An Opportunity of Fate Part 7
Shirou Emiya-
Shirou was angry. It wasn't that he was fighting. In truth he actually enjoyed fighting, pitting his strength against another. He didn't mind getting hurt as long as it wasn't serious. Pain was an effective motivator to improve his skills.
No, it was that they were attacking Ayako too. For all he knew Sakura was in danger as well. And while Ayako had training, Sakura did not.
Threats against himself were relatively unimportant and would be dealt with in a relatively honourable fashion so long as the opposition didn't try any tricks. If they did all bets were off.
And Shirou had been coached by Kiritsugu in the arts of combat pragmatism. Kiritsugu had even hired a few teachers to give him hands on training so he would know what to do if the moment called for it. Which according to his father was always, but Shirou still clung to his honor.
When he could.
But this was going to far. They were threatening his friends.
Were they stupid? Shirou would get involved if he saw someone needed help. What kind of response did they expect when he was pushed to defend those he had promised to protect?
And he had given his word to Shinji that Sakura would not be hurt.
In the back of his head a trigger was set to fire. "Trace on." His circuit flared to life and prana surged into him. He shaped the power into standard reinforcement. He was still new to it, still needed an aria to make it work without too much risk. Softly he said in English:
Molten from the forge
Hammer Strikes Anvil to Shape
A Blade forged Anew
Rin had laughed at him when she heard it. A three line aria for such a simple spell. But it worked for him. He could feel as the power rushed to his body, strengthening it. He didn't use the speed boost much, as seeming tough was one thing, inhuman another.
But while he had knocked a few of his assailants back and had kept them from simply swarming him, Ayako hadn't been so lucky.
And he couldn't see Sakura. He had promised Shinji he would protect her. More he had promised her he would protect her.
"I will be in your care, sempai" Her smile bright and wistful.
That was what she had said and not more than twenty minutes later he had failed her. The bullies were out for blood and payback, how far would they be willing to hurt someone he considered a friend.
How could he call himself a hero if he couldn't even save his friends?
Shirou stopped limiting himself, he pushed himself and his limits hard. Between his magic, his training and his instincts he was winning. Simply not fast enough. Each passing moment was a moment that Sakura could be hurt or… No, not going to go there.
They wouldn't do that would they?
One of the bullies straddled Ayako at the waist holding her arms with his hands. Another securing her legs. He reached down to steak a kiss.
She head-butted him. Then used him to knock the other boy off of her.
Shirou had to smile at the sight, even as he faced off against the three boys that were still fighting him. His body was warm from the fight and from the constant pulse of magic that surged into him. If only he could figure an outlet for it. There were limits to Reinforcement, and he had reached his current limits.
They sought to surround him now, no longer hampered by the mass of combatants. These last few could actually fight. Simply not well enough.
Another one went down to a solid punch. A very solid punch. It had felt different to Shirou when he landed it. There had been a tingle like an electric shock as it had landed.
He didn't care. He had to hurry. He dodged his opponent's blows. They seemed to be moving so slowly now. Another quick blow and another opponent folded. He turned to finish off his last target.
But the boy collapsed before Shirou could hit him. Ayako had beaten him to the punch.
He looked at his friend. She looked a bit worse for wear, her clothes disheveled and several bruises already beginning to show. "Did you see what happened to Sakura."
Ayako panted out, "One of them. Took her. Around the corner." She looked around. "I can't believe we won."
Shirou ran to where Ayako had pointed, fearing the worst. Sakura lay in the shadows, unconscious. Her clothes were more than disheveled, her blouse partly undone and pushed up on her belly. Her skirt had been pushed down slightly, but nothing more than that. She was sweating but her breathing was even and slow. She had a slight smile on her face.
But she stank of burnt honey, the scent of a heavy fog, and a trace of other unusual smells. Magecraft. She stank of magecraft.
As did the boy across from her. He was huddled in a tiny pool of sunlight, rocking back and forth. He was muttering various Shinto prayers, and calling on Ameratsu to save him. He had also fouled himself.
Shirou reached down and picked up the boy by the throat. His reinforcement was still in play and he continued to feed it. "What happened here."
He gibbered and moaned incoherently, struggling not to break free from his grasp, but to stay in the sunlight.
Shirou lifted the boy slightly past eye level, high enough that the boy's feet no longer touched the ground. Ha! Rin might laugh at a three line aria for Reinforcement, but it lasted and it was stable. There were only a few things he could do as well or better than her. Most of them fairly useless. But could she hold more than her body weight at arm's length for more than a few seconds?
He thought not.
There was a gasp. Ayako stared at him as she staggered around the corner. "I know you work out, Emiya. But this is ridiculous."
Shirou asked again, "What happened here?"
The man dangled and made choking noises.
Ayako said, "You know, while what you are doing is impressive as hell, and incredibly intimidating, if he can't get enough air to breathe he won't be able to tell you anything."
Shirou tossed him down. "Talk!"
The boy screamed as part of his body entered shadow and he rapidly crawled over to Ayako. "I promise I will be good! I will never do it again. Just don't let it get me!"
Ayako gently rested a hand on his head, "We will. As long as you are good. Now tell us what happened?"
The teen was shaking now, "I will be good now. I promise. I was going to hurt the girl. I liked the power that it gave me to watch them be so helpless when I, when I…. And then it came. It came and…" His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed.
Shirou looked at disgust at the boy who had tried to hurt Sakura. Part of him wanted to kick him even while he was down and unconscious. But he didn't. No matter what this teen may have done, right now he was helpless. Given how poorly things had gone, Shirou wasn't sure how good of a hero he was, but there were limits.
Shirou looked at Ayako. "Mitsuzuri. Do you trust me?"
No hesitation. "Yes."
Shirou nodded thanks. "I need to get Sakura to someone who can help her."
Ayako pulled out a cell phone. "I can call an ambulance right now…"
Shirou stopped her. "That isn't the kind of help she needs. Something strange happened here. Just look at Sakura's hair. There is white amongst the purple. Call home for me. Tell them what happened here and that I am going to get some help for Sakura." He reached down and picked up Sakura.
"Emiya! Shirou! Where are you going?"
Shirou looked back at Ayako, "It is better you don't know." And he ran with Sakura in his arms.
He knew that Rin and Sakura didn't exactly get along. The two avoided each other on the occasions that he invited they happened to meet. Shirou didn't know what had happened between them, but surely Rin would want to help here.
Magic had been involved, and this was her city. She might not like Sakura, but she had to help her.
Right?
Shirou continued to run. Hoping his ill-tempered teacher would help his friend whom he had failed. She had to. Shirou had promised he would protect Sakura.
He had sworn to his father he would protect his friends. That to fail them was to fail to be a hero. He could save the world, but he needed to save them FIRST.
And he ran
-Scene Break—
Ayako Mitsuzuri –
Ayako shook her head as she watched Shirou run at full speed carrying Sakura. Did he even realize how ridiculous he was? The man was sprinting, while carrying a friend, after fighting a battle that had left Ayako battered and bruised up.
Heck it hurt to move, let alone run. And yet Shiro was sprinting away, seeming as fresh as a morning in Spring.
Ayako rolled her shoulders. "It is just so not fair." Part of her wanted to be the one Shirou was cradling in his arms and worried over. But it would mean being the helpless maiden.
And Ayako wasn't willing to do that for anyone.
Of course she had come very close to it here herself. Memory of the weight of that boy as he pinned down her arms and attempted a kiss….
Ayako shivered. If their opponents hadn't been fools, things could have been worse. Still they had won. The bullies that had fought them had mostly fled.
Still no need to take chances. She made the call.
Moments later several cars filled with men following Taiga Fujimura arrived on the scene. Huh? Taiga had only asked if she needed a pick up and where Shirou had gone.
And Taiga was wearing a sword. It was not the dreaded Torashinai, which even Ayako feared, if only from watching it being used to pummel Shirou again and again. This was a real sword, and Taiga was caressing its hilt.
The fact the men that were pouring out of the car looked like gangsters didn't help. Of course, even Ayako knew that Taiga's father was involved with the local Yakuza, but this was ridiculous.
What had she gotten herself involved in? What would her dad think? Or heavens help her, her grandfather?
Taiga stomped over to Ayako. "Where is Shirou? Where is Sakura?"
Ayako sighed, "I told you. He said he was going someplace that she would be safe. Maybe he took her home. I don't know."
Taiga looked down at the unconscious man laying at Ayako's feet. "This was one of those involved in ambushing Shirou?"
"Yes. He tried to do something to Sakura. But something stopped him. He was frightened of the shadows."
While the rest of the men canvased the area, two of the men stood by Taiga. One was older and dressed in a suit. He almost looked like a lawyer. But his face an interesting collection of knife scars. As did his hands.
The younger one should have simply worn a sign that said 'thug.' He spit off to the side and muttered something semi-pious and made a motion with his hands. "You do not mess with a Matou." He shivered.
The older one simply said, "Superstition, Negi. Simple superstition." He looked at the teen closely. "He doesn't look like he has been in a fight at all. And yet…. " He looked up at Taiga, "Do you want me to take him with us, or turn him over to the authorities. You know the possibilities of what might be involved here."
Taiga nodded for a moment. She drew the blade and rested it against the prone teen.
Ayako knew Taiga. She was a ditz. She was also a skilled athlete, but primarily a ditz. What was she doing here and why was she holding a sword of all things to an unconscious boy?
And was it just here or were their little blue shadows playing across the blade. It was her imagination right?
Taiga said something to the older gentleman in English. He nodded and both he and the other man lifted the teen off the ground.
Taiga sheathed the blade in one swift motion and then looked at Ayako. It was a serious weighing look, one that Ayako wasn't used to seeing on Taiga. "Tell me everything that happened here."
Ayako told Taiga everything. Somehow she didn't seem scatter brained at all at the moment. Her gaze was intent as Ayako told Taiga everything. The woman seemed very tense for some reason. When she finished Taiga sighed. She turned and said something to the well-dressed older man.
They conversed for a moment before Taiga's head dropped and she nodded. Taiga turned to, " Ayako, Mr. Ayase will take you home now. If I hear anything about Sakura or Shirou, I will call you. " She then turned and called to the others who had come with her. They got in the other cars and left.
Ayako turned to face Mr. Ayase. "I can walk from here. There is no need for you to take me home."
He smiled and bowed at her, "Oh, I insist Miss Mitsuzuri. Don't worry, I already knew where the Assistant Director's home is. Just like he knows where I live. Come. I have a few things to speak with you about." He got in the car.
Ayako stared at the car. She should just walk. It would be the sane thing to do. It really wasn't that far, even banged up as she was, it wouldn't be a hassle.
And he knew her father and his position. He was possibly a member of the Yakuza. Of course if they had wanted to abduct her wouldn't they have tried already?
She found herself calmly getting in the car.
Mr. Ayase began to drive. He did not ask directions and was going the right way. Maybe her actions hadn't been suicidal as she had feared. Or maybe she had been hanging out with Emiya so much his recklessness was starting to rub off.
Ayako wasn't sure. Only that life was beginning to become undone at the seams. And her damnable curiosity was drawing her into something she wasn't sure she really wanted to be part of.
Mr. Ayase softly said, "You my dear Mitsuzuri have some dangerous friends." He snorted. "Of the top five most dangerous families to be involved with in Fuyuki you are friends with four. And no, I am not talking about your family either, although considering whom your father is and more who your grandfather is you probably crack the top ten."
Ayako looked down and tried to think who he meant. Sure she knew that the Fujimura's were involved in some shady stuff. And the Matou had a fairly nasty history attached to it, but those had only been allegations. No one had proved anything. Besides, Sakura wasn't an important figure anyway. She was much too meek and too nice. Who else?
"Heh. You probably don't even realize. You should ask your dad, or better yet your grandfather. He probably has tales of it, no doubt." He paused, "The thing is kid, I don't think you realize just who you are getting involved with. Or what it might cost you. You are still young enough to cut ties. Otherwise you might find your boat tied to the fate of another."
"You think I should abandon my friends?" Ayako challenged Mr. Ayase.
He chuckled, "Didn't say that. But you should keep your eyes open and actually think about the path ahead of you. Like that Matou girl that you are so fond of. Did you even know she is the Matou family heir? She is loaded." He shook his head wryly, "That little girl seems so sweet, but there is steel under all that velvet. I have known people like that. If that girl goes bad, we will all feel it. Won't even see it coming, attacked from the shadows. Everything indirect."
Ayako flinched. She couldn't imagine Sakura being like that.
"Ah, Miss, didn't say that would happen. But it could. And if you stayed by her side, the way you have been, you would be there with her. Her lieutenant. Her second perhaps. Who knows. Or you could fall into Emiya's orbit, the poor fool. He wants to be a hero, wants to save the world. Only he's not a charismatic leader, the man has the skills of a fighter. A born warrior. If he goes off to save the world, you can expect the body count to be high." Again a small snort, "But then you were by his side when he took on ten bullies. And you fought with him. You must be a tough little girl."
"We won, didn't we?"
He glanced over at her, "Little girl, I didn't say he wouldn't win. I said his path would be paved with bodies." He shook his head slightly, "Ah, youth. So many possibilities. So easy to see the world as black and white, to not notice the grey until it is too late."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I recognize you. You have perfect Lieutenant written all over you. Someone could give you a task and if it was something you were competent in, it would get done, no worries. I don't think Emiya or that Matou girl have recognized it in you, heck, you probably haven't either. As I said, young." He stopped the car. "We are here."
Ayako looked and saw her house. Her father was standing at the gate. She looked over to Mr. Ayase. He was smiling and waving at her father. "Thank you."
"No problem, kid. A friend of the Tiger is a friend of the Fujimura's" He winced, "Just uh, don't go telling Taiga that I…."
Ayako smiled, "Your secret is safe with me." She turned to face her father.
He walked over to her and looked at her. He then pulled her close, "I am so glad you are safe!"
She held onto her father and felt his warmth. She began to shake. All that had happened to her. All that Mr. Ayase had told her as he had driven her home. All the impossibilities of what made Shirou Shirou.
"Hush daughter, everything will be fine."
Ayako breathed in deeply, "Thank you, Dad."
Her father looked down at her, his eyes still worried, "I am thinking of sending you to a different school. And perhaps to a different dojo. Things have gotten dangerous since….."
Ayako backed away and crossed her arms. "Since I started to make friends? Since I protected a little girl from being bullied? Or is it because of who that little girl's family turned out to be?"
Her father was silent.
Mr. Ayase had said that she was friends with four of the top five most dangerous families. He had mentioned the Matou and the Emiya. She had a feeling that he included the Fujimura in that number. Could her father tell her who the fourth was? And was it a factor in his possible dicision?
She glared up at him.
"Jin, Ayako, that is enough." Said a voice she hadn't expected.
Her father looked resigned.
"Grandfather?" She turned to see her old grandfather standing there staring at her with worried eyes.
"Come with me child. I need you to tell me everything that happened today." He turned to face her father, "You can question her later."
Ayako was confused now. Why was her grandfather here. Why did he seem so worried. Sure she had been in a fight. Sure she could have gotten hurt, possibly assaulted. They were acting like it was the end of the world. She followed her grandfather into her father's office and closed the door behind her.
She sat in the large seat in front of the desk as her grandfather took her father's seat. "Why are you here, grandfather?"
He shook his head, "I need you to tell me everything."
"Everything about the fight?"
"That would be a good start. I have already told your mother we would be having a working dinner. You have a lot to tell me, more than you think most likely. The sooner we begin, the sooner it will be over."
Ayako took a deep breath and began her story.
-Scene Break—
Issei Ryuudo-
Issei sighed as he placed the fifth slip of paper. He couldn't help but feel silly. He had made these himself back at home. Doctor Furino had been happy to see that his penmanship was masterful.
It was nice to see that his father's forcing him to learn traditional calligraphy had finally come in useful.
Apparently the Temple actually sold some of these charms to tourists.
Only, according to the good Doctor, his actually worked. Sort of.
"Yes, yes, that is right boy. Proper placement is key." The Doctor stood a few feet away, his head weaving left and right. Trying to see if the placement was right.
Issei placed the paper slip against the wall and it stuck. "Why are we doing this again?"
"You will be going to the local high school, right? The Homurahara Gakuen?"
"Yes, and?"
"You are not ready to save the city, let alone the world. So we will start small. I want you to protect your school."
Issei stared at the man who his father had commanded him to learn from. But so much of what he had learned seemed pointless. Even the good Doctor said that both of them were incredibly weak. "What is the point?"
"Big things are made of little things. Even the mightiest warrior must watch his footing for something small lest he trip on it. A truly powerful practitioner would likely be able to use one charm to have an effect. Both of us are fairly weak. But several charms positioned carefully support each other and provide strength and stability."
Issei stared at the tiny slip of paper that was stuck to the load bearing wall. "But this was supposed to be the last. I don't feel any changes."
The Doctor smiled, "Say the chant."
Issei sighed and did what he was told. As he finished he opened his eyes. It was subtle.
But something had changed.
The Doctor smiled, "Very good, my boy. A very good start. Now we will need a map of your school so we can plan." He walked toward the exit of the small house they had worked on.
Issei followed him, deep in thought. Maybe his studying this wasn't the waste of time he had assumed. When he had finished the chant, the house had suddenly felt safe. Protected.
Maybe he would never be a flashy hero like Emiya wanted to be. But perhaps there was a similarity to them after all.
He was smiling ever so slightly as he followed his teacher
-Scene Break—
-Rin Tohsaka—
Rin smiled as she served a very old seeming Kiritsugu. "I have good news. Here." She slipped a package of photos over to him.
They were in her office again. It had seemed to become official. The Tohsaka Estate was where they conducted all of their business. She had even let Shirou and Kiritsugu install modern communication equipment in one of the other rooms.
She would never use it. What was the point? But both of them seemed to gain access to so much useful information so quickly…. Maybe after she had beaten some sense into Shirou, she would let him teach her a little about computers.
At least enough not to look like an idiot at school. Hmm, maybe she should start that sooner than later.
Kiritsugu opened the package. And sighed in wonder.
Tohsaka smiled. Her contacts had come through. The Eiznberns wouldn't even talk to her. But some of her father's old contacts had been willing to help her out. It had taken time, but apparently it had worked out well.
Kiritsugu slowly took out a picture. "She has grown so big." His eyes were wet, but even now he did not cry. His voice calm and even.
Tohsaka stared at Kiritsugu as he impassively looked through the photos. There were times he wondered if Kiritsugu and his son were human. She knew they had emotions, but they never seemed to express them in the right ways.
'Cry damn it, cry' She thought as she glared at Kiritsugu. She could feel tears of her own slip down her cheeks.
KIritsugu glanced at her, and smiled sadly. "I can never repay you. Never. This is something I would never have been able to do. Not now." He slowly put one hand to his eyes, "Excuse me."
Tohsaka just watched him as he rifled through the pictures.
"She looks so much like her mother." He stopped when he came to a different picture. "Did your contact say anything about him?" He turned the picture and showed it to her.
Ah. She was curious about that herself. Who or what was that giant? "He didn't say anything about the giant. Only that its appearance meant something problematic. He wasn't clear what it meant. He wanted to do some research first before worrying me."
Kiritsugu continued to look through the photographs. "If you don't mind my asking, who is this contact of yours. This seems too easy to me."
"Family. Not a Tohsaka, but family regardless." She sighed and looked down at the table. "You asked me years ago when I blew the horn that I had relatives from the West." She looked up at him, "I didn't say anything then, because I already knew that I did. My grandmother was from Finland. Anita Edelfeldt." RIn laughed softly, "She is the only one of my ancestors to draw a Saber, although hers was weakened by the fact her older sister also drew a Saber."
Kiritsugu's eyes tightened, "What was his price."
"He said that he wanted to meet with me. That he would likely be in Japan in a year or so, and he wished to meet with me then."
"Princess… That is such a risk. Particularly from a family that hates yours. You are the last of your line. If they hate you enough..."
"I will take precautions. I will make sure I have Shirou with me for one."
Kiritsugu's eyes tightened. "And how are my son's lessons going?"
Rin sighed and looked down at the desk. "Your son is perhaps the most frustrating student of mage craft I have read about." She looked up, "And it is not as if he doesn't try. But even now he can't reliably Reinforce other objects. He gets it almost perfect, then a secondary surge of energy flows in and bang, the object is ruined. That is one thing. But he has figured out a way to do personal Reinforcement." She waved her hands, "It takes a three line aria, but hey, it works."
"But that is more complicated than…."
"Yes. This is what I mean by frustrating." She reached behind her back and pulled out a hammer. "You know I have him work on my house, both for training and for payment. He created this hammer last week."
Kiritsugu took the hammer and examined it.
Rin said softly, "Even a week later it is still solid. Nothing I make with Gradient Air lasts half as long." She barked a bit of laughter, "Who am I kidding. Most of what I make doesn't last the day. He is not as strong as I am, he doesn't seem to have ANY elemental affinity…."
"He doesn't?"
"Not that I am aware of. And outside of Projection, Alteration, and Reinforcement, he is down to using Formal Craft for even basic things. That seems to work for him somewhat, although he hates it."
Both of them said, "Too slow."
Rin smiled, "Basically."
Kiritsugu sighed and said, "And despite the fact he lacks talent he is still determined to carry on?"
Rin shook her head, "Yes. I have never met such a stubborn individual. I think that if I hadn't opened his circuit he would have forged a new one every single night." She shivered, "I can only imagine how much that hurt."
Kiritsugu sighed deeply, "Thank you for saving my stubborn son."
Rin shook her head, "He really is the perfect assistant. I don't know if he will ever be a full scale magus, but as an assistant he is excellent. And given how much your contacts have helped my finances…." She looked deeply at Kiritsugu, "You do realize that my financial advisor has connections with the Yakuza?"
"Well yes. He is however scrupulously honest." Kiritsugu smiled, "He has to be, he is being tightly watched by the government."
Rin was about to comment when there was an impact on the House Boundary Field. "Did you feel that?"
Kiritsugu nodded.
Rin stood up and grabbed a gem from a drawer in her desk. It had a considerable amount of magic in it, nearly a year's worth. Her father had a more efficient system, but Rin hadn't mastered it yet. But then her father had been able to focus on a single element, RIn had to master all five.
The doorbell rang.
Rin opened the door, gem at the ready.
It was Shirou holding an unconscious Sakura in his arms. "Something has happened to Sakura. Please help her. I promised. I promised nothing bad would happen to her. Please…."
She closed her eyes and opened them, using her mage sight. Shirou was using his Reinforcement, that was obvious. But Sakura… She was covered in a clinging mist, almost like a moveable shadow. "Come with me."
"Take her to one of the guest rooms?"
"No. Take her, take her to the room next to mine."
Shirou looked at her strangely, "Um, I thought that room was off limits."
She glared at Shirou, "Just do it. She will be more comfortable there. I will be there in a moment." She ran into her room to fetch the tools she might need to help her sister.
Her room, unlike much of the house, was a bit of a mess. "I should have Shirou do a load of laundry for me." She absently tossed some of the clothes from the floor into a basket. Even though her mother had died last year, she still hadn't commandeered the master bedroom yet.
It would be like admitting that her parents were truly dead. It was stupid and foolish and she promised that next weekend she would have Shirou help her move everything. But for now, she just.. couldn't.
She brushed aside some of the stuffed animals on top of one of her chests in her room. There it was. She had a few medical kits stashed around the house, but this was the deluxe version. It had everything from bandages to magical charms to help break curses.
She liked to be prepared. Things always seemed to go wrong when ever things got serious. So she tried to be ready for those occasions.
Like right now for instance.
She paused a moment as she saw something else in her storage trunk. She stiffened at the sight. It was a framed picture. Of her and Sakura.
Tears came. She couldn't stop them.
There was a knock on the door, "Rin? I put Sakura on the bed, although it seemed a little small. It is more of a child's bedroom." There was a pause, "Rin? Are you okay?"
"Go away. I will be there in a moment. Just go away."
She could hear Shirou muttering to himself. She didn't care. She simply rocked back and forth. The girl who had been her sister was laying hurt in her old room. And Rin couldn't stop crying.
This was stupid. She had to be strong! She was a magus and a Tohsaka! These things were to be faced with elegance and poise. Pain was to be stoically accepted and avenged ruthlessly as necessary.
There was no point in crying. It solved nothing. It only showed weakness.
She felt a pair of arms awkwardly hold her. "Pull yourself together. Sakura needs you. Please. I don't, I don't know what is wrong?" He noticed the photo. "That is you and…." There was the sound of swallowing, "No wonder you were so eager to help Dad. You lost a sister of your own."
There was a pause while Rin tried to pull herself together. Shirou was totally clueless, but he was warm, He was warm, he was in her room, and he was… holding her.
Despite herself she felt her heart begin to speed up a little. This was… comfortable. Awkward, but comfortable.
Shirou said, "I am not too good with this stuff. But if ever you need to talk about your sister's death."
Rin said quickly, "She isn't dead." She turned to face him. He was so close. Her eyes drifted to his lips. What would they taste like? She had never kissed a boy before. "My sister is very much alive."
Shriou looked confused. "Then why?"
Rin smiled, "It is both very simple and very complicated." She looked fondly at Shirou's golden brown eyes. The timing for this was totally wrong. And it would complicate things.
But she was curious. She was a magus after all. Curiosity was one of the hallmarks of the breed. As was acceptance of consequence, even unknown consequences. Rin Tohsaka wanted to know what Shirou Emiya tasted like.
There was nothing romantic or anything about it. She was just… curious. That was all.
"I don't understand." A pause, "Rin? If your sister is alive, then why are you reacting like this?"
She pulled Shirou closer. The man never understood. She hadn't told him this because he was friends with Sakura, and knowing this could change the whole dynamics of their relationship. She said softly, inches away from his lips, "I know she is alive. Because Sakura IS my sister."
"RIn?" Came the worried response from Shirou, who was shaking a little, but still held her close.
Rin reached up with the hand that wasn't holding the photograph to her and gently pulled his lips to hers. There was a little fumbling for a moment while both of them tried to position themselves correctly. Rin giggled a little.
For a small moment their lips were connected. Then Shirou backed away. "What on Earth was that about?"
Rin wiped her tears from her face, "Just indulging in a little curiosity. Don't think it was anything major." She tossed her hair back.
Shirou just sat there a few feet away, his face flushed.
Rin glared at him, "What are you doing just sitting there. Sakura needs our help."
Shirou stood up and held a hand out to her. "Is she really your sister?"
Rin sighed and said, "Yes. But it is complicated. Just help me help her and I will tell you." She took the picture out. "I guess there is no point in hiding this anymore. Maybe there never was." She placed it on her dresser as Shirou took the medical kit.
And the two of them together went to help Sakura.
-Author's Note—
Well here we are in another transition chapter. There are certain actions I need various characters to take, and so the elaborate set up. As for the kiss at the end… Well sometimes when writing the characters seem to take the lead, for me at least. I am sure there will be fallout of some sort from it.
I hope you folks enjoy. If you have any questions or comments please let me know.
Oh, and I will be putting this under mature after this part. Not that next part is anymore salacious or gory than this one. But thinking about my story after asking last time, it will end up being mature at some point. Might as well make the switch now.
