A/N: Ok people my laptop has broken and I'm borrowing one to upload this chapter so I might not be able to update for awhile. This chapter contains more developments on the ShirouxSaber side and I hope you like it!

Saber was on the way home from school with Rin the next day when she saw Shirou walking to school with Sakura. Nudging Rin, who took the cue, the two girls hid behind a wall to observe what would happen.

"So nice of you to walk me home, Shirou-kun." smiled Sakura.

"No problem," replied Shirou. "Once you've got your bow, we can hurry back and be just in time for practice."

Seeing the two so happy and comfortable with each other, Saber felt a bubble of anger welling up inside her, and something in her chest clenching. 'What is this feeling?' she wondered. 'Shirou is happy, so why am I feeling this way?' Noticing her friend's inner turmoil, Rin came to her rescue.

"Hey, Saber, I think I know how you feel," she began. Saber blinked, but listened intently. "You saw how happy Shirou was with another girl but you yourself were unhappy. You then wondered why you felt that way, when the person you loved was smiling, am I right?" Taken aback at how accurately the raven haired girl had described her feelings, the former king bowed her head mutely.

"It's called jealousy," stated Rin. "And the only way to combat it is to fight fire with fire! That means fighting Sakura for Shirou!"

Shocked, Saber took a step backwards. "What? I can't possibly challenge her to a duel! Anyway, isn't she your sister?"

Rin facepalmed again, forgetting that Saber was from a different time and thus thought differently. "I didn't mean an actual fight. I meant that, instead of going after her, go after Shirou more aggressively! And yes, technically we are sisters, But since she's Sakura Matou now, she technically belongs to another family."

Saber sweatdropped. "I don't know if that's quite how it works…" but was interrupted.

"Semantics. But are you OK with seeing him with another girl?"

"…."

"Exactly! So take my advice and make sure you find any excuse to be with him, preferably alone."

"I don't know about this…"

"Trust me! Everything will be fine…."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On Wednesday during club practice, Saber made the members split into pairs and spar. Being a new member, Shirou spent his first official practice being whacked into shape by the blonde. He couldn't do anything right. His shoulders were too stiff, his stance too narrow, his arm insufficiently braced and his posture when lunging was often poor. The unfortunate Shirou was struck time and again by the club president's sword at every possible opening, finally falling backwards with a groan of pain.

Saber sighed and backed away. 'His technique is still shoddy, but all the better for me to give him extra training.' When the boy made to stand up, Saber clapped her hands and yelled,

"Practice over everyone! Remember the tournament is in five weeks so we have to step it up! I'm still seeing sloppy guarding here!" Everyone muttered,

"Hai.." and trudged towards the racks to put away their equipment, before putting on their shoes and going home. As Shirou tried to follow them, Saber stopped him and shook her head.

"You gotta help clean up remember? You're ranked lowest after all."

Shirou resignedly began to polish the swords with a cloth, under her watchful eye. Sighing again, Saber picked up a cloth and a sword, sat beside him and started cleaning as well. Stunned, Shirou stuttered,

"Bu-buchou! You really don't have to do that, it's my job!" Pretending she hadn't heard a thing, Saber continued to shine the wood, her calm, expressionless façade in stark contrast to her wildly beating heart.

"Geez you're so stubborn," muttered Shirou, resuming work when the girl finally spoke up.

"Not like that. Rub it along the grain."

Puzzled, Shirou cocked his head and stared at her quizzically. Patiently, she got up, walked over to where he was and placed her hands over his. Shirou was briefly puzzled by her change in mannerisms as she guided his hand firmly but gently over each sword in turn. Through it all, Shirou bit his bottom lip, wondering why his pulse had suddenly begin to race. When they were done, she said nothing, silently walking away. Shirou waited until she was gone before voicing his innermost thoughts.

"What the hell just happened?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As soon as Shirou's feet felt the familiar, coarse tatami of his room against them, he plopped himself on the ground and closed his eyes.

'That girl, Aurora,' he wondered. 'Do I feel differently towards her because of Saber or…' He shook his head vigorously, banishing the taboo suggestion that came to mind.

"Of course it's because she looks like Saber. There's too much similarity in their features for me not to think about her. It's like I'm looking at Saber."

"But ah," whispered a tiny voice in his heart. "Aren't they a little too similar?"

"I don't understand."

"Think boy! She's cold, Saber's cold. She excels at swordplay, so does Saber. She shuns everyone, Saber did too! Don't you think they could be related?"

"No way."

"Is that true? Then why does your heart beat so when she is around? Did not your Servant arouse the same feelings?"

"You're wrong! Maybe I do see her differently, but it's only because of the similarity. I will always love Saber."

"Then could that be it? That you're falling for her because you see her as a substitute?"

Shirou desperately wanted to deny it, but saddened upon realising he couldn't. Opening his eyes and looking around his room he caught sight of it - the adorable stuffed lion he had bought his Servant less than a month before. A reminder of who he loved, and why.

"I will always love Saber." He said, this time out loud and sat up.

"With or without that girl."

The lazy afternoon sun smiled half-heartedly, shooting streaks of orange and red light through the windows of the archery club's room. Squinting in annoyance at the light obscuring her view, Ayako the club president attempted to make her shot but failed, the arrow flying centimetres from the target.

"Ah buchou, if I may, I think you should angle your head like this, so that the sunlight doesn't get in your eyes," suggested Shirou from beside her, demonstrating the move and hitting the centre perfectly. Ayako feigned indignance.

"And you said you didn't deserve to be captain! Hmph." She turned her back on him and called, "Alright everyone, pack up! I'll see you next week after school!" As the members of the archery club filed out, Sakura approached him with a smile.

"Hey Shirou, if it's not too much trouble, will you walk home with me?"

"S-sure!"

Although it was late in the afternoon, the sun's rays beat mercilessly on the two students as they walked home. Anyone who walked past would've seen two carefree, playful students light-heartedly discussing the day's events.

'No one would've suspected we were magi,' Shirou thought fleetingly. Life had become peaceful, but oh so boring..

Sakura's voice broke through his hazy mind. "Ano.. Shirou, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Oh sure, fire away."

"Ye-yes. Well.." Sakura fidgeted, twiddling her thumbs. "What do you think of Prendergast-senpai?"

Caught off guard, Shirou yelped, "Wh-what? Why the sudden question?"

"We-well.." Sakura struggled to make her words diplomatic, but ended up blurting out, "D-do you like her? I mean she's really pretty, and everyone says she's really athletic and smart, just like Ri-I mean nee-san."

"Ehhh? It's not like that at all! She just reminds me of Saber and that's it!"

"So you don't like her?"

"Not in that way, no."

"Oh," Sakura tried to keep the relief out of her voice. "But what do you think of her?"

Shirou pondered this over, not wanting to sound like he was trying hard to conceal his feelings. Eventually he settled on saying "She's really focussed, as club presidents should be, after all. She works very hard and expects others to do the same, I guess. Most might say she's a little too strict, but I reckon anyone can see that she really likes kendo."

'Oh phew, it's all about kendo after all. I was overreacting.' thought Sakura. As though he could sense this, an awkward silence hung over the pair like a miasma, shattered only by the ringing of Shirou's phone.

"Shirou? Hey it's me, Rin."

"Rin? What's wrong?"

"It's Aurora, I sent her off to get groceries but she hasn't come back yet! I even forgot to tell her where the house key was so she could let herself back in. "

"Can't you go find her?"

"I would if I could, pea brain, but as it is I'm stuck at cram school, had to sneak to the bathroom to call you."

"U-uh.." before Shirou could so much as protest ,Rin cut in.

"I told her to call me when she got home so I figured she isn't back yet. I think she's lost!"

"Hey wait a sec, I-" Shirou hadn't even finished his sentence when the frantic girl interrupted once again.

"Please go find her Shirou, or goodness knows what might happen to a girl like her, lost alone at night. If you do, I-I'll bring you lunch tomorrow!"

"Woah what? Oh fine then I'll go look for her."

"Thank you so much! I knew I shouldn't have just put her on the bus there! Bye!" Click.

Shirou groaned in frustration and turned to Sakura.

"Ah, sorry Sakura but Tosaka needs me to do something for her. See you tomorrow yeah! Bye!" and with that Shirou took off sprinting.

It was evening, and the last vestiges of sunlight had long been consumed by the darkness, which covered everything like a cold blanket. Shirou had spent the previous hour or so searching for the kendo club president, to no avail. The longer he searched, the more frantic he became.

"Dammit!" he cursed and bent over, huffing and puffing. "Dammit Aurora where are you?"

As he stood there panting, hands on his knees and sweat pouring down his cheeks, he felt a tug in what he could only describe as his soul. Spent and fatigued, he let his legs take him to the source of the pull. Before he knew it he was on the bridge connecting the two sides of Fuyuki City, staring ahead at a young blond girl standing on the bridge. She looked so mysterious in the light, so.. Noble. Pinching himself on the arm to ensure he wasn't dreaming, Shirou raced towards her, shouting

"Oi buchou*!"

"Shi-Shirou?" she saw him coming and her eyes widened. He grabbed her by the hand and gasped

"So here you were! Tosaka was panicking when you didn't get home. Why didn't you call her?"

"I.." the ground suddenly became very fascinating to her. "I don't really know how to use Japanese phones."

"Agh then you should've asked! You're so stubborn, buchou," he chided but his smile didn't fade.

'His smile is so beautiful,' thought Saber before he pulled on her arm lightly.

"Come on, I'll walk you home."

As the green eyed girl allowed him to lead her home, Shirou took a moment to absorb his surroundings. Now that he'd found her, the night suddenly seemed far less ominous. The sky was now a dark curtain spangled with points of light and the moon a silent sentinel, its silvery gaze bathing everything in a soft luminous glow. He released her hand and they strolled, side by side through the city, both lost in the serenity of their surroundings. As they walked past a park, however, an unusual sight attracted Aurora's attention.

"Hey, Shirou, what's that?"she asked, pointing at a long dark slash in the pavement, devoid of tiles and concrete. It took Shirou a few seconds to recall that it had come from his and Saber's first battle with Gilgamesh, the seemingly invincible Servant of Kotomine Kirei. Images flashed through his head; of Saber protecting him, telling him to run, of Gilgamesh repelling her Noble Phantasm effortlessly and of the two of them using Avalon to reflect Gilgamesh's sword Ea.. He wasn't sure if he knew how to talk about a place at which such monumental events occurred. To speak of it would be to cheapen the experience. And yet..

"Shirou?"

"Uh.. An accident of some sort happened there." said Shirou lamely and Aurora chewed her bottom lip.

'I wonder what he was just thinking. Could it be that seeing that spot reminded him of when we first truly fought by each other's sides.' Trying to alleviate the tension, Saber cleared her throat and said,

"Ah yes, Shirou, are you looking forward to participating in our first tournament in a month's time?"

"Oh, yeah!" he grinned, glad for a change of subject. "I've never been in an actual tournament before, but I did practise kendo with someone last year."

'Me,' she thought sadly. 'He means me.' but fixed a more cheery look on her face, "That's good. Your fighting skills are shabby but with practice and time I think you could become very skilled, Shirou."

"High praise from the ice queen indeed," teased Shirou and the two lightly bickered back and forth until they'd reached Rin's house. When they got there, Rin raced out of the house, hugging both of them tightly.

"Dangit Aurora I was so worried!" she wailed as Aurora mumbled apologies. Facing Shirou, Rin smiled one of her rare sweet smiles.

"Thanks Shirou. See ya at school." she winked and the girls returned to the Tosaka residence. Shirou stood there for a while, smiling slightly.

'Buchou is a good person after all, hm."

A/N: On second thought, I'd like this story to get at least 17 reviews before I update~ Come on guys I know you want to~

*buchou - Japanese term used to address club presidents.