"If you need a hand to hold then stay the night"

Fate/Brave Shine

Chapter 6: Incalescence

The battle between Shirō and the King of Heroes came to an end within Shirō's own Unlimited Blade Works. There, within the Reality Marble, Shirō had the advantage as an endless number of weapons clashed against clones of themselves, destroying them both in the process, preventing either from calling upon them ever again.

Gilgamesh became unhinged at this revelation. His anger fueled his next decision; to show the fake before him just how futile his efforts have been by bringing out the ultimate weapon: Ea. He knew that it was something that Shirō could not copy, but he would allow him to attempt it anyways, just to laugh at what would be a humorous expression.

That was why Gilgamesh lost. In his arrogance, he never once thought of what to do should Shirō get close. No enemy of his ever had, so how could a cheap knock-off accomplish such a feat? Before he knew it, his that had drawn out Ea was severed, falling towards the mountain of steel below. Moments later, he was impaled by several different blades that were no longer kept away by his own treasures.

When Ea landed in the mountain of blades below, it became the center-point of a pulse of energy unlike anything Shirō had ever felt. As Gilgamesh faded away while screaming obscenities, Shirō mindlessly stumbled towards the one weapon he couldn't trace, his body moving without him even realizing it, too exhausted from his battle.

The Reality Marble started collapsing inward, signaling the time limit was up. However, before it could eject him, his hand wrapped around the hilt of Ea, and it let out a pulse similar to the first. It was almost like an echo. Then, blackness consumed him, and he was back in the real world empty-handed and confused.

Even though he won against Gilgamesh, and had faith that Arturia would win against Kotomine, and even that their combined efforts would prevent another catastrophe due to the Grail, Shirō knew he had lost in the end. What started as a battle to avoid unnecessary bloodshed had ended as a fight to keep Arturia by his side. He had lost Ilya so soon after getting to know her, and both he and Rin had lost Sakura. After the Grail was destroyed, he knew that it wouldn't be long before he lost Arturia as well. All he wanted was another chance. A chance to get things right. To protect the people he cared about.

A flash of golden light erupted from where the Grail was supposed to be and quickly spread outward and upward, first engulfing his vision and then his body.

As they approached the massive castle that only seemed to get bigger as they got closer, Ilya riding atop Berserker, Shirō felt no fear walking beside the giant Servant. The overwhelming pressure he once felt due to Berserker's presence was gone. Shirō wasn't sure what the cause of that was. He had a few different guesses, but nothing concrete. Perhaps it was because Berserker wasn't trying to kill him, or perhaps it was because he had become strong enough to withstand such pressure.

There wasn't much conversation on the long way back to where Ilya resided. She apparently wanted to wait until they were in her own territory before speaking. He couldn't really blame her, since she had no way of knowing he didn't intend on hurting her. If anything, his previous display against Berserker could lead her to believe the opposite. Even by Servant standards, taking four lives of the legendary Hercules in a single blow would be a massive accomplishment.

As he observed the giant, Shirō could tell something was different about him. Anyone other than him might have missed it, but the way Berserker moved, from his breathing to the way he walked was different from what he had seen before. There was more measurement in each action and his body didn't sway when he walked. His feet, capable of easily damaging the road beneath him, now stepped more lightly than before. It was strange, and a bit unsettling.

"We're almost there, Onii-chan. There's a lot to talk about." Ilya said, speaking after over an hour of silence, though still not looking at him.

Nevertheless, Shirō smiled genuinely. "Yeah, Ilya. A whole lot."

"I told you it's too dangerous." Archer said, his voice stern and unwavering.

"And I told you that I don't care! Emiya stands no chance against an Einzbern Magus or her Servant. We have to help him." Rin yelled, angry that her own Servant was defying her desire to rescue her ally.

They had arrived at the Emiya compound over an hour ago. Rin wanted to strategize with Saber on how to get Shirō back, but she was immediately met with resistance from her own Servant. Since then, she and Archer had been arguing without hearing a word from Saber.

"What do you expect to do? Infringe upon her bounded field without knowing anything about what kind of traps there are? Get into a fight with that Servant of hers?"

Rin grit her teeth, an even larger frown appearing on her face. "I didn't know you were such a coward, Archer."

A smirk appeared on Archer's face. "Trying to goad me into your suicidal plan won't work. The only way you're going to get me to save that worthless child is to use a Command Seal, and last I checked you're down to your last."

Rin nearly erupted in anger, ready to do just that, but then thought better of it. "Saber, are you just going to allow him to insult your Master like that?"

Saber raised her head, her eyes steeled and her gaze fierce, looking directly at Archer. "No. I will not tolerate blatant lies about my Master, much less within his own home."

Archer stiffened at Saber's intensity. He didn't think his words would provoke a fight from his past-self's Servant. If she did choose to attack in that moment, he would lose. He was not prepared to take her on in such a sudden encounter. Rin herself was worried that her plan had backfired and would result in losing her own Servant.

"However, my Master instructed me to wait here for his return, and that is what I will do." Saber's words brought a look of shock to both Archer and Rin's faces.

"How did it feel, Agravain? Did you enjoy sparring with the boy?"

The Assassin gritted his teeth at Morgan's tone, but kept silent. The more he spoke out, the more he would provoke her. He didn't want to be forced into doing her bidding again.

"He's quite strong to be able to take someone like you on, Agravain. Perhaps in a couple of years his power would rival that of your precious King." Morgan said, smiling cruelly. "It's too bad he doesn't have that much time left. Vortigern is almost done gathering his strength."

She was speaking the truth. He could feel it, even though Vortigern was deep underground. He could feel the immense amount of power seeping out through the ground. It was dangerous to allow him to return to his former strength even for Morgan, but Agravain knew that the woman before him cared not for the safety of others. If it came down to it, he was sure she had an escape plan.

"However, I didn't want your King or your new friend to get lonely, so I brought out another toy. It's one she used to play with as a child." Morgan moved aside and a figure came walking out of the darkness. Like all of those before, it was a phantom. However, this was different. His King could easily face down her own knights if she had to, but him.. He was a different story.

Though he looked no different from the others, clad in black armor, sword in hand, Agravain knew the identity of every single phantom Morgan had summoned. Gawain, Bedivere, Galahad, and Percival, all of whom were trusted companions from the time his King reigned over Camelot. However, her new 'toy' was different. He knew his King from before. Before everything had made his King who she was.

Kay. The King's adoptive brother. Every fiber of his being wanted to strike down Morgan that very instant, but he couldn't. The spell she cast and the chains holding him to the wall prevented that from happening. He couldn't even speak to curse her name.

Medea chose then to make her presence known, walking into Agravain's 'cell' Behind her was one of the Phantom-servants, diligently following her after being restored. "The one that was crushed has mostly regenerated. I suppose a single, crushing blow is too much for these simple Servants to respond to."

Morgan lazily looked Medea's way "Unfortunately so. I was hoping that he would have imprinted on that giant's strength once he regenerated, but that's a bit much to ask from fodder."

Morgan wasn't focused at that moment, and neither was Medea. Agravain, however, was always focused. That's what made him a phenomenal Assassin. That was why he noticed a difference in Percival. Perhaps a bit of the giant's strength had indeed been imprinted upon. That thought left quickly, though. As the two women chose to leave, Percival lingered a moment. For a quick second, the red glow around his eyes faded, revealing golden eyes that had a feint glow of their own. The once-proud knight turned his gaze towards Agravain, shocking him. Then, the red glow returned, and Percival seemed to diligently followed the two women.

Something had changed Percival. It was as if his mind was unshackled. Percival wasn't the strongest Knight of the Round, nor was he the fastest. He was, however, one of the smartest, able to quickly digest information and turn an unfavorable situation around. That's what made him an exemplary Knight, and why Agravain took a small interest in Percival in his lifetime.

A small smile reached Agravain's face.

Merlin was never someone who could just let things play out. If there was something going on in the background, he wanted to know what that was. That was why he was reviewing every single individual Shirō he had pulled through time.

Shirō's ability to use Kiritsugu's magecraft was an anomaly to him. Yes, in many timelines the Magus Killer had been able to successfully pass on his own Crest to Shirō, but Merlin hadn't pulled any of those 'Shirōs' through time, because none of them held a strong enough bond to Arturia.

Yet, Shirō was using it on-par with his late, adoptive father, even at such a young age. What's more is Shirō seemed to lack any ability to use it until the very moment before he did. It was a complete surprise to Merlin, and he didn't like being surprised by a situation he thought himself aware of. So, he went to work analyzing every single memory the current Shirō had, using a spell to do so.

Merlin then reached a memory he was sure Shirō didn't have upon leaving his cell. It was a memory of Shirō standing victorious over Gilgamesh, grasping the hilt of Ea, which had fallen from the King of Heroes' severed arm and implanted itself into the ground below. He witnessed the pulse and subsequent echo when Shirō pulled the Sword of Rupture from the ground, but then the memory went black.

Merlin was suddenly forced out of his own spell. He was sent flying across the room, slamming into the cold, unforgiving stone. Of course, such a thing wouldn't kill him, but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt. When his head stopped hurting and his vision came into focus, Merlin raised his head to see that someone else was in his cell. It was a woman, though her face was obscured by the sheer amount of light radiating off of her. The only distinguishing feature he could make out was her long, white hair.

The impact had caused Merlin to lose his grip on his staff. Though he was far from defenseless without it, he was much better off with it, especially with an unknown entity such as the woman in front of him. He reached for it, to call it to him, but instead it went into the woman's outstretched hand. Merlin's body, working on instinct alone, began weaving an offensive spell only for the woman to make a waving motion with her hand and for the spell to dissipate.

"It would be impolite to attack one of your rare guests, Merlin."

The Einzbern estate was more of a castle than a modern home. It was humongous, surrounded by miles and miles of forestry with only one road leading to it. It was protected by several layers of bounded fields, along with other Einzbern homunculi. Like in many of his past-lives, Sella was distrustful of him from the start, where as Leysritt was waiting to see what Ilya thought of him. This resulted in him being told to stay more than an arm's length from Ilya while he was her guest in a very threatening way by Sella, even though she knew Berserker would be perfectly capable to protecting Ilya if he did have any foul intentions.

He was guided to the dining room, which was more of a dining hall than a simple 'room', which was where their discussion would finally take place.

"I guess you have a lot of questions, Ilya."

Gone was her carefree smile, replaced with an incredibly neutral expression. "What did you do to Berserker, Onii-chan?"

Shirō blinked. She obviously saw him defend Arturia from Berserker. Maybe this had to do with what he saw earlier? "I'm not sure what you mean, Ilya. If you're talking about the other night, all I did was protect Saber."

Ilya shook her head. "No, Onii-chan. You did something to him, more than just taking four of his lives. What was that weapon you used?"

"I'd bring it out, but I'm pretty sure neither Sella nor Berserker would like that very much." He scratched his cheek, a bit nervous at the idea of fighting Berserker alone because of a misunderstanding. Sella and Leysritt stood nearby but said nothing. In their eyes, he had already been warned, so it wasn't their duty to do so again.

"I want to see it, Onii-chan. You're safe here."

Sella opened her mouth to protest such recklessness, but found herself unable to speak. This was all due to the gaze of Berserker, which had fallen on the homunculus. She could still stand, but aside from breathing shallowly that was all she could do. Not a single sound escaped her mouth.

Neither Ilya nor Shirō noticed this. Instead, Shirō just shrugged at Ilya's request. He trusted in her ability to control her Servants. "I wanted to show it to you anyways, so I guess now is a good of a time as any." Shirō held out his hand to the side and called upon Arcurant. The blade materialized into his grasp before he set it on the table between them.

Ilya examined the blade without touching it. She looked at it's pristine, almost glowing form, burning every single detail into her mind, starting at the tip and working down towards the haft. She stopped at the golden runes etched into the blade. Shirō noticed this.

"I was actually hoping that you might be able to translate these runes. That's why I wanted to show it to you."

Ilya stared intensely at the runes, following them down to the hilt, even seeing the smaller ones on balled-tips at the end of each side of the hilt. However, after what seemed like an eternity, she shook her head. "These runes are a lot older than any of the ones I know. A lot more powerful, too. Did your Servant give you this?"

It was Shirō who then shook his head, after sighing in defeat at the fact that nobody he knew could translate the runes. "No, she only has the one sword. This is purely mine."

"Hm, okay Onii-chan" Ilya's expression told Shirō that she didn't believe him, but he was glad she was willing let it go. He wasn't sure how well he would hold up if she forced him to tell her the truth. Then, she asked him a question he definitely didn't have the answer to.

"Onii-chan, how did you get Kiritsugu's Crest?"

At first, Shirō panicked to find an suitable answer, but he quickly calmed and realized that he didn't have one. He wasn't planning on lying to her, so he did the only thing he thought was right in that situation. He told the truth. "Honestly? I don't know. I have no memory of him passing it on to me, or even how it's possible. I didn't even know I could use it until right before I did."

"Even if it were possible, it would have been painful, since you're not his offspring. Maybe he erased it from your memory to keep it out of the hands of his enemies." Ilya said, devoid of any joy speaking of their father.

A bitter smile reached Shirō's lips. "No, Kiritsugu wasn't like that. If I have it now because he gave it to me, it was because I wanted it. He wasn't a bad man."

"He abandoned me," Ilya's words were little more than a whisper, but there was anger in her voice. "He let my Mama die and then he left me all alone. He threw me away and picked you instead."

Shirō could see Ilya's red eyes surrounded by tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. All he wanted in that moment was to comfort her like the older brother he was supposed to be. However, in that moment, all he could do was tell her the truth that only he knew.

"That's not how I remember it."

Ilya looked up, confusion on her face.

"I remember him digging through the rubble to find someone who might still be alive. I was too weak to call out to him, but he found me anyways. He saved me all while he was crying himself." Shirō closed his eyes, recalling a series of painful memories, ones which he had multiple of that intensified what he felt when he recalled them.

"What I didn't remember and still don't to this day is my life before Kiritsugu saved me. Not even of my own family. Because of that, he visited me every day in the hospital, telling me of his own family. About his late wife and his daughter he couldn't wait to see again."

Ilya's tears were flowing freely, but Shirō didn't see them with his eyes closed, focused on getting through the emotions the past were bringing up within him.

"Then, one day he offered to take me in, since I had nowhere else to go. He told me that I would get to have a sister. I said yes, and he disappeared for a few days after telling me he was going to introduce me to my new sister."

Shirō gritted his teeth, remembering what he had found out years later.

"When he returned without you, he was injured, saying he was mugged. He told me that you were sick, and that you were staying with your grandparents who had the means to take care of you, but a few years later he told me the truth. He wasn't mugged. He was nearly killed after trying to get you back. That's when I started training as a Magus. I told him that we would get you back together, so I wanted him to teach me everything he knew."

As Ilya shook in her seat, quietly crying, holding herself, both Sella and Leysritt wanted to comfort her, but the gaze of Berserker never wavered, preventing them from moving an inch.

"But he kept trying, and every time he came home more beat up than the last. Even in his final years, he never gave up on you. That's why he died as young as he did, when he could have lived so much longer. That's how I remember it, Ilya."

Shirō moved around the table and embraced his sister tightly. "I'm sorry Kiritsugu couldn't make it, but I'm here now, Ilya."

Rider was careful to avoid crossing the Bounded Field, instead choosing to use her enhanced vision to keep an eye on Shirō from a distance. She couldn't believe what she had seen when he went willingly with that girl and her monster, much less that he did so almost happily. Couldn't he tell how powerful that girl's Servant was?

She had stalked them from a distance, biding her time so that she could quickly snatch Shirō and make a run for it, but her fear of that girl's Servant caused her to hesitate a bit too long which allowed them to cross the Bounded Field. Now, she could only watch from a distance.

As she watched, Shirō's words seemed to bring that girl to tears, though Rider could hardly believe that boy was capable of such a thing with how gentle he seemed to be. Then, she saw him move around the table between him and the girl and embrace her, bringing up the same feeling she had when she witnessed him embrace his own Servant. Anger. Confusion. Jealousy.

Though she doubted this situation would lead to the same as the one with his Servant, she still felt all those bitter emotions that she had no way of confronting. These overlapping emotions clouded her senses, keeping her from realizing that she wasn't the only one spying on Shirō, nor did she feel the eyes on her.

Where was she?

Everything was blurry, but clear enough for her to see shapes. Almost clear enough to see her own hand in front of her face. If she had a hand, that is. Instead, she could see a vague kind of light in the place where he hand would be. Looking down, she saw her whole body was like this. She was almost entirely translucent, made up of a strange kind of flame-like energy. This should have scared her, but for some reason it didn't. It seemed.. right.

Her vision sharpened over time and she began to be able to see details and was astounded at the things she saw around her. Buildings taller than she had ever seen, hundreds of people everywhere, all wearing a splash of colors in the form of various clothes. None of them could see or hear her, but if they walked through her, they would shudder slightly. She couldn't move very far without feeling some kind of invisible force pulling her back to her original position, but she could move enough to see all kinds of new things.

She had been bound to that spot for a good while, not that she minded. She knew that when the time came, she would be allowed to leave. The longer she stayed there, the more she learned about the world around her. Not just from the conversations around her in a language she seemed to understand, but from just existing. It was as if her mind were being filled with all the necessary information for whatever she was supposed to do.

Which was what, exactly?

She didn't know that. Not yet. All she knew was that she had an important job to do. It was something only she could do, and it had to be done perfectly. The more she learned, the more information that was provided to her from an unknown source, the more definition came to her own body. The flame-like energy seemed to shape and harden and she began to see her own true body.

Who was she?

She didn't know. Her own memories were missing, but she had faith that she would regain them in time. There were faces she knew in her mind, but they didn't mean anything to her. Not yet.

Shinji Matou stood in the Overseer's office, standing firm and resolute in his decision.

"Are you certain, child? Is this what you truly want?" Kirei asked, his back turned to Shinji.

"It is." Shinji said, nodding.

Kirei turned to face the boy, his eyes almost gazing into Shinji's very soul. Then, he nodded, and three command seals appeared upon Shinji's hand, burning intensely. Still, Shinji didn't flinch.

Then, a male figure walked out of the darkness behind Kirei, his red spear glinting dangerously in the moonlight.

"What do you plan to do with your new Servant, boy?"

Shinji smirked. "I plan on winning the war, but first I need to pay Emiya back for what he did."

Lancer frowned. Although he was happy to be free from Kirei Kotomine's control, even if only temporarily, he knew revenge was a bitter thing, and he didn't relish participating in such things. Especially if it involved the boy that should have been dead three times over by now.

Kirei, however, laughed at Shinji's resolve. "Very good, boy. Go, now. Seize victory while you can."

Shinji nodded and both he and Lancer departed from the Church quickly. Once they were outside, he gave his first order to Lancer.

"Lancer, I need you to find one of the other Masters. His name is Shirō. Once you do, report back to me."

It was difficult for Shirō to leave Ilya so soon, but they both agreed that there were things they both had to do. He had to get home and re-think a few things with Arturia, and Ilya said she "needed time to prepare", but for what Shirō wasn't sure.

They had a long talk after he had revealed his own memories of Kiritsugu. Ilya told him about all the lies she had been subjected to as a child of how Kiritsugu had abandoned her. Shirō, of course, already knew this. However, hearing it once again wasn't any easier than the last. When she had heard the truth, it was like turning on the lights in a dark room for her. Very little was how she had thought it was. Shirō was not her enemy. Kiritsugu hadn't abandoned her. Her 'grandfather' had used her for his own means for the final time.

Shirō wasn't sure leaving Ilya alone was the best thing to do at the time, but after meeting eyes with Berserker, he knew that there were very few things that would be able to harm Ilya, and it was still weeks away from when Gilgamesh would make his move. As far as he knew, not a single Servant summoned by the Grail had been defeated, which meant Ilya was still in top-shape.

Shirō's thoughts were interrupted by a woman materializing in front of him, just outside of the Bounded Field protecting Ilya's home. Though her cloak hid much of her body, Shirō knew that under it was Caster. Kanshou and Bakuya instantly appeared in Shirō's hands, preparing for a fight.

"What splendid reaction time for a human." Caster stated, clapping her hands lightly. Though it could be taken as mockery, her tone suggested she was being genuine. Still, Shirō's guard was up. Caster was as devious as she was powerful.

Shirō lifted one of his blades, pointing it at Caster. "You're in my way, Caster."

Though a hood covered much of her face, Shirō saw Caster's smile drop a bit. "My, you seem quite confident even without the other three to support you. Perhaps too confident." Caster raised her hand and a blast of electricity almost like lightning came from her palm, striking the ground next to Shirō.

Shirō didn't move. He didn't blink. He didn't even flinch. He stood tall and calm, staring right at Caster. If he was surprised that she knew of his working with Rin and Archer, he didn't show it. Her neutral expression dropped to a pout. "It's no fun if you don't react. Or was that too fast for you?"

It was then that Caster noticed that Shirō only had one blade as opposed to the two that he had moments before. She glanced to her right to see one of his blades buried in the ground to the hilt, mirroring her previous strike intentionally.

"It's no fun if you don't react. Or was that too fast for you?" Shirō parroted, the smallest of smirks on his face, bringing a full-fledged smile to Caster's.

"You really are something different, aren't you? Such bravery and competence. You remind me of someone I know."

Shirō shrugged. "That's high praise coming from you. I'm just a third-rate Magus with a death with according to a friend of mine. Maybe I'm somewhere between the two."

Caster blinked at Shirō's familiarity speaking with her and let out a genuine laugh, dropping her hand back under her cloak. "You get more and more interesting by the second. It's too bad we don't have more time."

Almost on queue, Caster took a step back and a nail-like dagger attached to a chain slammed into the ground where she once stood. Rider landed gracefully in front of Shirō, taking up a defensive stance and pulling her weapon back to her.

Rider prepared to engage Caster, but a strong hand clamped down on her shoulder. Her head whipped back to see Shirō looking right at her, an expression on his face that she couldn't read. She looked back to Caster only to see an empty road before her.

"Where..?"

Shirō let go of her and explained. "She was never here. That was a thought-projection. A powerful one at that. More importantly, why are you here, Rider?"

Rider gritted her teeth at having revealed herself for nothing. "I've been watching you since you volunteered to go with that beast, trying to find a way to save you since you obviously have no regard for your own safety."

Shirō wondered how much of the earlier fight with the Phantom-servants she had seen, but he wouldn't broach the subject if she wasn't going to bring it up. "While it's true that my safety comes second to that of the people I care about, that doesn't make me completely suicidal. Ilya had no intention of hurting me, as you can see." He said, gesturing to his unharmed appearance.

"Yes. I was watching from outside the Bounded Field. Why are you so kind to an enemy?" Rider's tone was accusatory, a frown on her face.

Shirō gave Rider a lazy look. "You were my enemy. Technically, you still are, which means Sakura is, as well," A cold hand grasped at Rider's heart at Shirō's words.

"But I'm not interested in being your enemy, or Sakura's, or Ilya's. I'd rather not be anyone's enemy." Shirō finished.

Suddenly, the hand let go, and Rider could breathe again. "I don't understand you. I don't understand anything you do. I don't know whether to hate you for betraying Sakura or to thank you for protecting her." Rider said, the words coming out of her mouth before she could think about them.

"Betraying Sakura? What are you talking abo-" Shirō stopped, realizing what Rider meant. He sighed, realizing she had been watching him more than he knew. "I suppose you'd like an explanation, but I can't really give you one. Even if I could, you wouldn't believe me, nor would I expect you to. All I can tell you is that regardless of what the future holds, I'm always going to care for Sakura."

Rin was fuming. Not only had Archer, her own Servant refuse to help her save their ally, but now Emiya's own servant was refusing to help her. It was maddening, which was why she was pacing back and forth in front of the door.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor like that, Rin." Archer commented, a smirk on his face. That smirk faded when Rin looked at him with fury in her eyes, though she said nothing.

Saber hadn't moved from the spot she sat down at once arriving, almost in a meditative state. Her eyes hadn't opened since she had said she would obey Shirō's wishes and remain there. That was hours ago.

"Fine, I'll do it myself." Rin finally said, walking towards the door.

Archer sat up, staring at her back. "What are you doing?"

"I'm doing what we should have done in the first place." Rin replied, her hand hovering over the door handle, not daring to look back at Archer.

"You're acting like a child, Rin. This is a war. People die." Archer said, expecting his words to give her pause enough to re-think things.

However, Rin simply laughed a hollow laugh. "You're right. This is a war, and people die in war. But Emiya didn't want any part of this war. He shouldn't even be a Master, but he is because he believes he can prevent that. He's soft like that. That's why I need to-" A hand grabbing Rin's wrist cut her off. It was a smaller hand, but it was incredibly firm.

"Let go." Rin said, not bothering to look back to Saber.

"Rin.."

"I said LET G-" Once again she was interrupted, her own words dying in her throat as the door in front of them opened itself, revealing the blinding morning light. She blinked rapidly, her eyes taking a few moments to adjust to the light.

There in the doorway stood Shirō, a light smile on his face. Arturia had obviously sensed his presence before he reached the door, but the scene before him said she hadn't had the chance to tell Rin, who was standing stock-still on the other side of the door, tensed up with tears in her eyes.

Shirō closed his own eyes and smiled. "I'm home."

A/N: I apologize once again for the long delay. Most of my time has been dedicated to physical therapy, so even when I do have time to write, I'm much too exhausted to work on a story in which each chapter demands my absolute attention. I've been working on others, some of which haven't been posted yet, but I've yet to complete any chapters for them. I decided to skip out on my PT today in favor of writing this chapter, but I don't have the time to do any serious editing. I apologize for any errors/oversights in grammar and such.

With that said, the next chapter will be quite interesting with all the new developments this chapter. As always, thank you for reading and thank you for your kind reviews.