CHAPTER 2:
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
The ritual went off with virtually no hitch. Rin got proof that Harry was a sibling, or at least close enough to be considered one, and he wasn't a Homunculus. Rin still seemed a little wary of him, but then again, so was Harry. Rin was a Magus, after all, and Magi were noted for their amoral natures. She also finally managed to find, albeit after significant searching, proof of Risei Tohsaka's existence: a birth certificate hidden in a special magical safe.
Rin reluctantly allowed Harry to stay, as long as he paid rent. As Harry had taken virtually all of his vault's contents (causing some small but significant disruption of Magical Britain's economy in the process, much to the perverse delight of the Goblins), he had plenty of money, though he had had to exchange the galleons for bars of bullion, which he exchanged with Zelretch's help for money here in this world. While Rin wasn't exactly swimming in money, she wasn't anywhere near poor either: she gained quite a significant income from patents owned by the Tohsakas, both magical and mundane. However, she would later reveal that her guardian had lost her many of the estates that had originally belonged to the Tohsakas. Then again, with Rin the only surviving Tohsaka at the time (with Harry on another world and Sakura considered a Matou), a lot of people to whom the Tohsakas owed debts came crawling out of the woodwork to exploit the situation, as Rin was not yet as respected as Tokiomi had been.
A lot of Rin's monies that wasn't set aside for normal expenses went towards purchasing jewels for use in her Jewelcraft. As jewels of various kinds were regulated to avoid stockpiling, Rin had to buy many of them through unconventional channels. She had, reluctantly, dealings with one of the local Yakuza clans, the Fujimura clan. Ironically, their leader, Raiga, had a granddaughter who was Rin's English teacher. Taiga was an enthusiastic and well-loved teacher, but she was also known for being an eccentric mooch who frequently bummed meals from a student to whom she was the guardian of. Rin really only knew this because Sakura had a thing for said student: Shirou Emiya. In any case, Harry's supply of jewels, coupled with him paying rent, meant that Rin's financial situation, while not remotely dire, was looking up.
Of course, that was really only a mild bump on the road. When Harry revealed his magic, Rin was utterly shocked…and jealous. Like Zelretch had warned him, Rin had complained about Harry's magic being 'right out of the Age of the Gods', meaning centuries or millennia BC. That took a lot of explaining to do, and thankfully, Harry had brought along spellbooks to soothe Rin's raging curiosity, which was like Hermione's turned up to eleven. In fact, Rin seemed to view it as an affront whenever she encountered something she didn't know, especially if it roused her interest.
In a way, this arousal of Rin's envy also inflamed her competitive streak. But when she demanded more information from Harry about his magic, he told her about his life that Saturday night. And that helped put things into perspective for his twin.
He told her of how his adoptive parents sacrificed their lives to save him, how Voldemort was vanquished. He told her of the Dursleys, of the Hogwarts letters. He summarised his time at Hogwarts as best as he could. He told her of Voldemort and the Death Eaters, of how Voldemort came back from the dead and took over Britain…and how Harry defeated him.
Rin pinched the bridge of her nose after she heard the tale. "By the Root, that's…well, it sounds more like a series of kid's books with a dark twist than a real life."
"It happened to me."
"Look, I'm not doubting you, okay?" Rin said, waving a hand. "I've seen you pull off feats of magic that shouldn't be possible nowadays. You turned my lounge into a damned pig, of all things! But it's weird hearing it. So, basically, you got sick of being a hero to those ingrates?"
"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I will be a hero if need be. But I've done enough for Magical Britain. How many times I've nearly died and come back…I've brushed with Death so many times, I should give him high-fives every time I pass(1)."
"That's no laughing matter. Magi have to be willing to walk hand-in-hand with death when they practise magecraft. Still, I can understand why you came here, and not just to catch up with family." Rin looked at her teacup, with her having made cups of tea for herself and her brother. "Heroes don't have a long life in the real world."
"Speaking of heroes…Zelretch said something about them being summoned in some big contest called the Holy Grail War here," Harry said.
"Oh, that. Yes. I probably won't be participating in it unless I'm lucky," Rin said. "There's still fifty years to go before the next one."
"Yeah, but what's it all about? I mean, I've fought in one magical tournament, and…"
"That Tri-Wizard Tournament, from what you said, is tame by comparison," Rin declared. "I guess, though, if you're part of the family…well, it might be your children I give my Magic Crest to. And it's your job to educate them. Well, where to begin? Nearly two hundred years ago, the von Einzberns of Germany approached us and the Makiris. You see, they wished to find a way to re-attain their lost magic."
"Zelretch told me that much, or at least he mentioned something about the von Einzberns wanting to rediscover the Third True Magic, something called Heaven's Feel."
"Right," Rin nodded. "As you know, Zelretch is one of the few possessors of a True Magic nowadays: Kaleidoscope, the ability to view and travel to parallel universes. The von Einzberns possessed Heaven's Feel long ago, but lost it. It's something to do with the materialisation of the soul, allowing for, amongst other things, the potential to make an entity immortal without complications. The Tohsakas and the Matous were more focused on winning the Grail, and the power of a single all-powerful wish within it. Our family provided the battlefield for the Grail Wars, Fuyuki, long before it became a city, as we are the Second Owners, the magical caretakers. The von Einzberns provided the Grail itself, as well as the mechanism for a limited form of Heaven's Feel. The Makiris provided the Servant system and the Command Seals. However, there was a dispute, and this dispute became an integral part. For you see, you need a lot of power to prime the Grail. Hence the need for Heroic Spirits."
"Sounds like an excuse for a bloodsport, if you ask me," Harry remarked.
"You're looking at it from an outsider's perspective, which is understandable," Rin said, albeit with a slightly condescending edge. Well, at least she was better than Malfoy, not to mention half of Slytherin. While she had a haughty and superior attitude that rubbed him the wrong way somewhat, she nonetheless seemed genuinely concerned about him once he revealed his past. "There are other factors involved, but I'm not aware of them. The upshot is, in the years leading up to a Grail War, the Grail sends out Command Seals to powerful Magi, though on occasion, if you do the ritual at the right time, you can claim a spot yourself. When the Grail is active, you can summon a Heroic Spirit, a hero from myth or history. The Grail acts as a catalyst, and you provide the mana."
"And hey presto, you summon up a Heroic Spirit," Harry said.
"Yes. They become your familiar, known as a Servant. They fall under one of seven classes. Sabers are swordfighters of extreme skill. Lancers are the fastest class, fighting with polearms from just out of arm's reach. Archers are masters of long-ranged weaponry, from bows to guns. Riders are known for mounts or vehicles. Berserkers trade their sanity for strength and tenacity. Assassins are masters of stealth, killing silently from the shadows. And Casters are the powerful Magi of the Grail War, masters of magecraft, weak in open combat, but powerful in their own territories. My father summoned an Archer Servant in the last Grail War, though I don't know their identity. In fact, keeping their identities secret is vital, as if their identities are known, so are their strengths and, more importantly, their weaknesses."
"Like, say, if Samson was summoned, we could just cut his hair?" Harry asked.
"A bit like that, yes," Rin said. "Though it's more involved. I don't know the identities of the Servants in the last Grail War, just most of the Masters. My father was the Master of Archer. My Uncle Kariya represented the Matous as Master of Berserker, though…he killed our father and left my mother with brain damage after strangling her in a fit of rage. I don't know why, he was so nice to my mother and I. And Sakura, of course. Maybe that's why he worked for the Matous, to try and bring Sakura back. He actually saved my life, Mother told me, from Caster's Master, a serial killer called Ryuunosuke Uryu, so I just think the strain was too much for him. I'm still angry at him for what he did…but I can't forget my Uncle Kariya." A sad look on her face was soon banished as she continued her lecture. "Representing the von Einzberns was Kiritsugu Emiya, the Master of Saber."
"Kiritsugu Emiya…wait, Zelretch told me a bit about that guy. Actually, so did Waver. He told me he was Master of Rider in the last Grail War."
"Waver…you mean Lord El-Melloi II?"
"Yeah. I mean, he told me only a little about that whole mess, just that, of all things, his Rider was Alexander the Great, only he called himself Iskandar. Oh, and he hates being addressed as Lord El-Melloi. Actually, he said his teacher, the previous Lord El-Melloi, Kayneth Archibald, was the Master of Lancer. Anyway, Emiya…wasn't he known as the Magus Killer? An infamous assassin who worked unofficially for Clock Tower?"
Rin nodded. "Yes. I thought Shirou may have been his son, but he looks nothing like Kiritsugu Emiya. I can't rule out an adoption, though. And we've named all the Masters but one. Kirei Kotomine was Master of Assassin during the last Grail War, but his Servant was the first to die. He was working with my father. Father appointed him my guardian shortly before he died. He hasn't done that great a job. He's a good magecraft teacher, but he's also a major pain in the arse."
"That bad, huh?"
"Yeah. Of course, nobody knows what really happened at the end of the Grail War, the last one I mean. Kirei claimed that one of the Masters attacked the Grail, destroying it. That's what caused the Fuyuki Fire, which killed hundreds and left many in hospital or homeless."
"Jeez. Well, hopefully, we won't have to deal with that again."
In hindsight, Harry felt like kicking his past self for saying such a thing. You know, daring the universe to prove him wrong.
"Well, as much as I'd appreciate the extra money from rent, what are you going to do for work?" Rin asked.
"Well, while I don't need to work, I still intend to. Zelretch said there was an opening at the library at your school, Homurahara High School. I've been cramming the knowledge needed, and Zelretch provided the paperwork. I could do teaching, I have the experience, but I don't have the qualifications, and you need less for library work. They've arranged an interview for Monday morning."
Rin chuckled. "Must be nice to have friends in high places…"
Harry peered at the family photo. It was one of the few in the house that had all four of the Tohsakas together, presumably taken shortly before Sakura was adopted out. Rin was easy to spot: she hadn't changed hairstyles since the photo was taken, the twin ponytails. Sakura had a short bob of hair framing gentle, demure features.
It was clear which parent they took after more. Tokiomi was a handsome man with short dark hair and a neatly-trimmed goatee, his posture dignified and proud. Aoi was a quieter, passive-looking woman with long hair. Rin seemed to take after her father a bit more, while Sakura was like a miniature version of her mother.
Harry could see some of Tokiomi's features in his own, once you disregarded the difference in ethnicity. But he had to wonder, inheritance issues aside, why the hell did he willingly sunder this happy family? And why the fuck was Rin okay with it? Was it just this mindset Magi possessed? Her words suggested that she cared about Sakura, she just couldn't bring herself to express it normally, to even admit that they were sisters.
He had to wonder, what would have happened had he not been kidnapped? Would Rin have been adopted out? Would he have been forced to forswear their relationship, the ties of blood? He would have liked to have thought otherwise…but he couldn't know for sure. Still, he was here, and he was going to help mend their relationship, by hook or by crook. He didn't have one sister, he had two. And he'd be damned if they had to stay apart because of Magi politics…
CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:
Ooh, Harry's on the warpath. But can he get Rin and Sakura to reconcile? Who knows…
1. Gordon Freeman says this at the end of Episode 22 of the excellent Half-Life parody series Freeman's Mind.