Disclaimer : I don't own Fate / Stay Night nor the characters therein, they are the property of Type-Moon. Love Hina and the characters within are the creation of Ken Akamatsu, and are the property of their respective rights holders. This piece of fiction is written purely for enjoyment, not for any profit. This fic was inspired by The Continuation of My Dream written by crimson-rkngel . com. Anything unoriginal written is from any of the three sources listed above.
The Continuation of My Dream
Chapter 2 : Haunted by Memories, Hidden Strength of a Hero, Sudden Appearance of the Past
(Flashback)
It was a scene of almost pure crimson. The sky, the trees, the earth, everything was bathed in the crimson aura that poured forth from the perfectly circular tear that hung in the air two stories high. Within that tear there was pure darkness. And it was spilling on the ruby glazed earth beneath it, like a glass slowly being tipped sideways. The cursed darkness that poured from it was thick and palpable. Two human figures stood but a few meters from where the darkness poured.
"I wish to hear it… from your own lips…"
I clenched my fist and closed my eyes as my resolved waxed and waned. Just a few words would change my life forever. I wanted to make you stay, but I couldn't…
"Saber… Fulfill your oath…"
I looked away from her as she raised her sword above hear head to smite the darkness, fearing that I'll lose my resolve at the very last second.
And I did, but the die had been cast.
"EXcalibur!"
A golden flash of light flew towards the dark portal and enveloped everything in a holy light. The darkness lifted immediately revealing the start of a new day, just moments before dawn's first light would filter through the land.
An absolutely ironic setting.
She had her back towards me and told me that she'd like to say something before she left.
"I love you… Shiro…"
Then as quickly as she first came to be by my side, she was taken, just like a dream, by morning's first light.
(Scene Changes to Near the End of the Confrontation with Caster)
"Sakura."
I remembered Rin's voice as it pierced through the other sounds of fighting that fateful night, shouting Sakura's name.
"Walt-ende (Let that which is happening end in German I believe. My German sucks, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)." Rin's spell came out as barely a whisper, choosing to still the tears blurring her eyes instead.
A flash of light and Caster's crimson arcane circle died out, as did Sakura, or so I thought.
Another wail came from Rin's lips, this time, one of sadness and regret, to have left her own flesh and blood to suffer.
We barely had time to recover from that fight when…
(Scene Changes to Before the Final Battle)
"Tosaka."
Another precious person, nearly taken from my life. I remembered what I told her.
"Go, sleep. When you wake up, I'll have an excellent breakfast for you." The casualness of the tone was betrayed by the tears flowing from my eyes.
"Shiro… If I wake up, and see that you got beaten… I'll- I'll never forgive you…"
When she closed her eyes, I held her as tightly as I could and I cried freely, just as I did when I thought Sakura was taken for good by this terrible war. I sobbed until my voice became hoarse.
I nearly lost another piece of my heart.
My heart resembled the Grail which hung in the air just a few minutes ago, dark and hollow, like it had been bled of everything of worth…
(Scene Changes to After the 5th Holy Grail War Ended)
I slumped to my knees as I faced the sunrise and bathed in its beautiful glory. I remembered Saber's words at the bridge. "We are dreams… that cannot be possible…"
The moment I heard those words, I felt a tinge of anger. She was no dream. No dream could ever change my life the way she did.
Now, I had thought for a fleeting moment that… I wish I never had this dream, and that she had never said those four words before she left. Her memory seemed like poison in my veins, slowly and painfully killing me.
I'm a mess now…
How do you go back to a life when you only felt emptiness? Is this another interpretation of my wish? Is this another tragic hero's melodrama, where he would either give up that of which he or she held most dear or lose everything just because of his or her hero status? Is this another interpretation of father's words : Being able to save someone means not being able to save another? I had saved Ilya, as well as most of the city yet… I am undone.
I felt as if nothing was left of my life now. I can't continue as though none of it had happened.
Emiya Shiro… was dead.
I picked up Ilya, who was bundled up in a sheet I had formed out of tracing sorcery, and headed towards the Emiya household. I set her down in my room gently, where the still recovering Rin and Sakura were as well and covered her with a blanket. I kissed her cheek and said in a whisper to them, "I'm sorry."
(End Flashback)
Urashima Keitaro snapped out of the daze that had just befallen him. It had been weeks since Keitaro's one-day 'disappearance.' He thought he'd thrown such thoughts away. But he realized, that he'd been thinking these thoughts lately ever since he broke his leg.
It didn't heal like most of his normal injuries did, which in itself was very surprising. When taken into consideration the fact that he helped Motoko face off with her sister just the other day, he wasn't surprised that his leg hasn't healed. However, he knew that a full day's rest usually would get him back on his feet. But now his wounds hadn't healed much at all, unlike when he normally got injured. He hadn't taken the strange phenomena seriously, yet.
His thoughts turned back to his old memories resurfacing, the memories he tried so hard to bury. He knew that these memories were bound to haunt him once more the moment that he armed himself.
He had asked Su for some custom-made arrows and a bow, which he used in the fight against Tsuruko. Even these were enough to stir some buried emotions within him, but he would risk it just to help her out.
(Flashback)
"Yield, Motoko-han," Tsuruko commanded her sister, as she lay on the ground facedown. When Motoko refused Tsuruko raised her blade above her head, as if to give the 'coup de grace'.
Keitaro yelled at Tsuruko, as he was forced to resort to the one thing that he never thought he would do again, "Sou wanao sasaenai (I won't let you. Made it out by sound, please correct me if you can find the precise translation)! Trace, on!" A brief flash of orange light illuminated the battlefield, and the next thing she saw was Keitaro struggling into a battle-ready stance, with a pair of blades in resembled boomerangs in his hands, one an elegant white and the other jet black.
Within seconds, Keitaro was right before Tsuruko, their blades clashing. Tsuruko could barely maintain her cool composure and focus on the battle at hand, as the man in front of him seemed to have changed into a completely different person. As their blades clashed, she couldn't help but be impressed by what she was seeing, such ferocity from Keitaro's eyes like a man possessed as they exchanged blows, actually forcing her to the defensive, as she was barely keeping up against the speed and power of his attacks. It was as if she was fighting a veteran who survived hell and back, as he came at her like someone who was putting his life on the line, treating the outcome of the battle like it meant life or death (In a way it did, since marriage is a pretty serious thing to the Japanese, who take a more traditional approach to these things, which I applaud, since I don't believe in consummating until one gets married).
And just as quickly as it began, it was over. After a final charge and a flash indicating the final attack, the two warriors were holding onto their weapons still, their backs facing one another. Keitaro was facing the ground in a kneeling position due to his handicap, with his hands at his sides. Tsuruko, on the other hand, couldn't believe her eyes as her blade had been broken an inch from the hilt. Its other half was sticking out from the ground as it landed on its tip. Tsuruko closed her eyes and stood up straight calmly. She barely saw the detail of the two blades which broke her sword.
"Souka (I see)…" she said, finally realizing what she sensed when she first met the young man.
(Flashback End)
Their trip back to the Hinata So had been quite awkward, with Motoko casting Keitaro a glance every now and then. The two of them had made it back to the Hinata So just in time for dinner, which had been turned into a celebration because of Motoko's non-marriage. Motoko, who didn't seem too thrilled of the outcome, still kept giving Keitaro quiet glances across the table. She noticed that during their fight with her sister Keitaro somehow changed, becoming more… more like that person she, along with the other tenants, followed all those weeks ago.
Yes, she hadn't forgotten, nor did the rest of the tenants for that matter.
Each of the Hinata So girls had committed what happened during that day into memory.
Keitaro forced his thoughts back into the present. They'd made their triumphant return just yesterday and the fatigue was just starting to fade. Make no mistake. It wasn't the fight with Tsuruko that strained Keitaro, as he has faced off opponents that were far more powerful; it was his fight against himself. He'd almost broken down as he summoned two fragments of his past.
"Kansho… Bakuya…" He whispered to no one.
It reminded him of his past, his failure and the inevitability events as the swords' previous owner had told him of.
'He was right…'
Keitaro's, no, Emiya Shiro's mind was now in chaos. He didn't know what to think now, so he did what he always did in every situation like this : do something else. For some unfathomable reason, even to himself, Keitaro had now incorporated his 'exercise' with his everyday chores. He had to admit, it helped keep his inheritance intact. Although, as Keitaro had brushed the subject, he hadn't been pummeled, slashed or experimented on for quite some time, not that he was complaining.
Keitaro's thoughts snapped back to the present. Lately, he'd been feeling off, like there was some intangible doom waiting in the horizon. He'd started his day like he normally would, with physical exercises and some chores around the inn-turned-dormitory. He was now in the middle of cooking breakfast, when the inn's doorbell sounded. He went to get the door himself but was beaten to the punch by Shinobu.
"A-ano…" Keitaro heard Shinobu say as she opened the door for the visitor. Figuring that the visitor was male, seeing as Shinobu was acting shyly, Keitaro made for the door. Fortunately the newcomer preempted Shinobu.
"I'm looking for someone," The unknown visitor plainly stated in a melodic voice.
At this Keitaro chose to reveal himself as he might be able to help her more that Shinobu. As he shuffled into her view he froze as she spoke again, "I'm looking for a man named Emiya Shiro."
At last, Keitaro and the visitor's eyes met.
Glowing ruby red eyes met deep dark brown ones as their gazes met. In an eternity spanning a few seconds, memories flooded back as Keitaro beheld the visage in front of him. She'd grown but she was not unrecognizable.
Memories triggered for the visitor as well, though why she couldn't tell. The person in front of her seemed familiar, yet so different. It wasn't until he spoke did she recognize him.
"Il…ya…"
Her eyes widened suddenly and she responded in a light whisper. "Oni…chan (Big brother)?"
Ilya rushed past a confused Shinobu and tackled Shiro in a tight embrace, which pinned him against the wall. She said his name again and again as she cried freely against his chest. Shiro, tentatively wrapped his arms around her as he tried to calm her down a bit. This somewhat tender reunion, however, was shattered as all of the dorm's tenants were witnesses to it.
Shinobu and Su were stunned, to say the least.
Kitsune's reaction was unreadable.
While of course…
"Keitarooooo… / Urashimaaaa…" Naru and Motoko growled warningly.
As Ilya had calmed down a bit, Keitaro flashed both of his enraged tenants a serious look. He wasn't going to take anymore bullshit for today. The referral to Shiro as Keitaro didn't slip past Ilya as she looked up at him and asked in between sobs. "Oni-chan… Why are they calling you Keitaro?"
The two tenants stopped in their tracks as they heard the question.
"Shinobu-chan," Keitaro asked calmly, "could you please prepare some tea, I have a special batch in the cabinet behind the cup noodles."
Snapping out of her stupor, she quickly retreated into the kitchen. Not minding the rest of the tenants, Keitaro led Ilyasviel to the dining area. The rest stumbled in after them.
Keitaro continued his preparation of breakfast while Ilya sat at the counter behind him. She had calmed down a lot since she tasted the familiar brand of green tea Rin used to like. The tension was thick in between them that even the tenants in the dining room felt it.
Sure that no one would overhear, Keitaro asked first. "How did you find me?"
"I used a spell that detects those that use tracing sorcery and reinforcing sorcery."
Sensing the inevitable question, Keitaro steeled himself for it.
"Why? Why did you go?"
To that, Keitaro had no answer. He knew that even if he told her, it wouldn't change that fact that what he did was wrong. Ilya somehow anticipated this, and was about to get to the matter at hand, when the doorbell rang again. Keitaro quickly excused himself for the moment and ran to answer the door.
The moment that he did, he saw a familiar trio. Rin was complaining about how Ilya ran off ahead of them and people inside this inn were taking too long at answering the door to Sakura, while said girl next to her was meekly replying to her sister's annoyed sentiments with words of reassurance that there were good reasons for both. They both turned to the supposed stranger yet familiar man in front of them before recognizing him despite his changes.
What had Keitaro's attention was the figure behind them, a figure of someone that he thought he would never see again, despite his hope against hope. The familiar head of blonde hair and the modest choice of dress that he once picked out for the most important person to him were both in front of him, as she was standing, facing him. As green eyes met brown, the first words exchanged between the two would be brief, but contained much emotion. "Shiro…"
"Saber…?"
The next thing they heard from the dining room were sounds of falling kitchen implements.
Motoko : You kept the marriage battle results the same? I wish to marry him. SHIN-NE (Die)! (Lunges at me with her sword)
Protoman 0 : (Cowers in a similar fashion as Keitaro) No please, there's a reason for it! It'll make things up to you, promise!
Motoko : (Stops short of cutting me and sheaths her weapon) Very well, but you'd best keep your word, lest you shall be punished. (That last part was spoken with a deadly glint in the eye)
Protoman 0 : (Sweatdrops) Of course, of course.
Rin : What's with you making Shiro ignore me and Sakura? Hmm? (Gives me a similar look to the one Motoko scared the crap out of me with)
Sakura : I'm sure there's a reason for that too. Right?
Protoman 0 : (Relaxes, grateful for the save) Yep. I may suck at planning ahead, but there's some idea planned out, vague as it seems right now, so please be patient you two.
Please read and review, thanks!
