Hello, I return with another snippet.
This one penned by One Piece of Infinity. It would appear that my own series of snippets inspired the guy, and he based it "sometime in the future of my own series of snippets."
Do Enjoy:
I was bored and wrote a random snippet, sorry if it's bad
Memories of Fakers
"Well, this is nostalgic."
Shirou stood before a large Japanese house, his trench coat billowing in the wind as he stared with fond eyes at the home he, or rather, most versions of him lived in, and which one probably lived in at that current moment. Slowly, he reached forward, his fingers brushing the…
"Uh boss, we've been standing here for the past thirty minutes already. What's so fascinating about this house?" OS asked from his belt, genuine confusion and impatience colouring his voice. Shirou sighed, and retracted his hand, used to but still annoyed by the weapon's complete inability to read the mood.
"Don't you know OS? This is the house I could have had, if circumstances were different," Shirou said softly, his eyes glazed over in memories, "If Emiya Kiritsugu had found me rather than my old man, I would have lived in this house, like most of my templates; lived an action-packed but orderly life, fighting for an ideal which I have never had; rather than this pointless chaotic jumping we always go on." He stared intently at the house again, hoping to catch a glimpse of the occupants. Was a version of him really there, living his life relatively peacefully? Or would he see Sakura, the purple-haired girl who always visited; or Rin, the tsundere genius magus, or Taiga, Illya, Saber – the names tumbled into his head, fond memories from his countless templates, but none of whom he had met in person.
Surprisingly, OS stayed silent at his side, not even making one normal witty remark on his behalf. Shirou broke off his examination to glance at the sword. "You feeling alright there OS?" he asked incredulously, "You're pretty quiet today OS, not a single innuendo or weird insult?"
"Why are you bringing this up now Shirou?" the sword asked sullenly, "Aren't you happy with what we've been through: you and me, jumping through the multiverse, experiencing all there is to experience?"
Shirou gave a short bark of laughter, then rested his hand on the gate once more, "Aha, our old motto. We haven't really mentioned it in a while, have we? I still remember how we first made that one up…"
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"Shirou, come here for a second. I've got something to give you before I go," Zelretch said, his tone tinged with uncharacteristic warmth. Shirou ran over with all the enthusiasm youth could bring, his golden eyes wide as he wondered what his normally cold father had brought him. "What is it dad?" he asked eagerly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, small trenchcoat billowing into place behind him.
With a small grin, Zelretch whipped out something from behind his back: a sword made of crystals, which seemed to glow from within. "This is the Kaleidosword, something I decided to make just for you," he said solemnly, "He'll take care of you when I'm gone. I've loaded him up with all sorts of features, and most importantly, the ability to travel through the multiverse. Can't really call you my son or apprentice if you couldn't do something basic like that can I? Go on, hold it," he urged, giving the child the glowing sword.
"Whoa, cool!" Shirou exclaimed, waving the sword around like a mini hurricane, striking poses every so often, like the comic book superheroes he heard about every so often. As he held the hilt, the light inside the crystal sword grew brighter, and suddenly a voice said, "Scanning. New owner found. Identity: Shirou Schweinorg. Settling into normal functions."
Shirou stopped quickly, and stared in amazement at the weapon in his hand. "Whoaaa, that's soooo cool‼" he gushed, his eyes twinkling as he held the sword closer to his face, trying to peer deep into the depths of the crystal. "Why thank you partner! It's always nice to be appreciated, even before we've been introduced!" the sword suddenly boomed out, causing Shirou to drop the sword in shock, "Though I can't say I really like being dropped so quickly, I'm not an inanimate object, I got feelings you know?" the sword continued, voice muffled slightly by the grass.
With a sigh, Zelretch picked up the weapon, and held it aloft. "Thank you creator man! Anyway partner, I'm the Kaleidosword, created in Kaleido Inc., made out of the very best quality jewels there is in the multiverse, and instilled with the finest quality programming and abilities there is in the universe. And all the other ones too. You can call me 'OS'" the sword announced happily, as Zelretch handed it over to Shirou once more.
"OS here will take care of you in the multiverse. It'll teach you how best to wield to it. So don't worry about anything. Anyhow, I'!" Zelretch said, disappearing in a sudden blaze of multi-coloured light, leaving Shirou standing alone in the field, clutching the sword like a lifeline. A wind blew, causing Shirou's trenchcoat to undulate slightly. "Uh boss, I think you just got abandoned," OS concluded, his tone somewhat confused as well as amused.
felt tears slowly ooze out of his eyes, shocked at the sudden abandonment. His earlier happy mood had completely vanished, and he felt like he had been punched in the gut. His lower lip quivered slightly. "Hey, hey, hey partner partner, whatever you do, just don't cry okay, be a big boy," the sword stammered, even as the tears starting tracing a path down Shirou's face, and sobs starting shaking his small body, "No no no I really can't deal with crying children, dang it partner I just got switched on don't do this to me," OS pleaded.
Shirou started crying.
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Later when he calmed down, OS addressed him in a serious voice, "So partner, you all good now?"
Shirou nodded, the shock fading away. It wasn't even like the first time his old man had randomly left him in some random place to attend to his own needs.
"OS, what's going to happen to me?" he asked somewhat meekly, his large adorable eyes staring desperately at the jewel sword. "Well…." The sword started, somewhat intimidated by the display of cuteness from the small boy. OS thought desperately of ways to cheer the boy up, lest he start crying again. Good god it did not want to go through that again.
Suddenly it got it. "Well what we're going to do partner is simple really," OS started shining brilliantly, voice changing to that of a pioneer trying to rouse his peers, "What you and me will do Shirou, we'll be charging through the multiverse before us! We will experience all the wonders of every universe out there, revelling in the adventure, bedding all the babes, finding all there is to find out there together, until all the secrets of the universe are at our feet!" Suddenly, OS' voice changed, turning slightly mocking and hysterical, "AND THEN WE WILL FORCE ALL IN THE UNIVERSE TO THEIR KNEES, AND TAKE OVER AS THE SUPREME RULERS: SHIROU AND THE WONDERFUL MAJESTIC KALEIDOSWORD. WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-"
OS stopped, as he noticed tears trace down Shirou's face once more, "Oh god no please-"
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"Good times," Shirou concluded, even whilst OS shuddered at his side. Shirou grew solemn once more, as he remembered everything that had happened since then, all the things he had encountered, all the pain, misery and heartbreak he had encountered throughout the multiverse. "Maybe…it's time we stopped OS," he said softly.
A sudden shriek behind him quashed any response OS could give. "What! Shirou!" a woman yelled, her Kansai accent familiar yet different. Before he knew it, Shirou was falling face first to the ground, tackled from behind. Even as he tried to get up, he felt a pool of moisture on his back. "Shirou." The woman murmured, before realising that she was practically forcing his face into the pavement. She got up quickly, smoothing her clothes over, which allowed Shirou to finally get a glimpse of his mysterious assailant.
She was a breathtaking woman, a Japanese woman with brown hair streaming down her back. She was dressed in red, with crosses placed at seemingly random spots on her shirt, above a long brown skirt. Her blue eyes met his own, and she smiled serenely, before abruptly freezing.
"Wait a second. Yellow eyes? You haven't had those in years." She studied him closer, taking into account his clothing, normal skin colour and red hair. She drew back, her eyes narrowing. "Who are you?" She demanded, her hands reaching slowly to her belt where expensive looking jewels were buckled.
"Partner what is with you and powerful magi woman?" OS chirped from his belt, his tone slightly mocking, "I'm sure they're good in bed and all, but really, if you piss them off, they tend to act supremely violent towards everyone. You remember Signum whenever I teased her a little bit?" the sword continued, no doubt consciously dooming Shirou to a violent death. He shoved his trenchcoat over the sword, and started stammering an apology to the woman, who he expected to look like a demon with a miasma of death surrounding her.
To his surprise, her eyes were clamped on the part of his trenchcoat OS was shoved behind, somewhat calm even despite the insults the sword had uttered. "Wait…is that…a Kaleidosword?" she asked slowly.
"Uh…yes?" Shirou asked, unnerved more by her calm nature than he would have been if she had been shooting laser beams at him, like that red headed woman he had passed the other day. He was surprised when she suddenly straightened, "You're Zelretch's kid aren't you?" she asked, blue eyes piercing in his.
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"As I thought. The old bastard did mention during my apprenticeship that he had adopted a Shirou a long time ago," Tohsaka Rin said, leaning back into the couch whilst sipping from a cup of tea. They were seated in a large living room, decorated resplendently with expensive items, inside the Tohsaka manor which she had dragged Shirou to. OS lay on the table, silent for the moment, whilst Shirou processed the fact that his old man had actually mentioned him to someone.
"He didn't mention that he had randomly dumped you in the multiverse, though I can't really say I'm that surprised. He's an absolute god at his work, but kind of a dush at everything else," Rin concluded, eyes narrowing as if she was remembering a particularly bad memory.
"So tell me Shirou, what brings you to this universe, that house in particular? You're not an Emiya, so you wouldn't have had any fond memories there in the first place, no reason for you to stand there and gawk like an idiot," she said, her voice diplomatic despite the slight insult. "I was just standing there admiring the view," Shirou replied, his tone unreadable, not quite trusting Rin despite the memories of his numerous templates deeming her to be trustworthy. "Really?" her eyes narrowed, "There are plenty of traditional Japanese houses in this universe, why that one in particular?"
"What were you doing there?" Shirou shot back, somewhat annoyed by the prying. To his surprise, Rin blushed, "I-I-I was just passing through of course. I-It's not like I was trying to see if you were there," she stammered, eyes looking all over the place, embarrassed for some strange reason.
OS burst out laughing, "Hahahaha, oh wow that is one of the best displays of tsundere I have ever seen, EVER! HAHAHAHAHA-" the sword suddenly silenced as a pillow slapped down over it by an enraged Rin.
An awkward silence ensued, one which Shirou was uncomfortable breaking. His emotions surged inside him, beneath his implacable exterior. All his instincts were yelling at him to just answer her question, his multiverse counterparts were practically yelling at him for not trusting her; and yet, Shirou wasn't comfortable revealing something he had decided on just an hour earlier. Finally, he decided to risk it.
"The truth is…I'm…a bit tired of the life I'm leading. One of these days, I'm going to gruesomely murdered by some interdimensional demon, or by a horde of angry magical women. I was thinking, whether I should just settle down, live like an Emiya, a Shirou who is satisfied simply helping others, cooking meals, living a peaceful life," he said slowly, his tone sullen. Tohsaka stared at him, her earlier embarrassment forgotten.
"You, who's been granted an opportunity most magi would kill for, wish to renounce your identity just like that?" she gritted out. She seemed to be strangely angry, as if offended by his attitude. "You want to waste your life away, trying to be someone who you, who doesn't have the same roots, could never be? Give me a break. Just be thankful for the opportunity you have, the privileges you out of all the Shirous there are have," she said.
Shirou stood up, annoyed, "You're saying it's not right to wish I didn't have to live a constant life of danger? What's wrong with wanting to be who I should be, an Emiya Shirou?" he demanded, hackles raising slightly.
Rin suddenly calmed down, taking a deep breath. Suddenly she replied, "Let me tell you what's happened to this version of Emiya Shirou. During the Holy Grail War, he fell in love with his servant Saber, but was forcefully parted. He was heart-broken afterwards, and couldn't form any decent relationship afterwards. All this while, he tried his very best to be a hero of justice," she said the terms slightly distastefully, "But he couldn't see that all he was doing was destroying himself. I tried my best to help him, but in the end, he left Fuyuki completely, and began travelling around the world, trying desperately to uphold the only thing he really has in his life: the ideal he inherited from his dad, even as he is constantly betrayed by it. Even now, he's probably on a battlefield, fighting desperately for his life, trying but failing to protect everyone, even as his world falls out from under him. That's why I was so happy when I saw you, I thought he had finally realised his mistakes and quit his ideal. So you see why I'm so annoyed that you, someone who was lucky enough to not be cursed with such a flaw, wanted so hard to be him, a broken empty shell."
Shirou stood for a second, his mouth agape. Without a word, he grabbed OS and left, slamming the door shut behind him. He wandered, not knowing where he was going, until he find himself at a rather familiar place: the Fuyuki Memorial Park, the place where Zelretch had pulled him from the flame rather than Kiritsugu Emiya.
"Was I wrong OS?" he wondered, "Am I really just throwing a tantrum over nothing?"
OS was silent, then replied solemnly, "No partner, I don't think it's wrong, what you want. It's just that, what would you do? Can you really live a life like what you described, without all the experiences you've come to get used to?"
Shirou remembered everything he had gone through, the good and the bad, his fond memories of the people he had met, the kindness he had seen again and again, the battles he had enjoyed. Was he wrong, he asked himself, is it really right to just reject everything, bury my head in the sand? Suddenly he realised that it would be impossible for him to live a peaceful life like that. He'd probably go insane in the second week.
He shook his head. "I really am hopeless ain't I?" he asked, not really addressing anyone. "Yep, you are a massive idiot who only survives by pur-"OS was silenced once more by Shirou's trenchcoat. Shirou sighed, then held up OS, and began focusing mana into the Kaleidosword, causing it to shine with kaleidoscopic light. "Alright then OS, let's get going. We've stayed in this universe long enough," he said.
"Finally, I was getting really tired of all that teenage angsting,"the sword snarked, "Oh, oh oh no one in this world can understand the plight of an unfortunate such as I, oh oh oh."
Shirou merely grinned, and the kaleidoscopic light intensified. "HEY RIN," he yelled, knowing fully that she was spying on him from a nearby tree, "THANKS A LOT!"
"Right then partner, let's go: through the Multiverse, to experience all there is to experience," he said, swinging OS to create a rift. He caught a short glimpse of Rin smiling at him from nearby, before he was gone, sucked through the rift to places unknown…
