Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Peaceful Days

Chapter 2

"Well…this is…awkward…" Shirou muttered in the kitchen, and letting out a muffled yelp as Rin pointedly stamped on his foot.

"…it didn't need to be said." She muttered as she headed off to put baking pans with fish inside the oven.

Shirou muttered to himself about getting pushed around in his own house by his sister-in-law, but Rin let it slide. Besides, it wasn't as though he was wrong. Sakura and…well, technically still Sakura, but as previously agreed for convenience's sake, Kirsikka (a shortened version of her - their - name in Finnish) stared at each other across the dining room table.

The TV was off, leaving the silence broken only by the sounds of Rin and Shirou working in the kitchen, as well as the kids playing outside. And from the sound of things, Kiritsugu was complaining about how the girls were cheating by abusing Little Rin's ability to simply pass through solid objects at will.

Typically, the girls all responded with childish jeering, causing Kiritsugu to angrily yell and chase after them.

Back to Sakura and…Kirsikka…

…they actually looked very alike. Same build, same height, more or less the same facial features…

…at first glance, only their eyes and hair were different. Sakura had violet hair, while Kirsikka had black hair. Sakura also had violet irises, while Kirsikka's irises were blue. Closer inspection would also reveal Sakura had a somewhat plumper body, a natural side-effect of having birthed three children and an otherwise domestic lifestyle.

In contrast, Kirsikka was lithe and even lean, between a more active lifestyle and never having had – so far – children of her own.

Kirsikka also had a sharper air around her, almost like a spring tensed and coiled ready to go off at a moment's notice. Or rather, as Rin had once described her to Shirou and Sakura, like a lone wolf constantly on the lookout for opportunistic predators thinking to ambush her as she prowled through a dark forest under the Moon.

Again, in contrast, Sakura was…relaxed, with a content and motherly air around her. No prizes for guessing where either of those came from.

Kirsikka sighed, and scratched her head. "…okay." She said. "Um…I don't know what to say."

Sakura beamed. "That's alright." She said gently. "Just take your time. This isn't a contest or anything, after all."

"…really?"

"Yes, of course." Sakura said with a nod. "You've lived largely by yourself all this time, right? If so, it's only natural that it'll take you a while to get used to being around family again."

"Family…huh…" Kirsikka echoed with a wistful look on her face, and then she sighed before smiling. "…yeah…it'll take a while. Family…isn't really something I have…good memories of…mostly…"

Shirou gasped at that, realizing a touchy topic, only to get stopped by an iron grip on his arm by Rin. He glanced at her, and meeting his eyes, she shook her head. This was something that the two versions of the same person had to deal with on their own.

"…your…big sister, right?" Sakura offered after a moment.

"…little big sister, yes." Kirsikka answered before sighing again. "I…I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Sakura echoed. "For what?"

"For being selfish." Kirsikka replied. "Rin's told me all about you…what happened to you. And…well, I won't deny I felt lucky. And I still do, that none of that ever happened to me. But…I know I shouldn't think that way, and it makes me feel bad as much as it relieves me. So…I'm sorry."

Sakura smiled sadly. "It's alright." She said. "You're only Human, after all. Besides, it's not like I've got the right to judge. I…well, I won't deny I felt jealous of you, after big sister told me about you. How couldn't I? You managed to avoid what grandfather did to me, or the way…Byakuya, and Shinji, used me for so many years. You became just as…just as successful, as Rin…and I still do feel jealous right now."

"…funny enough," Kirsikka admitted after a moment. "I'm actually jealous of you too. After all, you managed to snag Mister Superhero over there. You even have kids of your own. I wonder what that says about both of us."

"It doesn't matter." Sakura said firmly before giving a reassuring smile. "We're not perfect, after all. We're only Human in the end."

"…is it really that simple?"

"Yes, I think so." Sakura said with a sigh. "As much as I…hate, and regret everything that's happened in the past, I wouldn't trade my present – the present it's led me to – for the world. As you said, I have Shirou. I have Kiritsugu, and I have Shirayuri and Oniyuri both. It's strange, isn't it? I'm jealous of you, and I will never forget everything that's happened to me…but I'm also fine with how everything's turned out."

Kirsikka snorted and laughed. "Yes, it's strange." She agreed. "But, no one ever said life wasn't a complicated mess. I certainly can't. I'm very relieved not to have gone through what you did, and I'm very proud of what I've become. I don't feel any regrets for how I got to where I am today…but I'm also jealous of what you have…even knowing what led to that. Strange, right?"

Sakura laughed and beamed. "It really is." She agreed, Kirsikka beaming back at her.

"Hey, hey, hey…" Kiritsugu piped up over the lunch table. "…Aunt Kirsikka, what kind of magic can you do?"

"Kiritsugu!" Sakura snapped. "That's rude! Don't ask what magic other magi can do!"

"But, she's family, isn't she?" Kiritsugu asked back. "So, it should be alright, right?"

"Even so." Sakura chided before looking at her counterpart. "Sorry, Kirsikka. Kiritsugu didn't mean anything by it."

"It's fine." Kirsikka said. "Like he said, we're family. Maybe I'll give a show or two after lunch."

"As long as it's safe, please." Shirou cut in. "Rin's told me all about what you can do. Honestly, I don't know who's worse, her with her exploding gems, or you with your black holes."

"I saved your life with those gems, Shirou." Rin primly said.

"I can do so much more than simple black holes." Kirsikka added.

"I'll just bet." Rider spoke up. "You…smell of blood. Human sacrifices…"

Suddenly, the twins were very interested in their aunt. "Human sacrifices?" Shirayuri echoed. "What kind? Drowning? Cutting heads off? Cutting throats?"

"Cutting and burning the heart out?" Oniyuri asked in her turn. "What can you do with Human sacrifices? God magic? Demon summoning?"

"Probably the latter if what I'm smelling is any indication." Rider said, before suddenly wincing at a dark air gathering around Sakura, made all the worse by her bright and cheery expression.

"Big sister, what have you been telling my kids about Cousin Kirsikka?" she sweetly asked.

"I…I…I…um…you see…uh…" Rin stammered out.

"Okay, that's enough!" Shirou snapped, reaching over and giving Sakura a quick hug, and which dispelled the dark air as quickly as it came. "No more talk about magic until lunch is over."

"But…" Kiritsugu began, the twins speaking up at the same time.

"Daddy…!" they protested, only for all three to fall into line with a single firm look from their father.

"No means no." he said. "I don't care if it's just the basics or something more advanced, much less about…some of the stuff, your aunt dabbles in. This is a family lunch. We shouldn't talk about stuff like that here."

"…so…what kind of video games do you like?" Little Rin piped up after a moment, and cutting through the suddenly-awkward silence. "Resident Evil 4 is my favorite!"

"Oh, I like Resident Evil 4 too!" Kiritsugu quickly said, brightening up after his father's scolding.

"Leon is so cool!"

"I know, right? I want to grow up just like him!"

The twins shared a snort while their ghost aunt and big brother started gushing over Resident Evil. Then they shared a look, and a smirk. "Guitar Hero is better." They chorused, and instantly outraging both Little Rin and Kiritsugu.

"IS NOT!" they yelled, and sparking an argument between the children.

Shirou sighed, Sakura placing a comforting hand on his arm while smiling indulgently. Rin looked exasperated, while Kirsikka and Rider just sipped at miso soup unconcerned.

"Magic!" Kiritsugu began.

"MAGIC! MAGIC! MAGIC!" the twins began to chant, now that lunch was over and the table was being cleaned.

"Alright, alright," Kirsikka said in a placating fashion. "Don't get too rambunctious now, let me show you my favorite magic spell."

"OOOH!" the children chorused, crowding closer while Kirsikka theatrically cleared her throat, dusted off her hands, stretched her arms, and cracked her neck.

"Nothing too flashy, please…" Shirou began…

…and then he blinked, because Kirsikka was just gone. So was everything else on the table, from the dirty plates and utensils to the empty bowls and platters.

"Where are you all looking at?" Kirsikka asked, smirking as all eyes turned to her, leaning relaxed against the sink, with everything that needed to be washed already soaking in soapy water. Jaws fell open at the sight, and then Shirou's neck audibly cracked as Kirsikka vanished again, only to walk past on the veranda.

And then she was back, sitting at the table with a small satisfied smile on her face. "So," she began. "How did you like my performance?"

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" the children chorused.

"Not even Caster could teleport so cleanly." Rider breathed in awe.

"Caster didn't have Imaginary Numbers." Kirsikka replied sing-song. "If I remember right, she couldn't even teleport without first building a temple and tapping the ley-lines. Me? It took a while to get right, but now I can go anywhere I want."

Then she paused, enjoying the moment of theater, before continuing. "Travelling," she faux-solemnly said. "Without moving."

"You ripped that off from a movie, didn't you?" Rider asked deadpan.

"Maybe…" Kirsikka evaded, causing Rider to look miffed.

"Now, now," Sakura said with a smile. "It fits, so it's alright."

"Hey, hey," Shirayuri began.

"Can you teach us to teleport?" Oniyuri asked.

"That depends." Kirsikka replied. "Do you have Imaginary Numbers?"

The twins immediately sulked, while Kiritsugu preened. "I have Imaginary Numbers!" he yelled.

"…okay…tell you what…" Kirsikka began with a cough. "…I'll give the details to your mom, and she can teach you when you're older."

"Eh, why?" Kiritsugu complained.

"Because teleporting is dangerous, that's why." Kirsikka firmly said. "Can you even use the basic properties of Imaginary Numbers? Opening portals to store stuff in? Binding familiars? Using it for astral projection or scrying? You don't have to master it, just…be adept in the basics."

"…no."

"Then you're not ready to learn to teleport." Kirsikka said. "Mess this up, and we'll be cleaning up blood and body parts…eh, sorry. Never mind. You get the idea."

"Master reinforcement first," Rin chimed in. "And other basics, like storing and getting prana from gems, as well alteration and making and using familiars. Once you're done with that, you can move on to more advanced things."

"There's no need to rush anyway." Shirou said. "That, and you know more about magic and how to do it than I did when I was your age. Take your time."

"…okay, daddy."

"What about the twins, though?" Kirsikka asked. "If they don't have Imaginary Numbers, what do they have?"

The twins grinned and placed their fingers against their temples, before their irises lit up, causing Kirsikka's mouth to fall open. "Oh, mystic eyes…" she said breathlessly. "…I want mystic eyes…"

The twins giggled at that, as did Sakura and Rider, while Shirou just beamed. Kirsikka shook her head and frowned. "What kind?" she asked.

"Whisper." Rin said. "They also have dual affinities for fire and wind, with the latter coming with a natural lightning sub-affinity."

"And…Kiritsugu?"

The boy grinned. "I'm a wind-type!" he said. "Just like Naruto!"

"Ew." Little Rin said with a scowl as though she'd stepped on something foul. "You like Naruto? That stuff rots your brain."

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Kiritsugu exploded, sparking an argument between the boy and the ghost. Meanwhile the twins had scooted over to their aunt.

"Hey," they chorused. "You don't like shounen either?"

"…that depends." Kirsikka admitted, keeping an eye on Kiritsugu and Little Rin arguing with each other. "Gintama is technically shounen – I think – and I like that. But generally…yeah, I've outgrown shounen. Then again, I never liked it much at the time…give me something more…intellectual."

"Like what?" Shirayuri asked.

"Gundam is…intellectual enough, for kids, I guess."

"Oh, like Zeta!"

"Or Victory!"

The twins pressed their fingers to their faces, and projected Char masks over their faces. Kirsikka snickered at the sight. "You both have promise." She said, and the twins grinned. "Aside from Gundam…there's Berserk…"

"No." Shirou growled while giving Kirsikka a very dirty look for trying to introduce a pair of seven-year-old girls to Berserk.

"…JoJo, then?" Kirsikka offered.

"…fine." Shirou grudgingly agreed.

"JoJo?" the twins chorused, and Kirsikka's smile widened.

"Oh yeah." She said, resting her head against an elbow. "It's simply the most fabulous manga – and anime – ever made. Here, let me tell you more."

"You're crazy, you know that?" Rider idly remarked.

"Oh?" Kirsikka remarked in her turn.

The magus and the Servant were alone now, sitting in the living room while reading their respective materials. Rin and Sakura had gone to buy more food for dinner, while Shirou had taken his children out for a walk.

"Trying to introduce children to Berserk." Rider pointed out with an amused smile. "You know as well as I do it's not really reading material for children. Not even close."

"Eh…" Kirsikka fumbled. "…point taken, but…okay, fine. I guess I wasn't thinking, and just went straight into my…default, yeah, let's go with that, default response to anyone who snarks back at my disapproval for shounen manga and anime. You have to admit, shounen isn't really the best kind of written or animated entertainment."

Rider chuckled. "Fair enough." She said. "I find it fairly shallow myself, but entertaining enough for children. That said, it should follow that they develop a finer sense of taste as they grow older."

Kirsikka clicked her tongue. "Sadly," she said. "All too many don't…if anything, they grow up to become manchildren with little to no aspiration beyond becoming corporate drones who proceed to waste their lives with escapist nihilism until the system spits them out and they're dragged off for disposal."

"…is that why you're interested in him?" Rider asked after a moment, and causing Kirsikka's eyes to flicker curiously in her direction. "You are so very different from the Sakura I know…but you're also so very like her. And that makes me curious: your background is so different from either Sakura or Rin, so what draws you to him? I doubt it's simply because he inspires you with his simple inability to give up no matter what, or you're taking advantage of his generosity and kind heart."

"Hmm…well, you're not completely wrong." Kirsikka replied. "I do admire his refusal to give up. Sure, he can be stubborn to the point of stupidity, but that's just it. Get him to use his head, and his stubbornness becomes an asset."

Rider raised an eyebrow. "Is that all?" she asked.

"…no." Kirsikka admitted after a moment. "It's because he's found a way to make his dream a reality without getting dragged down by the reality of the world we live in. Or at least this version of Shirou has, much like the Shirou of my timeline. The one who became that good-for-nothing Counter-Guardian?"

Kirsikka paused and shook her head. "Not so attracted to him." She said.

"How very harsh of you," Rider dryly said. "To speak that way of your former Servant."

"You talk as though he wouldn't agree."

Rider laughed and shrugged. "I suppose I can't disagree with you there." She admitted. "So, that's it then. He inspires you too, in a different way, to be sure, but it's just the same with Sakura and Rin."

"Yes."

Rider laughed and shook her head. "…what a disappointingly boring turn our conversation has taken." She mused. "Alright then…going back to manga and anime, aside from Berserk, anything else you might recommend? Aside from JoJo too, mind."

"How about a trade?" Kirsikka asked. "I answer your question, you answer mine."

"Okay."

"I assume you've read Berserk…what do you think of it?"

Rider briefly scowled. "A bit too much like home, to be honest." She said. "Gods and heroes pretend to be the epitome of nobility and goodness, when in reality it's the opposite. You…?"

"Consider it a guilty pleasure, watching as everything buckles and burns…" Kirsikka admitted. "…mind you, it's not my favorite manga to read. That'd be JoJo, followed by Fist of the North Star…it can be somewhat generic, as strip it all away, it still follows a good versus evil theme…then again, I was never into Fist of the North Star for Kenshiro, believe it or not."

"Oh, I can believe it." Rider said with a smile. "At a guess…Raoh?"

"The King of Fists." Kirsikka corrected, and Rider laughed.

"Fair enough…" she said. "…a fictional character, but one I can genuinely admire, if only for how…honest, he was. He'd never deny he was a bloodthirsty warlord who'd raze villages and slaughter thousands if it served his purposes, but that is exactly why I'd admire him. He was…honest, not like most gods and heroes tend to be."

"Better an honest villain than a hypocrite of a hero, right?" Kirsikka asked.

"Yes." Rider simply said. "And you have to admit, the King of Fists did have a sense of honor. He genuinely respected strength, both among his followers and his enemies, and was against cruelty for cruelty's own sake."

"Juza would disagree on that last point." Kirsikka idly remarked.

"Juza might as well have been thumbing his nose at and spitting on the King of Fists' face." Rider shot back. "He was practically asking for the King of Fists to put him through hell…but he never broke, something the King of Fists so admired that after Juza's death, he and his army gave the man a respectful burial."

Kirsikka laughed. "Okay, that was a trick question." She admitted.

"Trying to see if I actually read Fist of the North Star, huh?" Rider asked. "Remember Toki?"

"Oh, don't remind me." Kirsikka said with a theatrical expression of grief. "The king's younger brother, and the true master of Hokuto Shin Ken. Even the King of Fists had to admit that the only reason he won against Toki during their final battle was because Toki was already dying to begin with."

"He was crying, as I recall, during that whole battle." Rider mused. "And later on, before he died…"

"…ascended." Kirsikka insisted. "The King of Fists didn't die, he ascended and returned to the heavens…"

"…when the King of Fists ascended," Rider continued with an amused smile. "He was looking forward to seeing Toki again."

"I am Raoh," Kirsikka quoted, while deepening her voice. "I need no one's help to return to the Heavens!"

"Fist of the North Star?" Shirou dryly asked as he walked through the door, the kids running by shouting as they headed for their rooms, while Little Rin literally floated up through the floor next to her big little sister. "Seriously, Sakura…I mean, Kirsikka? Rider?"

"It's the manliest manga or anime ever made, Shirou." Kirsikka said. "I would not be ashamed to recommend it to anyone to read."

"Maybe if Shinji had read that series, he would have been more of a man than a worm." Little Rin craftily pointed out.

"I doubt that." Rider quickly said before tilting her head. "But it would have been a start. Not by much, not enough to change things, but it would have been a start, regardless."

"Can we talk about something else now?" Shirou testily said.

"Fine…" Kirsikka said with a roll of her eyes. "…so, Rider…who's your favorite JoJo?"

"Jonathan Joestar's always struck a chord in me…probably because he reminds me of Shirou in a way." Rider remarked, and causing Shirou to choke on his water. "Who's yours?"

"Wait, what?" he asked, but the women were ignoring him.

"Joseph Joestar." Kirsikka said.

"Bruno Bucciarati!" Little Rin said at the same time.

"Bruno's not a JoJo!" Kirsikka quickly snapped.

"He might as well be, since Part 5's always come off as more about him than Giorno." Little Rin stood her ground. "In fact, I'd say it's about him teaching Giorno what being a 'gang star' actually means, right up to the way he dies."

"…Bruno…" Kirsikka groaned out, again looking theatrically grieved. "…your name will be remembered with honor!"

"…Joseph? Really?" Rider echoed with a crafty smile of her own. "He's always reminded me just a bit of Shinji, actually."

"WHAT?" Kirsikka and Little Rin exploded, causing Shirou to palm his face as the two of them all but threw themselves at Rider for comparing Joseph Joestar to Shinji. Not that he disagreed, of course. If he had to compare anyone in JoJo to Shinji, it'd be DIO. Much like Perseus – at least as Rider had described him – DIO came off as a successful, or rather a semi-successful version of Shinji Matou.

Then Shirou blinked, and inexplicably shuddered. "Why did I suddenly think of Enrico Pucci as a similarly semi-successful version of Kirei Kotomine?" he thought with another shudder. "That's…that's a disturbing thought…must…busy myself…with something…"

Still disturbed by the prospect of Enrico Pucci as Kirei's semi-successful counterpart, Shirou began preparing an afternoon meal for everyone in the house.

A/N

I'm honestly not completely satisfied with this chapter. At least with regard to some of its parts, Shirou getting disturbed by putting up Kirei against Pucci strikes me as very funny, considering they have the same VA.

Anyway…you didn't seriously expect Shirou to not name at least one of his kids after Kiritsugu, right? But don't worry, he won't be sharing any of the Hero of Justice BS this time around. That curse ended with Kiritsugu the Elder, since this is HF Shirou, and he threw away Kiritsugu's garbage ideals to focus solely on protecting Sakura and making her happy.