Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.
Snow White and Her Children
Chapter 3
"This isn't a no, mind you two, but why does Matou-san have to stay at my house? I mean…I get he's in danger, but wouldn't your house be safer? Also, are you really sure old man Zouken tried to have him kidnapped? And his name isn't just that? A name…?"
Shirou looked cautiously at the twins as he asked all this questions, the two blondes quietly taking them all in. "In reverse order," Rin answered after a moment. "No, it isn't just a name. He's got too many magic circuits for a mere first-generation, and there's only one established lineage that goes by the name Matou. So Hikaru-kun here is probably from a branch line that was cast out a while back. Only like we said earlier, the main line of the Matou can't produce viable heirs anymore. Add to that the kidnappers taking him to our part of the suburbs…yeah, we're pretty sure old man Zouken tried to have him kidnapped."
"And that's why our house isn't safer for him." Sakura said with a shrug. "We only live a few minutes' walk away from the Matou property, after all. Hikaru-kun is at much higher risk of being found out there and old man Zouken forcing the issue. Your house though, is here, on the far side of town. Hikaru-kun's at less risk of being found here than at ours."
"…how'd you know he has magic circuits?" Shirou asked after a moment. "Isn't that the kind of thing you don't just say to others?"
"It isn't…I think." Hikaru cut in with a nod at the twins. "I don't know much since I'm no magus, but I know just the smallest bit of the basics. That aside…they found out while they were patching me up."
"Yeah, that reminds me." Shirou said, turning to Hikaru. "What happened to you? I mean…where'd you get all those bumps and bruises, especially that cut on your forehead?"
Hikaru sighed. "I got banged up a bit when Tohsaka here stopped the kidnappers." He said before glancing at the twins. "No, it's alright. I don't blame you. You couldn't have known I was inside. If anything, I'm grateful you got me out of there. Somehow, I get the feeling if you hadn't, things would have gotten so much worse."
The twins nodded, and Hikari turned back to Shirou. "As for the twins finding out about my…circuits," he said. "Like I said, they found them when they were patching me up. Quite a surprise too, when they told me all about them…my dad's not a magus either, so we – my parents and I – assumed I wouldn't be born with magic circuits of my own."
"I'm guessing your mom isn't a magus either?" Shirou asked.
"Nope," Hikaru said with a shake of his head before grinning. "Perfectly ordinary…and, no offense to you three magi, but I was just fine with my perfectly ordinary life a couple of days ago, and would have preferred not getting dragged into this."
"None taken." Rin said with a nod.
"If that's the life you want to live, and the path you want to walk," Sakura continued with a nod of her own. "Then by all means: make your choice and face the future with your all."
"Agreed." Shirou said and nodding himself.
"Thanks…" Hikaru said while tapping his fingers against the table. "That said, I'm not really sure hiding is the best idea. It's not going to solve anything, after all. My uncle is going to be looking for me, and if he went as far as having me kidnapped, he's not going to hold back on his search. And my parents will be looking for me too…they might even put out a missing person's alert."
"He's got a point there." Shirou agreed while looking at the twins. "We need to step forward and get old man Zouken – if he is behind this – off Hikaru's back. Especially if his parents put out a missing person's alert. That could get real complicated, real fast."
"Oh?" Sakura asked with a raised eyebrow. "You have doubts that old man Zouken is behind this?"
"…the evidence just feels a bit thin to me." Shirou said after a moment. "It could still all just be a coincidence, and we're pointing fingers in the wrong direction."
Sakura snorted and shook her head. "There's no such thing as coincidence." she said in a matter-of-fact way.
"Besides," Rin said. "If you want proof…Hikaru-kun, smile for us, please."
Surprised, Hikaru glanced at Rin. "What?" he asked.
Rin smiled at him. "Smile." She said.
Uncertain, but knowing no reason why he shouldn't, Hikaru complied. It was hesitant and more than a bit confused, but it was a smile, genuine and honest in a way that seemed…out of place, coming from someone with the name 'Matou'. And Rin and Sakura stared.
"…oh wow," Rin eventually said. "He's got quite the smile."
"Nothing like that damn Shinji Matou, alright." Sakura agreed.
"You've lost me." Hikaru said.
"Likewise." Shirou agreed.
"Hikaru, smile at Shirou." Rin said.
Scratching his head and giving a sigh in exasperation, Hikaru did just that, and Shirou stared as well. "Huh…" he said. "If your hair and eyes were violet, I'd swear you could pass for Shinji's brother. As it is…you're probably his cousin, alright. And I'm really starting to think it's no coincidence anymore."
"See?" the twins chorused in triumph, and Shirou sighed. Hikaru though, just looked curious.
"You've mentioned a 'Shinji' several times now." He said. "And from the sound of things, he's my cousin…only you don't seem to be on good terms with him. Is there something I need to know?"
"He's slime." Sakura said quickly, before either Rin or Shirou could say anything. Then Rin snorted, and then actually laughed.
"Yeah…right…slime…" she said, before laughing some more. Shirou just palmed his face. Hikaru though, raised an eyebrow.
"That's…I don't know…" he fumbled. "…why would you call him slime?"
"He's a playboy." Rin said.
"You'd need five hands to count the number of girls he's played over the years." Sakura added.
"And we're pretty sure between two to four had to visit an abortion clinic after he was through with them." Rin finished.
"Hey!" Shirou protested. Shinji was his friend, after all…kind of. "That second part's too exaggerated. And that last bit's just a rumor, and you know it."
"Funny how the rumor went away after old man Zouken made generous donations to various…causes." Rin deadpanned.
"And even without all that," Sakura similarly deadpanned. "He's a bully and you know it."
Shirou made strangling noises in his throat for a few moments, and then took a deep breath. "…he's just rowdy, that's all." He said. "Shinji doesn't mean any harm…not really."
"Friend of yours…?" Hikaru asked.
"Yeah…is that a problem?" Shirou asked testily, and Hikaru held up his hands in surrender.
"Anyway," Rin said with a cough. "Going back to the main point…we'll admit Hikaru-kun can't hide forever. But we need to keep him out of sight until we can figure out how to deal with this issue properly."
"Can't you just…I don't know, do something formal to make old man Zouken drop it?" Shirou asked. "You two are the Second Owners, after all."
"Second Owner?" Hikaru asked.
"Basically magi with the responsibility to ensure the spiritual health of a certain area of land." Sakura explained. "In magi society, they also double as authority figures, in a semi-feudal kind of way, over that same area of land. And our family holds that position over Fuyuki City."
"Oh I see…thanks for the explanation."
"No problem."
"It's a not a bad idea per se." Rin thoughtfully said. "Unfortunately authority only has meaning if you have the strength to back it up. And right now, neither myself nor Sakura could decisively beat him. Oh I'm sure either or both of us could pull a few fast ones on him if it comes to it, but…not enough to make him back off for good."
"Won't he get into trouble for that though?" Shirou asked.
"He might…but even if he does, he'll more likely just get a slap on the wrist for it." Sakura replied. "Hikaru-kun's case exists in a legal loophole, you see. That is, old man Zouken is the head of the Matou lineage of magi, and both law and custom give him the final say when it comes to the disposition of his family members."
"We could narrow that loophole by having Hikaru-kun apply for formal asylum under us," Rin said. "On the basis that old man Zouken was…unlawfully, constraining him. Which he arguably did, by arguably having Hikaru-kun kidnapped from…um…"
"Osaka." Hikaru helpfully supplied.
"…thanks," Rin said with a nod, and Hikaru nodded back. "Back to what I was saying…old man Zouken had Hikaru-kun kidnapped from Osaka, and then we could grant his request. Problem is, Zouken could just take Hikaru-kun from us in that case, and making him retract his request, make all of us look like fools."
"But he'd have broken asylum!" Shirou exploded.
"Irrelevant after the fact if Hikaru-kun formally admits he didn't need asylum in the first place." Sakura said. "Also irrelevant is if there's evidence it was forced or not."
"That's not fair." Shirou growled.
"Life's not fair." Hikaru said with a sigh before pinching his nose. "So what do you suggest, Tohsaka-san?"
"Which of us?" the twins chorused.
"…either of you."
"Lay low for now." Rin said. "Stay out of sight, while we play interference. We'll inform our mother about this situation, and depending on what she says, we'll wait until she and our allies come back. If there's anyone who can make this go away for good, it's her."
Hikaru stared. "So…basically, tell to mommy?" he incredulously asked.
"Hey!" the twins protested. "We resent that."
"Sorry," Hikaru apologized. "That came out wrong…but that's also basically the gist of what you plan, right?"
"…fair enough," Rin conceded. "But mother has the knowledge and experience to come up with a permanent solution to this. And old man Zouken can't force the issue against her. Even if he duels her, he'll fry."
"Really?"
"Aunt Valkolumi was a vampire hunter before she got married." Shirou said with a shrug.
"Vampire hunter?" Hikaru incredulously echoed.
"Yup." The twins echoed with a nod. "She was also a soldier of fortune, bounty hunter, assassin, and even a saboteur from what she's told us over the years."
The twins paused and shrugged. "Nothing unusual, really." They said. "At least by Edelfelt standards. After all, we are the most elegant hyenas in the world."
"…okay…I'll take your word for it." Hikaru said, looking and sounding more than a bit creeped out. "But how sure are you your mom will help us on this?"
The twins raised their eyebrows. "Who do you think taught us the lessons on inherited legacy needing to be a choice, on the values of the Art's form and essence, and gifted us the choice to turn our backs at any time we choose to?" Rin asked.
"Besides," Sakura added. "Mother dislikes old man Zouken. Not really sure why, but between everything she's taught us and her own personal opinions – and on more than just one subject – she's all but guaranteed to back us up as far as she needs to."
"Most likely," Rin thoughtfully began. "She'll offer you asylum and make it official, and in such a way that any move against you will essentially be declaring war on the entire Edelfelt lineage. Matou's old, and through Zolgen as old as Edelfelt, but they're withered and aren't nearly as well-connected."
"Edelfelt…?" Hikaru echoed. "That's the second time you've mentioned that name. Who are they?"
"Finnish mage-nobles," Rin said. "Our family's married into them for two generations now, and we – the third-generation of Edelfelt-Tohsakas – are a recognized branch."
"And more to the point," Sakura said. "Our family is on very good terms with the great Valueleta lineage of magi, who know only Barthomeloi as an equal."
"I…I'll take your word for it." Hikaru said. "Okay…so I'm guessing if my uncle pushes once your mother grants me asylum, he's essentially declaring war, right? Semi-feudal society and all that, and the other lords will put him down for it."
"Pretty much," Rin said, before narrowing her eyes and looking at Sakura who'd also narrowed her eyes. "That said, even if old man Zouken gives way, he's never going to forgive us."
Sakura snorted. "To be honest," she began. "I don't like that man. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way. Very much so…so I'd very much like an excuse to have our family put him down once and for all."
"Sakura…!" Rin snapped.
Sakura briefly closed her eyes and shrugged, and Rin sighed. "Sorry about that," she said. "My sister…she takes after mother a bit too much."
"Humph…" Sakura snorted. "And you take after father: you trust too easily."
Rin turned back to her twin, but Sakura was already speaking. "Anyway," she said, addressing Shirou and Hikaru both. "Are we agreed then? We'll dig in and keep Hikari-kun out of sight, until mother comes back and we can put this issue to rest once and for all. Alright?"
Shirou and Hikaru silently looked at each other, and then turned back to Sakura. They nodded.
"Excellent."
Hikaru looked around at the room he'd been given by Shirou. It was neat and free of dust, clearly the result of regular cleaning. The room was a sparsely-furnished one though, with only a futon in the middle of the floor, an empty closet in a corner, and a low desk along a wall. A small clock ticked away on top of the desk.
Not that that was unexpected, considering the whole mansion was built in the traditional Japanese style. And both cleanliness and minimal furnishings were emphasized by that style.
Nor was Hikaru unused to it. He'd visited places like this before, usually on vacation trips with his parents to hot springs or country resorts, and places like those favored this style when it came to their buildings. It wasn't bad, but…
…not really something he'd like to live in for a long time.
"Hopefully we can get this over with quickly." Hikaru thought with a sigh. "I hate to sound ungrateful but…this isn't really very comfortable."
A mental snort followed that thought. "Guess I'm just too damn modern for traditional types like magi." Hikaru thought with a small smile. "Shame…those Tohsaka girls were pretty, and really nice too…"
Hikaru blinked and turned at the sound of footsteps. Soon enough Shirou appeared in the open doorway, carrying a set of clothes with him. "Hey there," Shirou greeted Hikaru with a smile. "Everything alright in here?"
"Yeah…I can be comfortable here." Hikaru said.
Shirou blinked. "Any problems I need to know about?" he asked. "I mean, you're a guest so…if you need anything, just ask."
Hikaru smiled. "Thanks," he said. "But it's not something that can be solved quickly. Unless you can get my uncle off my back for good here and now, and get me back to Osaka within the hour."
"Ah…I see…homesick…?"
"…guess so."
Shirou nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I understand." He said. "Sorry we can't do any more."
Hikaru waved him off. "It's fine." He said. "It's not your fault, or that of the Tohsaka sisters either. You shouldn't be apologizing. It's just…I guess it just can't be helped."
"Yeah, pretty much that." Shirou said with a sigh. The silence hung heavy between them for a few moments, and then Shirou took a deep breath. "Anyway…! All that said, you're still my guest, so if you ever need anything while you're here that I can help with, just ask."
Hikaru nodded. "And," Shirou continued while holding the clothes he'd brought with him. "From the sound of things, you could use a change of clothes. Underwear will have to wait until tomorrow, but these should fit you for tonight and tomorrow."
Hikaru accepted the offered clothes with a bow. "Thank you." He said. "I really appreciate this."
Shirou smiled and nodded. "It's no problem at all." He said.
"That was unnecessary."
"What was?"
Rin and Sakura were sitting in the back of the car, being driven back to their house. And now that they were alone, Rin decided to address a certain matter brought up during the earlier discussion.
"Your little outburst earlier." Rin said. "I know you completely agree with mother's opinion with regard to…Magus Matou, but considering the basis for it, it should not have been brought up."
"I dare to say the basis is more than just personal…intuition, now." Sakura countered. "It's no longer just a…vague, disquiet…elusive…elsewhere…"
"Because Magus Matou had someone kidnapped with the probable goal of forcing them into becoming his heir?" Rin asked, and Sakura glanced at her twin.
"Do you disagree?" she asked, and Rin looked away. She stared out the window, at the kaleidoscope of color flashing past as the Rolls-Royce drove through the city, and let their hypnotic haze ease her thoughts.
"Up to a point." She finally admitted, and turning back to Sakura. "There's no denying he's crossed a line. More than one, in fact. For one thing, kidnapping is illegal, after all. It can be swept under the rug with some effort and application of resources, but that is irrelevant to the fact. And, the plan to coerce someone into becoming a magus much less an heir…"
"But…?" Sakura prompted as Rin trailed off.
"…it doesn't really justify the degree of distrust you and mother hold for the man." Rin said after a moment. "If the both of you have your way, you'd have Magus Matou cast from our territory at the least for his recent actions…"
"And if you had your way, what would you do?" Sakura interrupted. "What do you think father would have done?"
"…Matou is our ally." Rin said after a few moments' thought. "They helped us found Heaven's Feel. Even if the latter is no longer relevant and now deadweight to be cast off for the sake of the future, the legacy of the past cannot be completely discarded."
"And?"
"The old alliance may still have value." Rin said with a sigh. "A reprimand is no doubt due for Magus Matou's criminal actions, but while his methods are incorrect, the intention behind them is just. Or do you disagree?"
"No." Sakura said with a shake of her head. "I'm a magus too, after all. I know what it must be like, to see the legacy of the past, the work of centuries and the fruit of so much effort and so many sacrifices teetering on the brink…"
"Precisely," Rin said with a nod. "I believe father – and therefore we – should instead arbitrate and guide Magus Matou to the correct course of action. We are still allies, after all. We stand with and help each other."
"And the correct course of action being?" Sakura asked.
"Find a way to convince Hikaru-kun and his parents to acknowledge, accept, and carry on the legacy of the past of his own free will." Rin said before raising a hand to forestall Sakura's response. "Though given recent events that is unlikely to happen…convince Magus Matou to take on an apprentice. Admittedly the essence of past generations will be lost, but at least some measure of the Matou and Zolgen lineages will remain, in the form of their legacy. And perhaps, even be reborn under a different name, much as Zolgen was reborn as Matou in times past."
"…I can see father saying such a thing." Sakura remarked after a moment.
Rin stared at Sakura for a long moment, and then shook her head. "But you'd rather follow mother's lead, wouldn't you?" she asked.
"Yes." Sakura said while looking at Rin. "I would."
"Solely on the basis of personal intuition?"
Sakura hummed and smiled. "You know as well as I do that 'personal intuition' is one of the most profound mysteries of them all." She said.
Rin set her jaw, and then sighed. "In any case," she said. "Mother will make the decision once she returns."
"Yes, she will." Sakura agreed. "At the very least though, we're agreed on keeping Hikaru-kun safe from Magus Matou's coercion and the like, aren't we?"
Rin nodded. "Yes," she said. "On that we are agreed."
Even with how late it was, it still took them slightly over half an hour to be driven back to the Tohsaka mansion on the far side of the city. "Welcome back, my ladies." Satomi said with a bow.
"Did you get them all?" Rin asked.
"The survivors are currently being held in a secure location within the premises." Satomi replied, falling into step with her mistresses. "The lone casualty, however, has been placed in the workshop."
"Good, good," Rin said with a nod.
"What about the wreck?" Sakura asked.
"It has been taken care of." Satomi replied. "The damage to the road and surroundings remain, but without any other evidence left behind, and no witnesses to provide testimony, it should remain a mystery to the rest of the world, and which should fade away from public interest before long."
"Hmm…that's fine." Sakura said with a nod. "Thank you for taking care of all that for us, Satomi-san."
"I am honored by your praise, my lady." Satomi said with a bow. "If it's not too forward to ask, should I prepare materials with which to assist in questioning the surviving interlopers?"
Rin and Sakura came to a halt, but then looking at each other, Rin shook her head. "No," she said. "Keep them secure and in relatively good health, but that's it for now. We'll let mother handle the questioning and final disposition."
"Very good my lady."
Rin and Sakura nodded. "That said," Rin began. "That one casualty is a different matter. Seeing as he's dead, he's only going to be answering questions in one way. And I think Sakura and I can handle that on our own, here and now."
"Not to mention," Sakura quipped with a wry smile. "Making his body keep until mother comes back will a major pain in the neck."
"Very good my lady." Satomi said with a bow.
"We'll have dinner first." Rin said. "And then we'll deal with that casualty in our family's workshop."
"Yes, of course, my lady." Satomi said with another bow. "Dinner is ready, and can be served at your leisure. That said, I dare to say my ladies would want to freshen up before taking their evening meal?"
"Hmm…there's an idea." Sakura said, and Rin nodded in agreement.
"Agreed."
The Sun dawned over Fuyuki City come the following day through an overcast sky. The twins arrived to find Shirou already up and about, preparing breakfast for them all, though for reasons of secrecy, Hikaru would have to eat his share in his room (at least until Taiga had come and gone).
Rin immediately joined Shirou in the kitchen. Sakura though…
Terra, mare, sidera,
et voces omnium qui vivunt in hoc mundo,
in via ad sidera resonat per repereris,
et orate: dona nobis pacem.
Hikaru looked on from the porch running outside his room, overlooking the yard to the back of the house. He watched as Sakura chanted spells in Latin, gems glowing in her hand, and as she finished, crushed them in her grip. Her circuits flashed once, and despite his own lack of training, Hikaru smelled the faintest hint of ozone in the air, and felt…something.
"Good morning!" Sakura greeted Hikaru as she walked by along the yard.
"Good morning." Hikaru said with a nod. "If it's alright, I'd like to ask what are you doing?"
"Reinforcing your host's bounded fields, that's all." Sakura said. "By the time I'm through, no one should notice that you're in here. Well, unless they come inside and see you. Or you leave the property for some reason, which you shouldn't, until we give the all clear."
"Makes sense…" Hikaru said with a nod. "Wait…so what if my uncle just walks in here?"
"What reason would he have to?" Sakura asked back. "I mean, even if he has suspicions we're holding you from him, it'd be more logical to hide you in our house, or one other place, and not here, the home of a second-rate magus."
"Second-rate?" Hikaru echoed with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, it's true. And Shirou would be the first to admit it." Sakura said.
"Uh-huh…you're bluffing my uncle big time." Hikaru said.
"Yes, we are." Sakura agreed with a nod. "Except that until our mother gets back, this is the best we can do."
"…I'll take your word for it." Hikaru sighed after a moment. "What's this 'one other place' you mention?"
"…that's our backup plan." Sakura admitted after a moment. "It's probably the safest place in the city, except…going there…might end up really complicating things. Mother wouldn't be pleased, and for more than that reason."
"…good to know, but that doesn't really answer my question." Hikaru said.
"…the local branch of the Holy Church." Sakura said with another sigh. "If they grant you sanctuary – which they will – then old man Zouken wouldn't dare force it. The Holy Church wouldn't give a shit about his legal loopholes or whatnot. For breaking sanctuary, they'd burn him at the stake after making him watch all of his family's research be burned before him. Not to mention an unhealthy amount of torture…"
Sakura trailed off, but Hikaru was nodding slowly. "I know the Church is in deep with the supernatural," he said. "So yeah, that makes sense."
"All of it?" Sakura asked.
"Yeah, all of it." Hikaru said with another nod. "Anyway, sorry for interrupting, and thanks for answering my questions."
"No problem."
Sakura walked on, heading for the next seal to continue reinforcing the Emiya bounded fields. In the meantime, Hikaru went back to his room, and getting down on the floor, began doing some morning exercises. It wasn't like he had anything else to do anyway, and it did keep him busy.
Out in the Sun, Sakura held some gems in her hand, which began to glow as she chanted her aria.
Terra, mare, sidera,
et voces omnium qui vivunt in hoc mundo,
in via ad sidera resonat per repereris,
et orate: dona nobis pacem.
A/N
It's update time!
Rin and Sakura show some individual distinctions between them here, as while they are twins and are codependent (for good or bad) up to a point, they're still individuals. Hikaru and Shirou also get along, though I'm not planning (and never will) for them to be anything more than friends.