Illyasviel Von Einzbernz had slept restlessly that night.
Upon their dispatching of Assassin -whom was turned into a Vampire thanks to Berserker- and the mysterious figure Shirou claimed was Sakura, they all thought it was best to return home for the night. He was practically inconsolable at the implications of whatever that silhouette's actions or its presence had at the time. She saw this state of being for him as he begged to look for her, until he collapsed from exhaustion; combined with the pain of burning his body through a Magic Circuit overload, Saber was obligated to bring him back home.
Rin voted on staying to at least observe a few hours longer while Illya and Archer guarded the pair. She looked at the far-gone look on his face as his pale skin contrasted with the dimmed light in his eyes. She didn't pity this man, the offspring of the traitor who left her alone in the cold for ages and took her mother's life in vain. The dream of his return was replaced of one of agony and being suffused as being the arbiter of the coming war in the future.
So when she retired for the night, she had expected to hear something, anything from her Servant. But instead, he just volunteered to keep watch that night and let Saber rest as well since he didn't expend much Mana from their search or fight. Sighing, she relented and dressed in her kimono, sleeping in the guest room as she's always done.
Tossing and turning, her body recoiled and shook as she'd try her hardest to sleep, to descend back into those haunting nightmares and just embrace the futility. But now, since her function as a vessel had failed unthinkably, she was now thinking of things to blame or people that were responsible. In her haze of fitful agony, her mind clouded and she suddenly saw a sky above her bed; her sheets replaced by layers of ashen sand.
"I Am The Bone Of My Sword."
The words rang in the hallowed world, and she leaned upright, wafting grains flowing off her now immaculate white dress as she saw a scene straight out of a Medieval time. There stood EMIYA, chained and restrained, head lowered down as a man in priestly robes shouted at him in condemnation while a crowd of people decried him in words she didn't understand but fathomed their intent. Led up a trail of wooden stairs above the macabre field of sand, a noose was fastened over his neck, his eyes still looking down as his desert garb whipped around his black body armor.
A pull of a lever and his body went taut. Lifeless before even the rope cinched around his flesh. Half-lidded and mouth partially agape as if to ask, "Why?"
"Steel Is My Body, And Fire Is My Blood."
A hot wind rushes from behind her, making her recoil as her hair rolls with it and blinds her to the scene before her gaze. Looking towards the source of the wind, she beheld with wide rubies the sight of him plunging sword after sword into the ground. His back was stuck with similar weapons, flowing blood fell freely from a beige coat and the black armored man looked over the horizon with an unseen look of melancholy. Robotically, he continued to plant the weapons less like seeds to sprout but more like gravestones as he filled the land like a broad, nameless cemetery.
As it continued to fill, familiar designs of the swords she saw involved the Black Keys she saw him use. The rapier that was ornate and beautiful in craft, that had to have been a part of 15th Century work with its grip once beheld by a decorated hero of its time. Another was a spear of pure red, easily identifiable as Lancer's Noble Phantasm with all of the visual splendor it bestowed to user and enemy alike. More and more weapons spread out she didn't recognize and a dawning clarity was given to her that he had seen each one at one point in his life.
Just how long of a life has he lived to see so many iconic weapons?
"I Have Created Over A Thousand Blades."
She heard him say in the hall, giving her the impression that each of these imitations were almost like decorated homages to the lives of hundreds if not thousands of Heroic Spirits beyond her scope of seeing or ever to see. It was like a beautiful art gallery, but held in a macabre emptiness like an attic, never to be seen or touched by anyone but its creator. Looking up at the sky, she saw nothing but an endless black, orange veil of the Sun above, the sound of giant gears always clinking around her as the machine of his soul continued onward without halting its ceaseless journey.
Why do it?
"Unknown To Death, Nor Known To Life."
As if to cement the futility of it all, she began to see him in various points of his own life. Amidst a rubble torn city of make she didn't recognize, soldiers wearing armor of incredible make and sophistication wielded weapons far more advanced than that of this era. Letting loose rounds that lit up in a stream of fire, melting through steel like cardboard and glassing the earth on contact, they were firing at what was an unknown wraith of momentum.
Reloading, one of them had a notched bolt of black sink into his neck, soon lighting up in a vibrant glow of crimson that made the others scream before it exploded in a violent fireball. Amidst the carnage of their remains stepped through the black body-armored man, wrapped with the beige cloak and his tell-tale armor. With a black bow in one finger-less gloved hand, the other grabbed a hold of his collar as he looked around, his eyes looking for more nameless enemies among this desolate war that saw no end to it.
"Have Withstood Pain To Create Infinite Weapons."
Suddenly he was cut by a broadsword by a shining knight, bringing the scene from the bleak inevitable future to a distant past of feudalism and ardor. Summoning an identical weapon to the knight's, he parried it and drew blood in a brilliant arc. Shot in the back by an archer of eastern orientation, he'd throw the sword he was holding and ignore the bolt entirely. A viking drove an ax into his shoulder, bringing him to one knee, urging him to manifest one to cut his belly open, butt his head up into his face and proceed to smash the ax repeatedly into his face.
Blood splattered over his face, the gore of his own body mixed readily within those he slew, creating a visual spectacle of pure pain. Delivering it to his enemies while receiving it in kind, the aimless warrior continued to fight enemies on all sides of all times and places without a real purpose to her wide ruby orbs. Why did he keep going on? Was he really a victor in any of these battles? Who was Archer?
"Yet, These Hands Will Not Hold Anything."
For whatever reason, Illya felt herself hurt inside. Looking onward, the painful scenery had blew away with the rusty, ash filled sand that covered this familiar world. The Reality Marble was also being faced by him, now donned in his familiar red fabric overlaid with his black body armor. He was looking up as much as he was staring forward, wistfully or solemnly, she couldn't tell. The melancholy hung in the air as the constant cranking of gears filled the world, occasional lightning of scarlet crackling ominously in the rust and ash filled sky of orange-black.
"So As I Pray, Unlimited Blade Works!"
It was as she heard those last words, Illya awakened with a start; with tears streaming down her face.
"Ah, good morning, Illya!" A familiar voice was heard, though it wasn't one she anticipated. As she was still dressed in her light blue kimono, the white haired girl shuffled her feet in to see it wasn't Shirou but Archer himself. Humorously, he was wearing an apron around his waist while in the midst of doing things she was expecting the red-head to do. Furrowing her brows, she deviated her approach to the table and looked straight at the stove he cut vegetables and placed into the stew of the pot; stirring with one hand and expertly assorting the toppings with the other. Looking up at him, he simply opened one eye to dryly look down at her. "I said, good morning, Master."
"You never call me Illya," She pointed out.
"Are you mad?" He asked in a curious tone.
"No, just surprised," She said matter-of-fact.
"Well, given our resident cook decided to sleep in, I took over. Doing it for him will spare us of a particular nagging landlord's daughter why Shirou didn't make food for everyone," He explained, nodding to the early Sun's luminous rays petering through the estate's windows. Indeed while they did set out late in the night, it was still a full night's rest by the time they got back. Shirou was an early riser from what she knew, so this was unusual behavior for him; something she found refreshing, for a change even if it was a setback in usual ordeals.
Taking a deliberate dip of her finger into the soup, she retracted it when it felt hot and Archer shook his head in a tsk-tsk with his tongue. Regardless, she tasted what she got on, and found herself blinking in surprise. Retracting the slightly burned digit, she mouthed with her lips, "This is good."
"I'm not a perfect match, but I think I can make anything that boy can whip up," He boasted with a slight grin, scooping up the soup and placing it into a bowl for her to take, winking at her. "Just don't make it a habit."
"Oh I'm going to enjoy making you my cook!" She gleefully proclaimed.
"Now what did I just say-!" He began to shout, but only got her back as she sauntered happily to the table with a hum of delight. Shaking his head, he managed to scoop up a helping for the inevitable arrival of Taiga, walking over to place it by her assumed side of the table and then doing the same for the others: Saber and Shirou respectively.
Taking time to just observe Illya eating, the Servant stood by admiring his handiwork, even if it was on a menial task such as preparing food. Checking the time, he knew there'd at least enough time if he could check on the boy. The last thing they needed was a domestic upset because their borderline neurotic food leech was upset because the man suffered trauma from the night prior on something he saw that he confused for Sakura.
"If it was her, then this means a potentially terrible outcome is about to transpire," EMIYA thought as he turned on his heel, walking a few feet out to the courtyard sliding door. Seeing that his Master was occupied by good food, he took his time walking casually in his once former home.
The air was crisp but pleasant, the chill bringing a bristling sensation against his tanned skin and the breeze only mildly ruffling his scalp down to the hem of his cloak's waist down past the heels. It was in this calm walk he took that he contemplated exactly the mindset of his current master's methodology. It was fine when it was through the course of months of building a false sense of peace for the boy, he understood the means and why; but now, when they were depending on a fragile truce when Saber and Caster is involved?
"I may need to put my foot down if she keeps getting out of hand," He intoned begrudgingly, not liking the idea of keeping his naive counterpart from getting the comeuppance he deserved.
Approaching the slide door, he pulled it back without ceremony and found himself pulling back a step at the sight he beheld.
Assuredly, given the state of Shirou Emiya's emotions and pain filled body, he was in no position to sleep properly. But here he was, sleeping with a quilt wrapped neatly around his frame while his head was propped up on the base blue fabric of Saber's lap. There, the blonde woman had managed to sleep upright, her mouth open and her hands resting in a tender hold on his scalp. The scene was a serene one that caused EMIYA to recall the brief time he had once spent with the Artoria before he became a Servant.
Then, he remembered that the food he made was going to get cold and his appreciation of the moment went just as quickly.
Clapping his hands, he got Saber's ahoge to spike upward and her eyes shoot open with an adorable squeak coming out of her startled voice. Shirou, on the other hand, stirred in place and nestled into the Heroic Spirit's lap, rubbing his face into the fabric covered legs and enjoying the rub of her hands on his hair. The sight made Saber blush in place with widened eyes, exchanging a look of alarm at being found this way by a wryly cocked pair of brows from Archer.
"Breakfast is ready," He said bluntly, rolling his eyes as he turned to walk out of the partially lit room and leave the Servant to burn with embarrassment. "No need to thank me for the work he's supposed to do."
"I-! You-!" She attempted to call after him, only to fall silent as the red-head finally awakened and realized his own posture.
Archer sighed as he heard a cascade of crashing and comedic cries of alarm shared by both. Even if it was for a moment, a sense of normalcy returned back to the routine for that pair, and he can feel satisfied that he made an effort to knit it back in place.
Unfortunately for him, he heard a familiar motor revving up in the distance from the countless times he busied himself perching on the Emiya Estate's rooftops. Taking a brief acrobatic step up onto the courtyard ground, he leaped up and over to see it was indeed Taiga, pulling into the driveway. More suspiciously, she had someone vaguely familiar hitching a ride on the back of her moped; one with brown hair and striking hazel eyes.
Looking down at himself, he saw he was still wearing the apron and looked twice back and forth to the pair that were talking to each other with amiable expressions of early morning delight.
"Shit!" He swore, letting gravity take hold of himself and descend back to the courtyard ground. Knowing he'd have to make this fast, EMIYA walked quickly with his arms kept at his sides, comically looking like a sped-up toy soldier up to the bedroom door he left open. There he saw Saber had convinced him to change clothes into something more presentable; that being a long-sleeved shirt of blue with a white front and back, down to a pair blue jeans.
"Archer?" Shirou piped up, Saber looking over her shoulder curiously at his expression crossing between anger and humiliation of showing off his nervousness.
Without any say-so, he pulled off the apron and tossed it straight into Shirou's face, causing him to nearly topple over with surprise.
"PUAH!" He breathed out, exclaiming as he held it up with a confused glance at the tanned older counterpart. "What? You want me to cook?"
"Already done. That's not the problem-"
"Wait," Saber interrupted with a raised hand, now staring at him with near disbelief. "You can cook?"
"Not the point, Saber!" He retorted gutturally, trying to hush his voice as he inclined his head over his shoulder to the open doorway. "Taiga's here! And she brought someone you know from school too!"
"Someone from school?" Shirou thought, briefly wondering if Sakura was finally coming around after being gone so long. Last night's trauma that was subdued thanks to his manner of awakening got him to make a face that told Archer that he was thinking of someone in particular.
Shaking his head, the silver-haired man explained with a wave of his hands, "She's a brunette, at about five foot three inches, golden-brown eyes-"
"Wait, you mean Aya-"
Suddenly things clicked in a new perspective. The day before was such a relaxing one that didn't have much in terms of substance until the horrible night encounter. Other than meeting the colorful pair in that hallway, he had suggested on an outing with a very special friend of his that he wondered if he harbored feelings for. Not putting in an exact plan behind simply, 'Make a Day out of this,' or 'Wing it," now made him nervously scramble for the apron to be placed over his shoulders.
"Saber, remember your background?" He hurriedly asked as Archer sighed with relief.
"Yes," She answered now more naturally. "I'm a friend of your father, Kiritsugu Emiya, and I'm visiting the family for a short time here."
"Good, easy enough to repeat," The red-head exhaled, now trying to get himself to be steeled enough to see her. Seeing Archer tap his feet and gesture impatiently earned a dagger-filled-glare and a jab at him to leave. Shrugging, EMIYA dematerialized into Mana, allowing him the physical privacy he needed to go and see her.
"This shouldn't be a big deal," He thought, leaving in a practical pace with Saber not too far behind in her more casual white-sleeved, school-like uniform dress comprised of black stockings, indoor shoes and a blue skirt. Her hair, adorned in its usual embroidered bun, allowed her a youthful yet collected appearance that could be mistaken for being older or younger either way. Taking in her appearance and his own -plus the hastily put on apron- he inhaled and exhaled, pulling the door back as he was ready to face Taiga and Aya-
"There he is!" Ayako Mitsuzuri proclaimed, though in a completely different appearance than Shirou was expecting. She was wearing a pink hoodie over what looked like a simple white tee, light blue denim pants that went to the middle of her shins, revealing her smooth skin to her indoor slippers she had adorned. Smiling brightly with enthusiasm that was just like her, the impromptu nature of this get-together felt almost natural; Shirou couldn't help but keep staring, much to her humor. "What? Do I have something on my face?"
"A-Ah no!" He exclaimed, waving his arms around as he tried to gesture ineptly to hide his bashfully flushed face. Scratching his chin, his eyes slowly made its way from the ceiling back to her face, watching her smile shift from endearment into surprise as she heard his words form. "I-I just...never saw you outside of the school or our Dojo stuff. So, seeing you dressed this way just caught me off guard and I...like it."
"Oh," She awed out, her own cheeks forming a bit of a mark of warmth on the surface. Looking at his clothes, she noticed the apron and couldn't help suppress a snicker as she propped a hand on one hip, gesturing with the other. "Sorry I caught you in the middle of your breakfast, by the way. You didn't mention a time so I was walking by and Miss Fujimura offered me a ride."
"Hey! Anything for my students!" The young woman declared with an exaggerative dancing motion. Looking past Shirou, she saw a patiently smiling Saber observe the spectacle from not far away. Rushing up to her, the surprised Servant reared back and as greeted by her insistently expressive face as she whispered too loudly to not be noticed by anybody present. "Are you doing well, Saber?! Are you sleeping comfortably?! Has Shirou done anything unfavorable to your maiden form?!"
"I am well, Miss Fujimura, thanks for your concern," The blonde replied in kind with a smiling nod. Turning to address Ayako, she bowed politely and greeted her properly with a raised hand. "I am a friend of the family's, visiting for a while. Saber's my name, as you can gather. What's yours?"
"That's nice to hear," Ayako replied, cordially bowing and grasping her hand with a shake -admiring how strong the small hand was despite its petite nature-. "I didn't know Emiya had many friends outside of school. Do you happen to know his father?"
"Yes," She answered with a simple nod. "I knew of his father. I worked with him a long time ago. I feel indebted to pay respects here and be well with those of the Emiya home."
"You sound like you're a lot older than you look," The archer jock joked with a laugh, earning a sheepish chuckle from the Servant for unknown reasons.
Clearing a throat, they all turned to address the silver haired girl who held up a bowl to Shirou, almost demandingly.
"I require seconds," She intoned, her voice inflecting a combination of being a spoiled princess and a greedy child.
"Ah! Right away!" Shirou exclaimed, taking this as a sign to begin serving more food on the table. Shuffling his way into the kitchen, Taiga offered her own seat to Ayako, insisting that she can just grab leftovers later. With Saber joining them, the ginger had familiarized with the recipe Archer used -strangely enough something he had used before, if only a bit more saltier to make up for its bitterness- he finished pouring bowls and began to eat with them while the surrogate guardian began to stir up conversation between the ladies.
"So, Saber," Taiga drummed up, taking her time to eat adjacent to the new house guest. "How long again are you planning to stay?"
"I doubt I'll be here longer than a week or two," Saber addressed confidently. "Once proper respects are made and my visit concludes, I'll return home once my trip here is concluded."
"Where do you live?" Ayako asked with interest.
For a moment, Saber hesitated in her answer. Her mind flashed back to the courtroom of her castle, surrounded her faithful knights who acted as the governing body and lords of the land she helped reign. The rectangular shaped table was imagined to be a round one, and she sat with a heavy furred coat and a heavier crown upon her brow; but unlike this warm environment, it was cold and her heart was heavier still, just as it is now. Obviously descending into a lapsing silence as her eyes dwelled onto her reflection in the soup's rippling surface, she replied with a hint of a smile. "Far away to the West; a place I don't think I can go back to."
Shirou looked concerned at her, but could see her look at him with a dismissive glance. Shrugging, the conversation resumed as Ayako pried more into the mysterious blonde beauty.
"So, do you know anyone special back home?"
"Special?" Saber feigned, not wishing to be this transparent to an obviously baited question.
"You know," Ayako enthused, leaning a bit more back at Taiga before wryly grinning back at her. "A guy back home. Someone you love?"
"My love was to my...work," She phrased specifically, attempting to not show her royal roots to someone uninvolved with the Holy Grail War. Sadly, she shook her head back at her. "I never found anyone of that kind in my life. Currently, it is unclear beyond my devotion to the Emiya family."
"Did you like Kiritsugu?"
The question made Shirou hack up on a mouthful of soup and Illya snort on her own mouthful. Between the pair of exasperated outcries, both Taiga and Ayako looked at the hacking two and traded expressions of perplexity to the reaction. Grabbing napkins clean their faces and themselves, Saber managed to avert everyone's attention on herself from showing a brief moment of incredulous anger.
"No," She replied more simply, hiding the ice in her tone with a convincing mask of sweetness she rehearsed to lie to outsiders. "Kiritsugu was already married so I thought there was no point."
"Wait, he was?!" Shirou balked, turning to look over in surprise while Illya's countenance darkened considerably.
"Ohhhhh!" Ayako squealed -unusually from her classmate's history- as she leaned forward with hands bunched up beneath her face. "What was she like?"
Looking over at Illya's darkened expression, Saber felt a twinge of regret mentioning it. Still, with her behavior as of late, she knew that simply avoiding the issue wasn't going to make things better. From the look of surprise on her master's face, she knew that he also wanted to know what could've been his own adopted mother; or at the very least, what his father's wife was like before he knew him.
"Let's see," Saber mulled over, a subdued smile present as she recalled the time she spent with Irisviel Einzbernz. "She was a very jubilant soul, regardless of her cold upbringing. Given that she was cooped up inside and away from the outside world every sight she took in was a new discovery to her. I'd much like to imagine she was like a child who never had a vacation but now saw the whole tapestry of outside as an adventure in of itself. Her appreciation of the feel of sand beneath her feet in the wafting tide, the smells of a shop's odors of freshly cooked food, the thrill of a moving sports car. She was a very lively and wonderful person."
"Did she love him?" Illya asked, almost without realizing her words left her mouth. Feeling her face burn with shame as eyes all around the table looked at her, she scowled back and looked straightforward to the Servant as she questioned again with indignation. "Well?! Did she?!"
"Yes," Artoria replied, though with a sadder smile, her emerald eyes quivering in place as she answered what the daughter of Iris wanted to hear. "She loved her husband very much and was loyal to him to the very end. You could not ask for a more devoted partner, nor a stronger woman than she was. You'd be proud of her too, I can imagine."
For the briefest of times, the icy shell around her heart had wavered and Illyasviel's eyes watered for a different reason than the dream she awakened from over an hour ago. Even as tears fell down her face, Taiga looked confusedly between the two while Ayako just looked in awe at the expression the white haired girl had before looking to Shirou. He nervously shrugged while she looked at him in a way he knew he'd had explaining to do later.
Then, in an instant, her tears were wiped and she stood up angrily, stomping out of the room and away from the rest of the assembled women and young man. They'd hear an audible door slam, reflexively making Shirou wince at this while everyone turned to look at Saber. She looked somberly back and sighed, taking some time to finish eating her meal as the rest did so in relative silence, allowing the air in the room to settle before further conversation could be had.
All unknown to Illya burying herself into a pillow, screaming into its confines and a wary Archer hearing it from just above the room's roof.
Quiet.
That was a proper word to emulate the environment that was the chapel's underground that the priest harbored himself inside. Having used this place for remote espionage for the previous war, he was already accustomed to its inner workings back when his father was the Overseer. Switched positions, he now felt more in control than he ever was; no longer a tool but a master of his own destiny and a seeker of his own enjoyment.
Kirei Kotomine was reading through the morning reports on a couch within the church's underground. While the smell of disemboweled bodies not far away would make anyone's senses curdled, he was quite adapted to it after doing so for the past decade. Flipping through the paper, his eyes peered at the text of police reports involving the murders that have only continued to escalate. Humming as he took in the grotesque detail of how a particular man's body was found strewn in mutilation in an alleyway, it was clear that this was the work of a deranged psychopath.
"That or a very callous Heroic Spirit," Kirei surmised inwardly, taking his time to look at the rest of the reports. Weather appeared to be agreeable until the mid-afternoon when the collection of clouds from the past few days may form a thunderstorm that'd last until Sundown. Traffic was going to be a bit backed up around Miyama Town as Police were beginning to lock certain areas coming and going from there in hopes of cornering a culprit, for what good it'd do. And all of this for his Sunday.
A lazy Sunday off from managing his empty chapel and dissecting bodies in the underground chamber he sat alone in.
"So, this is where I find you," A familiar, haughty voice of sophisticated pride and arrogance dripping with every word etched a familiar chord within the priest's head. Looking up from his newspaper he saw the golden haired man, dressed in his usual sleek, long-sleeved black jacket over a white tee and a pair of designer's jeans with complementary leather boots. Held in his hand what looked like a package of sorts that was delivered through an express service; just one of the reasons for his absence. Raising it upward, he grinned with pearly whites as his crimson eyes gleamed with eagerness. "Come! Put away that media spun garbage and partake in this decadent flavor more worthy of your attention."
"I see you made ample use of my finances for your personal pleasantries, Gilgamesh," He surmised, folding the paper and standing upright within the dimly lit basement. Placing it under one arm, he rose to meet his mutually tall partner and watched him unfasten the string, producing a crinkling of packaging to unveil a very expensive looking bottle of wine. Letting the package fall with a thud, the King of Heroes held it between his fingers and observed it as much as the priest did.
"1901 Versaille Gorge," The Heroic Spirit read aloud, his eyes looking at it with satisfaction at the crisp condition it was retained in. "As much as I enjoy my own stocks of divine drink, there is something to be said about preserved alcohol of this world from only a hundred years or so of sitting. It has a crude yet sweet taste to it you'd never expect."
"And here I am without cups to enjoy the momentous occasion," Kirei joked dryly with a chuckle.
"Every day lived as you are in my presence is always a gift I only give to those I see who deserve it," He proclaimed without a hint of sarcasm, his smile broadly spent as he put his hand in the middle of space. A golden ripple, as if a magical portal akin to water existed perpendicular to his back, revealed his casual access to his prized possession, the Gate of Babylon. Retrieving a pair of golden goblets, he handed one to Kirei and popped the wine's cork off, pouring it between the two of them as he continued to speak. "It's been ten years since I've been reborn in a living body. For a decade I've been able to pursue the decadent pleasures of this world and subsume myself in all of the luxuries my world has to offer in this current era. While I am dissatisfied with all of the unnecessary existence of so many cretins, I do enjoy the more carnal privileges afforded to these mongrels what never was during my reign as king."
"I too am thankful for the ten years of freedom and complete dominance over my own life that has been awarded to me since that fateful time in the Fourth Holy Grail War," The priest admitted, stirring the goblet full of wine, taking a chance to look at his reflection and smell the richness of this brand of alcohol had before his senses. "Though I am bound to the Angra Mainyu, hence this war's expeditious renewal in such a short time instead of the usual forty years, I am quite pleased of the position I've taken from my late father. In this way, not only can I act at my discretion as an unknown competitor in this ordeal but I can appreciate it from an observer's point of view and really find the struggles these masters have against one another for their own hopeless dreams."
"Hm, indeed," Gil swirled his glass, his eyes staring at the stirring red liquid thoughtfully.
"Something the matter?" Kirei asked with a humored raise of a brow.
"I have noticed the roster of those attending," The golden man replied, still looking into his own reflection as he spoke his mind. "It appears my beautiful Saber has been absconded by quite the curious creature. The son of that man whom you fought to the death all those years ago; Kiritsugu's son."
"Ah," Kirei nodded with affirmation, a twisted smile breaching his face at the thought of the amber eyed, crimson haired student. "He was quite the interesting visitor when I was dealing with the fiery spirited Rin. Curiously enough, it seems he was quite associated with Illyasviel Von Einzbernz; though from her attitude, it seems she's taking advantage of his naivete to further her own agenda. That itself has made me quite curious."
"That doll is manipulating the mongrel whose in possession of my Saber? That is quite the curious predicament indeed, Kirei!" Gil laughed in exclamation, brushing his golden tresses back over his scalp. "Though, if I feel in the mood for it, I may want to remove him from my path entirely so that I can claim her for myself. The only problem is stability, in that she needs the Mana to be sustained. If only I could be a Master in that fool's stead, then she'd have no choice but kneel in submission to my superiority!"
"Blame the Grail, Gilgamesh," The dark haired priest shrugged with a crooked smile. "Perhaps it sought to test the mettle of those whose wishes it wants to will into existence. Or maybe it believes that you were already blessed enough with a living body."
"Hmph! What a petulant artifact!" Gilgamesh dismissed with a sharp turn of his head, nose pointing upwards in disgust. "I do intend to do as I wish, and I shall have my fun. Once I see my chance opportunity, I shall swoop in and take from them what is mine by right; instead of encouraging their sick delusion that they could obtain what is in my beloved garden that is this planet."
"As long as you don't bring the higher authorities upon my head, do as you wish, King of Heroes," Raising his goblet to him, he grinned wryly as he finished speaking. "I will do the same so no ill can befall you from my own hands."
"See to it that it doesn't," He scoffed with a chuckle, humorously clacking the rim of his goblet with Kirei's borrowed one, both beginning to savor the taste of the imported wine. Delectable bitterness staved by the inherent fruit's sweetness and the winery's own trade secrets burrowed into their taste buds, leaving an intriguing aftertaste beyond the initial explosion of flavor. Once they removed their lips from the goblets, the priest looked on with satisfaction and the golden man twisted his lips and scowled pensively.
"Is it missing something?" Kirei guessed correctly, seeing the Sun haired man nod.
Without speaking, he turned to the more recently prepared bodies the priest had slumped over surgical tables within the light-less archway in the corridor. Plunging his hand into the incision's fold, he ripped out a small heart, no bigger than apple. Fastened with particular stitches and threaded in a manner of ritualistic importance, the golden man raised it over his goblet and squeezed it gently. A downpour of crimson flowed from the tampered tissue, releasing a glittering shine to it in the darkness that gave off its magical properties as it sunk into his goblet's half empty rim.
Filled to completion, Gilgamesh tossed aside the heart and raised the drink to his nose, allowing him to bask in its scent. Tilting it back, he began to drink, his throat's muscles audible in the dark as he ingested the tainted mixture of wine and blood. The taste of bittersweet mixed with the copper and the buzz of something more mystical involved took root into his senses, making the reincarnated spirit feel something he didn't before.
"Is it to your liking?" The priest asked with a teeth bared grin.
Releasing the goblet from his mouth, Gilgamesh let a rivulet of blood stained wine leak from the corner of his mouth and drip off his chin to the ground below, next to where the small body lied. Licking his chops, the pair of predatory red eyes turned to gleam back at Kirei with a perverse, carnal thrill that had took hold of him from partaking in this forbidden elixir, "It was as it should be; completely full of my carnal delight!"
Ayako Mitsuzuri knew that today may have been an off day, but she was determined to make the most of it. From the time she happened to make an impulsive jog in the early morning to where Shirou lived, being picked up by Taiga and meeting his mysterious house guest number two, there was a tension in the air she couldn't place what behind the curtain drama was going on. Saber was definitely an odd name, even for a foreigner, and Illya herself seemed like she was having trouble coping with her own issues involving her family; Shirou looked helpless, as something she knew to get him out of the house to give him some fresh air.
It turned out to be the best for both of them. After he got a change of clothes -changing into a black long-sleeved jacket with white overlays, a pair of jeans and his shoes- they both left the Estate with Taiga's blessing and a concerned look from Saber. A short walk later led them to the next step and got onto a transport to the desired destination.
Taking a bus to Shinto, Shirou had remained a bit quiet and only offered minimum responses. Looking out the window, she saw that the passing scenery shifted the familiar traditional buildings of Miyama Town and encroached over the course of traffic lights down more newer streets to the glistening infrastructure of the 'pompous district' as Rin coined it. While she had rare instances that she came to this part of town -either with Rin during the holidays, or the one time with her father- this was a nice occasion. She had gift cards to spend and money in her pocket to make a day out of it.
Something she was determined to give to a pondering Shirou.
"Hey," She piped up, finally breaking the tension by finger flicking the side of his head. Seeing him blink and rub his temple, he looked at her incredulously before recoiling as she invaded his personal space with her face; glaring back at him. "I said 'Hey', Shirou. Try to act a bit more excited when you're going out on a date, will ya?"
"Ah! S-Sorry, Mitsuzuri-!"
"Just Ayako, please," She insisted, shaking her head with a teasing grin. "We're not at school so there's no need to be so formal with me. After all, we have known each other awhile since the Archery Club, right?"
"I suppose you're right," He let out a belabored sigh, the redhead visibly uncoiling the inner stress he had pent up. Nodding with closed eyes, he affirmed without turning his head. "Yeah, you're right. I should just have a good time."
"That's the spirit!" Ayako giggled with a fist pump. "Let's scope out all the outrageous priced goods and eat expensive food!"
"Yes!" Shirou turned with a broad grin on his face. "All on your bill too-ow!"
"Don't say it like that, dolt!" The brunette hissed out, palm-thrusting into his turned forehead with a loud smack. Crossing her arms, she leaned onto the bus window, her head tilting against the glass while the ginger winced at the red mark she left on his skin. "It's not like I can go there anytime I want like Miss Rich Skirt."
"Wha-? You mean Tohsaka?" Shirou addressed with confusion, still rubbing his head with distress.
"Don't get me wrong," Ayako smiled halfheartedly, staring at his reflection in the glass as she explained. "I love my friend, but her wealth allows her a certain privilege I don't possess. My family works hard, and I've adopted that kind of mentality from them. I'd never say I'm poor but I'd be lying to say I'm very well off."
Shirou absorbed this information in with a renewed sense of clarity. Shinto was an artificially built district, a place that was meant to offer something to the rich and the tourists. While the mall was a means of getting Fuyuki citizens to mitigate and spend things it was by no means a place to feel at home unless you were working in the district itself. He knew all about what it was like to pinch savings and use the allowance monitored by Taiga, as part of the inheritance his father left behind from his ambiguous work as a Mage from the past.
"That said, don't misunderstand if I do this flippantly, Shirou," Ayako leaned back upright, though this time looked a bit bashful. It was a rarity for Shirou, whom saw the upbeat and very bombastic athlete as someone to look up to and not one to cross. Vulnerable was the last word he'd use to classify her so carelessly. She twirled her fingers in her lap, her face heated up and her eyes glistened in the near-noon rays spraying into bus window. A halo cast over her brown hair as she turned to look at him with a rosy smile and glowing eyes of amber, declaring boldly. "I only do this for special occasions. Paying you back...no...spending the day with you, is what I'd consider a time worth celebrating. Don't you think?"
Shirou himself had never really got this vision of being enraptured by someone's smile like this before. He felt his heart beat quickly in his chest, filling it with warmth while his stomach formed flutters and knots wind within. His own face felt hot and sweat lingered behind his scalp down his neck. As his own hazel eyes turned away, he swallowed the lump in his throat and faked a cough to restore his dignity.
"Y-Yeah," He attempted to agree without losing composure, turning to smile back at her with a white grin. "I'm looking forward to spending time with you, Ayako!"
For awhile, it was just that moment that felt special for the two. It wasn't anything truly momentous from an outsider's perspective. The admittance of delight in having an activity from one to another may be a casual conversation. Just one of many occurrences that could transpire in the wake of other normal lives that continued to cycle in redundancy.
But to someone not so normal, like Shirou Emiya, and to someone not ordinary by her peers, like Ayako Mitsuzuri, this felt like a memorable instant that was captured in their hearts and minds. A shared smile, locked eyes, and release of emotions through expressions. The light of the Sun and the smell of perfume to the aroma of cleaned clothes. Every detail was etched into their memories, no matter how long or short they'd continue, into the future to come.
The one thing that dawned upon the brunette, as she smiled, was the special quality of Shirou's smile; or at least, the uniqueness of this smile compared to the ones she's seen before.
"Why does this smile seem more real than every time before?" She wondered as the moment lingered on for the both of them.
A/N: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
I wondered if this Chapter needed to be longer, but after a bit of consideration, this seemed like the proper length. The development here for characters was more important, especially since a lot of you wanted to see more Archer and Illya. With some nice coupling time for Shirou and Ayako at the end, highlighting the next chapter as the alleged time of the date, I'm happy to endear more time to these beloved characters. Even Saber got some good character interaction with Illya and Ayako, surprisingly.
Then there's Kirei and Gil. They're just...so damn evil. I love it! The fact they can act like roomies after a decade of spending time together, carving up orphans and drinking blood-soaked wine like it's just another anniversary. Couples wish they got along together as much as Golden Boy and Fake Priest do, haha!
Look forward to the upcoming chapters cause they are going to be a DOOZY with what I got planned. Stay tuned for the next update!