Author's Note:

Thank you all once again for your overwhelming support! I am blown away by how much this story is being enjoyed!

Part of the fun I have with writing fictions like these, is the re-imagining of everything. I try to keep the characters recognizable, but as I did with Star Wars Episode I: The Familiar of Zero, I try to make the characters more realistic. Date A Live, like Familiar of Zero, is a harem comedy at heart, and integrating that into the Fate Universe in a way that pays homage to the source material, but allows it to work within the story I'm telling isn't always easy. But your reviews and PMs complimenting me on my execution of this crossover have been very inspiring and uplifting!

As I'm sure everyone knows, the mechanics of the Nasuverse aren't always easy to figure out or work with. So if I make mistakes with my understanding of how magecraft actually works, I hope you'll point them out without using your Noble Phantasms on me!

Chapter Three

It was lunch time once again and Kotori, as she did everyday since the two first met, sat at a table with Origami Tobiichi to have their lunch. Only this time, Kotori wasn't feeling particularly hungry. Her mind instead on the conversation she overheard between her father and Ciel.

"I've never seen you like this Emiya. Do you want to talk about it?" asked Tobiichi in a soft voice.

Kotori's first instinct was to deflect, but as she was about to open her mouth to do exactly that her eyes met with her friend's bright blues and then she sighed and broke the eye contact to instead focus on a stain she spotted on the table.

"It's sort of stupid…" the red haired girl muttered.

"I'll be the judge of that," answered Tobiichi.

Kotori lifted her cherry red eyes to make eye contact with her friend while gathering her thoughts. "If you knew that there was something horrible happening to someone, somewhere… And you also knew you had the power to make it stop, but you didn't because you also knew that if you did, you would cause even more trouble later? How could you reconcile that?"

Tobiichi studied Kotori for a long, long, very long, moment.

"Without knowing the specifics, I don't know if I can advise you properly."

Kotori slowly nodded her acknowledgement while allowing her words to sink in and process. "Last night I had a dream about what happened. Back then, you know what I mean."

Tobiichi actually flinched at Kotori's words but said nothing. Kotori couldn't stand the sight of her friend looking so hurt and quickly averted her gaze. "I'm sorry… I know we don't talk about that,"

"If there is something of relevance in this subject, then I might be the only person with whom you could. So continue…" she said in a soft, and unmistakably pained voice.

Kotori just took a deep breath, bit the bullet, and said what was on her mind, "The thing about this dream was. It didn't actually happen. At least not the way I remember it happening. I remember so little about what actually happened… My mom used to tell me that in the absence of any real memories of what actually happened, my mind would just make up whatever it wanted to fill in the blanks."

Tobiichi scoffed at the thought, "I've heard the same thing from the quote-unquote 'professionals' I had been forcefully subjected to for months and years after that day. I'll tell you what I told them. The things we don't want to remember we will not discuss. Forcing it out of us, forcing us to relive it, is just cruel. For me, the solution was simple. If I couldn't avenge what happened, I would much rather just leave it in the past."

Kotori perked up at her choice of words, "Avenge what happened? Wasn't the cause of it an accident? Something related to spacequake damage from earlier in the day?"

"That's what they say… But I know what I saw!" she spat through clenched teeth.

Tobiichi tensed up and balled her fists hard enough that Kotori was afraid she'd draw blood and quickly moved to put her hands over her older friend's fists in a soothing gesture.

"I'm sorry senpai. I know I'm torturing myself by thinking about it… I had no right to drag you back in with me… Will you forgive me?"

Kotori started holding her friend's hands just a bit tighter until she felt the fists relax.

Tobiichi then took a hold of Kotori's hands and gave them a gentle squeeze back. "Nothing to forgive. I'm not upset with you Emiya… May I just ask you one question? What was the point you were trying to make? What is it that's troubling you?"

Kotori took a deep breath and tried her best to explain without the specifics but found herself falling short, "I have an opportunity to do something. Something like what my pops does. It's stupid, but I want to be like him. You know? I want to help people. But I'm worried that if I fail, he'll be upset with me. I'll let him down. And I'll be letting myself down too."

"We all have something we aspire to be. Like you with your father, I look up to Ryouko and aspire to be like her. Having a role-model to emulate is normal for everyone. And your goal is nothing to feel embarrassed about,

Let me just preface what I'm going to say by emphasizing how I will be very upset if this opportunity you speak of places you in any sort of danger… Having said that. I think you should do what you feel compelled to do. You might succeed, you might not. But I think you would regret not trying more than any potential consequences which may come from trying and failing. One thing Ryouko has taught me is that as long as you're able to learn from your mistakes, and are willing to keep trying as many times as it takes, then there is nothing to fear from failure, but instead, there is something to actually be gained from it."

Kotori blinked a few times at the silver haired girl before her, a mesmerized glare in her eyes. "Wow senpai. That's… Just wow. I never would have thought of it that way."

Tobiichi shrugged, "Before I met Ryouko, I never would have either. I hope it helps you make a decision."

"It does. And now I really can't wait to meet her. She must be so amazing!"

Tobiichi mustered up a small smile at the more pleasant direction the conversation was moving in. "From what I know of your father now, I am certain that-"

Before she could finish her sentence the city's sirens began to blare, alerting the population of of an impending spacequake.

"Another one?!" said Kotori while standing up and slapping her hands down onto the table.

Kotori discreetly slipped away from the group of students as they moved in an orderly fashion from the school to the shelter. Once she find a hiding place to duck into while waiting for the streets to clear. The last thing she needed was for one of the teachers or her classmates to come out and find her. By the time anyone realizes she's not there the shelter will already be sealed for the duration.

While she waited she started killing time by checking the app which would show her father's current location. She sighed with relief to find that he was in a shelter in the Shinto district.

Swiping through her phone to the disaster app. Then her eyes widened at what she saw. The projected danger zone was right where she was standing. The school and everything around her was right in the center of the currently projected danger zone.

Oh crap!

Kotori got onto her feet and ran into the street and up to towards the shelter. By the time she got there, exhausted, out of breath, and panic stricken she was horrified to find that it was already sealed.

With shaky fingers she swiped through the disaster app to see if there was a shelter open near her location. But they were all flagged as being filled and sealed.

Alright… Think… Think… THINK!

She could feel the ambient mana around her being disturbed. The first physical sign of an impending spacequake. At least, the first one which a magus could sense. Then she had a realization, and her anxiety began to subside.

Without exception. Spacequakes always happen somewhere along a ley line. If I remember the flow of the ley lines through the city correctly...

She looked behind her, up to the Mt. Enzou and started visualizing the flow of the ley lines as she remembered them from what her mother had taught her. If her memory was correct, and based on the projected danger zone on her app, the spacequake would happen three kilometers north of where she was standing. Provided the quake wasn't any more powerful than the one before, she reasoned that her location was perfectly safe. But rather than take chances she carefully examined the surrounding area on the disaster app to check the structural security ratings of the buildings around her. To her surprise, it was the school itself that had the highest rating. But to her disappointment, they were all low rated structures.

She moved back towards the school and stood behind the south side of the furthest building away from the projected ground zero. As far as she could determine, this was the safest place to be in the affected area.

It was a long agonizing wait as her mind constantly cycled through her plan, she swiped through her phone dozens of times to recheck the spacequake information, the structural security ratings, and a map of the city where she tried to superimpose her own recollection of the ley lines in case she was wrong with her presumption.

Finally it happened. The air was vibrating, the buildings began to shake and sway with the winds howling. Kotori ducked down and wrapped her arms around her knees as her anxiety returned in full force.

Is it too late to change my mind? I don't wanna do this anymore! I love you and I miss you so much! Please don't be mad if I come join you mommy!

The fear swelled through her until the only way left to express her terror was by screaming so loud that it only sounded like a whisper amidst the howling winds around her.

Kotori found herself laying fetal position on the ground after coming back into consciousness. The first thing she noticed was that she was covered in loose garbage and debris which had be flying around during the quake.

She slowly stood up while checking herself for any injuries. To her immense relief, she seemed perfectly fine. Kotori reasoned that it was the fear which made her lose consciousness, not anything hitting her in the head. Whatever did hit her, didn't seem to hurt her.

She checked her phone and swiped into the disaster app to see where ground zero was. She blinked at it and then very slowly turned around and started walking to the end of the building she had used for cover.

When she peeked her head around the corner her jaw dropped as she found that ground zero had indeed included about half the school.

I guess this means school's out for a while…

Most of the main building was crumbling, what little remained seemed to be held together by nothing more than the chewing gum which generations of students have discreetly stuck onto the building. By some miracle, the archery dojo remained untouched. She couldn't help but smile at that.

As she stepped out from behind her corner her eyes widened as a wave of purple energy missed by by nothing but the loose hairs of her long twin tails. She then became frozen in fear as a woman with long dark violet hair and matching eyes started walking up to her. She was wearing purple and gold armor with a pink ethereal looking skirt revealing hints of the armored legs beneath it. Then there was the giant sword pointed at her which was the final push she needed to move from shocked to petrified.

"Yet another has come to try and kill me…" the armored woman said.

Kotori shook her head and started shaking while reaching into her pocket where, to her immense relief she found a lollipop. Not a moment after her hands touched the candy treat did she feel the fear pass through and leave her on her next breath.

"I didn't come here to kill you. I wanted to meet you," she said confidently while unwrapping the lollipop and throwing it into her mouth.

There's something to be said for self-hypnosis. But this isn't the time to say it…

"To meet me? Why would you want that? Every single human is out to kill me! Why are you trying to deceive me? Are you stalling for time until the others arrive?!" the woman demanded in an loud emotionless voice.

"Gee… They told me you were strong, and fast, but they forgot to mention you were also dense! Look. My name is Kotori Emiya. And it's exactly like I said. I just came here because I wanted to meet you. You met my father yesterday. Reddish hair, conjures swords out of thin air? He was with his friend Ciel, woman with blue hair, conjures long knives between her fingers. Ring any bells?"

"I recall them. Yes. But you haven't answered my question. Why would a lowly human want to meet me?"

"I'm not just some lowly human! I am a magus! But not only that… I also… I think you and I might be the same. That's why I wanted to meet you badly enough to risk my life by being out here during a spacequake!"

"What do you mean you and I might be the same?" the woman asked while cautiously lowering her sword.

Pleased with her progress, Kotori's lips curled up in a small smile. "That's a long story. It would be easier to just show you. But if I did that, and the wrong people showed up and realized what I am, then they might turn on me too, and unlike you, I really don't know enough about my powers to be able to fight."

"Indeed. The Mecha-mecha squad are persistent and blood thirsty savages. You are wise to avoid fighting them if you can."

"Mecha-mecha?! Did you just say that with a straight face?" asked Kotori with a small giggle.

"Do not make fun of me!" she roared in petulance while stomping her foot on the ground hard enough to crack the cement beneath her.

"Alright… Alright… Sheesh. Anyone ever tell you that you've got one hell of a short temper? Who are the 'mecha-mecha' squad anyway?"

The woman pointed at the sky behind Kotori. "Them. The noisy flying people."

Kotori turned around and squinted her eyes up where the woman pointed.

"Alright… So there really are flying soldiers… Come on, we can hide inside the this building and then figure the rest out as we go!"

Kotori started running and took the taller purple haired woman by the hand and pulled her towards the front door of the still standing school building. "This is reckless! I should go fight them while you escape!"

"And miss my chance to actually talk with you? No way in hell! Not after what I went through to find you!"

A sort time later, Kotori discreetly peeked out the window to see the soldiers slowly circling the building, searching for any sign of their target. After a moment Kotori sat down with her back to the wall and turned her eyes on the woman seated beside her.

"So when you said you came here just because you wanted to meet me, were you being serious?" the woman asked the smaller red haired girl.

"Yes. I really was."

"Serious serious?" the woman asked again with a softer, and excited tone.

Kotori's eyes widened a little at the sudden shift in her demeanor. "Yes… Serious serious…"

"One hundred percent serious serious?!" the woman asked sounding even more excited.

"Seriously? Yes. One hundred percent… seriously. Are you happy yet?"

"Arrrgh! I can't believe I was about to fall for you amateur tricks!" the woman said while getting angry again.

I so wish this was like my dating sim… Then I'd have a convenient happiness meter to check and make sure I'm not picking the wrong things to say here...

Kotori palmed her face and groaned with exasperation. "If you really think I'm your enemy, then why are we both hiding from the 'mecha-mecha' squad out there?!"

"You have a point… This is different. And you are the first person I've ever had a normal conversation with," the woman said with folded arms and her eyes closed thoughtfully.

"Really? I'm the first?"

The woman nodded at her.

"Wow… Well. Then I guess we should start conversing then! Like I said before, my name is Kotori Emiya. What's your name?"

"My name? I don't have one of those."

"How can you not have a name?"

"I don't know… But I suppose I will need one if I want to be able to explore this world the way you do."

"If we're going to have a conversation, I can't just call you sword lady. Besides. My parents once knew a sword lady and I'm not sure they'd appreciate me calling you 'Saber' so I'll just have to make up a name for you if you don't have anything you want me to call you."

"I think I would like that…" the woman answered with a small hint of a smile appearing on her face.

"Alright… Let's see… Good names… I could go through the name generator in Date A Live… But those names are all really dumb… You need something… special…. something… with significance… Ahh! How about I call you Luvia? She was a friend of my mother's and she also had a short fuse..."

The purple haired lady pointed a finger at Kotori and started gathering a purple energy around it. Naïve as Kotori was, she knew a glowing swirling ball of raw pain when she saw it.

Whoa… She's mad…

"Do not think I can't tell when you are trying to make fun of me!"

Sorry Luvia-san… Guess mom gets the last laugh on you now. This angry lady thinks your name sucks.

"If you would calm down and let me think for a moment!" she demanded while the angry lady put down her finger and allowed the swirling ball of purple and black death she'd been gathering there to dissipate "How about Tohka?"

"Tohka… I think I like it. Yes. I like it very much! Thank you!" she said with excitement.

I'm damn glad she didn't ask what it means… I just named her today's date...

Kotori sighed with relief. "Alright. Tohka. Now we can talk properly,"

"Yes. I would like that very m-"

Before she could finish her sentence the window shattered and bullets started flying into the room. Tohka was quick to raise her defensive shield before any of the projectiles could bounce back and hurt them.

"Are you alright?" asked Tohka with concern in her voice.

Kotori blinked at the shield around them. "Yeah… I'm totally fine thanks to you!"

A short moment later the bullets stopped and Tohka stopped generating her shield. "I am glad," started Tohka with a gentle and serene smile. "But you should hurry and leave while you can. While I would love to continue our talk. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt."

When Tokha saw Kotori wasn't moving she spoke again more forcefully, "Hurry and go before they open fire again!"

Kotori shook her head, "Not going to happen. I'm not just going to leave you alone here. We still have a lot to talk about. And you said you wanted to explore this world. So that's what we're going to do. I'm going to take you out with my best friend and show you everything there is to see!"

"How are we going to do that? The only way out of here is for me to fight our way out."

"Not necessarily… If you buy me some time. I can come up with a pla-"

Before Kotori could finish what she was saying one of the soldiers flew in through the window. She didn't have her bulky jet pack anymore so she must have discarded it as she entered the building. The next instant she had a laser sword crossed with Tohka's other worldly sword.

"How rude!" proclaimed Tohka as she pushed the soldier away with her sword.

It took little more than the blink of an eye, but the soldier she pushed off her charged back in and locked swords with her once again. "If you want to hurt her you'll have to hurt me first you scum!"

Kotori's eyes widened in shock and horror. "Tobiichi-senpai?!"

"As you wish!" yelled Tokha while forcing the silver haired soldier away from her and then following it up with a slice of her blade through the air which sent a wave of purple energy out towards her.

"Senpai!" cried Kotori while running to get between the two combatants.

Tobiichi quickly ran up to Kotori and took her into a tight embrace, enveloping her in her own personal shield which protected them from the energy blast. Before Kotori could open her mouth to say anything there was another explosion in the room which sent the two of them through the wall and into the corridor behind them.

"Are you alright Emiya?" asked Tobiichi while clutching Kotori tightly with her back to the wall.

"I'm fine. Are you alright?"

"As long as you're alright. I'll be fine," said Tobiichi with a relieved voice.

This… is a problem… Self-hypnosis, no problem. Hypnosis of other people? Probably going to fail spectacularly…

"Remember I said I'd be upset if you put yourself in danger? Well what were you doing here Emiya? You should be in the shelter with everyone else!" she said without mustering any sincere anger in her voice.

Kotori pulled back slightly to look into Tobiichi's eyes while turning on the water works. "I was going to the shelter… But I guess I fell and hit my head. When I woke up it was already over. Then I met Tohka and we were talking, and then there was shooting and I was so scared! I'm so glad you're here senpai!"

Tobiichi pulled Kotori into a tighter hug. "I'm just glad you're safe. That is what's important," she said while standing them both up.

Kotori wiped away the tears she forced onto her eyes and then looked over her white haired friend's scantily clad form. She was wearing some kind of metal suit which left very little to the imagination. Kotori made a mental note to grill her friend about her fashion sense later.

"But what are you doing here senpai? What are you wearing?"

"That is a long story… I will tell you another time. For now. You should make a discreet exit. It would be better if the others did not find you here. They would want to ask you a lot of questions and I do not want you subjected to that."

Kotori blinked, "Alright Senpai… But how can I sneak out of here?"

Tobiichi let the shorter girl out of her arms and gestured towards the stairs. "Go to the bottom floor. Use the window in the chemistry lab. There won't be anyone on that side of the building. Go quickly. I'll call you as soon as I can."

"Thank you senpai!" said Kotori while bolting for the stairs.

Later that day, Shirou paced back and forth in his living room. His skin had gone through changes over the years resulting in his present tanned complexion which Taiga attributed to all the time he spent in the desert sun during his travels. But today, he was certain that his skin would, from this day on, forever be red.

Shirou Emiya was livid and fuming.

Kotori sat on the floor on the opposite side of the table from where he was pacing back and form with her hands in her lap and completely unable to meet his eyes. This was her worst case scenario.

"I don't even know what to say…" he spoke through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry…" Kotori managed to say in a very low and trepedous voice.

"You're sorry? I suppose that makes everything perfectly alright then," he said with bitter sarcasm.

"No… I suppose it doesn't…" said Kotori, still unable to meet his eyes.

"Kotori… I don't keep secrets from you because I trust you to make good decisions. But today you proved me very wrong about that. What were you thinking?!"

Kotori still couldn't pick her head up to look at him, "Do you want me to answer that?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes!" he shouted louder than he meant to before taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down while sitting across the table from Kotori. "Yes. I do want you to tell me," he said again in a more managed tone of voice.

"I overheard you and Ciel talking last night. I didn't mean to. I was coming to the kitchen to have a drink when I heard you two talking about that woman you met. And about DEM industries. I got onto the internet after that and started digging around. I picked up a lot of rumors. But one thing I found made everything you two were talking about make sense."

"What's that? And furthermore, why didn't you come talk to us about it? Why keep it to yourself?"

"Because I also heard you say you didn't want to get mixed up in it more than you had to, to protect us. But what about her? I didn't hear either of you talk about who would protect her," she explained softly without letting any emotion into her voice for fear of how it might betray her and make things worse between them.

"What made you think she needed protecting? Ciel and I decided she was perfectly capable of protecting herself. In our lives, we've been through more fights, more life and death struggles than I could ever fully tell you about. Our judgement on these things isn't for you to question! What did you possibly think you could do that we couldn't?" Shirou asked in a calmer voice, waiting to hear all the facts before deciding what to do.

Kotori looked around and saw they were indeed alone. "First. Where's Ciel?"

"She's outside sending familiars to keep an eye on things for us."

Kotori nodded slowly before finally making eye contact with her adoptive father, "Because that woman was just like me. Her powers, her abilities, and her dress were all different. But she was the same as me. She was a spirit. I read these stories… Conspiracy theories mostly, but a few stood out because I knew they had some basis in fact after what you'd told me earlier yesterday,

Then combined with what I overheard, it all fell into place. DEM have been using militaries around the world to fight and capture beings with supernatural powers for use in secret experiments. After what I heard you and Ciel discussing about everything else they do. That wasn't so much of a stretch."

"Because you think this woman-"

"I don't think it! I know it's true. I've met her. I've talked with her. I've seen what she can do with my own eyes. I've felt her power. It's all the same!"

Shirou put up his hands in surrender, "Alright. So because this woman is the same as you. You decided to risk your life for a chance to meet her. Was it worth it in the end?"

Kotori shook her head, "I don't know… But I'm sure that I'll see her again. I just feel it."

"And what would have happened if this had all gone wrong?" Shirou finally asked her while staring deep into her eyes.

Kotori then completely froze up.

"You can't say it. But don't try to tell me you didn't think about it… You don't have to answer. I'll just tell you what would happen. Nothing. There would be no more home here. No more life here. No more family. There would just be nothing. All that would be left of this family is a wound that would never heal."

Kotori bit her lip and looked down at her hands in her lap. The tears she shed were genuine this time. The tears started to drip from her face and onto her lap as she listened to her father.

"But you know this Kotori. You've experienced something that should have taught you this already. And if that didn't, then I really hope this did because in real life, you can't just start a new game if you die. And if you died. I'd have nothing to live for anymore."

After a moment to dry his tears and recompose himself, Shirou stood up and sat down beside Kotori where he reached out and pulled her into his arms. Cradling the sobbing girl tightly to his chest where he couldn't help but lose his composure and started crying all over again.

"I'm so sorry…" she managed to blurt out before taking a sharp breath, "Forgive me…"

It took him a long time to finally form words again, but he eventually did.

"I will. Someday. But from now on you're going to be doing all the yard work, and the dishes after every meal. And until the school is reopened, you're going to be putting in all the hours you're not doing your school or housework into your thaumaturgy."

"Your way of telling me I'm grounded?" she managed between sobs.

"You're far beyond grounded young lady. You're going to be getting a taste of what my life was like before I met your mother. But right now. I want you to tell me everything that happened with that woman."

Kotori nodded and drew a sharp breath to fight back her tears and recompose herself while her father slowly let her go and started doing the same.

It was two more days before Kotori's phone rang again. She was in the workshop wearing her Astral Dress and practicing with her fire manipulation ability. She picked up the phone and quickly answered it.

"Tobiichi-senpai! I was starting to really worry about you! You didn't answer my messages or take my calls!"

"I'm sorry Emiya. It couldn't be helped. Are you alright?"

Kotori took a deep breath while sitting herself down in view of the magic circle drawn on the floor of the workshop. "Well… Physically. I'm fine. But I've been going back over what happened in my mind over and over again and I can't figure it out. What were you doing there?"

"Saving you from that monster. Wasn't that obvious?"

"Senpai… I talked with Toka for a while before you showed up. She wasn't a bad person at all. I don't get why you can call her that. Have you ever tried to talk to her?"

"Emiya! That's just too dangerous! That person was what we call a 'spirit' and they are the beings responsible for the spacequakes. They're also responsible for…" Tobiichi took a deep breath before speaking again. "Do you trust me Emiya?"

"Of course I do senpai! You're the only friend I have!"

"Then believe me when I tell you there is nothing good about the spirits. Please. Don't try to approach one again. You were lucky she didn't kill you outright."

If only I could tell you the one thing that would make you truly eat those words...

"She didn't want to fight though Senpai. She was only trying to protect herself, really. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. She just wants a chance to-"

"Emiya. Don't let her trick you. Think about how many people have died in the spacialquakes. Every time a Spirit appears in our world it causes one. The more powerful the spirit, the more powerful the quake. That doesn't even factor in how many people spirits have killed with their own hands."

"Senpai… I'm sure there are bad spirits. Exactly as you say. But I don't think this one was one of them. Believe me. She really didn't want to fight anyone."

"We should talk about about this face to face. Can you meet me?"

Kotori sighed into the phone, "I would if I could… But I'm sort of grounded right now. I… may have told pops about what happened, and he may have been very disappointed with my choices..."

"He isn't the only one. Tomorrow then. We are still having dinner together correct?"

"Oh yes! Yes we are! Tomorrow at seven."

"Good. Until then."

Meanwhile, Shirou was sitting in the living room reading a book while Ciel was sitting across from him and pouring them tea.

"What do you think Ciel? Soba with Shrimp tempura and egg, or maybe Kitsune Udon?" asked Shirou while looking through one of his cookbooks.

"Seriously? You cook better meals than either of those for a midnight snack. Just make more cur- Oh wait. You're planning for tomorrow night aren't you?" asked Ciel with a sly voice.

"Nobody has ever eaten in this house without being completely satisfied. Why should tomorrow night be any different?" he wondered aloud while flipping pages in search of ideas.

Ciel thoughtfully put a finger to her chin, "Hmm. You know what I remember most about Yemen?"

"The time Shiki got cursed and thought he was a cat in heat? Poor Len, I'd never seen her so scared before… She wouldn't stop hiding behind me for days after that. Not even at night. She wouldn't sleep unless she was between Rin and I."

It wasn't the story that made Ciel burst into laughter so much as the way Shirou could tell it with a completely straight face.

"Hahaha! Why do you only remember the embarrassing things that happened to Shiki? You've had your fair share!"

"I'm sure the only things which he remembers are my most humiliating moments as well. If he opens his mouth, I open mine."

"Mutually assured disgrace… But anyway. The thing I'd rather remember is that time you paid off the chef in that seafood place to let you use his kitchen and made us all Unagi. We all got misty eyed from it, it was a nice taste of home. Why don't you make that? It's in season right?"

Shirou took a moment to consider it and nodded approvingly. "That's not a bad idea actually. I can plan around that."

"Are you actually nervous about this Shirou?" asked Ciel with an amused smirk.

Shirou shook his head. "No. I'm not. I just haven't been on a 'date' in a long time. Rin and I sort of just fell in together and became insepara- Oh shit…"

"What is it?" asked Ciel with concern.

"I just realized. This will be my first date. Well real first date…"

Ciel pointed at the taller man's face and started laughing hysterically.

"Yes… Laugh it up. I can't help it if Rin and I got together before we actually started going on proper dates together."

"Pfft! Hahaha! If it helps. This isn't any different. Your goal at the end of the night is still the same!"

"The only goal I have in mind is to get through the night without embarrassing myself. This is really just for Kotori's sake, not mine."

Ciel put her elbows down on the table and rested her chin on her hands after adjusting her glasses. "Come on Shirou. Aren't you even just a little bit interested in this woman?"

"I'm sure she's a great person. I'm sure we'll get along just fine. But do you honestly believe either of us are really interested in dating each other? Even if we were. How compatible do you think her life would be with mine?"

"Do you think I ever expected to end up in the relationship I'm in right now? When people love each other believe me… We're capable of making all kinds of accommodations for each other we never would have otherwise considered. Even if I hate it at times. There are times where I have to begrudgingly admit that I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I'm a better person now than I was before. Hell if you knew me before I was this way you would have hated me."

"I'm talking about an unwanted first date, and you're talking about polygamy… There are times I want to crack open your skull, just to see what's really in there."

"Between Shiki and Arcueid… Believe me. There's not much left in there."

"How can you stand it? Sharing the person you love?" asked Shirou with a serious look on his face.

"Believe me… At first. I hated it. I hated it very, very, very, much. But over time. I got used to it. Finally I realized that, somewhere along the way I started to love Arcueid as well. Not the same way I love Shiki of course. But I care about her a lot. Today. I can't imagine living without both of them in my life. Even though there are still times where, for the sake of all our collective sanity. We need time apart. My point is. You might not think you're going to like her. But don't be closed minded. Give her a fair chance."

Shirou groaned out his frustration, "Fine… What the hell should I even wear?"

"Just be your damn self. Don't over think. In my experience, Shirou Emiya does his best work when he puts little to no thought into it."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment…" he stated while glaring at her.

Ciel only just smiled brightly before picking up her tea. "You'll be fine."

A moment later Kotori burst into the living room, out of breath with a grave expression on her face which had both Shirou and Ciel standing up and ready to arm themselves.

"Pops… We might have a problem…" she started saying before being pushed down to the floor from behind.

Instantly Shirou and Ciel had swords and Black Keys in their respective hands, but before they could take a single step they were utterly stupefied by what came next.

"Wow! So this is where you live?! It's so nice! Oh hello again you two! How nice to see you again!"

"Pops… Ciel… This is Tohka…" said Kotori while gesturing up at the purple haired and armor clad woman who was now walking around and inspecting the contents of the living room.