Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Blue Shifting

Part I

Rain fell heavily from a grey and dreary sky, streaming down along the facades of the city's buildings, puddling on the roads, streets, and alleys, and flowing down gutters and into drains. The city's air matched the sky's appearance above, people going to and fro on the streets in silence, huddled into coats under umbrellas, hurrying without care for strangers towards their destinations and out of the cold and the wet.

Water splashed from puddles, strongly as cars and other vehicles sped past on the road, weakly from the more sedate pace of the pedestrians on the street. It dripped down from overhangs above the partly-sheltered alleys, the homeless and the destitute huddled in makeshift shelters with what little possessions they had, struggling to keep warm and dry as best they could.

One such homeless was a little girl, not even of school age, huddled in a shelter of cardboard somehow patched together. Her clothes were dirty, her skin all scuffed and smudged, and her dark hair matted and tangled. Blue eyes dully stared out onto the world, face slack with resignation, and as her stomach growled hungrily she closed her eyes and huddled further into herself and her shelter, even as lightning flashed and thunder boomed overhead.

She didn't notice the slight tingling of her body, as something swept out in response to someone else feeling her presence. Not with the numbing cold and wet, and even if she had she'd have dismissed it as coming from the gnawing hunger that had been a constant companion since she'd had to fend for herself.

She did notice, however, when someone approached her shelter, heavy boots stepping firmly on the concrete, and came to a halt in front of her. The little girl looked up, taking in the dark-haired young woman in a plain brown but well-made overcoat, holding an umbrella over herself and the little girl's shelter.

Two pairs of blue eyes stared into each other, but when the young woman knelt down the little girl looked away. She ignored the young woman holding out her hand, but as the minutes passed and the young woman just stayed there, the little girl finally looked back.

The young woman smiled kindly, and nodded encouragingly. Smiles…kindness…she missed being given those…but she had been the ones to give up on them…if only because they were fake…they weren't real…

But…she missed them so much…maybe…this one…wasn't fake…

Slowly, the little girl raised her hand, thin and bony from hunger, and met the young woman's. Heat and numbness jolted through the little girl body at the touch, and she jolted back, scrambling back as she could in fear into her shelter.

They'd found her.

They'd take her back.

Back to that house where people smiled and were kind…but didn't really care at all…didn't want her…so she didn't want them either…

…even though she missed them so much…

…why?

It was all fake. It wasn't real. Nothing in that house was real.

She was just like a doll to them. Something to play with, and give away when they got tired of her.

That was all she ever was.

"I see." the young woman said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, and I don't want to hurt you either."

The little girl looked away. "Please go away." She whispered. "I just…I just want to be alone. I…I don't want to go back. I…"

"…what did they do to you, little one?" the young woman asked softly. "What was so bad that you'd rather stay in the cold and the wet out here?"

The little girl didn't answer, though she flinched as the young woman reached out, and then whimpered as the young woman placed a hand on her head. Fear turned to confusion which turned to surprise as the young woman gently rubbed her on the head, and smiled wider. "My name's Aoko, Aoko Aozaki." The young woman introduced herself. "What's your name?"

"…Sakura…I'm…Sakura…"

"…just Sakura…?" Aoko gently asked after a moment.

Sakura didn't answer, just looking down, unable to meet Aoko's eyes. A moment later and fingers gently placed themselves under Sakura's chin, and just as gently pushed her face up, until their eyes met again. "…I see." Aoko said softly. "They didn't want you, did they?"

Again, Sakura didn't answer, and simply looked away. Aoko sighed. "Another life…another family…ruined by that stupid rule…" She said. "And if they followed that rule…then sending you back will do you no good…but I can't just leave you alone out here either in the cold and the wet."

Sakura blinked as she felt magic flow through the air, looking around in surprise as the rain stopped, or rather flowed around them, falling outside a circle around her and Aoko. None of the people nearby noticed, whether the other homeless, or the people walking by on the street.

Then sparks flew, and Sakura flinched back into her shelter as fire ignited in front of her. "Magic doesn't have to hurt people." Aoko said gently. "In fact, magic should be used to help people, to make them happy. Just like this: fire can burn people, hurt them…but it can also make them warm and dry, to light the dark, like the Sun on a day in spring."

Aoko fell silent, nodding and smiling in encouragement as Sakura slowly – warily – crept out of her shelter, and then smiling herself reached towards the prana-fueled flames burning in front of her. The smile grew as she took in the warmth and the light, Aoko staying silent and still until the girl had dried and warmed herself in full.

And then she laughed, as Sakura's stomach growled, and then getting to her feet, offered her hand. "Let's go, Sakura." She said as the fire died. "Let's go have something to eat, and then we can start over from the beginning."

Sakura stared at the offered hand, and then at Aoko's face, and then back at the hand. "You…" she whispered. "You won't hurt me?"

"No," Aoko said with a gentle smile and shake of her head. "I won't."

"You…want me…?"

"Yes…yes, I do."

"You…will you…p-p-p…"

"Protect you?" Aoko finished, and Sakura nodded. "Even better: I can teach you to protect yourself, and more. Like I said: magic is supposed to help people, and make them happy."

Sakura continued to stare at the offered hand, and then at Aoko's face before looking away. She raised her hand, visibly hesitated, and then turning back to Aoko, reached out in full.

She took the offered hand.

Eleven Years Later

"Um…I'm really sorry…I have no excuse for forgetting to bring my homework with me."

It was a warm and sunny day in the city of Tokyo, though a cool breeze blew gently through the windows and their curtains, and into the high school classroom beyond. The English teacher sighed, and rolling up her paper notebook, lightly bopped one Sakura Aozaki on the head.

"I know a long weekend starts tomorrow, but there really is no excuse for either forgetting or simply not doing your homework." She said. "Though, it's a good thing you know and understand that. Even better, you admit it. So I'll let this slide…lightly, today. It's not like you've done it before either, too."

"Yes!" Sakura said before bowing. "It won't happen again!"

There was small laughter around the classroom. "What's gotten into you today, Aozaki?" one of her classmates asked.

"Don't you mean last night?" another classmate cut in, before winking at one of the boys in the classroom. "I'm sure Katsuragi could tell us all about why you really forgot to do or bring your homework."

"None of your business." Reiji Katsuragi snapped, before smirking and looking away smugly. "Though, I'll have you know that Sakura really did do her homework last night. She must have just forgotten to put it in her bag before going to bed, that's all."

"An honest mistake, then?" Kana Kotobuki asked with a grin.

"He would know, wouldn't he?" Takeshi Nakano also asked with a grin.

"Alright, that's enough. Settle down." The teacher said sternly while sweeping her gaze across the classroom, though she quickly took the edge off with a smile. "Anyway, before we continue with our lesson for today…I did say I'll let it slide lightly, Miss Aozaki. So…I want you to stay after class today, and finish what you were supposed to submit in this class before you go home. Alright?"

"Yes!" Sakura said with another bow. "Again, I'm really sorry! It won't happen again!"

The teacher nodded, and gesturing for Sakura to sit, returned to the front of the classroom. Takeshi however, leaned closer to Reiji. "So," he began. "What really happened last night? Sakura's not the kind to forget about things like that."

"Like I said," Reiji shot back. "It's none of your business."

Takeshi snickered. "Oh come on," he said. "It's not a secret from me, is it?"

"Yes, it is." Reiji said with a roll of his eyes.

"Boo." Takeshi jeered before winking at Reiji and turning back to where the teacher was beginning with her lecture.

"Ugh…this is boring!"

Sakura and Reiji were sitting in the classroom after school (and club) hours, orange and red light flooding through the windows. Sakura was sitting at her usual desk, sheets of paper and a pen sitting on top, the former scribbled down with a set of essays.

"You wouldn't be in this mess if you just hadn't forgotten to put your homework in your bag last night…or this morning." Reiji pointed out. As the Class Representative, he'd been assigned as the one to supervise Sakura's punishment, even though it was common knowledge he was her boyfriend. It was simply assumed that he was responsible enough even with that.

Sakura slumped onto her desk with half-lidded eyes. "You could have reminded me." She grumbled.

"…it was in your room." Reiji pointed out after a moment. "We woke up in my room."

Sakura made another unhappy noise, and Reiji shot her a look before looking at her paper. "Come on," he said, getting up and walking closer. "You only have one more essay to finish, and then we can go home. You can do it."

"…ugh…this is boring."

Reiji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, boring," he said exasperatedly. "But when Aunt Aoko gives you all those foreign books to work on, you're so enthusiastic about it. Come on, Sakura. Just think of it as something you can't avoid, and get it over with."

Sakura groaned again…and then her eyes narrowed. Turning her head, she smirked up at her boyfriend. "You know," she began while sitting up. "There is something we can do to make things more…interesting."

"Huh…wait…are you…no! Absolutely not!"

Sakura snickered and unbuttoned the top of her blouse. "Really?" she purred. "That wasn't what you were saying back when the PE teacher had us bring the things we used in class back to the storeroom a while back."

"T-t-that was different…"

Reiji broke off as Sakura reached up, and grabbing him by the front of his shirt pulled him down. Their lips locked with each other, the kiss turning sloppy as their tongues fought with each other. At the same time, one of Reiji's hands found its way to one of Sakura's breasts, and groped hungrily at it.

The two teenagers broke off, breathing heavily. "So…" Sakura began, and popping another button. "Change your mind yet?"

"…we're going to get caught."

"No. We won't."

It took only a moment for a magic circle to be drawn on paper, and another moment for words to be spoken. "Let the veil shroud all senses," Sakura said, a finger pressed on the faintly-glowing circle. "Let the mind find something else to focus on. So let it be."

The circle flashed and dimmed, the bounded field encompassing the entire classroom. Sakura grinned at her boyfriend…

…who then pulled her up, off her chair, and against him. Again, their lips locked, tongues battling for dominance as Reiji held Sakura against him with one hand on her back, and the other groping at her breasts. Sakura did likewise, only her hand was stroking at Reiji's crotch.

Breaking off to catch their breath, Sakura quickly pushed Reiji down to the floor, and then getting between his legs, unbuckled and opened his pants. "I can see someone's ready to get serious." She sang as she pulled out his erect cock, and began to stroke it with one hand.

Reiji groaned from the feel of her soft hand on him. Sakura giggled up at him. "Want something more, Reiji?" she asked in a singsong voice. "Not satisfied with just my hand?"

"Y-your mouth…"

Sakura giggled again and then moving closer and brushing her hair away from her face, put Reiji's cock inside her mouth. She worked her way up and down the hot and firm flesh, letting her tongue gently caress it as she moved, and taking enjoyment from her boyfriend's groans and his struggling to hold back.

Pulling her head back, Sakura resumed her handjob to a whimper of disappointment from Reiji. "Don't worry." She said. "I just need to pace myself, or this will be over too quickly."

Reiji grunted in assent, and then gasped as Sakura gave his cock a lick of her tongue and then resumed sucking him off. She kept at it as the light through the windows faded, and the afternoon gave way to the evening, and then she pulled her head back again.

"Time to get serious, right?" she asked, unbuttoning the rest of her blouse and letting it hang open. Reiji grunted and then heaved upward and forward, Sakura squealing as she found herself on her back and Reiji on top of her.

His hands pushed her undershirt up, followed by her bra, and exposing her large and heavy breasts. Reiji groped them for a bit, squeezing and causing Sakura to breathe heavily in delight, even more when he buried himself between them, and suckled at a nipple. "Hey…come on…" she breathed. "Get to it…I'm ready…you're ready…so…"

Sakura trailed off as Reiji pushed himself up, and pulling Sakura's wet panties off positioned himself before pushing in with one practiced stroke. Sakura moaned in delight as she felt his cock part her folds and then moaned again and again as Reiji settled into a regular rhythm of thrusting his hips against her.

"Oh…that…ah!" she struggled to form words, but gave up and simply settled to lie back and enjoy herself. Reiji certainly was enjoying himself, thrusting his hips against her and pushing and pulling his cock in and out of her pussy, and then leaning down pressed her lips against hers.

Sakura closed her eyes, returning the kiss as Reiji slipped his tongue into her mouth. She gave a disappointed mewl as he broke off the kiss, and then moaned loudly as he latched his mouth onto one of her breasts and started to suckle. "Oh…that's…it's not…going to…give milk…no matter…ah…!" she grunted out.

"I don't…" Reiji grunted out, pushing himself up while thrusting as deep as he could. "Your breasts…are so…soft…and big…"

"They're…ah…all…ah…yours…"

Words failed the two of them as they continued to have sex on the classroom floor. Then Sakura moaned in need as Reiji paused, and placing her legs over his shoulders held her by her thighs while thrusting deeper and harder into her. The evening deepened further, and then Reiji paused again, to get Sakura's legs off his shoulders before resuming fucking her.

Draping himself over her, he kissed her again and then held her tight, his thrusts growing faster and more frantic. "Sakura…" he groaned. "I…can't…"

"Cum…cum inside…it's fine…ah!"

With a loud groan, Reiji thrust himself as deep as he could, and came inside Sakura's pussy. Sakura all but shrieked as she also came, feeling the liquid warmth pour inside of her. As they came down from their shared high, Reiji rolled off of Sakura, lying half-naked beside her in the dark, the only noise their heavy breathing.

"We shouldn't…be doing this…" Reiji panted.

Sakura giggled. "Maybe…" she admitted. "But it feels good…not just having sex with you…but doing it in a place like this…"

"…pervert…"

"…and you're any different?"

Reiji laughed, and then turned to face Sakura. She faced him as well, and then pushing himself up, leaned over her and down to give a kiss.

"…are you done yet?"

"…almost…and there! All finished!"

"Good." Reiji said as he picked up Sakura's essays and looked at her with narrowed eyes. "That last essay took barely five minutes to do."

Sakura grinned and leaned forward on her desk, resting her chin on a hand propped up by an elbow. "And?" she asked.

"…you could have finished before we had…well, sex…here, in the classroom."

Sakura giggled. "Yeah," she said, and languidly stretching her limbs. "But, you enjoyed yourself regardless, didn't you? And it blew off all the stress of the day too."

"…maybe…alright, I'll go and drop this off at the faculty room."

"Okay."

Reiji left the classroom and proceeded down the corridor and up the stairs to the floor above, and then to the faculty room. Their English teacher was there along with several other teachers, busy with grading and other things that needed doing, and from the look of things, there were plenty. Enough that there was no time for small talk, the English teacher taking Sakura's essay from Reiji and giving it a once-over before sending him off.

Reiji turned…

…and there, waiting for him and leaning against a corner of the stairwell, was Sakura. She had her bag with her, and she'd brought his as well. She smiled as he approached, and held up his bag for him. "Shall we go home?" she asked.

Reiji regarded her for a moment, and then he smiled. "Yeah, let's." he said.

Sakura grinned, and taking him by the arm, all but dragged him down the stairs.

A/N

This is an AU of my other (controversial) fic, Alea Iacta Est. For those not familiar, instead of Touko finding a runaway (pre-Matou) Sakura, Aoko does. The details of how different her upbringing under Aoko instead of Touko will (probably) be revealed later, but at the very least, this will be Slice of Life instead of AIE's Moonlit World drama.