CHAPTER 1 SERVANT OF THE SHADOW
Aoi smoothed out the fabric of her dress once she got out of the car. Around her, the city life went on as if nothing had happened, and it hurt her all the more to see it. She wanted to report to the police about her daughter's disappearance, but she knew that even if she did find Rin, the poor girl would be sent away, again.
As a mother, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She would do anything, risk anything for her daughters, bother of them. She loved them both equally, and couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone of them. Both were her flesh and blood. Both were the little girls she had raised since they were merely a zygote.
"Aoi-san," Kariya greeted, and it surprised Aoi.
She had not seen the man anywhere, but he just popped up and greeted her. It was a little creepy, but she decided to let things slip, especially something so trivial.
"Morning, Kariya-kun," she forced herself to greet the brown haired man, even though the only thing she wanted now was to know where Rin was.
Last night, she had been on the phone with Kariya, and the man had said that he found Rin. But as soon as he said that, the line went dead. She almost got a heart attack worrying about the both of them. And when Kariya did call back, he refused to offer anything about Rin, and instead asked her to meet him at a car me early in the morning.
"Kariya-kun, where Rin?" she asked, trying to hold down the anxiety in her voice.
His eyes turned sorrow as he regarded his best friend since childhood. It hurt him to see her like this, drowned in sorrow, but there was nothing they could do about things.
"It's not my place to say anything, Aoi-san. You should let Rin-chan explain things to you." he said slowly.
Aoi grabbed his arm. "Where is my daughter?!" she practically demanded, digging her fingernails into him through the fabric.
Kariya winced from the pain, but he didn't push her away."With Lord Zelretch. Come."
He pried her hands off him, and gently held her by one hand, smiling sadly at her. "The child has made up her mind, she chose to follow him. Come on, there waiting for you."
Kariya led her into the cafe, and headed towards a table situate at the far back. Aoi immediately saw the head of auburn hair, and escapes Kariya's grip on her. She almost hugged the hike, but paused when she saw the man with red eyes. She bit back a cry of surprise.
"Take a seat, Tohsaka Aoi," the man said in a thick accent, gesturing to the chairs. "And do order something for yourselves."
Kariya pushed Aoi into a seat, and he sat down beside her. He could sense that she was trying to decide whether to focus on her daughter, who had yet to acknowledge her presence, or the man with red eyes.
"Rin?" she called gently, but the young girl merely stared at her glass of orange juice. Her hands were busy fumbling with a piece of jade. She recognised the jade. It was a gift to Rin when the girl turned five last year.
Rin looked at Zelretch, who nodded. She placed the jade I'm front of Aoi, and finally looked into her mother's eyes. Aoi noticed the naive, child like look in her child's eye were gone. The sapphire orbs were now cold and unforgiving.
"I give this back to you, oka-san," Rin said slowly, hoping her mother would understand what she was trying to say. "As of this moment onwards, I am no longer a part of the Tohsaka family, but neither will I accept my fate and join the Matou. Tohsaka Rin ceased to exist. ... No, in fact, she never existed."
"What are you talking about?" Aoi almost screamed. Tears gathered in her eyes, mixed emotions turned in her heart, and she could feel her world falling apart. "I'm your mother, Rin."
The little girl smiled sadly. "Perhaps I was, but I never was oto-sama's daughter to begin with. He never wanted me. Have you noticed how his eyes always sparked when he saw Sakura? She's the perfect canvas for him to make more research, to expand the Tohsaka clan into branches we never had the chance to do so."
"Rin..." Aoi tried to put in some words, but Rin cut her off once more.
"It has been decided, the moment Sakura was brought into existence. She is meant to be the heiress, so why did you all give me false hope in the first place?" Rin accused in a harsh voice. It was difficult to imagine a six year old having such harshness in her voice, but she wasn't just a normal girl. She was a Magus too.
"Rin, watch your tongue," Zelretch reprimanded, slapping her wrist slightly. "She's still your mother, no matter what."
"Rin-chan, have you thought this over?" Kariya queried instead.
The auburn haired girl nodded.
"Look, I know, it looks like I don't want this family anymore. But the fact is that this family didn't want me first. To oto-sama, I was never her daughter. He had never looked at me and smiled. But I noticed countless times, how his eyes would shine when his gaze landed on Sakura. Because he knew, he knows that Sakura will be opening researches into new branches of magic."
Aoi looked ready to burst into tears. She had never thought that her eldest daughter would feel it that way. She never noticed, and now, Rin might be out of her live forever. She turned to Kariya, and sobbed into his chest. The man wrapped his arms around her, and whispered soothing words to her. Rin bit her lower lip, and there was a longing in her eyes. Zelretch noticed, and gently urged the child forward.
Rin nearly fell off her chair from the push, because she didn't see it coming. Once she gained her balance, she turned back to glare at the old man, but he merely waved her off. Rin looked at her mother, and bit her lips once more. Small hands balled into fists as she gathered courage. Kariya understood what the child was trying to do, and release his hold on the still sobbing woman.
Rin rushed forward, and threw herself into Aoi's waiting arms, pressing her face against her mother's bosom and wept. Small arms circles her mother's waist, and Aoi pulled the little girl nearer to herself, and ran a hand through Rin's silly strands.
"I love you, oka-san," Rin murmured, and tightened the embrace. "I can never hate you, no matter how much I want to. But, I can't stay too. I want to reach my full potential. I want, and need to show them that I can become a great Magus, even without the wealth and Tohsaka name supporting me."
Aoi closed her eyes, and rested her chin on her daughter's head, savouring the moment. She knew, she might never have the chance to hold Rin again. She might not even have the chance to see her little girl anymore after this. She wanted to remember everything about her daughter before the little girl leave her life forever.
"Rin, remember, no matter what happens, a mother's love for her child will never change. I will always love you, and remember you..." she whispered to the little girl, who only sobbed harder.
She nodded, not saying a word, and let her tears revealed her inner feelings. She wanted to put up a brave facade, but in front of her mother, everything just shattered. She knew her mother knew her the best, and she was reluctant to leave her actually. She wanted to stay, but circumstances wouldn't allow it.
The two held on to each other, tears staining their cheeks. Eventually, Rin fell asleep, nestled up against her mother, and Aoi held the child close, and hummed a song to sooth the girl. She looked up at Zelretch, and managed a brave smile.
"I trust that you will take care of my daughter?" she asked, more of a statement than a question.
He nodded. "Worry not, madam, she will be fine."
Aoi merely nodded, and held Rin close.
Tohsaka Tokiomi poured himself a glass of wine, and sat down in front of his table. He closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair, letting out a soft sigh. Things had not been turning out well do him lately, and Zouken had just came to claim what he deemed to be his.
An heiress to the defunct Matou clan.
But he had nothing to offer the old man. His eldest, Rin had left the compound late last nigh, and was yet to be found. He refused to give up Sakura, knowing that his second born was the greater treasure among the two girls.
"Kirei-kun, is my wife back yet?" he asked his apprentice, who stood beside the door.
Kotomine Kirei opened his lifeless eyes. "No, not yet. She said that she would be out to have breakfast with a friend. Perhaps they're trying to catch up with each other's lives."
Tokiomi nodded, and brought the wine glass to his lips. He was not a man who preferred to drink in the morning, but the stress lately caused him to turn to alcohol and more. Placing the wineglass onto his table, his sapphire blue eyes studied his pupil silently.
"Kirei-kun, what would you say if I ask you to summon your Servant now?"
"Then I will do so. Father has made it clear, hasn't he? I shall live to serve and aid you in the upcoming Holy Grail War, no matter what," he stated. "That is why our two families have been maintaining our bonds, even though a man like us should've been enemies from the start."
Tokiomi nodded. "True, then you shall summon your Servant tonight. I have prepared the catalyst for you. All you have to do is to call the Heroic Spirit out from the Throne of Heroes and anchor him to this world."
"I understand, master. Should I call father to come and bear witness?" Kirei queried.
"Do do so," Tokiomi told his pupil. "Your father is the Overseer of this Grail War after all. I would like him to bear witness towards the summoning of the Assassin Servant in this War. Ah, yes, Kirei, have your father told you anything about the summoning of the Servants? Have any of the seven slots been filled?"
Kirei shook his head with the most minimal of movements. "Not that I know of. My father said that the Masters normally summon their Servant a fee days prior to the beginning of the Holy Grail War. He mentioned something about Magus secrecy."
"Your father is quite true in that aspect, Kirei. Magus are protective of their magic, and will never allow an outsider to know what brach of magic they really research into. Even you, and your father, only knows that we Tohsaka specialise in jewel magic, but not the form we are practising."
Kirei nodded in understatement. "Should I leave now? I shall require some time to meet up with my father and let him know the events which will be taking place tonight."
Tokiomi waved him off, and Kirei gladly took his leave. The Tohsaka family head stared at the framed photo sit if on top of his desk and sighed.
A magus holds greater power than anyone else who are mundane in this world. However, such power do not come without sacrifices. I hope you will understand that, Rin, wherever you are now...
Later that night, a man with a skull mask was summoned. The old man of the mountain, the spy, the information gatherer, the stalker, the assassin.
The man bowed to his new Master, and accepted the order that he would have to act on behalf of the order of Tohsaka Tokiomi as well. Though reluctant, Has an swore his allegiance to the two man, with Kotomine Risei acting as a witness to everything.
"I'm the shadow of the world. No one is safe, no where is untouched. Kings and noblemen fear my name, peasants cower when they see my face. I am the evil lurking in the shadows of the world. And this evil shall be bind to your commands," the man bowed down at his waist, and Tokiomi smiled at the sight.
"Go, and scout out master Tokiomi enemies," Kirei said to Assassin.
The Servant bowed once more before disappearing into a shimmering cloud of black dust.
Risei directed his gaze to the sky. "Finally, an old bone like me can witness a miracle."
End of chapter 1. Do note that the fourth grail war will occur before we advance to the fifth war. Do drop me a review. Thanks.