A Certain Second Magic part 4

Rin Tohsaka opened her eyes to a strange sight. A girl with red eyes and pure white hair stared down at her. She looked so similar to Ilya, but Rin would place the girl in her late teens. She was over five feet tall and fully developed.

The Ilya she had known had been older than RIn and yet had looked very much like a child.

The girl's eyes opened and she called out, "Dad, she's awake!"

The voice was the same as Ilya's, maybe a slight register lower, but still the same.

Rin shook her head and the world swam. She put a hand to her head and let the world settle. "Where am I?"

The Ilya lookalike smiled and said, "The Emiya residence in Academy City. And If rumors are true you have come from a veeerry long way to get here."

"Do you have any aspirin?"

"Your Circuits are full of mana and AIM." She tossed her head back and smiled, "An easy fix. I'll go get the aspirin though. Tea or coffee?"

Rin took a deep breath, "Coffee."

The girl left to be replaced by a smiling greying adult man. "So, you must be Rin Tohsaka. Old Man Zelretch was talking about dropping you off in a month or so. Then I get a message saying you were in the park. Did he tell you why he sent you here?"

Rin shook her head slowly. "He said something was wrong here. Something not native to this world." She wrinkled her forehead slightly, "A darkness."

Kiritsugu stared at her for a moment, "And that was all?"

Rin sighed, "Yes. He said you would fill me in on the local situation. He didn't even give me time to pack."

Kiritsugu nodded, "That is easily remedied. You are early, but knowing Zelretch you plan or the unexpected. After dinner I will have Ilya take you to some nearby shops to pick up some essentials."

Ilya slipped into the room, "What am I doing after dinner?" She handed Rin a mug and a couple aspirin.

"I need you to take Miss Tohsaka to some of the local stores and…."

"Dad! Can't you have Shirou do it? I had plans this evening with my friends and…."

"And those plans have now changed. One hour shopping will not kill you." He smiled at Ilya, "Normally you would be all over an opportunity to spend my hard earned money shopping. Just last weekend you were complaining about your personal stipend and how it now limits you."

"High school was easier. You didn't charge me rent." She turned to Rin. "So are your parents as rough on you?"

Rin looked at Ilya. The same playfulness was there, but where were the hidden depths? Rin had not gotten along with the tiny woman. The little they coordinated was for Shirou's benift. This Ilya seemed happier, but also more frivolous. "Both of them are dead. All I have is my sister."

Ilya said, "Sorry," and left the room.

Rin looked down. Her thoughts went back to Sakura and all the complications to their relationship. Back to the Grail War and her realization that she was not the perfect Magus she had thought she was. That there were things she would not give up for power. Or even safety. "You did the right thing Mr. Emiya. Fleeing the War…."

"You recognize Ilya. Shirou said you calmed down once you realized who he was. That you muttered his name. Obviously you recognize them. But how?"

"All three of us were Masters in the Fifth Holy Grail War. I was close to your son." She looked away, "He was in love with my sister."

"And Ilya?"

"She was the Einzbern representative. And she was much shorter."

"You know what she is?" Kiritsugu looked away.

"She is your daughter." Family mattered. "Just like Shirou is your son."

Kiritsugu laughed softly, "We will talk about Shirou in a moment. And I find it strange that I would even know the boy." He shook his head, "No Ilya was lucky we came to this city. That I was able to find work here. But then my skills apparently have a universal appeal." He sighed, "It was old world Alchemy verses Academy City super science. There is a doctor called the Heaven Canceller for his miraculous work. He saved her. My beautiful daughter."

"And Irisviel?"

"She didn't make it. She collapsed the portal behind her. What Acht must have done to her….."

"I am sorry. She died during the Fourth Grail War." Rin looked away, "To be honest I didn't even know you. I knew Shirou because we were at the same school."

Ilya peeked back in. "Shirou say dinner will be ready in ten to fifteen minutes."

Kiritsugu said, "Tell him to give me a half hour. Miss Tohsaka and I have things to discuss. Things that will not wait."

She glanced between them, "Right. Call you in a half hour, "And she quickly left.

Rin grabbed the Cross she had made and immediately felt the familiar pain of her Circuits filling with od. She could almost feel the London lab she had made it in. It was just beyond her reach. But she could feel the mana flow into her and flush the foreign mana out.

There were other odd and new sensations she could feel, but now was not the time to indulge in research.

Kiritsugu turned from her, "I want you to tell me everything you know about the Grail War. What you know of the Fourth…. In your world, did I participate?"

"Yes but I am too young to know too many of the details. I know more of the Fifth War."

"So you mentioned. But that war should not have happened until Ilya was old. And yet you say she took part?"

"The Fifth War happened only ten years later, something went wrong and…."

Kiritsugu turned to face her. His face was cold and grim, "Miss Tohsaka, a couple points before we continue. I gave up everything when I came to this world. All to save my daughter. You know she is a homunculus. Despite everything that was done to her, that hasn't changed. Nor has the fact she is the Grail Core. A tiny organ hooked directly to her nervous system that is impossible to remove ensures that.. What she could be used for in this world, I have no clue. But I have no faith in magic users of any sort. No one in Academy City save its governing director know what I or my family are capable of. And you will keep it that way."

Rin swallowed, "I promise."

"Now tell me everything about the grail war and my family's involvement in it."

And she did.

Scene Break

Mikoto Misaka followed Kuroko up the stairs and into the 177th Division Headquarters for Judgment. "And I am saying you must have imagined it. No one carries a dagger made of gems."

"And how do you explain his disappearance, Sissy? People don't just disappear!"

"So he teleported. You can teleport. What is the big idea?" Mikoto asked. She really had wanted to do some shopping today.

"He was too old to teleport."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Kuroko ignored her for a moment. "Uiharu? Did you get that footage I asked for?"

Uiharu kept tapping at her computer, a stack of money cards beside her. As always the slight girl seemed happy working at her work station. "I would appreciate a reason so I can log it with Anti-Skill. These cameras aren't for casual use, you know."

"What are the money cards from?" Mikoto asked.

"Someone is abandoning them in out of the way places."

"Why would someone do that?"

Uiharu looked at her and shook her head, "No one knows. And it's not just our district either." Her gaze drifted to her arm. "What happened?" She stood and fetched a first aid kit.

Mikoto tried to wave her off, "No it is only a bruise…"

Uiharu gasped. She glanced at Kuroko and the back at Mikoto. "Why would you do that to yourself? Do you know how hard tattoos are to remove?"

Kuroko looked over, "Cool symbols. Do you know what they mean?"

Mikoto just glared at her friend.

Kuroko sighed, "The Dorm Mother will not be pleased"

"Mikoto looked at her arm and groned.

Kuroko continued, "But at least before she kills you for marking yourself like a common thug, you can bask in the further errors of your ways." She pointed at the screen, "See? A Jeweled sword."

Uiharu let out a whistle, "How expensive is something like that?"

Mikoto stared at the screen, she honestly hadn't seen it. The man had seemed to strange, too eerie. And then like Kuroko said, he vanished.

Uiharu and Kuroko began to argue about the man's teleport.

Mikoto just stood there, a chill washing through her. "What is going on?"

Scene Break

Shirou Emiya tinkered with the remote drone. He needed something to take his mind off his father's guest. Dinner had been quiet, and she had been appreciative. She had done nothing wrong.

He simply could not forget how she had felt in his arms. Soft in all the right places, firm and strong in others. He had been able to ignore it in the spirit of his run, but the memories lingered.

His mind hadn't been paying attention, but his body had. This was going to be a long couple weeks. Another memory, his watching as Ilya had led her to the bus stop, Rin's hips gently swaying.

He banged his head softly against the right wing of his drone.

He opened the tiny hanger doors and began the preflight checklist.

Everything was green.

He sat at the workstation Ilya had helped him build and launched the drone. The vectored thrust lifted it of just fine, and he flew it through the neighborhood.

On a whim he sent it into the more built up areas of the district. Maybe he could spot some friends, or even his sister. As he passed over he saw movement on a roof. He turned the drone around and reconfigured the wings for slower fight.

He watched as a young woman in a Tokiwadai uniform target a rifle on a target below.

For the first time he regretted not arming the drone.

The girl fired and was almost immediately struck back. His hand hovered over the button to contact Anti-Skill, but hesitated. His father was involved in a great many training exercises. So Shirou contacted him instead.

The drone was now doing tight circles over the building. And he watched the injured girl try to flee. A white haired boy appeared on the roof. He watched the girl try to shoot the white haired boy.

Every attack was reflected back at her.

Shirou was about to contact Anti-Skill anyway, only to have his hand pushed away by his father.

Kiritsugu Emiya's face was cold and grim like Shirou had never seen. "Dad?"

"Have you been recording this?"

"Yes?"

"Erase everything and forget about this."

Both of them witnessed the end of the fight, and the girl's obvious death.

"You can't be serious, Dad." He pointed at the screen, "We just witnessed a murder."

"Listen, Shirou. This City is far from perfect. There are a great many things that I wish I could change. But I can't."

"Dad, we both work with Anti-Skill. We both just witnessed a crime. We can't stop what just happened, but that murdered girl's soul cries for justice and you want me to stand aside." Shirou was gritting his teeth.

Kiritsugu frowned, "Son, if you contacted Anti-Skill right now, the only one who would get in trouble is you. None of the other cameras will show anything. After your gear gets impounded and taken for evidence it won't show what we just saw either." He gripped Shirou by the arms, "These people are good at what they do. They are ruthless and dangerous. You are not ready to face them, not with something as easy to eliminate as your camera's digital file." He stood up, "Sorry Shirou. Remember the good guys don't always win."

Shirou looked back at the screen, "I thought we were the good guys."

"As much as the world lets us. Recall your drone. Wipe its memory. Go to bed." He walked out of the make shift hanger. "Oh and good work on the drone. Polish up the specs and I will submit them for you. Something like that could be useful." And he left.

Shirou gave the recall order to the drone and it flew home, its landing not quite perfect. He erased the onboard computers and work station.

But saved the video file on a flash drive. Everyone deserved justice, even if the gears move slowly.

And Rin wasn't the only think that kept him awake that night.