A/N: So... shit happened. That shit being, Holy shit, Shirou Emiya is really hard for me to write. Like, how the hell do people write him wrong so confidently?
Anyways, since I got stuck... I'd write that chapter a little, then do the rewrites... and as it turned out, since I knew what I wanted with the rewrites... they're done. Yeah, they're done, they've already been replaced, here's your patch notes.
Chapter 1 v.2: General touch ups. Had an entire prologue written before the cold opening, but ditched it in favor for said cold opening
Chapter 2 v.2: Added a fight between Ritsuka and Rin, and also changed the whole conversation after the fight.
Chapter 3 v.2: Added more Shadow Servants to the fight, and explained how they worked in better detail.
Chapter 4-5: Unchanged
Chapter 6: Rewrote Rin's section to reflect the changes in the first two chapters.
And... here's the new chapter!
Ritsuka watched as Shinji left the house, sighing to himself before looking to the table. "They could at least like… clean up after themselves…," The boy muttered to himself as he slowly stood up, grabbing the two bowls left behind by Rin and Shinji and heading to the sink, dropping them in the empty space. Eh, he'd wash them later.
Bazett walked up next to him, dropping her own bowl into the sink. She stood by him, like a silent guardian. Geez, why was she so worried? She was the one that almost died, laying in a puddle of her own blood for god knows how long.
Actually, come to think of it…
"Hey, Bazett, have you bathed since you woke up?" Ritsuka asked. The woman looked down at herself, tilting her head. The thought never seemed to cross her mind, it seemed. "Do… do you even have a spare change of clothes?" The boy added. The woman shook her head.
"Not with me," She answered, confirming Ritsuka's worst fears.
"Crap," He muttered as he rubbed his neck. "Crap, what are we gonna do about that?" he began to walk back to the table, his mind racing. Bazett was a little taller than him, but maybe one of his Mystic Codes would fit well enough on her. He headed back to his room, digging into the bag. It didn't take long for him to find the yukata from Benienma's inn; the black and blue garment standing out in the bag.
With a smile, he walked back to the living room, waving to Bazett. "Here. It might be a tad bit small, but it should cover you well enough while your clothes are washed," He handed them to Bazett, who unfolded the yukata and pressed it against herself, measuring it.
"... It'll do," She said with a nod. "I'll get cleaned up then,"
"And I'll look for Shirou, see where exactly we can clean your clothes at," Ritsuka added as he walked away, doing his best to stay as far away from the bathroom as possible. He had learned in his few years in Chaldea that the best way to avoid accidents was to get as far away as possible.
As he trekked through the house, he realized it was almost dead silent. Ritsuka knew that other people lived here, but it was so quiet, he wouldn't blame anyone for thinking the place was abandoned. He found it nice, but… from what he understood, Shirou basically lived here by himself for what had to be at least ten years. Ritsuka couldn't imagine that… He hadn't even seen any sign that Kiritsugu ever lived here either.
It must have been very lonely.
He pushed those depressing thoughts aside as he looked around the Emiya Estate, his search coming up empty. It didn't seem like Shirou was in the house at all. He wasn't sure if he should be worried. Medusa told him Shirou was safe… but his search seemed to say otherwise. Before he became too panicked, the Master of Chaldea remembered that there were some buildings on the property. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he headed outside.
He never took the time to notice it before, but Shirou had a really spacious yard. Ritsuka had almost forgotten what it was like having one of those; the white halls of Chaldea were probably burned into his brain now. Shaking that depressing thought out of his brain, Ritsuka looked around the yard, quickly noticing a shed of some sort. The door was slightly cracked open… maybe Shirou was in there?
Ritsuka pushed the door open, peeking inside. The floor was littered with all sorts of pipes and mechanical devices, looking like some mechanic's workshop more than a shed. More importantly however, was that In the middle of the floor, sprawled out and snoring was Shirou Emiya. Ritsuka shook his head as he walked over, bending down and shaking his hero.
"Hey, Emiya, wake up," Ritsuka chuckled to himself as he saw Shirou curl up, muttering under his breath. "Hey, come on, there's a whole day ahead of us," Ritsuka looked around for anything he could use to help wake up the sleeping redhead, but there wasn't really anything outside of blunt weaponry. The Master of Chaldea bent over, putting his fingers beside Shirou's ear before letting out a snap, the loud sound causing the redhead to jolt awake. "Rise and shine, sunshine," Ritsuka teased as he backed away. Emiya stared at Ritsuka, his eyes heavy with sleep before he spoke the first thing that came into his mind.
"You're not Sakura,"
"Sorry, no pretty lady this time, just me," Ritsuka teased as he stood up, leaning against the wall. "So, what's all this, anyways? I didn't peg ya for a gearhead," Honestly, considering EMIYA's friendship with Edison, he probably should have put two and two together. Shirou let out a yawn as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Hmm?" The boy sleepily blinked as he looked around the room, his mind processing the question as he stared blankly at the junk on his floor. "Oh, I practice Reinforcement and Projection here. You know, somewhere where people won't find me." Shirou explained. Ritsuka blinked as he thought back to last night.
"We came home pretty late last night and you had to take some time to get us patched up," Ritsuka pointed out. "You… how long did you practice last night?" Shirou tilted his head before answering.
"I'm not sure, I just kept practicing until I passed out," he admitted. Ritsuka's mind recalled the walk he and Shirou took, remembering Shirou's answer to the other question he asked him. This… was starting to paint a very worrying picture. There was an awkward silence as the two stared at each other, Shirou obviously waiting for Ritsuka to say something as Ritsuka sensed things might go wrong very soon.
"Um, Emiya, do you... do this often?" Ritsuka finally gathered the courage to ask.
"I… well, not… too often…," Shirou furrowed his brow as he thought about it. "Maybe… every other day…?" Ritsuka felt his eye twitch, but the boy took in a deep breath.
"You… you can't be doing that," Ritsuka commented. "You need to sleep, like, actually sleep. Training yourself into exhaustion isn't going to help you. It's like working out. If you constantly strain yourself mentally and physically, you won't actually make any progress. In fact, you'll just end up hurting yourself," He paused as another thought came to him. "Actually, why don't you just, ya know, not do it that late at night? As far as I can tell, no one comes during the day anyways, and you can just, ya know, practice for a few hours and then go to bed. In an actual bed."
Shirou shook his head. "Can't." was his simple explanation. Ritsuka tilted his head as he noticed Shirou's eyes began to stare in the distance, the boy refusing to elaborate. Was he… was he monologuing in his head?
That was when Ritsuka realized he needed to get Shirou out of this house.
Lifting his fingers, the boy snapped in front of Shirou's face, shocking the redhead out of his inner monologue. "Why can't you? Mind reading ain't in my wheelhouse of magecraft, you're going to have to actually talk,"
"Oh, um… sorry, sorry," Shirou muttered. "Well, I stay after school to help out… and I have a part time job, so… you know. Can't," Ritsuka blinked, his poker face in full display as he thought about what he was just told. Shirou Emiya wanted to help people… and to do so, he was running himself into the ground. But there was a puzzle piece not fitting. What did magecraft have to do with helping people?
Two seconds of thought made the answer obvious. Ritsuka had summoned a future version of Shirou Emiya from a metaphysical plane of existence that only accepted people considered to be heroes or agents of the Counter Force, after all. But that just left way too many other questions, and he wasn't sure how to go about asking about them.
Maybe there was a reason EMIYA refused to talk to Ritsuka about his past, even after all these years together.
"I'm sorry, I just… I don't understand," Ritsuka commented as he slipped down to a sitting position. "Why do you need to learn magecraft to help people? There's plenty of more practical ways, more…," he stopped, struggling to think of a way to phrase his next words. "More substantial ways to help people. Soup kitchens, charity work, becoming a lawyer…," He paused as he thought about his current situation. "L-Look, I get that it must be weird to have some stranger that hasn't even known you for three days coming in and trying to tell you how to live life, but… you need to take care of yourself. You're not going to be able to help anyone if you're suffering from sleep deprivation." It was quiet for a moment as Shirou digested the info, and Ritsuka could swear the boy was doing another inner monologue.
"It's not really weird, you just wanna help, right?" Shirou commented as he yawned, stretching some. "Anyways, I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Shirou stated in a tone that let Ritsuka know that Shirou would not be keeping it in mind. Ritsuka felt… uneasy. He was missing something, he knew he was, and he could tell it was very important, but he couldn't imagine what it was. What was going on with Shirou Emiya?
Knowing that sitting there worrying about it wouldn't actually solve anything, the boy decided to just push it to the side for now. It wasn't like Shirou was going to just open up to him in less than three days. Besides, this kid would grow up to be EMIYA, could his way of life really be that bad?
"Hey, um… anyways," Ritsuka quickly changed the subject. "Bazett is taking a bath, but we need to wash her clothes. Where do you do your laundry?" Shirou blinked before nodding, standing up slowly and walking out of the shed. A quick walk to the house led Ritsuka to the absolute oddest sight that he had seen in this entire timeline.
Instead of a washing machine, like a normal person, Shirou Emiya did his laundry in a wash basin, complete with a washboard. Shirou saw Ritsuka's confused amazement and chuckled.
"Haven't seen a washboard before?" Shirou teased.
"Not in person, no," Ritsuka admitted. "You had an old fashioned sort of feel to ya, but this? This is certified old man territory."
"I'm guessing that means you don't know how to use one."
"I mean, it can't be that hard to figure out, but like. I don't know if I really wanna do it anymore. It's one thing throwing a woman's clothes into a washing machine, but washing it by hand? That just feels like asking for trouble," Ritsuka reasoned out. Shirou hummed to himself as he looked at the washboard, nodding to himself.
"I could do it." Shirou decided to comment.
"Yeah, I dunno. Bazett doesn't seem like the type to flip out and start swinging over something like that but… do you wanna risk it?" Ritsuka asked. Shirou's mind flashed to Bazett's fist dragging Shinji across the wall, the boy grimacing.
"I suppose she can do her own laundry," He admitted, Ritsuka nodding sagely beside him. The two boys stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, staring at the wash basin.
"Hey," Shirou suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence. "Did Sakura come over today?"
"I didn't see her," Ritsuka supplied. "And I was up basically all morning." Shirou's eyes narrowed. That did explain why he was still sleeping this late into the day, but he couldn't remember a time Sakura never came over without telling him first. It was weird, but he supposed there was no reason to be worried about it. She had her own life after all.
"I see…,"
"Hey, you want breakfast?" Ritsuka offered suddenly. "There's a pot of soup in the kitchen, but if you want something more solid, I could cook something,"
"Hey, no, no," Ritsuka could see a spark of life in Shirou's eyes as he spoke. "I told you I was gonna cook you something that would blow your socks off, didn't I? I didn't get to make dinner last night, so I'll make this breakfast."
"Alright then Senpai, better show me your best!" Ritsuka teased.
"Senpai?" Shirou asked as he walked to the kitchen. "If anything, you're the senpai here. You're helping me learn magecraft and giving out life advice." Ritsuka paused, rubbing the back of his neck as he digested the thought. Did he become the senpai of his senpai?
Time travel was weird.
Still, knowing that Shirou wouldn't let him help once he got into the zone, Ritsuka took a seat at the table, Jack quickly crawling on his lap and getting comfortable. The two waited patiently as Shirou worked his culinary knowledge, the skills he forged in a desperate bid for survival beginning to shine.
The house was soon filled with the smell of rice and miso soup, the sound of crackling fish not far behind that wonderful smell. By this point, Medusa silently walked into the room, sitting down at the table and opening her new book, reading quietly.
To pass the time, Ritsuka began to playfully drum on Jack's belly, the small bundle of curses giggling and poking Ritsuka's sides. The father/mother and child played together until Shirou walked over, placing a tray in front of Ritsuka filled with pristine rice, mouthwatering fish, and a wonderful bowl of miso soup.
"Itadakimasu!" Ritsuka called out as he took the chopsticks, scooping up the food and eating it in one smooth motion. The food's flavor practically exploded in his mouth… but he still had to come to the same conclusion. Emiya Shirou wasn't as good as EMIYA yet. Still... "Oh, it's really good!" Ritsuka complemented with an honest smile. Shirou looked at Ritsuka's face for a few seconds before frowning.
"No… no I can tell," Shirou muttered, causing Ritsuka to blink.
"Tell… what?"
"You've had better. Whoever it was that taught you how to cook, they're an amazing talent, far beyond what you or I could do… I swear though… I'll catch up to him! In fact, he'll have to keep up with me!" Shirou stood up, clenching his fist with determination as Jack clapped at his passionate speech. Ritsuka only chuckled before stuffing some of the food into Jack's mouth.
Between the Master and Servant, the food didn't last long, the two thoroughly enjoying the good food. Ritsuka went to put the plate away, but before he could, Shirou snatched the plate away.
"Hey! No! I'm gonna-!" Ritsuka leaned over the table in a mad attempt to grab the dish, but Shirou quickly scrambled away from him.
"No, no, you keep doing my chores! Sit down and relax like a guest for once!" Shirou fired at Ritsuka, who could only sigh in response.
"You know, most people would be happy with someone else doing their chores!" Ritsuka called out. "I refuse to become a freeloader!"
"I don't think you could be called a freeloader at this point," Medusa pointed out as she turned a page in her book. "You seem to be doing a lot more for others than you'll let them do for you."
"Nah, that ain't true at all," Ritsuka rebutted. "I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the help of others."
"It'd look bad on Emiya if he made someone with a broken arm do more chores than him, would it not?" Medusa switched tactics, killing Ritsuka's arguments. He looked down to his injured arm, grumbling under his breath.
The room grew quiet besides the sound of running water, which caused Jack to fidget in Ritsuka's lap. After a few minutes, Jack rolled over, looking up to her Mommy.
"Mommy, we're boooooored," Jack complained, reaching up and messing with Ritsuka's cheeks. The Master of Chaldea could only chuckle weakly as he saw Shirou flinch at Jack's comment. There really wasn't a lot for a kid to do around Emiya's house, was there?
"Okay, how about you and me head out to the park for a bit?" Ritsuka offered, which caused the conglomerate of children to smile and nod excitedly. It'd work out very well. Jack could have some fun, and then they could go looking for that girl with the shield. "Alright, get some clothes and a jacket, and we'll head out, okay?" Jack rolled off Ritsuka, running back to their bedroom to look for clothes. Meanwhile, Medusa grabbed a bookmark, closing her book and standing up. "Oh umm… Medusa-,"
"You're not going to ask me to stay behind, are you?" The Greek woman asked sharply, looking directly at his broken arm.
"I… I mean, you know." Ritsuka motioned to Shirou with his good hand. "Someone's gotta watch him, and Bazett still has a bad arm."
"Last time you left me behind, that happened to you, and he was fine." Medusa again motioned to his broken arm, not once raising her voice.
"Yeah, but was he fine because things are okay or because you were here?" Ritsuka tried to argue. Medusa shook her head, but before she could continue, Ritsuka fished the Book of the False Attendant out of his pocket. "Look, if I get into trouble, I'll use this to command you to my side right away, okay?" He offered. Medusa stared at the book before coming to a decision. She gave a slow nod, causing Ritsuka to sigh in relief. "Thanks Medusa." He said just as Jack tackled his leg.
"Mommy! Mommy! We're ready to go!" Jack called out, dressed in a warm jacket. "We even brought your scarf and coat!" She reached up, presenting Izo's valentine's gift to Ritsuka. With a smile, Ritsuka took them out of Jack's hands, swiftly wrapping the warm cloth around his neck. He then slipped on the jacket, noticing he felt something in its pocket. A quick peek revealed three Saint Quartz inside.
It didn't seem necessary, but it was better to be prepared, just in case. He was barely able to get them back in his pockets when Jack grabbed on to Ritsuka's hand, practically dragging the boy to the door.
"Um, alright, we'll see you all later!" Ritsuka called out as the two headed out the front door, ready for a cute winter adventure. Medusa herself walked to the window, watching the two leave through the front gate. As soon as the gate closed, Medusa took one look at Shirou before she transformed into her spirit form, vanishing from sight. Her temporary Master didn't need to know that she followed him anyways, after all.
The air was crisp and cool at the park, the wind gently blowing by the Master and Servant. The young Servant reached out, trying to catch one of the golden leaves in her hand. Ritsuka smiled, gently squeezing Jack's hand before looking ahead, seeing lots of young kids playing around in the park. Jack took a step forward before hesitating, looking up to Ritsuka. The Master of Chaldea crouched down, smiling as he gently ruffled his daughter's head.
"Go ahead Jackie," He encouraged her. "Just remember, no dismembering," Jack smiled, running off to the small groups of kids. Ritsuka watched the little bundle of spirits forcing herself into the play group, a feeling of pride filling his chest as he watched her seemingly make friends with an orange haired little girl right away. He sat on an empty bench, taking a deep breath as he thought to himself. What exactly should he do once he was able to move freely again?
First would be to find a leyline, obviously. Even one more Chaldean Servant could help him against Medea, and he had a very good idea of who would be perfect for this. As he planned his next move, someone across the park caught his eye. His eyes widened at the sight of the woman that caught his eyes, his heart stopping for a second.
No, that was impossible… it couldn't be… could it? Ritsuka didn't know if this was a dream or a nightmare, but right now, he wanted to do nothing more than move. However, his legs felt like they were dipped deep into concrete, refusing to move at all. He didn't even notice Jack coming back with her new friend, or the worried look on his daughter's face as he stared.
Even more than Gilgamesh, even more than Mash, the person he saw was an impossibility, there was no way they could be here. That's what he wanted to tell himself, but…
An impossible woman sat across the park, one that he loved with all his heart.
"Mom…?" He muttered to himself. It'd been nearly three years since he saw her, and during every passing moment, it felt like he was slowly forgetting what she looked like. He could barely remember what his life was like before entering Chaldea, but memories of his family came rushing back to him when he saw her.
She was an ordinary looking woman, in fact, the only thing that really made his mom stand out from almost everyone around her was her orange hair. It was so bright and vibrant, like sunlight contrasting the night of his dad's jet black hair. Honestly, it was obvious where Ritsuka inherited most of his looks from.
Realizing how creepy he'd looked if he kept staring, he shifted his eyes down to his feet. What was his mom doing here?! They didn't live in Fuyuki, hell, they didn't even have relatives here. Was this timeline that much different from his own?
He slowly peeked upwards back to his mom, seeing her talking to another woman, probably a friend. He didn't recognize her though… was it someone he knew but forgot or actually someone he didn't know?
It scared him that he couldn't remember.
He felt someone tugging on his pants leg, shaking him out of his thoughts. Looking down, he saw Jack with a friend she made.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Jack called out as she pulled her friend closer. "Lookie, lookie! We made a new friend!" Ritsuka mentally inhaled, calming himself down. He wasn't going to let his issues affect his parenting. His eyes drifted down to the girl Jack brought over. She had bright orange hair… exactly like his mom.
Wait a minute.
"So what's your name?" Ritsuka asked sweetly, deciding to get the answer to this question right away. The girl looked at her own feet shyly before Jack poked her side.
"Don't worry! Mommy's a nice person!" Jack assured her new friend, who tilted her head, confused.
"He looks like my Daddy," The girl replied.
"Mommy might look like a Daddy, but Mommy is Mommy," Jack stated with the confidence only a small child could have. The friend nodded before looking up to Ritsuka.
"Hi, Jack's Mommy! My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka!" the girl said with a big smile.
Of course it was.
"Oh? That's a nice name," Ritsuka replied with a smile that disguised the internal screaming his mind was filled with. He reached down and gently ruffled the girl's hair before looking to Jack. "Say Jackie, did you meet her Mommy?"
"Not yet Mommy!" Jack replied as she shook her head.
"Well, go say hi to her. And be good when you do!" Ritsuka said as he gently picked her up and turned her towards his mom. "Best behavior, okay?" He ruffled her hair once more as she smiled, grabbing the younger Ritsuka's hand and running over to the person that could be considered as her grandmother.
Ritsuka sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he watched Jack and little Ritsuka talking to his mom, the smile on his mom's face letting him know it was going well. Now that the kids were away, he could actually take a second to process just how insane this timeline was.
He felt a pit growing in his stomach. Even if it was just a different timeline version of them… his family was here. Of course he would do his best to save them but… what if it all went wrong? He still didn't know where the bugs were coming from, what if they got his mom or even his younger self? He had no real way to keep an eye on them or anything, not without Chaldea's support.
He really was useless without them, wasn't he?
"Oh, so he's not here with you today?" Ritsuka was forcibly yanked out of his thoughts as the voice of a young girl called out to him. He looked to his right to see Illya standing by the bench, leaning to the side cutely to try to look Ritsuka in the eye.
"Oh… hello, Illya," Ritsuka greeted, putting on a tired smile. "You looking for Shirou?" Illya nodded in response to the question, causing Ritsuka to sigh. "Yeah, he's not with me today. He's at home, re-...," He paused, thinking about what he knew about Shirou Emiya. "Well, he better be resting, at the very least."
He knew that his senpai wasn't.
"Hmm… I see," Illya nodded as she hopped on the bench next to him, kicking her feet as she sat down. "I guess I'll just settle with you, Fujimaruritsuka." Ritsuka blinked at the pronunciation of his name, before chuckling.
"Right, right, you're not Japanese. You can just call me Ritsuka. It's easier to say than Fujimaru." Ritsuka offered. Illya tilted her head, but smiled a little.
"Alright, Ritsuka!" She chirped happily. Ritsuka turned his head to check on Jack, a motion that Illya followed. "Oh, so you brought your Servant," She observed, her tone neutral. "And I left Berserker at home,"
"I brought Jack out to play," Ritsuka mentioned as he saw Jack building in the sand with her new friend. "She won't attack you." Illya looked over to the other Master, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. It was only natural, since they were in a Holy Grail War and all, but Ritsuka was starting to get tired of it. "It's daytime, yeah? Can't fight during the day." He quickly reasoned out. Illya relaxed, seemingly taking the answer.
"I see…" The two fell into an awkward silence, watching Jack grabbing onto her new friend and holding her close whenever any other kid would try to approach the two. Maybe that was something he should nip in the bud… But first of all.
"So… what do you wanna talk about?" Ritsuka asked. Illya hummed to herself.
"I don't know. I don't really get to talk to a lot of people, so I don't know what normal people talk about," Illya admitted. Ritsuka blinked, quickly reminding himself to not think of this Illya as the magical girl, but as the Alter Ego that acted like an older sister.
"Well, what did you talk to Shirou about?" Ritsuka asked. "We can start from there."
"That's not the same," Illya replied softly.
"Ah, yeah, that makes sense," Ritsuka commented. "He's your big brother, after all… probably easier to talk to than some stranger. However, that raises another question," Ritsuka looked at the small woman. "Why were you trying to kill him? Like, did you really enter this war just ready to murder Emiya before the war even properly started?"
"Of course," Illya responded coldly. "It is the Holy Grail War, after all." Ritsuka felt a shiver down his spine as he heard those words.
"I couldn't do it," Ritsuka threw out, trying to get his mind off that cold tone Illya had. "Killing off my family? Even for the Holy Grail, that's just way too much," A thought suddenly entered his mind. The way Shirou described Illya… wait a minute! "Wait, Shirou doesn't act like your big brother. Heck, you and Shirou didn't even know each other's names!" He stood up suddenly, running his hand through his hair. "What kind of grudge could you have against a person you've never even met before?!"
"That's none of your business," Illya replied sharply. Ritsuka looked around, seeing people starting to look at him due to his outburst, so he lowered his voice.
"You're the one holding Heracles' huge slab of stone over my head. I think I deserve to know why, at least."
"Well, that's your own fault. If you didn't help Onii-san, then you wouldn't be in this situation, now would you?" Illya taunted playfully. Ritsuka sputtered, turning away for a second. How was talking to onis somehow easier than talking to her?
"I-I… I mean… I couldn't just let him die," Ritsuka finally mentioned. "He's my friend."
"Friend…," Illya repeated. "Friend? Would you do something like that for any of your friends?"
"Without even thinking about it," Ritsuka answered without hesitation. Illya tilted her head at Ritsuka, before a smug little grin crept onto her face.
"Are we friends, Ritsuka?" Illya asked in a teasing tone. Her grin went away as she didn't see the boy sputtering and tripping over his words like she expected, instead thinking about the question seriously.
"Well, to be honest, I don't think we know each other well enough just yet," Ritsuka finally spoke up. "But if you wanna be friends, I ain't against it. In fact, I'd love to be your friend." He looked at Illya, who was… pouting? Why would she be pouting over that?
"No fair, answering so easily," Illya complained, looking like a disappointed child. "I wanted to see you flustered again!" Ritsuka laughed, scratching his cheek as Illya curled up, puffing out her cheeks. Ritsuka sat down again, looking at Illya, seeing a white puff of air escaping her lips.
Wait, it was winter, wasn't it?
"Illya, are you cold?" He asked. Illya looked up, before nodding.
"Yeah… I'm cold." She admitted. Ritsuka nodded in response. He forgot his Mystic Codes kept him pretty warm. Magecraft really was a wonderful thing. He reached for his neck, untying his scarf before reaching over, draping the cloth around her neck, covering the white one she wore. Oh well, double the scarf, double the warmth, right?
"Here. I don't know how much it'll help, but can't hurt to have just a little more, right?" Ritsuka asked as he gently wrapped it around her. Taking a closer look, he realized that the brown of the scarf sort of blended in with the dark purple of the clothes Illya wore, but eh, functionality above all. "Does that feel better?"
Illya reached up, feeling the warm fabric around her neck and smiling a little. "Yes. I feel much warmer…"
"And, if you do this…," Ritsuka added, pulling up the front of the scarf to cover Illya's mouth. "You can do a cool ninja cosplay!" He declared with a wide smile. "It's honestly a lot of fun!" Illya could only laugh. Despite how childish she looked, it was the adult that acted the most like one. She slid off the bench, putting her hands behind her back as she turned to walk away.
"I should be going. He'll wake up soon," Illya explained. "Maybe after I take care of Shirou, I'll come take you to my castle, Ritsuka." Ritsuka blinked at that.
"Illya… what do you mean by that?" He asked slowly. Illya only turned around, the smile on her face sending a chill down his back. "I-Illya? What did you mean by that?" Without another word, Illya walked off, humming to herself. Ritsuka went to stand up, but before he could move, he realized that she had completely disappeared from his sight. He had no clue where she even went. He was beginning to have a really bad feeling about this.
He felt someone tugging on his leg once more, looking down to see Jack.
"Mommy…," she said sadly, wiping some small tears from her eyes. "My friend had to go home...," Ritsuka sighed, getting on a knee and wiping the tears from Jack's eyes.
"We should probably go too, okay?" He said. Jack nodded as Ritsuka took her hand, standing up and slowly walking away with her. They didn't have any more time to waste, tomorrow night was the deadline Illya gave them.
He hoped he found the girl that looked like Mash before then.
The Master and Servant walked quietly down the street as Ritsuka began to make a plan. The best place to start looking would be around the church, since that was where they last saw the girl. Still, if she was anything like Mash, she could cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. He really wasn't sure how he could realistically find her in just one night. Maybe he could ask Lancer for help? Then again, he didn't want to depend too much on the guy, not while he still didn't know who his Master was.
"You look lost," A voice called out to him. Ritsuka blinked, focusing back on the world around him. A little bit ahead of him, Archer stood with his arms folded, leaning against a tree.
Wait, a tree? Wasn't he just walking down the street?
"I… yeah, I do seem to be a bit lost," Ritsuka admitted. "I coulda sworn I was headed to the city." He muttered as he looked around. Wasn't this the field where he met Shinji in? Really, how did he end up here?
"Sometimes that sort of thing just happens," Archer responded cryptically, giving Ritsuka pause. He didn't like the tone in Archer's voice. He never heard it before back in Chaldea, so full of deceit and mistrust. Hearing it now, he knew one thing; he never wanted to hear Archer's voice like that again. "Say, Fujimaru," Archer asked as he got off the tree, slowly walking over to Ritsuka. The Master of Chaldea stood up straight to stare Archer in the eye, doing his best to not show any sign of weakness. "Did you think we wouldn't find out?"
"Find… out?" Ritsuka's confusion was baked into his voice. "Find out what?" Archer stood in front of Ritsuka, bending down ever so slightly so that his grey eyes were level with Fujimaru's blue ones as he spoke his next words.
"Did you think we wouldn't find out about Marisbury Animusphere?" The venom in Archer's voice was the only warning Ritsuka had before Rin's fist suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision, nailing him right in the cheek, and his world went black.
