Author Note

Hello there and welcome to another chapter of Fate Shadow Spear.

Not much to comment before the chapter, so let's answer the reviews.

GT Innkeeper - Writing about Hollow Artaraxia sure could be nice, though I'm still thinking about what to do about Shadow Spear after the Grail War.

Type-RWBYFanatic64 - Thanks for the correction.

hyperomegasonic26 - Thanks for the review. Scathach will certainly appear to the rest, but right now, she will only appear in Shirou's house scenes, but she will be more active down the end of the war.

Ash the Aura Guardian - Sorry, unfortunately, Shirou won't be hunting Shinji down, since his main concern is the war, Sakura and the Shadow. Also, thanks for the gramar tip.

Toa Solaric - In this chapter, it explains why Sakura managed to keep the truth for so long. And Sakura shall have a scene with Shirou and I have other scenes planned for next chapter, though I won't spoil the surprise.

Omega Sanction - The answer is in this chapter.

edson izanagi - It's not that I want him to live. He is just the thrigger in the story to reveal Dark Sakura.

Ok that's about it with the reviews. On to the chapter.

Heaven's Feel

Fate: Shadow Spear

Chapter 15 – Secrets

Beta: Axel Emiya

Taking a seat on the benches at the church, two masters and one servant were there simply waiting for the church overseer and expert spiritual healer to tend to Sakura.

Rider, by this point, had already dematerialized so as to not burden her master more than she already had.

The attempt at the school library was her other foolish and cowardly master's idea and Rider really felt like devouring him just like she did with those who dared reach her island, when she was alive. It ended up hurting Sakura and accelerated her condition to the point that Rider no longer could do much to aid the poor girl. The only console in this matter was that at least Rider no longer would be subjected to Shinji's orders. The long-purple haired servant took her sweet time simply observing the target of her master's affections, who was busy conversing with his own servant Saber and Archer's master.

Her focus also rested on the blonde-haired servant as the memory of seeing them together in the school library resurfaced.

Emiya Shirou by now was the only one who could somewhat mitigate Sakura's affliction. Problem now resided in the fact that his own affections lied clearly elsewhere, considering how fondly he had looked at his own servant.

It truly was an enigma for her, though, since Shirou had also tried his best efforts to heal Sakura.

Rider could attest to the power of the energy that he was supplying to her own master, despite being unaware that Sakura needed more than he was capable of providing. Also, Shirou, despite being a master, instead of taking the opportunity and ordering his servant to kill Rider, went out of his way and even against his servant's wishes, to protect Sakura. Some would consider his actions as naïve, but it could also display an affection that he have for Rider's master. While endearing, it was not a romantic affection, though and Rider was counting on the boy reciprocating Sakura's affections for him.

Archer, for his part, was outside sitting on the church's roof, wondering about the sudden changes to this timeline that he now found himself in. The Heroic Spirit had been through many timelines and different realities, because of the burden that happened in his life. And now looking at Emiya Shirou as well as the different outcomes in this war, Archer felt truly conflicted. He had a true goal in mind ever since he was summoned to this reality. His goal was a simple one, at least in theory.

Emiya Shirou needed to be gone from this world, either by his hand or someone else.

However, as a Guardian, he also had the responsibility of dealing with the shadow that is terrorizing the city and killing the inhabitants.

Both of his targets seemed completely out of his grasp for the moment. The shadow, so far, has managed to take swift care of a couple of servants, so Archer had no illusion of considering himself capable of facing the shadow. However, the objective of facing Emiya Shirou and killing him seemed also far away. Not only because of Saber being stronger than ever before, but also the strange and elusive fact that Emiya Shirou was a competent fighter in this reality, which couldn't be possible. That was a certainty that he had up until he had first seen this Shirou in action.

Something must have happened to him that must have changed him and Archer thought he knew all of what happened to the boy Emiya Shirou before the Fifth War began.

Opening his eyes, Archer looked at the bright lights of Fuyuki from his vantage point. To his sniper-like eyes, the white-haired servant could see the citizens walking around as if he was merely meters apart.

As he dematerialized, Archer had made a decision.

He will have plenty of opportunities with Rin as his master to come up with a suitable plan of action against that Shadow.

But, he just couldn't let this new foe deter him from his ultimate goal.

===Inside the Church===

Back inside the Church, silence reigned as the two masters and one servant looked at the door at the back of the church open and Kirei emerged from it.

The fake priest betrayed nothing in his posture and mannerism, but Arturia couldn't put it past her to believe that this foe could be having second intentions. He had both hands behind his back and his arms closed as he took his sweet time announcing the outcome of the procedure. Shirou frowned at this and Rin looked outraged at the man for once more working his mind games on them. She was seated on one of the middle right side benches and Shirou was up front with Arturia by his side.

"Anytime would be nice Kirei…"

The priest opened his eyes with a flat-smile at hearing Rin's irritated voice.

He could see the hidden anxiety in her voice a mile away, considering just whom he had just healed.

The boy by his left side also looked anxious for the result.

"I had just finished Matou Sakura's treatment. While I can't say she's stable, at least she escaped from death."

To this, Shirou and Rin turned calmer somewhat. Rin, though, jerked up from her seat in surprise.

"What happened to your command seals, Kirei?" The priest looked at his bandaged right arm for a while and then turned to the audience.

"I had to use all of it for the treatment to remove the crest worms from her body, though I was unsuccessful in removing them all." Rin gasped at the information, while Shirou and Arturia were clueless. As such, Kirei explained to them, while Rin was busy suffering inside her mind for the images that played inside her head. "Crest worms are like living magic crests. While in incubation, they are harmless. However, once they are alive, it starts to penetrate in all parts of the body, with the sole purpose of thoroughly consuming life force and magical energy. The worms crawl through her body and injects its mucus, which ends up stimulating her zones of pleasure. In summary, the girl will in time has her mind and her body completely violated and ultimately destroyed."

Shirou, for his turn, felt ill by every word of Kirei's explanation and Arturia wasn't faring any better herself.

However, she at least managed to hold her master as he suddenly felt his legs no longer able to sustain his body.

"Shirou…" Kirei simply smirked at the scene of the Saber servant helping her master to stand up.

Shirou, for his part, couldn't shake the image of the sweet little Sakura soaking wet appearing by his door.

"I should have known, Saber…she was right there in front of me this entire time…I should have been able to…do something."

The king of knights stood there holding her master as he quietly sobbed for Sakura. She of course understood his pain, but she felt that holding him closer to her would manage to ease his feelings of sorrow. She could feel his pain through her shared link and she couldn't help but hold him even tighter. Shirou welcome her embrace and Saber was positively surprised to feel her master's arms return the hug. She could feel their connection even stronger now.

"Don't beat yourself up Emiya…" Shirou and Saber then turned to the still pensive Tohsaka Rin as she walked towards Kirei. "seeing Sakura at the library was actually the first time I have ever sensed any magical energy coming from her. You couldn't have known that she was a magus, much less that anything of this sort was happening." Rin appeared contemplative and calculative, but it was clear what she was saying. Even she, with all her experience and being the second owner of this land, knew what was going on with Sakura. Shirou, for his part, with Saber's consoling hug and Rin's assessment, at least managed to stand properly this time. Saber could feel his more at ease somewhat and let go.

Kirei observed it all with a simple flat smile on his face which irritated Rin the most.

"Well, eventually, it will be too much for Sakura to handle by herself. Her own body is unable to produce enough magical energy to properly feed the crest worms, which means that the worms will start to feed on her Od."

Now, Shirou understood why his healing runes wasn't helping Sakura. Everything that he supplied her was being absorbed by these crest worms inside her body.

"But you said you managed to remove the crest worms…" Shirou exclaimed, but was interrupted by Kirei.

"Not all of them, at most I removed eleven years of damage to her body. If I tried to remove it all, her body wouldn't be able to handle the strain. The only way to successfully remove it all would have to be through the Grail." This time, Saber caught on to what the priest was aiming at and looked at the man in fury. She knew that a caring person such as Shirou would respond to this manner and wondered if her master would then relinquish the Grail for Sakura's behalf rather than Saber's.

"There is no need for that…" Saber and Shirou looked towards Rin as they could see her eyes narrow at her responsibilities. "As second owner and supervisor of Fuyuki, I will handle her myself. A magus that has lost control can't be allowed to live." Shirou widened his eyes at Rin's assertion. None of them realized that Sakura was already awake from the procedure and hearing it all.

"Tohsaka, that can't be the only way to help her!" Saber was looking at her master, holding her breath as he spoke. "I have made an oath with Saber to help her get the Grail, but there must be another way to help her."

Saber held her regal posture betraying nothing, but her trust in Shirou was threatening to exude from her body. Kirei for his part was rather focused on Rin.

"You're going to take care of her, Rin, even though she is your sister?"

The drop bomb was followed by utter silence as Shirou was looking at the sudden downtrodden Rin in front of him.

"…Sister?" Even Saber was now looking at Rin, wanting to hear about the black-haired magus' resolve in this.

"Originally, there were two girls born from the Tohsaka line, me being the oldest and Sakura the youngest. However, the family crest couldn't be passed to two heirs, so I ended up inheriting it. Sakura was given to the Matou family. She was adopted as the Makiri's successor." Rin's beautiful bright blue eyes looked completely hollow as she looked up in contemplation. The memory of them as little children playing vividly in her mind. With time, she had accepted the explanation from her father, but now that she had witnessed Sakura's upbringing from the Matou, she couldn't help but curse Tohsaka Tokiomi for what he did to Sakura. She cursed him even more for the fact that Rin would have to ultimately kill her own sister.

"Emiya, if she remains alive, then what happened in the school library will repeat itself, but not with us. It's not something she can control it. Eventually, she will target random people and I can't let her roam free."

The message was quite clear in Shirou and Arturia's mind. By killing Sakura, Rin would be protecting the city's inhabitants. And that made sense to Shirou, though he still wondered if perhaps there is another way around this.

Rin then opened the door to the surgery room where Sakura was presumably sedated to finish her, only to see that Sakura has left the room. Rin cursed and ran back to find her somewhere, while Shirou and Saber remained for a while. Shirou quietly walked towards the surgery bed and looked at the open window to look outside, despite the heavy rain and cold weather. When he looked down, however, he gasped and jumped outside followed by Saber who wondered what Shirou was focusing on. When she emerged from the window, she saw Shirou holding a set of keys with his hands. The memory of him giving these very keys to a pre-teen Sakura. How happy she was at the time upon receiving the keys to his house.

"What is it, Shirou…"

"These are the keys to my house, Saber. I gave them to Sakura a long time ago." She could see his saddened eyes as he closed his hands with the keys.

"You care about her, don't you Shirou?" The master looked at Saber's emerald eyes and her fond smile for him in the rain. Despite feeling mesmerized by her beauty, he found himself nodding.

"Yes, I do. I grew up looking at Taiga as my older sister figure and I always wondered what would be like…to be to someone else what Taiga is for me." Saber smiled at her master as Shirou remembered the fond memories he had with Sakura as he watched her grow up. "There must be something else we can do to help her, Saber. I…understand Tohsaka's position of wanting to protect others, but I just can't consider the possibility of killing Sakura…" The mere thought was bearing down his chest.

"Then we shall protect her with all our strength, Shirou." The redhead turned to Saber's confident smile and nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you, Saber." Shirou stood up from the ground, standing by Saber. "Sensing her presence now is close to impossible…every magical energy she has is being used to feed the crest worms. She just couldn't get far from here, though." Saber nodded in resolution as the couple of master and servant used their sprint to locate the fleeing Sakura. They needed to find her before Tohsaka and Archer or else, Rin would carry on her threat. As they sprinted away, Kirei emerged from the window and looked at their direction. While his planning wasn't entirely successful regarding Kiritsugu's boy, at least he was successful in planting the seed of doubt in the Tohsaka sisters.

Now, he only needed to sit back and observe.

===With Sakura===

Not knowing that both Shirou and Rin were searching for her, for completely opposite reasons, one Matou Sakura silently walked towards the edge of the park.

The rain drenching her school outfit as she quietly observed the city lights on the horizon.

"Sakura…"

Her eyes widened as she heard Shirou's voice from behind her, just as he and Saber landed, causing a small splash of water in their step. Shirou and Saber had briefly encountered Ilya before arriving and both were surprised to see that the Einzbern heiress didn't wish to fight them. They were even more surprised that it was Ilya who relayed them Sakura's location, before vanishing and saying that they shall have their fight when the time comes. The Matou girl, for her part, slowly stood up from her almost kneeling position and then turned to see Shirou as her tears were quite visible. Shirou had that smile that melted her heart, while Saber was keeping guard behind him, on the lookout for enemies.

"Senpai…"

"Sakura, let's go home."

Sakura took a step back as she saw the redhead slowly walking towards her. She wanted to go home with him more than anything, but…she was afraid. Afraid of hurting him…afraid of doing something that could very well put him in jeopardy. Despite it all, Shirou just didn't stop walking towards her and never once did he break the kind smile on his face.

"Senpai, I can't…this is what I have that made me hurt you…" Her voice was sobbed as the tears were still falling. Though, Sakura never did hurt him, because of the shield.

"Don't worry Sakura…you didn't hurt me. Plus, I am quite pain-resistant, you are free to ask Saber and Scathach."

Once more, she took a step back. Her senpai was being stubborn, just like…just like that time when he she first saw him attempt that jump.

"I…I am a magus for the Matou…this is something I have always hid from you." Shirou only snorted at that as he kept on walking.

"Well, seeing what I can do must have been a shock to you too, right. Plus, when I became a master and didn't tell you." Sakura, at this point, became frantic and was waving her arms, hoping to dissuade Shirou. Saber observed the scene with a smile on her face. Indeed, Shirou was quite stubborn when he wished something. Saber could also feel Rider's position from the set of trees next to the park. The long purple-haired servant just stood on top of the tree log as she awaited for what Shirou would do, though she didn't perceive any threat from the boy. Plus, with Saber there, Rider truly couldn't do anything if Shirou decided to harm Sakura. Thus, the servant was counting on Shirou's good graces right now.

Sakura, for her part, was coming out of things to say that could convince Shirou to stop walking.

"I…went to your house constantly because I was afraid of going against grandfather's orders. I…I always thought myself unworthy of being by your side, senpai. From tomorrow onward, it would be best that you simply forget I exist…I would come back home, with the memory of everything we did together." Sakura allowed this time a smile on her face, despite the tears, as she remembered the experience they had together in his house. But then…tears suddenly fell once more as the pain in her chest increased. "But, I can't…senpai. This pain is so much…I was afraid of fooling you, but I am also afraid to stop, because that means that I couldn't be with you anymore and it hurts! It hurts so much!"

Still, Shirou kept on walking.

"For me, being with you is the only thing in my life that makes sense."

Her voice right now was barely audible, but Shirou heard it all the same as he kept on walking towards her.

"Sakura, nothing you say or do will ever keep me away from you." She gasped at his proclamation. "I will be with you every step of the way, to protect you even if it means taking you away from the path you're heading towards."

"Senpai…"

"You're family to me, Sakura. So, once more, I say, let's go home."

Shirou at this point was only a few steps from her as she flinched at his presence. She couldn't stand that despite everything, he still kept on walking towards her.

He stopped, however, when she decided to use perhaps the only secret…though she was still dreading the look on his face once she revealed the ugliest truth.

"I…senpai…I'm no longer a virgin...my first time was a long time ago. And…my body is been constantly violated by the worms…I…"

She noticed him no longer walking and flinched. Sakura didn't dare to look at his eyes right now, because she was certain that she would see eyes of judgement. Anyone would, no doubt. Saber, with the link she shared with Shirou, gasped at the revelation and even Rider looked on in surprise at Shirou stopping. The long-haired servant knew that she had many things in common with Sakura, hence how she was summoned as her servant. Shirou, for his part, looked at his little sister in front of him. His suspicions with Saber and Scathach before came to mind as Sakura awaited for his judgement.

"It was Shinji isn't it, Sakura…"

She gasped in shock and looked up, before tearing up as Shirou looked at her sympathetically. She flinched once his arms enveloped her in a hug and Sakura teared up.

"I'm sorry, you must have suffered immensely, Sakura. From here on out, though, he will no longer hurt you, Sakura."

Her arms felt loose as Sakura was simply basking in his embrace. Senpai considered her family…her. Also, he wasn't judging her because of what happened. The quiet girl couldn't figure senpai's true feelings for her as she remembered how fond his eyes were for the blond servant behind him. She couldn't for the life of her consider staying away from him, though. She couldn't for the life of her imagine the experience they had together taken away from her.

"Senpai…" Sakura then returned the embrace, despite the feeling she harbored for him.

They broke the hug and looked at one another with a fond smile, before Shirou returned to Saber's position, followed by the smiling Sakura. As they came near Saber, Sakura was surprised when Saber placed her right hand on her chest armor plat and bowed to the Matou girl, displaying the regal reverence of her position as knight and king.

"Sakura, aside from Rider and Shirou, please count on me to protect you as well."

Sakura kept on looking at the regal servant, remembering Saber at Shirou's house doing the same act when Saber appreciated her cooking.

Despite being somewhat averse to Saber's presence, Sakura nodded with a smile at Saber as the three started walking towards Shirou's house.

The voice in her head whispered words of hatred for the servant as well as the other woman in Shirou's life that would certainly await her in Shirou's house.

They stopped walking, however, when they saw Rin and Archer standing in their path. To show her oath, Saber stood in front of Shirou and Sakura as they walked with Saber escorting them.

"Sakura…" The girl gasped at the tone from Rin, as she remembered hearing that she wanted to kill her.

"Nee-sa…oh…Tohsaka-senpai." The trio walked and passed by Rin and Archer. Rin and Shirou's eyes crossed briefly as they started a conversation with their eyes alone. Shirou nodded at her with a smile, though, showing confidence that he will do everything in his power to prevent Sakura from hurting. Shirou didn't want his partnership with Rin to stop in this war. They still had enemies to defeat in their quest for the Grail. Not to mention that the Shadow is still loose out there. Shirou then smiled as Rin released a sigh in dismay. This was a vote of confidence in him and he appreciated it. For now, though, he would take Sakura home and consult with Scathach what they could do to help Sakura.

"Emiya Shirou…"

Archer's sudden voice made everyone turn to the white-haired servant. It all happened in less than a second and Rin and Sakura took a step back in surprise. Saber had released her sword at the immediate threat, but just like with Rider, Shirou managed to trace his spear fast enough to parry Archer's short swords. "it's time for me to fulfil my mission for as I cannot allow you to live." Saber was about to attack Archer in retaliation and protect her master when she received a mental command not to intervene for now from her master. For as soon as Shirou and Archer crossed weapons, Shirou's magic circuits hummed to life in a way that he never felt before. Plus, images of a hill of swords and a man looking like Archer with many swords through his chest.

Shirou gasped once he saw a similar scene playing in his mind of a little boy walking amidst the pits of hell in Fuyuki.

Archer, for his part, had also received feedback from this Shirou's life and he was surprised to see the boy facing wraiths and dead spirits in a darkened hill, before a red spear appeared. The magus and servant suddenly began to battle with each other, while Saber stood by Sakura protectively. Sakura looked afraid for Shirou while Saber snarled at the white-haired servant for finally showing his true colors.

Rin, for her part, became mad at her servant as she observed the fight between them.

"Archer…what are you doing?"

Archer, though, ignored the question as he battled it out against Emiya Shirou. He remembered having a similar fight against Lancer, though Shirou's spear didn't have the same strength. Certainly, his projected swords held their own, whereas with Lancer, it broke constantly. Still, Archer could feel that Emiya Shirou was indeed holding his own against him and worst of all, getting stronger as the fight progressed. As Shirou crossed weapons with Archer, unbidden images of this servant's history appeared in his mind and considering the strength of Shirou's link with Saber, the king of knights was also seeing. The redhead gasped when he saw the memory of a young Emiya Shirou conversing with Emiya Kiritsugu on the house's balcony where Shirou told his father that he would take over the man's dream of being a hero of justice.

Soon, the confrontation was put up to a halt as battle magus and servant stood face to face with one another.

The girls waited in bated breath as they eyed Shirou and Archer stare at each other.

"I trust that you've seen bits and pieces of my history, did you not Emiya Shirou…"

The redhead nodded. His eyes looked pensive, though not once did he stopped facing Archer.

Saber, for her part, found herself in between the two versions – present and future - of her master as images of a younger version of herself appeared in her mind, walking towards the stone and releasing Caliburn.

The first of her many regrets in life.

"Yes, you did too. Should I call by your real name, then, Archer?"

Everything that Shirou saw painted a darker picture for him. He remembered his conversation with Scathach about this ideal that in fact was not his own.

Rin and Sakura stood pretty much forgotten this time around, though what Shirou said just now made her think. Being a strong magus, Tohsaka Rin had a strong link with her servant to the point of also seeing the white-haired man's history. And as she looked at Shirou and then at Archer, Rin suddenly lost her ability to breathe properly. As Shirou and Archer stood facing each other, she could see completely identical expressions from them, with the obvious exception of their difference in height and hair color. To truly know someone who is to become a heroic spirit in the future was mind-blowing. Archer, for his part, was keenly observing the redhead in front of him.

"Tsk, I shall observe this new resolve of yours. However, know that if you blindly follow another's ideal, there is no future for Emiya Shirou."

To the rest, Archer's words were cryptic.

Archer was surprised when the kid simply smiled at his concern, before letting Gaia release his traced spear.

"Worry not Archer…for as I had someone in my life who guided me growing up. I will be forever grateful for her presence in my life."

Truly, Shirou couldn't be more grateful at Scathach for going out of her way to help him and tutor him. Without her, Shirou would be quite lost. From those present, only Saber and Sakura knew whom Shirou was talking about. Saber truly respected the Irish legend's strength and her influence on Shirou. She made him into a powerful fighter and a righteous man, to whom Saber found herself thinking constantly about nowadays. Sakura, for her part, stood there looking towards the ground in sadness at the mention of Scathach.

Archer for once did manage to show a relieved smile on his face as he saw a different Emiya Shirou in front of him.

Perhaps, his ultimate goal wasn't much to kill Emiya Shirou, but rather to kill the fake ideal that was placed inside his thick head.

Furthermore, with him being more capable, maybe he won't find himself in the future making a desperate deal he can't get out of.

Author Note

Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone who added this story to his/her follow/favorite.

Not much to say, so it's a wrap.

When Saber became Saber Alter in HF, she took the oath of protecting Sakura, after knowing her story. And in this story, Shirou views Sakura as a little sister. So, being Shirou's servant, Saber took the oath of her protection as well. Also, many secrets were revealed not only about Sakura, but also Shirou finally finding out about Archer and Archer knowing about what happened to this Emiya Shirou for him to be different. Some of you were wondering how a meeting between Rin and Archer with Scathach would be. Well, it will happen, but not right now.

Please tell me your thoughts.

Next Update – Avalon Bond.