It was truly a strange sight Shirou was greeted with when he came home.

The moment he stepped into the living room, he knew that it was going to be a long night.

"Ne Shirou-kun?" The sweet voice of his pseudo-sister made him look up. Only to see her sweet smiling face. But he knew what lay behind that mask of happiness.

Yeah, it was really going to be a long night.

She immediately grabbed his shoulders and began to shake him frantically. All the while screaming at him incoherently. The words "I'm hungry!" and "What took you so long?" were among them.

He could also hear her saying things about turning his house into a hotel, but he ignored it for the time being.

He was saved from her frantic shaking by his pig-tailed companion. Who placed a soft hand on Fujimura's arm, all the while smiling sweetly at his frantic 'sister'.

"Calm down Taiga-sensei. There is a very valid explanation for the number of guests today." Rin said calmly. Taiga narrowed her eyes at the pig-tailed girl, who did not buckle one bit under her scrutinizing gaze.

And as Rin opened her mouth for the explanation. Taiga removed her hands from Shirou and placed them onto Rin's. Who only looked at Taiga with pure confusion.

Taiga breathed in, taking in a lungful of air. Rin watched, curiosity evident on her face.

Shirou offered a silent prayer before he moved past them both.

He didn't turn around as he heard Taiga began shouting and start shaking Rin. Who steadily began turning green as the shaking intensified.

As he drowned out Taiga's incessant shouting and shaking, he turned to his other guests. There were only two people missing from the table, and he guessed they had a very good reason to not be there.

First was Archer, who was still injured. When he had asked how he got those injuries, he merely snorted and walked away from him. Though he guessed that there was no reason to ask that question in the first place, he had seen him get injured when he protected both Rin and he with that petal'd shield.

He didn't push his questions further after that.

The second person missing was the enigmatic Minato Arisato.

And truly, he had no idea what to make of that man.

At first glance, you would think that he was a silent person who hated to stand out. He certainly didn't go about looking for popularity.

He knew of Minato, he had been his classmate a few times before. Once in middle school, when he was a freshman in high school, and now when he was a senior. They had been classmates only three times and as far as he knew, he didn't go about looking for trouble.

Truly, the last few hours were a culture shock for him. Minato had appeared in the middle of a Servant battle and casually inserted himself into said battle without so much as blinking an eye. Heck, he had put himself in harms way just to save Saber.

The surprises didn't stop there however. As Minato had once again managed to surprise him by matching Berserker blow for blow. He had summoned a being, a bird-like creature called Pazuzu who had called himself the God of the Wind. And the creature toyed around with the mad Berserker by throwing him about with strong gusts of wind. Berserker never got close to Minato, as he was too busy being turned into a makeshift basketball being thrown about like he was the game-winning ball.

Next, after a few time being thrown about like a basketball, Pazuzu seemed to talk. No, it did talk, but it felt more like it was Minato. Pazuzu insulted Berserker, who only roared in response. Pazuzu had seemingly had enough and disappeared from the physical world, but his voice was still resounding around the battlefield even after it disappeared.

The events following that was a blur for Shirou, the only thing he remembered was seeing wind. He literally saw wind begin to circle around Minato and his right arm. He saw Minato grab a discarded pipe by the sidewalk, and that was as far as he remembered.

Minato and Berserker charged each other, both screaming at the top of their lungs.

They swung their weapons, and a strong shockwave.

After that, he didn't know what happened.

Those events lead to Berserker regaining his sanity, and Illya taking a shine to him. She wanted to see where he lived, and where someone like Minato was hiding.

He was taken out of his thoughts by a tap on his shoulder. He looked to his side, and smiled at his childhood friend.

"Senpai, I cooked a lot today. So please eat to your heart's content." Sakura Matou said with a smile.

Shirou returned the smile with his own and nodded at his underclassman. "Of course Sakura. Sorry you had to cook for so much people today. I was going to tell both you and Fuji-nee that I had guests this morning. But you guys didn't come." Shirou explained, smiling at the young woman. Who only shook her head.

"I had archery practice today, and Fujimura-san had to grade papers. It's not your fault senpai." Sakura told Shirou, who only laughed sheepishly.

As Shirou laughed however, a pair of slender arms wrapped themselves around his neck. He felt someone lean onto his back and a chin rest on his shoulder. He turned his head, only to see the sight of Illya leaning onto him.

"Onii-chan. I don't appreciate you talking to someone like they were your sister! I'm your sister!" She declared rather childishly. Shirou tilted his in confusion, prompting Illya to turn her head and stick a tongue out at him.

He felt a strange feeling of dread creep over him. But strangely enough, it wasn't directed at him. No, he felt that whoever was the source of this dreadful feeling was focusing in on the person on his shoulders.

Strangely enough, Illya wasn't fazed as she continued to smile. She directed her rather cheerful smile on the person who was glaring at her.

"What's the matter onee-san? Glaring doesn't suit your beautiful face." She said with a childish voice, the feeling of dread increased ten-fold.

Sakura muttered something under her breath, prompting Illya to lean forward onto Shirou's shoulder even more. She raised one hand up to her ear and cupped it before saying "Whasat? I can't here you onee-san. Can you speak louder?"

Sakura's gaze instantly turned towards Illya, who stiffened at the intense gaze of loathing.

"D-don't lay your hands on senpai!" Sakura shouted as she glared at Illya.

Wait, three words made that sentence impossible.

He didn't register Illya's rebuttal, as those three words were still in his head.

Sakura, shouted, glared. Those three words did not belong in a sentence.

He decided that whatever these girls had to discuss, he'd rather not be part of it. No, he would never be part of it. If this discussion managed to make the impossible possible, then by nature it was unholy. He managed to wrest his body free from Illya's hug, before he began walking towards his Servant who was nodding animatedly at the large man right next to her.

"…then I shoved my entire hand down the vile creatures throat and ripped out its heart! Truly a glorious battle worthy of song and drink!" The giant man called Heracles regaled his tales of heroism to the petite form of Saber. Shirou sat down next to Saber, who turned her head and smiled at her Master.

"Good afternoon Master. I trust that you are well?" Saber asked, and Shirou only let out a sheepish laugh.

"I guess you could say that Saber. What are you two talking about?" He asked, trying to change the subject inconspicuously. No one noticed as Heracles turned towards him and smiled brightly.

"Oh dear host! I am only regaling my tales to this woman! I was just telling her the story of when I fought a chimera. Truly, that fight was one for the ages! I can still feel the thing's beating heart as if it was on the palm of my hand!" Heracles said as he raised his hand and enclosed it into a fist. As if he crushing the invisible hand in his hand.

He didn't know how to react to that so he only raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, all the while laughing nervously.

Saber's eyes met his, and he knew that he made a drastic mistake.

She stood up abruptly and grabbed his arm, before she raised it into the air. The action didn't go unnoticed by the other occupants of the room, and everyone's gaze turned towards them both.

"Shirou, did you hurt yourself? Why is there blood on your sleeve, and why is there a hole in it?" Saber asked her voice threateningly low.

The room was silent now, everyone's attention was on them both. He didn't know what to say.

"Hey that's right! I just noticed! Hey Shirou, you aren't going out and getting into fights again are you?" Taiga's voice was filled with worry. But still, he didn't take his eyes off of his Servant, who was staring at him intently, waiting for his answer.

He was saved by the door suddenly sliding open.

Everyone's attention turned to the door and the person that entered. The person muttered "Pardon for the intrusion." Before he entered the room and closed the door behind him. The person then made his way towards an unoccupied seat by the table before he grabbed the bowl in front of him and filled it with rice.

The person clapped his hand and muttered "Thank you for the food!" Before he began to grab food of the table and put them into his mouth.

The person didn't seem to be bothered by the multiple eyes that were on him as he only continued to eat silently.

Finally, Taiga spoke up, breaking the silence that followed the person's entrance.

"Shirou…" Her voice was low and shaky. Shirou turned his head to look at his 'sister'.

Taiga's body began to shake. At first, it wasn't anything visible, but it suddenly began to grow stronger as the seconds ticked by. Finally, she snapped.

"Are you bi?!"

The silence was palpable. The only sound that was heard was the silent eating of the person that entered.

Yeah, it was going to be a long night.

Fate of Thy Soul

XxX

"So let me get this straight." Taiga muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her head was bowed as she seemed to think on the situation in front of her.

She turned towards Rin, "Your house is undergoing renovations. And you originally wanted to stay in a hotel out of town. But Shirou here offered a placed to stay, and you graciously accepted?" She asked. And Rin only nodded her head in confirmation.

Taiga then turned towards Illya and Heracles. "You two were friends of Kiritsugu, and you decided to pop in for a surprise visit. But you didn't know that he died. Shirou, in his infinite kindness, offered his condolences even though he was the one that lost a father, and then he offered you a place to stay."

Both giant and petite girl nodded their confirmation.

Taiga then turned her attention to Saber, who was quietly eating with closed eyes. "And you Saber-chan. You were also an acquaintance of Kiritsugu, and Shirou offered you the same deal he offered these two." Taiga asked as she threw her thumb up and pointed it at Illya and Berserker.

Saber set down her bowl and chopsticks and turned towards Taiga, her eyes opening to stare at the woman. "Me and Kiritsugu were business partners for awhile. I had decided to pay him a visit, but when I got here. He had already left us." Saber said with slight apprehension. Taiga merely waved her hand in the air dismissively.

"No need to worry about it Saber-chan. Kiritsugu leaving us was as unexpected to us as it was for you – err I mean – for you three." Taiga corrected herself as she spied the two other 'acquaintances' of Kiritsugu.

"Yes. That is the general idea." Saber said as she once more picked up her bowl and began eating at a brisk pace. Taiga nodded her head. Seemingly understanding.

Finally, Taiga turned to Shirou's last guest. Who hadn't said a word since he had started eating. Taiga eyed her student with curiosity. "And what about you Arisato-kun? What brings you here with Shirou?" She asked. And it was a valid question. He was the only person who hadn't offered any explanation for his stay in Shirou's house. And being the responsible older sister that she was, she had to find out what kind of people were staying under the same roof as her 'brother',

At first, Minato didn't say anything, only continuing to eat the food that was on his plate. Everyone watched him as he ate, but still, he didn't offer any indication that he would answer her question.

Taiga opened her mouth to ask him again, but Minato beat her to a punch. "Remember the gas leak last night Sensei?" He asked her out of the blue. Taiga could only nod dumbly.

"Well, the news report said that an apartment building had collapsed when it did blow. That was my apartment." He told her.

First there was silence.

And then there was chaos. Well, chaos in the form of a panicked teacher. "W-w-w-wait! That was your apartment?!" Taiga shouted as she stood up abruptly, her face contorted to show her shock and surprise.

Minato only nodded at her.

There was silence, no one talked, no one knew what to say.

"Hang on, aren't you his teacher?" Illya was the one that broke the silence. Everyone turned to the legal loli and everyone seemed to understand the implications of what she had said.

Taiga grew flustered as she began to look around the room. She was being scrutinized by everyone, and everyone was eyeing her with either disappointment, exasperation, or apathy.

"You know," Shirou began, and everyone turned to the red haired teen. "Illya's absolutely right. He is your student, so you should know where he lives. Why are you so shocked Fuji-nee?"

Before Taiga could answer that question, another one rose from another occupant of the room. "My, my Fujimura-sensei. This is unbecoming of a teacher. A teacher should be updated to a students living arrangements." Rin chided the older woman, who was steadily deflating onto the table. "What would have happened if Arisato-san was in his apartment when it collapsed? Would you have noticed?" She poked at Taiga even more, and Taiga seemed to melt. Leaning onto the table whilst sniffling.

"Uhm," Sakura's voice came next, and everyone turned to the shy girl. She squeaked at the sudden attention, but nonetheless, she trudged on. "I-I don't think that it's entirely Fujimura-san's fault. If anything, I think Arisato-san has as much responsibility as Fujimura-san." Sakura explained, garnering raised eyebrows from the occupants of the room.

""I don't think so," Rin's contradicted. "Arisato-san is a minor. And Fujimura-sensei should know where he lives. Should anything happen to the student, the teacher has to be the first one to know." Rin explained as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Everyone contemplated on what she said. After a few moments of silence, Saber spoke up. "I disagree with you Tohsaka-san. I believe Sakura-san to be in the right." Saber said, and everyone turned to the once great king.

"Oh?" Rin raised an eyebrow. "Please explain then Saber-san." She wasn't about to concede her point.

"Arisato-san should have informed Fujimura-san that his house had been demolished, and then an appropriate course of action would have been planned." Saber stated bluntly.

Rin looked at her owlishly for a moment, before her shoulders sagged into a visible sigh. "I concede to that Saber-san." Rin said, conceding to the fact that what Saber said was the easiest solution. Though, in her mind, she knew that was the easiest solution. She also knew that was the least feasible solution. Arisato had taken on Heracles head-on and came out unscathed. If anything, having him with her in Emiya's house would ensure that she had an eye on him.

"Thank you Sakura-chan~ Saber-chan~!" Taiga suddenly shouted as she stood up with a huge smile. "Wait a minute…." A sudden twitch on her facial features. And then her head slowly began turning towards one Shirou Emiya, who slowly backed away in fear.

"…" Taiga silently glared at the red haired teen. Shirou, sensing danger, immediately stood and bolted for the door.

He did not get far.

"That isn't the problem!" Taiga shouted as she managed to grab Shirou and envelope both her arms on his waist, before she promptly flipped him, sending him head first to the floor with a suplex.

With a loud crash, Shirou's head impacted on the floor.

Silence, no one knew how to react to that strange interaction.

From the silence came a voice and it was a loud one. Which was also acoompanied by thunderous applause from the person who spoke.

"Amazing! Truly a sight! I did not know you dabbled in wrestling Taiga! I myself am quite knowledgeable in the sport itself!" It was Heracles who spoke whilst clapping his hands. His eyes filled with wonder at seeing a female so easily flip a man over her shoulders.

XxX

The initial confusion had been cleared up. And now everyone was silently discussing their new sleeping arrangements.

And when I say discussing, it was mostly Taiga dictating people on where to sleep, when to use the bathroom, and glaring at Shirou.

"So we are in agreement?" It was Saber's voice that cut through the air. Everyone nodded their heads in confirmation. "Then it is settled. The men will have the west wing at the end of the premises, and the women will have the east wing." She paused a little at those words.

In truth, she wanted to be next to her Master. But by the insistence of both her Master, Taiga, and Sakura that no one would hurt Shirou, she conceded. She settled for the room closest to the west wing, where she could just sprint down the hall and get to Shirou's room without fuss.

"The time for using the bathrooms are as follows. Women will use the bathroom from 8 to 10pm. Whilst the men will use the bathroom from 10:30 to 11:30pm." Rin continued. Everyone nodded at that. The reason for the thirty minute break from 10 to 10:30 was obvious. It was there so that women would have thirty minutes before the men decided to use the bath at all.

Taiga nodded her head. Smiling all the while she did so. "Then it's settled. Shirou!" Taiga turned towards Shirou, who flinched slightly at her gaze. "Greet your guests!" She shouted/ordered him to.

Shirou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he stood, turning towards the people that he would be living it for now.

"Well, there's nothing else to say at this point. So I just hope that we'll get along without much fuss. Welcome to my house." Shirou greeted and bowed at the people.

There was silence, before a round of laughter made him look up in confusion.

It was Taiga who was laughing, clutching her stomach as she did so. The laughter seemed to be infectious, as Shirou found himself chuckling as well.

Soon, the whole room was engulfed in laughter. A sense of slight friendliness in the air permeated.

Everyone laughed, all except one. Who was watching the entire scene without much feeling.

XxX

Soon, Taiga and Sakura left the house. They were pretty put-off that they had to leave so soon. But they conceded to leaving when Shjrou pointed out that it was still a school night and they had school tomorrow.

So with a light heart and a full belly, both women left the Emiya household.

And as soon as they stepped out of the premises, a cold feeling washed over the entire premises.

Shirou tensed as he made his way back to the living room, where he had left everyone to see the two women out. When he opened the door, he wasn't surprised to see that everyone had grim expressions on their faces.

Saber was quietly darting her eyes back and forth. Her gaze lingered on Minato for a brief second, a look of slight guilt was on it for a brief second, before she turned away from the blue haired man.

Rin was quietly sipping on her tea, eyes closed and humming an unknown tune. Her entire body seemed relaxed, but he knew that Rin was just as tense as he was.

Illya didn't seem to know why the air seemed to be so cold when just a moment ago it was pretty warm. She looked back and forth at the occupants, confusion clear on her face.

Heracles… was Heracles. He lifted the weights that he found with a jovial expression as his gaze was on Illya. But for a brief moment, Shirou saw his expression turn into a grim one as he darted his eyes left and right for a split second. Should Shirou have blinked, he was sure that he would have missed that movement.

The last occupant of the room was sitting on the floor, his knees bended inwards and his body straight. His eyes closes and his breathing steady. And unlike Rin, Shirou knew that he really was relaxed. Almost to the point of sleeping in fact, as he could see his shoulders sag a bit and his body lengthen. His mouth didn't open however, but Shirou knew a covered yawn when he saw one.

Shirou entered the room and slid the door closed behind him. He then promptly made his way next to Rin, he sat down on the floor. His eyes closed as he waited for the inevitable.

In truth, he was thankful that Taiga was such an airhead sometimes. She had forgotten about it almost as soon as it was brought up. But he knew that she would pester him about it tomorrow morning.

Sakura however, he knew was just as worried as Saber for him. She didn't speak up about it during the course of the night, but Shirou knew that she was worried. He managed to catch a glimpse of her looking at his arm with a worried expression a couple of times that night. But, either due to shyness or courtesy, she didn't bring the subject up anymore.

He was thankful for them both. He knew however, that it was inevitable that it would be brought up again tonight.

"Master-"

"Shirou. Saber, call me Shirou." Shirou corrected Saber as soon as the word Master came out of her mouth. She seemed taken aback at the suddenness, but as she stared at Shirou, looking him dead in the eyes. She found conviction in them and she couldn't help but concede. She nodded at him and started her sentence again.

"Shirou," She began, her eyes darting towards his arm. Thankfully, Shirou had the common sense to change his clothes before Taiga could be reminded about them. He was surprised however, that when he removed his clothes, he could not find the wound that had caused him pain mere hours ago. There wasn't even a scar to prove that it was there. It was simply gone. "About your wound. Where did you get it?" Saber asked. Shirou sighed as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Shirou began to roll up his long-sleeved shirt. Everyone watched as he did so, and what they saw, or rather, what they didn't see surprised them all.

There was no wound, and there was no scar. It was like the wound that had been inflicted on him hadn't existed in the first place.

"Wait a minute!" It wasn't Saber that shouted those words. It was Rin's. Everyone turned towards Rin, who had her eyes on Shirou, shock evident on her face. "I saw your wound! It was deep, and even with my gems, you can't have healed that fast!" Rin shouted as she glared at Shirou's arm. She refused to believe that he simply healed that fast. There was no feasible way the wound that deep could have healed in just a few hours. Even with her magic, that just wasn't feasible.

Shirou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Not really sure how to answer for the loss of his wounds.

"Nonetheless," To everyone's surprise. It was Minato who had spoken up, everyone turned to the blue haired man. "Your wound may be gone, but you were still inflicted with one. Can you tell us how you got said wound Emiya-kun?" Minato asked with a calm voice. Minato turned towards Shirou, awaiting for an answer. Soon, everyone finally understood what Minato was doing, and they turned towards Shirou, awaiting his answer.

"Well," Shirou said as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "I got it from a Servant."

No words could describe the following silence as those words escaped his lips.

The air grew several degrees colder, and Shirou had to back away in fright as he saw the deadly look his Servant was giving him.

"It seems," Saber's voice was steady as she stood up and began to walk towards Shirou. Her gait straight and true. "My Master is more pigheaded then I first thought."

Minato offered Shirou a silent prayer.

And as Minato watched the interaction between Master and Servant. He couldn't help but let a small smile spread across his lips.

XxX

"….yes, this is a most unprecedented occurance. And in any case, I felt that I must report this to you. This is the first time this has happened in any grail war." Kotomine relayed his message as he spoke on the phone. In truth, he hadn't wanted to bring this occurrence up to his higher ups. The people at the Clock Tower wouldn't care. As anything East of the middle east was nothing newsworthy.

Those at the church would most likely send someone over to confirm his report. And that was what was troubling for Kotomine. Should the person who came to check on Grail war find any trace of Angra Mainyu, then all his plans would go down the drain. The Church wouldn't hesitate at all in destroying the Grail.

So it was with a heavy heart did he make the phone calls to his higher ups. The first ones he called was to those at the Clock Tower who deemed the Grail war at least a bit interesting. Though he knew that the Grail was of immense power, the people in the Clock Tower merely saw it as a tool that the people in the East fought over.

True, there had been people that were drawn to the Grail's wish granting power. After the fourth war, where only a handful of people survived, no one wanted to come close to the grail. Apparently, someone from the previous grail war managed to survive and come back to the Clock Tower, and the way he relayed his experience was good enough to scare away potential Masters.

Not that he would care about those potential Masters. Those who wouldn't lay down their lives to have their wishes granted did not deserve to fight in this tournament. Only the strongest would survive, and he wouldn't stand for someone weak to win the grail. No, he needed someone strong to win, and when they did win, he would watch as their wish would be granted, but be perverted to the point of being hellish.

He knew that should anyone ever win the grail war, the grail would pervert the wish, and it would find a way to destroy those around it. The potency of perversion and destruction however, would only go as far as how big the wish was.

If the winner wanted nothing more than to live forever. The Grail would grant it upon them and they would suffer for all eternity. They would never die, as they had wished, but they would be subjected to torture for the rest of their immortal life.

Now, should the wish be as large as say, 'To change the world.' Then that was when he would make his move. The Grail would pervert that wish, and change the world. Change the world true death and suffering. And then when everyone would succumb to this punishment, he would wait, wait for the one that granted that wish. And then he would ask him if this was what it wanted. If this was what it aimed for.

Only when the being would answer, would he ever feel at peace.

He held back a chuckle at that. Truly that was a selfish reason, but it was enough for him to seek the end of it.

He turned his attention back to the person on the other end on the phone. Not really caring in the least as to what they had to say.

Currently, the father was talking to a Church's representative. He relayed the situation, and to his disappointment, they reacted the way he thought they would.

They would be sending someone to check on the Grail and to get to the bottom of it. They did not divulge the name, only telling him to 'Get ready.'

And for some reason or another, the priest actually felt cold air wash over him.

He caught himself however as he thanked the representative and hung up. Letting out a silent sigh. He then rolled up his sleeve slightly so he could look at his watch. A watch that was given to him by his father.

He let out a slight scowl. Lancer hadn't come back since that morning. Whatever that Servant was doing, it was enough to garner his suspicions.

He rolled back his sleeve and picked up the phone once more. He would deal with Lancer later. Right now he needed to check on his ward. His ever troublesome little ward that seemed to hate him for some reason or another.

Not that he could blame her, he couldn't trust himself sometimes as well.

XxX

After the explanation Shirou had offered managed to calm down his seething Servant. Minato doubled over as a painful sensation ripped through his mind and soul.

He let out a groan of pain, eliciting the others attention. Shirou was the first to stand, as he made his way over towards Minato.

"Arisato-san? Are you alright?" He asked, slight apprehension in his voice. Minato only held up one hand and waved him away.

"I'm fine." Was all he said as he shook his head. These headaches seemed to happen often now. Ever since yesterday, when he had first laid his eyes on Saber, he could feel a slight nudging in his mind and soul. Almost as if calling out for something. Though the words were lost to him, which confused him greatly. The only thing he knew was that when these headaches left him, a brief sense of clarity would wash over him. And then he would suddenly know 'something'. What this something was, he didn't know.

"Well," Minato turned his head, only to stare at Rin who had a scowl on her face. "You don't look fine. Why don't you tell us about it?" Though those words held some sort of sincerity in them. Like she actually held some sort of compassion for him. He knew that she wanted to know more, her words may betray her. But her soul did not.

Nonetheless however, he would not answer. They would never believe him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but a short glimpse of white hair made him stop, his mouth still agape. He turned his head, and was met with the slightly apprehensive face of Illya. She watched him closely, trying to discern what made his head hurt.

The very sight of the young girl made him think about whether he should tell all of them.

Illya believed him without question, but would that also translate to the other occupants of the same room?

He knew that the only way to answer that question was to just tell them everything. But the feeling of getting rejected resurfaced within him. He wasn't from this world. And though the world wouldn't reject him consciously. They would still reject him subconsciously. After all, he was an anomaly of this world. He did not originally belong in this world. And he knew from experience that anything odd would be left out of the picture.

Truly he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The world would accept him without question, but it would not accept him. The one that saved the World, his World. The one that had the power of Gods within himself. The one that held Death and Rage within him. The one that bore mans burden without as much as a 'why?'.

And though he could accept himself. Himself would accept him. They would still remain with him, even if he was rejected. Though one thought still made him wonder if he should tell them at all.

The World – his World – rejected him already. What's stopping this world from doing the same?

He clasped his mouth shut as he stared at the ceiling. Refusing to meet anyone's eyes. He merely sat there, staring up at the ceiling. The feeling of rejection and acceptance still lingering within him.

These feelings were complex, he knew that. But without confirmation from Her, the one that apparently accepted him without so much as a question.

When it became obvious that Minato wasn't going to answer the question, Rin let out a low grumble. "Figures." She spat. Her tone of voice dripping with venom.

"O-oi Tohsaka!" Shirou chided. Rin raised an eyebrow at Shirou, before her words finally sank in. She let out a short gasp as she clasped her hands over her mouth in surprise.

That tone was reserved only for the enemy, why had she?

"It's quite fine." Minato's voice echoed across the room. And though he said those words without hesitation. They could feel slight sorrow emanating from those same words.

"Arisato-san. I don't know what came o-"

"I said it's fine Tohsaka-san. There is no need to apologize." Minato tried to sound nonchalant. But even he himself wouldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth.

A pregnant silence stilled the occupants of the room. The awkwardness of it all was thick. No one dared speak, lest they do something even more damning.

So it was to their relief, that Minato broke the silence for them all. Minato stood and faced Shirou and Rin. His eyes not meeting theirs.

A few moments passed, before Minato did something that caught both Shirou and Rin off guard. He apologized.

He apologized for going crazy that day, that he almost killed Shinji, that he let his anger reign over him. He apologized, embarrassing both Shirou and Rin.

"If you two hadn't been there, I don't know what I would have done." He said. Shirou rubbed the back of his head, chuckling sheepishly as he did so. Rin turned away from Minato, a faint glow in her cheeks, flustered at the suddenness of his apology.

"I can't say that I accept that you just lost it," Shirou stated as he stood up. Staring Minato in the eye. Both men held onto it. Both refusing to look away. "But I can accept that you are man enough to take responsibility for it." Shirou stated as he held out his hand. Surprising Minato at the gesture.

Minato eyed the hand in apprehension. This was such an obvious gesture of trust, he didn't know whether to accept it.

"Come on now," Rin's voice echoed from behind Shirou. Minato looked behind Shirou, only to see the scowling face of Rin. "Don't leave him like that. Just take the hand and shake it. It's painfully obvious that you're human, and being human means you have emotions."

Minato looked back and forth, from Shirou to Rin. Trying to discern what they wanted from him.

It wasn't until he felt a hand on his shoulder did he snap out of his thoughts.

He glanced behind him, and he saw the same man as him. The same man with almost identical problems.

It was Archer. The same person that was betrayed by everything he truly lived for. The same person that more reason to understand him then anyone in this world.

"Oh," Rin's voice sounded once more. "And where have you been to my little Servant?" She asked. Archer however, didn't answer.

Instead, he continued to stare at Minato. A blank look on his face.

Finally, Archer nodded. And Minato understood what he wanted him to do.

Minato turned around and clasped Shirou's hand with his own. "Thank you. For understanding." Minato said, looking straight in Shirou's eyes.

Shirou let out a smile as he did so.

It wasn't until a few seconds in that posture did someone break the companionable silence.

"Ne Emiya-kun." It was Rin's voice that broke it. Shirou looked back, only to stare at Rin's smirking face. "Don't tell me you're really bi?"

Shirou sputtered, and he instantly let go of Minato's hand. Shouting at Rin about teasing. Minato could only look on in amusement.

He looked behind him, and Minato saw Archer smirk down at him. He smirked back at the tall tanned man.

It seems like they were already looking out for each other. And he really liked it, the feeling of being looked out for. He made a mental note to do the same for Archer.

After all, two people that were rejected by the world were bound to understand each other.

XxX

I'm cutting this here. Lest I show more than I should have.

Anyway, this chapter is way too long. So I'm cutting it into two. Needless to say, the second part will have Lancer, the new Berserker, and Kirei. This part is more about the balance of the new team that would be Minato, Shirou, Rin, Saber, Archer, Illya, and Heracles.

Truth be told people, there are no two other people as relatable to each other as Minato and Archer in this fic. Both were betrayed by their World. So it would be obvious that they would understand each other to a certain degree. Archer knew Minato was lonely, that he felt that he would forever be alone. And he did his best to actually shove him to people that would actually accept him. Now, since Archer is really just an older and cynical Shirou. Then he knew more than anyone how Shirou would actually accept him without much fuss.

As for Archer suddenly appearing into thin air. Though it may seem half-assed or whatever. Him being there will actually be explained in the next chapter. Needless to say, it is related to Lancer.

Not much happening in this chapter you say? I disagree. I'm setting up the future of Minato with the Fate cast. Needless to say that Minato will gradually begin to get closer to each and everyone of them all. But right now, only two people actually seem to accept him. Those two are Archer and Illya. Shirou is still slightly apprehensive about him, but he already has a little understanding for the complex character that is Minato Arisato.

Also. Big news. I got a hundred reviews…. Words cannot describe my ecstasy at this. It's an amazing feeling to see it get this far in so little chapters. Thank you guys. Thank you from the bottom of my black heart. Don't take that seriously. :P

Anyway, the next chapter will have more action in it instead of dialogue. I hope I didn't scare too many people with this chapter's somewhat boring showing.

C.O.Y.L out, peace!

P.S: Again, I have not proofread this chapter. I'm getting lazy in regards to that. -_- Anyone wanna beta?