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

Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi

Chapter 11: L'Imperatrice (Part II)

"I'd have thought you'd want to catchup with your sister, or something." Shirou remarked.

Sakura shrugged, as she poured coffee for them both. "And I'd never have thought you'd double back here," she said. "Even after everyone else had gone home after dinner. Is my company that much desirable for you?"

Shirou gave a small smile as Sakura handed him his coffee. "And if it is?" he asked back.

Sakura smiled in her turn. "You'd have to do better than that to make me blush." She said. "As to what you said earlier, well, I'll admit my sister and I aren't that close. Not nearly as much as her and Mitsuzuri are, and from the look and sound of things, Rin would rather catchup with her lover than she would with me tonight."

Sakura paused, and then shrugged again. "We have plenty of time." She said. "Who am I to get in the way of young love?"

Shirou hummed thoughtfully at that. "Romantic, aren't you?" he asked.

"Ha! Not really…but I guess Marjatta rubbed off on me by just a bit." Sakura admitted with a laugh.

"Another one of your cousins?" Shirou asked.

"Yes." Sakura said. "Luvia's twin sister, in fact, and probably the sweetest one of our whole generation. Even those among us who argue with each other would agree that Marjatta is the dearest of us all, and anyone who makes her cry will be hunted down to the ends of the Earth."

"Scary…" Shirou said. "…and poetic, too."

Sakura shrugged (again). "I have my moments." She said.

"That you do." Shirou agreed, before lifting his mug to his lips to take a drink. Sakura followed suit, the two magi spending the next few minutes in silence, enjoying their coffee and waiting for the other to speak. In the end, it was Shirou who restarted the conversation.

"So," he began. "What now?"

"That remains to be seen." Sakura said. "Like I've told you before, I don't plan on permanently taking up the post of Second Owner for Fuyuki. But at the same time, I can't just desert my post either. And while I'd prefer it if Rin could somehow be restored to the post…"

"…as things stand, it can't be, right?" Shirou finished.

"Yes." Sakura replied with a nod. "A lot of what happens next will depend on Rin's plans for the future."

"…it could be worse, I guess." Shirou sighed. "At least she managed to keep her house and the land it stands on, along with her family's other properties in the mundane world. Oh, and most of her crest too…if I remember right, so long as a magus has their crest, even if they lose all their research papers and mystic codes, with their crest, they can always rebuild those, given time, effort, and materials."

Shirou paused. "I'd say it's generous for the Association to have let Rin keep so much," he said with a scowl. "Only I can't, because they took everything she and her family owned over at the Clock Tower."

Sakura shrugged. "It couldn't be helped." She said. "Those, along with the Tohsaka circuits in Rin's crest, are the only way anyone – anything – can take responsibility for the Tohsaka ancestors' treachery. And someone – something – has to take responsibility."

"I guess so." Shirou grumbled.

Sakura silently drank her coffee, and deciding to refrain from bringing up Edelfelt's own price for all the assistance they'd rendered to Tohsaka. In any case, Rin hadn't brought it up – yet – so Sakura had a way out in case anyone accused her of avoiding the topic in the future.

If Rin was mum on the topic, then why should Sakura be any different? It was private, family business, anyway.

"Rin's future, and that of the post of Second Owner aside," Sakura continued, and changing the topic in a plausible direction. "The Fuyuki Grail remains an issue. In part, at least: disconnecting it from the ley-lines is doable, if needing plenty of time and effort to achieve."

"Materials, too?" Shirou guessed.

"Compared to containing Matou," Sakura disagreed. "Actually no. That's not to say that there aren't significant material costs, as rituals will still need to be done, but nowhere near what it cost me to contain Matou's taint."

"I hope you don't wear yourself out as much as you did with Matou." Shirou said.

"I shouldn't," Sakura said with a small smile. "But wear and tear are simply unavoidable. I appreciate the thought, though."

Shirou just hummed in response. "And?" he prompted. "You mentioned that disconnecting the ley-lines will only be a partial solution. I'm guessing the Grail itself will be a major headache to deal with once and for all."

"You guess correctly." Sakura sourly said. "I have a few proposals about that, but the nature of the Grail as a ruined World Gate complicates things. There are politics involved, so I'll have to defer final judgment and the like to Luvia and her advisors."

"Politics…" Shirou echoed unhappily. "…sounds great…you have my sympathies, Sakura."

"Thanks…and I'm sure Luvia would be thankful too." Sakura said with a sigh.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Shirou asked.

Sakura gave him another smile. "I appreciate the offer," she said. "And I'll let you know if something comes up."

Shirou smiled back and nodded at that response. "I'll do what I can when that time comes." He said.

"Speaking of which," Sakura said while glancing at the grandfather clock standing in a corner. "It's almost nine-thirty in the evening. I'm not telling you to leave, but it is getting late. Shouldn't you be heading for home, before it gets much too late? Magus or not, travelling the streets at night can get dangerous. Though, if you want to stay a while longer, I don't mind. I can always lend you a car to get you home with if it comes to that."

"Hmm…good point, and tomorrow's a school day too." Shirou admitted before finishing his coffee. "Thanks for the talk and coffee, though. I guess I'll be going then."

"You sure you don't want to borrow the car?" Sakura asked. "It's no trouble at all."

Shirou gave a small laugh and shook his head. "No, it's fine." He said. "Besides, I'm feeling very full right now, so a good long walk should do me just right. It'll also give me a chance to think things over. As for danger at night…well, me being a magus too aside, let's just say I also have…other ways, of getting around."

Sakura hummed while smiling and raising an eyebrow at that. "Well, aren't you full of surprises, Magus Emiya?" she asked with faux-mockery.

Shirou just shrugged. "I guess I am." He said while setting down his coffee mug on its saucer on a nearby table. "Well then, I'll be going. I've said this earlier, but again, thank you for having me and everyone else over, dinner was very delicious, as was the tea before that, and the coffee just now."

"You're welcome, Shirou." Sakura said. "Though, there's no need to pretend: you're not too fond of black tea, are you?"

"…erm, sorry."

Sakura chuckled and then shook her head. "It's fine." She said. "To each their own, and all that. Well then, have a safe trip, and sleep well tonight."

"You too, Sakura." Shirou said with a nod. "Goodbye, and good night."

Sakura nodded back, looking on as Shirou left the room, and left her by herself to finish her own coffee.


"Tohsaka, you're back!"

"Welcome back, Tohsaka!"

"It's good to see you again, Tohsaka!"

"Long time no see, right, Tohsaka?"

"Oh wow, it really is you: welcome back, Tohsaka!"

Despite herself, Rin gave her classmates a rare smile. It wasn't quite the same class from last year, though there were plenty of old and familiar faces. Speaking of which…

"Come on, now," Ayako said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and placing an arm protectively around Rin's shoulders. "Rin's just come back from her trip overseas, and had to attend school right away without any chance to recover just so she can avoid falling behind. Don't crowd her, and just give her some space."

That got a chorus of assent up from the other women, who immediately started apologizing. "Sorry about that, Tohsaka." One of them said.

"Yeah, we really should have been more considerate." Another woman said.

"Hope you get back on your feet soon!" a third woman encouragingly said.

Again, despite herself, Rin smiled wider. "Thanks for the pep talk." She said, nodding in gratitude first at her classmates, and then again at Ayako who gave Rin a grin in response. Then Rin was blinking, as Sakura walked into the classroom like it was completely normal for her to do so.

"Good morning, everyone!" she cheerfully greeted the class.

"Good morning, Sakura!" several of their classmates, both male and female, returned the greeting.

"Sakura, can I have a reading?" one of the latter suddenly piped up.

"No, me first!" another female classmate said.

"Hey, I asked first!"

"Yeah, but it's my turn today!"

"When did we agree to that?"

"You bitch!"

Sakura ignored the argument out of nowhere, and just cheerfully proceeded to her seat. As she put her things away and brought out materials for first period, Rin drifted over with a confused air.

"Uh…what are you doing here, Sakura?" she asked. "This is a senior class, and…"

"Yes, I know that." Sakura said as Rin trailed off, raising an eyebrow curiously. "I've been in this class for months now."

Rin's eyes were wide. "But…" she stammered out. "You're a year younger than I am."

The resulting silence was profound, as all eyes turned to Sakura, the suddenly-revealed junior in their midst. She didn't seem fazed at all, though.

"And your point is?" she just asked.

"Why are you in a senior class when you're a year younger than Rin?" Ayako asked. "I mean…I always assumed you were twins, but to think you were her little sister!"

"To answer your question first, I'm here because my academic achievements in Finland qualify me for this class, as certified by the Japanese educational authorities." Sakura said, before tilting her head. "Moving on, didn't I ever mention the specifics of my relation to Rin?"

"No…and that's nee-san to you!" Ayako ground out.

"Ah…my mistake then," Sakura said with a shrug.

It took Rin restraining Ayako and the warning bell sounding to keep the latter from actually strangling Sakura.


"Why are you really here, Sakura?" Rin asked over lunchbreak. "And in the same class as me, no less?"

"Like I said earlier," Sakura replied with a shrug. "My academic achievements are enough to get me into your class. Well, same level, actually: I pulled a few strings here and there, or rather asked people who could to pull those strings to pull them to get me into your school and class both."

"Why, though?" Rin pressed.

"It's so if you came back," Sakura added. "I can spend as much time with you even in school."

Rin blinked and looked away. "You think too highly of me." She said.

Sakura hummed and raised an eyebrow. "No, actually I don't know you at all." She said. "And I'd like to change that, if I can."

"…why go to school at all, though?" Rin asked after a long moment. "I don't think you actually need to, so why?"

Sakura smiled and sat back, supporting her weight on her arms. "It was Marjatta's idea, actually." She said.

"Marjatta?" Rin echoed.

"Luvia's twin sister," Sakura explained. "She pointed out how much more…memorable, becoming Second Owner in such a distant land here as Japan is, if I socialized with and made friends and acquaintances with people my age here and now. That, and it was an opportunity, to see new places, make new friends, and experience new things. And it's an opportunity that should not to be turned down."

"And what do you think?" Rin asked. "In hindsight, that is?"

Sakura beamed at her. "Marjatta was right," she said. "As she usually is."

Rin stared at Sakura for several long moments, before giving a sad smile. "You really love them, don't you?" she asked. "Not just Marjatta or Luvia, but the whole of the Edelfelt family. I mean…they're your family, aren't they?"

"They're your family too."

"Hmm…are they?" Rin murmured. "I never knew about them until Luvia introduced herself to me and actually started defending my case over at the Clock Tower. I mean…I'd heard the rumors, about how our grandmother was an Edelfelt, one of two who fought in the Third Holy Grail War, and who stayed behind after the contest and married into our family. I thought it was just that, rumors…but to think it was actually true."

"…there is absolutely no way father couldn't have known." Sakura said. "And yet he shunned us all his life. Small wonder our family had to take such extreme measures as they did."

"Would you have killed me?" Rin suddenly asked.

Sakura sharply looked her way, meeting Rin's eyes steadfastly. "If I had to, yes." She admitted after a few moments. "There were plans expected to end with that outcome, if diplomacy failed and Tohsaka couldn't be brought peacefully into the fold in their proper place as an Edelfelt branch line."

"…I guess I can't hold that against you." Rin said with a sigh. "Magi walk with death, right?"

"…those were the worst-case scenarios." Sakura elaborated after a moment and a sigh of her own. "I personally preferred the ones where diplomacy successfully plays out, and the grievances of over half a century ago are peacefully resolved once and for all. For instance, my children – or one of them, at any rate – marries yours, as part of an agreement to properly integrate Tohsaka with Edelfelt at long last."

"They'd have been Matou…my children, that is, in such an outcome." Rin said.

"Yes, I know." Sakura said with another sigh. "Admittedly an oversight on our part; Dead Apostle or not, we'd never have sanctioned you marrying the scion of a withered lineage like Matou. We just never expected mother to be so stupid as to betroth you to Shinji Matou of all people. After all, even before the truth of Makiri Zolgen came out, it was common knowledge that it was the last member of its family with the ability to use magic."

"You'd have expected mother to know that me and Shinji getting married would only degrade our…children's, magical potential." Rin said.

"Yes." Sakura said.

"…mother meant well." Rin said after a moment. "She hoped even if the next generation suffered from…the echoes, of their father's side of the family's decay, it would open a new path to the future for their family, regardless. A way to stay magi, and continue to honor all the sacrifices their ancestors made to get to this point."

"Ironic, as it turned out." Sakura said with a nod. "Had we known about such stupidity beforehand, we'd have accelerated our plans and intervened much sooner."

"It'd probably have come in handy." Rin said with a mocking laugh. "Who knows? You might have exposed Zouken for what he really was, and even if the Fifth Holy Grail War had still broken out, it might not have been so bad."

"Perhaps," Sakura conceded with another nod.

"…is it to punish mother, then?" Rin asked after a long moment. "Surgically removing her eggs, that is, and planning to have them fertilized in-vitro for implantation into preselected surrogates?"

Sakura didn't reply at once. "If you know that much," she eventually said. "Then I'm sure Luvia explained the whole situation to you."

"Yes, she did." Rin admitted before looking at Sakura. "But I want to hear it from you."

"Yes." Sakura said without hesitation. "It's to punish mother, but in a way that doesn't waste our time or her potential. You and I are both sixth-generation magi, yet our potential falls among those typical of eighth-generation magi. Mother's enhancer abilities are clearly beyond question. But just as beyond question is the fact that she sold you out and our branch of the family to a Dead Apostle. Even without that, she still sold you out and would have ruined your future children with Shinji Matou's garbage genes. That cannot be allowed to stand. It's unwise, improper, and even unjust."

"That's a bit harsh…"

"The bit about Shinji Matou having garbage for genes?" Sakura interrupted. "It's simple fact. I have the reports from the College of Law. Shinji doesn't just lack magic potential, as he actually does have magic circuits, it's just that they're duds. That's even worse that not having magic circuits at all. His bloodline won't just rob your future children of their birthright, it'd twist them into a mockery of everything they could have been and could have gained. Like I said: garbage."

"That's not all, is there?" Rin prompted, trying to change the topic.

Sakura tilted her head. "Why were you going to plead guilty to all charges?" she asked.

Rin blinked. "Well," she began. "I had to take responsibility…"

"What responsibility?" Sakura asked. "You had no knowledge of the World Gate that the Fuyuki Grail actually is, or that Makiri Zolgen was actually a Dead Apostle. Neither did you conspire to hide those facts from the rest of magi society. You should not have to sacrifice your own future, your own happiness, for crimes you had no share in."

"Someone has to take responsibility…" Rin began again, only for Sakura to interrupt once more.

"And so they have, by proxy." She said with a nod. "The Tohsaka patents at the Clock Tower, the Tohsaka circuits in your crest…their loss is only meet for our Tohsaka ancestors' treachery. But you, Rin, there was absolutely no reason for you to lose everything when you didn't have to."

"Happiness isn't something magi should aspire to have." Rin said with a slow shake of her head. "It's…deadweight, pointless baggage that only holds us back from our duty to chart and walk the path that leads to the gates of the Root."

"Just like the bonds between friends and family?" Sakura challenged. "The same bonds you share with Mitsuzuri? If you had to kill her to reach the Root, would you?"

"I…"

"Mother taught you that way of thinking, didn't she?" Sakura asked. "I know. You said as much to Luvia back then. She told me. I had the right to know, after all."

"It's what father would have wanted." Rin said softly. "It's what he would have taught me – us – had he lived, and had you not been taken away."

"For which I am grateful." Sakura scoffed.

"Yes…so am I." Rin whispered.

Sakura sharply glanced her way, but Rin refused to meet her little sister's eyes. "Why?" Sakura eventually asked.

Rin closed her eyes. "I guess…" she said. "…I'm just a failure of a magus, the kind of magus our father would have wanted me to be. I can't sever my bonds…I just can't…and yet…"

"…because of those same bonds," Sakura slowly said with a nod. "You can't turn your back on father's example, taught to you and encouraged for you to cherish by mother."

"Yes."

"…I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Rin said while closing her eyes again. "You don't have any reason to be sorry."

Sakura took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I have to be," she eventually said. "For your sake."

Rin chuckled and gave a small smile. "I don't know whether to be flattered or concerned." She said. "You want to be family with me, but you don't want the same with our parents. It's curious, to say the least."

"Mother might have borne and birthed me into this world," Sakura said softly. "But I feel nothing for her."

"You don't really mean that, do you?" Rin asked.

"Yes, I do." Sakura said.

Rin hummed and tilted her head. "I'm guessing you never lacked for maternal figures in your life," she said. "Even in mother's absence."

Sakura smiled happily. "No," she said. "I certainly didn't. And the same goes for paternal figures in my life."

Rin hummed and slowly nodded. "No matter what else," she said. "I'm glad to hear you've grown up happy and with a caring family of your own."

"Like I said earlier," Sakura replied. "They're – all of us Edelfelt – your family too."

Rin closed her eyes for several moments, and taking a deep breath before letting it out, nodded. "Maybe someday." She said.

"Yes…maybe…hopefully…" Sakura wistfully agreed.


"Are you sure you don't want to meet with mother?" Rin asked, hours later before club activities started. "I mean, you don't have to skip club activities for it, we can always go to my house afterward, and it'd mean a lot to her. Even if you don't really…well…you know…"

"Hmm…it's probably too soon, if her declining to have dinner with us last night is any indication." Sakura said. "I'd probably just remind her of her…well, let's just say recent operation. I use the name of the family at whose behest she had that operation to begin with, after all."

"Hmm…true…" Rin conceded with a slow nod. "…I guess we'll just have to give it time."

Sakura hummed, and then looking around to make sure no one was within earshot, leaned in closer. "Considering she never told you about my existence or the incident right after my birth until Luvia brought it after Heaven's Feel," she quietly told Rin. "I suspect mother would also like to pretend I don't exist."

"I…I don't know…" Rin whispered just as quietly.

Sakura shrugged. "If not mother," she said. "Then father: considering the way he seemed to think about things, I wouldn't be surprised. A kidnapped heiress isn't of much value, and might even be a hindrance to his ends."

"…maybe…" Rin said, unwilling to commit one way or another.

"…well, in any case," Sakura said after a moment and a cough, taking into account her sister's troubled state. "Mother can have all the time she needs, if she ever wants to see me, she knows where I live."

Rin nodded, and then Sakura tilted her head. "Any plans to join a club in the future?" she asked. "Come to think of it, what clubs were you a part of before?"

"It's too late to run for Student Council by now." Rin said, gratefully accepting the change in topic. "And yes, I was a part of the Student Council, until last year and everything that went down with Heaven's Feel. Hmm…I'll have to think of something. What about you, though? From the sound of things, you joined a club?"

"Yes, track and field, to be specific."

Rin whistled. "Wow…good luck," she said. "Makidera can be quite the taskmaster."

"I know." Sakura said with a smile. "Good work ethic, that one. Impressive leadership skills too, and Kaede's certainly got the talent to back it up. Here's to hoping she goes far. It'd be a waste for anything else to happen."

"Wait," Rin began with wide eyes. "You're on first name terms with her? How'd that happen?"

Sakura smiled wider. "Who do you think holds the number two spot on the club?" she asked.

Rin blinked, and then chuckling, shook her head. "Not number one?" she teased.

"I could take the spot." Sakura admitted. "If I used magic, that is. But I won't. There is such a thing as professional pride, after all."

"If it's just a matter of athletics," Rin mused. "Then you have to get by on athletic talent, without magical buffs, huh?"

"No point in taking pride in any athletic achievement, otherwise." Sakura said, and Rin nodded in agreement.

"True," she said. "Alright then…I won't hold you up any longer. I'll see what I can do, while you go to practice."

Sakura nodded, and then she and Rin went their separate ways.


A/N

Lots of Rin and Sakura interaction here, as well as answering the past question of why is Sakura in the same class as Ayako (and Rin) when she's younger by around a year than both.