15—Inquisition
Rooted in place under Tohsaka's frigid glare, Taiasu can do little more than swallow against the desert forming in his mouth and throat. This young woman, who currently holds his shoulder with a grip like iron, clearly has no intention of letting him leave until her concerns have been laid to rest. And the small young man willingly suffering her grip is, for the moment, the only one who can provide her with answers.
"Yes. Questions. So why don't we have a little pre-meeting before I help Sakura with whatever it is she wants to ask me."
It's only for a moment that she releases his shoulder. He could run, but that niggling concern in his mind, that doing so would put her at greater risk than his staying, delays him. Wrinkles form in his forehead, his brow drawing tightly inward as he hammers the ground with his stare.
What would it accomplish? She already suspects something, and me running off is just going to make her even more suspicious! At least this way, I might… Hells if I know. Maybe I can explain it somehow in a way that keeps her safe?
His hesitation gives her time to seize his ear. Snatched from his thoughts, he winces as she tugs him along behind her.
"Ow, hey! That—?"
Some sudden realization stops his loud complaint, and he's quickly aware of something that makes his face flare a single, brief shade of red. Even despite the rough nature in which she drags him along, he can tell.
Sh-she—wow. Her hands… They're really soft.
"Öffnen."
Standing outside a small metal building, Tohsaka extends her left arm toward the door. Beneath her long red dress coat, Taiasu can see a brief, blue glow as she mutters this word, weaving it with magical power. A blue light leaps from her hand and sinks into the door, causing it to shudder and rattle before it clicks and swings open, its lock rendered useless for the moment.
Tohsaka looks momentarily toward the small person still in her grip, who stares awestruck at what he's just seen, and she breathes a vexed sigh.
Whatever. I'll just fiddle with his memory later. After I figure out what the hell is going on here.
First, the word catches his attention as the Echo bends it into something he can comprehend.
'Open'? What? That's not the same language she's been speaking. What's going on—!
That brief thought is quickly flung far and away as he watches the light jump from her hand and into the door. Though unlearned in the craft, he's no stranger to what he's just seen.
Even if he's never seen the specific like.
Wait… Is that—?
Hesitantly, he looks up at her as she turns her icy glare toward the shed.
Is she—?
She drags him behind her as she storms inside. A metal storage building completely bereft of anything, dimly lit by what light pours in through the slatted, glassless windows set high in its walls. She pushes him back, though more roughly than she'd meant (regardless of her suspicions, he's still just a child until proven otherwise), then turns again toward the door.
"Schließen."
Again, from beneath her coat comes a brief, blue light, though more noticeable for the dimly lit space in which they stand as she weaves power into her words, holding out her left hand and arm toward the still open door. It doesn't stay open for long as another light, red this time, leaps into it from her hand, causing it to shudder and rattle before it swings closed, latching shut. She tries it, smiling at finding it unyielding to her pedestrian attempts to open it.
Good. Now for this—!
Now fully turning her attention toward the problem, she sucks in a sharp breath at what she sees. In the dimly lit space, the small, child-like person she's seized, hauled off and imprisoned (all things which, if she's wrong, and probably even if she's not, would be felonies in most countries) wears an expression defying all sanity and reason.
During the entire time, he's been awkward, and clearly uncomfortable, his concern over something, though she knows not what, clear in his every facial expression and spoken word. And though she knew not what his concern was, she'd assumed it had something to do with her treatment of him.
So if this were the case, it would only make sense he'd be even more worried given his current predicament. It's for this very reason that the absurd grin on his face causes Tohsaka to fall back into the wall, a clanging sound ringing through the shed as she smacks her head.
Wh-what the hell?! Why's he smiling? What's going—!?
"Magic! That was magic! You used magic!"
His enormous, ridiculous grin is complemented by a deep and relieved sigh as he slides to the ground, resting his back against the shed's cool metal wall.
"That's such a relief… You know what it is. It's safe for you if we talk about it."
The relief in the smile he shows as his face relaxes is almost palpable.
"About everything…"
Another huge sigh escapes him. He'd already forgotten the word she'd spoken ('Close'? Okay, but why—wait, that was definitely—!) when he'd realized for a certainty what he was witnessing. That this young woman, for whose safety he'd feared upon her suspicions over him being roused by his careless words, was clearly informed on the very subject which he dreaded would endanger her life.
But all Tohsaka can do is stare blankly in stunned silence at the sudden reversal. Certainly, she had her suspicions about who or what this strange child was. Without the requisite time, those suspicions had not matured into anything of substance, so her expectations had nothing by which to be defined.
Yet somehow, this current moment retroactively shatters every single one of them.
What… the hell is going on right now?!
Softer, another metallic clang resounds throughout the shed as his head thunks against the back wall, his body nearly reduced to a relaxed puddle on the floor for the sudden release of stress and tension. His eyes drift closed for a moment, and he nearly falls asleep for his overwhelming relief.
Then he snaps his head forward, shaking it, rousing himself and looking back toward Tohsaka, who has by now slid down the shed's wall, and is currently straightening her skirt and jacket to keep them between her and the frigid floor.
"So what did you want to ask me?"
When he breaks the heavy silence in the room, she draws in another sharp breath. Blinking, shaking her head, she finds herself in much the same state of mind Sakura had been when Taiasu had met her that morning. Though not concerned for her safety, her mind slogs through a sludge of thick, incredulous disbelief at the sudden turn. She'd planned to grill this person to get some answers. What she'd done next would've depended on what she'd discovered. At best, she'd have wiped his mind clean and sent him on his way, but only if she found him to be exactly what he appeared to be: some strangely dressed child tagging alongside Sakura.
Beyond that, she had no actual plan for how to proceed. Finding out came first, and now everything she'd wanted to ask is lost to her. She struggles to find the slightest trace of even the most basic question, and the only thing surfacing is a repeat from just a few seconds ago.
What the hell is going on right now?! He knows what magic is? Why isn't he more shocked or surprised by it!? Most people who saw that sort of thing would be completely wetting themselves right now! But he's just sitting there with that stupid grin on his face like it's any other day in his life! I don't even know where to begin!
While kneading her forehead, she heaves a deep, exhausted sigh.
He even asked me what I wanted to ask him. What the goddamn hell is going on right now?!
"What do I want to know…?"
The only thought she can articulate as she looks back down to catch his enthusiastic head-nod while he waits for her to figure it out.
"Sure! Since I know it's safe for you if we talk, I'll tell you what I can!"
She sighs again, then tilts her head at something in his words.
Wait… What he said before. It's safe for… me… if we talk? And he just said that again?
"Okay, let's start there, pipsqueak. What do you mean by that, it's safe for me if we talk?"
Taiasu's eyes widen with surprise. Why would she ask something to which she must already know the answer? Still, being duty-bound by his words, he responds with knowledge she already possesses.
"Well… Sakura told me. Magic is kept secret in your world. If you didn't know about it, I couldn't talk to you about it. That's why I was freaking out when I said that stupid thing back there." He looks down, frowning sadly. "I was afraid I'd put you in danger."
Soft-spoken, his words widen her eyes with surprise, and the reason for that surprise does not remain long hidden.
"What? Why would you care about something like that?"
Now it's his turn, and he snaps his gaze up, stunned that she'd wonder.
"What?" he parrots her. "What do you mean? Why would I care? Why wouldn't I care? I mean, I don't know you very well, and you were kind of… scary…" He shudders, recalling the moments when he'd half-expected her to transform into the next incarnation of Shiva, back in the school yard. "But I wouldn't want your life to be in danger because I said something stupid!"
Tohsaka's eyes widen further, and she looks down at the shed's floor. Basic decency is not foreign to her, yet it's somewhat rare in the world of magic and mages. Most wouldn't give a second thought to simply eliminating anyone to whom the secret had been exposed. So it's no slight shock, finding someone as concerned over such things as she. And yet, as was the case when Sakura had played the question game with him that morning, more questions arise from his answer.
One in particular, though, burns brighter than the rest, demanding her attention.
"You said magic is a secret in my world." She raises her gaze from the floor. "What did you mean by that?"
"Huh? I thought it was obvious. I mean people don't talk about it—!"
The temperature in the shed drops ten degrees as she grits her teeth, glaring at his stupid answer to her question. Immediately sensing her vexation, he snaps his mouth closed, turning his head away.
I mean, she asked.
"No, not that. I mean, what did you mean when you said this is 'my world'. You said the same thing back in the schoolyard, which is why I dragged you in here." She draws in a slow breath, trying to ease her frustrated frown.
I guess I'll just have to be more specific.
"What do you mean by that? 'My world'?"
"Oh!" Now understanding, his eyes widen and his mouth quickly forms into a narrow circle. "Sorry, of course you meant that. Well… I mean, the answer's…"
He sighs, staring at the floor.
She asked, but is she really gonna believe me? I mean, I didn't even believe Sakura right away.
Taking in a deep breath, he puts on as serious an expression as he can, neither smiling nor frowning, forcing himself to look directly into her eyes, a focused crease wrinkling his forehead as he forms the thought that he'll articulate. The ridiculous thought that Sakura had wrestled with in the yard outside Shirou's house that morning just a few hours ago.
A few hours that were quickly proving to be the longest hours of his entire life.
"The answer's what you'd expect, right? I'm not from your world."
And as before, when Sakura had helped him understand, the air in the shed freezes. Again, not really, but his words hang there in silence for a moment. Practically seeing them, Tohsaka stares at them, at the face remaining so serious she expects the straight-man's opposite to pop out of nowhere and provide the punchline.
"What."
Four letters, one word, and it's the only response she can muster, delivered in a tone so flat as to be one-dimensional. All he can do is give a single, firm head-nod. Part of him also wants to shrug his shoulders, as if to say 'Yep, that's the way it is. Surprised every hell out of me too, when I learned it', but finding it not likely to help the situation, he suppresses the urge.
"And you expect me to believe that."
Though less flat this time, her tone is heavily incredulous. So much so it could generate gravity, had it mass. But again, he shows a single, firm head-not that makes her palm her face.
God help me, I think he actually believes it.
"And why do you expect me to believe something so ridiculous?"
"Because it's true," he says plainly.
Before his words have faded, Tohsaka is picking herself up off the floor for them having slammed her into it. Viscerally wincing and frowning deeply, she rubs her head as she tries to process the past few minutes, which are quickly feeling like they've somehow been stretched into an hour.
Okay. The way he said that… At the very least he believes what he's saying, but I sure as hell don't. Why would he say that, though? Why would he even think it? Let alone believe it?
Suddenly, she's folding her arms and holding her chin, staring deeply at the floor as if the answer might appear there at any moment.
He knows about magic, too. Maybe he's an heir to some foreign family of mages? Is this some sort of coping mechanism? I know some families are—
It's only for a moment, but Sakura's face flashes through her mind. Briefly, sharply, her eyes narrow as her heavy, sad frown pulls down her entire expression.
—not as kind as others. But if that's the case, how should I handle this? If he is some displaced foreign heir, and this is some coping mechanism… His way of managing something… traumatic… Trying to force him to face reality might cause serious damage. Should I just play along?
She lets her hand drop from her chin and nods seriously.
I'm not a therapist, but this seems like the best choice at this point. I wouldn't want to exacerbate any emotional trauma. Whatever he is, he's just a kid. And this makes sense. Mage families can be quite eccentric. It'd explain his odd clothing too, but not how he got here. Maybe that's the next question I should ask?
Nodding again, she lets her arms relax from their folded position as she looks him in the eye.
"Okay, let's set that aside for now. How did you come to be here, in Fuyuki?"
Taiasu mirrors her head-nod. "Sure. Well—"
In silent disbelief, Tohsaka listens as he speaks about accepting an 'adventurer's contract' from an 'old man' in a place she'd never heard of (Limsa… La-what, now?), and how he'd 'teleported' him here after they'd clasped hands, signaling his having accepted the contract.
"Next thing I knew, I was in Shirou's yard. Then I met Sakura, and she helped me understand I wasn't on Hydaelyn anymore."
"Hydaelyn?"
"The name of my world?"
"Ah, right…" She sighs, then nods. "The name of your world…"
Adventurers, contracts, teleportation… He's even named his fantasy world. What hell did they put this poor kid through? And who is this old man? His father? Are they estranged? To refer to him in such a way—!
Again, with sudden realization, Tohsaka's eyes snap fully wide, and she sucks in a panicked breath. Though delayed in doing so, something he's just said sets off several blaring warning sirens in her mind.
Wait—teleportation? Spatial transportation?! That isn't even possible unless—
Several shades of color drain from her face, and every drop of moisture vanishes from her mouth in an instant. Despite the casual nature with which he's done so, the sort of magic he's just described is no simple thing, and if he's telling the truth about it, the implications could be dire.
—this 'old man'… His 'father' is capable of it. Capable of actual sorcery. If that's true…
She shudders violently.
If that's true, this could be terribly dangerous. A family of mages capable of actual sorcery?
Slowly, she takes in a deep breath, steadying her trembling hands and returning some color to her face. Panicking won't help. She knows this. Rash decisions result when one lets emotion dictate action. Before she can form her next thought, or her next question, though, a series of metallic bangs, each coming from the door, echo through the shed as a desperate yet familiar voice calls in from outside.
"Tohsaka-senpai! Taruko-kun! Are you inside here?!"
Sakura squints against the light outside as she lets the school building's side door slide closed behind her, quickly shooting her gaze around the schoolyard, looking for any sign of where Tohsaka and Taiasu might have gone. In her chest, her heart races, and in her mind, unpleasant thoughts continue forming. Thoughts of what could happen if Tohsaka discovers what Taiasu is, and attempts to fulfill her obligation to maintain order regarding such things.
Where would they have gone? Why is she with him? Whatever the reason, I need to find—!
"Can you believe that? She looked pretty angry, though."
"I know, right? Do you think she's gonna give that kid a spanking or something?"
The conversation of two students walking past catches Sakura's attention, and she stops mid-step, staring forward, but turning her eyes toward them as she listens.
"Maybe? I mean, why else would she be taking him into that shed, right? So nobody could hear him crying?"
"Phew… Scary. I didn't think she could be like that."
Laughing, the two gossiping girls walk beside each other into the school building, and Sakura nods firmly.
That sounds like they were describing Tohsaka-senpai and Taruko-kun. But why is she taking him to the shed? We were meeting there later, but—am I already too late?! I have to hurry!
Ignoring the complaints of her shoeless feet, she sprints away. The soft, cool grass between the shed and the cobbled path offers some relief as she runs across it, stopping for a moment outside to catch her breath.
That's good… I can hear someone inside. It sounds like they're just talking, but I have to explain to her so she doesn't do anything rash!
After swallowing down and trying to get some moisture back, she knocks on the door to the shed.
"Tohsaka-senpai! Taruko-kun! Are you inside here?!"
Inside the shed, roused from her thoughts and concerns about who or what Taiasu might be, Tohsaka turns her attention toward the door and the voice on the other side.
Sakura? Why is she here? How'd she know we were here? Well, it's as good a time as any. We still have some time left before class starts. Maybe she can fill in some blanks for me.
She relaxes her expression into something more considerate, showing a small, polite smile as she looks toward Taiasu, her thoughts engendering a measure of sympathy toward the little guy. Only she knows those thoughts, so no one has a clue just how wrong they are.
"Just wait there for a moment, please?"
Taiasu nods, then lets his hands serve as a sort of cushion for his head as he rests it against the shed wall. Another brief flare of light, another uttered word woven with power, and the door is clattering and swinging open, revealing the anxious, worried face of one Matou Sakura standing on the other side, wringing her hands at her waist, and breathing a deeply relieved sigh at what she sees.
Quickly, she attempts to compose herself as Tohsaka looks her over.
"Sakura? Everything alright? How'd you know we were here?"
"I overheard some students on my way out, trying to find you. But why are you here, Tohsaka-senpai? And why did you bring him here?"
Tohsaka sighs, folding her arms, looking down and away when she hears how Sakura uncovered their location.
Damn it. That might come back to bite me. But this is more important than some stupid reputation.
"Tohsaka-senpai?"
Sakura asks her again, and she raises her head up, showing a small smirk. "Why so worried, Sakura? He seems capable enough." Deliberately, she pauses for dramatic effect.
"Unless there's more to the story?"
Between her words and her small, wry smirk, Sakura can feel her heart skip, and her face sheds a shade of color.
"Tohsaka-senpai… No."
Tohsaka's eyes widen as Sakura stops wringing her hands at her waist and firms herself up with a deep breath, raising her stare from the ground and looking her directly in the eye.
"Nee-san. If you're asking that question, then you must already have some idea."
There's nothing for her to do now but explain the situation as she understands it. Even before now, worrying was useless, but now it will be actively counter-productive. The worst hasn't happened yet, and it might somehow still be avoided, but only with a calm heart and firm resolve. It's these thoughts and this knowledge that help her steady herself as she continues to lock eyes with her sister.
Still wide-eyed, Tohsaka draws in a quick, quiet breath. This is not a side of Sakura she's seen very often, but more than the way she holds herself now, it's what she's said, and it continues to ring comfortably in her ears.
Sakura… It's been maybe about a decade since you called me that.
"And about what is it exactly you think I'd have some idea, Sakura?"
Tohsaka lets her eyes relax down from their widened state, not wavering under Sakura's determined stare as she feigns ignorance, but Sakura only shakes her head solemnly.
"You know what I'm talking about. That he's not what he seems. That he's closer to what we are, than he is to a normal person."
Sakura's composure holds under Tohsaka's scrutiny. Then she gasps, feeling some warmth fluttering in her chest as Tohsaka folds her wry smirk like a bad hand, exchanging it for a kind smile.
"Yes, Sakura. I'm aware. The first clue was when he started talking about other worlds and airships."
Tohsaka invites Sakura into her 'office', where she sits beside Taiasu, whose focus is currently fixed firmly on the nothing that exists on the floor in the center of the room. Though, for how hard he glares at it, one would think there was something there they just couldn't see. Tohsaka again employs her talents to secure the door, then turns toward the two of them as she sits down.
"Sorry…" Taiasu mutters quietly, not turning up his gaze. "I screwed up. I said something stupid and it…" He grinds his teeth hard as he pulls himself inward, making him appear even smaller. Hearing what Tohsaka had said only reinforced the magnitude of his mistake in his mind.
Sakura shows a small, comforting smile and shakes her head. "Yes, but it's fine. I'm surprised that it's the first time it happened, considering. But you, Nee-san?" Looking up, she finds Tohsaka staring at the two of them, tilting her head, wearing a light, contemplative frown. "He said that, and you just brought him here and started interrogating him?"
Straightening her head, she nods. "You know my responsibilities. What choice did I have? I have to follow through on my suspicions, and there was plenty of evidence to support them. I mean, just look at him, Sakura!"
Stiffly, Sakura sighs as she looks down at the floor.
That's true. But—!
"But what if you'd been wrong?"
Tohsaka shrugs. "I'd have adjusted his memory. It would've been fine. But I wasn't wrong. And now we need to figure out what family of mages he belongs to so we can contact them and get him home."
"Huh…?" Blankly, Sakura blinks at her words. "Family of mages?"
"Right," Tohsaka says, nodding.
The gears in her head grind heavily as she tries to process what she's hearing. She knows, or at least heavily suspects, the truth, that Taiasu is not from this world, and until this moment suspected her sister believed the same. Now hearing this, it feels like someone has tried to shift without properly employing the clutch.
"Wait, Tohsaka-senpai, what are you saying? You think he's from a family of mages?"
Wordlessly, she nods, again causing the clutch to slip and the gears to grind, and Sakura breathes a deep sigh of exasperation, frowning and shaking her head. Already, she can feel that this is going to take a lot of explaining. Before that, they have to get on the same page, as clearly they are at present not.
"Why would you think that? Wait—" She turns her gaze from Tohsaka to the side, toward Taiasu, arching her brow upward. "Taruko-kun, what exactly is it you told her?"
Taiasu raises his stare from the ground and moves it between the two of them, settling it on Sakura since she asked the question.
"Well, I told her—"
And again, he recounts the story of his arrival. Tohsaka nods along, not interjecting, as does Sakura, though picking up a few new tidbits. Particularly the name of the city he'd been in before he'd arrived here.
"—and right about then was when you came by. That's about it."
"Right, that's about what you told me." Smiling, Sakura nods, then looks toward Tohsaka who bears a small frown betraying her doubt. "So what in that makes you think he's from some family of mages, Tohsaka-senpai?"
"Sakura, come over here for a moment," she says, waving her over. Again, Sakura arches her brow, but does as she's told, lifting herself from the floor and joining her sister on the other side of the small shed. Closely, Tohsaka leans in, whispering low into her ear.
"What do you think is more likely? That what he just told you is true? That he's from some other world? Or that he's from some hard-nosed family of mages that fractured his mind when they put him through his paces?"
The hard question echoes in her mind, and Sakura's eyes widen as she sucks in a sudden breath.
I never even thought of that as a possibility! That he's just a child from some mage family?
Sakura turns her head, her wide-eyed stare, toward her sister as she pulls back the distance of a single breath. "But—how? How can that be? He'd have to be an actual child for that to be true! Have you heard him talk? Have you ever heard of a child speaking like that?"
Less the words he speaks, she means more the manner in which he speaks them, and Tohsaka nods. "It's true. He's quite the articulate little guy, but if he were raised as a successor, it would explain that, too."
"But—!" Sakura's mouth hangs loose as she racks her brain, trying to think of some way to disprove Tohsaka's theory. "Then how did he get here?!"
A fair question, to be sure, and it drains some color from Tohsaka's face, driving her spine rigid, reminding her of what he'd said earlier.
"Spatial transportation magic, Sakura."
"But that's actual sorcery! No one can—!"
Tohsaka holds up a finger, quieting Sakura's protest. "That we know of, and that's what has me so worried. If something bad were to happen to this child, who belongs to some family powerful enough to perform that kind of magic…" She chews her thumbnail. "It would not end well. And that's why we need to find his family and get him home. As quickly as possible."
Silently, Taiasu sits watching them whisper back and forth, pulling his legs in toward his chest, resting his chin on his knees.
Wonder what they're saying…
Sakura casts her gaze to the floor, also pulling her legs inward and trying to recall everything she heard when they first met, and anything among that which might open her sister's eyes. But some part of her believes those words. It would be much simpler, and a far more reasonable explanation than him actually being a creature from another world.
"But he can teleport, too… He told me so, but that he can't right now for some reason."
Tohsaka gives a small nod. "He could be lying. Or he's not, and maybe his mind is blocking him from doing it somehow. Can't say I'd blame him either way, considering what he'd have been put through to construct that sort of reality for himself."
Sakura nods as well, hiding her light, sad frown as she presses her forehead into her legs.
That might be. But still… I know thinking he's from some other world is absurd, but isn't this just as absurd? I mean, maybe even more so! We're making too many assumptions here! Wouldn't it be better to just—!
An idea occurs to her, and she raises her eyes, which widen as she turns her head toward Tohsaka, who continues staring at Taiasu as he watches and waits quietly.
"Nee-san! Have you just tried asking him directly?"
She gives a slow, solemn head-shake. "Sakura, if someone is that deep in a delusion and you confront them about it, it might damage their mind further."
Sakura's mouth falls open for a moment before lifting in a small, appreciative smile.
She was worried about that sort of thing? But even with all that, I just… I can't disbelieve his story! Not with everything he's said, and everything I've seen! He even had—!
Again, her eyes snap wide as she recalls bits and pieces of hers and Taiasu's first meeting. Particularly, the thing which put the fear of god and death into her.
"A sword! He had a sword when we first met! A real sword! I saw it!"
"A sword?"
For the first time since they started their discussion, Tohsaka's brows arch upward as she looks into Sakura's face. Her expression bears a deep, earnest frown as she nods vigorously.
"Yes! And there's more! There's a lot that doesn't fit with what you're saying! I know how cruel mage families can be…"
Sakura's words cause a painful, wrenching twist within Tohsaka's chest and heart, and her mouth turns down in a deep, grieved frown.
"Sakura…"
"But what you're saying makes no sense!" Her voice rises into a loud whisper as she fixes Tohsaka in her gaze. "If this family is supposed to be capable of this sort of thing, of actual spatial transportation, then why would they risk exposing that so recklessly! Why, after working so hard they broke their heir's mind, would they just send him off like this?!"
With her frown cutting deeper and deeper into her expression, Tohsaka casts her gaze to the floor of the shed, soaking in Sakura's words.
Words which are quickly making an upsetting amount of sense.
She's… She's not wrong. But what's the alternative?! That he's telling the truth? That he's actually—!
"Maybe they're crazy?"
It's the last straw at which she can grasp.
"Nee-san!" Sakura holds her hands over her mouth, lowering her voice. "Okay. Let's suppose that's true, and that they are. Wouldn't that make him a victim in all this?"
Tohsaka gives a small, slow head-nod. "Maybe, but it's not our place—"
"I'm not finished!" Again, she clamps her hands over her mouth, looking over at Taiasu, who raises his brow upward.
She shows him an awkward grin. "Sorry, Taruko-kun. We're just trying to figure something out."
Smiling, he nods, and Sakura returns her focus, her stare, back toward Tohsaka.
"Even if his family were insane, would they be so crazy as to risk exposing themselves like this? To the association?" Somehow, she holds her voice at whisper-level. "Would they really risk having an entire squad of enforcers brought down on their heads for exposing the secret like this?"
Silently, Tohsaka can only stare at the floor as, with every sentence she speaks, Sakura expertly cuts through the sinew of her theory with the precision of a practiced surgeon.
"And what about his crest? Does he even have one? Did you check?!"
"A magic crest? No, I—"
"If you never checked, how could you draw such a hasty conclusion! Nee-san, this isn't like you at all!"
Sakura takes in a steadying breath, her hands shaking lightly. There's a certain rush for her in this. Seldom has she been able to get the upper hand on her sister. In most everything, Tohsaka Rin has proved superior. Smarter, more popular, better skilled with magic, more confident and better composed. So for being completely unaccustomed to this, Sakura can feel her heart racing in her chest.
While all Tohsaka can do is absorb her words and breathe a heavy, dejected sigh.
Sh-she's right. Damn it… Everything she's saying is right. I hadn't…
Looking up from the floor, she puts on a small smile of resignation, meeting Sakura's firm stare.
"You're right, Sakura. Everything you've said is one hundred percent correct. I guess I hadn't thought this all the way through."
Stunned, her eyes fully wide, Sakura's mouth falls open completely, shock running through her entire body. Knowing she's right is one thing, but hearing Tohsaka admit it openly is something she never expected. Wholly unprepared for it, she's momentarily unable to respond.
"N-Nee-san… No, I mean—"
"But when I heard his story, I just couldn't believe it. I mean, I still don't. I guess I just conjured up something that seemed more believable."
Sakura lets out a quiet giggle, smiling and nodding.
"Yeah. When I first saw him, I just thought he was some oddly dressed guest staying at Senpai's house." She giggles again as she raps her knuckles on her head. "Then I saw that sword, and I thought he was a Servant…" Her voice trails as she recalls, shuddering. Of course, by now she's fully convinced that's not true. But the echoes of the visceral, primal fear she experienced just believing so will persist for some time, regardless.
"Servant?"
Tohsaka looks up in time to see Sakura shaking her head. "Yeah, but I mean… The way he's been more interested in talking than trying to kill everyone… I went through a lot of thoughts myself. I still have my doubts, but…?"
Looking across the shed, she stops talking, noting Taiasu gazing at her, wearing a thinly pressed frown.
"Taruko-kun? Is everything alright?"
"Alright? I was going to ask you that…" he says, pointing to the soles of her feet.
"Huh?" She lifts her foot, and her eyes widen as the dim light of the shed reveals rivulets of red and pink running through and staining her white socks. "Oh. I must have cut them on a stone or something when I was running around. It'll be fine."
Taiasu shakes his head, his frown saddening. "No… That's not alright. I mean… You were running around because you were looking for me, right?"
Dumbstruck at his words and expression, Sakura can only nod quietly, and Taiasu returns it with his own slow head-nod. At her side, Tohsaka only sits quietly, watching and listening.
"It's not a serious injury… but I can… I mean, if you'd like, I can help?"
The brilliant flash of light quickly fades, and Sakura rubs her foot, finding no pain in it at all. Even the stiff soreness she'd been bearing up under from the past few hours of stress and anxiety has faded. All she can do is stare at Taiasu, her eyes as wide as they might ever be. Beside her, Tohsaka bears a similar expression as the small man, now clad in a green-hued derivative of his red leathers, finishes to what she has a difficult time even ascribing words.
It seemed like a small dance routine.
In stunned silence, she recalls the past few minutes.
After recovering from her initial surprise at his concern, Sakura nodded hesitantly, showing her acceptance of his help. He'd shown a relieved smile, then reached into his pack, pulling out a small, rose-gold colored crystal, roughly in the shape of a heart, etched in the center with a sigil that matched its overall shape. The crystal fit comfortably in the palm of his hand. As he held it, the dimly lit shed was briefly illuminated, his form engulfed in a sphere of blue light which roused the air into a swift, stiff wind.
Sakura could feel her eyes grow with recognition. She'd seen him do something similar, and swore it was magic, but he'd claimed it wasn't, and she couldn't argue with him. How was she to know? Since he'd done it, surely he'd know better than she. Then her eyes rested at his sides, and grew even larger, seeing the two ornate, bladed metal rings. At her side, Tohsaka had suddenly stiffened, preparing to react in an instant. But Taiasu had simply looked up and asked a question that caused both of them to only sit blinking, thoroughly and utterly perplexed.
"I'd like to ask you to work with me."
"Huh?" Sakura stared, blinking into his green eyes, unsure of what was happening as he asked the question seriously. "I don't understand. Work… with you?"
Neither smiling nor frowning, he nods. "For this to work, I need you to tell me plainly that you're okay with it. I'll ask you again."
In his world, consent is king, enforced by some unknowable power. Without it, the powers adventurers wield can only benefit themselves. With it, those powers can extend beyond, affecting a great many people. It was the same on the First, and he had no reason to believe it would be any different on this world.
"Will you work with me?"
Slowly, uncertainly, Sakura nodded her head.
"Y-yes. I'll… work with you?" Though unsure, she spoke her consent, and immediately felt somehow joined to the small man, through some unfamiliar, invisible force.
"Thanks. Then next is this…"
His hand moved toward the bladed ring at his side, and Tohsaka stiffened again. But sensing her concern, Sakura slowly shook her head. Taiasu had stood in the center of the shed, with one of those bladed rings in each hand, rolling his right arm back over his head and extending it behind him. At the same time, he'd extended out his left arm, and the ring in it, toward Sakura. As he'd done so, the shed again became washed in light as his form emitted a warm crimson glow, and several pointed golden rings swirled out from around him, persisting for only a few seconds before fading.
Mirroring this, Sakura's form had emitted the exact same thing. An ephemeral, crimson flash and several golden-colored pointed rings which rose from the floor to the ceiling before vanishing. Though surprised at the suddenness, it set her heart alight, feeling like a warm, comforting embrace.
"I hate this part…" he muttered, but he looked up at her and nodded, a determined frown fixed on his face. "But you'll feel better after this."
Sakura only nodded, still as wide-eyed as ever, and at her side Tohsaka had relaxed some, now enthralled and almost violently curious about what she was witnessing.
The next few moments were spent with the both of them staring unblinkingly as he'd brought both rings over his head, then one down and across his chest, under his right arm as it remained aloft. The second he'd completed the graceful movement, both his form and Sakura's emitted a soft, comforting green light which radiated outward, stopping at the walls of the shed, and washing pleasantly over the both of them.
And that was it.
Sakura now stands on her feet, utterly and deeply perplexed, yet still smiling, grinning, feeling the best she felt since the day had started. Tohsaka stares, blinking heavily, stunned, baffled, and feeling other things for which new terms will need to be coined.
This guy…
Sufficient to say, she's thoroughly convinced at this point.
Whatever Taiasu is, ordinary, he is not.
