Disclaimer: Type Moon owns Fate, not I. This is a fan work, and no profit was made.

"Right, right! So before class ends, I'd like to assign your midterm English assignment!" The class collectively groaned. Distressed cries of "Tiger-sensei!" blossomed and were quickly silenced. Having Fujimura-sensei for both home room and English was both a blessing and a curse for this class, and though her antics were amusing, 'Tiger-sensei' was also a brutal task master. This assignment would be the cherry on top of an already hefty work load.

Taiga happily explained the assignment after that, despite the further rebelliously groaning. The assignment, she explained, was to take a traditional Japanese recipe and transcribe it into English (her love of food apparent), and would be due at the end of the work. Points would be "Now, this is a partner project!" Taiga explained. Cheers began to fill the class room as she spoke, but quickly transformed back into groans when she finished: "...so allow me to assign you your partners!"

She pulled up the class attendance list, and began to read names at random. "Mitsuzuri Ayako and... Saotome Akira..."

"Ryuudou Issei and... and Tosaka Rin..." There was a loud, violent crash as Issei fell out of his chair. His cries of protest went unheard, as Taiga continued to read more names. She grinned widely, as she finally got to the last set of partners. "Emiya Shirou... and Arturia Pendraig! And I'm off"

This startled Arturia out of reverie. She had been working on another assignment for another class, and wasn't actually part of Taiga's English lesson. Given that English was her first language, it was the one class the school administration had given her an exemption on.

"...Pardon me, Fujimura-sensei," Arturia called, rushing from her chair. Taiga was almost out the door, and she quickly closed the distance before the teacher could leave the class. Taiga blinked in confusion as the younger girl approached her. "But I'm not actually part of your English class. I have an exemption from it, seeing as English is my native language."

"Eeeeeeeh?" Taiga eeped. "But... um... why are... why are you here right now?" Taiga asked, puzzled. This was an obvious oversight to her plans. If Arturia wasn't actually part of her English class, there was little she could do. She was also home room teacher for this class, but she couldn't very well enact this plan their.

"I really have nowhere else to go," Arturia explained. "I suppose I could go to the library during your English lessons, so as not to disturb them,"

"No, no, you can stay," Taiga replied, rubbing her temples. She needed to think of a way to salvage her plans. "Well, if that's the case, then Emiya-kun is the only person without a partner. That's a wee bit unfair to him, "

"That's unfortunate," Arturia admitted, feeling a small pang of guilt stab through her heart. She supposed she COULD help, but if she did... "but should I do the assignment as well, that would also be unfair advantage Shirou would have over the rest of the class."

"Well, um, you see..." Taiga blubbered, wracking her brain for a solution. Suddenly, a spark of light enveloped her mind. "Well, Shirou's English is horrible!" she blurted. Yes! That's how she would enact this plan! "That's why I had you in mind as a partner! What he really needs is an English tutor! If you can do, this for him, I'll see that you get some extra credit points for your exchange program evaluation.

"...Well, I suppose..." Arturia considered. The extra credit would certainly help, as the abroad studies program she was studying under actually demanded her taking part in some sort of extracurricular activities. Usually this meant some sort of club activity, but she imagined tutoring would count as well. And it wasn't like she was opposed to helping Shirou, either. He seemed nice enough.

"So it's decided! Thank you, thank you Saber-chan!" Taiga blurted, quickly cutting Arturia off befor she could get formulate a real reply. She slipped past Arturia, leaving the younger girl awestruck, and bolted out the door "I have to get to my next class so seeeeee yoooou!" her voice called, as she fled down the hallway.

Arturia blinked a few times, unsure of what just happened. She wondered-

...Wait. Saber-chan? What did Fujimura-sensei mean by that?


"My English isn't that bad," Shirou mumbled to himself, overhearing the conversation. Fuji-nee had no concept of 'inside voice' and he was sure half the class had heard her proclamation of his mediocre command of the English language. He was a bit disturbed by what Fuji-nee had just done. He wasn't stupid, he knew what she was trying to do for him, but he needed to tackle it on his own. Fuji-nee interfering like this wasn't helping, especially when he called her Saber. Maybe she wouldn't notice.

Still, he could appreciate working on a project with Arturia. He was somewhat daunted by Ilya and Rin's warnings of powerful magics, but that wouldn't stop him. The road was uncertain, but for Saber, he'd keep traveling it.

"Ah... Yes, I take it you overheard, Emiya-kun?" Arturia asked shyly. She had her hands crossed behind her back, and Shirou was struck by how cute and vulnerable she looked.

"Yeah..." he smiled, blushing slightly. "You're to be my tutor."

"Yes," she agreed, looking a bit unsure as well. "If you'll have me. I do speak the language well enough.

"No doubt!" he chuckled, causing Arturia to blush herself. "Listen - I'm sorry. Sometimes Fuji-nee gets too involved in things," he explained, keeping the meaning of 'things' as vague as possible.

"No... You said she's your guardian?" she asked, recalling his words from the evening before. "That is kind of her. It's only natural for he to be concerned about your studies."

Shirou resisted the urge to frown. Saber was always a bit naive. He forced a smile. "I suppose."

There was a moment of awkward silence, where both Arturia and Shirou focussed on the floor, awkwardly staring at each other's her feet. Finally, she mustered some courage and met his face again. "...When would be a good time for us to study?" she asked.

"Well... It's a bit soon... but how about tonight? You can join us for dinner," he asked, both his voice and expression hopeful.

"Dinner?" she gaped, her mouth beginning to water. She suppressed the hunger pang "...Well...I shouldn't impose..."

"A nice home cooked meal would beat instant ramen," he pushed. Saber's greatest weakness was her appetite! She blushed a little at that, as they both remembered last nights grocery fiasco and her spilled pile of instant and canned foods.

"I... Home cooked?" she stuttered, trying hard not to salivate. She loved Japanese cooking, but her... sub par cooking skills generally made anything she could prepare bland and un-enjoyable. "Well! Okay! I'd like that."

"Great!" he cheered, a little too excitedly. He at least had the dignity to put a straight face on, but privately, he chuckled to himself. He actually felt smooth once in his life.


"So what would you like?" Shirou asked, as he began pulling a variety of dishes and ingredients out from the nooks and crannies.

"Oh... Well, I'm fine with anything..." Arturia managed to say, carefully absorbing her surroundings. The first thing that had struck her was how large the Emiya estate was. It was humongous. Shirou lived here by himself? What did he do with it all? He even had a dojo!

The second thing that struck was how overwhelmingly Japanese it was. She had stayed in Japan often enough, but the places she had stayed before were western furnished hotels. From the shoji screen doors and dividers, to the woven tatami mats, she was stunned by a small glimmer of culture shock from her surroundings.

There was a third feeling that struck her, one she couldn't quite place. It seemed to be a lingering sense of deja vu, as if she had been here before. Not only was this the first time in this place, this was her first time in these kinds of surrounding. Knowing that, where could this small twinge of familiarity be coming from?

"I'll see what recipes I have. We can go through them as I cook and use one for the project," said Shirou as he fumbled, shattering her line of thought and focussed her on the task at hand: eating.

"Oh... I have some Miso recipes and one for Agedashi tofu, but they're not very big..." Shirou rambled, palming through a stack of paper he removed from a drawer. Her mouth watered at the foods he was mentioning. She loved Japanese food.

"Oh! This gyoza recipe is more lengthly!" Shirou exclaimed joyfully. Arturia watched as he carefully examined what appeared to be an old wrinkled photocopy. Suddenly, he blew hard on the document, causing a small cloud of dust to explode in his face. "Heheh," he chuckled, fanning the dust away with the photocopy. "I haven't used these recipes since after dad died."


"This is very good," she said, savoring a mouthful of rice. Shirou had cooked a rather hefty meal, including the dumpling recipe he had found before. The recipe was pretty detailed, and would make a good choice for the English project. "It's very big,"

"Yeah. I cooked a lot, in case the others come for dinner," he explained. "Though tonight's archery practice, so Sakura and Fuji-nee doesn't always come when that happens. Ilya should be up soon, though, and sometimes Rin comes."

"I meant your home..." she said, gesturing with her arms to express the enormity of his estate.

"Oh, well, yeah. Dad left it to me. I really don't know what to do with all of it. All of the space is a pretty big waste."

"It is very big for just yourself," she commented. "Perhaps if you wanted a family one day, the space would be useful."

"That's true," he agreed, stopping to ponder her words. He wondered if Kiritsugu lived here or grew up here with his family. "I don't think a family is in the cards for me."

"Really?" she asked, her curiosity swelling a little. "Well, what is 'in the cards' for you?"

"Well... You're going to think this is stupid... " he began, dreadfully unsure if he should continue and share. Most people laughed when he told them of his life long ambition. "But I want to be a hero. A Hero of Justice."

Arturia blinked, not quite understanding. "Like a police officer?"

"Well... sort of. I guess." He paused, really not want wanting to explain what he really meant. "That's close, but not quite what I meant..."

She grinned suddenly, clarity blooming on her face. "You're thinking more like a super hero," she giggled. "Like Batman!"

"Uh..." he started to say, but stopped in his tracks as she burst out laughing. That was close, wasn't it? He wasn't really thinking of being a super hero, but... he wanted to save people. Whether that meant fighting crime or not, he didn't know. If the Holy Grail War was any indication, it probably was.

"It is, too, isn't?" she giggled, pushing the issue. The expression was something he'd never seen on Saber's face anymore. The compar somber amusement then adorable giggling.

"Hey! Don't laugh," he protested. He was used to being teased about his dreams and could usually handle the laughter. Coming from her, however, he was a bit hurt. There was a moment of awkward silence when her laughing died done. He picked at his rice, and reluctantly, he added "...It's more like Kamen Rider then Batman."

Her laughter roared to life yet again, and he couldn't help but feel himself burn red in embarrassment. Finally, her girlish giggling began to subside. "Kamen Rider?" she asked. "Is that a super hero, too?"

"He's a Japanese super hero," he explained, unwilling to meet her in the eyes. He grinned suddenly, meeting her gaze. "He's way stronger then Batman."

"Hush!" she huffed, suddenly, surprising Shirou. She recalled hiding many Batman comics from her mother as a child, and enjoying most of the films. The Dark Knight was one of her favorite fictional figures, despite her mother's best efforts to force something more feminine on her. "Don't you know?" she asked matter-of-factly. "Nobody beats Batman. He's much too clever for your Rider."

"No way," Shirou decided. Kamen Rider was his super hero, his favorite, even before the fire. There was no way some gaijin super hero could measure up, even one as internationally popular as Batman.

"Yes way!" she said, standing slightly and lightly pounding the kitchen table. Shirou couldn't help it, and began to laugh at her conviction. Shirou continued to chuckle, and it was Arturia's turn to blush.

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that..."

"Hmph," Arturia playfully huffed again, settling back down to her seat. "That's just how it is, Shirou."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I shouldn't have laughed. It's a noble dream."

"It's okay. I'm used to being laughed at. It's not something I can just give up on, though. The world is a big place, and people everywhere need help."

"I see..." she trailed off, unsure to respond. Her mind wandered, and she imagined Shirou, traveling the world over and helping those in need, becoming a hero to them. She found the idea kind of... romantic, if a bit juvenile. It certainly sounded more adventurous then her life's path. Managing her families real estate holdings in Asia simply did not compare.

She sighed at the dreariness of the legacy that awaited her, and quickly snapped up another bowl of agedashi tofu. She devoured it quickly, enjoying the flavor. "I love the tofu," she admitted guiltily.

Shirou grinned. He wasn't surprised; it was Saber's favorite. "I'm glad."

She returned the smile at Shirou, feeling genuine joy at being able to sit and enjoy a meal with someone other then herself, to talk and to laugh. It had been ages since she had the opportunity to do this with her own family. With her father gone, and her mother unwell... And her Grandfather was much too busy to do something like that.

She began to stare at Shirou, suddenly feeling light headed. The dining room behind him seemed like it was stretching, and the more she stared at it, the more her dejavu from before intensified. She could almost see it... Another memory, behind the dining room. Shirou was nervously playing with his food, and didn't see her intense, confused glare. She could see it the ghost of an image, beside him, around him, almost a glimmer...

She could see outlines beside him now, shades of people she recognized. Fujimura-sensei was there, sitting across from Shirou. Beside her was another girl, with black hair bunched into twin ponytails and another girl with pale purple hair. A third girl, more of a child really, was seated at the table as well with her long snow white hair trailing behind her. They were all eating... Talking... And she was part of it...

The vision vanished as quickly as it arrived, but the pounding in her head remained.

"Good morning," a new, yawning voice announced as the door slid open. Arturia turned to examine the newcomer, and it was... it was the little girl, with the white hair. The one... the one from the... Vision? Memory? The one that had flashed before her a moment ago. How was that possible? Her head continued to throb painfully.

"It's not morning, Ilya," Shirou scolded, but it sounded as if it was so far away. "You shouldn't sleep all day!"

"I can't help it!" the little girl protested. "It's boring without onii-chan around so it's easiest to sleep!"

"Both me and Fuji-nee would feel better if you went to school during the day like a normal child,"

"But I'm not a normal child!" the girl protested again. "I'm-"

Ilya was suddenly silenced as Arturia groaned in pain, clutching her head as the throbbing worsened.

"Arturia?" Shirou asked, worry lacing his tone. His voice was small to her, almost far away. She clutched her head painfully. Something... Something was there, bubbling to the surface of her mind.

"Arturia?!" he asked again, feeling both his hands as he grasped her by her arms. She cried out again, and threw herself into Shirou's arms. She let go, delving deeper, away from the pain in her head. She could see something else now! The emerald green... A basking, golden glow!

"...Saber..." Shirou's voice echoed one last time, before fading into nothing. Visions of green, gold, and blue danced before her in his place.


Author's notes: Japanese schools have one class room for each class, and the teachers will move from class to class (rather then students moving from classroom to classroom). Type Moon Wiki says Taiga is an English teacher at the school. Not sure if that's accurate or not, but I've decided to run with it. I'm not sure Shirou, Rin, Issei, Ayako, etc are in the same class either, but it's been a year since Fate, so that lets me stack things the way I like. /sticks out tongue/

I actually looked up recipes to write this chapter. made me hungry.

I don't know where the Batman vs Kamen Rider thing came from. Clearly Shirou doesn't know what he's talking about. Someone cooler then Batman? That's unpossible!

Anyways, please review. Chapter 6 is essentially done, but I actually want to get some comments first before I post it (yes, I am blackmailing you).