Chapter 33

-Shirakawa-

Yua is currently cleaning what remains of breakfast as her two daughters read a book with the help of Toru, slowly but surely. Mitsue is still sleeping in his room, recovering from the tension he has experienced in Kamui's kitchen.

The mother chuckles when she remembers the way he whined the day before about how the blond girl does not know what slowing down or taking a break mean.

She puts the last plate in the drawer when someone knock on the door. "Coming!" She dries her hands before making her way toward the entrance.

"Hello miss Yua!" Kotai smiles when the woman opens the door.

The mother smiles back. "Good morning Kotai, should I call the girls?"

"Not now, thank you." He shakes his head. "Onee-sama send me on a very important mission." He frowns to show his determination.

Yua chuckles. "Oh yes? And what is this very important mission?"

"I..." His frown deepens as he tries to remember before his face lightens up again. "Right! I need to tell you that you can eat a picmic with us."

"A picnic, you mean." She raises an eyebrow.

The albino nods. "That is what I said."

"Of course, I must have misheard." She smiles. "And to answer your question, we will wait for you."

Kotai's smile widen. "Ok! See you later!" He sprints toward his house as Yua closes the door.

The mother goes into the living room and explains what they will do to her daughters and the maiden as a tired Mitsue gets out of his room.

-Emiya Household 2.0-

Kamui's ward comes back from his adventure with good news.

Since it is tradition to go eat under the cherry blossom during Hanami, the knight has thought it would be good to invite Mitsue's family.

Only because Kotai is friend with the twins and not the fact that Kamui has spoken really harshly to the worried mother the day before.

Alright, maybe a little.

She gathers all of her ingredients, some of them she has bought in Kaneyama, like tomatoes or flour, and starts to plan what dishes she is going to make.

Maiko wants to help her as Atsuko and Kotai play with Maria, the wyvern learning that hedgehogs transform into spiky balls when they are upset.

The brunette cleans the vegetables as instructed while the chef cuts the bread into slices.

They do not speak to each other but Maiko really appreciate the time they spend together.

For the maiden, Kamui is a role model, full of confidence, strength and independence.

Maiko is quite the opposite, she is weak, timid and would be unable to live alone.

In fact, the miko thinks that she is kind of pathetic, she relies on everyone for everything.

She is unable to do the laundry properly. Wherever she cleans something, there is always a detail she misses. She does not have a best friend to who she could say anything.

And the list goes on.

Of course, the Guji makes sure to lighten her day by helping or giving advices but Maiko only thinks of how he wastes his time on her mistakes.

Toru spends a lot of time with the girl, but the latter always thinks that she is just nice to her like she is to everyone in the shrine.

Atsuko is a loner and every time Maiko tries to start a conversation, it dies down very quickly, only leaving an awkward silence.

"Not like that." Kamui interrupts the brunette's train of thought and takes a tomato. "Like this." She uses her knife and slices the vegetable in thin layers with incredible speed.

Kamui Emiya.

She states where are the problems without any sugar coating.

It may seems stupid, but Maiko feels like, when she is with Kamui, the latter does not pity her. She feels like, the blond girl considers Maiko as an equal individual whose mistakes need to be pointed out.

Every one of them without exception.

While she knows that her host has flaws, she thinks that they are overshadowed by all of her qualities.

(The fact that she fell in love with the blond girl may have something to do with that.)

Suddenly, the brunette feels something scaly rubbing against her leg while she cuts the meat, she turns around and looks at Maria, the wyvern chirping as she knows what Maiko is cutting.

"Maria no." Kotai gently pats the hatchling's back. "You already ate this morning."

Maiko resumes her cutting with a big smile on her face.

-Three Hours Later-

Kotai has been send back to Mitsue's family and his new 'mission' is to bring them where the cherry blossom are.

It should not be to difficult, they are behind the old Kamaji's house.

"Let's go." Kamui walks toward there destination with Maria in tow, the wyvern looking at everything with excitement. The two maiden follow with the baskets containing the food.

They reach the meeting point and as they start to place the blanket down, they witness Maria, falling on her back after trying to catch a bird (who was way too high in the sky for her anyway).

Kamui sighs before going in her direction to help her on her legs again while muttering. "Stop doing this already." Maria only chirps back before dashing away.

"Woah!" "Look!" The knight turns around and sees the twins running in the wyvern's direction, Kotai right behind them.

The black reptile glances at them before speeding in the opposite direction, toward Kamui.

The latter looks at them, unimpressed, and prepares for impact as Maria does not seem to slow down.

The wyvern jumps in the knight's arm who catches her without problem before carrying her like a baby.

A baby as big as Mitsue's torso though.

Maria purrs in Kamui's embrace as the children stop before them.

"What is this?" "What is its name?" Aiko and Aimi ask, excited.

Kotai is the one who answers. "Maria is a wyvern."

"Ooooh." "Aaaah." The twin take a step forward. "Can we pet it?" "Can we?"

Kamui puts the hatchling down. "You can try if you want."

Maria is quite big compared to the twins, she comes up to their waist but when she "straightens" her back, she is almost as tall as them.

The knight let them play together and makes her way toward the other adults.

Yua and Toru have finished unpacking their dishes and are discussing with Maiko and Atsuko while Mitsue keeps an eye on the kids.

Kamui sits down without using her arms between Yua and Maiko. "Good morning." She mumbles.

"Good morning Emiya." The mother replies with a smile, Toru only nodding in acknowledgement. "What is its name?" She looks in the children direction.

"Maria." The knight crosses her arms.

"I heard that you were going to teach magic to Kotai and Maiko." Atsuko starts a discussion. "Yet, I have never seen you use a tome before."

Tory frowns at that but Mitsue talks right before her. "She does not need one, she was able to defeat a kunoichi during the festival."

"You what?" This time the ones who speak before Toru are Maiko and Yua.

The chef does not answer and looks at her wyvern. "She has beaten the crap out of a kunoichi with her magic... Oof." Mitsue explains before his mother slaps the top of his head.

"Language." She frowns at him.

The young man whines "I am eighteen!"

Kamui rolls her eyes. "But is magic not dangerous?" Toru finally asks her question.

"Of course it is." The knight waves her hand as if it was an evidence.

The curvaceous maiden frowns. "Then I refuse, I will not stay still as you put a inhabitant of the shrine in danger."

"I do not remember Maiko asking for your opinion." Kamui huffs with a condescending tone.

Toru turns to the brunette. "Will you learn magic?"

Maiko looks at her host with an alarmed expression and Kamui simply shrugs.

The uneasy miko takes a deep breath. "I... I will learn magic." She nods, determined.

"Uh?" Toru is taken aback, this is the first time Maiko has not taken her side.

The older maiden glares at Kamui who's eyes glint in amusement.

Yua tries to defuse the situation. "There is no need for such hostility Toru, Maiko wants to learn magic and that is her choice to make."

"You are right..." Toru mutters after hesitating a bit. "What can you do with magic anyway?"

"She can kick your ass." Mitsue smirks after dodging his mother's hand. "If only you saw the fight..." He adds after putting his hand on his head, parrying his mother's assault.

Yua stops and looks at him, perplexed. "What fight?"

The young man looks at Kamui who seems to focus more on the sandwiches than the conversation. "A fight? There was no fight." He tries to make a serious expression.

"Mitsue." His mother gives him a stern look. "What fight?" She repeats.

He says nothing, trying to keep it secret, but his mother's gaze is too strong. "Kamui had a skirmish with a kunoichi."

Yua sigh. "I suppose it explains why you came back earlier than expected."

"Oh no." He shakes his head. "We just sold everything." He smiles.

The mother gives him a blank look.

"That is true!" Mitsue exclaims.

While everyone is discussing about Kamui and Kagero's fight, the knight keeps her eyes on the children.

Kotai running after the twins with a beetle in his hand, and Maria... eating leaves...

Kamui bends her legs slightly and puts her elbows on her knees, her hands hanging between her shins.

"Emiya-chan." Yua calls. "Is what Mitsue said true?"

The blond girl glances at the woman. "The part where I mugged the crown prince or the one where I win the archery contest?" She asks without showing any emotion.

Yua's face lose all colors. "You mugged the crown prince?"

"Maybe..." Kamui breaks eye contact with the worried villager and watches Maria lifting Kotai on her back with difficulty. "Kotai!" She shouts with a frown.

The albino tenses up before getting off of the small wyvern's back with a blush.

"Emiya-chan." Yua insists as the knight gives her a bored look.

"Stop talking already, just ask Mitsue." She lays down with a frown, her back facing them. "Not your problem anyway." The blond girl mutters.

Yua sighs with a sadden expression. "That is true..." She turns to her son who nods, silently agreeing to tell her later.

Toru, however, frowns when she stares at Maiko, who looks worriedly at Kamui, not really sure about what to do.

A/N Just found out that shin is the tibia... and not the forehead. XD
It means there is a 'shin' somewhere who does not make any sense... And I am way to lazy to read all of my fanfiction to find it. (Let's say it is an easter egg)

Reviews replies:

Archangel Xireon Chaos God: Nope, just a normal wyvern.

Dragon lord Syed 101: Nice, is it not?