Fate/stay night and Fate/zero are the property of TYPE-MOON. This story is a work of fanfiction, and the author makes no claim to these properties. Some lines of dialogue have been excerpted from the above works in their entirety in this fanfiction. They are from the translations by mirror-moon and Baka-Tsuki, respectively. Thanks to Da-Guru and my brother for their help editing.

Continuation of the Dream

Part Three: Continuing the Dream

I

Arturia trudges from her room in the Fujimura residence, following the scent of food. Although she has done her best to maintain her personal discipline, years of socializing with more nocturnal individuals have unavoidably altered her personal habits. The light streaming in through the windows tells her that although she has only been awake for a short time, this meal will most likely be classified as brunch.

She sniffs the air as she enters the hall outside the dining room. 'Bacon again?' Arturia frowns. Although Raiga has always preferred traditional Japanese meals, in recent months the cuisine served by the staff has shifted substantially toward Western food. The cause of that change is the spoiled adult in the shape of a white-haired girl sitting patiently at the table.

"Good morning, Arturia!" that adult greets her cheerfully. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to make it to anything before lunch."

"Illyasviel," Arturia responds to her greeting with a slight nod. "I see that you have been charming the cook again."

Illya pouts, the effect spoiled by the syrup-sodden pancake filling her mouth. "Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?"

"Have you forgotten that you are freeloading at this house?" Arturia sighs as she loads her plate with fried bacon, scrambled eggs, and pancakes. She notes that the cook's aptitude for Western cuisine has been improving - the bacon is neither undercooked nor burned, and she suspects the pancakes, a perfect golden color on the outside, will have no raw bits inside. "It is unseemly to change things to suit yourself."

Illya flinches, then her features take on a dangerous cast. "But Arturia, haven't you been freeloading here for much longer than I have?"

"Of course not." Arturia responds without hesitation, well aware that any show of weakness will be pounced upon. "I have provided a valuable service to the Fujimura household. Their retainers have become both more capable in combat and significantly more respectful of women under my tutelage."

Illya raises an eyebrow. "So, you beat them up when they're rude?"

Rather than continue what is starting to seem like another pointless argument, Arturia applies herself to her breakfast. As she expected, the pancakes are perfect. She garnishes them with a small amount of jam, ignoring Illya's protest that "you're wasting a perfectly good syrup sponge!"

Both of them pause when the dining room door slides open and Raiga steps through it.

"Good morning, Illya-chan, Arturia-chan." He sits down at the head of the table, in front of a plate already filled with food. Raiga catches Arturia's gaze, then casts an inquiring glance in Illya's direction. Arturia nods. His mouth quirks briefly into a smile.

"Thank you for saving me some food, Illya-chan," he says, neatly sidestepping her prepared defenses before following up with a vicious strike. "I'm pleased you were able to bring yourself to spare a few pancakes."

"Gramps!" Illya whines magnificently around a mouthful of food. She swallows hastily, chokes, and gulps down some water, then coughs. "That's not fair! Arturia eats more than me!"

Arturia scoffs, but restrains herself before speaking. The homunculus's body is easily capable of consuming more food than a human of her size should be able to manage.

"That may be true," Raiga admits. "However, she eats more than pancakes and bacon, so if the pancakes were to vanish before I arrived, I believe you would be the most likely culprit."

Unable to deny it, Illya sniffs and helps herself to another stack of pancakes. The three of them eat in silence for several minutes, before Raiga speaks again.

"I'm leaving for Toyko immediately after breakfast."

Arturia tilts her head and raises an eyebrow at him while she chews, and he elaborates.

"There's some business I have to attend to before the sumo tournament begins, unfortunately. Please give my regards to Taiga when you next see her."

Illya nods. "Of course. I'm going to go bother Shirou at the archery club's end of year party, so I'll see her then." She smirks sideways at Arturia. "I don't know when Arturia will be able to deliver your message. It's almost as if she's been avoiding visiting Taiga at work."

Arturia huffs. "There is no need for me to visit her at work when I see her at home. Furthermore, I am neither a student nor employee of the school, and have no reason to be there."

"I see, I see." Illya shovels another forkful into her mouth, and nods sagely. Raiga laughs. "And you're so busy here that you cannot possibly spare the time, right?"

"Unlike you, I have responsibilities that I cannot simply disregard to spend time with my friends," Arturia retorts.

"I'm sure Taiga wouldn't mind some company while she's doing her paperwork. We could certainly spare you for enough time for that," Raiga offers as he stands up. He wipes a stray bead of syrup from his mouth, then grins. "Alright, girls. I am off to see some sumo. Take care of the house while I'm gone."

Illya waits until the door is closed behind him before giving Arturia a pointed look. "So then, Saber-chan, when are you going to visit Shirou? Neither of you is getting any younger."

"Soon," Arturia says firmly. "I think it has been enough time for him to have recovered emotionally from the War. Now that he is done with his education for the time being..."

"Ar~tu~ri~a!" Illya shakes her head, clasping her hands to her cheeks in mock horror. "How can you possibly think it is better to let him believe you dead than to see him sooner? I knew you were heartless, but this!" She presses the back of her wrist to her forehead. "Alas, that my poor Shirou has to put up with such a heartless woman."

Arturia sucks in a breathe, but-

"Oh wait, he doesn't. Because she is hiding from him and letting him think she's dead." Illya delivers a lethal strike with no hesitation. As much as she wishes to, Arturia cannot deny the accusation.

"For him, it has been months, Illya. But I have not seen him in over a decade." She sighs. "I do not know how to face him. He will have changed a little, but I have changed a great deal."

Arturia glares across the table at the smirking homunculus. Things like the passage of years or the manner of their parting cannot simply be waved away. 'Illya might be that direct of a person,' she thinks, then corrects herself immediately, 'no, she certainly is. She does not know the meaning of indirectness. But I cannot. What does one say when reunited with a man you knew for two weeks, fell in love with, and then were parted from forever?' She leans her forehead on the table, pushing aside her plate. 'When I think of it like that, it becomes even more ridiculous.'

"How to face him?" Illya waves a hand dismissively. "You go over to his house, ring the bell, and wait for him to answer."

"It's not that simple!"

"It's exactly that simple!"

Arturia rolls her eyes, then raises her head again. "I see. Just go ring the bell?"

"Exactly!" Illya raises a finger. "What will not be simple is combining Saber, the mysterious foreigner who stayed with Shirou for a few weeks, with Arturia, the blond devil who terrorizes even the most hardened yakuza of the Fujimura group in the dojo."

"Ugh," Arturia groans. "I had not considered that." She thinks for a moment, trying to recall who would know her in both identities. "Actually, I believe Taiga is the only one who will need to be convinced."

Illya frowns in thought. "Just Taiga, huh? No, you're right." She smirks. "That will be easy, then."

"Indeed," Arturia nods. "I shall address it when it comes up."

"So probably never."

"That is an unkind thing to say about the daughter of your host."

"You're not denying it."

Arturia clears her throat.

"What did you tell her as Saber, anyway? Didn't you make up some dumb story or another with Shirou?"

Arturia draws herself upright in indignation. "I told her I was an acquaintance of Kiritsugu's from overseas, and that Shirou was providing me lodging while I was in Japan to accomplish a task. Every word of it was true."

"Is that the sort of sophistry you learned as a king?"

Arturia grimaces. "Worse. I learned it from Merlin."

Illya giggles. "Did you also learn your procrastination and excuses from Merlin?"

"Excuse me?" Arturia arches an eyebrow.

"You know," Illya says in a voice dripping with ill-disguised humor, "Arturia, I think that the reason that you haven't gone to see Shirou yet is that you're afraid."

"Afraid?" Arturia scoffs. "What do I have to fear?"

"What if he's changed?" Illya asks. "What if you've changed, and you haven't realized it? What if he's mad at you for waiting so long? What if he's still broken up about how you left?"

Arturia flinches.

"Don't be silly. I'm sure he'll forgive you, and I'm sure the two of you will still get along. But nothing can happen until you go see him."

"You may be correct. But still..."

Illya sighs and Arturia looks away. Illya shoves the remnants of her breakfast around her plate for a few minutes before she speaks again.

"...Hey, Arturia..." For once, Illya looks nothing like a sarcastic adult, and entirely like the small child her body belongs to. "I didn't think of it before, but you knew Mama and Papa, didn't you?"

Arturia frowns. "I would not say that I knew them. I was your mother's companion for two weeks, and I avoided your father as much as possible." Illya's face falls, and Arturia realizes she has made a mistake, although she is unsure what it is. "However, I accompanied your mother frequently for those two weeks, and had many opportunities to converse with her. Why do you ask?"

Illya's face shifts between several emotions too fast for Arturia to read, before settling on a sour expression. She sighs, then looks Arturia in the eye.

"Could you tell me about her?"

'Ah.' She should have realized sooner. Although Illyasviel is a young woman who has been through many terrifying experiences, she is also a young woman whose parents left when she was a child and did not return. It has been easy for Aturia to forget that the cheerful, mischievous girl who recently moved into the Fujimura home was previously the murderous Master of the most powerful Servant of the Holy Grail War. A master who had wanted to kill Shirou for stealing her father.

"It's okay if you can't," Illya continues, looking away, and Arturia realizes some of her thoughts must have shown in her expression. "I guess it has been a long time since then, and-"

"Illya," Arturia interrupts firmly, "I would be happy to." Arturia knows she has made the right choice when Illya's face lights up. "But, perhaps not right now. If you do not leave soon, you will be late to Shirou's club party."

Illya starts, then spins to look at the clock. She turns back to Arturia. "I suppose it will have to wait. But don't think you're getting out of this!" Illya collects her dishes and rises to her feet. "And speaking of things that have been put off, when are you going to go see Shirou?"

"Soon." Arturia refuses to meet Illya's eyes, and eventually Illya shrugs.

"Don't procrastinate for too long, Arturia, or someone might steal him away from you."

Without giving Arturia a chance to respond, she slips out of the room.

~~~CotD~~~

Arturia inspects her room, satisfied. Her clothes are all folded or hanging in her closet, sorted by kind, color, and formality of wear. Her small collection of books is sorted and arranged on the side of her desk, which is freshly dusted and cleared of the accumulation of papers that had been waiting for her attention. Bills were paid, training reports were written, ledgers of supplies for the Fujimura's dojo were updated. The hardwood floor is polished to a shine and small rug beside her bed that protects her feet from the chill on winter mornings is freshly beaten. Her bed, a western style frame and mattress, was neatly made with fresh linens, and Avalon was securely hidden in its locked case beneath it.

Arturia nodded to herself, satisfied. Her room was as clean as she could make it, and no one could find fault with it. However, that left her with a single problem.

She has run out of ways to procrastinate. Left with no other choice, she will have to confront the thoughts she has been industriously avoiding.

'It is not as if Illya is wrong.' She shakes her head. 'No, that is unfair. Illya is correct. I should go to see Shirou sooner than later. Objectively, I know she is correct. So, why am I hesitating?'

With a sigh, Arturia flops back onto her bed. She spares a brief moment of regret for the perfectly arrayed covers, but that does not distract her for long. 'This is unbecoming. I was the king of an entire country. Being reunited with someone I care for should not be more intimidating than deciding the fate of thousands of people. So why does contemplating the idea make me feel as though I am ill?'

'Because,' she realizes, 'I am afraid, after all. This and being the king of England are two entirely separate things.' She raises a hand to her chest, feeling her heart racing. 'I love Shirou.' Even saying it inside her own head brings a flush of warmth to her cheeks. 'However, that also means I am vulnerable. Everything Illya said earlier is true. He could hurt me in a plethora of ways without even meaning to.'

Arturia sighs. 'When we parted, I was able to forgive him and speak honestly in part because I knew we would never be reunited. And I believe the same was true of him. Now, facing that prospect, I am no longer certain.'

'Two weeks. We knew each other for only two weeks. There is truly nothing like mortal peril to drive people together, and I believe people show their truest selves in the direst of circumstances. I am confident that Shirou is a good person.'

'And yet. And yet, and yet. That does not mean he will still love me. It may turn out that he was merely infatuated with me, exacerbated by the circumstances.' It hurts her to admit it, but she forces herself to face that truth, and the one that follows. 'It is possible that I am merely infatuated with the young man who saw beyond the crown and saw me as a woman.'

'And even if we do both truly love each other, does that mean we are compatible? Love, after all, is not always enough for a successful relationship. I have seen that. Shirou is a good person, but is that enough?' Arturia shakes her head. 'I cannot know.'

'And it is possible that any hope of a relationship has been irreconcilably damaged by the time it has taken me to seek him out. Which means I should do so as soon as possible.'

"Ugh." Arturia vocalizes her disgust at her realization.

'Illya was right. That brat will never let this go if I admit that to her, however.' She glances at the clock on her desk. 'And she'll be home soon.'

Arturia sits bolt upright. 'Illya will be back soon, and if I'm still here, she will pester me more.' She rises to her feet.

'No!' She hardens her resolve. 'Today is the day. I will leave now.'

After a moment's hesitation, she retrieves Avalon from its case. Slowly, reverently, she traces the fairy letters before dissolving it into a cloud of golden motes that sink beneath her skin.

Comforted by the presence of her sheath, she exits, shutting the door firmly behind her. But by the time she has reached the door and put on her shoes, her resolve has already wavered. Arturia reminds herself of the merciless teasing that would await if Illya were to catch her hesitating at the door, and steps outside.

Her mind is blank as she walks through Fuyuki city. Even her doubts have faded, leaving her with the sort of serenity she remembers feeling before a battle, after negotiations had failed, all of the preparations had been completed, and bloodshed was both inevitable and immediate. There is a certain peace to committing to a course of action and embarking upon it.

Yet she realizes that her feet have not carried her to the Emiya residence. She remembers passing the crossroad, but the path she is walking now is instead road toward the Tohsaka estate. Arturia stops.

'Rin.'

In all of her agonizing over Shirou, she had let herself forget that he was not the only one she had left behind. After all, she could hardly seek out Rin and then ask her to keep it a secret from Shirou. But now that that was no longer a concern, it seems she subconsciously sought out the easier reunion instead.

'There is no reason I cannot seek out my friend for reassurance and support before going to meet Shirou.'

Heart buoyed by that realization, Arturia continues toward her friend's home.

~~~Interlude 8-1~~~

"She's late!" The girl complains to the boy standing next to her. The two of them are standing at the school gate, waiting for their friend to arrive for the archery club's welcome party. "What's keeping her?"

"Maybe there was traffic?" Shirou offers absently, then shakes his head. "Or maybe Fuji-nee's tardiness is hereditary?"

Rin snorts, drawing disbelieving looks from the students walking past them to leave the school. "There's no way something so convenient could be true." She taps her foot impatiently. "If they don't get here soon, we're going to miss the beginning of the party."

"I think it's already too late for that," Shirou points out. The party started immediately after classes ended for the day, so there is no way it has not started already. However, the two of them have to stay by the gate where they arranged to meet Illya.

"You know," Shirou says after several minutes of silence, "I was really surprised to find out we were in the same class this year."

Rin nods. "Me too. Ayako moved to class C, though. Now she has Fujimura-sensei for homeroom in addition to English and as the archery club adviser. It's a good thing they get along so well."

"Issei is still in class C, also. I hope they get along."

"Impossible." Rin's response is immediate. "It's a good thing he's not in our class, though. If he was in the same class as I was, I would definitely kill him before we graduated."

"Tohsaka, you shouldn't say such scary things with a straight face. People will find out how twisted your personality actually is."

"Hmph." She turns away from him with a huff. "If Illya wasn't late, we wouldn't have to have such a troublesome conversation."

"You're right. Fujimura-san said he'd drop her off around the last bell, but that was almost ten minutes ago. I'm starting to get a bit worried."

'I hope everything's alright,' he thinks. 'Although it's not as though Illya can't take care of herself. But since Fuji-nee refused to let me be her guardian, she ought to make sure her grandfather does a proper job of it.'

"-chan!"

'Fujimura-san is usually reliable, but sometimes he gets distracted.'

"-ii-chan!"

'Or what if he hurt himself sparring with one of his men again, and had to be rushed to the hospital?'

"Onii-chan!"

"Huh?"

"Mou! Onii-chan, let's go to the party!"

Shirou blinks. Illya is standing in front of him, pouting. 'When did she get here?' he wonders, and looks toward Rin for an answer. Instead of helping, she is covering her mouth, and her whole body is shaking with the effort to suppress her laughter. When he catches her eyes, she takes a deep breath to compose herself.

"Sorry, Emiya-kun. You looked like you were thinking so seriously, so I didn't want to interrupt you." Shirou opens his mouth to retort, but a tug at his sleeve distracts him.

"Let's go~!" Illya doesn't wait for a response, but begins pulling him toward the school. Shirou stumbles after her, trying to ignore the looks the other students are giving him. Rin follows far enough behind them that it does not look like she is walking with them. 'There's no way Tohsaka isn't going to tease me about this.' He wants to let Illya have as much fun as possible today, and she seems to be enjoying dragging him around. However...

"Illya, the archery dojo is the other way."

She stops, and spins around to glare at him. "Say something sooner, stupid Shirou! We're missing the party!"

"Yes, yes," he apologizes with a smile, and directs her toward the correct building. "Speaking of missing the party, why were you late?"

"Raiga told the driver to drop me off at the school, but he dropped me off on the wrong side, so I had to walk around."

"Or so she says," Rin interjects from behind them, "but it would be more accurate to say she was running as fast as she could."

"Rin! You weren't supposed to tell him that!" Illya glares backward as she enters the dojo, and walks into someone inside the dojo. "Ah!"

"Excuse me." The girl Illya collided with apologizes politely, then notices Shirou. "Emiya! You came! Who's the kid?"

"Good afternoon, Mitsuzuri. This is Illya. She's been staying with Fujimura-sensei's grandfather, and she came for the party." Mitsuzuri Ayako, who was attacked early in the Grail War, seems to have recovered completely. 'I haven't noticed any lingering effects, and neither has Rin,' Shirou thinks with pleasure.

Ayako squats down in front of Illya. "Illya-chan, is it? I'm Ayako. Welcome to the Homurahara archery club!" She looks up at Shirou. "Emiya, is she yours?"

"What, no!" Shirou splutters, and Ayako stands up, laughing.

"Ayako, that's mean!" Illya pouts. "I may look like this, but I'm not his daughter, I'm his older sister!" At that, Ayako stops laughing for a moment, then begins laughing even harder, clutching her stomach.

"I'm glad you're all having so much fun, but you're blocking the doorway, you know." Rin's voice is glacial, and the three of them jump, then hurry out of the way. "Thank you. Good afternoon, Mitsuzuri-san," she says politely as she enters the dojo.

"Oh, Tohsaka, too? The prodigal ace and our most devoted fan both came for the party, huh? Good, good. Having two respectable seniors like you in attendance should improve morale." Ayako nods happily. "Did you come together?"

"They were waiting for me!" Illya says before Shirou or Rin can protest.

"Oh? Emiya and Tohsaka, huh?" Ayako looks back and forth between them. "You have a wonderful daughter." She claps them both on the shoulder. "Raise her well!" Illya laughs, but Rin's smile turns dangerous.

"Mitsuzuri-san, you are making some dangerous assumptions there."

"It was a joke, a joke." She waves it off. "More importantly, Emiya, if you're here I'm going to have you shoot for the new members."

Shirou nods. "Yeah, I figured. I'll have to borrow a bow, though."

"Actually, I had Fujimura-sensei keep your old bow in the office." Last year's captain responds without a hint of embarrassment. "I guess I couldn't bring myself to accept that you weren't coming back." She scratches the back of her head. "Anyway, she's in there doing paperwork for the new member registrations, so it should be unlocked."

Shirou nods, and walks past Ayako into the dojo proper. Although everyone is calling it a party, the atmosphere is sedate. The students are mostly standing in small groups talking. The older students are catching up with their friends after a vacation, and the new students are mingling awkwardly. Shirou nods to some of them as he passes on his way to the office, but stops when he sees a flash of familiar purple hair out of the corner of his eye.

"Sakura!" He raises his voice to greet her. She looks up from where she is cleaning equipment and smiles at him.

"Senpai! You came!" She sets down the chest protector she was polishing and hurries toward him.

"Yeah, I guess I got talked into it." He shrugs, embarrassed. Sakura has been trying to convince him to return to the archery club since he recovered from his injury. She never concealed the fact that it was at Ayako's request, but he feels slightly guilty that in the end he returned to take Illya to the party.

"Oh, yeah. Illya is here, too," he points toward the entrance, where the white-haired girl is talking animatedly with Ayako. "So is Tohsaka. What are you doing cleaning the equipment today? It's a party, you should be having fun."

"I don't mind doing it!" Sakura protests. "Besides, if I didn't do it today, someone would have to do it tomorrow."

"Sakura," Shirou says slowly, "cleaning and maintaining the equipment is a job for the kouhai. You're a senpai now. You should act like it."

She bows her head, but nods. "I'll try, Senpai. If you'll excuse me..." Sakura looks in Illya's direction.

Shirou nods. "Go ahead. I was on my way to talk to Fuji-nee. Tell her I said not to cause too much trouble."

With a relieved smile, Sakura jogs across the dojo to greet her younger friend. Shirou heads toward the office again, hoping that Rin's presence does not bother Sakura too much. Although Sakura has become good friends with Illya, and Illya is friends with Rin as well, it seems to Shirou as though the relationship between Rin and Sakura was damaged irreparably when Rin forced Sakura to leave his house during the Grail War. They had already had a strange relationship before then, familiar but distant, but after the Grail War, Sakura had become slightly more hostile toward Rin. Even more confusing to Shirou, Rin accepts it. 'I guess that's just proof that I'll never understand women,' Shirou thinks. 'And the most incomprehensible of them all is this one.'

"Excuse me, Fuji-nee." He knocks on the half-open door.

"Oh, Shirou, you came, you came!" Taiga looks up from the pile of paperwork on her desk. The small office was originally an attached storage shed, but Taiga re-purposed it when she took over the archery club. She moved a small desk and a chair inside as soon as possible, saying that if she was going to get anything done in her role as club adviser, she would need a place to work away from the distractions of the students. However, in the end there was nowhere else to put the things that had been in the closet, so it was still used as storage space. The result was that Taiga was surrounded by filing cabinets, unsteady piles of old equipment, and everything else that needed to be kept out of the dojo.

"Shirou, are you here to help me with the paperwork?" Taiga waves a stack of application forms at Shirou for emphasis. "There are so many new members!" she whines.

"Fuji-nee, are you sure that's something you should be complaining about?" Shirou asks dryly, stepping inside. "Anyway, I came here to..." He trails off and braces himself. "I came here to pick up my bow. Mitsuzuri said you had it in here somewhere."

Taiga drops her pen, and Shirou backs toward the door, but before he can escape, she has slammed the door shut and pinned him against the wall.

"Shiiiirou, are you telling me you're going to be rejoining the archery club?" Her voice is dangerous, and her eyes seem to glow with inner light.

"Ah, that is..." He searches for an escape route, but none present themselves, and he feels the Tiger's jaws closing in on his throat. With a sigh, he surrenders to the inevitable. "I'm thinking about it. Mitsuruzi is making me shoot today as a demonstration for the new members. That's why I need my bow."

"Oh, why didn't you say so sooner?" Humming, she turns to a pile in the corner of the former closet and begins sorting through it. "I'll have it for you in just a moment. I know it's in here somewhere!"

'And Fuji-nee wonders why her students treat her like a kid sometimes. It's not normal for an adult to switch moods like that so easily. Still,' he thinks, 'she wouldn't be Fuji-nee if she didn't. I think the more serious the situation is, the worse her mood swings get. I was seriously worried about her the night she met Illya.'

Shirou sits at the dining room table next to Illya, watching Sakura cook. She hums happily to herself in the kitchen, and Shirou thinks that she is much happier today than she was yesterday morning. He looks at the girl sitting next to him. She is also watching Sakura cook, and is smiling enigmatically. 'She looks pleased with herself,' he thinks. He does not know why she helped Sakura, or what she did, but he knows something Illya did has cheered his friend up, and for that he is grateful.

Breakfast yesterday had been somewhat awkward, despite the forced air of casualness they had all put on. After breakfast, Illya had gone out with Sakura, while Shirou had continued cleaning the aftermath of the Grail War from his house. He had made sure to clean up the bloodstains from Rin's fight with Kirei first, but there was still a general mess. Although Rin had tidied the guest room to meet even his standards, the living room was still messy, and the dojo needed to be cleaned. The first two were easily accomplished by lunch time, but the girls were not back yet by then, and Shirou did not feel hungry, so he had skipped lunch to start on the dojo.

It had been painful for him. He could not deny that. Being in the place where he had so many memories of her was difficult enough, but cleaning the place felt like he was cleaning away her traces. Here is where she liked to sit and bask in the sunlight like a cat, there is where she had knocked him into the wall so hard that he blacked out. By the time he was done, the dojo was floor was shining, the shinai were repaired and stored, and the smudges on the walls from where his sweaty back had hit them were gone. It had been emotionally exhausting as well as physically, and when he had stumbled back into the house, he wondered if he had actually fallen asleep in the dojo and was now dreaming. Sitting in the living room and talking happily, if not quite energetically, were the two girls who had that morning been tense and nervous around each other.

Shirou directs his attention back to Sakura's cooking with a sigh. Illya looks at him curiously, and he gives her a reassuring smile. He does not know what had happened between them, but certainly their relationship has improved. The two of them act as though they've known each other for a long time. 'It's like they're siblings.' No matter the cause, Shirou is certain he could not complain about it. Sakura and Illya are happy, and that's the important thing.

Sakura begins carrying dishes into the living room. She waves away Shirou's offer of help.

"I can do this myself. Please just wait there, Senpai." But when Illya gets up to help, she just smiles and asks her to set out the bowls.

'I've lost my place,' Shirou thinks discontentedly, but that feeling is overwhelmed by a growing unease as he begins serving out the meal, as though he is forgetting something. He pushes it aside. 'I should just eat and enjoy this meal. I don't want to worry the girls.'

However, before he can take a single bite of food, he senses an ominous aura from the entrance hall. His blood freezes, and he feels the certainty of his death.

"Shiiiiiiirou!" His name has become a threat.

'That's right. Fuji-nee called earlier to tell me she'd been released. Of course she would come for dinner. How did I forget?"

"Shirou, how dare you start dinner without me?!" He flinches, but instead of a roar, it sounds more like a complaint.

"Ah, Fuji-nee... We haven't actually started eating yet!" Illya quickly swallows a mouthful of rice and surreptitiously puts down her chopsticks. "I'll just set you a place right now, so please be patient." He stands quickly and hurries to the kitchen.

"That's okay, Shirou!" Taiga calls after him. "Take your time!" Then, from behind him, he hears her cheerfully sign his death notice.

"I haven't seen you here before, and I think I'd remember a cute little girl like you. What's your name?" Shirou freezes, but recovers before he drops the dishes he is holding.

"My name is Illyasviel, but you can call me Illya!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Illya-chan. My name is Fujimura Taiga, but you can call me Fuji-nee! And, what are you doing at Shirou's house, Illya-chan?" Taiga asks with a gentle voice.

"I live here. What are you doing here, Taiga?" Illya seals Shirou's fate with a smile.

"I'm here for dinner. Shirou and Sakura are both so good at cooking!" Taiga explains cheerfully, then raises her voice. "I didn't know you had a daughter, Shirou! How could you do something like that without telling me?"

"Ah, no. She's not my daughter." The question surprises Shirou, and he answers honestly without thinking about it.

"Oh, is that so?" The living room falls silent, and Shirou glances over his shoulder to see Sakura edging away from the older woman. "Then tell me, WHAT IS SHE DOING STAYING HERE?"

Sakura flinches, and Illya falls over as the Tiger roars. Shirou, more accustomed to it, nervously walks back into the living room and sets a fourth place at the table.

"She's staying here for the time being, Fuji-nee. I told her I'd take care of her."

"Shirou..." Taiga slumps back, but begins eating. "You're too young to be raising a child!" She says around a mouthful of food. "Send her back home!" She punctuates her demand by pointing her chopsticks at Illya.

"I refuse." Shirou says it firmly, and frantically searches for an explanation for the situation that even Taiga would accept.

"This is my home!" Illya protests. "I live with Shirou-onii-chan now!"

"But what about your parents, Illya-chan?" For once, Shirou is grateful for his guardian's simple-mindedness. No matter what she thinks about the situation, she surely would never be cruel to a child. "They must be worried about you."

"I came to Japan to look for them," Illya explains, looking down. Only Shirou can see the smile on her face, and he feels a chill wash over him as he wonders what she is planning. "But it turns out they're dead. I did find a brother I never knew I had, though!" she finishes cheerfully. "So now I'm staying with him!"

Shirou fights the urge to gape at her. 'There's no way Fuji-nee will believe such an obvious lie. She can't possibly be my sister.' However, for the sake of convincing Taiga, he hides his shock and disbelief. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Sakura also looking surprised.

"You mean...?" Taiga also seems astounded by this claim.

"That's right!" Illya grins widely and stands up. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern. My father was Emiya Kiritsugu." She curtsies deeply, then sits back down. "So, I'm staying with my brother now."

"Hmmm." Taiga's face displays deep concentration. "That's true, but it's also true that Shirou can't raise a child. Where were you living before? You should go back there. Surely you have family back home."

"I refuse!" She shakes her head violently. "Grandfather hates me! I won't go back!"

"Hmmmmmmmm." Shirou can tell Taiga is thinking about this seriously because she has stopped eating. The situation seems to have really upset her. "I guess you'll have to live with me, then." And as a solution, she proposes something ridiculous. "Well, I say with me, but you'd be living with my grandfather and everyone else, too." She nods to herself. "You'll see Shirou almost every day, because he always feeds me breakfast and dinner, and our house isn't that far away. What do you think?"

Illya looks at Shirou, who considers it. 'It's a good solution. It's true that I can't raise a child, but then, Illya isn't exactly a normal child. No, besides that, can I afford to have her living here? It would be much easier if she lived with Fuji-nee. But then, Illya isn't exactly a normal child... Can Fuji-nee and Fujimura-san handle her?' He nods slowly. 'This seems to be the best solution.'

"If Illya doesn't object, then I'll accept it."

As soon as he says it, Taiga puffs up with pride, and hugs Illya. "You hear that, Illya-chan? Shirou will let you live with me! Oh, I've always wanted a cute little sister like you!"

Illya stiffens when Taiga hugs her, then looks at Shirou, confused. Shirou just shrugs, and wonders why Taiga chooses to teach high school when she has such a strong affinity for children.

"Shirou, I found it!" Taiga's happy chirp interrupts Shirou's reverie. "All your equipment is still here!"

Shirou accepts the offered items with a sigh. "I won't ask you why you still have the equipment belonging to a member who quit. What do you expect me to do with all of this?"

"Put it on, of course!" Taiga says, smiling widely.

In response, Shirou shakes the hakama. He immediately regrets it as he begins coughing on the dust that clouds the air. However, his point is made.

Taiga sneezes, then clears her throat. "You can't shoot in street clothes. I won't permit it."

"Hmm. It's not just that. My glove is stiff, the bow isn't oiled, the string is frayed. I can't use any of this." Taiga nods, frowns

'If it was just a bow and glove, I could borrow one. But since Fuji-nee won't let me shoot dressed like this, I need to borrow a uniform, too.' Shirou looks around the office, searching for inspiration. "You know, Fuji-nee, there's nobody who's going to have their uniform here to loan to me anyway, and everyone else is in street clothes. This is just a demonstration, and it's not like I want to do it. If you say I can't shoot like this, then I just won't shoot." Although it would certainly disappoint Sakura and Ayako, Shirou thinks this would be a satisfactory resolution. However, Taiga shakes her head.

"No, that won't do. I'm sure the girls are out there promising everyone a demonstration. You'll have to shoot in street clothes. How tall are you?"

"Huh?" Shirou blinks at the sudden change of subject. "One hundred sixty-seven centimeters, why?"

"One sixty-seven... Hmm. Aha!" She brightens, and then slumps. "Well, he certainly won't complain if you use his bow, but..." She seems unwilling to finish that sentence.

"Oh, that would work. We're the same height. Think of it as his last present to Sakura." Certainly, Matou Shinji will not complain if Shirou uses his bow. If he were still alive, he probably would complain, but he is dead, so he cannot. 'If he were still alive, he probably wouldn't let me shoot, much less use his bow. Although that scar has faded a lot since then...'

"Here." She thrusts a bow and a pair of arrows into his hands. It is the same length as his, but more recently maintained. Despite the lack of maintenance, his is obviously in better condition. 'This will do for the time being,' he thinks. Before he can finish that thought, Taiga pushes him toward the door.

"Shirou, stop delaying. Everyone is waiting, so get out there and shoot!"

"Yeah, yeah." But she is right, he thinks. There is no use putting this off. As he walks toward the shooting line, he begins putting everything around him out of his mind. The sound of the students gathering around him, the weight of their attention, and the pressure to perform all fade from his mind. The bow is already strung, so he settles himself into position, ignoring the fact that he is not dressed appropriately. For now, only he and the target exist. The eight steps of archery. This will be the first time he practices them for a very long time, but his body still remembers. Assume the stance, correct the posture, ready the bow. His breathing slows as he projects himself at the target. He raises the bow, and draws it, holding the arrow ready. Seconds tick past, and then-

'Your arrows are shot to target yourself, while my arrows are shot to hit an enemy.'

He lowers the bow and exhales deeply. 'Why do the words of a guy like that continue to bother me even now?' he thinks with frustration. Ignoring the commotion around him, he begins again. 'The arrow has hit the target before it is even released.' He recalls the words of that man, then dismisses them. 'No. The arrow is already in the target.' He empties his mind, unifying his spirit with the target, and holds the bow drawn. He does not hear the students around him gasp when he releases the arrow, and does not notice them stir when he lowers his bow and readies the second arrow. While there was quiet murmuring during his first attempt and his first shot, now the only sound in the dojo is the rustles of his clothing and the creak of the bow in his hands.

He holds the follow through longer than strictly necessary, then lowers the bow a third time and turns to return it to Taiga. There is no need for him to confirm the location of the arrows. He knows they will be next to each other in the center of the target. As Taiga takes the bow from his hand and begins unstringing it with a satisfied smile, he suddenly becomes aware of the stares of the club members, especially the freshmen.

"That was amazing!"

"Why'd he quit?"

"Maybe he was bored?"

"He looked pretty bored when he was shooting."

"No, he looked focused!"

"I wonder if I'll ever be that good..."

Shirou takes a deep breath and forces himself to return Taiga's smile. "I'm going outside. I'll retrieve the arrows when I come back." He hurries toward the door without waiting for a response, struggling to keep from running. Finally, he escapes, and walks quickly around the building.

He stops when he comes to the small forest behind the school. 'I guess this is far enough. They should have had time to calm down by now. I should go back.' Yet, when he turns around, something unexpected is waiting for him.

"Tohsaka. What are you doing here?" She also seems startled to be facing him so suddenly.

"I was walking. We just happened to be going in the same direction, that's all!"

He blinks. 'She can't possibly expect me to believe that.'

"You were following me." His inflection makes it a statement, not a question.

"I wanted to talk to you," she replies, not even trying to deny his accusation.

"About?"

"The future. We don't have a lot of time right now, so I'll be blunt. I hope you appreciate what I'm doing, because I was really looking forward to teasing you about this!"

"Yeah, yeah." Shirou wonders if he should be worried that he is becoming accustomed to her odd way of addressing things.

"I wanted to talk about this during lunch, but I got distracted." Rin kicks at the ground, and Shirou thinks she looks disgusted with herself. 'I wonder if that's because she got distracted, or because she missed a chance to tease me.'

"Shirou, I'm going to teach you a little bit about magic this year. It's dangerous for you to continue as you have been, so don't even think you have the right to refuse." She turns back toward the entrance to the archery dojo. "I'll arrange lessons with you later, but I wanted you to be aware of it for now so that you didn't make any conflicting plans."

"I thank you for your consideration."

"A-Anyway, Illya is probably wondering where we are by now. We should get back before she causes any trouble!" With that, Rin begins marching back toward the archery hall. Chuckling under his breath, Shirou follows her.

~~~interlude out~~~