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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Epilogue A: The Red Shroud that ties Us

Rome, Italy.

It's been a few months now since she started to go to elementary school, and yet Caren Hortensia hardly liked the change in pace compared to what she grew to appreciate from kindergarten. Smart as she might be compared to many of her peers, the girl was still someone that didn't like big shakes when she was aboard the boat she thought was school. School was so… interesting. But also so unpleasant with how intense it tended to be. Everything just seemed to just get more difficult the more she thought a determined status quo was going to stay there for long. She didn't like the suddenness of the difficulty, and she disliked even more when the teacher decided to praise her so much for her 'brilliancy' and set her up to handle her bullies.

Caren was taught by her grandparents to never hate people, for it was the first step of many sins by the Lord's rule… yet she couldn't fault herself much despite the guilt behind her actions as she held the greatest amount of contempt a child of her age and size could muster up for a bunch of mean jerks. It was unavoidable, with their actions left unpunished, hate just felt the most appropriate and even though it had been made clear by their teachers plenty of times already that her body was frailer than others, they just kept bullying her. Books were a safe haven from the upsetting reality, yet fairy tales had long lost their attraction after delusions had left the young girl with cynical understanding a happy ending was unattainable. At least, not the way she desired it.

One time she imagined that instead of the usual guard hired by the Hortensia family, someone else would have taken her home. Her real home. She wanted someone to be like the smiling men and women that came to school to pick their children. She once dreamed of her father coming to pick her up and tell her that there was a chance to be really happy. But, just like many disappointments, that dream remained a dream. An empty, disappointing dream that easily burned up her hope for a higher chance at living. To be spoiled rotten by a loving family, to be given the affection she had seen being given so unconditionally to children from parents and that she had craved to be subjected.

A huff left the child's lips as she wondered why it was taking so long today for someone to come and pick her up from the school. Sitting by the small step right in front of the main building's entry, golden eyes stared silently at the words within the book she was reading. It's been a while since she started to wait and… boredom had urged her to do something to prevent herself from growing annoyed with the current circumstance. It sure felt odd that it was taking so long, but perhaps it was somehow tied to the rain and how traffic tended to behave with the weather.

Despite her rare chances of wandering the streets of the Italian capital, it wasn't unusual for her to notice the many accidents that tended to happen whenever it was raining or snowing. The roads were just so damaged and filled with so many holes. It was almost surprising for cars to not end up in more trouble than they would usually. This very idea was also fueled by the lamentation coming from her own grandfather regarding the many issues that situation tended to create for his business. While a devout catholic, the strict elder was quite… colorful with his speech. Some words Caren didn't know until she decided to check the dictionary and… she regretted making these searches. But she also grew fairly bold with those due to how 'naughty' those words were in normal instances. It made her wonder how much of a trouble it would cause if one of the bullies ended up saying it with a teacher nearby.

The girl remembered when she first heard her grandmother bring up how 'children were not meant to be this uncouth' when she ended up hearing some boys use these words loudly and without a care for the world. It was clear that youths shouldn't have been saying this kind of word and… she was given proof of it earlier that day, when she decided to set the annoying trio to a trap. It took some persuasion and some acting, but the girl was smiling eye-to-eye when the bullies were caught off-guard by the yelling coming from the red-faced Math teacher when he heard them say these words.

They tried to shift blame on the girl, but they couldn't just bring up this matter without highlighting the bullying. Caren was already a renowned loner with no friends, so it would appear quite suspicious if three boys started to hang out around a girl out of nowhere only to accuse her of such a nefarious ordeal. Punishment came in the form of a disciplinary note each and their parents being called and told about what happened and why they risked suspension if their behavior wasn't fixed. It was a pleasant resolution, but she doubted they were going to leave her alone once the trouble had gone away. But at the time, she knew she would have a plan to deal with that issue too.

Her musing was abruptly interrupted as Caren heard footsteps approaching. A tall man wearing a priest outfit was walking towards the entrance. He didn't look much as she peeked up from her book and right to his body. He was way too tall for her to actually look even more up, deciding to not check his face and rule out he was just a passing preacher or even a new teacher. But instead of passing by her and entering the building… he stopped.

'Maybe he thinks I should not be here?' The child thought quietly, expecting for the man to eventually move and let her be… but he didn't. The man remained, seemingly interested in her or something. It took her a moment to realize that this could be the man her grandparents might have sent to retrieve her this time around. She slowly closed her book once she had left the bookmark on the page she had been reading and… she looked up.

Caren could only blink as she noticed one strange thing from the man's expression. There was something familiar in his piercing eyes that just exuded of curiosity and intrigue all aimed towards her. Something she had seen before but… she was quite sure that she never saw this man in particular from the first memory she could remember. He looked fairly young for a priest, but even with that appearance screaming youthful, the girl spotted a hint of 'maturity' hanging right behind his eyes.

"Caren Hortensia," He merely muttered. It wasn't a question, but an affirmation of sorts and it gained her attention. Did he know her? Maybe it was before she could walk or talk?

"Who are you?" She ultimately asked, deciding to cut the chase and get done with this waiting. Cynical she might be, but patience wasn't her greatest strength.

"My name is Kirei Kotomine. I am an… old family's friend."

Her head tilted to the side, her curiosity spurned by such a mysterious individual. At first glance one could easily think of him as a dangerous person. His stare was so intense and piercing… yet he lacked will or intent to maim or hurt. It was something that Caren could discern from personal experience. It was common for her to be described as someone 'malicious' when she was paying utmost attention to something she liked. So much that, when it was time for her favorite subjects, she tended to appear rather ominous with the teachers of said subjects. It wasn't her fault for her glancing to be this intimidating, yet she couldn't fault anyone as she decided to try and see if she looked really that terrifying about it. And the answer was a sad 'yes'.

Right now that treatment could have applied to the man, but she knew better than just judging someone from the way they looked. Instead of worrying about that, the child moved to the more pressing question before either confirming her suspicions that he was the one sent by her family to pick her up or not.

"Did my grandfather send you to bring me back home?"

"No," He replied flatly, his response catching the child off-guard as a hint of worry now entered her mind about having failed to catch any clue of danger from within the man's current mood. "But I've been assigned to retrieve you for school and be brought back home."

She eased down at that second half, nodding slowly as she calmly stood up from the ground and waited for the man to take the lead and take her back home at once. But instead of just starting to walk, the man, Kirei, crouched down on one knee and…

"Why?" Caren asked with a confused tone. "Isn't that… too… much?"

"Your shoes are hardly meant to walk with the puddles around and your clothes don't offer any cover from the rain," The brunet quickly listed out, sounding quite proper and precise. "It would be careless of me to allow someone as young and fragile as you to walk around without appropriate clothing, so I will carry you for the time being."

…

"Okay."

She could have just pressed for more, she could have just urged him to just give her the umbrella since she was the one he had to protect and… maybe she could have just passed the time during the talk to dodge the puddles. It wasn't like this was a problem for her, the weather was always strange for the season, so she knew better how to handle it on her own but…

She just was curious about his height. Call it childish curiosity, or perhaps it was a legitimate question for someone her age without anyone ever carrying her this close. She saw many children liking being carried around since it was the 'best way' to move around for many of her peers. And that curiosity was concluded with a resounding success when she was lifted up and brought her close to him. Right ear pressing on his chest and body curled in a comfy way near his source of warmth, Caren's eyes widened out of shock at how pleasant it all felt. Was this why children liked to be kept like this?"

"Are you comfortable, Caren?"

So direct, blunt… it really tickled a positive chord within her. Normally she liked when people kept things simple and easy to understand. She might be smart but… that didn't mean she craved only for complicated things. She wanted simplicity as much as she wanted difficult stuff to push her mind on.

She slowly nodded. "Yes."

"Then let us move at once," Kirei proclaimed as the two were soon moving. Caren's early plans to just look around and allow the height to provide for a pleasant sight during the warm ride started to falter the moment a curtain of sleep started to wrap around her. The cold being clashed by the warmth, the boredom shredded by the most interesting sound she had the chance to listen. A sound she couldn't help but remember as her eyelids started to softly drop.

Ba-Dump.

Ba-Dump.

She held up as much as possible, knowing how embarrassing it was going to be to then explain why she fell asleep like that. It would have been so shameful and yet she didn't seem to mind for some reason. Everything faded as it remained just her and the tall man… and a third individual she knew wasn't supposed to be there. Barely looking at her left, she could only wonder if that was her… mother. She had the same pretty white hair as hers and her uncovered eye had a kind golden shade to it.

Isn't she precious, Kirei? Look… she likes when you're holding her, my dear.

So caring, so kind and… it was a memory. And that woman, the one she could only assume was her mother… called Kirei so affectionately. But that didn't make any sense. Why would her mother entrust her only child to a priest? Why would someone like Kirei be given that chance if not because…

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

Her eyes finally closed as only a single word managed to leave her lips before she succumbed to the pleasant embrace that she was bestowed.

"Dad..."

And while Caren dreamed of this as only a vision of hope that remained after so long, she failed to notice that Kirei Kotomine, her father, had gained a small smile that managed just enough to not crash the entire blank expression on his face. When the man ended up reaching his own father, Risei, by the main street connected to the Hortensia Manor, he had to explain why he was struggling so much to hold back from smiling.

The tears were but a mirthful reminder of nature that he was a human being after all. And he was going to be the best one possible for his daughter from now on.

AN

First of five epilogues. Kirei finds a closure to his route and begins a new journey for the sake of his daughter.

I will drop a list of which characters the epilogues are going to be dedicated to here so I spare some confusion from readers:

A) Kirei/Caren;

B) Emiya Family;

C) Tohsaka/Pucci;

D) Xuanzang;

E) Sakura Kujo;