Sorry this took a while, been getting my shit together, both online and off.

For starters, we've finally started renovating our house because we were sick of not having proper insulation or double glaze windows. Lord only knows how long it'll take to get the wiring sorted out.

There's a plethora of other things I'd love to bitch about but you're not here for that, you're here to see how things proceed right?

Well then, let's see just how badly Azazel can shake up the hornets nest.


Fake x Life Eighteen: Goals and Aspirations.

'Just what is Azazel thinking?' Shirou wondered, a sentiment shared by several other people in their room as they glanced between the two bearers of the Heavenly Dragons, noting Vali's disinterested scoff and Issei's squawk of indignation even as they tried to determine the Fallen's motives.

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you all of what happened the last time our mutual interests came into conflict with the Heavenly Dragons'." Azazel quipped, his earlier cocky attitude returning in force as both Michael and Sirzechs shivered at some distant memory, the red-haired Satan's features taut while the Seraph's perpetually sad expression grew decidedly more morose, as if remembering comrades lost "Truth be told, I've had my people watching out for Dragon Type Sacred-Gear Users ever since I stumbled across Vali."

"That makes sense." Michael mused, nodding his head in acknowledgement "After all, it has been well documented that the bearers of Divine Dividing and Boosted Gear always seem to gravitate towards one another no matter what we do to keep them apart."

"Yeah, unfortunately, it seems one of my cute subordinates got it into her head that it'd be better to nip the problem in the bud, despite my orders to the contrary." Azazel noted, his smirk falling for a moment, only to return full force as he glanced at Issei "Still, I suppose it all worked out in the end, and no offense Michael, but I doubt there's any way you could've convinced him to join the flock."

"None taken, if anything I concede your point." Michael assured his fallen brother with a smile "I will confess there was some concern when we learnt the Devils had obtained the Boosted Gear, especially after learning how close he was to one of our own." Irina flinched and averted her eyes, earning a look of concern from Issei, Asia and Xenovia "Still, at least this way no one Faction can lay claim to both of them."

"No one can truly 'lay claim' to the Heavenly Dragons." Azazel countered, pointedly glancing in Rias' direction as if to emphasize his point "All who try inevitably meet a foul end one way or another, the most you can do is give them what they want and pray their goals don't deviate from your own down the line."

'Sounds like Rias really dodged a bullet there.' Shirou noted as he glanced between the scowling redhead and the confused looking Issei. Setting aside his overall weakness compared to the rest of her peerage, it was highly unlikely that Issei would ever willingly harm Rias even if she directly opposed his dream of becoming the so-called 'Harem King', a moot concern given how it wasn't uncommon for High-Class Devils of both Genders to possess harems.

Hell, if Azazel was to be believed then Rias' own mother was supposedly responsible for managing the Harem of her husband, Duke Gremory, so it was quite likely that Rias was just as desensitized to the concept of Harems as she was to nudity and casual skinship…a trait apparently shared by all members of the Gremory Clan if Sona was to be believed.

"With that in mind, I think we can all agree that it's only fair we hear what the Heavenly Dragons have to say on the matter." Azazel concluded sitting back in his chair "So then, what'll it be, oh mighty White Dragon Emperor?" he called out, glancing over his shoulder at Vali knowingly "Just what does the almighty Vanishing Dragon desire in this life?"

"As if you didn't already know." Vali scoffed, seeming almost bored with the current turn of events "I don't particularly care what you all do." he declared whilst waving a hand dismissively "So long as there's still worthy opponents to fight, I'm fine with the world just the way it is."

'I figured as much.' Shirou nodded, having noticed the teen sizing up the other occupants of the room, including Shirou himself, throughout the course of the meeting. Strangely, the only person Vali didn't seem to be paying any attention to was Issei, if anything he seemed to be purposefully ignoring the Gremory Pawn, a stark contrast to his earlier desire to meet with him.

While Vali wasn't much for small talk, Shirou liked to think he had a decent grasp of his personality, to the point he felt confident that Vali hated being born in this age of, if not peace, then at least extended cease-fire between the three factions.

He probably would've been happier to have been born during the height of the Great War. Hell, he most likely would have taken a leaf out of Albion and Ddraig's books and assaulted all the Factions by himself just for the thrill of facing God, Lucifer and Azazel at their peak.

"And here I thought you outgrew your Chuunibyou phase." Azazel scoffed, earning a glare from the teen that he ignored with the ease of long practice "I'm sure I don't need to remind you that you don't necessarily need a War to challenge people to a fight, right?"

"I suppose." Vali conceded, trailing off with a knowing smirk that seemed to stymie even Azazel for a moment, the Governor General regarding the White Dragon Emperor silently before shrugging it off.

"Oh well, I suppose that's the kind of answer one should expect from a Heavenly Dragon." He conceded, shaking his head whimsically before smirking at the startled form of Issei "So what do you say, Hyoudo Issei? Does the Red Dragon Emperor share his rival's view of the world? Or is there something else you desire out of all this?"

In stark contrast to Vali, who seemed honestly disinterested with the meeting once it was clear there was to be no conflict, Issei seemed naturally alarmed to find himself the center of attention, made even worse when you stopped to consider just who was paying attention to him, or more accurately, how closely they'd been paying attention to him all his life, given how openly they admitted to their awareness of his less-than admirable traits.

"Huh? Me?" he stammered, pointing at himself only to chuckle in embarrassment to cover up his nervousness "Ah, sorry, I'm not good at coming up with stuff on the fly…To be honest most of the stuff you've been talking about went right over my head…"

Shirou honestly could relate to Issei in that regard. It hadn't been all that long since the teen had become a Devil, and yet in that time he'd been thrown headfirst into a world beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. While Shirou's integration into the moonlit world had been easier thanks to Kiritsugu, he'd still been knocked on his ass by the revelation of just how out of his depth he'd truly been once the Holy Grail War began.

Where the two differed, however, was their importance in the grand scheme of things. While Shirou had been chosen as Saber's Master, he could have just as easily surrendered his rights and severed his contract with Saber the very same night he summoned her, placing himself under the 'protection' of Kotomine while Rin and Archer went on to fight the War.

While he held no delusions now as to how long he would have survived under Kotomine's 'care', at the very least the events of the Grail War would have carried on without him. On the other hand, Issei, and Vali by extension, were not so expendable.

As the current bearers of the Heavenly Dragons, whether they wished it or not, their actions, for good or for ill, would have an effect on the world, and while it was comforting to know that Issei wasn't a battle maniac like Vali, aside from his perverted tendencies Shirou honestly didn't know the teen that well.

Hell, he still found himself pulling up short every time he watched the teen reign himself in around Asia. While he doubted the teen had aspirations of World Domination or anything to that effect…well just how big a Harem did the teen think he could get away with?

"I see…" Azazel mused, regarding the Gremory Pawn with an unreadable expression for a moment, before a knowing smirk stretched across his face "In that case, let me put it in terms you can understand."

Issei stiffened, a sentiment shared by the rest of Rias' peerage as the tension in the room skyrocketed, Michael, Sirzechs and Serafall regarding the Governor General with interest, wondering just where he was going with this.

"Hyoudo Issei." Azazel pressed, his expression completely serious as he looked deep into the nervous teen's eyes "If this meeting fails, and the Three Factions go to war once more, then you'll never be able to have your way with Rias Gremory."

'Is he insane?!' Shirou exclaimed, gaping at Azazel in alarm, a sentiment shared by pretty much every other teen in the room, Rias' face actually lighting up like her hair while Asia and Irina covered their mouths in shock. Hell, even Sona was looking flustered 'Is he trying to piss Sirzechs off-?!'

He trailed off, visibly confused by the lack of blood-lust in the air. If anything, Sirzechs and Serafall actually seemed amused by the current turn of events, a stark contrast to Grayfia and Michael, who merely sighed at the Governor General's audacity while Gabriel blinked in confusion.

"Come now, surely you can figure it out from there, right?" Azazel goaded the stuttering Pawn "If the Three Factions sign a Peace Treaty, then our first priority will be the mutual prosperity and propagation of our species as a whole."

"Propagation…?" Issei stammered, his eyes lighting up as a familiar expression formed on his face, much to the exasperation of his King and the amusement of several members of her Peerage "You don't mean-?!"

"That's right," Azazel confirmed, ironically grinning like the Devil himself while said Devil simply chuckled in amusement at his younger sister's mortification "Just imagine the 'Training Sessions' you and your King could get up to…every day, all day, just the two of you…" he glanced to the rest of the Gremory Peerage "Or more, if she was so inclined."

"What are you implying?!" Rias exclaimed, the Gremory Heiress looking absolutely mortified, earning a look of sympathy from Shirou, who couldn't help but draw parallels between her situation and the countless times he was embarrassed by Fuji-nee.

"Peace means daily doses of 'Strawberry Time' with Rias Gremory." Azazel continued, heedless of the girl's embarrassment, if anything he seemed to be reveling in it if the shit-eating grin on his face were any indication "War means you'll be stuck using your left hand…or Ddraig's left hand now I suppose."

"PEACE!" Issei roared, though for a moment Shirou swore he heard Ddraig's voice in there as well, the teen's eyes so bright that, for a fleeting moment they looked as if they actually burst into flame "PEACE FOR ME! PEACE IS BEST! I'M GOING TO LOVE BUCHOU SO HARD! LOVE AND PEACE! LOVE AND PEACE-!"


While Rias tries to calm Issei...

"I think you broke him." Shirou deadpanned, eyeing the perverted pawn with mixed emotions as he finally managed to calm down, a sentiment clearly shared by many in the room.

While the representatives seemed shocked by how...passionate...the teen was, the Devils, for the most part, seemed torn between amusement and exasperation at his antics, Asia in particular was pouting at the Pawn in disapproval while Rias was burying her face in her hands in mortification, not helped at all by her brother's failed attempt to reign in his laughter, though Kiba's reminder of the Lucifer's presence did serve to snap Issei out of his rant.

"Ah, sorry about that." the self-proclaimed Harem King stammered, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment as he realized just what he'd been doing, and more importantly in front of whom "What I meant to say was that I'll only use my power to protect my friends! So, if you're all going to make peace then count me in! Just know I won't hold back if you start trouble later!"

"All the more reason for us to make peace then." Michael concurred with a benign smile, though Boosted Gear or not, Shirou highly doubted the Archangel considered the teen's words a credible threat "It seems you have found yourself a good Servant, Rias Gremory."

"Ah, thank you-?" Issei stammered, honestly shocked to have received a compliment from the Seraph, only to blink as if remembering something "Actually, if it's not too much trouble, Michael-sama, could you answer something for me?"

"But of course." The Prince of the Hosts acknowledged, smiling at the teen with an accommodating nod as he gestured for him to continue "I did promise you as such during the last time we met."

'Wait, what? When the hell did Issei of all people meet with Archangel Michael?' Shirou wondered, noting offhandedly that, with the exception of Xenovia, Kiba and Asia, no-one else seemed at all surprised by this revelation. If anything, Michael's confirmation of their meeting only served to set Sirzechs at ease, while Azazel merely continued to smirk 'Is there something going on here?'

"Right then…" Issei sighed, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves before turning to face the Seraph with a resolved expression "Michael-sama, can you please tell me why Asia was excommunicated?"

Shirou blinked, honestly surprised by the Pawn's line of questioning, though nowhere near as much as the blonde Bishop herself, who gasped in shock at his accusatory tone, glancing between her crush and the Seraph in concern.

"It just doesn't make sense to me." Issei continued in the ensuing silence "I might not be the most devout person out there, but even I can tell that Asia loved God, no, she still loves God, more than anyone. How could you excommunicate such a fervent believer?"

"Issei." Rias cautioned, reaching out to place a hand on her Pawn's shoulder, only to blink as she was halted not by Sirzechs, but by Michael, who regarded the Pawn with an earnest, if saddened expression.

"After the death of Our Lord, only his System remained." Michael explained solemnly "To put it in terms you could comprehend, the System regulates our power to govern and administer Divine Protection, Mercy and Miracles."

His already morose features fell further "However, without the Lord to act as the System Administrator, the effect of said miracles has begun to decline. Even now, with myself as the center, the Church is barely functioning. As much as I hate to admit it, without God there are only so many prayers that can be answered."

Now there was a concept that Shirou was more than familiar with, the Faker honestly surprised to find himself able to relate to the Archangel somewhat. No matter how powerful you were, no matter what resources you had at your disposal, it was impossible to 'Save Everyone'.

As beautiful as Kiritsugu's dream might be, as admirable as it might be to strive towards a world where everyone is happy, the fact remained that there was only so much a single person could do, only so many people they could save with their own two hands.

It was a lesson that Archer had learnt the hard way. Not even entering into a contract with Alaya to become a Counter Guardian could change this inescapable fact. For every person he saved, there would always be countless others that he failed, usually because he had to cut them down with his own hands.

With that in mind, it was easy to understand Michael's grief. After all, if it was impossible for the likes of Archer, a Counter Guardian whose very purpose was to ensure the survival of humanity, to ever achieve his goals, then how was Michael, Archangel or not, supposed to protect the 'Faith' when he couldn't even get the system designed to do just that to operate at full capacity?

"As such, in order to maintain what little of the System as we could, there was a need to avoid anything that could potentially negatively affect it." Michael continued, nodding solemnly towards a sorrowful looking Asia "As beings who draw strength from the Faith of Believers, a threat to the System is a threat to our very survival, therefore anything that could negatively affect that faith, like Sister Argento's Twilight Healing, which can heal Devils and Fallen Angels in addition to Humans…"

"Or people like me, who uncovered the Truth about God but lacked the protection of being highly-ranked in the Church's hierarchy." Xenovia opined, drawing the Seraph's attention to her "That's why we were branded as heretics and chased out."

"You are correct, Sister Xenovia." Michael confirmed, his and Gabriel's expressions so sorrowful that Shirou couldn't help but pity them "Indeed, even setting aside Durandal, to lose such a promising Exorcist of your calibre is a serious blow. And there are many among the Clergy who insist it was a mistake to exile Sister Argento, Cardinal Strada himself was most distraught to learn her fate."

"Now there's a name I haven't heard in a while." Azazel mused, a nostalgic smile forming on his face even as the Pureblood Devils shivered at the name "How is Vasco doing these days? Last time I saw him he damn-near took Kokabiel's head off."

"The Cardinal is well, all things considered." Michael admitted with a gracious nod "And as one of the few aware of the truth of God's Demise, he was most ardent in having Sister Argento's sentence revoked but arrived too late to overturn the verdict."

"Father Strada…" Asia whimpered, the little Bishop looking torn between grief that the man had failed and joy that someone so important had gone out of his way to try and help her "Could you extend my thanks to him, Lord Michael?"

"It is the least I can do, Asia Argento." Michael promised the girl solemnly "What happened to you and Xenovia was decidedly unfair. You were hardly heretics, but as things currently stand there was no other way. For the sake of preserving the system, I had no choice but to cast you out."

Then, to the shock of all, most certainly his retinue, the Archangel Michael lowered his head in a solemn bow towards the two women that had been wronged by his actions, heedless of the gasps of shock this elicited from Irina and the rest of the Exorcists.

"Both of you, please accept our deepest apologies."


After Michael's apology...

'Now there's something you don't see every day.' the ever-growing cynical part of Shirou's mind noted 'Never thought I'd see the day an honest-to-god Archangel bowed his head in apology.'

As much as Shirou hated to agree with his 'Inner Archer', there was no denying that, at least in his world, the Gods and their associated Messengers tended to be arrogant to a fault. Even if they did screw up, they more often than not found some way to blame it on someone else, barring a few, rare exceptions.

That Michael, the Archangel tasked with filling the role of his deceased creator, essentially acting as the stand-in for 'God', could bring himself to apologize to those he had wronged, however unwillingly, spoke highly of his character.

"Please raise your head, Lord Michael." Xenovia pleaded softly, looking just as shaken by his actions as Irina "I must confess, having been raised by the Church, I do have some regrets for how things turned out...there was even a point I considered taking my own life or even throwing in my lot with the Devils."

Needless to say, her admission earned quite the mixed reaction from the room. While most, Asia and Irina in particular, were relieved she hadn't taken her life, Rias and Sona couldn't help but feel disappointed at having lost the chance to recruit such a powerful exorcist for their respective peerages.

"However, a good friend reminded me that while The Lord may no longer be with us, his teachings yet remain." Xenovia continued, smiling gratefully at Shirou with a hand over her heart "So long as there are those who follow his teachings, he will never truly be forgotten."

She turned to smile at Michael, who was gazing upon her in surprised wonderment "Indeed, it is those very teachings that tell me that, were he here today, The Lord would have been the first to propose peace between the factions."

"Well, you're not wrong, even if the timing is a bit off." Azazel concurred with a scoff "If Father had survived the Great War he'd have moved for peace the moment Lucifer was confirmed dead."

"Our brother speaks the truth," Michael confirmed, his features practically radiant as he smiled at Xenovia in appreciation "Indeed, I have little doubt he would have been the first to propose peace, that it took this long for us to do so shames us all."

"We all had our own problems to deal with, Lord Michael." Sirzechs assured the Seraph "Setting aside the Grigori, both Heaven and the Underworld were thrown into Chaos with the loss of our leaders. Even now there are still those who support the Old Satan Faction, and I can only imagine the trials you had to face getting Heaven's System back online."

"Hey, we had troubles of our own I'll have you know." Azazel countered petulantly "While you two were focused on internal affairs, my faction had to clean up after the battle whilst ensuring the other Pantheons didn't find out about Father's demise." He shook his head "It's not every day a God dies you know, and I'm sure I don't need to remind you that there are more than a few Pantheons that would leap at the chance to snuff us out."

Now there was an understatement if Shirou ever heard one, for despite its message of 'love thy neighbor', the Abrahamic Faiths didn't exactly have the best track-record of practicing what they preached, as evidenced by the countless so-called 'Holy Wars' that littered history.

While it was impossible to tell how many religions were absorbed or trampled in the wake of 'The Faithful', it was a given that the patron deities of said faiths wouldn't have appreciated being cut off from their source of power. And there were few things more dangerous than a God with a grudge.

"Indeed, were it not for your swift action it's highly likely the damage to the system would have been far worse." Michael conceded with a grateful nod "At the time we were forced to devote much of our attention to reactivating the System, so it would have been impossible for us to fend off a coordinated attack from the other Pantheons. Even now, their ignorance of the truth is our strongest defence, though I fear some have grown suspicious."

"Odin always was a wily old bastard, though personally I don't think he's interested in starting anything in this day and age." Azazel admitted "And last I heard Zeus was more interested in trying to pick up girls on spring break without Hera pulling a Lorena Bobbit."

"The more things change…" Sirzechs mused, earning a round of chuckles from the table before clapping his hands "Well then, if there's nothing else anyone cares to bring up, perhaps it's best if we get down to the crux of the matter?"

"Actually, there is one other matter I'd like to discuss, if it's not too much bother." Michael cut-in, "I can assure you that it will have no effect on my decision to sign the Peace Treaty, I merely have some questions that need confirmation before we proceed."

"Hmph, took you long enough." Azazel scoffed, the Governor General sitting back in his chair with a smirk before tilting his head to glance over his shoulder "Oi, Shirou, you're up."

"Me?" the Faker repeated, blinking at the Fallen in confusion only to realise he was now the center of attention, though in the case of the Younger Devils it was more out of surprise than intrigue "You wanted to ask me something?"

"Indeed, we have wanted to meet with you for some time now, Emiya Shirou." Michael confessed with a small smile "Setting aside your slaying of Kokabiel, though I confess that alone earned you some well-deserved renown, what truly interests us is your abilities…more accurately, your ability to recreate Caliburn."

Shirou flinched, the casual way with which the Seraph used the sword's True Name reminding him of everything that had resulted from the Church's cover-up. While he could somewhat understand their reasons for doing so, a part of him couldn't help but resent them for besmirching the history of Saber's beloved sword, and by extension, King Arthur's legend itself.

"According to the report submitted by Exorcist Shido," Michael continued, inclining his head towards Irina, who waved nervously at the Faker from behind the Seraph's chair "you supposedly possess the ability to recreate any weapon you've laid eyes upon, correct?"

Shirou frowned at the Seraph's question. Perhaps it was just Archer's jaded personality influencing his own, but it almost sounded like Michael was doubting the validity of his report. With this in mind, rather than simply incline his head in confirmation as he normally would have, the Faker held out his hand, the occupants of the room tensing as a familiar golden glow filled the air, The Gremory faction and Xenovia gasping in surprise as Valper Galilei's masterpiece appeared in his grasp.

"Fascinating." Michael marveled, Azazel sitting up straighter in his chair, the Fallen's eyes lighting up like a child in a candy shop while Sirzechs and Serafall looked on with intrigue, more so in Serafall's case "And it retains all the abilities of the original?"

"My Magecraft allows me to recreate everything about the weapon." Shirou confirmed, seeing no point in lying to the Seraph's face. With his luck it was highly likely Michael would notice immediately "The Materials used in the Process of its creation, the accumulated years, even the skills of the wielder to an extent."

He opened his hand, allowing the Blade to dispel into motes of light, much to Azazel's disappointment, though Serafall seemed to find the display pretty "However, due to the limitations of my Magecraft, no matter how perfect the Projection it will always lose in a battle against the Original."

"I get it, so it's like a Kageuchi going up against a Shinuchi." The Azazel mused while stroking his chin, the Governor General's words earning a look of interest from Rias' and Kiba surprisingly "No matter how well-made, the imitation will always fall behind the genuine article."

"It's a little more complicated than that." Shirou countered a little testily "After all, there's no law saying the imitation can't surpass the original." He nodded his head towards Sirzechs, doing his best to ignore the calculating expression in Azazel's eyes "From what little I've heard, the current Lucifer would be a prime example of this."

"Indeed, even we were surprised by the power the current generation of devils." Michael confessed, inclining his head towards the two Satans, Sirzechs nodding gratefully while Serafall smiled boastfully at Gabriel, who merely smiled in return "However, it is not your ability that truly concerns us, Emiya-san, but rather its implications."

"If you're worried about my ability to recreate Sacred Gears, then there's no need for concern." Shirou assured the Seraph "One of the limitations of my Magecraft is that cannot accurately recreate Divine Constructs." He nodded towards Issei "While I could in theory create something similar to the Boosted Gear, it wouldn't possess even half the power of the original, even without factoring in the Soul of Ddraig."

"As much as it relieves me to hear that confirmed, I'm afraid that's not quite what I was referring to." Michael admitted solemnly "To recap, your ability allows you to recreate any weapon you've laid eyes upon, correct?"

"He's already confirmed that with his little light-show earlier." Azazel cut in, lounging in his chair with a haughty smirk "Just get to the point, Michael, beating around the bush was never your style and I can pretty much guess what's been bugging you."

"Very well, I shall be direct." Michael sighed, before turning to regard Shirou with a solemn expression, his emerald eyes surprisingly firm "During your battle with Kokabiel, you slew him with Caliburn in its true form, correct?" At Shirou's nod he continued "However, Caliburn was shattered centuries ago, and while Valper Galilei came closer than any other in his attempt at re-forging the blade, its power still paled in comparison to the original."

He regarded the Faker with a solemn stare, and for perhaps the first time since laying eyes on the Seraph, Shirou came to understand just why it was that Michael was the one deemed 'Closest to God'.

"With all that said," Michael pressed calmly yet firmly "could you kindly explain just how you were able to perfectly recreate Caliburn, when it is impossible for you to have seen the blade whole?"


Following Michael's Query...

'So that's what he was leading up to...' Shirou noted grimly, his expression taut as he noticed the looks on the faces of the other members, Sona and Rias in particular regarding the teen with calculating expressions while Serafall, Grayfia and Sirzechs had looks of confirmation in their eyes.

It was a situation that Shirou had been dreading from the moment he realized this wasn't his world. While Azazel had never particularly pressed him for details as to his origins, though Shirou knew for a fact the Fallen had been watching him covertly whenever he practiced his Magecraft, it was clear he was willing to bide his time until Shirou was confident enough to spill the beans of his own volition.

Even Rias and Sona, who had confessed to having investigated him for the purposes of recruiting him into their peerage, hadn't really pressed the matter once they'd ascertained the gist of his abilities, though Shirou suspected that had more to do with them being preoccupied with the fallout from the Kokabiel Incident and the upcoming Peace treaty than their giving up entirely.

However, ever since his first encounter with Freed Sellzen, and with every subsequent meeting he had with the two Peerages, Shirou had been forced to surrender increasingly more pieces to the puzzle, pieces that, over time, would begin to show discrepancies in the backstory Azazel had crafted in order to ensure he lived a 'Normal Rosy High-school Life'.

'Since when were you ever normal?' the cynical part of his mind scoffed, the Faker's lip quirking at the decidedly Archer-like train of thought.

Say what you liked about Emiya Shirou, not even his staunchest of supporters would ever use the word 'Normal' to describe him even prior to the Grail War, and it was clear from the memories of his various alternates that a normal life was beyond him regardless of the outcome of that bloody tournament.

Setting aside the Timelines where he became the Counter Guardian EMIYA, there was not a single instance of Emiya Shirou settling down to live a 'normal' life, regardless of whether he abandoned his ideals or not.

Hell, even that one weird timeline where he'd been raised ignorant of Magic despite Ilya running around in Magical Girl Cosplay, he still wound up getting caught up in the Moonlit World somehow.

In the end, Emiya Shirou was a Sword, and a sword is meant to be wielded. It did not matter if it was raised in the defence of others or for personal reasons, for a Sword does not tell good from evil.

"Emiya-kun." Sirzechs called out, snapping the younger redhead from his musings to find the Lucifer gazing at him in concern, a sentiment that was shared by his sister's peerage, Xenovia and surprisingly Gabriel "If you'd rather not talk about it now…"

"No, it's alright." Shirou assured the Crimson Satan with a grateful nod "If anything now's as good a time as any…" he conceded, only to scratch the back of his head awkwardly "it's just there's a lot to cover and I don't know where to start."

"I find starting from the beginning generally works best." Azazel quipped playfully, earning a genteel snort of amusement from Serafall even as Michael sighed at his fallen brother's sass.

"The beginning huh…" Shirou mused, his eyes going distant as those words conjured up images of crackling flames and the screams of the dying, of ashen rain and a smile so beautiful it pulled him back from the brink of death. Taking a breath to steady his nerves, the son of Emiya Kiritsugu turned to face his audience.

"My story begins with a fire…or perhaps it would be better to say it began with a wish…"


And we'll just leave off there for now.

It probably won't be too long until the next chapter's up, but as I said I have other commitments to worry about.

So in case I don't see you for a while, Merry Christmas to all you happy reviewers out there.