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 3 : Explanations, the Girls Get Acquainted
At the sound of the noise made, Keitaro turned around to see what was going on before doing anything else. Shinobu seemed to have dropped the tray of cookies that she was about to serve, with tears in her eyes about to bawl out. The others sitting around the table had various reactions of shock, while Ilya had the most innocent smile on her face as if she didn't do anything. What really happened was…
(Flashback)
Kitsune asked the young girl with white-blonde hair as she took a seat, "So you're Keitaro's sister huh? Haruka and Grandma Hina never mentioned anything about you."
Ilya gave her trademark smile and replied, "Oh no, I'm not just Shiro's sister. We had a tryst!" And you can guess the rest. Su gave her typical response, "A tryst? Does that taste good?"
(End Flashback)
Keitaro walked up to closer to the dining room area as the others followed behind him, asked indignantly with a sweatdrop, "Ilya! What did you say to them now?"
Ilya glomped him into a bear hug as she replied, "Nothing much oni-chan! I just told them that we're lovers!"
The girls behind Keitaro nearly facevaulted as Keitaro said in a panicked tone, "Why did you go and say something like that as a joke? It's not true, not true!"
The other girls regained their composure at Keitaro's words and began to get back up, while Shinobu began to clean up before running to the kitchen for another tray of them. Motoko coughed into her hand and said in a calm tone, "Urashima, perhaps it is best that you explain exactly how you know these women and why this supposed sibling of yours calls you Emiya Shiro."
Saber was the next to speak. "I agree. Perhaps it would be wise of you to explain where you've been and what you are doing here with these girls, plus why that girl just called you Urashima." Rin elbowed Keitaro half-heartedly as she asked in a teasing tone, while holding a dangerous glint in her eyes, "Perhaps you ARE building a harem like Fujimura-sensei said you were eh Shiro?" Said young man began to blush and he shook his head profusely to deny it while Sakura said, "No, sempai would never do something like that! He wouldn't just leave us behind. I'm sure he has his reasons…"
A familiar woman with a cigarette in her mouth just walked in the door and said, "I'd like to hear this too. You've got a lot to account for nephew." Our poor hero sighed and led everybody to the living room, as the dining room table isn't going to fit everyone. They all took their seats on the couches and sofas, some on the floor as there wasn't enough room otherwise. Keitaro took the center seat in the big couch, with Saber to his left and Naru to his right.
Keitaro turned to his mysteriously revived love and asked, "Before I get to any details, how are you alive Saber? I thought you were gone for good after the final battle. How did you come back to our time?" Said former Servant replied, "Well, after I destroyed the Grail, I did indeed return to my time. I woke up, as if what had transpired was a dream. After I ordered Bedivere to toss the sword back to the lake where the Lady of the Lake resided, we talked about the possibility of seeing this dream again once I closed my eyes. I knew she was just trying to reassure me to pass on peacefully as we both knew full well that I was about to die. As my eyelids began to close, the last words I heard from her was, "Are you dreaming, King Arthur, the rest of that dream?" The next thing that I saw when I opened my eyes again was…
(Flashback)
Saber opened her eyes, and saw nothing but darkness and a dim light. As she turned to the light, she asked aloud, "Who are you? Where am I?"
The light replied in a disembodied voice, "At ease, Arturia Pendragon. I am the Holy Grail itself."
Saber immediately took a battle-ready stance, as if she still had a sword (think Invisible Air) as she asked, "The Grail, but how can that be? I destroyed you!"
The Grail answered, "Calm yourself warrior. You did destroy me, what is left of me is but the essence of the Grail, for my body was destroyed by your attack."
Saber relaxed at hearing that and asked in a cautious tone, still not trusting the voice, "Well the war is over, what do you want with me?"
The Grail replied, "Well as a heroic spirit and the Servant who won the war, I was going to bring you to Avalon, the resting place of all fallen heroes. But it seems as if you still have reservations in your heart, young one. You have fulfilled your oath and duty, but part of you feels empty. Tell me King Arthur, what is your wish? What is YOUR Avalon?"
As she was asked this, images of Shiro and all the memories they had together flashed across Saber's mind. She replied, "I-I still love him! I want to be with him again! Shiro!" As a glow began to appear, the last words that the Grail spoke were, "Very well."
(Flashback Ends)
"When I opened my eyes again from the flash of light, I was right where I was standing when I left you. I returned to your house to look for you, but you were gone. The others were just as confused as I was, having no idea where you went. I've joined them in their search for you, which they have begun long before I returned ever since." Saber ended with a small smile on her face, trying to hold back her tears of happiness.
Keitaro immediately took his former Servant in a heartfelt embrace, like he had always dreamed. "I'm glad that you're alive. Really glad. I was a mess once you disappeared from my life. I still can't believe that you're really here. Oh Saber!" He said with a small stream of tears coming down from his eyes, only this time were ones of joy. The former Servant returned the embrace wholeheartedly.
However, the heartfelt moment was ruined when one angry pervert basher was readying to give her trademark Naru punch again with a slight vein showing on her forehead. This time however, it was stopped dead in its tracks as it was caught by the girl in Keitaro's embrace. Everyone in the room was shocked, with the exception of Ilya and the Tosaka sisters. Saber then gave the violent girl a glare that immediately got Naru to back off as she retracted her fist and jumped back a little in pain from the force of the blonde's grip. Motoko caught the glare and flinched as she thought, 'How terrifying. She's scarier than ane-ue (older sister).'
Saber said curtly in a dangerous tone, "I don't know why you want to harm Shiro, but attempt that again and I'll kill you where you stand." The others were surprised at the severity of her words, besides those who knew her well. Naru, intimidated by the strange girl before her, but not enough to give up yet, said, "Why're you protecting that pervert? He was feeling you up!"
Saber replied in a calm tone, "You are incorrect. He was giving me a hug, and I returned it because I shared his feelings. There was no 'feeling up' as you've put it. I give you one last warning, harm one hair on Shiro's head, and I'll kill you without hesitation." Noticing the tension in the air, Keitaro tried to break it up by calming down his true love, "Meh, calm down Saber. She didn't mean anything too serious by it." Catching what Shiro was trying to do, Rin tried to help as well by asking, "Ne Emiya-kun, how did you get that cast in your leg? Shouldn't Avalon have healed it?"
Keitaro stared down at the cast and replied dubiously, "I don't know actually. I thought it would be gone along with Saber when she left, but some part of it must've been left behind. I usually heal quickly thanks to it, but for some reason, that stopped a few weeks ago." Rin was in a thinking pose, speculating before saying, "Well Saber did just turn up a few weeks ago. Maybe her reappearance is affecting its powers from healing you as effectively."
The former Master / Servant couple nodded in understanding, since it was the most likely explanation they could come up with for now. Kitsune cut in with a question, "Holy Grail, Bedivere, Lady of the Lake, and Avalon? You're not actually telling me that this blonde gaijin (foreigner) in front of us is…?"
Said girl turned to the others and replied in a solemn tone, "Yes, my full name IS Arturia Pendragon, also known by most of you from legends and mythology as King Arthur." The others resounded a collective "NANI?! (What)" with the exception of those who already knew this. Kitsune had a mischievous glint in her eye, which Keitaro noticed and said, "I know what you're thinking Kitsune, and you can stop that train of thought right there. Saber's not a money tree that you can shake off of. Tosaka can make sure of that if you insist on trying something. Besides, it's not as if you can convince anyone to believe that she's a centuries-old dead king brought back to life anyway." Kitsune dropped her head in resignation, and Rin gave the speaking man a smile with a shade of red on her face, flattered by his trust in her and surprised by his quickness at eliminating the problem.
This time it was Haruka who had a question, "All right, this is all very sweet, but it still leaves most of us here in the dark. What the heck happened when you disappeared all those years ago Keitaro, and what is this war that you keep going on about?"
Before her nephew could respond, Saber put her hand on Keitaro's and said, "Before you continue Shiro, I'd like you to no longer call me by my Servant name. The war is over, and I am no longer a king. I'd prefer it if you simply called me Arturia." Keitaro blushed at the contact and replied, "O-of course Arturia." Two certain pervert bashers were fuming, but they didn't dare to incur the wrath of the former Servant.
Keitaro then began to proceed telling the tale of his past. How he was invited to visit Fuyuki City by his uncle as a child, the horrible timing at being caught in the crossfire of the 4th Holy Grail War. His hair was dyed red by the blood of his relative and his wife who died in front of him along with his own. By the time he woke up after being rescued by his adopted father, he didn't remember anything before the fiery day, his hair color and eyes became what they were then. When he was asked his name, he only remembered that it was something-"ro," getting a headache whenever he tried to remember more. He then talked about his late adoptive father, who gave him the name of Emiya Shiro, and how he was inspired by him to become a 'hero of justice.'
After that, he talked about how abruptly he was caught in the middle of the next war getting between the confrontation of Rin's then-Servant Archer and Lancer. He then mentioned how he was supposedly killed instantly by the latter and was somehow mysteriously revived. At that point, Rin cut in and corrected him. At hearing that, Keitaro looked at Rin in an appreciative smile, "Thanks Tosaka, I owe you one." Said girl looked away in a blush and retorted that she wouldn't have to waste that jewel if the stupid sheath had kicked in then.
Keitaro then continued to talk about the difficult foes and battles they've fought and the losses they've suffered. When the sad subject of Archer's death was brought up, Rin waved Keitaro off and said, "Forget about it. The idiot had to act cool and hold Berserker off on his own. At least he bought us enough time later to win." Ilya then cut in, "Something was strange about him. Just before he died, he called me Ilya like oni-chan did."
The three former Masters were surprised to hear this, and Rin put her hand on her chin as she contemplated, "He did look similar to somebody we know. You don't think that he's…" Making the connection, the two once-active Masters and former Servant looked shocked as Keitaro said in disbelief, "Archer… was me? But how was that possible?" Rin replied, still mystified but more content, "I don't know Shiro. But for some reason, the Grail was able to summon an older version of you back from the future. In any case, it's too late to do anything about it now. Look on the bright side, you did kind of become the Hero of Justice that you want to be. I mean, he did give his life to save us while we escaped. Besides, if he IS you, then it's only natural that he would save you, or he wouldn't exist."
Keitaro was clutching his head and said, "All this time-travel talk is giving me a headache. Let's just move on." With that, he continued to talk about their confrontation with Caster in the hidden underground temple. When the part about her was mentioned, Sakura bowed as she apologized, ashamed at herself for getting the others in danger. Keitaro simply waved her off and said, "Don't worry about it Sakura. The important thing is that you're OK and we're all still here."
Keitaro then got to the part that he was most uncomfortable with, their multiple encounters with Gilgamesh, the near fatal injury that Rin suffered, and the final confrontation between themselves and Gilgamesh's Master. He apparently regained his memories when he was inside the tainted Grail, albeit not in the most pleasant manner. As Keitaro was holding back a sob at the sad goodbye the two gave each other (Well actually, one kind of gave a goodbye by declaring her love before she faded away while the other didn't say anything like that at all, even though he did make his feelings clear to her), said former Servant held his hand in reassurance, giving him a smile. Glad of the reminder that she was now alive and back, Keitaro then talked about how he brought Ilya back to his house and left the three girls, not being able to face his life in Fuyuki City with the hole in his heart then. After that, he returned to his old home, having his hair dyed back to its original color before he showed himself, much to the surprise of his real family. He then mentioned the childhood promise that was made and he decided to follow that dream to enter Toudai (Tokyo University) in order to keep his promise, while also using it as an excuse to escape the pain.
He then began to talk about how he became a ronin and ended up at Hinata So. At hearing the embarrassing first meeting they had, the girls all blushed for different reasons. The girls from Fuyuki blushed at hearing about the compromising positions that he got himself in, the Hinata girls blushed at the memory of how they gave him their traditional male welcome. He then continued to talk about everything that happened since he moved in, right up to the sword fight they had back in Kyoto in order to determine the fate and marriage status of himself and Motoko.
Rim elbowed Keitaro half-heartedly and asked in a teasing way, "So you almost got married to kendo girl here eh? Not a bad catch Shiro. Maybe you didn't want to win?" Said young man shook his head feverishly trying to fight back a blush. Motoko, who was also blushing at the mention of the marriage battle, said, "I'm sure Urashima doesn't feel that way. In any case, from what I've heard so far, you were never in any danger up against myself or ane-ue, were you?"
Keitaro put his hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly as he replied, "Well, I suppose not, unless you count the time you got sick and we nearly fell off the roof." Motoko blushed a deeper shade of red at the mention of that memory. The others had more questions, when Haruka stood up and said in a demanding voice. "All right, I'm sure you have plenty more questions, but it's starting to get late. The sun's already set. Why don't you girls stay here for tonight in our spare bedrooms? You can even enjoy the onsen we have here."
Shinobu then cut in and said, "I'll get dinner started for you all." She bowed and was about to go to the kitchen when Sakura caught her hand and said, "I'll help you." Keitaro at hearing that, exclaimed, "All right! I haven't had any of Sakura's cooking in years! You should let her help Shinobu-chan. She can give you a run for your money." Sakura blushed at the compliment, and Shinobu asked, "Can you perhaps teach me how to make that tofu dish that sempai made the other day, Sakura-san? Sempai said that it was your favorite." Sakura replied, "Sure, but I believe that it wasn't me sempai was talking about, even though I taught him how to make it. That dish was Saber-san's favorite."
Arturia blushed at hearing this, that her love still hadn't forgotten such a little thing over the years. Keitaro took her hand at that moment and said, "Come on Arturia. The others can show you where the onsen is while I go take a dip in the tub myself, after I make a call to Fuji-nee of course. She's going to flip to hear from me after so long." And with that, Keitaro and the other girls were off while the two chefs got busy in the kitchen.
A few minutes later outside in the onsen area, the girls were getting to know one another better. Kitsune asked the Fuyuki girls, "Keitaro told you all about how he met us. So how did you all meet and fall for the lunkhead?"
Said girls blushed at hearing this, with the exception of Ilya who made it clear that she was infatuated with her 'oni-chan.' Arturia first told of when she was summoned by Keitaro. How Lancer had cornered him, and at the last possible moment, the magical circle she was sealed in activated, she was summoned forth and saved him. She blushed as she recalled her former Master's words about how he felt when he gawked at her, "Such immeasurable beauty… I was at a loss for words."
The others had various reactions, but mostly that of jealousy. Naru and Motoko were both fuming, wondering why he never complimented them like that (Actually, with Motoko he did, just not to that extent). Ilya was next, who talked about when she first warned our hero to summon his Servant soon or he would die. The others were mortified at hearing that, as Keitaro left that out of his story earlier. She then said, "But I don't care anymore, because I'm in love with Shiro!" Again, this brought about mixed reactions.
Rin first started by denying that she had feelings for the young man (not that anybody believed her), but that they met when they were young children. When he was lying there dead from Lancer's assault, she couldn't help but jump in and save him with her magic. She commented, "If I didn't have to waste such a precious jewel on him, maybe Archer and I would've won the war instead of him and Saber." After she said that, she and said former Servant looked at each other heatedly for a moment, before she turned away and said, "But, it doesn't matter now. The war's over, and it would be weird to win with Emiya-kun's future self anyway."
Sakura, who just entered the onsen after finishing in the kitchen and caught what they were discussing, talked about her less than pleasant childhood in a sugarcoated manner, which Rin put her head down in shame at the mention of. She put a hand on Rin's shoulder and shook her head with a smile with reassurance that she didn't blame her, as it was out of her control. She mentioned that she fell in love with Shiro several years ago after secretly watching him constantly attempt to jump a bar during a track-and-field practice. His staying dedication inspired her to endure her hardships, and her admiration gave her the confidence to approach and assist Shiro after he received an injury. The others smiled at hearing that, as it was just like the man they've all grown fond of. However, even the other girls that came with Sakura were surprised at the root of her feelings.
After their time in the onsen, Keitaro mentioned over dinner that Taiga would be coming first thing tomorrow, despite his attempts to calm her down. The Fuyuki girls chuckled at hearing that, while the Hinata girls looked confused, until they were told that she could be a bit… overdramatic. After dinner, which they all enjoyed, Arturia for her favorite dish made by Shinobu, and Keitaro for tasting Sakura's cooking again, they were off to bed not long after. Rin and Sakura were put in one room together, and Arturia and Ilya in another, much to Ilya's protests to sleep with her 'oni-chan.' Before Keitaro returned to his room, he and Arturia shared a passionate goodnight kiss after he returned the doll that she wanted but never knew he bought, much to the dismay of the others that were peeping, now understanding the significance of the object.
Now in his bedroom, Keitaro was facing the ceiling with one of the biggest smiles that was from the heart in a long time. Noticing the hole that connected to Naru's room though, he did wonder about what to do about her and the promise, not to mention Taiga when she would get to the inn. Regardless, he thought, now that Arturia was back with him, he could handle anything that came his way. That night, the Fuyuki girls were dreaming of our hero, glad to have found him again, Arturia blushing as she fell asleep with a smile on her face, holding the lion doll against her body. Meanwhile, the Hinata girls were in their respective rooms, contemplating on what to do now, with these girls that came out of nowhere that already held his heart, wondering how they could win his affection themselves.
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