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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 24: Messenger of Bad News

Danny adjusted the collar of his dress as he walked slowly between the various elegant couples talking and making gossip without restrain.

Sasha was holding close to him and he didn't wish this to change, especially because of the crowd Tokiomi Tohsaka might attract.

The little girl had been elated when she got hold of the small, green dress her father had bought for her for the occasion.

Part of her bubbly excitement deflated as she discovered that Sakura and Caren were not going to be joining them that night.

As the girl's face threatened to release one of her renowned pouts, her eyes caught the approaching figure of Rin Tohsaka.

A smile reappeared in her visage as the two exchanged an hug.

Yellow eyes noticed the adult walking towards them, looking at the woman's beatiful dress and beautiful complex.

She was smiling as she eyed the children but as soon the adult noticed her Papa, the woman halted her pace and stared intensily at the confused man.

Her Papa was very smart, she didn't doubt it, but he was quite dumb when dealing with older women.

Yet the woman looked at him differently from Caren's Mama and Illya's Mama.

She seemed... weirded out by her Papa.

But why should she? Her Papa was actually nice and also the best parent ever!

"Lady Tohsaka." Her Papa started to greet, slightly bowing and taking the shocked lady's hand into his. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He lowered his head on her hand and gave it a peck.

Rin had started to stare at the exchange too and she seemed surprised by her mother's lack of response.

Aoi realised that she had been silent. "I-It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Dempsey. Rin spoke a lot about you and your daughter."

Danny smiled. "I hope those were all good things." He glanced at the small tsundere. "She was very polite and well-behaved while she stayed to study with Sasha."

The young Tohsaka averted her eyes, a small blush covering her cheeks, but nonetheless preened under the compliments.

As Aoi was about to say something a familiar hand settled in her shoulder.

Tokiomi Tohsaka was the epithone of rich but intelligent man.

Stern and somehow old-fashioned, the man would have been a major threat to deal with if Gilgamesh had decided to stay under his control.

Thankfully, they were now meeting as parents of two children being friends to each other and not as enemies.

"You should Mister Danny Dempsey. I hope you are enjoying the gala."

Danny nodded, but his mind wandered elsewhere. "Yes. It has been organised brilliantly."

The man smiled, pleased with the compliment and he continued to ask some unimportant questions to the younger man.

The Master of Caster was barely paying attention at those, stealing glances towards the still shaken woman now close to the prideful man.

Her surprise... did she knew something? Quite improbable but not impossible.

He remembered how Aoi had been quite warm with Risei Kotomine and he didn't doubt the woman was sharp enough to connecting the clues.

Danny had been very lazy in hiding his Command Seals, using some bandage and preparing a fake excuse about some accident.

He knew that Tokiomi had not done the same realisation, probably because he had already drank enough alcohol to barely make those kind of thoughts.

Yet his wife had caught on quickly, showing the same sharp mind her daughter had.

Because, no matter how cunning Tokiomi was, Rin had taken much of her intelligence from her mother.

After ten minutes of bantering about random topics, Tokiomi finally detached himself from Aoi and turned his attention to some other rich men walking nearby.

The woman mustered a feeble excuse to escape from being left alone with the quite dangerous individual.

As she moved closer to the balcony, Danny approached the children. "Rin, can I leave you two alone for few minutes? I just saw someone I know and I wanted to speak with him."

The girl diligently nodded, inwardly happy for the responsibility entrusted to her.

Sasha looked less sure as she knew her Papa was going to do something else, yet she didn't know why.

Danny closed the small door behind him as he approached Aoi, the woman staring the starry sky.

"You are going to kill me?"

The question caused Danny's confusion to increase more. "Kill you? Why?"

The woman turned around, looking at him suspiciously.

"I know you are the Master of Caster and Tokiomi-" "-can't do much since he is not a Master anymore."

Aoi looked at him silently, as if trying to see if his interruption was actually a bluff of his but, as a minute passed, she decided to ask.

"How did you know?"

While she had expected a malicious smile to appear in his visage, she was surprised to see a grimace in his face.

"Because your highness had forced me to switch her position to a mere partnership and now is draining me, monetarely and prana-wise."

The dry response caused no short amount of confusion in the woman's mind.

Why was he so calm? He had expected him to be like a villainous individual, since Magi in the Grail Wars were supposed to be ruthless in their operations.

"Also I wanted to ask, how did you knew it was me?"

The question took her back to reality as she was still trying to understand what individual was Danny Dempsey.

"Your eyes." Danny blinked once, twice... thrice. "My eyes?"

She nodded. "Risei had mentioned that when he had met you he saw a familiar glint in your eyes. The one an individual has when he has a child and he/she loves it dearly. You have it."

Ah.

AH?!

"And the bandage." She added, her lips twiching upwards. "It's quite a dumb way to hide your seals."

The young man blushed in embarassment, now considering buying some fingerless gloves.

"Is Rin safe when she is studying with your daughter, Mr. Dempsey?"

The question had that genuine tone of a concerned parent but thankfully it showed that the woman had fully relaxed at the prospect of not being killed.

"My house is the safest place in Fuyuki." He replied calmly, knowing it was true. He had two Servants taking guarding it inwardly and externally.

Aoi nodded and returned to stare at the sky.

Danny sighed and, before leaving the balcony, approached the woman and held a letter in front of her. "You might not be able to contact your old friend, Kariya. This letter explain why."

She gave him a confused look but Danny kept silent. He didn't even know what was inside the letter but the former Master of Berserker has asked for him to relay it to Aoi and he did so.

"Read it after the gala. It might be bad news." He left the balcony, the eyes of Rin's mother staring at him walking away.

What did he meant with that?

AN

I can say, 100% sure, that this fanfic is coming to an end!

Five more chapters and then I will resume the FPO with ARC3!

Also I spent the whole day yesterday binge-rushing through Prisma Code Event of FGO and my brain hurts like hell :)

Review Q&A!

MWKillkenny84: The only Tokiomi that might be salvageable is Kaleid!Tokiomi as they decided to move in England and (maybe) keep Sakura. Assassin EMIYA's origins are not quite sure as the Bio describes him as a Kiritsugo never marrying Irisviel nor having Illya, continuing his 'Heroic' path until he made a pact with the Counterforce. So maybe FZ!Kiritsugo might have a different mentality to understand than Assassin.

Guest Q: That's da plan! But I might already forward something by now: there will be no Fifth Holy Grail War. The Sequel will take much from another branch of the Fate Timeline but it will have its unique story and plotline, much like FPO Arc 2. Lastly, it would be incest on a legal sense as the children (in the sequel will be teenagers) are not related by blood to each other soo... hehe!

merendinoemiliano: Thank you!

captain Orion Zete: I hope it's not the Anti-Sid Meier speaking.

Fenrir-kun: Yep!