13—Man About Town

Overhead, clouds pass at a quick clip, and a stiff breeze rushes past the length of Taiasu's entire body as he lies staring up at the mid-morning's blue sky. Against his back and head, he can feel a soft, humming vibration and an occasional thump, but it's nothing that seriously concerns him.

Even the sound of those strange vehicles, like the one he'd seen yesterday buzzing past, does little to break his focus.

Heaving a deep, exasperated sigh, he frowns up at the sky passing by.

Why am I even here…?

Everything that's happened since his arrival has led to this one burning question.

Not the philosophical form of the question over which people wax poetic.

Why are we here? Where did we come from? Where are we going?

Nothing so deep or thoughtful, but in a very literal sense, for what reason is he here, now, in this world?

Why did that old man ask me here? Why did he send me here? I can't do anything… I can't talk to anyone because they all think I'm a child! Can't help anyone, because anything I can do will just draw suspicion. Was there even a reason? Did he just want to get me out of the way? It didn't seem like it… He didn't feel nefarious. Just irritatingly evasive. So why—!?

While pondering the problem, another, more powerful thump at his back shifts something suspended from his waist.

A bag of somethings, actually.

Right, those…

As he sits up, fussing with the sack of stones he'd received, the wind presses into his back.

I completely forgot about these. He said some nonsense when he gave them to me. I haven't even looked at them since I got them…

Curious, he frees the pouch and draws back the string, peering inside. As he does, his eyes widen.

He'd expected nothing new, so he's stunned at what he finds. Not daring to reach into the sack for fear of losing any of them, he can only prod them around.

What's going on? They were all the same, but now these…?

Each stone glows with the same pulsing, off-white light except two.

One now glows crimson, like an expertly cut ruby held under a flashlight. The other shines with a lavender light, like a polished amethyst.

Unblinking, he stares into the bag until his eyes go dry.

What does this mean? And how am I just now noticing this?

He scrunches the bag closed and secures it to his waist, then flops backward, letting the breeze again fully wash over him. His hard frown has relaxed into a thinly pressed line, as the discovery carries with it a certain comfort.

Not enough for a smile, but better than nothing.

At least it means I'm not here for no reason. He sent me here with those, and something happened with them. He said they'd serve a function… for some unique people?

He blinks the dry from his eyes and stares again up at the sky racing by.

But who? I mean, everyone's unique, so he couldn't have meant it like that. And I've met no one special—ng!

He frowns, narrowing his eyes into a hard glare.

That's not true. I mean, they're good people except that blue-haired, sorry excuse for a chocobo's arse. And maybe Illya, I can't say for sure yet. But… no, I'm thinking about this wrong.

He sighs.

So what am I missing? I mean, no one in this world would be like anyone in mine. People in my world… Well, what makes them different?

Frowning again, he rolls his head, looking out over the bridge at the water as it races past.

I mean, they're basically sifted by their walks of life. The laypersons, just trying to eek out an existence. Then the ruling class, like the syndicate, lording their power over the people of Ul'dah. And the warrior types. Guards, soldiers and what not. Protectors of the peace. I guess they're sort of special, but I don't think he meant that. Then there's us, the adventurers. But there are as many flavors of adventurer as there are actual adventurers! I mean, some just like exploring, some are more like mercenaries…

Still frowning, he rolls his head again, returning his gaze skyward.

Some do it to sate their bloodlust, and some just do it to help people. But none of that helps me. And that's my world! I know nothing of this world's people!

His frown deepens, and he shakes his head.

Okay, that's not true. I guess there'd be the two biggest groups of people. Those who know and those who don't. About people like me, and magic, that is. The main reason I can't do anything.

He sits up again, slumping forward and watching a few of those strange vehicles following closely, some pulling around and passing below him, on his left, and others on his right. His entire body shifts slightly at a sharp jolt from beneath him.

I guess there are those Servants, too? Too… two… Two? Two servants… two stones…? Could they be who the old mummer meant? I mean, it could be a coincidence, but I have the same number of changed stones as Servants I've met… Is that it? My being here has something to do with—!

Having just finally secured a lead, he feels himself shifting again and sliding backward.

He turns his head and finds the bus which has been ferrying him around for the better part of the morning is slowing to a stop.

Slowing fast enough that he's about to be flung from the roof.

Like the past several times, when he had to cling to it to prevent that from happening.

Ah, fine. I've seen enough. Time to depart, I guess—!

Sliding on his backside, he spins himself around just before coming to the end of the roof. He plants his feet on the windshield, then springs forward, landing on the asphalt and sprinting forward a few steps to burn out the last of his momentum.

The idea, using the shuttle to shuttle him efficiently around town, had come to him quite by accident.

Literally, a near traffic accident.


His wandering musings didn't start right away.

Once he'd finally gotten Sakura to reluctantly agree to let him let her have her space, he'd stuck around for a short while. Outside, waiting to make certain the young Illya tried nothing foolhardy or dangerous.

When she finally departed, in a fairly flashy way, he took his leave.

His silent wanderings then began as he tried to puzzle out what he could from what he'd seen in the Echo that morning.

And getting little for his efforts but a massive headache, a sore jaw from all the teeth grinding, and a queasy stomach.

All he could draw out was that somehow, the girl with the larimar eyes seemed related.

'The Tohsaka's are very powerful.' That creepy old guy said that…

Dwelling on it, he recalled what he'd seen just before being pulled from that place in the vision.

Sakura's eyes.

They were different from what they are now. They were just like hers… They have to be related somehow. Cousins, sisters, but it can't be a coincidence that old bastard was talking about that while her eyes…

There had been other things too, but it was all pieces of a puzzle, most of which had been scattered and lost, so all he could do was try to shove the unsettling image away and hope it didn't come up again.

As he tried, he had a sudden sense of impending doom.

Finely honed adventurer's instincts seemed to work well in helping him avoid being ground into street pizza, and he'd rolled to the side as a much larger vehicle buzzed by, nearly grazing him. Briefly, he'd opened his mouth to shout something, but then stopped, realizing that whoever was piloting the vehicle couldn't see him.

Even if he hadn't been concealing his presence, they still wouldn't have seen him.

All he could do was fold his arms, frowning, glaring and watching as the vehicle slowed to a halt, letting out some high-pitched groan of complaint as it did so.

He tilted his head as a portal door was flung open, and several pedestrians departed. Then several more, who had been congregating around a metal pole with a blue-bordered white sign, boarded in their place, and the vehicle left with them in tow.

Huh…?

No sooner had the vehicle departed than a man, cursing loudly, with a briefcase swinging at his side, ran after it until it became clear he'd never catch it. Slumping forward, he turned and stood by the metal pole, causing Taiasu to wonder.

He waited, watching as more people gathered, and then another vehicle, similar to the first, arrived, and the process repeated. Different people disembarked, and the group that had gathered boarded.

Wait… Is this a transit shuttle? Like a… land… bound airship—gods, that was awful.

He'd winced at the terrible comparison, then sighed as the vehicle departed.

But it gave him an idea.

If it is, then it must go all over the place. Less efficient than an aethernet, but still better than nothing. I can use that to get a better grip on the city's layout!

Grinning in a self-congratulatory fashion, he waited for the next. While he did, he'd fielded his first check-in call from Sakura.

Apparently, something bad had happened, and she wanted to make sure he wasn't involved.

He wasn't, of course, and no sooner had he finished convincing her that was true, ending the conversation, than the next shuttle arrived.

Perching himself on its roof was not the easiest thing.

They stood a full four fulm (or hundred and thirty cm) taller than Berserker, so regardless of how impressive Taiasu's vertical leap was, he'd never have been able to bounce that high.

Fortunately, a tree nearby was close enough to the pole that he could shimmy up and wait, then hop from a branch to the door as it swung open, then from the door to the roof.

And so, hours passed as the sun trekked across the sky, while he'd free-loaded like a broke tourist, taking in the sights and occasionally snacking on something from his pack.

Never anything heavy.

Just enough to keep his stomach from protesting.


He tries to make certain he's not about to be jostled, bumped into, kicked, stepped on, or worse, discovered as he moves through the crowd milling about at the park where the bus had stopped.

There's little to see.

Not much grass, as the ground is overlaid with patterned brick. Several trees, some barren and some flourishing, and a few light posts which have yet to click on for the hour. A few places for people to sit in the shade, occupied sparsely by some popping open boxes filled with food.

Taking everything in, he then spots something which fully captures his attention.

Hey, that's—!

Disembarking from a different bus, unmistakable for her unrestrainable energy and great big grin, let alone her heavy winter coat, green dress, brown hair, and tiger-striped shirt, Fujimura hops down from the bus just as the doors swing closed behind her.

Why's she here? I thought she'd be at that school…

Ponderously, he tilts his head.

Everything he'd needed to do, he's done.

Considered why he's here, and come up with at least some sort of answer, though it's still vague, and can't possibly be the complete picture.

He's been able to at least dull the edge of what the Echo showed him that morning.

Quite a few times, now, he's responded to Sakura's queries about where he is, and what he's been doing.

The entire reason for staying hidden was to avoid making a scene. But this person knows who he is and has seen him in his outlandish attire.

So her seeing him should be fine.

And he's curious why she's here.

Right, but I can't just pop out like this. That'd cause a serious scene…?

Prodding his chin, looking around, his eyes fall to the shadow beneath the bus. He'd barely have to duck to fit under it, and his eyes widen at the realization.

Sure, that could work… But if someone sees me crawling out, surely they'd have questions, right? Hmm… Damn it, I can't worry about that! She's about to leave!

Frowning, he slides beneath the bus, slips his hand into his pack, and binds himself to the Monk's Soul Crystal. The flash and gust are mostly hidden, and what few people notice pay it little mind.

Taiasu ducks out from beneath the bus, to the surprised eyes of a few onlookers, but he pays them as much mind as others had paid to the light and the wind.

"Fujimura-san!" He calls out just as she's about to take off, and the teacher turns, her eyes wide at spotting him in his red attire, waving and grinning. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be teaching at the school?"

"Taruko-kun?" She blinks down at him, tilting her head.

How'd I miss him…? No, of course I'd miss him. He's barely up to most people's knees. But he made it all the way over here?

What few stares they draw are quick and unconcerned, with people not wanting to waste their lunch breaks comprehending why a small, strangely dressed foreigner is conversing so casually with… well, anyone.

In brief, Fujimura had been informed during breakfast that he'd be out and about. But running into him at all seems to defy all odds. And that he'd approach after spotting her also seems peculiar.

What reason would he have to approach, besides the obvious—that they have some tenuous acquaintanceship?

Setting these thoughts aside, she shows him a casual smile.

"Ah, yes. I'm taking my lunch break to handle some personal business. But I could ask the same of you, Taruko-kun. What brings you over here?"

"One of those." He points toward one of the several buses. "They go all over, right? So I thought I'd hop on one, since it seemed faster than walking everywhere."

"I see. Well, that makes sense." She nods thoughtfully, then eyes him curiously again. "So, did you have some business with me? Or is there something else?"

He shakes his head.

"No. Nothing specifically. I just saw you and wondered what you were up to. Sorry for being nosey."

Contrary to what he says, the wide grin he wears betrays little actual remorse, and causes the teacher to chuckle.

"Well, I see no reason I can't tell you. I'm…" She pauses, tilting her head again. "Actually, it may be faster just to show you. I mean, if you're free?"

After relaxing his grin into a more casual smile, he nods, and she motions for him to follow.


Fujimura wastes no time, making her way to the big police station, and her goal.

Her grandfather had been an enormous help, getting her the information she needed.

Better still, he hadn't needed to redeem a single favor.

Taiasu follows her as she walks with long, determined strides, arriving at a large building just as a few men dressed in blue uniforms and wide-brimmed caps step out. They hold the door for them both, and pay Taiasu a curious glance as he follows in the teacher's wake.

She strolls up to the front desk, and someone greets her almost immediately.

"Hi, I called ahead? About the—"

"Fujimura-san? Yes, we've been apprised of the situation…?"

A woman in a white blouse and gray skirt quietly greets her, bowing forward politely. Her voice trails as she considers briefly Fujimura's small acquaintance. But business comes first.

Curiosity later, and she goes on.

"Actually, it is a big help to us that you're willing to do this. There's a glut of people with these circumstances, and we just can't handle them all."

"Really…?" Fujimura frowns sadly, her voice trailing off. "Well, that doesn't make me feel very good."

"No, I imagine it wouldn't." The woman mirrors her frown. "It is a very sad situation—ah, here's the detective now."

She turns and gestures to the man with a gruff face, dark hair, and a full, gray suit.

Close by, at his side, is a young girl, coming to about his waist, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes, dressed in a drab brown winter coat, gray shirt and blue-jean overalls.

Taiasu looks over, frowning when he sees he comes up to only her shoulder.

"You're Raiga's grandkid?" The detective's voice is as gruff as his face. The man eyes her up and down, smirking. If he notices Taiasu, he pays him no mind. "Eh, I don't see it. How's the old bastard doing?"

"He's well, thanks." Fujimura mirrors the man's grin. "Keeping his nose clean, but I think that's just his age showing."

"Yeah, I'll bet." The man gestures to the child. "This is her… Poor thing, she hasn't spoken a word since… Well, I'm guessing you can imagine. We only got her name from her school papers."

He flips one open, checking just to be sure.

"Shizuka Itchi. I heard what the receptionist said, but I'll repeat it." He lowers himself with a deep, respectful bow. "We're grateful to leave her in your care, rather than having to ship her off to some orphanage. Especially with what she's been through."

Fujimura nods thoughtfully, then crouches down, bringing herself to eye level with the girl, who only frowns back at her, blinking her dull, lifeless eyes.

The teacher smiles warmly.

"Itchi-chan. My name is Fujimura Taiga. But don't call me Taiga, or I'll get mad, okay?" The girl shies back as she reaches out, gently patting her on the head. "I'll be looking after you for a while."

She looks up at the detective for confirmation.

"For a while, right? I don't mind if it's permanent, but this is—"

"Right. Well, if it goes that way, there'll be a boatload of paperwork." He frowns, glancing downward and scratching his head. "But if she doesn't have any living family, then there's no reason it can't."

He sighs, folding his arms as his sad frown deepens.

"I really hate that I have to say this, but as soon as she's able, we'll need to know what happened. She might be the only one who can tell us."

Sadly smiling, Fujimura looks back down at the girl.

"Well, I hope that never happens. Come with me, Itchi-chan."

She reaches her hand out, but the girl just keeps staring, unmoving. Slowly, Fujimura takes her hand, and gently pulls her forward, toward herself.

"It's okay. We'll go get something yummy to eat. I know a place that sells the best crepes in two towns."

She grins with her entire face, but the girl can't mirror it. She casts a hesitant look in Taiasu's direction as he stares, tilting his head. Fujimura follows her stare.

"Oh, right. This is—"

"Taiasu Taruko." He interjects softly. "And that guy said your name. Shizuka Itchi, right? That's a pretty name."

Straightening his head, he shows a full grin.

The detective clears his throat, then nods, satisfied.

"Well, with that out of the way… Your grandfather helped—" His inflection, eye-roll, and air quotes suggest the term is being used quite loosely. "—hurry things along. I think he'll be handling all the formalities. There is one thing I need to be sure of, though."

Still frowning, like it's all his face can do, or is willing to do, he refolds his arms.

"You have identification, right? This is all pretty slipshod, but I need to at least cover my—"

"Right, I understand."

Fujimura stands fully, letting the girl's hand drop and reaching into her pocket, bringing out her wallet, then her identification card from that. She hands it to the detective, who takes it and makes his way to the back.

"I'll just get a photo-copy of it. Be right back."

Taiasu and the young Shizuka only exchange silent stares, until the girl's stomach gives a soft groan. She doesn't react at all, even as Taiasu tilts his head and reaches into his side-pack.

Fujimura continues watching and waiting for the return of her card, so she doesn't see Taiasu pull from said pack a small, single sweet-smelling chocolate sphere.

"Itchi-chan…? If you're hungry—?" Slowly, he holds it out to her. She glances down at it, then looks back up, and he shows a reassuring smile. "It's fine. It's good, I promise."

"Huh?" Fujimura glances down to see her reaching for the small ball of chocolate. "Taruko-kun? Where'd you get that?"

"Brought them with me," he says dismissively.

Shizuka holds it in her hand, staring at it. She sniffs at it hesitantly, then shows an almost imperceivable smile at its sweet scent. Finally, she takes a small bite, then quickly stuffs the entire thing in her mouth.

Not an impressive feat, given it's maybe twice the size of your average malted milk ball.

Still, as she chews through it, her smile lifts some. Fujimura watches, showing her own slightly relieved smile, briefly, before curling it down into an unserious frown.

"Well, that's fine, but don't spoil her appetite for crepes, Taruko-kun."

"Sure thing."

Casually, he nods in response as the detective returns, card in hand, along with a few of the girl's personal effects in a bag, holding them out.

"Thanks again. For this, for everything. And tell your grandfather I said the same." He looks down at the girl, frowning deeply. "Damn shame. This whole mess…"

Grumbling, he turns and makes his way back to his office, leaving Fujimura, Shizuka, and Taiasu in the lobby.

Again, Fujimura holds her hand out toward the young girl.

"Well, we should go try those out. Wouldn't want to make myself a liar, would I?"

Shizuka looks from Taiasu back up to Fujimura.

Her small smile falls flat again, but she nods, holding her hand out. They clasp, and she takes a small, hesitant step forward.

Then another, and eventually, she's following closely as they leave the station.

Mostly, Taiasu is uncertain about anything that's going on right now.

There'd not been enough said for him to understand. Just that apparently, the teacher is going to be looking after this child.

He looks up at her, walking at her side.

Good on her… But what's going on? He said an orphanage…?

Unsurprisingly, orphans and orphanages are not foreign concepts to him.

Though he'd not been spirited away to one when he'd lost his parents, he's still seen them. Children bereft of parents are a common commodity, thanks to war, strife, and the Calamity of a half-decade ago.


As promised, Fujimura walks Shizuka over to the nearby mall, called the Verde.

A fully indoor shopping complex complete with a clothing boutique, a store with stuffed animals, and a small stand known for its fresh strawberry crepes.

And that's just the first of the six floors, filled with shops where one might indulge their retail shopping whims.

Not today, though, as their destination is the crepe stand, where she purchases three. One for herself, one for Shizuka, and one for Taiasu. They find their way to a bench and sit, and she then passes them out.

Taiasu stares down at the unfamiliar food. Unfamiliar, yet not at all unappetizing. Thin, flexible sweet breading filled with freshly sliced, sweet red fruit and a sweet white powder. He eyes his for a moment, sniffing at it uncertainly.

As the scent reaches his nose, it evokes thoughts of home and a familiar, flavorful fruit.

Rolanberry…?

Shrugging, he takes a large bite, and the flavor bursts forth in his mouth.

Sweet, tart, filled with delicious cream and chewy for being wrapped in the thin, tortilla-like breading. Fortunately, for the entire thing being housed in paper, nothing spills on him or the ground.

Fujimura's attention is focused solely on Shizuka for the moment, who sits on her opposite side.

Softly frowning, the girl quietly nibbles her way through the confectionary, and the teacher sets to work on hers.

"So, who is she?"

Quickly finishing his, Taiasu fills the brief silence with his question. Fujimura glances down and to the side to see him staring up at her, tilting his head.

"Itchi-chan, I mean? The man said something about an orphanage? Did something—"

She reaches down and cups Taiasu's mouth with her hand, holding a finger to her lips and gently shaking her head.

"I'll explain it later, Taruko-kun. For now, just know that I've agreed to look after her for a while."

"Oh…" Taiasu's reply comes muffled, and Fujimura nods, lowering her hand. "I understand. I'm sorry…"

Fully contrite, he offers a quiet, solemn apology, and she shakes her head.

"It's fine. I just don't want to discuss it around her right now. It's pretty upsetting."

Taiasu nods, then stares back at the polished floor tiles of the mall, casually swinging his legs which hang from the bench. Fujimura and Shizuka gradually finish their own crepes, and each person's paper is disposed of in a convenient, nearby waste can.

"So what are you planning to do now, Taruko-kun?"

"Now?" He glances up from the metal bin. "Not sure. Just wander around some more, I guess. I know the other side of town pretty well, but I only just arrived here."

"Wander around some more?" Fujimura stares down wide-eyed, head tilted. "Will you be alright, doing that? I mean, you made it over here fine, apparently, but I'm still—"

Smiling up at her, he nods.

"Thanks, but I'm pretty sure I'll be fine. And I've been in regular contact with Sakura, to keep her from being worried, too. So you can ask her about it, if you want."

Doubtful, she frowns down at him.

Something about his nonchalance leaves her feeling ill at ease. And there's the question of how what he's said, their regular contact, can even be possible. Her lips part as she's about to ask further, but the chime of a nearby clock from one nearby shop cuts her off.

Looking toward the hands, her frown deepens.

Crud. I have to get back…

Sighing, she glances down at Taiasu. All she can offer is a hesitant nod.

"If you're certain. We need to get back. Will we see you for dinner?"

"I plan on it." He looks from her back to the girl. "It was nice meeting you, Itchi-chan."

He then looks back up and grins.

"Oh, and thanks for that, too. It was incredible."

Still silent, Shizuka shows no outward response, though she seems to have grown more comfortable with Fujimura as she keeps some of her dress held firmly in her grip.

Nodding, the teacher returns his grin with a calm smile, then reaches down and takes the young girl's hand, and the two then depart, leaving Taiasu waving at their backs. Once they've stepped outside, he searches for some out of the way place where he can change back into his darker attire.

No reason to be a spectacle.


The rest of his afternoon, and into the early evening, Taiasu spends meandering through town on the opposite side of the bridge from where he arrived.

The most interesting of the thing he sees during his wanderings is the harbor, though not much could be said about its appearance. Few ships are moored, and it's little more than a cement walkway extending into the water.

Still, with the several people idling around, casting out their lines, it reminds him of his own inclination toward such things.

Fishing is a grand way to pass time, certainly, but it's not a gathering activity for which he bears an overwhelming fondness.

That would be harvesting with a scythe or a hatchet, or fracturing stone to retrieve ore with a pick or a sledge.

But it serves its function.

Still, albeit briefly, he considers casting his own line before shaking the idea off as absurd.

I don't even know what sort of creatures dwell in these waters. Or to what they'd be drawn, and I doubt anything I have would lure them in.

The other locations in town hold little interest, but serve well in helping him pass his time and sort his thoughts.

Unfortunately, there's still little for him to go on as far as the real reason the old man had asked him here.

And there's still the problem of him returning home.

Earth is a nice place, at least from what he's seen, and discounting the crippling hamstrings he has to endure. Those of no reliable source of free aether, and no readily available way to return.

It's these thoughts which furrow his brow most, and bring a hard frown to his face as the sun crosses its apex and begins its descent.

As they continue churning in his mind, his feet carry him unconsciously, as if drawn to it, closer and closer to a rather disheveled looking, vast stretch of undeveloped land located close to the city's center.

Dotted with puddles of stagnant water, patches of dead or dying grass, and trees, most of which are bereft of foliage.

None of this comes close to distracting from what he feels from the place.

An overpowering sensation, impossible to describe in common terms.

I've felt this before… Many times. It's like the aether of this place is disturbed. But that's impossible. I mean, aether isn't a thing in this world, right? But there's something else, too… It's not just that.

The deeper into the place he goes, the more disconcerted and certain the feeling becomes.

The logs on the ground which refuse to rot. Water, either refused by the ground, or refusing to allow itself to be absorbed. Despite the sun casting everything in tints of oranges and reds and extending every shadow, the earliness of the day should see at least some people here, yet there are few, if any.

Gods… It's like a time locked space.

After taking a seat beneath a tree, he breathes out a heavy sigh.

Another strange anomaly of Hydaelyn, and even stretching into the places beyond, time locked spaces are little studied and ill understood for it. They seem to function on their own set of completely arbitrary rules.

A person, if so suicidally inclined, or more commonly a group of adventurers, can enter such a space, usually rife with unwelcoming denizens, dispose of those fiends, acquire valuable, powerful armor, weapons, and other sundries of varying usefulness.

Once finished, they can depart, only to about-face, re-enter, and find it exactly as it had been when they first entered.

Even stranger was the seemingly imposed limit to the number of people permitted to enter such a space.

Some permitted small groups of adventurers, four at most. Some as many as eight, and a few more savage ones as many as twenty-four. Any more, and they'd find themselves inexplicably cut off from the rest of the group, if they could even enter at all.

One step, they'd all be together.

The next, they'd turn and be alone.

Despite their cryptic nature, adventurers are quick to exploit them as places to hone their skills and expand their gear sets, venturing in countless times if necessary to acquire that which they so highly prize.

And the coveted prize varies from person to person.

Some seek things simply for vanity's sake, some for growing in power, and some seek fantastical, magical beasts to lord over their fellows as they ferry them across the land and sky.

The most bizarre component was they seemed not to form for an individual until certain, unknowable conditions had been met. Even entry seemed barred to them before then.

And though they were the same each time one entered, some subtle differences could be picked up on.

Haukke Manor, for instance, was one such instance of a time locked space.

Every time Taiasu had ventured in after the first, the Mistress Amandine was there, waiting to greet him.

And yet, her two shadowy suitors never reappeared after that first time.

Why would there be a time locked space here? It makes no sense… Is it even a time locked space? Maybe it just feels similar… That must be it.

Still sitting, he continues looking around, feeling exposed despite being concealed.

I suppose I should…?

As he's about to stand and depart, a prying sensation washes over him. Like eyes trying to spy his location, yet unable to do so. Still, it causes the hairs on his neck and hands to stand erect.

What was that?

Despite his better judgement, he follows whatever it is to its origin.

Maybe this is a time locked space, after all? I mean…? No, that's—! Hey!

As he approaches the source, he spies someone familiar from a fair distance, dressed precisely as she'd been when they first met. Her dark brown hair bound with dark ribbons in twin tails, which sway gently in the evening breeze. The same long red dress coat and the uniform of her school.

As he's about to call out to her, he can feel his hair stand even more stiffly. Even the hair on his head, which could now serve as a reasonable substitute for sandpaper.

Uh… What's this—!

Before he has time to think, let alone process, Tohsaka does an about face, and takes two steps to his right. Her foot hasn't even touched the ground the second time before the source of his instincts going haywire has presented itself.

A tan man with slicked back white hair, whose waist his head doesn't even reach, dressed in black leather and a red jacket and waist-cape, bow in hand, string drawn taut with an arrow knocked and aimed directly at him, shimmering into reality as if a mirage.

Whose eyes seem to stare straight through him.

No, not through.

At.


End Notes


It's cliche, but I'll apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out.

It's actually been ready for a while now, I've just been hesitant to drop any new chapters as my writing has stalled at the back-end for some reason.

As for this chapter, I owe a large part of it to my beta reader.
In canon, the family murdered at the end of day one, and the surviving child, don't come up much after the third day, if at all.

So my reader, being fandom-blind, asked a rather innocuous question - 'What's going to happen to...?'

Honestly, I'd planned nothing, but I loved the idea of doing something, anything, with this rather inconsequential character so much I decided to write her into the story.
What will happen in the future, hells if I know, but she's part of the story now.

This is also a chapter where I start... well, trying to explain game mechanics in the context of the universe as if it weren't actually part of a game.

Yes, dungeons and instances can be entered repeatedly because, duh, video game, but I'm unwilling to just shrug off or hand-wave if I can conceive an idea which seems reasonable. Unfortunately, there is a bit of hand-waviness going on here, in that it's sort of like 'Yep, nobody knows, that's just how it is.' I may at a future time come up with a viable explanation that is both satisfying and makes sense, but if the story writers and game devs didn't, why the hell should I break my brain over it?

I could also just NOT mention those things, but that feels boring, so I'm not willing to do that either.