child born from divinity is a whole new breed of monster.
Nonetheless, it's his duty to look after the infant no matter what or his dear beloved will be so cross with him.
He pitied the creatures of this city, truly.
For today, the true predator of mankind has been released without the supervision of her daddy.
Zouken could only chuckle darkly, awaiting the carnage and glorious feasts Sakura-chan will gorge herself into.
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Sakura Day Arc