Bubba's Idea Vault #9 Magical Guardian Emiya (Unedited Oneshot (For now?))

Magical Girl Guardian: Emiya

By: Bubbajack

Editors/Co-Authors: Icysnowsage, First Hassan

Special Consultant: Heliosion

Obligatory First Chapter Disclaimer: We DO NOT claim ownership of the following: Cardcaptor Sakura, Looking up to Magical Girls, Lyrical Nanoha, Magical Girl Raising Project, Magical Girl Site, Magical Girl Spec Ops: Asuka, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Sailor Moon Crystal, Suicide Girl, and Typemoon. They all belong to their respective owners.

Ch.1-1: New End, New Beginning.

The sky was gloomy and overcast with wind slightly chill as Emiya Shirou, a tall red headed boy with amber eyes who recently graduated from highschool, and victor of Fuyuki’s Fifth Holy Grail War, placed a bouquet of lilies on the freshly buried grave. Its plaque read "Illyasviel von Einzbern. 1982-2005. Beloved Daughter, Friend, and Sister.” Taiga Fujimura was crying silently in the background as Shirou turned and made to leave the western style graveyard where his ‘little sister’ had just been laid to rest, next to her father.

“Shirou… are… are you okay?” Taiga asked, sniffling a little.

Shirou nodded, “I’m fine Fuji-nee, don’t worry,”

Taiga waved her arms around and growled at him like the ‘tiger’ she was, “That’s the problem! You just lost a family member! You shouldn’t be fine!” She hugged her former ward and surrogate little brother to her, “It's okay to be sad Shirou, it's okay to cry. You know that right?”

Shirou could only look at Illya’s fresh grave and sigh, “ I am sad Fuji-nee. I just don’t think crying will help anyone right now. Ilya’s health wasn’t the best already. The least I can do is live on for her and the old man. I just don’t think I need to stay in Fuyuki much longer. There are too many memories here for me. I will come back and visit. I just need to be away right now,” spoke Shirou with a tone that showed that while he was sad, he wasn’t going to let this drag him down into a depression. He tightened the hug with Taiga though showing he did care about her.

“Emiya-kun,” a very familiar voice, made its presence known.

Breaking the embrace, Shirou looked over to see Rin Tohsaka for the first time in awhile. She’d let her hair down from her usual twintails and it was flowing freely down her back. She was wearing a red long coat open with a beige sweater, and dark pants. Her aquamarine eyes were solemn as she placed her own bouquet of lilies next to his, “I got here as soon as I could,”

“Thanks for coming all the way from London Tohsaka,” Shirou said, “I know you and Illya liked to bicker, but in her own way, that was Illya showing her affection for you,”

“Yeah, annoying little imp,” Rin said dabbing at her eyes as she sniffed a bit. “She always did like picking on me,” She looked around and asked, “Is Sakura not here?”

“She said it felt too personal for her to come herself, but she’s back at my place, preparing a meal,” Shirou replied.

Rin rolled her eyes, “That is so, so like her,” She sighed, “Well then we’d best get back, so to not keep her waiting,”

As the trio walked out of the cemetery, it began to lightly rain, as if the heavens themselves were weeping for the tears Shirou couldn’t bring himself to shed. To keep his mind off things, he decided to engage Tohsaka in small talk. “So how was your flight?”

“Meh,” Rin grunted, “I dunno how those giant hunks of metal fly, but it got me here quickly so I guess that’s all that matters.”

Taiga giggled, “So Tohsaka-chan doesn’t like flying?”

“Not really Fujimura-sensei,” The former school idol replied. “If I had the time, I’d have gone by boat, but time was of the essence, so the flying death machine it was,”

Taiga giggled, “It’s nice to see Tohsaka-san isn’t as perfect as she always acted in school, that even she is afraid of something,”

“Gah… did I really come off that strong? Heheh…” Rin asked, flushing a bit.

Taiga nodded, “I worried about you a bit, but then a couple of years ago, you started to become chummy with Shirou here, and then Illya showed up too… She acted like such a spoiled kid even though she was so old… hehe…” Taiga was melancholic but she giggled all the same. “Clearly before Kiri left her in Germany, he spoiled her rotten,”

“Hah, yeah, little pixie brat,” Rin said, huffing a bit, “Always going for third when most of us were lucky to have seconds. Between you and her, the rest of us were lucky we didn’t go hungry Fujimura-sensei.”

Taiga looked half affronted, “Hey! I’m a growing girl, and looking after all you brats is very taxing I’ll have you know! I need food for energy!”

“The only thing growing on you is that tiger pit you call a stomach,” Shirou muttered to himself.

Taiga heard him though and said, “GAO! Is Shirou-kun saying his big sister is getting fat?! If so, it's because his cooking is too delicious!”

Shirou raised his hands in surrender, “No never, your looking great as ever Fuji-nee,”

Taiga glared at him a moment more before she nodded and grunted out, “That’s what I thought you said,” After a moment she asked, “Are you really gonna go away for awhile Shirou?”’

The red-headed young man nodded, “Yes I think I need to clear my head a bit, will you be alright without me Fuji-nee? I’d hate to think how you’ll starve to death without me around,” He usually kept a tight lid on his snarkier side, but today had been particularly rough and it was seeping out a bit.

Taiga slapped him on the arm, “I’ll have you know I won’t starve to death! I still have Sakura-chan!” She said with not a hint of shame and a note of actual pride in her tone.

‘That’s not something to be bragging about,’ both Shirou and Rin thought as they shared a disappointed glance at their former English teacher before looking at each other, flushing and looking away.

Shirou had hoped it would get better with time. The memory of the night they’d spent together in the Einzbern Forest, doing a tantric ritual to empower Saber to defeat Berserker. The three of them. Yet it didn’t get any better. If either one stared at the other for too long, that old memory resurfaced. They were friends of course, but there was this awkward air around them both, and they both knew it. As while they did what they did to save their lives that didn’t change the fact that they’d done the deed, nor that it was the other’s first time… or that they’d refused to speak of it since. This wasn’t helped and compounded by the fact Rin was called away after the Fifth Grail War to England and finished her schooling abroad, only coming back to Fuyuki during holidays that coincided in both England and Japan at the same time.

‘Maybe I should try to clear the air with her?’ Shirou thought, ‘We can’t stay awkward like this forever,’  For the third time now, Shirou was reminded that life, while beautiful, was beautiful because it was a fragile, fickle, and above all finite thing. Tomorrow was never guaranteed and if something needed to be said, one was better off saying it rather than waiting.

But that could wait, for they had arrived at the Emiya Household, and Sakura, his other surrogate family member, was waiting inside.

(...)

Sakura busied herself with cooking, trying to keep her mind off the fact that as of today, there would be one less place to set at the table. ‘I know someones as damaged and corrupted like me don't deserve it, but God, if you're listening, please send Illya-chan someplace nice when she reincarnates once she reaches the Root, please. She at least, deserves some happiness,’

Sakura released a sigh as she kept cooking. Things had… improved since nee-san’s death in the Fifth Holy Grail War. With news that the Grail was being dismantled by the Clocktower Zouken had… committed suicide? Ego death? Gone completely mad? She wasn’t sure what to call it, but after he received the missive declaring as much the worms in her body wriggled out of her one by one and died. As if they’d lost the will to live. Thus Sakura was free of the Matou House, scarred, desecrated, but alive. She sold everything, the land, house, all the scrolls and five hundred years worth of knowledge that Zolgen Makiri had collected. She was out house hunting for herself when she ran into Fujimura-sensei and, after explaining her circumstances, moved in with her and Illya. She insisted on paying half the rent and utilities at least even though her eccentric teacher told her she was living there for free due to the fact her Grandfather owned the building. Still, she would’ve felt like a freeloader otherwise.

She also got to cook for Illya and Taiga along with Senpai at his place. It was nice. Senpai didn’t love her like she did him, but he loved her as part of his family, and that? That was enough for her. Then Illya got sick and Fujimura-sensei, senpai, and herself had to slowly watch her waste away.

“It’s not fair!” Sakura said at last slamming a knife a little harder than necessary on the cutting board as she diced some daikon radishes for today's lunch. “Everything was going well for everyone for once, and then this sick twisted world had to take one of our loved one’s away! How is it fair? How is it right? And Illya-chan least of all deserved this!” Every final word was punctuated by the hard thump of the knife on the cutting board.

“Your right,” Shirou’s hand landed on the knife preventing her from raising it again, “It’s not fair, it isn’t right, but life unfortunately isn’t fair, Sakura-chan,”

“Senpai… when did you?” Sakura began.

“Just a bit ago,” He said, his tone a bit glum even though he was smiling at her, “Why don’t I finish up lunch? Tohsaka came all the way from England. So can you keep her company for me?”

Sakura wasn’t too surprised to hear that. She knew something happened between Senpai and Nee-chan during the Fifth Holy Grail War, not the specifics of course, but considering how they’d occasionally glance at one another… she could guess. The fact they never started dating after such an event confused her, but she didn’t question it. It wasn’t her place after all. “Well, if Tohsaka-senpai is here, then I should make tea at least. Are you sure you can handle everything here on your own Senpai?”

“Sakura, I taught you everything you know, not necessarily everything I know,” Shirou told her mysteriously as she left the kitchen, tray in hand to serve drinks to guests.

The purplette giggled, “Of course senpai. I’ll let you finish up then,”

Shirou was grateful for the distraction if he were being honest. If he was cooking, he didn’t have to think. If he didn’t think, he couldn’t be overwhelmed by memories of Illya. So he immersed himself in the calming task of cooking, something that would, at least for a little bit, offer him brief respite from his loss.

(...)

After a hearty lunch consisting of all of Illya’s favorite Japanese food most of which were noodle dishes like Udon and Ramen, the group reminisced about the manic little snow faerie that barged into their lives. Eventually because Taiga was present, drinks were had, and all of them were a little tipsy by the time Taiga had passed out at the table, surrounded by several bottles of alcohol.

“We’re sure she’s not got any Oni blood in her right?” Rin asked, her cheeks flush from the amount of rice wine and whiskey she’d drank.

Rubbing the back of his head, Shirou answered, “I’ve no idea, honestly,” he continued as he hefted her up on his shoulder, “But considering her best friend and my boss are the same person, that could explain her near inhuman tolerance.”

“You’ve worked at a bar since you were fifteen senpai?” Sakura asked, “Isn’t that illegal?”

Rin with her hands on her hips as she leaned forwards, carried on, “Yeah, what gives Emiya-kun?”

“Magi usually experiments on the unknowing populace for the sake of research, usually after kidnapping them and hypnotizing people into thinking that they never existed in the first place. Which one of us is doing something more illegal here, Tohsaka?”

Rin gave an indignant squawk, “T-That’s d-different and you know it Emiya-kun!”

“Yeah,” Shirou said in the tone of a man that was clearly unconvinced as he half-carried, half-dragged their former English Teacher to a spare room. When he came back he collapsed in a seat around the table and sighed. “Well, now what should I do?”

What do you mean Senpai?” Sakura asked, perplexed by his sudden statement.

“Well, I never really thought about… the future I guess? Ever since the Fifth Grail War, I’ve been training my magecraft, and Illya helped me where she could. She was actually a great teacher, and… besides knowing I want to help people… I don’t actually know how to go about doing it.”

A part, a quiet rebellious voice in the back of Shirou’s mind whispered, “See Kiriei Kotomine was right. In order to help people, you do want them to be in danger first,”

“Ohh?” Tohsaka sounded intrigued. “Your magecraft must’ve improved by leaps and bounds having an Einzbern Homunculus to help you. Care to demonstrate Emiya-kun?”

“Relax Tohsaka, you're not in the Clocktower anymore,” He replied, sending her a smile, “We’re all friends here, remember?”

Rin gave a smile like sharpened glass, she was in no way jealous of his good fortune as she was thrown into the viper pit that was the Clocktower as she said, “Of course Emiya-kun, I’m just curious what a year under the teachings of someone like Illya would have that’s all,”

“Right,” Shirou said.

“What I am!” Rin shot back.

“I’m agreeing with you,” Shirou replied.

Rin ‘harrumphed’ and crossed her arms as she looked away, “Didn’t sound like it,” After a moment, she said “Well, are you gonna show your improvement or not?”

“Are you finished sulking Tohsaka?”

“I’m not sulking,” She said sulkily.

“Anyway, here it goes, Trace on,” Shirou intoned using the aria that defined his existence.

As he did so, his lessons with Illya came back to him.

(...)

“Okay Onii-chan, you're really good at the simple stuff, but if you're going to take Material Transmutation and really do something with it, you need a process, like any good mage. Firstly it needs a name. Let’s go with Tracing, after your aria, ok?”

“Alright,”

She nodded, “Good, now what do you think the first step should be?”

Shirou rubbed his chin in thought, “Well, I guess it would help if I knew what I was making,” He said, “Like I’d need to know the difference between a sword, spear, axe, or a knife,”

Illya nodded, “Yes, that’s close but not quite it. Think deeper Onii-chan, everything has a beginning, a reason for being created,”

“You're talking about Origins aren’t you?” he asked. “The Old Man mentioned them once, He said once you learn them, it's like an obsession. He told me his Origins were Severing and Binding. Likened it to cutting a rope then tying the two halves back together. It’s technically ‘whole’ but twisted.”

“Yes exactly,” Illya nodded, “That is the first step, you must understand or Judge the Concept of somethings Creation.”

He practiced for weeks until he could tell the Origin of a bladed weapon at a glance. Please, Illya moved onto the next step.

“You’ve done well, Onii-chan, I think we’re ready for step two,” She said.

“How many steps are there Illya?” He asked her.

She blinked, “How many do you think there should be Shirou? This is your magic, and your process. The one who decides such things should be you. But I will say that I don’t think should it be less than three nor more than thirteen,”

“Thirteen?! That many?!” He said surprised.

“Three and Thirteen are powerful magical numbers of significance. Three being a Trinity that has been around for centuries, Seven for days of the week, being lucky in asian countries, nine is three three times over which in some countries is considered especially lucky, and Thirteen is considered unlucky in some parts of the world, but in the Moonlit World, it's considered the perfect number for a powerful coven of magi,” Illya explained.

“Oh wow, you know so much Illya, you should write a book. Call it Magecraft for Dummy Onii-chans or something,” He laughed at his own expense.

Illya rolled her ruby red eyes, “Yeah maybe I’ll do that after I finish teaching you dummy,” She slapped him on the arm, “Now what should step two be?”

“I think I’d need to do the first thing I said the first time, I’d need to know the basic shape,” the redhead replied.

“Correct,” Illya replied, “You’d need to first Judge the Concept of Creation before Hypothesize the Basic Structure of the item you wish to create,” Illya yawned not for the first time in their conversation.

“Did you stay up too late playing video games again Illya?” Shirou asked bemused.

“No!” Illya said, arms crossed as she yawned again, “I’ve just been tired lately,” She said as she rubbed her eyes.

“Why don’t you go lay down for a bit?” Shirou told her, “I’m gonna practice step one and two for a bit before I make dinner, I’ll wake you when it's ready, ok?”

“Sure, thanks Onii-chan,” Illya said, retreating to her room for a bit.

A month passed and Shirou could make what could best be described as ‘things shaped like weapons’. But they were brittle, like paper mache and they felt… hollow for lack of a better term. So he went to his little big sister for answers.

Examining a copy of the Tora Shinai, Illya nodded to herself, “Hmm, yes I see,” She said upon examining the construct. “You're copying the reason and shape… but that’s it. This is no different than normal Projection magecraft Shirou. If you want to go beyond the ordinary, you have to think outside the box. How can you make a sword be more like a sword than just looks? Achoo!”

Shirou thought for a moment, “Bless you, I suppose I could try duplicating the composition material first, and then imitating the forging process. If I imitate those two things, that should theoretically make the swords more sword-like right?”

“Duplicating the Composition Material and Imitating the Skill of its making. It sounds like you’ve found steps four and five of your process. Achoo!”

“Bless you… again. Are you getting sick Illya?” Shirou asked, concerned as he put a hand to her forehead. “You do feel a tad warm. Go lay down and I’ll go make you some rice porridge ok?”

“Thanks Onii-chan, I probably just got a head cold, I doubt it's serious, but I’ll go lay down.”

Yet Illya remained bedridden, her condition getting worse after that. Yet she never stopped hounding him to finish his process even as she drowned in sweat, and seemed to waste away from malnutrition, irregardless of how much food Shirou gave her.

“How goes… your process… Onii-chan?” Illya asked not for the first time since she became bed confined. Manga lay strewn all over her floor. Most of it of the Mahou Shoujo variety and she even had her own tv and gaming systems.

“Don’t worry about that Ilya,” Shirou told her, “Just focus on getting better,”

“I can’t!” She coughed, “I can’t Onii-chan,” She continued in a quieter tone. “Not until I know you’ve got this down, be… because I know this will be the one thing I can give you. That’ll keep you alive after I’m gone,” She said her voice rough and her throat raw from all the coughing.

“Don’t talk like that, you're gonna get better,” Shirou said, borderline desperately.

She smiled at him, “Maybe, but only if you're a good student,” she teased, “Now, how’re things going?”

“I figured out how to copy the skills of previous wielders of weapons,” Shirou told her, “By sympathizing with the experience of a weapons growth as a weapon, I can copy its users skills,”

“Great job,” Illya clapped her hands weakly, but happily, “How did you discover this?”

Shriou rubbed the back of his head, “I copied Assassin’s Monohoshi Zhou,”

The sickly girl nodded, “Yes, that would work… but there was something missing, wasn’t there? A final technique you couldn’t grasp, right Onii-chan?”

Shirou smiled ruefully, “Of course you already knew. Can you see the future or something like that, Illya?”

Despite how bad she was feeling she smiled and winked at him, “Something like that Onii-chan. Some water?” She asked. Shirou quickly poured her a drink and she sipped at it slowly, before she continued, “Thank you, now I want you to think, Onii-chan. What do all servants have in abundance? Its something every magi wishes they had in equal measure to one of them,”

“Mystery,” Shirou said at last, “Servants are crystallized Mystery.” He remembered with some trepidation, the Black Giant that was Herakules. The sheer power he gave off was inhuman, something no normal man could hope to stand against.

“Yes, so you know what you have to do now, right?” Illya asked before she broke out into a coughing fit.

Holding her till it subsided, Shirou replied, “Reproduce the accumulated years,”

Illya gave him a weak hug, “Good, I’m gonna rest a bit Oniichan, so you go try that out ok?”

Shirou rose to leave, but he stopped to ask, “Illya, if you really can see the future, are you going to get better?”

“No,” She said after a long foreboding pause, “I won’t this body will die,” She added swiftly, “But! We will meet again, Onii-chan, I know it.”

“In the next life?” Shirou asked, “I didn’t know you’d converted to Buddhism,”

“My next life, your current one,” Illya said with certainty. “You’ll find me again, I know it,” She said with conviction, “So, when I go Onii-chan, remember, it isn’t ‘Goodbye’. It’s ‘See you Later’.”

When he next went to check on Illya she was clammy cold, and shaking so hard it looked like she was having a seizure. “Illya, Illya stay with me!” He said.

“Excel every manufacturing process,” She told him through chattering teeth.

“W-What?” Shirou asked, her voice came out so quiet he had to bend in close to hear.

“Excel every manufacturing process. It's the final step.” She told him tiredly as she put a clammy hand on his cheek. “Remember what I said Onii-chan, this isn’t goodbye. This is just see you later. I love you Onii-chan,” She then closed her eyes for the last time.

“Illya? Illya?!” Her hand fell limply from his face, and he grabbed it, and he felt grief, anger, rage. For once again, he’d failed to protect someone who needed it. Not out of ignorance, or fear, but this time due to his own weakness.

“I am so tired of this, of seeing people die right in front of me and being unable to do anything about it!” Shirou said truly angry for the third time in his life. The first was after Kiritsugu died, the second was when Kirei Kotomine kidnapped Illya, and then there was now.

“I can grant you power,” A silky smooth voice spoke in the back of his mind, “For the price of service, you will have the power to save her, and many, many others in this life and beyond.”

“I don’t know who the hell you are, but if the Fifth Grail War has taught me anything, it's that if something is too good to be true, it probably is. Now go away, I have funeral arrangements to make,” Shirou coldly told the voice as he stood up.

As quickly as it came it went, and Alaya would not have its dog in this timeline.

(...)

Using all that Illya had imparted to him, There was a flash of light, a surge of prana from his magic circuits, and when it was gone, Shirou was holding Caliburn, the Golden Sword of Victory, in his right hand.

Rin didn’t even feel her jaw drop as she stared at the Noble Phantasm that, according to myth, was broken and would never be seen again. “Emiya-kun… do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”

“Recreated a Noble Phantasm using Gradation Air?” Shirou unhelpfully supplied.

“I… yes, exactly that,” Rin agreed, “How? How did you take such a useless magecraft, and do this with it?!” She asked motioning to the sword.

“I did it mostly with Illya’s help. She helped me create a seven step process to enhance my Projections. We call it Tracing.”

“After your aria, clever,” Rin sighed, “You said you wanted to get out of Fuyuki for a bit right?”

“Senpai?” Sakura asked. “You're leaving? For how long?”

Now it was Shriou’s turn to sigh. He wanted to break it to Sakura a bit more gently than that. “Not forever Sakura. I just need to go and clear my head for a while. I’ll be back by the holidays, I promise.”

To which the sole surviving Matou pouted and pointed out, “Sempai, it's the middle of February,”

“And I promise I’ll bring you a lot of presents,” He swore, trying to save his own skin.

Normally Sakura would’ve done anything in her none too considerable power to prevent him from leaving, including using her body, but these weren’t normal circumstances. Shinji and Zouken were dead, he had just lost his last physical family member, and all he had left now were memories. Sakura couldn’t blame her senpai for wanting to get out of town for a while and clear his head. There were many, many times in her youth she wished she could do the same… though had she the option, she wouldn’t have been coming back. Sakura knew he would, because senpai always kept his promises. So she smiled and asked, “When do you leave?”

“Rin?” Shirou asked, “When were you planning on heading back to the Clocktower?”

“Saturday, they expect me back by Monday and jetlag isn’t pleasant,” she replied grimacing.

Today was Tuesday, they had time to make more memories before he had to go. “Great, let’s make the most of it, Tohsaka-senpai, Senpai.”

On that the other two magi whole-heartedly agreed, and made plans to have some fun while they could. But for tonight, Rin and Sakura crashed at Shirou’s place. With jetlag catching up with Rin and Sakura not able to get Taiga home on her own. Tomorrow, tomorrow was another day.

(...)

In the days that followed, Rin, Sakura, and Shirou were practically inseparable. They did everything together from cooking, to walking around Fuyuki City, and spending days visiting various shops and friends. Whenever they bumped into anyone they  knew, like Issei or the Track Trio, condolences were exchanged for Shirou’s loss, and he accepted them as humbly as he could. But they left him feeling a dull ache in his chest, reminding him of what he lost.

“Are you okay Senpai?” Sakura asked as they parted from another group of well-wishers.

“I know they all mean well, but hearing their condolences are just reminding me that Illya is gone,” Shirou said, “But that’s rude and I shouldn’t act like that,”

“Idiot,” Rin said, flicking his ear, “It's okay to be angry, you know? It's a natural part of the grieving process. She hugged onto one of his arms and Sakura latched onto the other, as she continued, “You know that we’re here for you right?”

Shirou smiled even though he didn’t feel it. Far be it for him to worry them, “Yeah, thanks Tohsaka, Sakura.”

Rin smacked him on the arm, “You know you can call me Rin right? I’d like to think surviving a death game together has put us on a first name basis.” She told him while looking away.

“Right, sorry Rin,”

“Don’t worry about it,” She told him looking off into the distance, “Do you still think about her? Saber I mean?”

“All the time,” Shirou replied, “How about you? Is that stubborn Archer of yours ever far from your thoughts?”

She looked at him and gave him an annoyed smile, “Not really, but that’s because I seem to be constantly worrying about him doing something stupid and getting himself killed,”

“Huh?” Shirou said in confusion.

Rin just shook her head, “Don’t worry about it,” She turned to Sakura, “Sakura while we’re in London I need you and Fujimura-sensei to do me a favor,”

“Yes Tohsaka-senpai?” Sakura asked, perking up.

“I need you to house sit for me,” Rin asked with something earnest in her tone.

Sakura’s eyes widened, “Eh?! Me, are you sure you don’t want to ask someone else?” ‘Someone who wasn’t from a rival magi family’ went unsaid but implied.

Rin just smiled and told her, “I trust you implicitly Sakura-chan. You, Shirou, and I? We’re practically family after all.”

“Oh, is-is that so?” The purplette said, seeming to choke up a bit, “So then, would it be okay if I called you Nee-chan?”

Rin beamed, “I’d like that!”

“So if we’re family does that make me the older brother or something?” Shirou asked.

Rin gave him a deadpan stare, “What do you think?”

Shirou cocked his head to the side, “Yes?”

Sakura sighed her head drooping, “Stupid Senpai,”

“Idiot,” Rin deadpanned.

Both girls let go of his arms before walking ahead without him.

“Was it something I said?” Shirou wondered aloud as he moved to catch up with the two.

(...)

Finally the day of the flight had arrived and Shirou was all packed and ready to go, that didn’t stop Taiga and Sakura from playing twenty questions with him though.

“Are you sure you have enough clothes, Senpai?”

“Do you have your passport?”

“You didn’t forget your toothbrush did you?”

“Did you pack something to read on your carry-on bag? This is going to be a long flight.”

Shirou looked back and forth between the two and answered, “Yes I have enough clothes Sakura, and my toothbrush is in my bag. I have my passport in my wallet Fuji-nee, and I packed some manga to read just in case,” He put a hand on both of their shoulders as he said, “I’ll miss you both too, and I’ll call as often as I can, I promise.”

Both girls hugged the redhead as hard as they could after that, crying a little bit into his shirt. “We’re gonna miss you Shirou,” Taiga said, her tone slightly muffled, “You’d better check in regularly or else!”

“Of course Fuji-nee, woe be to anyone who crosses the Tiger of Fuyuki.”

The older woman slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “You're lucky I love you Shirou, or I’d be dragging your ass to the dojo for calling me Tiger.”

“Sorry sorry,” He replied, before he turned his attention to Sakura. “Will you be okay on your own?”

She nodded into his shirt before she raised her head, “You’ve raised me well senpai,” She said, giving him a smile. “I’ll be fine.”

Shirou blushed, and would’ve rubbed his head if his hands weren’t full of Taiga at the moment. “I didn’t do much.”

Peeking up to smirk at him Taiga said, “Hmm, I dunno… you taught her to cook, clean, and do laundry. You really have raised her well, haven’t you, Hiraku Genji?”

“I’m leaving now,” Shirou said as he picked up his suitcase and headed for the door.

“Wait, it was a joke! A joke!” Taiga cried, “Don’t leave angry! GAO!”

Shirou glanced back, a grin on his face, “I know, so was I, funny huh?”

“Gah! You…” Taiga said, running after him, as he moved to the front door where Rin was waiting.

“Do you have everything Emiya-kun?” She asked as he came to a stop in front of her.

He nodded, “I think so. If I’m missing anything I can just buy it over there I suppose.”

Rin nodded, “True, but the exchange rate between yen and sterling is absolutely abysmal, just so you know,”

“The Old Man didn’t just leave me yen Tohsaka,” Shirou informed her. “He left me currency from several countries. Including England's Sterling Pound.”

“Ack!” Rin made a noise like she was choking on something, and Shirou patted her back.

“You okay?” He asked.

“I-I’m fine, thank you Emiya-kun,” She replied in a huff, “Well since you’ve got the cash you can pay for meals while were there,”

Shirou just smiled, “I’d be glad to cook for you, you know that,”

“Shirou!” Taiga came to a halt in front of him, “Don’t let Tohsaka boss you around like that… and Tohsaka, stop acting like a golddigger, you're better than that!” She chastised her former student.

“Goldigger, I… yes, your right Fujimura-sensei sorry,” She bowed in apology.

“Though I gotta admit, you have good taste at least.” Taiga said, winking at her knowingly.

“F-Fujimura-sensei!” Rin sputtered, flushing.

Shirou gave the Tiger a stubborn smile, “Okay Fuji-nee that’s enough of your teasing. Keep it up and I won’t tell Sakura your favorite brand of rice crackers.”

Taiga’s mood changed on a dime, “I’ll be good,” she said, before she drew the two into a brief hug, “Be safe you two, and call us the second you land safely, to hell with what the time might be over here, you understand?”

“Yes of course Fujimura-sensei,” Rin said, flushing a bit. She’d never been hugged by her teacher before though she was well aware of her boisterous nature.

Taiga beamed, “And Rin-chan, it's okay to call me Fuji-nee too, if you want that is. You're not my student anymore after all, so it's okay.” Glancing back Taiga said, “That’ll go for you too, once you graduate, get it Sakura-chan?”

The girl who was a year behind both her senpai nodded, “Of course Fujimura-sensei. I look forward to it.”

Rin looked at the watch shirou had convinced her to buy on one of their outings. “Emiya-kun, we should get going if we don’t want to miss our flight, damn death machines,’ she muttered to herself before she turned to Sakura and said, “Do you remember where the key is?”

“Do you still keep it under the fake rock?” Sakura asked.

“Yes, so you do remember…” Rin said smiling in reminiscence before she said, “Good, so you know how to get in, I’m sure you can find everything alright, umm, let’s see is there anything else…?”

“I’m sure I can figure it out Nee-chan, now you and Senpai should be going or you’ll miss your flight, right?” Sakura said with a smile on her face.

Rin sighed, “You're right of course. C’mon Emiya! We can catch the bus to the airport if we hurry!”

“Right! Bye you two, be safe!” Shirou called as he grabbed both of their bags and followed Rin out the door.

(...)

The two made their flight. Shirou had to hold Rin’s hand during takeoff, while she muttered about ‘flying scrap heaps’. Once they were up in the air, she calmed down a bit though. Taking a breath, she said, “Okay one of the worst parts is over,”

“Landing?” Shirou asked.

“Landing,” Rin confirmed in a small voice. Before she let out a shiver, “I don’t know how people can stand getting on these things!”

Giving her a worried look, he asked, “How’d you manage to get on it before?”

“Sheer willpower and sleeping pills,” She told him, stone faced and serious.

Getting out one of his manga, he segwayed into a familiar topic veiled as something fictional, “Would it be easier if you could fly like this?”

She looked at the title, “Cardcaptor Sakura'' A classic of the Magical Girl genre. Even she knew that though she wasn’t much into it herself. Unlike a certain teacher she had back at the Clocktower. She did, however, know what he was hinting at and was thankful for the distraction. “Yes I’d love flying like that. Mainly because I'm the one in control. Not some machine or other person that could randomly fail or fall asleep and kill us all,” Rin muttered the last bit, but Shirou was sitting right next to her so he caught it anyway.

It was then that Shirou understood, “Ah, so it's not that you hate flying, just that you're not the one in control,”

“Basically?,” She said uncomfortably, “I just have trouble with these sorts of things I guess.”

Shirou gave her hand a squeeze, “I’m right here if you need me Rin,”

“T-Thank you!” She stuttered out. “That means a lot Shirou,”

“Is there anything I should know about London, or more specifically, the place we’ll be studying at?”

Rin nodded resolutely, “Yes actually, there is one person you absolutely must stay away from at all costs! She’s this rude uppercrust girl that has made my life hell ever since I first arrived in London! She ripped up a personal invitation I got from Lord El-Melloi the Second! Can you believe that?! And before you ask, no, people just don’t go around ripping up personal summons from Lords of the Clocktower,” She said when she saw him opening his mouth.

Shirou nodded, asking a different question instead, “I see, so what’s this person's name?”

“Luvagelita Edelfelt,” Rin hissed the name like an angry cat. “You’d know her when you see her, she’s tall with blonde hair, that she somehow manages to curl like frigging drills every morning, and she wears this gaudy, frilly blue dress. You’d better stay away from her, Shirou! She’s the type who’ll try to seduce you just to get to me!”

“I’ll do my best?” He said confused. “I mean, our university is a big place right? Chances are I’ll never meet her. But why would she try to seduce me, to get to you?”

Rin pouted, “Is your head made of lead or something, idiot?” Seeing the oblivious look on his face, the Tohsaka heiress sighed, “Anyway, I was thinking while we were in England, you might want to visit… Saber’s grave in Glastonbury Abbey?”

Shirou looked at her and smiled solemnly. “I’d appreciate that Rin, thank you.”

“I-It’s no problem!” She told him, hastily. “I just thought… you know, that you might want to say goodbye properly. After that incident, it was just so… so sudden.”

“Yeah it was,” Shirou replied, his tone wistful.

“You still love her,” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes,” The answer was given regardless.

Rin looked at her lap, “It's hard though, just loving a memory, isn’t it, Shirou?” She asked, while thinking of her father and mother.

“Is it? He asked as he turned the pages of his manga as he finished them, “As long as someone is alive to remember them, is anyone really gone?” He pondered aloud. “I mean, a lot of books have been written, their authors long dead, but people remember them, because their work remains so…” He shook his head, “ I dunno, maybe I’m being too introspective,”

Rin shook her head, “No, I get it, as long as a person is remembered their death isn’t final. You're thinking that true death, the loss of a soul's memories, isn’t final until a person is well and truly forgotten. An interesting theory.”

“Thanks? You put it a lot more eloquently than I could,” Shirou replied before the two fell into companionable silence. One left to read, the other left to ponder on his words.

(...)

The flight ended without any further incident other than Rin having to squeeze Shirou’s hand extra hard when they started landing. As the duo disembarked, Shirou grabbed their carry-on bags while Tohsaka went on ahead and picked up the rest off the carousel. By the time he arrived, she was waiting for him. “Ok, now we need to head to the Natural History Museum. We can drop our bags off and then… Then we’ll head to Glastonbury.”

“We don’t need to do that right away Rin,” He told her, “We can catch up on sleep if you need to,”

But the heiress waved him off, “It's fine, besides we’re magi, we can burn some Od to ward off jet lag if we need to,” She said.

Shirou silently nodded, deciding not to mention that he was a useless third rate. One that needed all the Od he could get because of it. Instead, he followed as Rin hailed a taxi and stored their things in the ‘boot’ as they called it here and got in the back as she gave the man directions in precise English. ‘She really is amazing’ Shirou thought to himself as she leaned back in her seat.

Catching him staring, she asked, “What? Is there something on my face?”

Shirou shook his head, “No, I’m just amazed at how easily you handle everything. You’ve adapted to England rather easily and I’m quite amazed by all of it. As expected of Rin I suppose,”

The girl flushed. “You're too kind Shirou-kun, but it wasn’t like that for me at first honestly. I was just as enamored as you were the first time. Seeing Big Ben, London Bridge, Oxford, and the Queens Palace. It was all quite something. On my days off, I’m quite the tourist. I look forward to showing you all that if we don’t get too busy!”

Shirou nodded, “I look forward to it, Rin,” He then asked, “You didn’t visit Stonehenge? I’m surprised.”

She smirked, “It’s on my to-do list, of sites to see, it being of actual magical significance after all,” She then pondered aloud, “Though I think Lord Norwhich said something about visiting on a class field trip so it might not be necessary.”

“Lord Norwhich?” Shirou questioned.

“Right you wouldn’t know,” Rin said to herself, “The heads of the departments take the title of the Lords who founded them typically, Lord Norwhich founded Basics of Magecraft and the current teacher of that class is Lord El-Melloi the Second. Thus he is also known as Lord Norwhich.” She gave Shirou a hard look as she said, “It is very important that you always refer to him as Lord El-Melloi the Second, without the numeral he gets… grumpy.”

“I understand,” the redhead nodded, as their cab stopped outside of the British Museum. He followed Rin around back of the museum to a derelict alley nearby that ended in a deadend. Looking at her curiously, He watched as Rin touched the wall and passed prana through it. Upon doing so, the bricks pulled away revealing a set of stairs that spiraled into the earth. Blinking quietly, Shirou commented, “That felt very… Harry Potter-ish.”

“I know, apparently one of the Lords in charge of the defenses thought it would be an amusing addition. Anyway c’mon let’s go, the walk down isn’t as long as you’d think,”

Shirou followed Rin down the stairs, torches lighting up every ten feet or so, which he was thankful for, being the one carrying all the bags. Soon enough they came out to a sprawling underground cityscape that looked like a mix of medieval and 1800’s London. Mansions, castles and towers were lining a cobblestone street, the area had its own sun and sky, even green grass shrubs and vegetation were growing.

“Wow,” Shirou said, taken away by such a display of magecraft.

“I know right?” Rin said giggling at the look on Shirou's face. “I had the same reaction when I first saw it too. Come on Shirou-kun, we need to drop our things off and then I need to get you registered as my apprentice for your stay here,”

“Right, what does that entail exactly?” He asked.

Rin shook her head, “Nothing serious, you just need to sign some forms,” She then sighed and informed him, “I need to tell you though Shirou, prepare yourself to be looked down on because your Asian, but also because your ‘just an apprentice’ and not considered a full member of the association,”

“Were you being discriminated against, Rin?” Shirou asked with a bit of heat entering his tone.

Rin’s cheeks warmed up at the thought of Shirou getting angry for her sake, “A little, but once they found out I was an Average One, who was also considered an apprentice of Zelretch, and passed the entrance exam with flying colors. Most of them are giving me grudging respect.”

“Well it's a good thing I’m just an apprentice then, since I’m none of that, I’d probably just end up making a fool of myself,” Shirou said with a little laugh tacked on at the end.

“Don’t sell yourself short. You could patent that Tracing of yours, and whenever anyone using the formula you could make some money, it’s how I’ve been getting by over here. My ancestors patents make me eight figures a month,”

“Wow,”

“Yeah but I just feel like I’m sponging off their efforts, I want to contribute to their work or I’ll feel bad,” She said feeling genuinely bad.

“Hmm, maybe I could help? I mean, what’s to stop you using tracing to refine the abilities of a gem, thus enhancing its ability for Jewelcraft?”

Rin stopped dead, and turned to her would-be apprentice… “Shirou… that’s genius! If I refined the process of the gem’s creation while it was in the earth, I could increase the spell's potency and prana capacity, maybe even storage efficiency…” She paused in her rambling as she said, “But I’d just be copying your own efforts which feels wrong,”

Shirou smiled happily, “I don’t mind, I’m happy to help you Rin.”

Rin sighed he knew he would say that, “That’s great but you can’t go giving away your secrets here to everyone got it?! That’s how mysteries weaken.”

The boy nodded, “I know,”

“Still if you're fine with this,” Rin said to herself before she shook her head, “No, we’ll put both of our names on the patent, it's only fair, ok?”

“If you insist Rin, I just wanted to help you somehow.” Shirou replied easily, going along with her whims. As she led him to the Registration Office.

The office looked like a post office to Shirou all old brick, steepled roof and stucco on the walls, of course most of the buildings around here were built in the same fashion, giving off the feel of an old town trapped in time.

The sound of a tingling bell heralded their arrival, and the interior of the building was filled with shelves that were stuffed with all manner of books and files. Upon hearing the bell, a woman's voice called, “I’ll be right with you, just a moment.”

“Take your time Marie, we’re not in a hurry,”

“Oh dear,” Shirou heard the woman mutter, “It’s Miss Tohsaka,” He heard the woman take a deep breath before she came out behind a row of shelves three rows back. She was a brunette with her hair in an updo and tied in a tight bun. She was wearing a black long sleeve sweater under a white shirt complete with white gloves and a skirt, and she had a floral hat on her head. The smile on her face seemed a tad forced as she looked between Rin and himself and she asked, “How may I help you dear?”

“Relax Marie, I’m not here to look for a room again, I’ve caused enough trouble as it is,” Rin said, sounding embarrassed about a former incident.

“Oh thank the Lord!” She sighed in relief. “So then, who is this strapping young man with you?”

“M-Marie! This is!”

“I’m Shirou Emiya, nice to meet you,” He said, offering her a hand.

“Marie Poppins, pleasure is all mine, dear,” She replied, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.

Shirou blinked. “Like the musical?”

Rin scoffed when she heard that, and the older women looked embarrassed, and Shirou perplexed. “Did I say something wrong? If so, I apologize.”

Marie sighed, “No dear, it's not you, it's me, I’m afraid. You see, I am the person Marry Poppins is based on.”

“So flying with an umbrella was actually…”

“My neighbor’s sister, one Pamela Lyndon Travers saw me float down just outside her wards one day and got my name from her. That one sighting spanned eight books, and a musical by Walt bloody Disney! Instead of killing me, I’ve been put on desk duty managing files for new entrants into the Association the past seventy-nine years now. I think I might’ve preferred death in all honesty,” she finished with a bit of morbid humor before she asked, “What can I do for the two of you today?”

“I’m here to register Emiya-kun as my apprentice,” Rin replied.

Marie nodded, “Very well, just a tick love.” She reached under the counter and pulled out a manilla folder, before asking, “How do you spell your name in english dear? Last name first please.”

Upon telling her the proper spelling, she handed him the folder and said, “Just fill out the forms and you’ll soon be on your way,”

“Yes, thank you Poppins-san,” Shirou said upon taking the papers.

“I’ll do what I can to help,” Rin said as they sat down in a couple of chairs and began filling out the paperwork.

Marie was amused by the young couple, and was under no illusions that that was what they were. They were too close, too comfortable with each other to be anything less. Marie Poppins also had a secondary reason for being in charge of administration of new admittees of new potential students. She possessed a set of Mystic Eyes of Soul Searching. They allowed her to gauge a person's abilities by looking at the ‘color of their soul’ and she could also tell the quantity and quality of one’s magic circuits at a glance.

Unable to help herself, she took a peek at Shirou Emiya’s soul, and had to hold back a gasp!. His soul burned a flaming yellow-orange, like fire, yet beneath the heat was a core of unbending steel. She looked deeper and she saw twenty-seven magic circuits that burned like magma veins, with an additional twenty-three that seemed to have shriveled up from disuse. ‘Just who is this young man?’ Marie was curious, hell she wondered if she should contact her superiors. A young man whose soul had shown the Noble Color of Yellow should be watched closely, but Steel in a soul? That had never been seen before. She told the couple, “Excuse me dears, I’ll be right back, I need to make a phone call,”

Marie moved to the back of her post, where she kept an old dial phone. There she dialed a number she had memorized. The phone rang for a moment before someone answered, “Yes?”

“Umm, sir? You told me to call if I ever noticed something odd? Well, something has come up. I’ve noticed a boy with a steel colored soul. He just came in today with a Miss Tohsaka,”

“Zelretch’s apprentice…” The voice on the other end muttered, “I shall let him handle it for now. You’ve done well to inform me of this Marie, keep up the good work,”

“Thank you Director, have a pleasant day,” She said.

“You as well, and don’t worry. If I know Kischur like I do, he’ll keep a close eye on the boy,” The Director of the Clocktower said before he hung up and the line went dead.

(...)

The ruins of Glastonbury Abbey were the skeletal remains of the priory, a small chapel standing in the back, and a well maintained lawn as well as a few graves. In front of one such grave was a cross and a sign that read, “Here lies King Arthur, Once and Future King of England.”

Shirou approached solemnly, and stared at the grave, he knew of course that Saber wasn’t buried here, but this was the closest to closure he was ever likely to get. “Hey Saber, I… miss you still. I want, more than anything, to see you again. I… still love you, Altria. We lost Illya recently. You doted on her, so I’m sure if you knew, you’d be sad. I hope I’ll see you again someday, if I’m lucky. Maybe if I keep searching, and you keep waiting for me, one day, our paths will cross again. I’ll try hard to live up to your standards till that time comes, and become a hero worthy of you. I’ll try not to keep you waiting too long, okay?”

Making his way back to Rin, Shirou said, “I feel a bit better, thanks for bringing me here Rin,”

“No problem, can you give me a minute? I have something I’d like to say to her myself,” The heiress asked as she made her way forwards.

“Sure no problem,” Shirou replied as he hung back respectfully, waiting for her to finish. Once she was done he asked, “Everything okay, you look a little red?”

Rin waved him off, “I’m fine, I just… needed to clear the air between us that’s all. There’s a lot I never got to say to Saber myself.”

Their respective peace said, the duo made their way back to Rin’s car. It was a red Volkswagon Golf. The most common car on the road at the time, and it was comfortable and safe. Shirou had no complaints. “So now where?” He asked as he got inside.

“Back to my apartment,” Rin declared. “Like I said before, being an Average One has its perks and that includes getting my own place, and not having to share a dorm room.”

(...)

Rin’s apartment could best be described as cozy. It had a couch, stone fireplace over which a television sat, a kitchenette, bathroom, a spare bedroom, and two rooms meant to be used as Workshops.

The checkerboard tile floor was spotless as he and Rin walked in their socks across the floor, and she prattled on about things. “This place is nice enough, big enough for the two of us at least,”

“I’m surprised you have a television. I’m even more surprised you have, and know how to drive, a car,” Shirou couldn’t help but comment.

Rin beamed, “I’ve come to appreciate English soaps and Dr. Who even though the premise is a bit ridiculous,” she added, “Public transport here isn’t as good as in Japan so I learned, it's not so bad once you get used to it,”

“Isn’t Dr. Who basically Zelretch just constantly reincarnating?” Shirou pondered aloud.

Rin slumped a bit, “Don’t remind me. It’ll ruin my immersion and enjoyment of the show,”

“Sorry,” Shirou apologized.

She waved him off, “It’s fine, it's fine,” She pointed to the two rooms on her right, “Those will be your rooms, they are your rooms connected to your workshop…” She paused as if unsure how to continue.

“Is everything okay Rin?”

The girl babbled out, “I…I had hoped you’d be coming back with me, so I took the liberty of stocking your workshop with things you might find useful. Books on mythology, A modern forge, various ores I could get ahold of from the Department of Mineralogy, that sort of thing,” She then went on the offense, “This was all very hard to get you know?! So you’d better be grateful, Shirou-kun.”

“Of course I’m grateful, you didn’t have to go through all the trouble for me Rin, but thank you,” Shirou replied before moving in and giving her a brief but meaningful hug. When he pulled away, Rin's face was the same shade as her coat. “Are you sure you're okay?” Your face looks awfully red,”

“I-I’m fine,” She assured him, her voice more high-pitched than usual. “It’s probably just the jet lag catching up with me! I-I should go lay down. Yeah, I’m gonna go do that, while you settle in Shirou-kun,”

“Okay, rest well Rin,” Shirou told her as she marched mechanically to her room and closed the door.

Once encapsulated safely on the other side, Rin sighed, before she grabbed the pillow off her bed and ‘squeed’ into it. “He hugged me! He hugged me! He hugged me! GEEHAHAHA!”

Rin rolled back and forth on her bed a bit, before laying on her back with the pillow still over her face smiling like a loon. Earlier, she’d spoken at Saber’s grave. She’d asked the Ghost Liner Familiar for forgiveness. Forgiveness for she intended to see where her relationship with Shirou could go if it was just the two of them in the Mage’s Association for the next nine months. She quietly hoped by the time they returned to Fuyuki, that Shirou and her would be dating. She also silently prayed Sakura would take the news well should that come to pass.

(...)

Back in Fuyuki, Sakura mumbled in her sleep, “Damn you… Nee-chan… Senpai is… mine…”

(...)

Come the next morning, when Rin was groggily making her way to the kitchen for her morning coffee, she was surprised to find a large spread of food already laid out on the kitchen table. Including a carafe of her sweet, sweet nectar. Shirou poked his head around the corner and smiled, “Oh good morning Rin! I was just about to come get you.”

“You made breakfast,” Rin hummed in appreciation, as she poured herself some coffee before helping herself to some Japanese omelets and some bagels and lox. “Someone’s branching out culinarily I see,”

“When in London do as the Londoners do?” Shirou offered by way of an explanation.

Rin added cream to her coffee and hummed in delight as she took her first sip of the morning, “I’m certainly not complaining, they aren’t expecting us in class till tomorrow, so I’ll spend today showing you around the facilities. Does that sound good to you? Itadakimasu!”

Shirou nodded, “Yes, thank you,” the third-rate magus replied as he dug into the meal himself. As he ate he commented, “You really went all out on things for my workshop. I don’t even know if I’ll use it all, but I appreciate it all the same.”

“Your welcome, I thought you’d enjoy the classical touch so I got basic things. Hammers, an anvil, a kiln and crucible, I figured you could create molds if needed. I decided to buy Japanese charcoal as a fuel source and it’ll be kept to temperature with a ruby that absorbs ambient mana in the air… The forge became something of a pet project while I was bored,” Rin admitted a bit sheepishly.

“Thank you for spending so much time on it. I’ll treat it well,” He promised her. “I’ll box up the rest of this for lunch later alright?”

Rin nodded enthusiastically, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a bento,” Excusing herself Rin said, “Can you do that while I go get ready?”

“Of course,”

Fifteen minutes later Rin came out dressed in her red overcoat, black skirt and stockings, and brown mary janes. “Ready to hit campus Shirou?”

“Am I under dressed?” Shirou asked, wearing a black and white jacket along with a black scarf around his neck, and his usual jeans and sneakers.

“You're fine, let’s go!” Rin said, excited to show him around campus.

(...)

Rin beamed smugly as Shirou oohed and awed at all the right moments as she showed him around the Clocktower. He smelled the flowers in the botany gardens of Yumina, and even pointed out how some could be used for cooking, because of course he did. Gazed in childlike wonder at the starlit heavens of the Animusphere Departments observatories, and she saved the best area of the Clocktower in her opinion at least for last. The cobblestone road seemed to glitter in the sun as if it was paved with gemstones. The pathway led to a manse carved with exquisite artistic detail into the face of a mountain. Turning to him and spreading her arms wide, she said, “Welcome to the gemstone road, the Department of Mineralogy also known as Ksichur,”

A polite clapping echoed from behind her, “That was quite the introduction Tohsaka-chan,”

Spinning on her heel Rin found herself staring into a kaleidoscopic portal of rainbow colors and shapes. There was only one person in all of the Association who could create such a portal. “Zelretch,” She said the name respectfully, but also warrily.

“Yes, yes, do come in and bring the Emiya boy would you?” Zelretch’s voice called from the other side of the portal. “We have much to discuss he and I and I think it's time that your apprenticeship began in earnest under me,”

“You're willing to take me on?!” Rin reeled her excitement in before she asked, “What do you want from Emiya-san?”

“That is between myself and him. Now, if you would?” He beckoned.

Rin glanced back, “Shirou?”

The redhead shrugged, “It can’t hurt to go see what he wants right?”

Rin grumbled and sighed. She just knew he was going to say that, “Right, and Kirei was a genuinely nice holy man who wanted nothing more than world peace. But sure Emiya-kun, let’s just walk into the lion’s den and hope for the best shall we?”

“You know, words can be hurtful Rin,” Shirou pointed out.

“Sticks and stones Emiya, sticks and stones,” Rin said as she tightly gripped his hand, hers was clammy with nervous sweat as they walked through the portal together.

(...)

Shriou found himself in an almost empty black void. One with no Rin in sight. He was neither falling nor drowning, and the only other occupant in this place was an older man of ruddy complexion, his hair was slicked back and he had a full beard, and his clothes were elegant. He sat on a high-backed chair that was not quite a throne, and on a small side table was a wooden box.

“It’s rude to stare you know?” The elderly man whom Shirou could only assume was Zelretch said after a moment.

“My apologies… where is Rin?”

“She’s… currently occupied but in no danger,” Zelretch replied, a bit of a smile on his face as a portal appeared before him, “Come here and see for yourself,”

Shirou wandered over and looked into the portal. It showed Rin, screaming her head off as she was whipped around on a…

“Is she on a rollercoaster right now?” Shirou asked.

“The Kingda Ka. The largest roller coaster in the world,” The Wizard confirmed. “It opened several months ahead of schedule in our universe compared to most, and she’s on the maiden voyage.”

Shirou couldn’t help but note, “She doesn’t seem to be enjoying it,”

Zelretch waved and the portal disappeared, “Nevermind her, I just needed her somewhere out of the way for a bit so you and I could talk, man to man.”

Shirou nodded, “What about?”

Zelretch reached over and picked up the box on the side table. “This,” He opened it facing the boy and revealed what looked like a watch. It was primarily red in color and rimmed in gold with a golden sphere in the center. “Is a kaleido-watch. I would like you to test it out for me,”

“Why? And what does it do?”

“Hey, I’d very much like it if you didn’t talk about me if I wasn’t here, thanks?” The sphere in the center of the device lit up as a masculine voice spoke and then the watch floated out of the box and up to Shirou’s eye level. “Sup Aniki?”

“You can talk,” Shirou noted.

“And so can you, yet it's me talking seems to be the amazing bit here?” The Mystic Code noted.

Shirou nodded politely, “I’m Emiya Shirou, nice to meet you,”

“Kaleido-Watch Crimson, Aniki. Though I suppose its partner now,” the now named Crimson said before attaching himself to Shirou’s left wrist.

“Wait, hold on, I didn’t agree to anything yet,” the redhead complained pointlessly.

Crimson just laughed, “It’s fine, it's fine! Woah, your head is a little empty isn’t it? Lots of swords in here huh, and a drive to be a hero? Well, that’s okay I can work with this! Stick with me Aniki and you’ll have all the babes saved and more importantly, in your bedsheets in no time flat!”

“Umm, say what? No, that’s not how a Hero should act!” Shirou said as he tried to tug the sentient Mystic Code off his arm to no avail.

Crimson did his best to reassure him, “Don’t worry Aniki, I'll be your wingman. Stick with me and we’ll get you outta that shell of yours and turn you into a real ladies man,”

“No thank you?” Shirou replied.

“Aww, that’s sweet… you think you have a choice,” Crimson replied. “Also, heroes sleep with a lot of women. Herakules for example, had fifty plus wives and don’t even get me started on Solomon, or Medb, or Nero,”

“Nero was a woman?” Shirou couldn’t tell if the watch was a delinquent or just an idiot trying to get him laid. Knowing his luck, it was unfortunately, probably both. Holding his left wrist out to the Magician he said, “Please take him back,”

Zelretch held up his hands pacifyingly, “Now, now, he’s just excited to meet you, believe me. I haven’t even explained what crimson is capable of and how his abilities can benefit you,” The wily Wizard grinned for a moment before he said, “You can for example, see your sister again, with Crimson’s help,”

Shirou paused, ‘Illya,’ He thought as he ceased trying to get rid of Crimson, “I… I’m listening,”

“I thought that might get your attention,” Zelretch said before he steepled his fingers, and continued, “I must warn you however Emiya Shirou the road I would have you walk is fraught with peril, danger, and is not for the faint of heart. Yet if you complete this sojourn into the unknown, not only will you have your dear Illyasviel back, but you will be considered a hero in the eyes of many, and may yet perhaps see your dear Altria once again,”

Shirou stood ramrod straight, for the Wizard had said the three words that would undoubtedly get his attention. Illya, Hero, and Altria. “What do I need to do?” he asked, before he paused, and asked more shrewdly, “What will this cost me?”

“Clever boy, the Fifth Grail War has at least taught you to be cautious.” Zelretch noted approvingly. “Yet you needn’t be so wary of me Emiya Shirou, I’m not offering you to do something you wouldn’t naturally do yourself if given the chance. May I back up a bit and explain Crimson’s functions?” Seeing the boy hesitantly nod, Zelretch continued, “Thank you. First and foremost he grants you access to a magical transformation, one that hides your identity from others. Secondly and more importantly, he can draw mana from infinite dimensions, meaning so long as you hold his contract you have infinite mana. That should make it easier for you to use your Tracing ability, no?”

Shirou wanted to ask how he knew about that, but instead he went with something else, “Why me? Why not someone else like Rin if she’s to be your apprentice?”

Zelretch smiled good-naturedly, “Tohsaka is… incompatible with Crimson,”

The kaleido-watch piped up, “I don’t wanna be stuck on the wrist of someone who's getting drilled, I’d rather watch someone doing the drilling, if you catch my drift Aniki? Because otherwise it feels kinda gay, know what I mean?”

“No, how does being on the wrist of a woman make it gay if she’s being intimate with someone?” Shirou questioned.

Crimson fidgeted for a moment, even seeming to sweat before he finally burst out, “Gah! I can’t explain it, it just feels… really friggin’ awkward to be on the wrist of someone who's getting their field plowed ok?”

“Truly, you are a master at euphemisms Crimson,” Shirou said after a moment.

“Thanks Aniki,” The watch said, sounding relieved.

‘Right over his head… faceplate?’ Shirou thought to himself confused, before he turned to Zelretch and continued, “You still haven’t explained why me,”

Spreading his hands out, Zelretch told him, “The long short of it is, very few if any magi outside of you would even want to do this Emiya Shirou. I say this because I’m not offering anything really. No increase to your magical knowledge, no access to the Second Magic, and no secret right to ensure your heir’s going forward will have superior magic circuits. To pretty much all magi that makes this a pointless effort not worth their time. To you though? It means everything, because you’ll get to help people who are in trouble and are in sincere need of help,” Folding his hands in his lap, the Wizard marshall continued, “If you don’t help them that’s fine, but they will suffer more than they need to.”

Shirou clenched his fists and bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood. People in danger, people suffering… The very things he wanted to prevent at all costs. He knew that even if he wanted to, he couldn’t walk away now. ‘If Rin was here right now, she’d probably yell at me for thinking about doing something stupid,’ He thought before he came to his decision. Well decision implied he had a choice in the first place, “Okay, I’ll do it, is there anything else I need to know about Crimson or can you tell me where I’ll be going first?”

Zelretch grinned like the cat that ate the canary for a moment as he leaned back in his chair, and held a hand palm up. A rainbow colored portal appeared and dropped a golden card into his palm. He held it face up towards Shirou. It showed a nondescript person, wearing an armor and sash, holding a bow angled to the left pulled taut, an arrow nocked in the string. “This is a Class Card. It will allow you to assume the power of a Heroic Spirit of the named class. If the spirit in question has multiple class qualifications, switch to one of them. This card for example, though it is Archer, can also be swapped to the Assassin, Berserker, and Caster classes. Are you with me so far?”

“Yes,” Shirou nodded.

“Good, good, now to use the card, you have several options. But I think I’ve dithered long enough. Crimson can better explain his functions in the field as needed. As to where you’ll be going, a world that will test your resolve. To make sure your will does not break on the tasks ahead. I shall be sending you to Memento Mori City, it has a birth rate of twenty-eight percent, and a suicide rate of thirty-three point eight percent. The cause of this are evil spirits called Phobias which are pushing people to suicide. Your mission Emiya-kun, is to assist the local group of magical girls, the Sucide Girls, in combating this,”

“Hold on a minute,” Shirou interrupted, “Did you say suicide girls? As in they are magical girls who get their powers from…”

“Failed Suicide attempts yes,” Zelretch replied casually before he continued, “As I was saying, it will be your job to help them combat this threat, do you understand?”

“Yes,” Shirou was still wrapping his head around getting magical girl powers from suicide bit.

Zelretch nodded, “Good, then Crimson, I leave the rest to you,”

“You got it, boss. Hang on Aniki, this’ll be the first time I’ve used my Parallel World Transition feature so the landing could be a bit bumpy,” The watch said before a rainbow portal opened beneath Shirou and he dropped into it with a squawk.

Zelretch frowned a bit, “Maybe I should’ve had Crimson practice with his abilities a bit before I sent him out with Emiya?” He then shook it off, “He’ll be fine. Now to get things started with Tohsaka, I wonder how she’s doing anyway?” He opened the portal to her location, only to see she’d slumped in her seat and was foaming incessantly at the mouth. “Well, I guess Emiya was right, she really didn’t enjoy the Kingda Ka…” Zelretch ran a hand down his face. He had a feeling this was going to be a long apprenticeship.

(...)

Word Count: 12,115   Number of Pages: 28   Date Completed: 5/4/2023

(...)

AN: Hello everyone and welcome to the next edition to the idea vault (I think that’s where we’re putting it anyway) One in which Shirou is going to worlds filled with Magical Girls of all things and fixing whatever problems might be going on. Cause, well, he’s Shirou. And while that’s going on Rin will be trained by Zelretch… Poor Rin… Anyway, I hope you liked this, and if you want to see more, help this chapter get to fifteen (15) reviews! It's the prerequisite for me making something in the idea vault a full story. As well, if something can’t at least get that much, what’s the point right? Anyway, thanks for reading and till next time, here’s Snowy and First Hassan.

Snowy: I am fully aware that this story is ahem “unique” just be warned that this story will be fruity. Shirou will have so many different Magic to deal with. It will surely be a unique experience for the young Hero. He will not be tarnished by Alaya and his dream is ever closer Huzzah!

First Hassan:

Till nextime Everyone this has been an Inkblot Bros Production, Peace!