Earlier... London, England (~2:00PM Local Time)
"As we can see... there are different levels to what constitutes vampires, or as the magus community designates... Dead Apostles..."
Professor Waver Velvet, aka Lord El-Melloi II, was giving a lecture to his students in the Clock Tower in London, nearly halfway across the World from Fuyuki City, Japan. His students, all prospective mages, looked bored out of their minds, some even falling asleep listening to their teacher giving the lesson. As Waver attempted to direct everyone to his diagram on the blackboard, standing nearby was his faithful assistant. Clad head-to-toe in dark colors and a hood over her silver hair, Gray peered at the rows of disinterested students with her bold forest-green eyes, silently amused that her mentor was still carrying the lesson professionally despite the "wavering" attention of everyone.
"Dead Apostles are created by others," Waver goes on to explain. "Biting and injecting their venom into the victim. Instead of devouring blood to the point of their prey's death, the Dead Apostle in question can choose to refrain and turn their victim into one of its thralls."
The professor then turned to Gray.
"If you would kindly, Ms. Gray?" he asked, and the girl understood immediately.
"Yes Sir..." Gray said as she pulled on a cord, operating a mechanism that slid aside a portion of the blackboard, revealing a new diagram behind it. Then Waver continued his lecture.
"There are levels to being a Dead Apostle, all of which make up a single brood. Those at the bottom are little more than typical, mindless zombies. But further up the hierarchy, Dead Apostles can be granted sentience, autonomy, or even powers corresponding to the Idea Blood granted by their would-be masters. All Dead Apostles, no matter the level, tithe a portion of the blood they consume to the primary leader of the brood; the Dead Apostle that creates all others below and commands them directly."
Gray returned to her post and continued to watch as Waver proceeded with the lecture, beneath her cloak was a mystic code she kept hidden from everybody else except her mentor. While Waver's students were falling asleep, Gray remained attentive. Since taken under the new El-Melloi's wing, she and him have gone on many adventures and tackled mysteries that took them into the dark corners of magecraft. Not too long ago, they came back from one such adventure on the Rail Zeppelin, solving a murder mystery with the help of a young Olga Marie Animusphere. Gray made herself a student as much as she was Waver's assistant, wanting to learn as much as she can.
It was not just out of professional courtesy... Gray thought of Waver as a friend and partner. He was the first person to treat Gray like a person, taking her in after the village she was confined in used her for some twisted ritual...
One that left Gray with a face that her mentor... and herself... find disdainful.
Because of her appearance, Gray keeps her head beneath a hood, hiding her face from others. Although some would complement her on it, Gray would never feel gratified, as the face she has borne for nearly ten years was not her own... and she would know from Waver that it reminded him tragically of something from his past... Gray still felt shame.
Regardless, Waver had given Gray a home and purpose, and she wanted to repay that kindness. With a piece of the sacred lance, Rhongomyniad, in the form of her sentient relic, Add, Gray has fought to protect her mentor when their adversaries threatened them.
Add, the little cube with a face, was the only keepsake Gray kept after leaving that haunted village years ago. Gray has kept Add close on her at all times, turning into a glowing scythe that rend wicked spirits and other magical threats apart along with OTHER weapons it could turn into. Add even had a personality of its own, though admittedly not one Gray could easily tolerate all the time. Despite giving the little sentient cube an uncomfortable rattle around his cage occasionally, Gray was thankful to have it. The power inside Add saved her and Waver more times than Gray bothered to count.
"Now, Dead Apostles are not the only type of vampire... True Ancestors are not created but rather they are born vampires. As beings of Gaia, we could only speculate as to who in the history of magecraft which families have ties to them, and sadly we have no proof as to the identities of any in particular..."
As Waver spoke on, Gray found herself feeling uneasy, losing attention and clutching her head like she was experiencing a sudden headache, shutting her eyes as the pain grew. Under her cloak, the still slumbering Add began to glow gold. The students suddenly sat up and watched with worry, some even gasping as Gray then was clutching her head with both hands and yelling in pain.
Waver stopped to turn to his assistant and seeing her in distress prompted him to run over and catch her before she collapsed on the floor. Gray's hood falls off her head, revealing her silvery hair with two bangs, a braided bun, and even an ahoge sticking up as she passed out from the pain. Waver sees to his slight shock, a vibrant blonde streak appearing in Gray's hair, prompting him to carry his assistant out of the classroom before any of the students rushed over to them.
"All of you... you're dismissed!" Waver commanded, ending the lesson and deterring any students (two boys in particular...) from following them. As Waver carried Gray away, she stirred and groaned in his arms, barely whispering loud enough for him to hear:
"Fuyu... ki..."
______
Now... Tohsaka Mansion, Fuyuki City, Japan
It was the dead of night when Arturia, Shirou, and Archer carried a still drugged Rin back to her home, with Lancer accompanying them for "emotional support." They took Rin into the lower floors of her family's mansion, specifically her father's magus workshop, which did not look too dissimilar to a wizard's dungeon.
Archer placed Rin gently on a table after Shirou and Arturia cleared it. Rin groaned and quivered as Shirou could see her circuits struggling to channel mana.
"You said she was drugged, Archer?" he asked his older self. "What with?"
"Master said it was Rowan," Archer told him. "It's a special herb when brewed into a potion suppresses a mage's magic circuits. Whoever did this to her wanted to use her as bait for you to become trapped in that barrier so Assassin could pick you both off with ease."
"Hassan's Master almost certainly," Arturia let out. "They are just as much cowardly as he was. They must have known we would be coming for them to take over the fairgrounds with all those machinations. It was all a trap meant for us."
"We can debate on whodunnit later," Shirou said before turning to Archer. "How can we help Rin?"
Just then, as Archer placed a wet cloth on her forehead, Rin weakly pointed to the shelf nearby and groaned out:
"Up there... top shelf... third jar on the right... oral gems..."
"Oral gems?" Shirou asked before letting out in epiphany, "Oh right! THOSE things..."
"Allow me," Arturia offered before heading to the shelf and returned with a tiny round gem in her hand, one no bigger than a fingernail. Shirou recalled Rin making him swallow one of those once to help open up his magic circuits early in the Holy Grail war, in turn allowing him to project more weapons and support Saber with less hassle.
Rin was given the gem along with a glass of water from Shirou to help her swallow. After several tense minutes, Rin's circuits hummed and glowed back to life. She eventually sat up with little aid from Archer and rubbed her head, letting out:
"Whew... golly..."
"How are you feeling, Rin?" Shirou asked.
"Like your first hangover," she answers. "But otherwise, I'm fine..."
Shirou manages a smirk, relieved that Rin was quickly showing signs of recovery, joking to her:
"But were still too young drink..."
Rin grins and gives Shirou a sideways glance.
"Well, I can't imagine it being any worse than this..."
Arturia smiles at Rin's renewed vitality, but just then, Lancer then blurted out:
"Oh, you never had a hangover 'til you celebrate with the Red Branch, lass!"
Rin curtly turned to Cu Chulainn with a look of displeasure.
"What the heck are you still doing here?!" Rin exclaimed to the Lancer. "You want a dog treat or something?!"
"She's fine, alright..." Emiya remarks, cracking a smug smile at Cu's expense. Taken back slightly, Lancer deadpans to the Tohsaka mage:
"Cut me a break, lass. If it weren't for me, you'd still be stuck in that shoddy place. You and Archer deserve each other with how ungrateful you both are..."
Ever prideful of her abilities as a magus, Rin retorts:
"Well, I could've still broken free of that-!"
"Never mind, Rin," Arturia cuts her off, wanting to get down to business now that Rin's condition has improved. "We've dealt with Hassan, but this is not the end..."
Rin then looked at Arturia with a hint of worry.
"Wait... do you mean-?"
"His Master got away," Archer told her before going on to explain, "They drugged you and used you as bait to lure in the kid. Had he beat me getting to you, Assassin would have killed you both with ease and there would have been nothing me and Saber could do about it."
Rin stands up straighter, looking more serious at everybody.
"You mean to tell me... that everything in that creepy amusement park was a set up for US?!"
"Most likely..." Arturia answers. Rin then curled her hand into a fist.
"It's Caren, isn't it?!" she grumbled. "She wanted us to wander in to be served to Assassin on a silver platter! I knew Kotomine's kid was bad news!"
"That's a hard, firm NO, lass," Lancer Cu Chulainn quickly refuted. "I think priest-lady would have thought of more subtle ways to kill you if that's she wanted; the Church do be good at that. Besides, she only arrived here less than a month ago..."
"After Hassan's killings started," Shirou realized. "Good point..."
"I still find this suspicious," Arturia shared. "That trap was placed well in advance, with enchantments that can even ensnare a Servant. Hassan's Master is a very skilled mage..."
"I don't think the Church would ever align themselves with someone like that," Shirou reasoned. "Remember, Caren referred to magecraft as heresy in the Church's eyes."
Upon realizing the truth in Shirou's words, Rin leaned back and huffed, disappointed that she once again denied a chance to give Kotomine's daughter a piece of her mind without good reason. Guess she had to settle on taking her wrath out on whoever it was that drugged her.
"Whoever they are... they've had their eyes on us for a while, Shirou," Arturia said. 'It's like they knew we'd be on to them."
"Maybe Biggs and Wedge-?" Shirou shared before Arturia discouragingly dismissed.
"I sincerely doubt that..."
Silence then fell across the room, and before anyone could offer their own opinions on who this mystery Master is-
(Ring)
Everyone turned at the sound of Shirou's phone going off in his pocket. Upon seeing who was calling, he sighed.
"It's Taiga..." Shirou let out distressingly, realizing that he and Arturia had been away from the house for quite a while, giving how late it was.
And after seeing how many messages he missed from his guardian, Shirou knew he was in for a mouthful once he picked up the call. Stepping aside, Shirou gulped nervously and answered.
"Hello?"
Taiga's displeased voice came booming out of the device, as Shirou expected.
"Shirou, where have you been?! It's almost midnight and both you and Arty aren't back at the house! I tried to reach you both twice and you ghosted me!"
Arturia and Rin looked on anxiously as Shirou replies:
"Whoa, slow down Fuji-nee... I- I can explain-"
"You guys weren't at Sakura's place, were you?! Authorities say that a major accident happened in Shinto... I was worried sick! What were you guys doing?!"
Shirou racked his brain in effort to make up an excuse; Lying to Taiga never sat well with him, but Shirou could not let her know what he and Arturia were really up to lest Taiga found herself on either the Association's OR the Church's hit-list.
"There, uh... wasn't much to do at the Matou mansion, so Sakura, Rin, and Arty decided we should all go out."
Taiga did not seem to buy it.
"On a SCHOOL NIGHT no less?! Where did you kids even go? None of you are old enough to go into a club full of weird salarymen! That's dangerous for a bunch of teenagers, you know?!"
Arturia and Rin cringed as Shirou tried desperately to alleviate Taiga's frantic worries.
"Mr. Archer was with us...! He and Lancer-san recommended a nice place. Nothing sleazy I swear... and nothing bad happened! We all just kind of got swept up in the moment..."
"Oh really?" Taiga's response made Shirou sweat slightly. Silence hung until he heard an exasperated sigh on Taiga's end. "It's not like you to be so reckless, Shirou. In fact, you're lucky Rin's caretaker was there supervising all of you, and all of you seem chill with that Lancer guy hanging around."
Shirou relaxed as Taiga's stern tone had softened, and he tries changing the subject.
"You don't mind him at all, Taiga?"
"We've met several times... He's super friendly and dependable... we even have a secret handshake. You guys got acquainted with him after he did you all a big favor, so you said?"
"Yes..." Shirou answered, feeling like he was home-free from Taiga's scrutiny, until-
"I trust your choice in friends, Shirou. What I DON'T like is you shirking responsibility as a student to go partying the night before. As your homeroom teacher, I CANNOT abide by it... so are you going to tell me why THIS night of all nights you decided to be inconsiderate?"
Shirou was lost for words, but before he could respond, Arturia came beside him and grabbed the phone.
"Forgive me, Taiga," Arturia said in her calm, collected self. "I was the one who insisted we all find amusement elsewhere..."
Shirou was stunned at Arturia's action, and she winked at her Master as a sign of trust while Taiga made her surprise to hear her apparent.
"Huh? ...Arty?"
"Shirou was thinking about turning in early," Arturia said, having planned ahead for Shirou and offering an explanation that would satisfy Taiga. "But I was too excited to spend time with him in Shinto and he cooperated because it would make me happy."
"He DID?" Taiga's perplexed reply was assurance to Shirou that she seemed to be buying Arturia's words, growing thankful that his partner/Servant's B-Ranked charisma worked even through the phone.
And the amazing thing was, Arturia sounded perfectly sincere the more she talked about Shirou himself.
"Yes," Arturia replies. "You know him, Taiga... he puts other people's needs ahead of his own."
Arturia even acts slightly bashful as she then adds:
"That's... why I am in..."
She did not have to finish as Taiga seemed to understand perfectly, just as Arturia planned on.
"Aww..." Taiga swooned. "You don't have to finish Arturia-chan! It's romantic, I get it. Just... be mindful of Shirou's needs too, okay? You're normally more considerate than that..."
Shirou was left amazed by how easily Arturia had got Taiga to let go her and Shirou staying out too late. Arturia winked at him again as she replies over the phone:
"Again, my apologies. We didn't mean to worry you. Rin has just left for home with Mr. Archer... me and Shirou won't be staying much longer."
Arturia hands Shirou back his phone as Taiga responded.
"Okay... I got to get up early too, so I'm heading back to my place. Bring my personal chef back home safe, Arty."
"You won't have tell her twice, Fuji-nee. Believe me..." Shirou answers while giving Arturia a grateful smile. "By the way, were you fine for dinner?"
"Oh yeah, Shirou. I was covered... you're not the only one with a significant other, you know?"
"Of course, I almost forgot..." Shirou replied in epiphany. "Your boyfriend..."
Everyone had been listening so far, but upon hearing that last part, a surprised Cu Chulainn exclaims:
"Wha-?! Boyfriend?!"
This was not news to anyone else, so everyone ignored Lancer as Taiga then proceeded to talk over the phone to Shirou ecstatically.
"He was so nice! We chatted over the phone while you and Arty were out, and he offered to order food delivered to the house. Not some greasy fast food either! The best gourmet you can get in this town! He's absolutely AMAZING!"
Shirou was beginning to regret putting Taiga on speaker...
"If you say so..." he replied awkwardly, but Taiga was not finished.
"And you know what, Shirou? He wants to take us all out for dinner two nights from now! At Kamamoto's!"
Shirou then perked up in surprise. Arturia listens on curiously as Shirou went on to ask:
"Kamamoto's?" he repeated. "You mean the only Michelin-restaurant in Fuyuki... and the only place in Oita where they serve PREMIUM Wagyu beef?!"
"That's the one!"
Shirou was left amazed, and Arturia's eyes sparkled after what she and the others have just heard.
"Geez..." Shirou lets out. "You have any idea how much it costs to reserve a single seat in that place?!"
He paused upon realizing that was not even the most unbelievable part.
"Wait a second... you said he wants to take ALL of us?"
Taiga was quick to clarify:
"By that I mean me, you, Arturia, and Rin!"
Hearing that, Rin was beside herself.
"Ooh, lucky me!" she said coyly, much to Archer's sarcastic chagrin.
"I'm heartbroken, Master..."
Ignoring them, Shirou then asked Taiga:
"Why US?"
"I told him you were all special to me, and he really wants to meet you three. I know all of you will like him! Oh, now I'm droning on... Don't want to keep you from coming back to the house. Text me when you return. Goodnight Shirou!"
Briefly taken back, Shirou was a tad slow to respond.
"Goodnight-" he starts just as Taiga hung up, leaving him to exasperatingly finish with, "Fuji-nee..."
As he then proceeded to put his phone away, Shirou then lets out:
"Now I'm dying to know who this guy is..."
Out of everybody, Arturia was fixated on another matter...
"What is this coveted Wagyu beef?" she asks herself in wonder. "It sounds succulent..."
Rin giggled as Archer proceeded to pout unamusingly at her. Cu Chulainn then made his surprise at hearing about Taiga's boyfriend apparent.
"You've got to fill me in on this, lad..."
Looking back up at the Lancer, Shirou then asked him curiously:
"You and Fuji-nee have a secret handshake? I'm surprised she isn't dating YOU..."
Cu Chulainn lets out an amused laugh, then rubbing his head with slight embarrassment
"Make no mistake... As much as I find your guardian fun to be around, she isn't really MY type, laddie."
"The dog here prefers a lady who can kick his ass..." Archer blurts out, and unfazed, Cu does not refute... quite the opposite.
"Those are the best kind..." he remarked without a hint of shame. Lancer then turned back at Shirou, his curiosity returning. "But I wonder who this bloke is to make the lass so smitten... she never told who this anonymous bastard is?"
"She wouldn't give me his name." Shirou revealed with a shrug. Cu then walked up to him with a devious smile, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"If you want, lad..." he starts suggestively. "I can tail her and find out for you-"
Cu does not get the chance to finish as Shirou pulled his hand away, at the same time as Archer grabs Lancer's shoulder firmly. They both exclaim:
"DON'T STALK FUJI-NEE!"
Cu was left stunned, taken back as Shirou and Archer replied in an eerily similar manner and tone to each other. Pushed aside, Lancer could only let out:
"By Lugh, THAT was weird..."
Arturia and Rin knew full well the irony of that statement and tried not to laugh. Then, Rin turned to a still peeved Archer and asked him.
"You don't want to know who Taiga-sensei is seeing, Archer?"
Giving Rin a sideways glance, Archer replies:
"Of course I do, but I respect her privacy. Not that you even let me out of the house long enough for me to find out anyway..."
Rin huffs at his response. If she were honest, Rin thought she would be used to Archer's snark well before now.
"You think I can upkeep this entire mansion by myself?" Rin retorts, only for Arturia to then say to her:
"Archer is right, Rin. Taiga will introduce us to him when she's good and ready. Her personal life outside of being Shirou's guardian and teacher is HER business."
Arturia then stepped between everyone as her tone turned more serious.
"We still have more important matters than gossip. Hassan's Master is still out there, and I doubt that they are finished with us. We need to find them before they prove once again to be a danger to more than just us."
Everyone collectively nodded in agreement, with Shirou offering some choice words as he pondered aloud.
"We have no leads on who it could be though, Saber. Puppets and Runes aren't much to go on."
Hearing that, Rin's gaze drops as if thoughtfully as Shirou then turned to Cu Chulainn.
"But Caren might know... if she's as innocent as you say, Lancer. You are going to tell her that we dealt with Hassan, right?"
Cu simply rubbed his head again as if he could not be bothered.
"She'll prefer to hear it from you and Saber, lad. Besides, I don't think she values my word very much. You'll have much more to say to her without me relaying to her."
Shirou was slightly discouraged by this, but Arturia then spoke for him.
"Me and Shirou will need to stop by the church again after school tomorrow then," Saber said before making her lingering suspicion evident. "I have a few "questions" for her..."
Cu then smirked and started walking to the passageway back upstairs to the Tohsaka mansion.
"Alright then. See ya, lads..."
Lancer's leave was unceremonious, but before leaving, he turned back at Shirou and Arturia and said to the boy with coy smile:
"Good luck with her, laddie. You'll need it..."
Shirou was stunned, while Arturia blushed with embarrassment. Before the boy could respond, Lancer had already gone out of sight.
"What was THAT supposed to mean?" Shirou was left asking no one in particular, while Arturia stood appalled at the Lancer's bluntness; not the first time she got that from him tonight...
"That scoundrel..." she lets out before collecting herself. "Still, I guess it's for the best that he's an ally."
Dismissing Lancer's words... for now at least, Shirou turned back to see Archer avoiding his gaze, and Rin lost in thought.
"You okay, Rin?" he asked with concern, and thankfully Rin did not ignore him.
"I have a hunch about our mystery Master, Emiya-kun..." she said, making Arturia look back at her questioningly. "But I'll have to do some digging around first. Unfortunately, I won't have much time to do so between school, being patron mage of the city, Sakura's training and- uh..."
When Rin hesitated, both Shirou and Arturia became more concerned.
"And what?" Shirou asked, noticing Rin twiddling her thumbs.
"Oh it's- Just a little "problem" ..." Rin deflected, dancing around whatever issue she accidently let slip.
"What kind of problem?" Arturia then asked, having never seen Rin act like this.
"It's nothing bad," Rin assures them. "Just... inconvenient."
Shirou and Arturia look at each other, eventually reaching a silent agreement not to pester Rin on the matter further. Whatever it was, it could not be "Dark Sakura levels of bad" if what Rin was saying is true. After the mishap with Sakura back at the Matou place, they were assured Rin would not keep anything that Shirou and Arturia SHOULD know anymore.
"Alright..." Shirou said before then asking Rin, "are you feeling okay now at least?"
Rin finally looked at Shirou in the eye, visibly elated.
"Much better. You two could probably get going before Taiga grounds you, Emiya-kun. I'll be seeing you and Sakura at school."
Rin waves at both Shirou and Arturia daintily with her fingers, signaling their leave. She did not wish to keep them here any longer for their sake, and Shirou bowed in understanding.
"Until tomorrow then, Rin," he said before turning to Rin's Servant. "Take care of her, Archer."
"No need to tell ME..." Archer replied bluntly with a smirk, earning nothing more than an eyeroll from Shirou as he turned to leave. Arturia then said to Rin before turning to depart:
"Goodnight, Rin."
Shirou and Arturia made their way upstairs to leave the Tohsaka mansion. Once Rin and Archer heard them exit through the front door, Rin leaned back and sighed. They have all had a rough day full of twist and turns, and despite coming close to death at least twice (the first time due to a blunder on HER part...), Rin could finally relax as by now the potion was purged out of her system.
But it was not without lingering fatigue, as Rin let out a yawn and her legs were a bit heavy to move.
Thankfully... she had a Servant that she could advantage of...
"I'm tired, Archer," she told him like a pampered princess. "Please carry me to my room?"
Archer raised an eyebrow, knowing Rin was playing up to him. Even still... she did sound a bit knackered.
"If you insist, Master..." he complied nonchalantly, hiding his amusement. He picks up Rin bridal-style and carries her out of her father's workshop and up the higher levels of the mansion. As they made their way to Rin's bedroom, Archer could feel Rin getting comfortable, knowing if he pointed it out, Rin would insist it was only because of the drowsiness she was hiding from Shirou and Arturia. True, considering that she did not want them worrying about her as Archer noticed after Lancer had left.
Rin still had pride besides that of being a mage... she had said nothing as Archer carried her up the few staircases, but as they neared her bedroom door, Rin's silence broke.
"Thanks, Archer..." she said with a tone indicating her drowsiness. "They'd never leave if they saw me like this, after slipping up at the fairgrounds... especially Emiya-kun."
"Don't blame yourself for it," Archer said evenly. "Just consider yourself lucky to be alive."
Rin manages a weak smile. Archer continued carrying her, opening the door to Rin's bedroom and making his way to her bed with the fatigued Tohsaka mage in his arms.
"Shirou is so considerate..." Rin suddenly said reflectively before adding, "no mage I've ever met is like that..."
"Often to his detriment, I would add," Archer humors her, then admitting, "But the kid has been rubbing off you, what with you helping Sakura get a grip on her powers."
Archer sets Rin down on her bed, prepared with fresh sheets since this morning as per his chores for the day.
"Not sure if the thought would even occur to me if I haven't met you both and Saber," Rin found herself sharing with her Servant as she undid her ponytails while not bothering to change into her pajamas. Archer gently pulled the sheets over her as Rin rested her head down on the pillows, appearing contemplative.
"Even in family... it's every mage for themselves," she said while starring at the ceiling. "Without Shirou, I never would have seen how wrong my family's way of doing things has been... Mage clans always use their knowledge selfishly. But Shirou is not selfish at all..."
Rin then turned her head to Archer, who simply stood beside her bed.
"And you were so determined to stop him from being that way... but would it really have been better for...well, you... if you were raised the same as I was, Archer?"
Archer's gaze drops slightly, remembering back in the Holy Grail War that he entered a temporary alliance with Caster to sever his connection to Rin. His Independent Action would have let Archer persist long enough to fulfil his mission without her interference.
That was to kill Shirou Emiya... his younger self... before he could become like Archer. He was not subtle in the slightest when he ultimately revealed this to Shirou, Saber, and Rin herself... along with his reasoning for doing so.
Thinking back on it, Archer found himself not feeling regret per se for his actions... betraying his Master and roughing the boy up a bit but rather had as he would describe to be... "reservations" on the whole matter.
Especially after learning what became of Shirou and Saber upon being wished back. And the most amazing part was that Rin spoke nothing of his betrayal or losing her chance at winning the Holy Grail War because of it.
"Don't misunderstand," he found himself saying. "I think my younger self would have been even worse off if he was raised like any other selfish mage, caring for nothing or no one but himself. It was just the good he was trying to do... the hope that everybody could be as kind as... well, me... deep down... it set him up for despair, with no way out."
Archer's hand closed to a fist at the memory. No amount of words or violence could dissuade Shirou from following his ideals as a Hero of Justice... knowing full well it would only lead to his miserable existence as his older self. The boy believed wholeheartedly that helping people for the sake of it can never be the wrong thing to do... it was as his adoptive father, Kiritsugu Emiya had taught him during his final night alive.
"If I couldn't convince him of that, then I would have killed him before he became like me. Just... filled with nihilism. Little did I know, the kid was right in a way..."
To Archer's frustration, that resolve was slowly allowing Shirou to assimilate his older self's abilities as a Servant, putting up more and more of a fight for his life as his ability to Trace grew exponentially, even conflicting control of Archer's Noble Phantasm: Unlimited Blade Works... this miraculous occurrence allowed Shirou to survive long enough for Saber and Rin to intervene. Seeing them adamantly standing up for Shirou, especially Rin herself considering her traditional mage background, was a shock to Archer; seeing firsthand of Shirou's kind nature extending to others close to him.
Raising his head again, Archer's face softens as he recounts for Rin:
"You allied with the kid as paying him a debt for getting him involved in the Grail War, and you had every opportunity to turn on him and Saber, yet you never did. They mattered more to you than your family's pride, more than the Grail."
Rin's eyes widened slightly. Archer crossed his arms and smirked as he continued.
"My guess is... they showed you a different path besides being "another selfish mage." I didn't see it until you and Saber stopped me from going through with killing the kid. And it wasn't Saber who stood between me and him."
He then looked at Rin straight in the eye.
"You did..."
Rin was speechless, remembering while inside the reality marble, witnessing Archer fighting with his younger self, admonishing Shirou for his commitment for doing good for others with no regard for himself, and Shirou stubbornly holding his ground, refusing to believe his efforts of kindness could lead to such self-destruction, and that Archer was the one who gave up on himself.
It was true, Shirou had not reached that point yet... he just needed to see that his life could hold more meaning besides devoting solely to being selfless.
For being selfless... did not have to mean not wanting things for yourself. And as for his ideals, they were not for nothing. Sick of standing on the sidelines, Rin stood between Archer and Shirou after the latter exhausted himself to nearly the point of collapse while Archer could still fight. Rin declared that if Shirou's (and HIS) ideals meant truly nothing to him, then he would not kill Shirou without killing her first.
Her lineage, her knowledge of magecraft, her pride as a Tohsaka... none of it mattered to Rin in that moment. Shirou and Archer were one in the same, and watching as Archer was about to strike down Shirou without giving him the chance to find value in himself was not right to her. It brought about a change that even Rin herself did not see until confronted with such a choice.
She did not know it at the time, but Shirou and Saber inspired her... which why after the whole ordeal when Archer finally dropped his swords and dispelled his Noble Phantasm that Rin was horrified of Dark Sakura's appearance shortly after.
It made her resent what mages were in this day and age... a complete inversion from how Rin was at the start of the Holy Grail War.
Her attention was directed again after Archer lets out a chuckle, now well past his feud with Shirou.
"I'll give the kid some credit," he remarked. "Being correct is not always the same as being right."
Rin found herself smiling. Shirou and Saber's actions changed her worldview, and without them, she shuddered to think want kind of deplorable person she would have grown to become had she followed the teachings of her family to the letter. Archer may be right in the sense that she would feel so personally responsible for Sakura's condition and would have otherwise seen her as something to be eradicated or as a means to make herself more powerful as a mage.
There would have been nothing left of Rin as a human being at that point. She was thankful of the fact that was now impossible of her. Not to mention, having Shirou and Saber as her friends have brought about other changes in Rin as well, as it seems her usual prideful self seemed to have no effect on them by this point. Despite her posturing, they treated Rin like dear friends that someone like her never thought she would have.
It made even her quips and jabs at both Shirou and Saber lose their edge quickly.
"(Sigh) I have gone soft..." Rin lightheartedly mused and closed her eyes. Archer tilts his head and offers:
"Maybe you were always soft... Just not in the way you think."
Rin's eyes flew back open in surprise, but after thinking about it, she could not help but agree. Maybe she always had it in her to be more than what her family would define as the ideal person; a mage out for herself and personal glory at whatever cost. Any people in her life should be nothing but tools to her...
But friends? How frivolous...
Rin turns on the bed with reflection, as slumber encroached on her.
"I know my father would have scoffed at such sentimentality," she whispered, knowing Archer was still listening. "Can't really blame him though... he and others before him were mere products of the veil of deceitful, immorality that magus culture festers. My ancestors have known no other way of using their knowledge."
Rin sighs again, squirming slightly to get in a comfortable position.
"You reap what you sow I guess..." she settles as moonlight creeps through her bedroom window. "I never would have wanted to make things different without Shirou and Saber, who both looked at how things were and said, "No. We can be better"."
Rin lets out a yawn, her eyelids becoming heavy... and yet her face kept a content smile.
"And after getting Sakura back... I believe them... I see why she loves Shirou... so much..."
Rin began to snore, now falling asleep proper as Archer took it as a sign to leave. He soundlessly walks out of the room, dimming the lights until they were dark. He then paused before closing the door, taking one last look at Rin's sleeping form before leaving her alone.
Today began with Rin conflicted with herself, but by the end she was once again assured of who she was...
A talented mage who outgrew the ideals of her family...
A loving sibling who was doing everything she can to help her sister find her strength...
A cherished friend who looks towards her own for support and to aid...
And a proud Master... with a Servant who was learning a lot from seeing her journey... and reminding Archer of the faith that good deeds do indeed inspire change in others.
Rin Tohsaka was living proof of that...
"Sleep tight," Archer whispered as he slowly closed the bedroom door, pride visible on his face. "Master..."
The door was gently closed shut... silence filled the bedroom save for the movements coming from Rin sleeping down in her bed. Rin softly moaned and subconsciously cooed against her pillow...
"Shirou..."
______
London:
Waver pours some warm tea in a cup and carries it from the table to the couch in his study where Gray was sitting. She had wrapped herself in a blanket after Waver brought her here to recover from her episode in his classroom. With Add in his cage sitting on the table beside Gray, Waver quietly went up to her and calmly offered the cup of tea.
"Here..."
Gray instinctively cast her head down as she gratefully took the drink. She knew how much her abnormal face distressed her boss and avoids eye-contact.
"Thank you, Sir," she let out, gently blowing on her warm tea before taking a small sip as Waver watched. Silence hung in the air as Gray focused on her drink, deliberately avoiding his gaze. Waver knew why, of course. Gray's face was not her own, and although he said it out loud, her face reminded him of someone he met over ten years ago, and the sight of it brought about some not-so-good memories.
For they were from the Fourth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki, the one Waver himself participated in.
A former student in the Clock Tower, Waver Velvet found himself under frequent humiliation and ridicule from his teacher, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. Waver rebelled by stealing his teacher's catalyst and participating in the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki, Japan himself. He summoned Rider, whose identity was Iskandar, aka. Alexander the Great, and despite not getting along well at first, Waver eventually formed a bond with the larger-than-life Servant.
Kayneth still participated in the War as Lancer's Master, determined to make Waver suffer as punishment for taking his intended Servant, continuing to degrade Waver until Rider stood up for him, calling the teacher a coward and a fool. The El-Melloi would not end up surviving the War, having been killed by Saber's Master.
Rider himself would end up losing his chariot after a brush with Saber herself, leaving him less-than-prepared for Archer, who turned out to be the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. Despite being heavily outmatched in strength, Rider fought him valiantly, only to fall to Archer's Noble Phantasm. His last words to Waver were live on and believe in his abilities, declaring the boy as his retainer. Archer had only spared Waver out of a modicum of respect for Rider.
But Waver would not walk away from the Holy Grail War without scars. Though he has lived to the fullest as per Rider's wishes, Kayneth's death at hands of Saber and her Master would haunt Waver, who felt guilty for what happened to him despite the older mage's mistreatment of him.
Every time he looked at Gray's face... the uncanny resemblance of Saber in that War... Waver was painfully reminded of it, not that he blamed her personally for it.
Especially when Gray was given this face against her will. Waver still cared for his assistant in spite of it.
And Kayneth's death would have other consequences for Waver after he returned to England...
"How are you feeling?" he asked Gray with uncertainty, taking a seat beside her. Slightly startled at this, Gray almost turned to him, only to look away.
"Just a bit lightheaded," she admits, casting her head down shamefully as the events from earlier weighed on her mind. "I am very sorry for disrupting the lesson."
Waver just let out a tired sigh. It was always awkward between him and Gray when it came to personal matters, between Gray hiding her face as well as just being shy and withdrawn normally. Sensing the guilt in her voice, Waver handwaves it by letting out:
"It's no big deal. What happened was very unexpected. I cannot ignore you when you are distressed. What kind of boss would I be if I dismissed the needs of my dependable assistant?"
Waver saw Gray straighten up out of the corner of his eye and continued in effort for her to feel better.
"Your concerns are mine too, Gray," Waver said, putting a hand on Gray's shoulder, making her jolt and almost spilling her tea. She slowly turned and glances up at Waver's eyes, revealing her own deep-green orbs.
Waver knew Gray enough to know that she responded to touch positively... and humorously as he adds:
"We're partners after all..."
Gray's stunned face softened, reminded that after everything they have been through that she and Waver were not at all strangers. No matter how both felt about her face, Gray knew that Waver was someone she can lean on when she needed help. Waver was not a scornful person, as it was simply not in his nature. Gray soon turned away again, not to hide her face per se but a flattering blush... and a smile.
"I- I am grateful, truly, Sir..." she stammered, her voice allowing a hint of admiration for her boss. "Like you said, we're partners, right?"
A cackling chuckle made Gray stiffen as it came from Add, who Gray can admit has an impeccable talent of ruining the moment...
"Is that all, Gray?" Add barked loudly from inside his cage, hopping about with something akin to a coy smile on his cubic face. "Cause from the sound of it, it seems you'd like to- Ouch!"
Gray interrupted the little, talking cube by knocking his cage over. She wore a displeased pout along with her blush as Waver looked on skeptically at the sentient vessel of Rhongomyniad. He would be a liar if he said that he never found Add to be... colorfully peculiar.
"I'd sure like to meet the mad lad who created that mystic code to talk..." Waver remarked as the cube struggled to knock his cage back upright, with Gray offering no help as he then turned to her. "If you have the energy to discipline him then you must be feeling better..."
Gray's pout softens at hearing that. With a heave, Add knocks against his cage, eventually bringing it back upright.
"Oh sure..." Add grumbles mockingly. "Big Teach is all gentle with Gray... could care less about poor, suffering Add in Gray's cage! Bias cause she's a cute girl- Oof!"
Gray curtly knocked his cage over again, her pout returning in full. Add went ballistic trying to get himself upright again. Waver kind of pitied Gray for having to carry that thing around when Add was so sassy. In fact, he admired Gray for having the patience to put up with it.
But there was a far more important regarding what happened to Gray during Waver's lecture. To Waver, Gray seemed collected enough to give him the details as to what happened.
"So, mind sharing with me what happened, Gray?" Waver asked, grabbing her attention as Gray's pout disappears. He notices her hesitate to respond, and assures her, "You can tell whenever you're ready. If not, then that's okay... you're still recuperating. We can keep it between us. Reines doesn't need to know-"
That was when the doors to Waver's study burst open, revealing a young lady in fancy blue attire with long, muted-blonde hair and sharp green eyes; the complexion of a Victorian doll.
"-That Gray just had a vision?" the lady finished for Waver, as if she was just outside listening in. Gray jumped at her sudden intrusion whereas Waver grumbled under his breath:
"Speak of the devil..."
Reines El-Melloi Archisorte walks toward the duo on the couch like she owned the place, wearing the expression of an amused, sly fox. Following behind her was a female golem seemingly made of liquid metal and wearing maid clothes. Reines clapped her hands together as she strode to Gray and Waver by elegantly putting one foot in front of the other, her heels clicking against the hard floor, telling them with a lighthearted tone:
"I just had a little chat with some of the students attending your lecture, stepbrother, and assessing their account of what happened to our little champ here."
Gray shrunk shyly under her hood while Waver glared disapprovingly at the intruder. Reines just scoffed.
"What's with that look?" she mused as she came behind Gray and Waver on the couch. "Am I not allowed to check up on a dear friend...?"
Reines gestures to Gray before giving Waver a pinch on the cheek, adding:
"...OR my brother?"
Waver's unamused expression does not change.
"I didn't think we were that far along yet..." he grumbled. Reines was the niece of Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald and became head of his faction after "dealing with" her rivals. She employed Waver (by kidnapping him) to help repair Kayneth's magic crest, and bearing the title of "El-Melloi II" until Reines reached the appropriate age.
From that point on, Waver was basically kept on Reines' leash, and she acted like "employing" him was Reines doing him a great favor, even calling Waver her "brother."
"Y- you heard about what had happened, Miss Reines?" Gray asked the young lady, who simply smiled at her in a way that felt slightly more genuine than the way Reines smiles at Waver.
Gray still uncomfortably remembers when Reines took her on a "girls' day out" at the local mall. Apparently, there was something about Gray's face that makes other women want to dress her up...
"You have more admirers than you think, Gray," Reines teased, leaning her face towards the hooded girl. "Flat and Svin were particularly worried about you."
"Those brats..." Waver said under his breath, having overheard. Reines snaps her fingers, and her maid golem hands her a box of sweets to share with Gray.
"Thank you, Trimmau. Here..." Reines said as she opens the box, revealing the assorted confections for Gray to marvel at. "I passed by the bakery on my way here to see you."
But while Gray was distracted, Reines reached behind Gray's hood and pulled it down. Gray yelps in surprise, freezing as Reines remarks:
"I love what you've done with your hair by the way..."
Gray froze as Reines' fingers brushed upon the vibrant blonde strand that stood out against her otherwise silvery hair. Gray struggles to retain her composure and by this point, Waver was fed up with Reines' antics.
"Reines, please. Give Gray her space. It's bad enough that I have you breathing down my neck..."
Reines glances at Waver sitting cross armed on the couch and leaves Gray to pull her hood back up as she addressed him:
"As I recall, dear brother, you took it upon yourself to bear my family's debts after you admitted responsibility to my uncle's death, remember? I made you an offer you couldn't refuse..."
"It was either that or pay with my life," Waver reminded her, remembering Rider's final words to him. "I made a promise that made the latter impossible. Not like I had much choice anyway considering that you basically abducted me..."
Reines gasped, putting her hand over her heart in fake offense.
"Is that what you call me giving you the title of Lord El-Melloi? You wound me, brother!"
"We're not related..." Waver deadpanned. Gray grabs both his and Reines' attention, stopping their little verbal spar.
"Sir, it's alright," Gray assures Waver. "I suppose it can't be helped to stay quiet at this point. Rhongomyniad had never went off on its own before, but then... I did have a vision..."
Waver looked at Gray in concern. Reines leans on the back of the couch and rests her chin on her hands.
"Ooh, pray tell!" she said with palpable enthusiasm. Ignoring Reines, Waver's gaze softens as he then calmly asks Gray:
"What did you see?"
Gray's gaze falls on her reflection in her teacup, the face that was not her own looking back at her as she racked her brain, recalling what she has seen during her incident in Waver's classroom. Flashes... fragments...
Eventually, Gray gradually revealed:
"I saw a woman... tall, blonde... a regal presence... and she was using Rhongomyniad..."
She briefly glances at Add, who was being eerily silent and staring at her.
"Are you sure?" Waver asked skeptically. "But the lance is contained inside Add, so no one besides you should..."
Waver trails off, but Gray understood how ridiculous her testimony sounds and insists:
"I know what I saw... there was no mistaking it... she was using it against a... thing with a mask."
Waver took a mental note of the details Gray was giving him so far, a hunch forming in his head, albeit not a good one.
"Anything else?"
Gray thought carefully, closing her eyes and racking her memory further.
"Just glimpses... a city... signs in some foreign language... names I don't recognize... the only thing I could retrieve was a single word... Fuyuki."
Waver's eyes widened... distressingly as he let out:
"As in... Fuyuki City, Japan?"
Gray turned to Waver in surprise, and Reines was intrigued.
"Oh? Sound familiar, brother?"
"Familiar?" Waver asked rhetorically. "I was there ten years ago..."
Gray gasped.
"The Holy Grail War!" she uttered. As Waver's head drops and Gray was focused on him, Reines quickly turned to her maid-golem, Trimmau, and gave it a quick nod. Trimmau whipped out a phone and began typing at great speed as Reines turned back to Gray and remarked:
"Suppose that's no secret to you. It's clear what you were seeing was something happening elsewhere at the exact same time, Gray. Could the lance be the cause?"
Gray looks at Reines, not disagreeing with her. Still, to answer her question, Gray could only speculate. She did not know everything that came to the Holy Lance, and Gray knew even less about who could be using it at this time same as her.
"It might be more than that, Miss Reines... but-"
Maybe her boss would have an idea.
"Sir?" Only when Gray turned to him, Waver appeared lost in thought with a grave look on his face. Gray became worried upon her boss failing to respond to her.
Gray was informed about Waver's time in the Fourth Holy Grail War and of his Servant but was reluctant to share other details about it with her. Glancing back at her boss, Gray could tell that the subject matter was no sitting well with Waver, no doubt bringing up bad memories.
"Sir..." Gray whispered, her heart bleeding for Waver. Unbeknownst to them, Reines also looked on in concern, but upon Trimmau holding tapping her on the shoulder, Reines regained composure, even sporting her signature coy smile as she leaned between Gray and Waver.
"You know..." she starts, putting a hand on both Waver and Gray's shoulder, grabbing their attention. "I hear Japan is nice this time of year... how about you two take a vacation?"
Gray was stunned, and Waver appeared shocked.
"Reines!" he exclaimed. "I can't possibly leave my students at such short notice-!"
"Already taken care of!" Reines cut him off, unfazed. "I tasked Trimmau to make arrangements for a substitute teacher."
She then turned to ask her maid:
"Right?"
"No problemo," Trimmau replied in a dainty voice devoid of emotion. Reines looks back and fires a smile at Waver, who was aghast.
"No no no, Reines... you don't understand! I can't take Gray to Japan, it's too risky... if her condition worsens-!"
"I'm up for going, Sir," Gray told him, catching him off guard. "Reines here knows that you would sacrifice work for my sake, and I want to get to the bottom of this as well. This would be no different than all our other escapades, right?"
Waver appeared more than simply reluctant, making Gray wonder what it was about Fuyuki that made Waver worry for her safety; if he maybe knew something that he did not want to share.
It made Gray all the more suspicious when Waver tried to tell her:
"Those were different-"
But Reines was quick to stop him.
"Gray here has a point, brother," she calmly told Waver. "Like you, she loves a mystery. You aren't going to let her pass up on one where she's at the center of it... are you?"
Waver was speechless, not seeing a way to properly convey his concerns with going to Fuyuki that would sit well with either Reines, or more importantly, Gray. Just then, Reines leaned in close to Waver and whispered... threateningly:
"I already bought two tickets on the next flight to Tokyo... non-refundable, so you better not waste them."
Waver stiffened. Reines had already thought well ahead and was not about to let him go solo on this assignment. Grunting with frustration, Waver relents.
"Alright..."
Gray looks on in confusion as Reines stood up joyfully.
"It's settled then!" she said before patting a disgruntled Waver on the shoulder. "Don't say that I never do anything nice for you, brother."
"You're just the BEST, Reines..." Waver said while gritting his teeth, a vein popping on his head. Reines turned to depart, but not before saying to Waver's assistant.
"You have fun in Japan, Gray. Don't forget to bring back a souvenir!"
"I won't..." Gray said awkwardly as Reines made her way out of the study with Trimmau following her.
"Trimmau, wish them safe travels please?"
"Asta la vista, baby," Trimmau responds in her usual stoic manner. Reines huffs in amusement.
"Close enough..."
Reines shuts the exit door behind her and Trimmau, leaving Gray and Waver alone in the study. Once she was gone, Waver let out an exasperated sigh, creasing the bridge of his nose while uttering:
"Reines is going to be the death of me..."
Gray shifted in her seat, momentarily hesitating before asking her boss:
"Sir... are you afraid of going back to Japan?" Waver turns upon hearing his assistant so caring and concerned for him. "Is us going to Fuyuki City that hard for you?"
Waver grimaced, and Gray could see that it visibly hurt him just thinking about going back himself let alone taking Gray with him. Waver was not an arrogant man, and he would not deliberately leave Gray behind just so that she did not see his shame.
He genuinely feared for Gray herself...
"I cannot say..." he lets out reluctantly. "Right now, I fear more for you, Gray. If my hunch is right... this trip is going to be difficult for you."
Gray, for the first time today, looked at Waver directly, not bothering to hide her face.
"You were prepared to go alone... to keep me safe?"
Waver watched as Gray suddenly stood up and fastened her cloak; a display of determination.
"You should know by now, Sir. I'd never leave your side... I owe you much after all you've done for me. It's of no concern to me of any harm I would experience, because no matter how dark the places we venture to, we look out for each other. I put all my trust into you, Sir, and I am assured that whatever may happen to us in Fuyuki is nothing we cannot overcome together."
Gray then smiled at Waver.
"If I'm not afraid, neither should you Sir."
Waver blinked, suddenly filled with pride for the girl he took under his wing. She herself does not realize it, but under Gray's innocent and shy facade was the heart of a courageous knight, loyally and honorably serving their lord.
It reminded of Waver of HER... but in a more favorable way. The normally dour professor managed a smile.
He had been worried for Gray's sake by taking her to Fuyuki City with him, but Waver knew deep down that his assistant was stronger than he sometimes gives her credit for. Even stronger willed than him in others...
"Gray..." he starts, almost embarrassingly. "I know I don't say this very often but..."
Gray's eyes widened, not expecting a confession to come out of him. She was eagerly anticipating his answer as Waver stood up and-
"You're the best assistant a professor can ever ask for..."
Gray's face did not show it, but she was stunned, expecting a rather different answer to come out from her boss. She was flattered nonetheless but was left a bit... disappointed.
Then again, should she have expected anything else from someone who does not like her face same as Gray herself?
"I see..." she lets out as her head drooped ever so slightly. At least she was certain that-
"Ha ha!" Gray stiffens as she completely forgot Add had been listening. "I can indulge what Gray here has said about Big Teach being the best boyfr-!"
Gray quickly turned and picked up Add's cage, holding it and staring at the offending cube disapprovingly, remaining eerily calm despite the blush on her face.
"Add..." Gray said. "Behave yourself."
She then shook the cage every which way, making Add rattle around in a way that was unpleasant.
"Gah!" Add lets out as Gray continued shaking him, begging, "I'm sorry, hear me?! I'm SORRY! Stop it, please! STOP SHAKING MEEEEE...!"
Waver looks on at the sight, utterly dumbfounded, but soon dismissed this humorous interaction, glancing at the window to a rare, bright blue sky in England.
"I guess we're going to Japan..."
______
Emiya Residence - Fuyuki City, Japan
"What a day..." Shirou let out tiredly as he enters his bedroom with Arturia following behind him, having walked back home from the Tohsaka mansion. Having taken a shower before Arturia, he lets out a yawn before sitting down on the bed and leaning back to look up at the ceiling, wearing just shorts and a t-shirt. "Between a close encounter with Dark Sakura and dealing with Assassin, I am just beat. Can't believe I got school tomorrow..."
Arturia walks up to where Shirou had situated himself, beginning to feel the need of getting a good night's sleep herself after slipping into her nightwear.
"We accomplished a lot, today," she said. "You should get as much rest as you can, Shirou."
Arturia then sat down beside Shirou, noting how calm and elated he was. It was quite the turnaround considering how Shirou was when they first learned of Hassan's return from Caren at the church. Just to be sure...
"By the way... Shirou," Arturia then asks gently, "Are you feeling better now that Hassan has been vanquished?"
Shirou glances at Arturia, giving her an assuring smile and remembering how much he worried his Servant by blaming himself for the deaths Hassan had caused.
"Much better," he admitted before going on to add regrettably, "I just wish we could've caught him sooner, Saber. Hassan was too good a keeping himself hidden... but we did get him in the end."
Arturia stiffens slightly when Shirou's fingers snaked on to her hand which was resting on the bed. Shirou looks at her with utmost gratitude and says to her:
"Thanks again for snapping me out of my funk..."
Arturia smiles in return, remembering what she did to bring Shirou's focus back upon learning that his wish inadvertently brought Hassan back; something she would do for Shirou without hesitation should he find himself in such dark moments.
"No need to thank me," she replied humbly, though internally overflowing with affection. "I'm here for you... as you are for me, Shirou."
Shirou lets out a relieved sigh and laid down fully on the bed. As elated as he was now that Assassin was gone, he could not help but remind himself and Arturia that his master was still a threat that eluded them. Shirou felt compelled to share his lingering worries.
"Still, I wonder who on Earth would willingly form a contract with him, Saber. If what you said about Assassin was true, and he wasn't starving for mana, then those people he killed... Hassan did that under orders. His master is still out there..."
Arturia's face fell slightly, reminded that they still had to hunt down this mysterious master. Sure, the immediate threat of Hassan was eliminated, but with Saber's deductions about the fairgrounds being a trap made just for them, this master might try again to hurt them and their friends. Arturia knew full well that she and Shirou cannot let this anonymous troublemaker walk free if they turn up to threaten them again.
For now, though... after a fierce battle, Arturia felt that she and Shirou could take the time to savor victory before returning to business.
"They lost the means to hurt anyone else on our watch, Shirou," she told him. "They won't be showing their faces anymore if they know what's good for them. Finding who Hassan's master is can wait while we recoup our strength and gather our thoughts."
Shirou mulls over Arturia's words briefly; his tired body inclined to agree with the fact that they did indeed ruin both Hassan's and his master's plans tonight. He and Saber have earned this break, and Shirou allowed himself to relax and not obsess over it for the time being.
"I guess so..." he replied to Arturia in agreement. "One measly mage will be no trouble for us. We'll see if Caren knows who we're dealing with; got to stop by the church after school tomorrow to tell her the good news."
Shirou was then surprised when Arturia laid down beside him, supporting her head with her elbow against the mattress. She wore a curious expression when she asks her master rhetorically:
"You really believe she had nothing to do with the trap set at the fairgrounds?"
Shirou could pick up the hidden meaning behind Arturia's words, remembering that she and Rin were quick to suspect that Caren might have set them all up; something Shirou did not believe for a second.
"Is that admiration I hear?" he asked in reply.
"For Ms. Hortensia?" Arturia responds before admitting, "I still have my reservations about her... but I also know that if she wanted to hurt us, she would have done so the moment we walked into that church. Maybe she has earned your benefit of the doubt, Shirou."
Shirou smirks as Arturia then laid down on her back fully beside him, adding:
"Then again, you assume the best in everyone."
Shirou resists the urge to humor her, knowing that as true as Arturia's words were, she also made the notion come across as rather naive.
"Not always..." he lightheartedly countered. "I can just tell the moment I laid eyes on Kotomine that something was "off" about him. He couldn't have hid that creepy side of him forever..."
Arturia smiled, glad at the fact of that horrible man not being around to hurt Shirou or their friends anymore. Like Shirou on the night they first went to that church, Arturia had the inkling that the priest and Overseer of the Holy Grail War was rotten to his core. Caren may have shed more light on Kirei Kotomine's true nature, but that did not change Arturia's opinion of the man who was hellbent on unleashing All the World's Evils.
By the way...
"And Gilgamesh?" Arturia then asked jokingly, knowing better than to forget Kotomine's "partner in crime," the King of Heroes himself. Shirou was quick to reply:
"Oh, don't even get me started on that guy," his response was incredulous. "King of Heroes my ass... Gil ain't my definition of a hero, THAT'S for sure..."
"Indeed..." Arturia's remark made both her and Shirou laugh, finding amusement in making fun out of their two soundly defeated arch enemies. Levity was just brimming between the Master and Servant now that the treat of Assassin was gone and left them feeling like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Hassan had fallen before Rhongomyniad as easily as Gilgamesh fell to the combined power of Excalibur and Avalon.
Speaking of Hassan's defeat, Arturia's laughter died down as she thought back to the moment when she struck him down while channeling the power of Rhongomyniad...
She did not feel it when she used it inside Unlimited Blade Works, but when Arturia used it on Assassin... something was different.
Like the Holy Lance was reaching out to something... or someone from far away. Arturia was so focused on striking down Hassan that she though she imagined it. Who-?
"Saber?"
Arturia snapped back to reality as Shirou's concerned words. She turned her head to see him looking at her curiously.
"What are you thinking about?" Shirou's tone was soft like he was willing to believe that there was not anything wrong. Arturia was thankful of that as she offered an assuring smile and replies:
"It's nothing important. I must be feeling tired as you are..."
When Shirou yawned, it was the affirmation he needed.
"I sure am," he let out tiredly, his eyes drooping. Arturia snuggled up closer to Shirou, offering:
"You've earned your rest, Shirou. If you need help falling asleep faster, let me help you..."
Shirou peeked on eye open.
"How?"
Arturia simply smiled suggestively, opening her arms for Shirou. He was left feeling confused until Arturia pulled him right up against her body. Shirou was left stunned, his face forming a blush as Arturia directed his head right up against her ample bosom.
"S- Saber-!" Shirou's muffled voice came through only for-
"Shhh..." Arturia whispered, slowly closing her eyes. "Just relax..."
Instead of complying, Shirou squirmed, trying to break away, but Arturia's strength made it impossible. Shirou was shocked that the normally dignified Arturia Pendragon would do something as daring as this... it felt so wrong, so out of character for the King of Knights.
And yet... Arturia did not move an inch and simply let Shirou struggle whilst keeping his head right where it was. And the more Shirou continued to squirm, the more he noticed...
Arturia's massive chest was so soft... softer than any pillow even through the fabric of her nightgown. Her breasts felt like mochi... conforming to his head perfectly yet just being firm enough for him to not completely sink into them, having just the right amount of pushback.
They were making Shirou succumb to slumber, and before long, Shirou simply stopped resisting and let his head rest fully against Arturia's chest. Pleased by this, she gave Shirou just enough room to breathe as he did so while falling asleep. Shirou's eyes closed completely as he succumbed to Arturia's embrace.
Once Shirou settled, Arturia opened her eyes... revealing them to be a lustrous gold. Shirou's face was too buried in Arturia's chest to even see them.
"How do I feel, Shirou?" her whisper was like an evening chill, gentle yet capable of sending a shiver down one's spine. Having not quite fallen asleep just yet, Shirou lets out:
"Like a cloud..."
Arturia giggled softly.
"I'm glad... Rest now..."
Shirou soon went limp, now breathing steadily having fallen asleep within a minute. Arturia was feeling very tired herself despite having the boldness to take this intimate moment with the boy in her arms further but relented. It was not feasible after all the action today, as much as Arturia wanted to believe otherwise.
Looking down Shirou slumbering against her, Arturia looked on pitifully. She had almost lost him twice in this day alone; the first against Dark Sakura and again with Hassan. She was so happy when Assassin was finally gone, but her moment with Shirou afterwards was interrupted. She was only holding herself back still because her desires would be a detriment to Shirou after all that has happened. Arturia's better judgement still held precedence over her.
She loved Shirou... with ALL her being. She just simply wanted Shirou to fully realize that so they can embrace each other without holding back... like back then, on the eve of the Holy Grail War's conclusion.
Arturia was sure Shirou loved her too... but compared to her, by how much? Shirou's integrity (or obliviousness...) was leaving her in doubt.
Perhaps now that the threats around them have been dealt with for now, Arturia can return to exploring herself with this new body that she has wished for. It would give Shirou more time to realize what it is that Arturia wants out of this bond of theirs or maybe help Arturia build more confidence in herself to simply ask for what she wanted. Arturia eventually succumbed to sleep herself, keeping Shirou's slumbering form in her embrace.
For now, this is enough...
But unbeknownst to either her or Shirou, the dragon in Arturia's soul would only grow more restless with desire...
TBC