I don't own Fate. Fate is the property of Type-Moon, and no financial gain is made from this or is sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.

Divergent Fate

Chapter 3

"I see." Jubstacheit commented as he received the personal report from his grandson. "Your abilities remain secret. Very good, it would not do for such useful abilities to come to the attention of the Church or the rest of the Association before the appointed time. Secrecy after all is a powerful weapon in its own right."

"It is as you say grandfather." Shirou said with a nod. "With that said, I came close to a point where I may have had to use my full talents. However…"

"Yes…" Jubstacheit said while glancing at the written report on his desk. "…the Executor Ciel…are you certain of what you have seen?"

"…if I must, I am willing to give a memory imprint for further analysis."

"That will probably be the best course of action, even if only for documentation's sake." Jubstacheit said, impressed by the boy's dedication. "However I trust your report. You were trained well, and I doubt that you would have mistaken what you saw. The Executor…was torn apart, yes?"

"That is correct."

Jubstacheit was silent for several moments, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting…" he finally murmured. "…it would seem that the Burial Agency is being as hypocritical as it always has been. The way I see it, there are two possibilities: first, that there is another Dead Apostle apart from the Crown in the Burial Agency. And second: considering how the Church actively seeks out and recruits psychics, that this Ciel is actually a psychic with a very unique talent."

"Either way…" Shirou said. "…the Lords of the Association will probably be pleased to hear of this. Assuming of course, that you wish to reveal it to them grandfather."

Jubstacheit smiled coldly. "There is always a way to make use of information." He said. "But for information to be useful, it has to be accurate, and it has to be properly used at the proper time. We must learn more about this Ciel first. And of course, when the usual round of diplomatic trash erupts with the Church, then we shall wait for our chance."

Shirou was silent, and after a moment Jubstacheit nodded at him in dismissal. "Have your memory imprint taken…" he said. "…and then you may return to your usual schedule. I'm sure that your sister will be very pleased to see you."

Shirou bowed and left, leaving Jubstacheit alone with a slight smirk in his office. Shirou Emiya…he was such an average boy, which they had only accepted into the family as emotional supplement for Illyasviel considering Kiritsugu's condition at the time. But then they discovered his aligned origin and elemental affinity, and everything changed.

Aligned origins and affinities were so rare, so rare as to be all but impossible. It was enough for the boy to immediately be slated for the best education and training available, if only to bring out as much of his talents short of reducing him to a lab specimen. Some alchemists had even proposed such a course of action, but Jubstacheit had surprisingly rejected it.

He is worth more than just his abilities.

The old man's smile widened at the thought of his granddaughter, Illyasviel. "And the best part is…" he thought to himself. "…I don't have to do anything. All the pieces will come together on their own accord."

Shirou walked down the corridor, making for the stairway and thence to the alchemical labs for a memory imprint to be taken. The Executor's strange ability had interested his grandfather, and Shirou didn't know whether or not to be elated for it. On one hand his family had potentially gained new research material, and that was usually a good thing for magi, as it tended to open up new avenues of research with regards to the pursuit of the Root.

On the other hand, Ciel was an Executor, and more than that, a member of the Burial Agency. If her secrets were revealed, it would cause all sorts of trouble. And while he was concerned to an extent about Ciel – she could easily be blamed after all for allowing her secrets to be uncovered – he was more concerned about how his family would be affected by a conflict with the Church.

Illya…

At that moment a pair of hands placed themselves over his eyes, the boy coming to a halt with a cry of surprise. Who in the world…of course; there was only one person who could ever sneak up to him, despite the combat augmentations he'd taken at his grandfather's behest during the early stages of his training.

How strange it was, that only she could pull that off.

"Guess who?" a feminine voice asked from behind him.

"Who else could it be?" he replied, his voice amused.

"There's no one named 'who else could it be' here."

"Fine…" Shirou said with a smile. "…hello Illya."

With a giggle Illya released her brother and pranced around from behind him to stand before him. As usual, she was wearing white robes with elaborate red and gold embroidery. Typical…the Einzbern were usually an austere lot, but there was that small minority among them who elected to indulge in color and elaboration within the permissible limits.

"Welcome back Shirou." She said with a smile. "Hey, why didn't you come to see me when you came back?"

"You know as well as I do that reporting to grandfather takes priority."

"Well that's true I suppose." Illya conceded. "Hey Shirou, you know it's autumn already, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Shirou replied while looking out the windows along one side of the corridor, and over the browning and reddening flora of the grounds. "I got cold a few times during my last mission. Time passes so quickly, doesn't it?"

"Yes it does." Illya said, swaying slightly in the manner she always did whenever she wanted something. "I was just thinking…given that we've been so busy over the past year…I was wondering…"

"What is it?"

"…would you like to go out on a picnic with me?"

"A picnic, huh?" Shirou echoed. "It's not a bad idea, but not today. I have some things to do before today ends."

"Oh that's alright." Illya said happily. "I have some things to do myself. How about tomorrow then…?"

"Okay, we can go tomorrow."

Illya beamed at him. "It's a promise then!" she gushed.

Autumn really had come for the year, as evidenced by the crisp, brown grass on the ground and the gold and red leaves falling from the surrounding trees. The wheat and the barley had grown tall and heavy, the golden grains already being harvested by the family's extended members. Sheep and cattle were being herded to their winter paddocks, and haying had begun in earnest.

Normally even the main house would be obliged to participate in the autumn activities, but Shirou and Illya had managed to get themselves an afternoon off. The two of them had ridden down the old roads leading from the castle and past the farms and pastures to a small stream on the family property, where the siblings had found a sheltered spot along the banks years ago.

To their knowledge no one else knew about this place, not that they were going to do anything inappropriate or anything. However the siblings for all their importance with regards to the family's ambitions (as in Illya's case) or their talents (Shirou) were to an extent outcasts due to their origins.

It was nice to have a place that the siblings could call their own.

Illya stretched her limbs as her brother tied their horses to a tree. "Ah…" Illya moaned with satisfaction. "…it feels so nice to get out of the castle every once in a while."

"I agree." Shirou said while spreading a cloth spreadsheet along the banks of the stream and placing the food basket on it. "Even more so – at least in my case – this is a chance to enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about a mission at hand."

"That's true." Illya said, joining her brother and sitting down beside him. "Every time you've left the castle for the past year it's always been to go out on errands for the old folks."

"Well…" Shirou began while breaking the loaf they brought in half. "…I've got to earn my keep, and I'm not particularly suited to be an alchemist."

"I know that. It's just that…we never get a chance to spend time together…like we used to…when we were still children."

"Illya…"

Illya blinked and then shook her head. "No…" she said, her expression flustered. "…it's alright. We're not children anymore, and I suppose we have to live up to our responsibilities now."

"With that said though…" Shirou said after a moment. "…even if we have responsibilities now, I suppose it's all fine so long as we can get chances to enjoy each other's companies like this every now and then."

"Yes, you're right." Illya said after a moment, gently smiling as she looked at her brother. It was already quite late in the afternoon, and she knew that they should have gone earlier as they had to be back before the castle's gates closed for the night, otherwise there'd be hell to pay.

But it was worth having only a short time to spend out here. It was worth it just to see her Shirou looking up at the sunset, his red hair blown gently by the wind, and his golden eyes almost ablaze with reflected light from the sky. He was her brother. She was his sister.

They were supposed to protect and help each other. But the feeling in her chest…was she supposed to feel that way about him? Does he feel the same way?

Shirou blinked and turned his head to see Illya staring at him. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Illya blinked and looked away, blushing red and with her face all flustered. "N-no…" she blurted out. "…everything's fine."

"Are you sure?" Shirou pressed, coming closer and causing her to turn even redder. "Or are you cold?"

"No, no…" she insisted, refusing to meet his eyes. "…I'm fine, it's alright."

"Uh, okay." Shirou said, scratching his head and giving Illya some space.

Women were so strange.

The two siblings sat and ate in silence, the wind gently blowing through their hair as it did through the leaves and the grass, the golden light of the afternoon playing on the water. "Hey Shirou…" Illya eventually asked. "…I've wanted to ask you for a while now."

"What is it?" he asked, absent-mindedly chewing on a piece of bread.

"Do you…" she softly began, hiding her eyes behind her bangs and biting her lower lip as she hesitated.

"Illya…?"

"…um…are you happy with us?"

"Huh?" Shirou blurted, gaping at his sister.

"It's just that…" Illya said, fidgeting and playing with her fingers. "…you could have had a normal life, free of all hardship if father hadn't brought you with him, and then…"

"Hey, hey…" Shirou interrupted. "…what's with this all of a sudden?"

Illya couldn't say anything, but she refused to look at her brother. "…Shirou…" she pressed. "…are you happy?"

Shirou sighed, and to Illya's surprise he simply patted her on the head reassuringly. "I don't know what brought this about…" he began reassuringly. "…but yes I'm happy. It's not that training and studying are easy – I have to put real effort into it as well – but I understand that my gifts have a price behind them. I don't mind paying that price, if it means learning how to use them and learning how to be responsible for them."

"But…" Illya said. "…you're only fourteen. But you're already going out there hunting down vampires and heretics. If things had been different…"

"If things had been different…" Shirou interrupted her again. "…I would simply be bearing the burden of a mundane life. Mundane Humans and magi aren't all that different apart from the fact that we pursue our goals by different means. We all have choices to make, and burdens to bear. And besides…"

"…besides…?" Illya echoed, finally looking at her brother.

Shirou smiled at her, and nodded. "…where would you be if I'd never met you?" he said. "I suppose, if anything makes all this worth it, it's not about learning magic or the bigger world beyond the veils of mundane society, it's you and the rest of our family. Mostly you though…"

Illya smiled and nodded. "Flattery won't get you anywhere." She whispered, and Shirou laughed.

"…I'm not trying to flatter you." he said. "Sure, not everyone acts all and mighty around me considering I'm not an Einzbern in either blood or name, but even if they were all like that, you alone would still make it worthwhile. And even now with most of the family accepting, you're still the most important person here to me."

"Ever since father died…?"

Shirou's face fell, and after a moment he looked away. "Yes." He quietly replied after a moment.

Illya looked at him, and after another moment she leaned against his arm, placing her head against his shoulder. The redhead glanced at her in surprise, even more so when she intertwined her fingers with his. "Thank you…" she said softly. "…for being honest. In return, let me tell about father, before he got sick, before the war."

"I…" Shirou fumbled with the words, and then he sighed and smiled softly. "…I'd like that."

In a darkened room within the Clock Tower, a gathering of lords and other ranking magi sat around a table, their words and actions kept from detection by powerful spells. And even if any had the power to breach those wards, the reputation of at least two of the people around the table was deterrent enough.

"Why has this issue only come to our attention now?" one of the lords angrily demanded once the initial briefing had been completed. "The dangers of the situation...it only takes a single inversion, and secrecy might well be impossible to maintain without a large-scale intervention!"

"Well for starters, it's a border situation parallel, so we didn't really have much surveillance capability in place." Another lord pointed out.

"Agreed…" a third lord said. "…at least with the Magic Foundation, their geographic proximity with Atlas allows for constant checks with regard to the conditions of the neutrality agreements. However Japan and East Asia is a backwater for our Association, a place where our power is vastly diluted and wherein we have no geographic strongholds to base our forces from."

"We have grown complacent." A woman said with her voice cold and imperious. "We should prioritize following-up all our neutrality agreements, and ensure that all conditions are met."

"I second that proposal."

"As do I..."

"I will second it."

A series of seconding echoed across the table, and the old man at its head smiled with amusement.

As if anyone would go against her. I wonder what would happen if she met the Golden King…oh dear…

"However…" the woman continued as the voices of her fellow magi died down. "…our current focus should remain with the current issue. With the Demon Hunter Organization now in ruins, it is now our responsibility to deal with the demon-tainted Humans in Japan. Normally I would care less about how the native magi would react to our intervention, but all the same we must show a certain degree of…discretion, lest they be driven into the arms of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors by default."

"In which case…" the old man interjected, finally speaking up. "…it would be unwise to entrust you with this situation, considering your attitude towards…non-Humans."

All others across the table dared not speak up, as Lorelei Barthomeloi glared at the elder leading the discussion. "Who then will you entrust this situation to, Wizard Marshall?" she finally asked. "I will admit that I am not the most unbiased individual against their kind, but…"

"In that case I will personally oversee this situation." Kilua Zelretch Schweinorg interrupted her. "I do have that authority, as the Wizard Marshall of our Mages Association."

Lorelei snorted. "Indeed…" she said. "…now if you only acted your rank…"

"And that is what I precisely intend to do."

"…oh?" she said, her eyes flickering to him with curiosity. "How will you deal with this situation?"

Zelretch smiled. "It seems that we have to renegotiate our neutrality agreements." He said, and then he raised a hand to forestall any interruption. "I am well aware of the fact that any and all negotiations must be done from a position of strength in order to have a chance of success. To that end, I intend to call a conference of all Association-aligned magi bloodlines in Japan – Aozaki, Makiri, Reiroukan, Sajyou, Tohsaka, and so on – to draft a resolution of our aims with which to open up negotiations for new neutrality agreements."

"And what of the half-breeds…?" Lorelei spat. "Those demon-tainted…"

"Calm yourself Vice-Director…" Zelretch said. "…objectivity will prove impossible should you allow your emotions to get the better of you."

Lorelei huffed but inwardly admitted that the 'man' was right. Zelretch was supposed to have been quite annoying when he was still a Human, but she could probably have dealt with that. But since he was also a vampire…Lorelei HATED vampires and other 'corrupted' Humans, and it was pushing her self-control just to interact with the ancient sorcerer.

"How will you deal with them?" she asked after a long moment.

"I will attempt to organize a control measure with our Japanese affiliates, with assistance to be invited from our non-affiliates." He replied. "Of course, I will take into consideration the proposals and opinions of our affiliates before making a final decision. That is why it's called a conference in the first place."

"Just what are you planning, Zelretch?" Lorelei said with narrowed eyes. Zelretch just smiled at her, his crimson eyes alight with amusement. "Very well then…" she finally said. "…you will take responsibility if anything goes wrong, won't you?"

"That goes without saying of course."

"I see." She said with a nod. "In that case I propose that the Wizard Marshall be allowed to handle this issue. Furthermore, planning for a conference to be held in Japan with regards to the issue of the repercussions of the downfall of the Demon Hunter Organization is to begin immediately pending presentation to the Assembly of Lords."

"I second this proposal."

"Let us second it."

"I will second it."

As another chorus of agreement swept around the table, Lorelei kept her eyes on the smug smile on Zelretch's face. The vampire was pleased. Everything was going as he had foreseen.

Perfect…

Shirou and Illya walked down the candlelit halls of Castle von Einzbern, the latter latched onto one of the former's arms, chatting about the usual things magi siblings chat about, when they unexpectedly ran into their cousin. "Lord Bernhardt…" Shirou said respectfully in greeting. The Einzbern heir glanced at them.

"Illyasviel…" he said. "…Emiya…I heard that you were allowed some time together earlier this afternoon."

"That's correct Lord Bernhardt." Illya said, cautious around her cousin.

"Are you getting along well?" he asked to their surprise.

"Well yes…why wouldn't we be?"

"Oh I wouldn't know." He told them. "However I'm just being a concerned relative that's all."

Illya and Shirou glanced at each other in confusion, while Bernhardt smiled mysteriously. "Perhaps you should go to your rest…" he suggested. "…you were late to supper if I remember correctly, and you have assigned tasks in the harvest beginning tomorrow. Or am I wrong?"

"No, you're correct my lord." Shiro said. "However, Illya and I…well we've a matter to attend to in the Observatory."

"Ah I see." Bernhardt said with an understanding nod. "Then by all means, don't let me hold you two up."

"Of course…" Illya said, already beginning to pull Shirou along. "…if you'll excuse us Lord Bernhardt…?"

The older man nodded, and he watched them move along. "Lord Acht…" he thought as he watched them vanish and he proceeded on his own way. "...it would seem that everything is going as you foresaw. But…for how long will that last?"

A/N

Of course Shirou has tracing, but do you really think the Einzbern would expose their trump until absolutely necessary? And he doesn't really have much to trace right now, seeing as his tracing got built up by looking at the Gate of Babylon and EMIYA's Unlimited Blade Works.

I hope that my buildup of Shirou and Illya's relationship works out fine, seeing as this is the first time I've written a romantic pairing. I hope it's not too sappy or something. Suggestions would be welcomed.

FieryDarkWraith: Cattleya is a genus of orchids from the Americas (to maintain Sakura's floral motifs). Look it up in Wikipedia, there's a pronunciation guide at the start of the article. As for timeline…Cattleya is currently thirteen, and in canon Sakura was sixteen during the fifth war, so we're currently three years before that time. Including the next (fourth) chapter, this and past chapters runs from the summer to the winter of Cattleya's thirteenth year/Shirou's fourteenth year.