Finding an appropriate body for Shirou ended up being an endeavour that spanned a few days of work. On one hand, Rin didn't mind the distraction and narrowed point of focus, but on the other, it was exhausting. The number of steps required to get to the point of finally locating the person that could possibly have the appropriate vessel for a soul to anchor itself into and potential reincarnate as the Shirou Sakura knew and loved was unprecedented. Paired with Taiga Fujimura's (admittedly justified) harping about Sakura, Shirou, and Rin returning to school before they were all expelled no matter how much the kind teacher vouched for them, Rin had a lot on her plate. Thankfully, Taiga hadn't remained at the estate long, meaning explaining Shirou's absence was as simple as claiming he was out grocery shopping, which easily checked out for the teacher.

However, after more phone calls than Rin ever wanted to make within the span of seventy-two hours, and after attempting to fuse Shirou's soul with incompatible mannequin puppets provided by one of those calls made, Rin finally felt as though she was on the right track when she made contact with Touko Aozaki, who apparently would have a body ready for Shirou's soul within twenty-four hours of speaking with Rin. This, naturally, was a relief to both Rin and Sakura, but until Rin had Shirou's soul successfully fused with a puppet that could house him proper, she wasn't holding her breath.

Thus, Rin found herself escorting Sakura and Rider through Shinto Town's back alleys, a chill in the air lingering and darkness of the streets traversed noted save for the neon lights on the main strip recently exited. Rin and Sakura both had jackets and scarves on, while Rider managed with a sweater and jeans, as she seemed to prefer. She opted for just a baseball cap this evening, keeping it low enough to mostly conceal her eyes.

'This should be the right area.' Rin couldn't say she loved the idea of willingly moving through dark alleys, but realistically, between herself and Rider, there was nothing to truly be afraid of.

'Really?' Sakura questioned understandably.

'Her directions were a bit vague, but I think I – '

'Rin Tohsaka.' A cool, sultry voice called out before a figure appeared in the shadows, only a tiny light Rin recognized as the end of a cigarette near the individual's bespectacled face.

'Yes. That's me. Touko Aozaki, I presume?'

There was a break in the exchange before the figure turned and walked back down the alley she came from.

'Follow me.'

While Rin sensed a familiar huff of irritation at the slight disrespect being shown to her, she didn't have any room to raise a fuss considering the favour Touko was willing to perform for her.

After another sharp few angles in between closely knit sides and backs of buildings, Rin, Sakura, and Rider made it to a dimly lit entrance to a rather sketchy looking establishment. Touko Aozaki stood outside it, a red light above her casting a crimson hue over her already dark auburn hair. She extracted the cigarette from her mouth and breathed out the smoke in a practised, somehow graceful manner before eyeing Rin with obvious annoyance behind her glasses.

'You look far too much like her for my taste.' The woman sighed, taking another deep puff of her cigarette.

'Excuse me?' Rin was earnestly confused.

'Heh. It's nothing. Come inside. Damn cold isn't going anywhere for a minute, it seems.'

Touko Aozaki opened the door behind her with a shove, allowing Rin, Sakura, and Rider in first before herself. She then locked the blockade with a quick flick of her wrist, moving past the small group and in front of a counter to what appeared to be a strange little shop full of bizarre items that could have belonged in an antique store. However, upon closer inspection, Rin noted a number of artefacts only a mage would find any value in, and she immediately began to wonder what sort of person Touko truly was. As far as Rin was aware, the Mage Association was a nest of eccentric geniuses, primarily as one got closer to the elite classes within that particular sphere. Was Touko one such prodigy in some way? It was hard to say.

Touko leaned against the front desk of the strange place, the second-hand smoke from her habit already making Rin's lungs gag in revulsion. Sakura openly coughed, while Rider remained closer to the entrance than the two sisters, apparently unaffected.

'You have the current container?' Touko spoke sharply, her every action lacking in any hint of hesitation or docility. In that way alone, Rin found it was easy to respect her enough.

'My sister does, yes. Sakura?' Rin gave the girl a nod, and Sakura extracted the crimson gem from her jacket, tentatively handing it to Touko, who smirked with appraising eyes. She held the trinket up before glancing to Rin and Sakura anew.

'So, you're Tokiomi Tohsaka's girls, huh? Interesting to see you together. Guessing Zouken finally got ahead of himself in the last Holy Grail War? If you still want to call it that, anyway. Jury is still out on that one.'

How could someone deliver so much information within just a few sentences? What was this about the war not being considered official? Was that why Rin hadn't been contacted yet? Certainly something to keep an eye on, in any case. For now, however, Rin would focus on the task at hand.

'Perhaps we can discuss the conclusion of the most recent war in a moment, but for now, would you mind letting us know what the possibility of success is in relation to Emiya-kun's return?'

'Shirou Emiya…' Touko hummed the name, moving her attention back to the crimson jewel dangling now in front of her. She gave a shrug, placing the trinket down on the counter behind her before retreating further into the space, disappearing within another room altogether.

'She's…a bit different, isn't she?' Sakura commented quietly.

'Just a bit.' Rin muttered back.

Hardly a moment later, Touko returned with a large, featureless puppet that was even more unsettling due to the way the bad lighting reflected off of its smooth surfaces. Rin had always found something uncanny about the mannequins in clothing stores and the like, and this particular piece gave her no reason not to remain a bit wary.

Touko placed the thing down in the middle of the room, its limbs and body toppling over in a heap.

'There we go.' The woman took another puff of her cigarette with a grunt. 'I'm assuming you have a way to pay for this, being a Tohsaka and all.'

Rin had initially been taken aback by just how much such an artefact cost but, thinking about it now, having the capability to merge with a displaced soul was fairly extraordinary, so, the end result justified the blow to her personal fortune…which was now depleted significantly. Hopefully, with Kirei's passing, she would have further access to her family's resources, otherwise, she might be in trouble.

'Here it is.' Rin took out a somewhat thick envelope from her coat pocket, handing it to Touko. She wasted no time ripping it open and making something of a production when counting each and every bill to ensure the proper amount was paid. After re-counting once, Touko smirked and stashed the envelope in her own long jacket.

'Pleasure doing business with you.' The woman rubbed her hands together, took one last breath of her cigarette, and then held it tight between her teeth as she took hold of Rin's crimson necklace, placing it around the puppet's neck. 'Separating the soul and the body is no easy thing, but getting the soul back into a more suitable vessel isn't impossible for someone like me.'

Touko knelt on one knee and placed her right hand on the crimson jewel that rested upon the puppet's chest, uttering a few chants Rin couldn't recognize before the Magecraft was triggered, a spectacle of impressive mana flashing within the room for but an instant. It was…surprisingly anticlimactic, although Rin supposed the true feat was transpiring within the realm of souls and spirits where few could openly witness anything.

'Done.' Touko stood, blowing out more smoke, the smell no easier to tolerate. 'All that's left is to confirm whether or not the soul takes to our puppet here. Considering all the information you had for me, there shouldn't be an issue. We'll just wait a second and see what happens. Until then, can I get tall, mysterious, and quiet over here?'

'Rider?' Sakura said the name, but then quickly shut her mouth with a groan of embarrassment. She likely thought revealing their companion as a servant was detrimental, but considering Touko's seeming intellect, she surely had an idea already.

'Ah. Thought so.' Touko grinned, affirming Rin's presumption. 'Man. That war of yours really was a shitshow, wasn't it? Every abnormality in the book. As if the one prior wasn't enough of a pain…Guess it's the nature of the beast though. Anyway,' Touko beckoned Rider again with a wave of her hand casually, as if she wasn't addressing a legendary being.

Rider probably surmised that rejecting the woman that had just possibly saved Shirou was not the most tactful way to act in the moment, and thus, approached Touko without further hesitation, standing taller than her once they were face to face save for Rider not directly meeting the mage's gaze.

'You can look at me. I won't bite.'

'I don't think I should.'

'Oh, come on. Trust me.' Touko tapped her glasses. 'Let me see those Mystic Eyes of yours.'

A beat, but then Rin saw Rider look directly at the other woman, and she didn't turn to stone. Had she put some form of defensive barrier in place? No. Doubtfully useful against someone like Rider. The glasses, then? More likely. Rin had read about such defensive Mystic Codes. Interesting.

'Square pupils. Neat.' Touko took a drag and breathed out in obvious consideration. 'What did I just prevent from happening here, Ms. Rider?'

If Rider was surprised, she didn't show it. Such a stoic individual, that one. Rin supposed she should feel fortunate to know the tender, caring side of the servant when compared to how she acted in public.

'Petrification.' Rider revealed, and Touko whistled loudly, rubbing her hands together again.

'Oh? Medusa, then.'

'That's right.' Sakura interjected, perhaps nervous on Rider's behalf, which was cute.

'Hm.' Touko cupped her chin, and then swiftly took her glasses off so that she could transfer them to Rider in one fell swoop. It might have been the trick of the bad lighting, but Rin thought the other mage's expression hardened immediately upon removing the Mystic Code, as if the glasses somehow hid her otherwise sharp glare that now seemed that much more prominent. 'There. Pretty nice, don't you think?'

'Look this way, Rider?' Sakura sounded excited. Rin had to admit that she was curious as well.

However, Rider being Rider, she faltered with remaining the centre of attention, slowly turning until Rin and Sakura could see her in her entirety.

'Oh…!' Sakura gasped, hands coming to her mouth delicately. 'You look beautiful!'

It was something of an understatement, honestly. Rider had always been gorgeous, but her visor had also always created an overt wall between herself and anyone she dealt with. Since the war ended, the servant rarely had her face completely exposed, and went through great efforts to keep others safe in her presence, even if it meant keeping her eyes closed, or wearing a hat low, or equipping sunglasses in scenarios that hardly called for them. Now that Rin could see her visage without any form of blockade, she recognized just how pretty Rider was, her light violet eyes with unique rectangular pupils freezing Rin in place for an entirely different reason than they normally should have.

'These…prevent petrification?' Rider blushed subtly, the colour on her cheeks difficult to notice but worth the effort.

'Bingo. And they're yours…for a price, of course.' Touko crossed her arms with a sly grin.

'Oh…' Sakura was immediately deflated, although she took out her tiny wallet and walked toward Touko. 'How much? I have…um…all this.' She emptied the cash and coin she had on the counter behind the older mage.

'Sakura, you don't need to…' Rider objected, but Sakura cut her off quickly.

'You don't ask for anything, Rider. Let me do this.'

'Being with you is enough for me.'

Rin saw Touko roll her eyes before turning to count what Sakura offered. She meticulously went through the scarce amount of money, her upper lip curling downward in clear disappointment. Without another thought, Rin provided what was left from her own funds. She knew, more than likely, even with her help they likely didn't have enough for Mystic Eye cancelling glasses, but she had to try, at least.

'There. Does that help?' She pressed.

'No, Rin. You already paid so much for Senpai's body, and I don't know…'

'It's fine.' Rin huffed with frustration. 'Let me be the older sister here, understand? I know what I'm doing.'

'Rin…' Rider uttered her name with a touch of emotion that was enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat no matter how wrecked it was currently.

'Huh.' Touko grunted, taking a deep inhale of her cigarette and blowing out too much smoke. 'Yeah. Not enough. I'm sure you know that, Tohsaka-chan.'

Rin's mouth tightened in a scowl, a rising heat filling her lungs with how frugal these upper tier mages could be. Yet, before her somewhat infamous haughtiness had the chance to erupt, Touko shrugged, scooping up the entirety of the money presented to her and stashing it away with Rin's prior contribution.

'Lucky for you I'm throwing in a discount for the profit you gave me today thanks to that dolly over yonder. Speaking of which…' Touko skipped over to the puppet, and Rin noticed almost immediately that the features of the mannequin had changed, if ever so little. Its limbs seemed more…organic? The once blank face was…taking on some shape?

'Heh. As much as I'd like to see this all come to fruition, it's generally recommended you take the doll somewhere it'll recognize when the soul successfully takes over. Otherwise, the shock of returning to life can sometimes be too much if not enough comfort mentally and physically is present. Make sense?'

Rin nodded, still a bit surprised that Touko had been generous enough to part with the Mystic Code glasses for so little.

'It does. Do you have a container we could use to make it easier to transport the body?'

'I'll do you one better and drive you. How about that?' Touko offered, surprising Rin again and again. 'All I ask is for a beer if you have any.'

'We have lots!' Sakura exclaimed, surely overwhelmed by the concept of Shirou actually coming back somehow. 'You can take as many as you want.'

Touko smiled widely, her teeth showing as they held tight to the cigarette in her mouth.

'Music to my ears, little lady!'

Although Touko was extended an invitation to come inside when the small group made it back to Emiya's estate, the rather eccentric woman was on her way without missing a beat once she had her hands on the promised can of beer that Taiga hopefully wouldn't miss. Rin had her apprehensions regarding the mage drinking and driving, but she also had a feeling that Touko wasn't the type to let a little thing like the law get in the way of her life's preferences in the moment.

Was the Clock Tower really going to be full of people like her?

At the end of the day, she had proven reliable enough, but it was exhausting playing mental gymnastics with individuals that clearly had insight and knowledge on things beyond Rin's understanding but were so elusive about elaborating upon anything in a comprehensible manner.

Still, Shirou's puppet body was placed in the room he had been sharing with Sakura up until the end of the war. Sakura was sure to tuck him in tight, the act reminding Rin of when her sister used to play "mommy" with her dolls more often than not. She had maternal instinct that seemed to come so naturally for her, the desire to take care of others and provide comfort a seamless practise for even a young version of the girl.

Rin, on the other hand, didn't really have the same caring touch. She was ambitious, studious, athletic, strong-willed, and sometimes a little bit cold. Looking back, Rin and Sakura had always been so different. It was a wonder they had gotten along for so many years to begin with.

Nonetheless, even as Sakura exited the room she placed what would hopefully become Shirou's new body in, Rin looked upon her sister with a certain level of pride. Perhaps she wasn't destined to be the next head of the Tohsaka or Matou family, but she had a special, unmatched place in other people's lives; one that shouldn't be undervalued simply based on the fact that she had had no desire to pursue the Root or any other supposed grandiose plans.

Sakura gave Shirou peace where a broken, bitter man may have manifested. And she gave Rider fulfillment and purpose where the woman clearly needed it. Not every living person could claim such feats, necessarily, even if they seemed mundane and basic at best.

'Aozaki-san said the soul could take up to twenty-four hours to settle into the body, right? Should I…stay with Senpai?' Sakura asked, shutting the door only partially so that the light from the hallway wouldn't seep in too prominently.

'I think you should be there when he awakens, to be sure.' Rin smiled gently to her sister, seeing the worry mixed with anticipation on her tired face. 'If there's one person Emiya-kun is going to want to see when he wakes up, it's you, Sakura.'

Sakura accepted this comment easily enough, but Rin hated the way she seemed to doubt it as well. Did she still not wholly believe Shirou had chosen her over Rin, in the end? Annoying.

'Hey.' Rin tapped Sakura's shoulder. 'Let's have some tea or something. I'll stay the night to make sure everything goes well. We'll have another sleepover. Sound like a plan?'

Sakura's face lit up at the suggestion, her nod enthusiastic.

'Okay! The futon is probably big enough for you to sleep in, too, Onee-san!'

'O-oh!' Rin blinked, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. 'I don't think so, Sakura. That might be a bit…much. And what about Rider? She stays with you sometimes, right? I'll just take my usual room.'

'Aw.' Sakura pouted, but submitted to Rin's refusal without pushing the matter. When she overtly began to really beg Rin to do things she might otherwise refuse, that's when Rin knew they had truly healed their relationship completely, she supposed. For now, Sakura still tread lightly, which Rin could understand. The feeling was mutual for the time being.

'I'm sure Emiya-kun wouldn't mind waking up next to the both of us, but I hardly think it'd be appropriate. I'm surprised you're willing to sleep next to a doll. That'd creep be out a bit.' Rin and Sakura began making their way back to the kitchen and dining room where Rider remained, the sheer size of the estate always throwing Rin a bit with how long it took to get from one point to another.

'I don't mind if it's Senpai. What's there to be afraid of, really? But you're right about the sleeping thing; even Senpai might be a bit tempted if you were there with us. I'm not sure I'd want to share with you yet…'

'Y-yet…?' Rin's cheeks had just begun to cool before they flared up again.

'Heh. I'm just teasing.' Sakura giggled at her poor sister's expense. 'I didn't know you had such a cute side to you still, Onee-san. I might not be able to help myself from having a bit of fun here and there. I'm sorry.'

Rin sucked in her lips, trying not to laugh nervously. Sakura…had changed. Was it the Shadow's lingering influence? The fact she finally saw a semblance of happiness in her life? Was the shy, tentative, vulnerable girl overwhelming this somewhat mischievous, cute, considerate young woman from the world? If only a little bit, had Rin been a part of bringing this charming girl back into the light after being kept in the shadows of despair for so long? Whatever the case, Rin felt a bit better about the wish she had ultimately made.

This was the right thing to do. Sakura deserved a second chance at finding joy. If the price was a hole in Rin's heart for the rest of her days, it was an exchange she was more than willing to make. She had her priceless memories of her time with Arturia. Memories she potentially even had photographical evidence of.

The question, however, remained: Was she psychologically capable of retrieving said pictures if they were successfully produced?

The answer was not as simple as Rin would prefer.