A new chapter is finally done. Writing and editing sure is tiring, but I may have missed something. Please let me know if there are any errors. It will help. In the mean time, here is more about Irisviel and her life beginning in Fuyuki. This is a lighter chapter, but it will still have some dark moments. There will also be a bit of progression between Shirou and Iri's relationship.
Chapter 3
It has been a few weeks since the building project began. With the sun out and the temperature comfortable enough for lighter clothing, the first signs of the changing seasons were beginning to show despite spring being still a few weeks away. Wearing her usual red-violet clothing without her fur coat, Irisviel sat on a chair in the courtyard, overseeing the renovation of her property. Burly men were hard at work rebuilding the old mansion in Miyama. The floor was remade, the walls patched up, and other key parts of the house had been either replaced or refurnished.
Irisviel nodded with satisfaction as she watched the reconstruction take place. What was once old and rotting was now renewed and sturdy from the doors to the roof. She was especially proud of the dojo in the back, which she felt gave the mansion its own personal charm. Hopefully, it would be a useful place for her tenants to train in their spare time. Irisviel herself enjoyed the prospect of training in such a building and could hardly wait for its completion.
"Shishou!" Irisviel heard an energetic voice call out. Running up to her was Fujimura Taiga, the teenage granddaughter of her benefactor, Fujimura Raiga. The girl was in a school uniform composed of a black skirt, a beige vest, and white dress shirt. She had light brown hair in a ponytail and carried a shinai, prepared to use it on any man shirking his responsibilities. Taiga stood in attention and saluted her newfound master with respect. "I am here to report that everything is in tip-top shape! The dojo's roof was just remade and most of the interior of the mansion is done! We just need to remake the outside and construction should be finished in two days."
"Excellent work, T-chan." Irisviel complimented the young girl. She had taken to call the girl that nickname since Taiga herself had a complex about her given name. She had her share of people noting that it sounded lot like the English word for tiger, which she was sensitive about. "If the interior is as lovely as the outside, it like it will be ready on time."
"That's right!" The young girl responded proudly. "And if any of these men have the nerve to slack off when we're so close to finishing, I will personally beat the sense into them!" She pointed her shinai's tip high in the air for emphasis.
"That's good," Irisviel responded with an innocent smile. "Just don't be too rough with them. We still need these big-strong men for the hard labor."
"Don't worry, Shishou." She saluted back. She then proceeded to swing the kendo tool around, posing as she did. "They're all plenty tough. I can hit them all day and they would still beg for more." She brought it over her head and pointed to the sky once again. "The men of the Fujimura group pride themselves in two things." Taiga then slammed the tip down to the ground and stood up straight, her palms on the butt of the handle. "FIRST! They are hard workers. SECOND! They know how to take hits." She grabbed the handle then swung it around again. "ANY who do not know how to do either will learn, no matter how many times we got to whack the lesson into them!"
"Oh," Irisviel said, her smile still on her face. "If that's the case, maybe instead of using your shinai, you should use a metal pipe. I'm sure it will toughen them up further."
Taiga's eyes sparkled fervently at that suggestion. "As expected from Shishou! You understand the importance of being a tough guy in this world! I'll go find one!"
"Not a hard one though. We still need them as healthy as possible to finish the house. Let's start with one made of a soft metal, like copper."
"NONESENSE!" Taiga roared. "I know my boys can take a steel pipe easily. No, we should settle for nothing less than titanium!"
"My, that would be a bit troublesome. I would feel guilty if you break too many of their bones."
"As I said. These boys can take it." The girl stated proudly. "Let their bones learn from my 'Special Fujimura Discipline of Love' and heal like true men." As the teenaged kendōka made this declaration, Irisviel noticed that the men in earshot were working harder and faster. Irisviel wondered if it was the threat itself or the casualness of the discussion that made them work with such vigor. Either way, results were getting done, though Irisviel herself was wary about how these blasé feelings towards violence were becoming more common for her. Though after some consideration, she thought nothing more of it and continued to look out at the construction project.
"How are your studies going?" Irisviel asked her pupil in the English language.
"Ah-" Taiga said caught off guard. She waved her hands and responded frantically trying her best to remember the words. "Th-They are… going nice…" the girl responded in English.
"You mean they are going well." Irisviel responded still in English. "Remember there are certain words in the English language that mean the same but are used depending on what message you are trying to convey. Do you understand?"
The ponytailed girl's eyes began to swirl as she tried her best to translate her Shishou's words in her mind. Irisviel giggled at the girl's confusion. Taiga was interested in learning the English language and hoped that it would bring her one step further in becoming a teacher, a goal Irisviel respected. Since English was among the languages she knew, Irisviel made it a habit to speak to her protégé in English to better develop the girl's skills. It was one of her duties as the Shishou to the spunky shinai wielder.
"I'm sure you will become a master of the English language soon." Irisviel assured, switching back to Japanese. "Let me know if you want to practice some more."
Since the day they met, Fujimura Taiga fondly spent time with Irisviel and Shirou anytime to opportunity arose. She had no memory of her defeat, only the feeling that Irisviel was 'some big deal' as she put it. Never the less, the Emiyas managed to gain a new ally in the form of Taiga who affectionately called Irisviel Shishou.
The girl's grandfather, Fujimura Raiga presented himself as a man who was strong willed and very cheerful upon the first meeting. Boisterous and a bit of a chatterbox, it was easy to tell he was related to Taiga. He was friendlier than his reputation painted him out to be, immediately presenting himself as a gentleman to Irisviel and quickly taking a liking to Shirou. Fujimura and his men were also very fond of the Emiyas. They seemed to be especially impressed by Irisviel's mannerism. It helped that Irisviel was a beautiful woman, but they also enjoyed the innocent aura she projected, and how she was respectful towards them without showing any sign of disdain for their profession. It was normal for Irisviel to talk even with these Yakuza types so naturally. She was after all married to a mercenary and knew well not to judge another person with such unfounded bias based on their occupation. This established excellent rapport with the Fujimura group, especially when she revealed herself to be the wife of Kiritsugu… or more appropriately, the widow of Kiritsugu.
She was touched when he gave his condolences to her and was genuinely grateful when he offered her his assistance in any way possible. So far, he was as good as his word. He managed to successfully use his connections to give her 'legal' status. She was unsure what exactly he did, but he managed to make it so that she was a German citizen who legally immigrated to Fuyuki City with her husband. And from what the elder Fujimura explained, there was very little chance of anyone actually finding out about her true status. Now she could purchase a home and live in Fuyuki City without any concerns. She could even get a job, though what she had in mind for income would require hiring Fujimura for more services.
She hired several of Fujimura's men to fix the house so she could rent it out upon its completion. When the construction project was done and depending on the success, Irisviel hoped it would be the beginning of a new career path for her, namely buying other bits of property and either flipping them or using them for more tenants. Fujimura, knowing Fuyuki better than Irisviel, agreed to be a partner in this venture, though he promised he would leave his more questionable associates and activities out of it.
"Shishou!" Taiga exclaimed excitedly. "Will we be practicing today?" She was referring to martial arts practice. While Taiga favored kendo, Irisviel herself practiced with the Naginata. It was a new hobby she developed from spending time with the girl. It surprised her how much she enjoyed it, especially since it gave quality-bonding time with her new friend and her foster son Shirou who occasionally joined them, practicing kendo with Taiga. In addition, she found her physical health improving significantly since she picked up the hobby.
"Not today, T-chan." Irisviel apologized getting up from her chair. "I'm just here to see how the project was progressing." Dejected, Taiga lowered her head sadly. "Next time T-chan. Today Shirou and I are moving to our new house."
Her young disciple put her arms around the back of her head nonchalantly. "I still don't get why you don't move in here, Shishou." Taiga said still clearly upset as she put her arms down and twiddled her thumbs. "We would be neighbors if you did." Irisviel wished she could. Unfortunately the house held too many bitter memories for her, and she couldn't bear to live there on a daily bases. That said, she also did not want to sell it for similar reasons, so she opted to fix it up and rent it out.
The Shishou pat her pupil on the head gently. "Now there, once we're done moving in, we'll have plenty of time to practice. Okay?"
At that sign of affection, the shinai wielding girl cheered up almost immediately. "Yes!"
The cheerful smile she displayed warmed Irisviel. She only known the girl for a few weeks but already developed a strong bond with her, more so then any of the homunculi she grew up with the whole nine years of her life. Technically, most of them were her sisters, but she did not develop the same familial bond with them as she did with the girl she affectionately called T-chan. In fact, she could not think of anyone in her family, outside her nuclear family, which gave her any sense of loyalty or attachment.
"I should be going." Irisviel said turning to leave. "Tell your grandfather I said hello." With a final short valediction, the two parted, Taiga going back to ordering around her grandfather's men, and Irisviel making her way back to the recently bought house.
As she walked down the street, she took in the scenery. Miyama was a beautiful town with old and new houses lining the streets. Many were of the traditional Japanese style like the mansion. Others were of a more recent, western style. This was more apparent in the southern part of the town, what was commonly referred to as the 'foreigner's district.' She had to be wary of getting too close to the center of that district since the Matous and the Tohsakas lived there. She knew she couldn't stay hidden from them for long, especially with her unique white hair and red eyes. Still, she would stay hidden for as long as she could, planning out her next course of action.
Irisviel made her way to an intersection on a long street, one leading to her new home, the other leading to the shopping district. Seeing no need to return home immediately, Irisviel took the latter path, taking a stroll all round Miyama; occasionally stopping to chat with the people she became acquainted with. It was the day itself that contributed to her decision to take the long path; especially since it was the first time she saw spring outside the castle in Germany.
Irisviel made it a point to become acquainted with a variety of people such as the Ryuudous who ran the temple. The High Priest of the Ryuudou temple was a very nice person and just like the elder Fujimura was friendly and outgoing. He was even kind enough to arrange a funeral for her husband complete with a grave, though there would be no remains place within it. Another person she managed to befriend was a mustached man named Master Hotaruzuka who was master of a pub called Copenhagen. She met these people through their acquaintanceship with Fujimura, along with many others. From what she understood, their children went to the same school, Homurahara Academy. It seemed like a nice place. She imagined Shirou would be going there one day, and hopefully, that would be Ilya's school as well. One day it could be.
Others she became acquainted with include the people she met when taking her strolls such as the most recent acquaintance, a woman named Moriyama who had two daughters, one around Shirou's age and another recently born. This mother was one of many other men and women which she formed a fast friendship. Some were eccentric such as the Gakumazawas who ran a dojo. Others appeared very dedicated and serious such as the Himuros. And then there were families who were… normal… and in Irisviel's mind… kind of forgettable… like the…
"Katsuras!" Irisviel called suddenly recalling the name of the family who's name she forgotten. She took out a small notebook and wrote down the family name as a memo so she did not forget again. On one of the pages marked 'things to remember,' she wrote down the Katsura family right under 'buy new toothbrushes.'
Eventually Irisviel found her way home. A maroon, two-story house was in her sight with White and beige bricks aligned the front, and two balconies on the second floor. With a gray roof and lined with white storm drains, the house had a very roomy, western appeal to it. The front yard was spacious enough, and the back was lined with a stone fence separating neighboring houses. Apart from the lush grass, there were no plants covering the front yard, but she planned to remedy that later by adding trees and bushes. With satisfaction, she nodded at the sight of her new home and went in.
The inside was also roomy with a wooden floor and humble furniture for decoration. It was the ideal home for any modern family with décor of both eastern and western cultures. Making her way to the living room, she looked over at the open kitchen and saw Shirou hard at work unpacking utensils. He stopped what he was doing and looked over at his foster mother.
"I'm home." Irisviel said smiling. It was a Japanese custom to announce one's return, something she always wanted to try.
"Welcome home." Shirou responded as naturally as if he and Irisviel had this exchange for years. Hearing him say it made the homunculus feel like she truly was home. It was their first time making such an exchange, and she felt all the more satisfied when it was completed. In her mind, it was like that both of them had officially declared it their new home. It did not matter that the home was officially paid for, or all the papers were signed, or even that all of their belongings had been moved in. It was this very moment when the two family members openly said this traditional phrase that made it their home.
"Are the movers done already?" Irisviel asked looking around at the boxes covering the living room floor.
"Yeah. The movers left a while ago." He said removing a set of kitchen knives from the box.
Irisviel turned to the side where the box containing a television was placed. In addition, there were other electronic devices such as kitchen appliances, a vacuum cleaner, and other forms of modern electronic devices her family looked down upon. From the looks of the house, you would not believe it was the home of a magus. In all actuality it wasn't. Irisviel's main motive to buying the house was not to establish a workshop, but a home. She was more or less spitting in the face of thousands of years of magus tradition, but she didn't care. This was her life, and she would live it as she pleased, embracing modern culture and all it had to offer. All she needed was a push in the right direction. A little coaching from Shirou about how to use most of these devices also helped.
Upon observing the various boxes, it alarmed her when she was unable to find a particular box. "Do you know where the box with my tools are?" Irisviel asked concerned. "The one that was marked with the circle at the edge of the corner." Actually, it was the alchemical symbol for gold, but she simplified it for the boy's sake. That particular mark indicated it was the box that contained many of her magical items. She needed to check on something very important.
"I told the movers to put it in your room." Shirou explained putting away a cleaver. She thanked her foster son and climbed the stairs to the second floor.
On her way to her new bedroom, her eyes glanced over at the room that would be Shirou's. The interior was already decorated; the floor lined with tatami mats and boxes in the corner filled with items yet to be unpacked. It was more representative of the Japanese culture than the rest of the house, he even had a sliding door and a futon folded in the corner. Irisviel asked if Shirou would not like to have an actual bed, but Shirou insisted on having his bedroom like this. Apparently he was more comfortable in this kind of setting. It made her wonder if this had something to do with his past home.
After confirming the state of Shirou's room, she walked over to the bedroom she would occupy. From what she saw inside, most of her items were already inside, including a bed, several boxes, furniture, and an extensive bookcase that covered the end of the room closer to the door. Before she entered, her eyes drifted over to another room. That room was the spacious one that had the middle balcony seen at the front of the house. Hesitantly, she walked to the door to that room and opened it.
Inside were simple furnishings without decorations. There was just a bed, desk, and nightstand within the room, but nothing to compliment any of them. The room was spacious even without the furniture, however, the fact that it had no one to live in it somehow made it emptier than if nothing was in it at all. Irisviel saw in the room the same emptiness she saw in the castle. It was void of any true feeling of belonging until it had someone to live in it. Not just spend time there like a base, but to truly live in it and call it their home. The owner of the room was missing as well as all of the positive emotions that would have lingered. Warmth, love, anything that showed the owner was alive was nowhere to be seen or felt.
Irisviel entered and sat on the edge of the bed, returning to the same melancholy space in her mind she felt in the castle. As she sat there alone, doubts began to form in her mind, tearing away at her resolve. Those negative emotions made her wonder if she really could rescue Illya from her family and end the war when she herself could not even enter this room without going into another state of depression. The questions came one after another. What could she, a thrown away homunculus, do against the three families to stop the next war? What if she failed? What will happen to Illya then? All these thoughts came to her sinking her further into her familiar despondent state of mind.
"I promise, that will not happen to you."
"In the end, you lied… didn't you?" Irisviel muttered to herself under her breath, a vile taste in her mouth as she spat the words out.
"Iri." She heard someone call out from outside the room. She snapped back to reality and turned to see Shirou standing in the doorway, a look of concern on his face.
"Sh-Shirou," stuttered Irisviel trying very hard to present her earlier cheer. "Is there something wrong?"
"That's what I should be asking you." Shirou said looking her over like a concerned parent who just found their child crying by itself.
"What ever do you mean?" Irisviel asked trying to show no sign of fret. It was obvious even to her that she was trying too hard, but she continued the charade. She looked around the room nervously trying to find a way to explain herself. "I was just making sure everything was set up correctly." She nodded approvingly. "Yep, this will do. When Illya finally comes to live with us, I think she will like it. What do you think? Is there anything it's missing?" Shirou simply stared at Irisviel, his expression disapproving. "I personally think we should add some drapes. I think pink will do nicely." Still he stared. Irisviel was starting to feel daunt by his unwillingness to play along with Irisviel's attempt to distract him. "Shirou?"
"You had that face again." Shirou stated as if he was scolding her.
"That's mean, Shirou." Irisviel scolded cheerfully. "This was the face I was born with."
"I mean the sad face." Shirou interrupted with heat in his voice. Irisviel's smile began to waver. "I don't like it when you make that face." Shirou said walking over to her. "Iri is a pretty lady who always smiles." He appeared to be trying to find the right words to say. "When you don't smile, it means bad things are happening, and there's nothing I can do about it."
"C-Come now," Irisviel said fumbling with her words trying to find a way to placate the boy. "There's nothing wrong at all. Now, why don't you go and finish unpacking. I'll be down to help you in a moment." She was unsure about how intentional his action was, but he was about to open up doors that for the moment were better left closed, so she tried to end the conversation quickly.
Shirou would not be deterred. Irisviel had a tendency to shift the conversation to another topic whenever he brought up something that made her uneasy, but he was not going to let her do as she pleased again. "Iri. You always told me if there is something bothering me, I should tell you. But there always seems to be something bothering you. "
Irisviel looked away again, shifting on the edge of the bed. Her smile was gone this time. "I've told you before Shirou, it's nothing for you to concern yourself with. The problems I face are my own."
"But I want to help." Shirou stated pleadingly. "I can't just watch you go back to your sad place and do nothing."
"My sad place, is it?" Irisviel chuckled bitterly to herself. "How often do you see me in such a state? You must see me as pathetic"
"Don't say that!" Shirou yelled, standing directly in front of her. Irisviel turned to the boy who rejected her self-deprecating melancholy. "Iri is strong. You saved me from the fire. You're making a home for other people to live. You can do magic and you're super cool." Shirou looked away sadly. "If only I could do the things you do. But I couldn't. I couldn't save anyone." He looked like he was trying very hard not to cry. "I couldn't do anything. I'm the pathetic one…"
Iri suddenly grabbed his shoulders and straightened him up, making him look at her. "That's enough, Shirou!" she sternly said. The roles now reversed, Irisviel managed to successfully project herself as the adult, and Shirou was the one playing the role of the child being scolded. "I may have helped you that day but it was you who choose not to give up! You were the one who fought to live regardless of the flames! Don't ever say otherwise!"
They had not talked about that day once since they became a family. She thought it was better not to mention it at all because she was afraid of how the boy would react to talking about it, though part of her knew she was also afraid of how she herself would react. This time however, the talk was unavoidable. The boy had lost so much and suffered through an agonizing experience. Irisviel could not allow his sense of self-worth to be lost in addition to everything else.
Shirou looked away again. Irisviel's heart sank when she saw genuine sadness in the boy's eyes. She wondered if she was being too rough on him and loosened her grip. "But, all of those people." Shirou stated, his voice cracking. "Five hundred people, and I couldn't save one."
Irisviel smiled and looked at him warmly. "But you did save someone that day." The white haired beauty put a hand on the boy's cheek in assurance she had his attention. "You saved me." Shirou looked at her understandably puzzled. Irisviel removed the hand and braced herself for her explanation. "It's a long story, very complicated story, and maybe I'll tell you everything one day. For now, know this." She looked at him in the eye making sure he has her full attention.
"I was close to giving up that day. I lost so much in that fire. My husband, my purpose, everything that mattered to me… that I didn't willingly give up." Her thoughts turned to Illya again. She was about to sink into another depressive state, only to snap herself out of it as quickly as she sunk in. "It wasn't until I saw you that I began to receive a flicker of hope." She explained.
"Me?" Shirou asked.
She removed her hands from her shoulder and looked away frowning. "I came to Fuyuki to fulfill a certain… obligation. In the end I failed at it, and the fire happened. I think I may have wanted to die at that point. Not even the thought of my daughter could keep me going since I believed I failed her as well. I suppose you can say I was punishing myself for my own failure." She looked at him again. "But seeing you, the only survivor I managed to find, gave me a reason to continue living. It was partially why I adopted you. I wanted to see for myself how that strong boy I was able to help that day would grow up." Again, she chuckled bitterly. "It's probably a selfish reason to adopt a child, but I could not help but feel responsible for you in some way." She sighed once again reflecting on what she said. "Honestly, I really am a sad, selfish person."
"No, you're not!" Shirou shouted back. "You aren't sad, or selfish, or anything like that!"
"Yes, I am." Irisviel responded back.
"No, you're not!" Shirou responded indignantly.
"I am!" She said louder.
"I'm faaar more selfish than you!" Shirou responded louder than before.
"You are not!" Irisviel yelled, just as loud as Shirou.
"Yes, I am!"
"I say you're not!"
"I say I am!"
"I'm the adult, and I say you're not!"
"I'm the kid, and I'm supposed to be selfish!"
"Well adults can be faaar more selfish than kids!"
"You're not being selfish! You're just being a baka!"
"What are you doing calling an adult a baka!? Only a baka calls someone baka!"
"I'm not calling you a baka! I'm saying you're being a baka! Iri, you baka!"
"You just called me baka!"
"Because you called me baka!"
"No, I didn't!"
"You did too!"
And so the two had their first argument. It would continue for about half a minute more before one asked the other why they were fighting in the first place. Once they realized they had at some point stopped trying to have a serious (and mature) conversation and had just been calling each other baka over and over again, they apologized to one another flustered by how things ended. Once he recalled the original point of the argument, Shirou proceeded to continue his original stance once the two cooled their heads for a few moments.
"What I mean is I'm selfish too." Shirou explained getting back on topic. "I wanted to live with you for selfish reasons."
"What are you saying?"
He scratched his cheek bashfully. "The reason I wanted to live with you, was because of your smile." This surprised Irisviel. "I wanted to make sure you were always smiling. Iri isn't Iri when she is not smiling."
"Do I really give off that impression?" Irisviel asked herself. She certainly did not feel like someone who always smiles, especially recently when she sinks into her state of depression so easily.
Shirou gazed at her sharply, apparently realizing she was falling back into her sad place. "I wanted to try and make you happy, and I will. If there is anything that is making you sad, I will try and make you happy. If anyone takes your smile away, I will beat them up for you." He steeled himself. "If your daughter is in trouble, I will save her for you. So please, let me help you save my sister."
Irisviel stared at her foster son in amazement. He made such a childish declaration with such adult determination, and she knew by the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice that it was not just a meaningless juvenile promise, but an actual pact he was making and had every intention to fulfill. It made her feel like she really could trust him when the time came.
Still, depending on such a young boy who had only recently come into her life was something Irisviel could not do. He had already suffered so much in his short life; she could not bear to burden him any further with her problems. She was the one who had to shut down the grail for good and save Illya, not holster the responsibility for so many on this boy. The young redhead was another reason she had to fix everything. Hopefully when it is all over, she and her two children would live together as a family. The thought of both of her children living with her brought forth the maternal instincts that developed over the years with Irisviel, and in that moment, just as earlier when she finally felt the house became a home, she finally felt that Shirou had become her son.
She got up from the bed and embraced Shirou warmly. "Honestly," Irisviel responded with appreciation. "Thank you Shirou." For a while, neither of them moved. They just remained there, the woman holding her newfound child with feelings of pride and love only a mother could express.
Shirou in his turn noticed her trembling. Whatever worried her, it was still apparent she was upset about it. He did not fully understand this strange woman who suddenly came into his life, but he understood she carried a heavy burden. She was strong but at the same time, very fragile. He did not understand what made her like this, but whatever the cause, Shirou knew that someday, he would have to face it along with his new mother. That was why for her sake, he would prepare for it.
With these thoughts in his mind, something pulsed deep within him. It was a weak and short lived pulsed, but it was enough for Irisviel to notice. She let go of her son and looked at him with a sudden realization.
"Iri?" Shirou questioned.
"Wait a moment, Shirou." Irisviel interrupted. She was pretty sure she sensed something, but she needed to confirm it. The magus placed a single hand on Shirou's chest and closed her eyes. Then, she activated her Magic Circuits.
With an analysis spell, she looked over the young boy's body with scrutiny to find the source of the pulse. It was a minor examination, but it would be affective enough for her purposes. Within a few seconds, she found what she had felt. She proceeded to count the number of magic circuits within the boy's body.
…20… 22… 25…
27. Shirou possessed 27 Magic Circuits, slightly above the average magus, though they were of poor quality. Still, this was fairly impressive for someone not apart of a magus bloodline. They weren't awakened, but they were starting to show signs. Irisviel could hardly believe such a magnificent coincidence. Out of the five hundred people in that fire, the one child she happened to save had Magic Circuits.
As she examined Shirou, Irisviel began to come up with theories of the boy's origin. Shirou told her he was unaware that magi existed, so it was unlikely his family were orthodox magi. Maybe one or both of them were magi themselves and like their child was unaware of it. It was also possible he was born with a mutation that gave him Magic Circuits. It was a rare occurrence, but it has happened in the past. This discovery made Irisviel both relieved and a bit apprehensive. At the very least she did not have to disappoint him with the fact that he may not be able to perform Thaumaturgy. Still, it also meant she did not have a convenient excuse to not teach him and keep him further away from the magus world, and consequently the Holy Grail War itself. Maybe she could have the best of both worlds.
Despite her reserves, she decided to take this coincidence as a sign from some higher power. She knew what to do. Irisviel got up from where she knelt and looked at the boy with steel in her eyes. Shirou flinched defensively upon seeing the homunculus go from loving mother to strict instructor within a matter of seconds.
"Shirou." Irisviel said seriously. "If you truly want to help me, then you'll have to work hard." She stood up and looked down at the boy. "This is what I'll do. I will begin to teach you Thaumaturgy. If you show to have potential, I will take you into my confidence as my apprentice. Is that fair?"
Delighted, Shirou nodded and called out in elation. "Yes!" He had been trying to get her to teach him her tricks since he learned of Magecraft, and now it was finally starting to happen. Shirou was truly grateful for the opportunity to finally be of use to someone.
On Irisviel's part, it was more deception. Shirou may grow up to be a decent Magus, but she doubted he would make much difference. The purpose of teaching him would be more of a distraction to him as Irisviel planned her next move. She felt bad about it, but deceiving her foster son was preferable to letting him into a situation like the Holy Grail War.
"Then your lessons begin tomorrow." Irisviel stated with the air of the master to her acolyte. "For now, let's finish unpacking."
With the widest grin Irisviel ever saw the boy make, Shirou wen off to finish unpacking. Irisviel internally felt proud of the boy for his dedication, but she was still reluctant to teach him. Irisviel had no intention of bringing him further into the conflict to come, but maybe she could teach him Magecraft for self-defense purposes. Shirou himself seemed like he was looking forward to the training, and there was no real reason to prevent him from learning apart from her fears. She was taking a gamble, but she concluded it was better than leaving him unprepared.
Besides, Irisviel started to feel like she had been too timid. Up to that point, she did nothing but wallow in guilt and feel sorry for herself, rather than beginning to plan. Part of her felt like she was putting off actually doing anything about the war, though she was unsure why. Maybe she was afraid of failing again, or maybe she just did not have the same confidence she had before. Regardless, she needed to stop going into her "sad place." No more pointless moping. No more using her physical health or 'no permanent residence' as excuses. She needed to do something.
She made it to her room and found the box she was looking for. Opening the box, she brought out a large hard case with a lock keeping it closed shut. She got out a small key from he pocket, unlocked it, and opened the case. Looking inside, she took out the contents one by one.
Several weeks back, she went back to the Grail's evocation site. There was practically nothing left of the old theater except rubble, but she managed to recover specific items of interest, the only items that indicated that the final stage of the war took place. These relics of a not so distant past were the last remnants of the night Irisviel von Einzbern lost her purpose and became Emiya Irisviel several days later. Now they were within the box, some kept for sentimental reasons, others for practical.
First, she pulled out an old black coat. Her husband had no body when everything settled. One of the few things left of him was this coat and what was in its pockets. Those contents were left within a metallic box she pulled out after the coat. The contents included ammunition, a phone, and keys to certain storage facilities, a notebook, cigarettes, and a lighter.
After removing these items, she pulled out an item wrapped in a red cloth. This was a specific tool Kiritsugu favored which Irisviel found laying within the rubble, covered in soot and debris. It amazed her that this managed to survive considering what happened here it was left. She doubted it would be of use to her in its current state, but she would look into getting it repaired later.
As grateful she was when she found these items, they were more personal mementos than anything else. The real prize was what was in another container. This container was also metallic, but the metal was black and closed off with blue glowing sealed along the lining of the lid and fastened by a silver lock. Irisviel took out another key, this one of a more complex design. She did not have to place the key into the lock's hole. Instead, she put the key over the flat part of the lock and whispered a German proverb.
Scherben bringen Glück
The lock fastening the box undid itself as the password that broke the seal was spoken. She opened the box that contained a black velvet cloth coving the rest of the contents. Moving flaps to the side, true contents inside were revealed.
Dark liquid was contained in two clear cylinders. Even after being sealed away for weeks, the heat the mud gave off did not subside as she felt unnatural warmth from touching the sides of the cylinders. She managed to find some of the dark mud in a small puddle under some rubble, something she thought would have been nearly impossible after all this time. The mud itself was a scorching evil that came from the thing within the grail. It was a materialized curse that represents All the Evils of the World. Enough of this infernal liquid could consume a person, destroying their body and ripping apart their mind and soul. As such, when Irisviel collected her samples with a high level of caution. The rest of the pool was destroyed soon after.
Next to the cylinders was a large glass container. There were several chunks of metal inside, as dark in color as the aura it gave off. These pieces of nefarious metal were all that was left of the contaminated Lesser Grail. Some were large chunks, others were small fragments, and each one of them emitted the same sense of malice as the mud. Like the black mud, she was lucky to find these items. It helped that she had a connection with the grail, which allowed her to easily sense even what was left of it after the war, and now she would use that to her advantage.
These samples were kept to be evidence of her claims. If her family would not do anything, she knew exactly who would. A decision was made to send some of these samples to an organization that would not think too highly of a device called the 'Holy Grail' being the embryo of a heretical abomination that wishes to burn the world. Of course, she needed to get it to them. This led to an important point indirectly brought up by Shirou. Irisviel needed allies.
The only reason she managed to get as far as she did was because of her husband's connections, but those had their limits. She needed to find her own allies, and quickly if she was going to prevent the war form happening in ten years. Besides, she could not leave Fuyuki, not in her current condition. She still needed to train her body and mind to the fullest before commencing with her plan. What she needed was an ally to do the footwork, and she believed she knew who that potential ally was. Luckily he had not left Fuyuki yet.
Irisviel wrapped the cloth over the contents and closed the box. "I am no Einzbern?" Irisviel said to herself as she recalled her creator's slight towards her. "So be it." She looked out towards the northwest, the rough direction of Germany and the castle where Grandfather Acht and the rest of her family inhabited. "I'll show them what an Emiya can do."
A/N
It's finally done. I managed to establish the setting, not hopefully we can start going into the magical aspects of the story. Yes, that is the same house from Prisma. Iri bought that house and will still hold on to the Miyama house. The latter will still be used in the future. Next chapter will not go too much into Shirou's training, but it will feature Iri and the new partnership she will form. After that chapter, magus action will finally be seen. What I have planned will be sweet.
I will try to keep it as close to the main story as possible, but there will be plenty of cause and effect scenarios that will lead to something a little different than the mainstream story. Iri will have plenty of influence on the grail war in the future, especially on the three families.
Also, the argument between Iri and chibi-Shirou was probably the funnest thing I wrote next to the one between Taiga and Iri (personal favorite part of the chapter). I was kind of worried about that, but I wanted to show their relationship won't be a perfect one. There will be some flaws, some hilarious, some serious, but they will still have a strong relationship. Here's to future chapters.
Reviews are always welcomed.
