- Threads of Fate -
- Chapter 4 -
Day 4: February 4th
- What is Burned In -
Shirou coughed as the scalding hot air burned his throat and seared his lungs. He hobbled down the smoke-ridden streets looking for any help but, in this excruciating heat, he could barely walk; his arms and legs felt like logs. Not even the hottest summer in Japan could measure up to this heat. It was like standing over a gigantic bonfire with scorching pain that seared every inch of your body yet you couldn't escape.
It seemed as if the entire city had been hit by the fire. All around him were the burnt out husks of buildings. The sky was painted shades of red and orange as fire raged out of control across the landscape.
The sound of cracking and splintering wood from a nearby house caught his attention. Looking at the house, it was an old brick building that held up against the fire; only the second floor seemed to have been destroyed. Perhaps someone was still alive there. Dried grass crunched under his feet as he slowly moved towards the building. Looking through a window he saw what he thought might have been a living room. On the floor unmoving was a child who he couldn't be much older than he was. Over him was a man with a cloth wrapped around his mouth as he lifted the child with utmost care. Perhaps it was the father?
Over the sound of crackling fire, Shirou could heard the wood giving way. The man must have heard it was well as he quickened his pace and made his way towards the wouldn't make it. Even as the man ran, Shirou saw the avalanche of wood, brick and mortar falling towards them. At the last moment, the man saw him looking through the window. For that one moment, he saw the fear and despair in his wide eyes.
Shirou reached out with his arm as if his will alone could save them. He wished with all his might that he could save them but it was not to be.
In less than a heartbeat, they were gone, buried underneath the rubble. Like a chain reaction, the rest of the brick house crumbled in upon itself and he stumbled backwards to avoid the rain of debris. Running as fast as he could, he saw the pile of rubble finally come to a rest; a giant tombstone to the two people inside. He wanted to cry for them but he was too tired even for that. The unrelenting heat stole even that small mercy from him. He stared for long moments at the spot where the father and son had been.
There was nothing here now... only the dead. With what little strength he had in him, he forced himself to keep walking.
It was the same dream again, the fire from ten years ago. In it he walked and he ran as he always did but the outcome was the same. Nothing ever changed. Death and destruction surrounded him no matter where he went. He continued onward but he knew there was no end to this hellfire. Even though it was a dream he could never find the end to the fire and death around him.
In the distance, he could hear someone crying...
- Rise and Shine, Emiya-san. Rise and Shine -
Shirou slowly opened his eyes, the fragments of his dream fading like frost in the summer sun. He coughed as if to expel the smoke and ash from his lungs; still shaking the image of his dream away. Immediately, dull pain swelled across his abdomen with each cough and he grimaced. Looking down, he saw bandages across his chest and stomach.
"Ugh, what happened yesterday?" he said to himself.
Two things immediately registered in his mind. First, the light floral patterns on the roof indicated that he was definitely not back home. Secondly, the two feminine voices yelling at him meant he'd probably done something bad.
"That should be the question I should ask you, Shirou," said Saber sternly.
"Idiot! You almost died, Shirou, that's what happened," yelled Rin.
Beside him were Saber and Rin who were both staring at him with irritation in their eyes. A chill went up the back of his spine that spread to the front of his naked chest...
Wait... Naked?!
"Gah! Where'd my shirt go?" said Shirou as he reached for the blanket that had been covering his bandaged torso. He also noticed his regular blue jeans were splattered with blood; most likely his own. Giving a slight sigh, Rin picked up a bundle of clothes and handed them to him before looking away.
"Here, Archer retrieved them from your home. The washroom is down the hall," said Rin with a look of annoyance as she diverted her eyes.
Almost comically, Shirou grabbed the clothes and rushed towards the washroom. Stumbling through the door, he locked it behind him with a click. With a door finally between him the girls outside, he breathed a sigh of relief and then felt the pain return in full force. He could feel nausea rising from his stomach and he stumbled onto the porcelain sink. With heavy breathes, he fought back against the pain in his chest and the bile within his throat. That was good though, the pain reminded him he was alive. After a moment, he could feel the pain eventually fade away and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Searching his memory, scenes from yesterday flashed through his mind and he remembered what happened. He had tried to protect Saber by pushing her out of the way but instead he'd only taken the blow head on. Gingerly, he gently touched his bandaged abdomen as if to make sure it was still there. It felt slightly sore but he supposed that was better than having nothing there at all.
Splashing water onto his face, he quickly got dressed and went out. Walking through the hall, he suddenly noticed the warm sunlight streaming through the old curtained windows. Stepping back into the main room, he could see both Rin and Saber sitting calmly waiting for him while drinking tea. On a central wooden coffee table lay a tray with an assortment of biscuits and fruit pastries as well as an ornate teapot; hot steam still rising from the mouth.
As he headed towards his seat, he couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between his home and Tohsakas. While his house had been built to model a traditional Japanese home with tatami floors and thin rice paper dividers, Tohsaka's house looked closer to one you would find in Victorian London. Ornate wooden furniture adorned each room with slightly floral wallpaper design. There even had an old grandfather clock in the corner.
Oddly, Archer wasn't here although he supposed the red Servant was simply hovering behind Rin in spirit form.
"Emiya-kun, I assume from your ability to run that you're feeling all better now?" asked Rin as she calmly took a sip of her tea.
Shirou patted his abdomen just to check once more. His memories of last night seemed surreal compared to what his body looked like right now. Rin truly was a master with magecraft if she could heal a wound like that.
"I think so," he said, checking over his body once more. "I guess I have you to thank for saving me?"
"Yes, I healed you wounds... well, there was Caster before that... but mostly me, of course," she said. He noticed her eye twitch at the mention of Caster.
"I suppose I owe you my thanks for saving my life then... so... thank you, Tohsaka," he said. He punctuated his remark with a bow of his head.
"Uhh... heh..." she replied nervously. Her face seemed flustered from the compliment before she took a breath to collect herself. Rin exhaled before forcing her body in a rigid pose and giving him a serious look. "However, it seems like you didn't remember from yesterday."
"Listen to me," said Rin as her tone went serious, "you're acting as if we're friends. I told you yesterday but it seems like it didn't stick into your head." Rin paused and stood up for effect.
"We. are. enemies." She said by emphasizing each word, "You don't thank your enemy. You're still acting as if this was nothing but a game. Don't you understand? The enemy Master is just another obstacle to be removed even if they were your own family. If you refuse to take this war seriously then you will die!" she said, shouting at the end.
He could see the anger mixing with her cold Magus demeanor. Of course it was natural for her to be mad. She had probably been trained for years to be the heir to the Tohsaka family. For an amateur to be chosen as a Master and only take it half seriously would have been a serious affront to any Magus. By not taking it seriously he was insulting her. Still... something seemed off.
"I understand," said Shirou after a quiet moment of silence, "but if that's the case, Tohsaka, then shouldn't you have killed me while I was unconscious yesterday? Doesn't that just leave you with another Master and Servant to deal with?"
As if her hand had been caught opening presents before Christmas Day, she froze on the spot. Quickly recovering, she gave a quick "hmph" before looking away at a distant point on the wall.
"It's not my style to kill someone in their sleep," said Rin before twitching her mouth in annoyance, "besides, you helped reveal Berserker and Caster for me so I did owe you. Again... Anyways, that's enough chatting. I'm sure your Servant can fill in the details about what happened after your... idiotic actions yesterday." She quickly ushered Shirou and Saber towards the front door.
Walking outside, his eyes were blinded by the bright sunlight. Waiting for a moment for his eyes to adjust, he guessed it must have been sometime mid afternoon. A well trimmed lawn lay before him with grey tiling leading to the street. He inwardly chuckled at the thought of Rin tinkering and straining against a lawn mower to cut the rather large yard.
Come to think of it, he'd never even seen the entire front of Tohsaka's house let alone been inside of it. It really was an act of kindness from her to have taken essentially what was an enemy in for the night. Turning to look behind him, he saw Rin standing at the door, her Magus demeanor having returned. Her cold blue eyes stared at him as she watched them leave.
"I suppose this is where we part?" he said, already knowing her answer.
She nodded. "Emiya-kun, this will be my last warning. The next time we see one another we will be enemies. Remember that." With that final message she shut the door on them.
After leaving Tohsaka, they headed towards home. It was Sunday and sunny today so more people were out and about than normal. Saber received curious stares from several people. Given Fuyuki's past as a city of commerce, foreigners weren't completely rare but they did attract attention. Shirou was rather glad Rin had the foresight to provide her with clothing. Of course, that provided a new problem for him. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the proper white shirt she wore or that the dark blue skirt and obi around her waist might hinder her combat , it was the fact that even outside her armour she had a beautiful radiance that drew his eyes to her.
"...And that is essentially what happened after... Shirou, are you even listening?" said Saber.
"Of... Of course..." said Shirou, quickly turning his head to hide the fact he had been staring at her. He rapidly tried to come up with something to change the subject, "I was just thinking about those clothes Rin gave you..."
"Yes?" said Saber as she waited for a response.
"They look good on you..." he felt heat rise to his head as he realized the implications of what he said. "I... I... I mean, they're good at hiding your status as a Servant."
"Yes, that is true. I would certainly have looked suspicious with my armour on," she said while idly sizing up her own clothes. If there was any indication she noticed Shirou's pause or the blood rushing to his face, she hadn't shown it.
Shirou took a breath. She was his partner and was depending on him to win the war. In order to do that they would have to communicate and work together. He'd have to get used to working with Saber inside and outside of combat. Steeling himself, he looked up to see Saber staring at him; a serious expression on her face.
"Saber?"
"Shirou, about last night," said Saber. He nodded his head to signify she had gotten his attention. "Do you know Caster? She says the only reason she saved you was because you saved her life before."
As they waited for the light to change, Shirou searched through his memories. Nothing came up. Even before the war started he barely qualified as a Magus. He found the mere thought of an amateur Magus like him saving the powerful Caster ridiculous. "I don't think so." he said, "why do you ask? Isn't it a good thing that Caster saved me?"
"Shirou," she said sternly, "Servants are summoned to win the Grail. There is no reason for a Servant to save another Master especially if she is not one of the Knight class Servants. If you don't know her then she lied and that means you're part of her plan to win the war. Now think hard, Shirou, is there anything no matter how small that might link you to Caster?"
They crossed once the lights finally changed green.
"I don't think so... although..." his voice trailed off in thought, "I remember her voice yesterday, before everything blacked out. She was..." he wasn't sure what to call it. When he thought about it, all he could think of was a memory. Before the fire had destroyed everything he remembered a young boy living a normal life. Thinking about it after all these years, it seemed as if it was someone else's memories.
He'd been unable to sleep that night. The heavy rain and wind had battered the windows and kept him wide awake as if there were a horrible creature outside. Thunder struck nearby and his nerve finally broke. With a loud yelp he ran out of his room. He finally found her out in the living room and immediately hugged her knees.
"There's nothing to be afraid of, Shirou. It's just the weather," she had said.
She picked him up and gently lay him on the soft sofa. Holding him close to her body, she whispered comforting words to him as he drifted to sleep. Being around her felt like nothing in the world could harm him even as the loud wind continued fluttering the windows. Under her protective embrace he'd finally fallen asleep.
He had been so caught up in the memory that he didn't notice he'd stopped talking until Saber began shaking him.
"Shirou! Are you alright? Talk to me," she said with concern. "Did Caster put a spell on you? Shirou! Wake up!" She shook him a few more times for good measure.
Saber's sudden grave concern made him inadvertently chuckle, a gesture that annoyed the knight. Saber placed her hands on her hips as her brow scrunched in annoyance. Her narrowed green eyes told him she was not amused.
"This isn't funny, Shirou," said Saber, "I was being serious. She could have easily cast a spell on you."
He finally stopped laughing and spoke, "I'm sorry, Saber. Anyways, I'm fine. I don't think Caster used any sort of control spell. It's just that I was remembering how Caster reminded me of my mother when I was small. I know it isn't much but maybe Caster's Heroic Spirit had a family?"
"Oh. Hmm... it's possible" she said while pondering. "Regardless, if you feel strange in anyway you should tell me immediately. I am a knight class Servant and you are not a strong Magus. There's no telling what enchantments she may have cast on you with her back turned."
"Alright... Alright, Saber, I will," he said trying to reassure her. "Besides, if there was anything wrong with me I'm sure Tohsaka would have noticed it."
It appeared his comment only annoyed the small Servant even more. "Shirou, you should stop underestimating the enemy. Caster is a Servant, not a normal Magus. Have you not considered the possibility she may have hid a spell with her skills?" she said.
"Saber really doesn't like Casters, does she?" Shirou thought to himself. Maybe it was something to do with her legend. He'd have to ask her that later. Opening his mouth to reply to Saber a sudden nausea rose from his stomach. Collapsing to his knees, he felt dizzy as he willed the nausea away. He supposed it was only natural. Saber had said his healing was possibly due to an odd connection between their status as Servant and Master. However, even with this healing there was bound to be some lingering pain; wounds always took time to heal. Most people died after being stabbed in the heart. He supposed he should count himself lucky.
After a moment the nausea and dizziness receded and he felt better. Opening his eyes, he saw Saber at his side. She was kneeling right next to him, her face was slightly pale as she looked at him; the same look she had right after he had taken Berserker's blow.
He broke a pained smile to try to reassure her, "Heh, don't worry Saber. It's just lingering pain from the wound. I'm alright now."
"Are you sure?" she said with concern. She had never been this close to him. At this distance, he could see she had really beautiful olive green eyes. Sunlight seemed to dance across her blonde hair. He felt a sudden uncomfortable heat flush through his body and his breath was caught in his throat.
"Shirou?" asked Saber.
Realizing just how close they were, Shirou immediately stood up and backed away to open the distance. Waving his arms in front of him to ward her away, he said nervously, "I'm perfectly fine, Saber. Really."
Saber tilted her head slightly in confusion. Unsure of what to make of Shirou's condition, it appeared he had recovered so Saber simply took Shirou's words as the truth. Taking a breathe, Shirou gave a sigh of relief before putting distance between himself and Saber.
"Shirou, what shall we do now? It is still several hours before night falls," said Saber.
Thinking for a moment, he said, "Hmm, you're still new to Fuyuki, right? How about I show you around the city?"
"That will not be necessary. I already know this area well," she said.
"Really? You don't look like you're born here. Did you perhaps come to Japan in your past?" said Shirou. He wracked his brain for any famous Western hero that would have travelled to the Asiatic.
Then Saber said something that surprised him. "No, Shirou, you misunderstand. The reason I know this area is because I fought in a previous Holy Grail War," she said.
"Eh!? Really? Did you survive until the end of the war?" he asked. When she didn't respond right away, he turned to see her staring at the ground. Her blonde hair covered her eyes leaving him seeing only the frown on her face.
"I... can't remember..." said Saber. Her brow wrinkled in annoyance as she seemingly tried to recall distant memories. "I know every place we visit but I can't place when I was there or what happened there during the last war. I'm sorry I cannot be more helpful, Shirou."
He sighed. Once again, he cursed his inability as a Magus to summon Saber correctly.
A sullen silence descended upon them as they kept walking. Reaching the main road, Shirou decided to turn right and began heading in the direction of Shinto.
"Shirou, should we not return back to your home?" asked Saber.
"I was thinking we could walk around Fuyuki. It's been ten years. Some parts of the city have changed since then and it's best to have the most recent picture. Besides, the walk might refresh your memory and I could do with the air," he said.
"Hmm... I do not believe that is completely necessary, Shirou. However, if that is what you believe will be helpful..." she said with resignation.
Without another word, Shirou continued onwards with Saber trailing behind.
- You've got a friend in me -
The sun began to set on the horizon as the archery club finally closed. Shutting the door behind them, Ayako, Sakura, Taiga and the rest of the archery members left the building.
"Anyways, I have something to do in the teacher's office," announced Ayako before waving goodbye to the rest of the group, "I'll see you all tomorrow."
Normally the club would stay open for another hour or so however with the recent grizzly murders the school had issued a mandatory time restriction on after-school activities. The sky was painted a warm orange as the students finally split off and headed their separate ways at the school gate. Waving goodbye to the others, Sakura and Taiga started heading in the direction of the Emiya residence.
"I thought that was a good practice, don't you think? Tanaka-san and Sato-san appear to be improving quite well since last week."
"Yes, that's right," said Sakura, "for being new to Archery they're learning quite well." Tanaka and Sato had recently joined at the beginning of this semester. Despite only have several weeks of training they had a natural talent at Archery. Sato herself was quite outgoing when she wasn't shooting and often helped the other first years with their Archery chores before the club closed for the day. "I think they're a great addition to the club."
"Although I am disappointed with Shinji performance. He's the vice-captain," she said in a scolding tone, "he shouldn't be skipping meetings like this. It's really irresponsible of him. Just because the tournament is still several months away doesn't mean he can simply shirk his duties like that. Don't you think, Sakura?"
Knowing what Shinji was doing and why he was skipping school, she kept silent and let Taiga continue. Unconsciously, she idly rubbed her left hand where her command spells lay.
Taiga gave a loud sigh. "I wonder what would have happened if Shirou had decided to be vice-captain instead of Shinji. He was always so serious and focused when he practices with us.
As they turned the corner they saw a cloaked figure, the person's back turned to them, casually walking in the same direction. She was clad in a navy blue cloak, the edges embroidered with a lattice of white crosses. Approaching closer, Sakura thought she recognized the person.
It had been raining heavily for three days straight before finally breaking that morning. Before leaving the house, she had decided to take an extra umbrella just in case. Shirou had left in such a hurry she doubted he remembered to bring one in case it began raining again. Catching up with him during the afternoon break, he said, "That's alright, Sakura. I have one in my locker.'
"Oh..." she said glumly. She should have known. Of course he would have kept one at school; it had been raining for three days already. She felt so stupid.
With a slight smile, he rubbed the back of his head nervously, "If you hadn't reminded me this morning I would have forgotten to bring one," he said, "thanks for looking out for me again, Sakura."
Warmth spread to her cheeks at his words. Thinking back, she did remember reminding him to bring an umbrella before he rushed off to school.
The bell rang and signaled the end of lunch.
"Anyways, I'll see you after school," he said cheerfully before heading off. She kept watching as his body eventually disappeared in the rush of students.
"Bye, Senpai," she said quietly as she watched him leave. She hoped he hadn't noticed the redness on her face.
The rain had begun pouring down after lunch before turning into a pleasant drizzle slightly before school ended. Shirou was busy helping Issei, the Student Body President of their school, with repairing one of the heaters in a classroom so she headed home alone. It was her turn to prepare dinner so she decided to stop by Miyamachou's shopping district to buy groceries. As she walked in the light rain she was met by an interesting sight. Walking slowly along the road was a woman dressed in a navy blue cloak looking at a large unfolded pamphlet that Sakura recognized was for Fuyuki's bus schedule. As Sakura walked closer she noticed her flipping the large sheet of paper back and forth and looking at the road signs in frustration. It appears she had been walking for a while as her cloak and dark hair were wet from the rain. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Sakura approached the woman.
"Do you need help?" asked Sakura.
Giving a sigh, the woman lowered the paper. "I don't suppose you know which bus around here would take me to Shinto? I'm trying to buy food for a large dinner and can't figure out which bus will get me into the city," she said.
"Shinto?" said Sakura, "that shouldn't be necessary. There's a shopping district nearby if you're just looking for groceries. It's only a few blocks away. Here, I can show you," said Sakura motioning down the road.
"Eh? I mean... I don't want to waste your time," she said hesitantly.
"It's no problem. I'm going the same way, anyways," said Sakura.
After hesitating for several moments, she eventually gave in and began walking with Sakura. Without a second thought, she pulled out the extra umbrella she'd brought for Shirou and gave it to the woman.
"I... uh... Thank you," she said. Her cheeks seemed to bloom red as she took the umbrella. "you're a really kind person." Opening up the umbrella, she then proceeded to remove her wet cloak hood, revealing her tangled dark hair across her face. Sakura gave a quick smile before pointing out her disheveled hair to the woman.
"I forgot to mention," said the woman as she moved the stray strands of hair aside, "my name is Elesia. What's yours?"
"My name is Sakura. It's nice to meet you, Elesia-san."
That had been over a week ago. It started as a chance meeting but now they had bumped into one another several times after school. Sakura discovered Elesia was staying at Ryuudouji temple and acted as the new cook in payment for the monks allowing her to live there. Every other day Elesia would come down from the temple for grocery shopping and walk with her before they parted ways. In many ways, she enjoyed it. She didn't have many friends at school and enjoyed talking with someone during the silent walk back home.
"Eh? Elesia-san?" called out Sakura.
The cloaked figure turned around to reveal a young woman in her late twenties. Without the rain pouring down, her long raven hair flowed smoothly past her shoulders. Recognized Sakura, Elesia's blue eyes softened as she gave a warm smile. She gave a gentle wave towards them. In her other gloved hands was an empty wooden basket for groceries.
"Hello, Sakura. Good day," said the woman politely as she bowed slightly towards them.
"Hello, Elesia-san," replied Sakura as she bowed in response.
"Eh? Sakura, you know this person?" said Taiga in surprise.
"Yep, I met her several weeks ago when I was going for groceries," said Sakura. "I guess it's kinda funny, but we meet each other occasionally after school. She lives with Ryuudou-san up in the temple."
Taiga perked up at Sakura's comment, "I remember now. Issei did mention a nice woman living at the temple recently. He said she was quite beautiful with fascinating jewel-like eyes. Oh! Don't tell him I told you that," she said sheepishly.
"Not a word," said Elesia with a chuckle. "And you must be Fujimura-san, Sakura's homeroom teacher. I've heard quite a lot about you from Sakura."
"Ooooh?" said Taiga as her she eyed Sakura using her peripheral vision. Like a predator smelling blood, Taiga moved in closer to Elesia. "And what exactly has Sakura said about me?"
Alarm bells sounded in Sakura's head. With her eyes wide, she waved her hands in a quick "no" gesture towards Elesia.
"Hmm... well... lets... see..." said Elesia while feigning deep thought. Each purposefully strung out word only heaped more worry onto Sakura. Behind Taiga's back, Sakura began silently waved her arms back and forth frantically trying to catch Elesia's attention.
"I do remember her saying you did like a good okonomiyaki. Come to think of it I did have a good recipe I wanted to share with her," Elesia finally said. With the mention of food, Taiga's investigation into Sakura evaporated. For a new set of reasons, Taiga leaned closer to Elesia.
"Okonomiyaki? Are you good at cooking, Elesia-san?"
"You could say that. I would like to think of myself an excellent cook," said Elesia with pride, "my most recent experience involved Indian food, but I would like to think my Japanese cuisine is still up to people's standards here. Maybe I could cook you dinner one of these days."
"Really?" said Taiga, her eyes wide like a child waiting for candy. "Maybe you can come by in the future! We have a very good cook at our home. Maybe we could test your dishes side by side."
What was clear to Sakura and anyone else that was watching nearby was that Taiga was in a world of her own. Images of Han feasts and luxurious banquets flowed through her mind, each one greater and grander than the last. Taiga was on the verge of drooling.
Standing politely while holding the basket, Elesia gave a slight chuckle before nodding slightly in agreement, "I would be honoured to cook for your house, Fujimura-san."
"I guess the quickest way to Taiga's heart really is through her stomach," thought Sakura with a sigh. Only when Sakura started tugging on Taiga's shirt did she finally snap out of her stupor.
"Oh, ahem. Anyways, I am curious, Elesia-san, your name is a bit odd. Are you not from around here?" said Taiga.
"Taiga, it's rude to ask those kinds of questions," protested Sakura.
"That's alright, Sakura. You're right, Fujimura-san. My parent's moved to France before I was born and decided to give me a western name. I'm really lucky, in a way, as that allowed me to see the world," she said, "and allowed me to learn many different types of cuisine."
Sakura smiled. She could already see the images of new foods forming within Taiga's head. Her fantasy, however, was broken when Elesia spoke again.
"In any case, it was nice meeting you Fujimura-san, however I believe this is the road where I leave. Good day," said Elesia. With another elegant bow, she began to walk away.
"Well, she seemed like a nice person, Sakura," said Taiga cheerfully.
Waiting for the lights to change, Sakura stared backwards at Elesia in thought. Her hands fiddled together idly as she debated something within her mind. Finally resolving a decision, she blurted out, "Actually, Taiga, I remember Senpai was really running low on food during yesterday's dinner. I think it'd be a good idea if I bought some food home in case we run out today."
"Eh? Really? I didn't think we were running that low," said Taiga.
"We are. And I wouldn't want to bother Senpai with the shopping today. Especially since we're quite close to the shopping district," said Sakura speaking quicker than normal.
After thinking it over for a moment, Taiga said, "Welp, I suppose you are the apprentice chef of the house."
"Alright, thanks!" said Sakura rapidly before rushing in the opposite direction.
Turning around, Taiga called out, "Don't forget to get some..." but found Sakura had already sped away into the distance.
Running towards Elesia, Sakura gave a shout to catch her attention. Explaining the situation to her, they both continued towards Miyamachou. An odd silence descended on them as they continued on the sidewalk. After several minutes, Elesia finally broke the silence by saying, "Hmm, it's odd. I didn't really expect to see you today given that it's Sunday."
"Today wasn't a school day," said Sakura correcting her, "we met together for Archery practice."
"Ah, of course. I completely forgot. You haven't really talked that much about Archery recently. How is everything going?"
"It was fine..." she paused and thought for a moment, "well... Taiga did make quite a scene today."
"Fujimura-san? That doesn't sound like her at all," she said, her voice dripping with feigned sincerity.
Sakura smiled lightly at Elesia's comment, "She forgot to pack a lunch to the dojo. By the time it was noon she started crawling as if she was dying from starvation. In the end, Mitsuzuri had to go and buy her Bento because she was causing too much noise."
She stopped her tale to watch Elesia chuckle before continuing on, "But the rest of the day was fine. Even though the competition is still months away, Mitsuzuri is diligent and makes sure we train hard. She's really looking forward to the competition this year. Oh! That's right. I forgot to mention we also let some of the juniors finally begin practicing with bows this week. It looks like we have some very talented juniors this year; Especially with Tanaka-san and Sato-san."
Elesia's eyes perked up at Sakura's words, "Tanaka-san again? I remember you talking about him before... Something about challenging Shinji?" They moved to one side to avoid sidewalk construction before they continued walking on.
Sakura nodded, "Yes. Despite being just a junior member, his technique is very good. I could see him being a great archer by his senior year. When I was watching him shoot it seemed like he could even beat Nii-san. Not to mention he's only started using a bow for just over a week." said Sakura. She wasn't even boasting. Tanaka had a natural skill even she didn't posses. It reminded her a lot of Shirou.
"Oooh, 'when you were watching him'? So you like watching him practice?" said Elesia mischievously. Nudging herself closer to Sakura, she asked, "Do you enjoy watching him practice. What's Tanaka-san like? Strong muscles? Athletic? Maybe piercing blue eyes? Does your heart flutter when you think of him?"
"Eh!?" said Sakura. She waved her hands in front of her with wide eyes. "It's nothing like that! Elesia-san. He's just a friend. Really!"
"Ohh, he's a friend now? Didn't you say he was just a team member? Is this the one you've set your eyes on now?" said Elesia as she moved in for the kill. Sakura's cheeks flush red at Elesia's words.
"I told you that's not true! He's just a teammate. He's nothing like that. He's not..." she was about to mention Shirou's name but stopped in time. Her head felt as if it were steaming like a tea kettle.
"The one?" said Elesia finishing her she slowly stopped Sakura's frantically waving hands. "I believe you, Sakura." She gave a small dignified laugh before saying, "Don't worry, Sakura, I'm sure you'll find him someday."
They both stopped at a sidewalk and waited for the lights to change, Elesia with a slight grin on her face and Sakura with her still reddened cheeks. She stared at the older woman with an annoyed look, trying to hide her previously flustered demeanor. However, despite that, Sakura liked talking to her. There was a sense of normalcy when she was with her; the same sense of belonging as when she was with Taiga or Shirou. It made her feel less alone in this world.
"What about you, Elesia-san? Did you ever find...?" Sakura stopped the question; unsure if it might offend her.
The older woman stared off into the distance.. Deep within thought, Elesia looked far away at an image only she could see. They crossed the street without a word. Sakura looked idly down the road as several cars passed on by. Had she gone too far?
Finally, Elesia spoke with a tinge of sadness, "I did. Once. But I gave that up long ago."
Sakura nodded silently in acknowledgement. Walking onwards, a gentle wind blew across them tossing her hair and rustled the Hiba trees leaves that grew nearby. Organising her hair, she looked at Elesia. It was the very first time she had seen her with such a sullen face. She knew she should keep quiet, let the conversation rest and leave Elesia's past be. And yet... there was something that was bugging her. She wanted to... no, she needed to know...
"Did you regret it?" said Sakura, breaking the silence..
"Not at the time," she said soberly. "But I was naive. Foolish. I made a mistake and then he was gone. I guess we were all different back then."
Sakura thought back to Shirou and the Holy Grail War. Lowering her head, she rubbed the spot on her left hand where her Command Spells lay. Even though she had given her right as a Master to Shinji, the decision still lay heavily on her mind. Maybe she was making the wrong decision?
As they continued walking, glanced towards Sakura and saw the sad frown on her face. Elesia's brow rumpled slightly before she broke out a big bright grin and put an arm around Sakura. "That includes you too, dummy," she said energetically before shaking Sakura's shoulder, "make sure you don't let life just pass you by either. Life isn't just about school and clubs, Sakura. Take the advice from someone who's lived it." She finished by ruffling the top of Sakura's head.
Even though it was blatantly obvious Elesia was attempting to cheer her up, Sakura couldn't help but smile at Elesia's goofy behaviour. Still trying to fix her hair from Elesia's rubbing, they stopped at an intersection waiting for traffic to pass.
"Oh, I just remembered, Sakura," said Elesia. Her demeanor turned serious. Turning to her, she withdrew a plum-colored umbrella from her cloak; the same umbrella she gave her the day they first met. Bowing down as if she were the Emperor himself, Elesia offered the old umbrella back to Sakura. "I'm truly sorry, Sakura. I should have returned it the day after but I completely forgot. Please forgive me."
Surprise was the first thing that came to Sakura. The umbrella itself was nothing special. In fact, it was the same as any normally umbrella you could find in Fuyuki. Then came the sound of muffled chuckling as Sakura tried to suppress her laughter at the lunacy of Elesia's actions.
"You're an odd person," she said with a smile, "I forgive you, Elesia-san, but please keep it." Grabbing a hold of it, Sakura gently pushed it back into Elesia's hand. "Think of it like a present. Besides, don't you need it more than I do? You didn't even bring a new one just in case it were to rain."
"Oh... I... umm... Thank you..." said Elesia. Her cheeks puffed red at the realization of her mistake.
Clasping her hands behind her back, she continued walking, "Now why don't you tell me about that recipe you mentioned to Fujimura-sensei. I'd like to surprise Senpai and Fujimura-sensei when it's my turn to cook tomorrow."
Elesia recovered quickly and kept up with Sakura's strides. Continuing their walk towards the supermarket, they continued talking, "It's relatively simple really. I would like to think of it as a fusion between Japanese and Western styles but..."
- Red -
Rain soaked the soft grass and cloth hood that she wore. She looked at the white tulips she held within her hands. An insignificant recompense for the sins she had done. Taking the bouquet, she neatly laid the white flowers on the laminated marble on the ground.
"I hope you like them" she said to the silent stones before her. The only response was the soft pitter patter of the rain around her.