What Now?

A day had passed since the end of the battle.

Blutspucke, the blood-ape that served Rin had gone into battle without orders and he was paying for it, he had lost an arm. The rest of Rin's demons were fine. Sakura meanwhile had disbanded what was left of her army as had Rin with the exception of her contracted demons.

The two of them now sat on the roof of what was Rin's command center. They were quiet as each didn't want to be the one to start the conversation. Eventually Rin gave in and asked "So what now? Want to come back with me to Shirou?"

Sakura sat quietly for a moment before shaking her head.

Rin almost recoiled in shock "You don't? Why?"

Sakura's voice was quiet but firm "I need to get control of... This." as she said that she gestured at her body. "Until I can be sure I won't snap again I don't want to put you or Shirou into any danger. So I'm going to learn how to control myself here."

Rin looked worried "How will you learn that? Would you drive yourself to madness again and make my work over the last few weeks pointless."

Sakura shook her head "I get it now. I get what the Silver Forest wanted to show me, at least I think I do."

Rin looked curious "The Silver Forest? The Yozi of mirrors and madness?"

Sakura nodded "Yes but he also has an influence on time from what I have read. Regardless he once invited me there but the things he showed me scared me away. Even though I had just suffered that bout of madness I still didn't want to accept what I now am. I think I can accept that now. So who better to help me gain control of myself than him?"

Rin's voice was deadpan but she had a smile on her face "I don't know, maybe the Yozi of good mental health?"

Sakura shook her head with a similar smile "Not a thing I'm afraid."

The two of them were silent for a moment before Sakura spoke "You should head back to Shirou. At least one of us should be there to keep him out of trouble."

Rin looked with worry at Sakura but she looked sure "You don't mind me staying by his side without you?"

At that Sakura cracked a grin "What? If your worried about me being jealous, don't. You left him alone to help me. Besides he chose the both of us."

The two spoke quietly for a little longer but after a while Sakura stood up. She looked determinedly into the distance "I'm going to the Silver Forest now."

Rin nodded quietly and got up to leave herself.

As Sakura began her walk towards Szoreny she looked up to the building where she and Rin had been sitting and saw Rin depart on her Agatae. She wondered for a momenet if Rin was better at controlling demons then she was but she quickly dropped that thought.

As she walked she thought, sending messages to her Coadjutor "You've been quiet for a while."

Her Coadjutor was slow to reply "I was worried you would be angry I gave support when you went by the name Crimson blossom."

Sakura shook her head "You were just doing your job I understand that."

The Coadjutor was silent for a few minutes before speaking "It was more than that, Crimson blossom was actually doing what you were meant to do. I gave you extra support because for once you were following your orders."

Sakura was silent for a moment before replying "It still wasn't me."

"No, it wasn't" The Coadjutor agreed.

Somewhere between a few hours and a few days later, Sakura reached the Silver Forest.

As she walked in she muttered "Sorry for intruding."

The silver trees still shone and reflected falsely.

There were a few where she was carrying Rin's severed head.

There were a few where she appeared to have lost and arm.

There were a few where Sakura couldn't see the difference at first but figured that they were the ones where she still used the name "Crimson blossom."

As she walked she waited for noise to come from one of them or from the forest itself as had come before.

She wondered if she was meant to start so she looked up at the empty branches of the trees around her and spoke "I am Sakura, Fiend caste child of Kimbery. I seek wisdom and teaching. I am ready to accept it now."

There was silence for a moment before a chuckle started from the forest.

Eventually the laughter stopped and the voice of Szoreny spoke "You were earlier than even I thought, your sister works fast. At least the bet won me a favour."

Sakura raised an eyebrow "Great Silver Forest, were you gambling on how long it would take me to return."

There was a silence for a moment before the forest replied with a blunt "Yes"

The silence after that stretched slightly before Sakura coughed and Szoreny took that chance to begin "Now, Sakura, Fiend caste child of Kimbery. You accept what you are?"

Sakura nodded "I am an infernal and I accept that fact. I want to learn to use this power to help the people I care about rather than wanting to get rid of it."

In the reflections around her, all of the versions of her nodded before Szoreny talked again "Very well, Learning the power to reject your mother's control hmm? Yes I can help with that. You need to be stronger first, If you are ready to train then I will teach you. However, in return you must do 3 favours for me, None of these favours will harm your loved ones, that is a promise."

Sakura nodded and the leaves on the trees started shaking making a sound that was oddly like applause.

End of chapter

Finally the end of the main Malfeas arc. Next few chapters will be about Shirou in the civil war.

Updated: changed an error with Szoreny, you can't see leaves when you are walking in the main forest. He is upside down.