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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 19: From Zero to the Present

Fuyuki General Hospital, 1994

The grey walls of this hospital's room sure were oppressive to my eyes, too uniform and.. impersonal.

While the Fire had left little damage upon my body, I was visibly distressed at what I had lost in other departments.

I remember their screams as they shoved me inside the room of the house left untouched by the fire, my parents trying their best to keep me the safest and.. losing their lives in the process.

Slowly sleep consumed my consciousness and I was sure I was there to die because of the smoke filtering inside my little hideout.

When I woke up in the sterilised room with few doctors around my bed, I was hopeful at first. Hopeful that they had miraculously saved my parents, t-that the fire hadn't been that terrible.

Numbness reigned in my mind as they told me how wrong my frail hopes were, how the cold reality had claimed my mom's and dad's souls.

I was unresponding to further questions and soon I saw him entering inside the room.

His dark coat was stained by ashes, covering the formal black suit he was dressed with. Black hairs and charcoals for eyes were on his face but... it was the latter bit that terrified me.

There was nothing there, not the pity look shared by the experts in the room nor the sad look coming from the nurses. It felt like staring to.. the grim reaper.

Soon we were alone and.. he spoke, his weary tone matching with his depressing appearance.

He made a quick speech, trying to coax me for.. something, something I felt forced, urged by something unpleasant.

Then he concluded with a statement which made the innards of my mouth sour, bitter to the mere idea of what he had said.

He wanted to adopt me.

But why? I never saw this individual in the city, not matter how big it was but... there was also that weird vibe around him, something too much needy and I asked softly but surely.

"Why?"

He didn't reply, his expression changing into something difficult to read upon his face but.. I could see sorrow, justified pain.

Beyond the agony of the passing of my parents, there was a furious thought starting to whine, to pester, to catch my full attention as it spoke loudly and truthfully.

Why should I surrender to this? Why should I forgot them?

This last inner query hit much deeper as a relatively new, sore spot was concerned by it.

I knew that many would show distaste at the mere idea a child no older than 7 was actually thinking of choosing the lonely road but... It is better to be alone than ill-accompanied.

My mouth opened and I decided to make a stand against this senseless tide trying to sweep me around, first with the Fire and now with this odd adoption request.

"No."

He froze as my determined and clear refusal reached his ears. Few moments later I was once more alone... to think how to continue with my life.

The following few weeks were chaotic, suffering through quick legal battles with this Kiritsugu Emiya and the meek attempts to reassert myself in the school life.

I was also ordered to go regularly to a therapist, Mari Tsubaki, to assest my current psychological capacity and... I kind of enjoyed the visits, feeling that the kind woman slowly poking open my mental shell to be the only one capable of truly resembling my mother.

Her kind smiles, offering some snacks mid-therapy and sometimes even helping around with the homework.

I was sure this was me finally returning to normalcy and I openly ignored the antics of the bullies in my class at Homurahara Academy. I could live with some scratches after all.

Usually the visits would happen by Mari's house as she preferred for her patients to feel homely during the therapy and.. it worked.

That day I had once again avoided the incredibly annoying redhead that had been adopted by the old Emiya and.. was looking forward to speak with Mari.

When I reached the doorknob of her front door I.. I found it open. I shrugged at it, it wasn't the first time the woman would leave the door open in case she was busy, knowing that I would always be punctual with the visits.

I closed the door behind me and started to slowly walk towards the living room, ignoring the oddly cold temperature around the house.

I opened the big door that led her to where she would usually be and-

"You know Sean-kun, my boyfriend asked me to marry me!" Happiness.

"Hideo-kun said we would afford a bigger house." Hope.

"Sean-kun... would you want to be... adopted?" Family.

And it had all died with her!

I... I-"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

My throat burned as I let out the everything I had kept bottled from a mere glance at the sight.

She was there, eyes closed and smiling... a small knife casually near her body as blood continued to flow ruthlessly out of her wrists.

WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY!

I fell on the floor, my legs giving away at the straining scene and in a brief moment of lucidity I saw it.

It was a small paper with some writing on it.

I know what you did.

W-What? What did she mean? Why knowing something would have her-her..?!

I was confused, shell-shocked and I couldn't even connect with whatever she was implying with that. Why this had happened?!

A full month passed and I let the cacophony of depression and pain return back in my soul as I let things spiral down to silence, to the abstract plane that was more of a pipe dream than ever.

Small punches turned in harsh ones, simple interactions turned in beatings as I turned in the easiest prey for the bullies back at school.

I was so much targeted that I had to skip school more than once in a week because of my injuries making it impossible to move out of bed.

It was during one of those days that I heard the sound of the doorbell ringing through the house.

I sighed, dark eyebags stained my face as it was difficult to find sleep with the ever-recurring nightmare from that day.

I opened the door, expecting once more that incredibly-infuriating Taiga Fujimura banging at my door, and was surprised to see an unknown woman standing there patiently.

I blinked once as I tried to pass the oddly familiar features of her face for a mere illusion but...

"Forgive me for waking you at this early hour but... I think you knew my daughter." I frowned slightly at this but then she presented herself. "My name is Minako Tsubaki and my daughter, Mari... just died last month."

I invited her inside without hesitation and we both spoke about her.

Minako-san's words finally shed some light over the motivation behind the extreme act and.. my blood boiled in my veins.

The former boyfriend of the deceased woman had cheated openly to her, telling her how dull and boring she was and how he was meant to live a fun life.

It was an attack on her soul that she had not defense for and.. she faded because of it.

"You know, she told me about you. About little Sean-kun being like a son for her." That was a painful blow, one I knew the woman was unaware she had just delivered.

"She..." I finally spoke softly, catching her attention instantly. "She wanted to adopt me."

Her eyes widened and I felt a wave of sadness wash once more on my face but then I saw her slowly approach me and... hug me.

I melted at the familiar interaction and closed my eyes as she lulled me in the embrace.

"I.. I am sorry."

I didn't reply to that unneeded apology, too much tired to deal with anything.

"W-Would you like to accompany me around? I.. I was going to pass by the cementary for the flowers and-" I nodded in the hug and she stopped, accepting my silent request of not talking furthermore. For the first time in a while, I slept a dreamless sleep.

Mari had told me that her family was Christian but.. I didn't give it much attention before she passed away.

Staring at her stone grave, a small picture of her smiling... I felt like I was staring at her.

"She was very beautiful." I nodded in agreement and placed the bouquet of roses over the wood plaque with her name and an.. interesting quote.

A life lived to make everyone happy is the best life one could die for.

Why you had to be this selfless?

I stood there few minutes, silent as I prayed for her soul to have reached heaven, going against the rules regarding suicide.

I would met Minako in future occasions and I bid her a goodbye as she had to return back home.

My path back to my house lined right through the big park in the town and I ignored the endless giggles and laugh from children and adults alike.

Yet I stopped right as I reached the corner where the exit I had to take was, I felt the familiar sneers and snarls of children picking on someone.

I could have easily ignored that situation, faked ignoranced and gone my merry way.

But... I felt watched by her and.. I did the right thing.

I paced towards the origin of the sounds and found the familiar group of bullies targetting.. was his name Shirou? Anyway, it was the redhead adopted by Kiritsugu Emiya, the same child that pestered me about the Fire and how cool was his father during school.

The leader of the group noticed me and smiled cruelly as he advanced towards me. "Look! We got dully Sean! Let's give him a warm welcome-GAH!"

The four remaining bullies stared in shock at the unexpected retaliation and the ringleader tried to get up from the floor as he had tripped by how surprising the move had been.

"Now you are dead mea-GAH!" Until then I had kept my stress within myself, trying to contain it as best I could without truly answering fire with fire.

Now? Now I could see how pleasant was to beat such a ugly mug.

The four fully froze at the scene as I continued to beat the crap out of that idiotic moron, a cheerful smile upon my face.

I was distracted by this and barely noticed one of them pushing me away while the others pulled their battered friend away from me.

They didn't give another glance back as they escaped from the lil', mean Sean.

I turned to stare at the giddy red-haired child and sighed in relief when I noticed he was unconscious.

...I could leave him there, I mused quietly, but then I would have to deal with being accessory to murder.

It was quite awkward to get the sleeping boy on some unused bench but after few moments I had managed to accomplish that.

I was sad because I truly couldn't feel much from helping Shirou but... seeing the situation from the perception I had just gone and ambushed my former bully... that I could live with.

And from there on Sean Graham turned in the handsome badass everyone knows about!

"So is she your girlfriend?"

I was seriously regretting having Illya walking with me for my small errand.

The short Einzbern giggled at Minako's teasing as I finished placing the two bouqets of roses over the grave, interest regarding this situation painted in her face.

"Minako-baachan, shouldn't you be at some nursing home right now?" The old woman scoffed at my counterreply as she looked irked by the comment.

"I am much younger than you think, you silly brat." Then she turned to the white-haired girl. "He gets this fussy only when he is sure to lose an argument, little girl."

I could feel Illya nodding at her behind me and I scowled. "So cruel, attacking me in a two-against-one..."

The two female shared another laugh at my expenses and, as I sighed in annoyance, I gave a small smile at the small photo on the grave.

I hope I am making you proud, Mari-haha.

AN

IMMA BACK, B*TCHES!

After few months of silence, this story is once more going to be updated. In the schedule, it will be updated every Monday together with the New Principal fanfic.

Also on an unrelated note, Fate Player Online Redux has begun!

Review Q&A!

Darkjaden: I think I replied this via PM. Hopefully this chapter solidifies my words. :)

Warblessed: Yep, this heaven feel route is super tragedgedgedgy!