Epilogue

She didn't quite know how it happened at first, or even why. Initially she supposed that perhaps she'd prayed just hard enough. Perhaps there was in fact one divinity in the heavens who'd taken pity on her piteous cries. Perhaps a spirit that echoed her own had finally come into its own with enough strength to call her forth.

She could rather believe that last one, given her new Master. More specifically, given who her new Master was. Everything else fell into place from there, and she gave a little, "Ah," of partial understanding. She still didn't know the mechanics, but it made sense at the core.

Indeed, she had been redrawn into the Holy Grail War, the one that immediately followed the one she had just fought in—the Fifth War.

And who should just happen to be her Master, but—

"Shirou Emiya," the boy told her, his deep brownish-golden eyes open and honest, his red hair lifting in the breeze. "My name's Shirou Emiya. And…do I just…call you Saber?"

He was so young. Scarcely a child. Just on the cusp of manhood at best.

Yet there was strength in him. Undoubtedly there was.

Foolishness too, given that not hours before he'd thrown himself in front of the club-like sword of a Berserker Class Servant just to protect her (like he hadn't a clue that that was just about the stupidest thing a Master could do), nearly getting bisected and eviscerated save for whatever power of self-regeneration restored him.

Initially, she was shocked. Then a little frustrated, to say the least. But it quickly became clear that this time around she'd been plucked by the most novice of novices, not even having the slightest clue what the Holy Grail War even was, even as he'd summoned her nonetheless.

But after what she'd been through, it was a balm to her wounded soul to be met with such simple kindness. Beyond having no qualms about risking his life to save another, no matter who it was, simply because he didn't want to see anyone in front of him get hurt, and despite his disorientation with his situation as a Master, he was still quite at ease in speaking with her as he would anyone else he'd just met.

It wasn't the fanciest thing, but the rain poncho he lent her kept her and her armor dry as it started to rain sometime after he had recovered from the blow from Berserker, and it was more the way he'd offered it to her than anything else that inspired an initial warmth in her towards him, even as she remained on her guard at the time. She was briefly reminded of a sunny, snowy afternoon in a German castle, standing in front of a mirror while a beautiful silver-haired woman with bright red eyes happily handed her a finely cut suit and tie for her to try on.

And that expression of shock on his face, followed by anger with the blue-haired young Master they'd encountered in the alleyway as he'd forced his Servant Rider to suck the life out of a young defenseless girl…to be sure, Shirou Emiya held nothing back when it came to emotions. Especially when it came to facing the injustices of the world.

Such a complete opposite.

Yet…he was connected to Kiritsugu Emiya, same as she had been.

And it seemed fitting somehow that Kiritsugu would have raised one such as him as a son. An odd thing to think, given the terms on which she and her former Master had parted, but…also given how she'd come to know Irisviel, and learning that it was because of Kiritsugu that Irisviel had possessed the personality that she did…it just…made sense.

This however made it all the more difficult for her to confront the boy with the truth of something concerning the man who had adopted and raised him as a father. But she had to bite the bullet, so to speak. If they were to be a Master-Servant pair, he deserved to know. He needed to know. If she could just figure out how best to approach him about it.

When they'd handily defeated the blue-haired Master of Rider in the alleyway, he had scooped the unconscious girl in his arms and then carried her on his back all the way back to the Fuyuki Chapel to see that she was treated for what had happened to her. Now, as she waited for him to come back, she contemplated the image of him extending such a simple act of kindness to another person, and it felt crueler and crueler with each passing moment thinking on it to divest herself of the truth of his father's callousness and thrust it onto this well-meaning young man.

Yes, he was strong, and his heart was no exception.

Yet, despite its being strong, it was still somehow a heart of glass that could easily be shattered if squeezed too hard by molten forces of pain and anger. To be sure, he'd endure and hold his own far longer than most…but when he eventually reached his breaking point…as all must…surely…he would die.

Saber bit her lip as the sun broke over the skyline of the unassuming yet mystic city of Fuyuki, Japan. Shirou finally stepped out of the chapel, and the two of them met outside the gates, at the top of the stone steps.

"Shirou, how is the girl?" Saber asked first and foremost.

Shirou's smile was slight. Genuine, but also somehow like a scar. "She'll be okay."

"That's good to hear." Saber hesitated before she pointed out, "You were in there a long time."

"Yeah…." Shirou glanced over his shoulder at the church, and then back at Saber. "The priest and I had a talk. About Dad." Something in his eyes illumined at bringing up his father, the man who had been Kiritsugu Emiya…the Mage-Killer.

Saber sighed. "Shirou, I feel there's something I should tell you…before we proceed further. It's time…it's time you knew."

"Knew?"

"Your father…. You see, I was in fact, called to this era once before, in the previous Holy Grail War. But then, I'd represented the Einzberns…."

"You mean, the family that little girl who's Master of Berserker comes from?" Shirou asked. To be sure, he'd sounded pained when he'd expressed his disbelief that "little kids like her" fought in something like the Holy Grail War.

"Yes." Saber thought sadly of Irisviel for a moment, and thought even more sadly of the daughter Irisviel had left behind, as well as the way the little homunculus Master of Berseker had looked at her during her and Berserker's initial clash. She couldn't be certain if that was the same girl, it couldn't possibly be…but even given the nature of her own child…of Mordred…there were many things she had neglected to learn about homunculi.

Just so.

"My Master," she continued, "in the previous War…was your father…Kiritsugu Emiya."

Shirou stared. Certainly the priest had already covered the fact that Kiritsugu had been a Master in the last War, but even so, he obviously hadn't expected that she, Saber, had also been his father's Servant.

"He…was…?" he finally croaked.

Saber closed her green eyes. "Yes. And…as possibly the most ruthless of all of the Masters in that War…though he and I…in fact…had stood victorious at its conclusion…in the end…it was he who ordered me…to destroy the Grail. To destroy…the hope that we had long sought for…that I had…." She closed one gauntleted hand into a fist, gritting her teeth, her anger rising up like the head of a dragon, like the snarl of a lioness, at the memory still so fresh in her mind of the way he had made her destroy the Grail, how he'd had to use his two remaining Command Seals to force her compliance with the order.

"I see." The light in Shirou's eyes dimmed momentarily as he cast them to the ground. He seemed to have withdrawn into what were no doubt his own memories of the Kiritsugu Emiya he had known. Undoubtedly they had been kind, fond memories. Ones that echoed the father that had played so gaily and tenderly with his little daughter in the snowy forest.

Which perhaps was all the more reason why Saber wasn't really that surprised the more she thought about it, when he finally raised his eyes back up to hers, and the light returned, as well as the warmer smile.

"But that doesn't matter…only because…the man I knew as Kiritsugu Emiya…would never have betrayed or abandoned anyone who was in need. Especially anyone who'd been made a victim of the Holy Grail War. So…it's okay."

And then Shirou held out his hand.

Saber stared at it before the corner of her own mouth curled.

"Let's do our best," said Shirou, grinning with encouragement. "Okay, Saber?"

"Yes." Saber lifted her gaze to Shirou's, and she shared his smile sincerely. "You and I are bound now by our pact. I find I am pleased that it's you. That it's one such as you…one such as you who was fostered by Kiritsugu Emiya. Just so, I thank you for your kindness and candor, Master."

Shirou chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, why not just call me Shirou? Master's a bit much to be honest."

"Ah yes." At last, Saber took the hand Shirou offered her and clasped it with her gauntleted one. "I shall call you Shirou then." After another moment's thought, her smile widened, the warmth spreading. "Yes, I think I like that much better. Shirou."

After they shook hands, an uncommonly gentle winter breeze lifted their hair as they both turned towards the hopeful rosy light of the dawn. Saber's heartbeat brimmed with affection for the memories she had of Irisviel as she faced this dawn, and the elation stayed with her when she looked over at Shirou still gazing off in the distance.

Yes…this time. This time…she would not fail those she had sworn to watch over, even if now she could only serve as caretaker for the legacies they'd left behind.

This time she would win. They would win.

She had to hope.

After all, without hope…she had no defense against the shadow of both doubt and desire that still lingered within her.

THE END