If one looked at it from the outside, we might as well be a dysfunctional family. One that was insanely powerful and could eliminate anyone with barely even a thought, but nevertheless a family. Considering my previous relationship with Frea, she might as well be the mother, with both Gaia and Alaya acting as mother-in-laws from different sides of the family tree that just can't seem to get along. Emo-Jeanne might as well be the irresponsible daughter that you couldn't help but spoil, and Shirou is the responsible sibling that makes sure that the household stays afloat. Fafnir's the household pet.
So, that is two extensions of the Counter Force, two different species of Phantasmal Beast, a Heroic Spirit, and the First Sorcerer and his apprentice. Quite a bunch of personalities living under one roof, I must say. "Sensei, Jeanne-san is currently rampaging around the lake!"
"Leave her be", I told him, a thin smile on my face, "If she keeps this up she'll only attract Frea's attention." At the mention of the Elf's name, Shirou immediately shivered. I did as well. It was something of a reflex at this point, like the saying 'talk about the devil and he shall appear'. "Besides, Alaya's busy pruning the timelines, and Gaia is currently chatting with Merlin in Avalon. Frea's buried in work-" I gave myself a pat on the shoulder for that, "-which means that it's the two of us alone inside the house for the moment."
"Now", I said, pointing towards the cushion in front of the low table, "You've been handling your training well since the last...well, time doesn't exist here, but it's probably been quite a while. It's time to go through the next step." My eye narrowed ever-so slightly, and Shirou immediately stood to attention. Good, that means that he's paying attention to detail. "Create a blade."
Shirou nodded, a flare of his Circuits signalling the creation of a sword. It was a one-handed shortsword, with iron being used as a base material along with melted phoenix feathers to push its affinity closer to fire. The hilt was made out of simple leather-wrapped wood, and the pommel ended in a simple cap that was nailed down on the handle. The blade was single-edged, measuring about thirty-five centimeters long, and a false edge that extended about five centimeters away from the tip of the blade. Overall, it was a pretty good work for something like a rush job, with only a few minor faults along the flat end of the blade that didn't really interfere with its purpose.
"Good", I said, a thin smile on my face as Shirou smiled sheepishly at me. "You already did the ritual with Frea, right?" My student nodded, and I noticed a faint flush on his cheeks. Well, the ritual did require close contact after all, and since he had Avalon in him on the Reverse Side of the World, it meant that he wouldn't grow old as long as the young girl stays on the wheat-lined shores. "What did she say to you about your Origin?"
"To see if you can change it somehow. She seemed a little bit worried when she told me to see you."
Of course she was. Hard-ass she might be, Frea was a bit too sympathetic to the cause of humanity for some reason - an aberration of her species that normally detested humanity for driving them out of their natural habitats. She knew the absolute depths of humanity's evil - there was a reason why she was with me in Uruk, after all - but she still held hope that things might change for the future. An optimist amidst the various responsibilities and duties that weighed her down, standing proud when all things are at their bleakest. Of course she would tell Shirou to come and see me, on the off-chance that I might have the skills to change a person's Origin. She told me about my student's Origin, after all, immediately after the ritual.
Sword. The Origin of someone who would be molded and shaped by the hands of who controlled him - in other words, the highest form that he could ever be was simply an empathic weapon.
...Now that I think about it, it would make sense for Frea to approach me about this. I was the only person that she knew that successfully changed Origins, after all.
"I could change it. However, it would mean that you would lose the thing that defined you the most. Would you still take the risk of doing so?" In all honesty, I hoped that might say no. Changing one's Origin meant going back to that place wherein nothing made sense, and so was a very dangerous thing to do unless one has complicit agreement from the Counter Force.
"Sensei, does my Origin have the potential to hurt people?" Shirou asked, his amber eyes still wavering with indecision. I sighed, deciding to answer it the best way I knew how: the blunt truth.
"Yes."
"...I see." He grew silent, stroking his chin with a stray hand. Time passed, and I found myself entertaining Emo-Jeanne, who had gotten back from her excursion to the lake. Her clothes were wet, with most of them sticking to her skin, and I sighed as I materialized a towel and chucked it towards her, followed by a few pieces of simple yet comfortable clothing. She scowled at me, then realized that it didn't work on me and simply huffed her way towards the bathroom.
Really, that girl should be more honest with herself.
A few moments pass, and Emo-Jeanne exited the bathroom with a dark blue shirt and black leggings, wiping off the last vestiges of wetness from her hair with the towel. I didn't bother telling her that she could've just used her flames instead. It was far more amusing to see her come to that conclusion herself. She took a seat on the low table, and Fafnir - who was shrunk down into the size of a housecat - immediately leaped towards her lap. An opportunist if I ever saw one. I winked at the dragon, and a ruby eye winked back.
"Hey, old man", Emo-Jeanne spoke up after a moment or two of silence. It was really hard to keep track of time here, "What's the redhead doing?" I quirked a brow at her, a look of wonder on my face at the fact that Emo-Jeanne out of all people was curious about Shirou. "I-I'm not curious about him or anything!" She squawked at me, her lips twisted downwards in a derisive sneer, and I pretended to forget the fact that her pale skin looked flushed. "Geez old man, get your mind out of the gutter or I'll let Fafnir have you for lunch!"
"I'll do it, Sensei."
"Alright", I said with a nod, turning towards Fafnir and speaking in Draconic, "Look for Gaia and Alaya. Tell them that I need their permission on something."
"Acknowledged", the dragon replied, before unfurling its wings and leaping out of his spot on Emo-Jeanne's lap, causing the Servant to scream at the sudden movement. Before she could berate her pet (in her words) however, Fafnir was gone in a flash of golden light. Her first source of information gone, pale orbs turned towards me, which I quickly deflected by staring towards the kitchen.
"Shirou. Mother-in-law protocol. You know what to do."\
"Just what the hell is going on here!?"