Author's Note:
I would like to thank everyone for the PMs and reviews that I received for the first chapter of my story. Also I would like to make one explanation because some of them also made some good questions that I would like to answer so you can see the way that this story is taking. About the Fate Stay Night cast, they will support Tatsuya but that does not mean that that is all that they will do. They will be facing two big challenges on their own but you need to wait to see it.
Again I thank ChristmasForJuan for beta-reading my story.
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They had faced a demon with the power to destroy the human race and drown the planet into darkness, and defeated pseudo gods of transcended power; even for the skewed standarts of the extraordinary magi they were. But now the four young heroes were facing yet another obstacle that they were too afraid to brave. A door. It was not the door itself that troubled them so but rather the uncertainty that hid beyond it, a reality that that they had never stopped to consider, a dream so fragile they expected it to fade into memory as they woke up in their beds.
After the weight of pressure drew out second into hours they eventually nodded at each other in unison and crossed the door's threshold … what lay beyond was an excerpt of a blissful dream.
Seated at the end of a family sized old-wood table three individuals were indulging in a generous morning breakfast. To the left of the table's head sat a dark haired woman that Sakura and Rin immediately recognized, and seated opposite her across the table sat a fair woman whose appearance was remarkably similar to Illya's own. Occupying the head of the table, a dark haired man glanced at the folded newspaper in his right hand while biting into a garnished slice of toast.
"Look who decided to join us", greeted Leysritt with her trademark deadpan expression.
"Ara ara~, I know that it is the first day of the winter beak but that doesn't mean that you should sleep the entire day either", said Irisviel with a smile.
"But didn't you just arrive about a minute early than them, Iri?", Aoi playfully chimed in.
"Mou~, I was trying to be an exemplary mother Aoi-chan", muttered Irisviel, all the while Kiritsugu simply kept reading.
It didn't take long for the two mothers to realize that their children were behaving strangely.
"Are all of you all right?", Iris asked when the children remained still and quiet throughout the entire exchange, prompting her to stand up and check up on them.
Being the first to recover her wits, Rin quickly offered a reply before their behavior turned suspicious.
"Ahh sorry, we are still a little sleepy that is all."
"Well is only natural. After all you came back late last night from your high-school holiday trip", Aoi thought out loud as she placed her hand on Sakura's forehead in a tender gesture.
"Are you alright honey?"
Sakura was petrified. She had forgotten everything regarding her old life as a Tohsaka and the only memory she did retain was the fact that her parents had gotten rid of her when she was but a child. This was the reality that Matou Sakura grew up in … but it wasn't the fate of Ito Sakura. Just as she was no longer Matou Sakura, the woman was no longer Tohsaka Aoi. This was a world in which Ito Aoi fought to protect her daughters and grant them a childhood devoid of pain and desolation, a world where Sakura and Rin grew up under the gentle care of a loving mother. As the realization of happiness threatened to overwhelm her, Sakura desperately tried to fight back her tears.
"I am fine mother, it's just that I missed you … a lot."
"And I missed you, all of you. Really, I wish that First High-School was a little closer so that you wouldn't have to live in another city while attending to classes."
"My words exactly! My little baby Illya is becoming turning into a woman, every time I see you have grown more and more", Iri exclaimed while trapping Illya in an uncomfortably tight embrace.
"Please mom I am not a little girl any more!", Illya instinctively reacted but it was obvious that Illya wasn't actually putting any effort into escaping her mother's entrapment, as she too had missed the touch of her parent.
However, as suddenly as they had assaulted their children, they suddenly ceased all action and carefully regarded the four with serious analytical expressions. An ominous premonition made itself known.
"Don't you feel something is different about them?", Aoi cautiously inquired while looking at Rin and Sakura, both of which tensed up after being subjected to the stare.
"You are right, the girls seem to radiate a different aura and Shirou looks a little tired", Irisviel replied while taking a closer look at the adopted son.
This caused the mentioned people to only tense up more. What would their family's reaction be towards the fact that they were no longer their children, or at least the children they had cared for and raised up until now. Would they be accepting? Resentful? All things considered, was this current idyllic world nothing but a cosmic joke orchestrated by Angra Mainyu himself? Had he won after all?
The children could offer no response to their parents, no excuse, and were ready to shoulder the consequences of-
"SHIROU-KUN DON´T TELL US THAT YOU PUT YOUR HANDS ON OUR DAUGHTERS!", both mothers accused in unison.
"OF COURSE NOT!", was the only reply Shirou's confused mind could come up with.
"Oh, is that true? Well then that can only mean one thing…", muttered Irisviel, accepting the denial almost too easily.
"Yes, I would have never imagined that it would come to this, but that must be the case", Aoi nodded in agreement to Irisviel's next hypothetical scenario.
"GILRS HOW COULD YOU GET INTO SHIROU'S ROOM AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS INNOCENCE!?"
"WHHHAT!?"
The three high pitched screams were almost indistinguishable from each other as the overlapped and blended together into a single shout of protest.
"I know that Shirou is a handsome boy, that he is very gentle and a great cook, but for the three of you to do something like that…", Aoi payed no attention to her pale daughters as she continued on with indulging in maidenly fantasies that were clearly unbefitting of her mature age.
"But you need to remember that when they were 9 years old the girls vowed that they would all marry Shirou and share him between them to prevent any other girl to take him away from them. Ahh~ what a pleasant memory", much like Aoi, Irisviel was also beyond rescue at this point.
"Hey, we told you that that was not the case!" said Rin
"That means that we will become grandmothers soon Aoi!"
As expected of the motherly pair once they got fired up, they completely ignored any retorts or protests fired from enemy lines.
"Mom that is not true!" added Illya.
"We are still very young but I guess that would mean that we will become the most attractive grandmothers to date", Aoi continued, seemingly enjoying the prospect of raising her grandchildren while still in a youthful age.
"Mother please stop this" Sakura desperately pleaded though still unsure of how to calm down her parent that she only effectively met for her first time.
"We need to start thinking of names and… oh! We will have to go and buy clothes-"
"ENOUGH OF THIS!", Rin finally exploded as she reached the limit of her tolerance.
"Once you are done with your little game, breakfast is ready."
The voice this time was low and soothing, and sounded out from behind the two maids that refurnished the breakfast table with freshly prepared dishes.
"Do not mind your mothers, this is their way of saying that they missed all of you."
"Dad why didn´t you stop them earlier?", Shirou accused his father, though his smile revealed his joy at seeing Kiritsugu healthy and untouched from the malice that plagued him before.
"If you know a way to stop these two from doing whatever they want, please tell me how."
The casual manner in which Kiritsugu delivered these lines almost made the two subjects of his teasing remark overlook the fact that they were being picked on, though by the time they realized and attempted to voice their objections it was already to late. Shirou allowed an unreserved grin to paint his face. He had never seen Kiritsugu this relaxed before.
Breakfast was a completely new experience for all of them, or put more accurately, they had never had the chance to enjoy breakfast with their entire family together. Not to oversell the experience, but it was a nice change of pace of the usual hectic and troublesome scenarios they had to face up until now. The meal eventually ended and Kiritsugu, Irisviel, and Aoi got ready to leave for work, asking their children what they would like for dinner and if they wanted them to buy anything on their way back. Once again, it was the little things that threatened to reduce the past heroes to tears.
After their parents had left, Shirou and company decided to head to the large forrest surrounding their estate, telling Sella and Leysritt that they were going out for a walk, and hiked deep into the woods until they arrived a small clearing.
"That was … strange", Shirou was the first to voice his opinion after they had made sure nobody was listening.
"Tell me about it, I still have some memories of my mom from our world it seems like she has gotten much worse these days", was Illya's response to her adopted brother's statement.
"They are same yet different … but in a good way!" Sakura voiced while letting the realization of her having a loving mother sink in.
"But the important question is how this is all this possible. After all we have never seen each of our parents before today, but now we have memories involving them going all the way back to our childhood", concluded Rin.
"Could it have something to do with the Grail and the way we … you know … died?", Shirou reluctantly chimed in.
"The Grail was never meant for trans-dimensional travel however, nor do I think it would have been possible even with a completed Holy Grail."
"It was also never mean to be corrupted by a demonic entity that embodied all evil in this world…"
"The only thing we know so far is that somehow we ended up in a different reality that is obviously geographically similar to our own and is inhabited by the same people. However, the fact that our parents find nothing wrong with our existence or the reason why there aren't two versions of Shirou running around is likely due to the fact that we didn't simply travel into this dimension through conventional means … but that we somehow merged into it. That would also explain why our memories adapt to this dimension since we were originally supposed to be a part of it. What troubles me is that such a feat is practically impossible, even when considering the Five True Magics. No human could have done this and neither could a Heroic Spirit … this is magic on the level of Gods, and a pretty careless and selfish God at that", reasoned Rin but was interrupted by a seemingly unrelated piece of paper slowly drifting downwards from the sky.
Reaching for it and reading it's contents, her face immediately grimaced into a painful expression.
"I am not that bad =P. See on the future!
The one and only Kaleidoscope~"
"I should have known that it was his doing…", her hand had found her forehead without herself realizing as she noticed the confused expressions of the people around her who didn't know anything about Kaleidoscope, prompting her to tell them everything she knew of that rather infamous piece of junk. Of course she left out the details of her … magical experiences she had with it.
"But why he would do something like this?" Sakura asked out of genuine curiosity.
"Believe me; it is better if we do not try to understand that mind of his."
"So what do we do now?"
"Well, even though we still aren't too sure about the reason, the truth of the fact is that we have been granted a second chance at life", Rin paused for a second to let the frustration of the next issue she planned to address build up inside of her, "BUT WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!? WHY I AM LABELED AS A SECOND CLASS MAGUS!? I AM AMONG THE BEST OF MY GENERATION, HOW CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE!?"
"THAT'S RIGHT!?" Illya almost too easily agreed with Rin's complaint due to both of them possessing a large amount of pride in their abilities as magi.
"I know that you guys are mad, but you should calm down a little so we can find out what to do from here", Shirou attempted a diplomatic approach to calm the two raging magicians.
"Well that's easy for you to say … but I guess that you are right," Rin admitted as she allowed her head to cool.
"Any ideas about what to do?", Sakura continued the conversation.
"Maybe we should test our magic and see how it functions in this world. I just want to see if we still have or magic even though traveling to a different world … and it seems that magic works differently here as well.", Illya suggested.
"That is a good idea; we should do it one by one so we can see…" Rin trailed off after noticing Sakura's pained expression at the mention of magic.
"Sakura are you alright?"
"Do we really have to? Try out our magic I mean?"
"We are in an unknown situation, the best that we can do is see what resources we have available to us", Illya assured.
"But my magic is so soiled, so unpleasant, so …"
"Sakura, didn´t we promise that no matter what we will always be together? Even now in this new world we are still together and nothing will change that. We will never see you differently simply because of your magic, because that will never change the person you truly are".
"I agree with Shirou-nii!" added Illya, showing her support.
"You should listen to him, he is an idiot but he still says smart things from time to time", Rin jokingly added.
A feeling so foreign it could only be expressed with a smile, and a warmth so tender it reddened her cheeks … with no words capable to express her overwhelming joy, Sakura shook away her tears with a firm nod. This was a new world, a new beginning. Tainted as she may have been, these companions of hers would stand by her side. There was no more fear in her heart, no negativity even the most malicious of demons could exploit.
"Let's do it!"
Returning to their original objective, the group started to channel mana into their magic circuits as a precautionary check-up, only to receive a baffling response. Absurd as it may seem, all their magic circuits had somehow transformed into extremely high-tier mana conductors on par or even beyond a standard the most talented Tohsaka would have been unable to achieve. Nay, even that would have been an understatement. Out of them all Shirou understood this transition the best, after all he had been forced to bear a similar burden not too long ago. The quality of these circuits … they were no less inferior to that of Archer's arm. Whether by Kaleidoscope's will or out of pure coincidence, their magic circuits had attained a level usually only reserved for Heroic Spirits.
"How can this be possible?", Illya was barely able to mutter.
"No idea, this has never happened before…", even the girl in red was unable to grasp the reason behind this change.
"Could it be a consequence of our trip here? Something intended by Kaleidoscope?"
"It would be a huge problem if our magic was affected by this change. We could end up damaging this entire forest if we carelessly experiment with our magic without being able to control our output…"
"Well that shouldn't be too much of a problem", Rin confidently interjected with a proud smirk, "After all I know a place where we could practice all we want without anyone ever finding out, since it was even able to contain the strongest of Heroic Spirits."
"You don't mean…?", Shirou wondered but was cut off by Rin's index finger before he could finish.
"Exactly. I am going to make use of that Reality Marble of yours! With your Magic Circuits and mana level being the way it is you should have no problem summoning it. Give it a try."
Rin's confidence seemingly flowed into Shirou, filling with the hunch… nay, filling him with the knowledge that he would be able to invoke his unique magic without fail. The only magic that was allowed to him, and the one magic no one else was able to replicate. A forbidden magic that painted the physical world with his ideals, his hopes, his dreams; the magic that forced his Inner World into reality. A melodic chant appeared out of nowhere in his mind, the words so steadfast and clear that they seemed to have been with him from the very start.
I am the Bone of my Sword
My Blood is of Iron and my Heart of Glass
I have survived through countless Battles
Unknown to Death nor known to Life
Have found my Place atop the endless Hill of Swords
To protect this realm and those within it
Thus my Life needs no further Meaning
I summon thee, Unlimited Blades Works
The very air reverberated once Shirou sung the final hymn. Mana had soaked his surroundings with each passing word but magical pressure was now practically exploding out of his body in a spherical fashion. Contrary to his exactions, no it was not fire that pulled him and his friends into the world of his design.
Instead a blue luminescence gushed forth and embraced the group like a silky veil. The azure so pure and gentle, it scratched on the surface of Shirou's subconscious mind. Where had he seen this fair blue before? Before he could remember he was taken aback by the glorious sight that spread out before him. A blue sky so deep and wide one would mistake it for an ocean if it weren't for the sparse yet voluptuous clouds. Opposing the sea of blue was a blanket of vivid green that stretched as far as the eye could see. The grass grew wildly yet kept itself at a length that wouldn't hinder one's movement. The air itself smelled of sunbathing bark and leaves and carried the sound of crisply flowing water. Soon after, a deep groaning sound echoed through the infinitely vast world and massive golden gears dipped surfaced from sky and slowly began their circular movement, creating a steady rain of light that leisurely descended upon it's inhabitants. As the sparks of light and glimmer reached Shirou and the rest, it was to Rin's and Illya's surprise that they were actually a multitude of crystals, gems, and iridescent motes of light. Embellishing the scenery were, of course, countless swords.
"This … is one of my jewels", Rin spoke with widened eyes as she picked one of the floating gems out of the air.
"Not only that but I recognize all the crystals here to be jewels I have either used before or have been saving up."
"This is strange…", Illya absent-mindedly muttered as she nudged one of the orbs of light with her fingertip causing it to take form of one of her favored bird familiars. She had not channeled her magic through her hair, wire, or any other material created through alchemy for that matter, but it seemed that light itself had reshaped itself under Illya's touch. Was there no longer a need for her to construct alchemy based familiars out of physical materials?
Meanwhile, Sakura too encountered a revelation of her own. Caressing the mellow breeze with a delicate touch of her hands, it seemed to respond to her gesture and playfully circled her like a faithful pet, enveloping in comforting stream of air.
"How is this possible?", Sakura posed an open question, dumbfounded by the puzzling scenario, "What we will do now?".
"The first thing that we need to find out is see how much our magic has changed and what the limits of our ability are", was Illya's first reply to Sakura's inquiry, though it was obvious that she was simply eager to test out her new powers.
"What about our family and our existence in this world?"
"Before we can decide that we must first understand what is happening to us. Regarding our new lives, I am sure we can overcome anything as long as we stay together!", encouraged Rin, snatching a handful of jewels for herself and getting ready to let loose.
Much like Illya, she too could not wait to take her newly empowered magic circuits for a ride.
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Not too far away from the Emiya estate stood a small house big enough to house an old man a boy at the age of 9.
The elderly man was formerly employed as a bodyguard by one of the most feared clans in Japan, but after the death of it's former head and the of his daughter as the new leader of the Clan, his guarding duties changed from it's formerly combative nature to a more hospital one. It all started when the younger sister of the currently acting head had approached him and tasked him with raising her son four years ago.
At first the man by the name of Kogoru believed that is was only a temporary arrangement, though his assumption was proven wrong when he heard the words, "Do as you wish with this failed product".
Kogoru couldn't believe it. He had known Miya and her sister ever since they were children, and even after the tragedy that happened to Maya, he could not believe that she could have changed to the extent of abandoning her own son, especially when considering how Miya had always longed for a family of her own. Something had definitely happened to her.
The poor child needed days to recover from the abandonment, though after some time Kogoru couldn´t just keep watching anymore and offered to train him in the only skills he knew well enough to pass on.
Initially Tatsuya was not very interested in the seemingly pointless training, until one day he approached Kogoru with a question.
"Do you believe that my mom will love me again if I become stronger?"
Kogoru was at a loss for words. The Miya he knew and the Miya that currently was were two completely different people, and he honestly doubted whether or not she would ever return to her former self. Still, at the same time he didn't want to take away the only sliver of hope left to the boy.
"Only time will give you an answer. The only thing that you can do now is do your best until that time comes", he finally settled on this answer.
After that, Tatsuya chose to focus on his training and studies, greatly surprising Kogoru as he bore witness to Tatsuya's outstanding talent. But it all made him wonder why a great child like Tatsuya would ever be abandoned. Out of curiosity he checked up on Tatsuya's magic and finally he understood. Inside Tatsuya, his magic appeared to travel across his body in a broken glass pattern.
This situation had become public knowledge at the end of Word War 3 when some people were born with the power to generate magic, yet could only use very little of it and were thusly considered as failures by government. Their only natural talent was that they could accomplish physical feats beyond the level of a normal magician, but their limitation to use magic made them the target of prejudice. This condition was later labeled as the "Broken Window Syndrome".
Thanks to Kogoru's remaining sources he had in the clan, he had learned that Tatsuya's magic was considered dangerous, and for that reason his mother was getting ready to conduct a "procedure" on him to control that power. However, health problems had forced her to delay that "operation". After she recovered, something happened with Tatsuya, and while his power levels were still incredibly powerful, the appearance of the broken window syndrome made the procedure unnecessary. After all, now he was only a danger to himself.
Pulled out of his nostalgic pondering by the sharp voice of the subject of his concern, Kogoru settles his sight on the boy in front of him.
"Jiji, I just finished with the training routine for the day"
"Excellent Tatsuya, now go clean yourself and get ready for dinner."
As he watched the young Tatsuya enter their home, he could not help but smile after noticing his growth over the past four years. At first he was worried that he would shut down his emotions after that day when he was abandoned by his mother, but over the years he had proven to be very resistant and determined. He still believed that he could be accepted by his mother again.
Taking a deep breath Kogoru headed to their home to enjoy a peaceful dinner in the company of a boy that may very well be his grandson. Little did he know that those peaceful days would soon be over and that the door of a great adventure would soon be opened to Tatsuya, though the price for that adventure would come in the form of a tragedy and a meeting with his past.
