"I wonder... why Martha and Boudica are in front of the bathroom door all this time?" Siegfried commented.
"Blackbeard and Orion trauma, I guess," Astolfo replied. "Hard to trust a man after those guys."
"I have a better question," Sasaki said, "why look at me when Martha said she was going to stay there?"
"Look, don't take me wrong, but sometimes you hit on her and she clearly doesn't like it," Jekyll replied.
"I see this as her charm."
"Well, there's your answer."
Inside the dining room, Ritsuka laughed at Shirou's face. He was nervous. Sakura was taking a shower at his house, after all.
"Poor boy, he's still too young for this kind of thing," Raikou said. "It's bad for his heart."
"He deserves some praise, Raikou, this age is when boys are on fire. The fact that he didn't even go near the bathroom is admirable!" Parvati smiled.
"I think he should just follow his desires and instincts..." Kama chuckled.
Parvati made a disgusted face but decided not to say anything. However, Ritsuka actually answered.
"Wow, you sound like Kiara..."
This time the one who made a disgusted face was Kama.
"Shirou is not a pervert." Artoria frowned.
"Looks like Sakura's coming back," Mash noted.
When Sakura entered the kitchen, something triggered in their minds, indicating that the next scene would happen.
"There's a woman coming to the house!" And, right at that moment, Jack came running from the entrance.
Nursery was with her. And Atalanta had already given up on stopping the girls from running.
["Shirou, I came to check up on you!" Taiga screamed as she opened the entrance door and set her umbrella there. "How's your shoulder doing?"]
"I know that voice..." Ritsuka frowned.
"It's the teacher from before!" Jack said.
"Yeah, but not just that..."
"Oh, this woman..." Medea remembered.
Who the hell is this woman? Iskandar was really bothered. The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't remember no matter how hard he tried.
[Seeing Sakura drying herself with a towel, wearing Shirou's clothes, Taiga lunged at the boy holding him by the neck.
"No, that's not it! In any case, it's not what you think!"]
Everyone laughed when they saw the scene.
"OH GOD, IT'S JAGUAR MAN!" Ritsuka pointed at the woman, in shock.
"Now that you mention it, it really is!" Tamamo said, surprised.
"Apparently her vessel, Senpai," Mash replied. "To think that two pseudo-servants came from the same place..."
Shirou for Muramasa, Taiga for Jaguar Man.
"And a third, if we already count my vessel," Ishtar said.
Someone had to yet recognized Sakura as Parvati's vessel, perhaps because the girl in this scene was much younger. Not having a Indian look also helped with that.
However, Parvati and Kama immediately identified who this girl was.
Iskandar felt a little relieved to realize that Taiga was Jaguar Man, but it still wasn't the answer his subconscious was torturing him to find.
["I'm telling you, I've been somehow managing by myself all this time. Besides, I can't make a friend little sister help me out." Shirou tried to explain.
Sakura just shook her head, denying his argument.
"As Shirou's guardian, I don't think I can let you. I'll support him with all housework, so you don't need to worry!"]
"I know that's a lie and I barely remember this woman," Emiya said.
Artoria laughed hearing that. It was good to see Taiga again, she liked that woman a lot.
In the corner of the dining room, the knights were huddled together.
"My king laughing...!" Lancelot was crying. "Damn you Archer...!"
[In response to Taiga, Sakura shook her head, denying that argument as well.
Shirou and Taiga looked at each other, not knowing what to do with Matou.]
"What a cute girl!" Musashi exclaimed hugging herself, flushed.
"You could learn some self-control, y'know?" Muramasa smacked the woman before she could embarrass herself in front of everyone.
[Sakura started coming to Shirou's house every day.
"Well, we happened to run into each other!" Taiga declared defeat in face of Sakura's determination.
Shirou just sighed, admitting his own too.]
"What a persistent girl," Mordred complained. "Showin' up at his house every day. She wants to force him to accept help or somethin'?"
"I find her persistence in helping admirable, actually." Jeanne spoke with a smile. "He needs all the help he can get with that injured arm. It's a commendable act."
"Of course you would say that, Ms. High and Mighty." Jeanne Alter snorted. "I can already see I'm not going to like this girl."
"The movie just started and you're already barking?" Artoria Alter glowered.
"What did you say, degenerate woman!?"
"No fighting, guys!" Ritsuka yelled.
["The dishes are in the upper cupboard. And in the lower cupboard, there's the rice bin, kitchen knives and..."]
Martha laughed. "That reminds me of someone teaching me things in Chaldea..."
Emiya ignored her and walked away from the scene. Boudica and Tamamo covered their mouths to keep the giggles from leaking out.
"Looks like some things never change despite everything he's been through," Raikou agreed. She also had received support from Emiya and was taken aback at the time when the Archer's usual hostility disappeared to be replaced by a more patient and gentle manner.
"Emiya was always good at teaching." Mash smiled.
The servants began to receive notices to go to different places in the house as the scenes progressed. When they arrived at the marked place, they found Shirou facing a clumsy Sakura trying to learn housework.
The children took advantage of that to get out of the house and run outside now that the rain had stopped. The weather was pleasant.
"This simulation is really something." Shirou Amakusa was amazed. "The idea of being in the world that the characters are living is already impressive, but to be so immersive to the point having the option to wander around and not watch the scenes is something beyond that."
"I agree. This would be such a wonderful thing if it applied to all catalysts. Although maybe from now on this pattern will hold." Jekyll would be happy to see some of the worlds from his favorite books in that way.
"I have mixed feelings about all this…" To the surprise of some, Nero looked a little disappointed. "I love art, but art is art because is not real like this fragment. It doesn't seem like art anymore, umu! It just seems like we're in any other world! Where's the camerawork I saw in those first movies that Master choose? There's none of that anymore! The only thing left is the soundtrack that echoes in our ears... somehow."
"Now that you said it, we're a bit far from the current scene, but the soundtrack keeps playing, just quieter." Amakusa noticed.
["Fold the sleeves so that they are parallel to the creases. Do the same to ther other side. Be careful so that it holds its shape." Shirou continued his teachings.
The result was Shirou's clothes well put together, but Sakura's all wrinkled. The girl's face revealed her big disappointment.
"W-Well, this is good enough."
"I'm going to do it again." Sakura said undoing her clothes and starting all over again.]
Parvati was taking a liking to her vessel really fast.
Kama was taking a dislike to her vessel really fast.
"What an adorable scene!" Raikou said.
"Shirou seems quite used to these household chores." Boudica noticed. "It's a bit surprising, usually boys don't do well in that regard. Especially at this age."
"I would guess it's because he lives alone," Tamamo replied.
"Where are his parents?" Raikou asked. "A child growing up alone is such a horrible thing..."
Irisviel wished that she could have been with Kiritsugu there for him.
[Sakura said goodbye when the day was close to end. Shirou went to a drawer and took a key from inside.
That's right, I remember now. That day, a year and a half ago, I'd lost against an unexpectedly stubborn girl younger than me.]
[A YEAR AND THREE MONTHS AGO (FALL)]
"Descending order, huh..." Emiya noted.
"For the start of the war?" Artoria asked.
"Probably."
[Seasons changed since. Even after my shoulder healed, this life didn't change. I can't remember because Sakura suggested so... or I wanted so... I'm sure that was a trivial reason.]
"How cute!" Ritsuka was ready to explode. "Already my favorite couple!"
"S-Senpai..." Mash was feeling a little embarrassed to see her friend acting like that.
"Couple...?" Artoria looked slightly disturbed at how that movie was presenting Shirou and Sakura's relationship. "How is Rin going to be portrayed in all this…?"
Emiya didn't say anything.
[If there's anything that's changed, it's the fact that I don't go to team practice anymore. Well, I wanted to increase my hours at my part-time job, and it didn't matter what i did as long I could train my body. So, how to put it... I think it was the right timing.
Shirou and Shinji had a rare scene of being friends at school.]
"And so the friendship that was already strange goes down the drain for good..." Ritsuka sighed sensing that Shinji would still cause trouble now that Sakura was at Shirou's house.
"Man, it's weird hearing this kid's narration in my ear. It feels like I'm being haunted by a ghost," Cú Chulainn complained.
Far from the archery dojo where the scene took place, Scáthach and Chiron walked through the school together.
"Same lessons. Same clothes. All wimps. These modern-day schools are a real disgrace," Lancer complained feeling frustrated with it all. "There will always be people who are weaker than others, but that's just negligence."
Chiron understood the woman's frustration. She wasn't making it clear, but her words basically translated to: "it's because of all this weakness that all the weight of humanity is on Master's shoulders".
Ishtar floated past them, checking each classroom. "Where the hell are you?"
[A YEAR AND TWO MONTHS AGO (WINTER)]
[Shirou and Sakura were studying together when Taiga arrived, yelling:
"YOO-HOO! MERRY CHRISTMAS!" She was dressed like Santa Claus.]
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Jack and Nursery came running after the woman as soon as she arrived the house, entering the kitchen with her.
Some of the servants laughed. Shirou Amakusa smiled at that scene feeling a little nostalgic with christmas.
"Not bad at all, Jaguar Man vessel!" Artoria Alter exclaimed. "You might be worthy of the title of Santa!"
[With a nice dinner on the table, the trio enjoyed that cold night in the very warm dining room.
"As I said..." Taiga started.]
"STOOOP, MASTER!" Iskandar yelled, startling everyone.
"Pause!" Ritsuka yelled. "What happened?"
"The time to open my barrels has finally come!" Rider exclaimed with a smile, knocking them to the side of the table. "If Taiga is going to drink, then so are we!"
"Now you're speaking my language!" Cú Chulainnn had a grin from ear to ear.
"Let me in!" Reines came running from outside and kicked Robin from the door to enter the dining room.
"The barrels came with you, but the seats didn't...?" Jekyll asked, but no one paid any attention to him.
Robin who had managed to stay inside the kitchen this time finally got tired of that situation.
"Master, we really need to get over this lack of space for all of us. It's cool that it feels like we're in the real world and all, but it becomes a headache when most of the scenes take place in a tiny room that barely fits twenty people, imagine forty!"
The dining room was big enough for a lot of them to get in, even if it was cramped, but most places didn't fit half.
Ritsuka had to agree with Robin's complaint as she was feeling the same. It wasn't a problem for her since everyone let her witness the scenes, but it was becoming a headache for the servants to the point that some were preferring to wander around the place than trying to watch.
"Perhaps you can use your authority in this Singularity to change the way we divide the environment, Master," Medea spoke drawing all attention to her. "It would be better if we divided the servants into small groups and coexisted in the same room, but without visual or physical contact. That way nobody would miss anything or feel uncomfortable."
"That's a great idea, Medea." Atalanta praised her old companion.
"I agree with Atalanta. It was a really good idea, Medea. What do you think, Senpai?" Mash turned to her best friend, waiting for her decision.
Ritsuka smiled and puffed out her chest.
"Hey, responsible for this Singularity, do what Medea recommended! Divide us into groups so that we all fit in the same place!"
For a few minutes everyone was silent. It seemed that nothing would happen, but suddenly everything turned black, as if they had been blind.
When the dining room reappeared, the difference was that Ritsuka's request had been granted.
Ritsuka widened her eyes when she noticed who was in the kitchen with her... or rather the fact that there only six servants there.
"How amusing this Singularity can become." Tristan played a few notes, amazed at how practical it all could be. "However, I would have preffered to stay with my king and my fellow knights..."
Reines sat on the floor, frustrated. Of all the groups for her to fall into, it had to be the one that Iskandar wasn't in.
"Daaaaaammit, I loooost my drink..."
"Yeah, missy, WE lost..." Cú Chulainn sat down next to her, cursing his luck.
Gray and Miyu looked at each other but didn't say anything.
"So... are you really a magical girl?" Add asked.
"She is," Sapphire answered.
"Wow, cool. See, girl, there's still hope for you!"
"Silence!"
"Don't let Ruby hear that..." Miyu said.
"Shit, how lucky. I would rather be with Jekyll and Gareth, but I guess you guys ain't that bad," Mordred said throwing herself into a random corner, laying down with arms under her head.
["Shirou was mimicking Kiritsugu the whole time saying, 'I will be a hero of justice!'" Taiga said while playing with her cup.
"What are you talking about?" Shirou complained finishing his dish. "Jeez, you drunkard!"]
"Haha, a hero of justice, how cute!" Astolfo laughed. He found it even funnier how Shirou was turning red.
"Jeez, yer shouldn't consider that cute, paladin..." Muramasa was beginning to understand why this vessel had fit so well with him. Although he didn't share that dream, he knew that this kind of ideal in the real world could only lead the boy to one ending... "A hero of justice, huh?"
"How innocent and stupid..." Artoria Alter was not surprised to hear that. Anyone who looked at that idiot in red mantle would think is the perfect dream for him.
"I hope Emiya is doing fine seeing this." Mash was worried.
Tamamo understood Mash's concern. Emiya so far seemed to be taking the fragment very well, but now that they were intruding on his privacy, if he loses his tough manner no one would blame him. Actually, would be fun to see!
Illya and Jack were the last members of that group. The two were sitting next to Sakura.
"She's quite pretty…" Illya said, admiring her.
"I wonder if she would make a good mother."
"Mother?"
"Yes, for me to be inside her! Since I can't with Master or people would be mad..."
"Inside her heart...?"
"Inside her body!"
"..." Illya stared. "... what?"
"I think now is the moment to scream 'Ruby, get me out of this place!', Illya." Ruby suggested.
["Kiritsugu-san... is your father, correct?" Sakura asked.
"Yes." Taiga replied. Her words carried a small smile that seemed to have good memories behind it. "For Shirou, Kiritsugu was a hero! So that's probably why he was mimicking him!"
Shirou sat next to Sakura, placing his plate on the table.]
Irisviel couldn't hide her smile when she heard Taiga talking about Kiritsugu. I wish I could meet this lady.
"I'm glad we're together, Irisviel." Artoria had a smile too.
"Me too!" Irisviel wrapped herself in one of Artoria's arms and the two giggled. The Einzbern was happy seeing Saber's lighthearted. "And I'm glad you're here too, Jeanne!" Irisviel said pulling the saint closer too. "It's going to be fun to see this movie with you girls!"
Jeanne giggled. "I think we make a good group."
Lancelot had mixed feelings about this Kiritsugu Emiya. He didn't know much about the man other than a few comments and reactions from his king, revealing how uncomfortable she was about him. If he had to guess, that man must have been the type of master who preferred to use servants as simple tools rather than consider them as humans. In those moments he realized how honorable Ritsuka was as a person.
"Is everything all right, Sir Lancelot?" Bedivere asked with a hint of concern.
"Of course, Sir Bedivere. I am only concerned about our king's feelings."
Bedivere smiled. "Of course you are."
Irisviel was sure happy with that group, but Kuro was definitly not. Not only was she separated from her friends, but there was also no one there that she wanted to interact.
Kuro looked at the last member of the group who wasn't talking to anyone just like her.
"A hero of justice..." Siegfried muttered to himself.
"What a weirdo..." Kuro buried her face in her hands. "I want my friends back!"
["Sakura, you have someone like that, too, right?"
"My hero..." Sakura found herself reflecting on the question and ended up not answering.
Shirou put a chicken in his mouth while watching the girl playing with her ribbon.]
Gareth chuckled. "Look at Shirou's face. I think if Taiga talks a little more he'll jump on the table and choke her."
Medusa felt relief and sadness at that moment. The relief came from the absence of her sisters. The sadness came from being next to Sakura and not being able to do anything even knowing everything that she must already be suffering at that moment... it was only a reminder of when she was physically next to the girl and didn't help her at all. She should have made some difference.
A third feeling besides relief and sadness dominated Medusa's mind when she thought about her sisters for just a second: worry. Please, entity that takes care of this Singularity, I pray you didn't separated them! If he did that, when she meet them again, the twins would be in the worst mood ever.
Scáthach and Sasaki barely paid attention to the movie, both preferred to talk about the last time they trained together and when they could try again. That fight had been fun for both of them. And specifically, for Sasaki, that woman's beauty went far beyond her admirable moves.
"Sakura..." Parvati bit her lip.
"I can't believe this idiot didn't got who she considers a hero..." Kama snorted.
Martha stared at these two goddssess next to her, a representation of the ying yang in the form of servants. She wanted to be with Boudica and rest of the kitchen staff, but there she was alone and with Sasaki to make matters worse.
The first thing Martha had to do when the two found themselves in the same group was shoot him a menacing glare. Luckily the man was smart enough to understand and Scáthach seemed interested in talking with him.
[The scene shifted to the school. Shirou is standing in the entrance, staring at the blue sky where a plane was passing by. A pink petal passes by him and his eyes go towards the cherry blossom tree. One of the many there.]
Ereshkigal walked to that tree, observing the brown of the wood contrasting with the light pink of the petals and the strong blue of the sky. It was so beautiful. Red eyes glistened like she was about to cry.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Musashi spoke, stopping beside the goddess. "I've always loved blue skies. Clear ones are my favorite. And these trees are so pretty too."
Ereshkigal was a little taken aback by the swordswoman's sudden presence, but she composed herself.
"I..." Sadness swallowed her face. "Do you know my story?" She looked at the swordswoman and the woman nodded. Ereshkigal looked back at the landscape. "I spent my whole existence trapped in the underworld, a world without color and where everything is dead. My chance to really know the real world was be summoned by Chaldea... but unfortunately I only managed to be summoned a few days before they had to deactivate the system, so my time was minimal. It's only now that we've been summoned to fight the Lostbelts that I'm able to live that dream. And to witness something like this... no matter how many times I see all these colors, it will always impress me!"
"How about we be friends from now on?" Musashi asked turning to the woman and offering her hand. "We'll share our love of landscapes together!"
Ereshkigal stared at the swordswoman's hand for a good few moments, deciding how to respond to that. A painful smile came over her face, but finally she decided to follow what she saw Ritsuka do once with others, and shook Musashi's hand.
"I would love to be your friend."
Boudica walked across the courtyard, admiring the view as well. "Japan is really beautiful..."
"It's beautiful, yes. But I bet if it was a REAL movie we'd be seeing a beautiful scene recorded by a profissional camera! REAL ART, UMU!" Nero walked beside her, crying her sorrows.
Boudica frowned, walking away. Of all the servants and groups, she had to fall with that woman.
[10 MONTHS AGO (SPRING)]
[Sakura appeared in front of Shirou, dressed in the standard uniform with longer hair. She is clearly older and prettier.]
El Melloi II sat under one of the trees and lit another cigar. It was a good place to smoke and would probably be for work as well.
[Shirou's friends approach him and find Sakura.
"Hey, you! Are you interested in archery? Since your big brother practices, you surely must be interested!"]
While everyone in her group went off in random directions, Atalanta decided to follow Shirou and make up for the scenes she missed. She had to admit that she liked Sakura and found that friend of Shirou kind of funny, she seemed so excited about archery.
Ishtar watched her sister laughing with Musashi and was happy seeing that, but she would be more if she could finally found her vessel. If the girl was so damn good at hiding, Ishtar should have received "Presence Concealment" as an additional ability when possessing her body.
["Jeez, so pushy." Issei sighed as he saw Mitsuzuri tormenting Sakura.
Shirou just laughed, used to it. His eyes wandered the place and spot Shinji with some girls. They eyes met and the seaweed boy let an air of hostility come out of him before walking away.]
Iskandar laughed. "That Shinji guy is a character. Shirou has no idea what all that anger is about. The boy should just say he is jealous of Shirou and let be water under the bridge."
His two barrels were in the center of the circle of servants. The group was sitting under a cherry blossom tree, comfortable on the grass, watching the movie unfold from there.
"I want some!" Nursery pouted.
"Of course not, young lady. It's not time for you yet. Only in the future!" Gawain responded quite formally, raising his cup in the air so the girl couldn't reach him.
Stheno patted her on the back.
"Don't worry," the goddess went to Nursery's ear and muttered: "If you're a good girl, I'll sneak up some for you later..."
Gawain frowned seeing Nursery stopping suddenly and becoming a completely obedient kid. "What did you do, my lady?"
"A bit of smooth talk. It's good for you to learn this one day, knight." Stheno flashed one of her smiles to Gawain who swallowed hard.
"This drink it's not so bad. What you think, me?" Euryale spoke.
"I agree," Stheno replied.
"Of course it isn't. It came straight from the King of Heroes treasures! I had to convince that man to give me some," Iskandar spoke.
"I imagine it was a complicated process, isn't it?" Chiron commented as he took a sip.
"Haha, of course it was. I like him, but you're right, he's a complicated man to deal with."
"How do you think Medusa is right now, me?" Stheno asked.
"Probably getting in someone's way," Euryale replied. "I hope it's not Master or we'll have to punish her."
[Taiga gathered all the students to take a picture together. The one taking the picture was none other than Kuzuki. Shirou's gaze wandered again, noticing Rin's silhouette in the background.]
Ishtar gave up looking the moment the group gathered to take the photo. When she finally followed Shirou's gaze, there was no one else there.
"Hmmm…wonder who he saw?"
[THREE MONTHS AGO (FALL)]
[It was late afternoon that day. Sakura had just packed a pair of clothes and they were perfect, showing that her determination to keep trying until it worked had paid off.]
Raikou clapped her hands, happy with the result of Sakura's effort.
Medea looked like she was about to have a heart attack... if a servant could have something like that. Although it was a quick scene, it was enough to fill Medea's chest with happiness when she saw Kuzuki again. She was one of the servants who didn't mind that Singularity, but she made sure to come when she found out that Lancer had offered himself. If there were three movies, maybe her death would only be in the last one, so she would enjoy Kuzuki as much as she could and leave before the bad things happen... it wasn't something she had an ounce of desire to live again.
"Your fragment was better," Robin spoke with Amakusa. "This one is taking too much time for things to start moving. No sign of the war so far."
"Tell me about it..." Jeanne Alter who was next to them had to force herself to not sleep. Her only motivation for not throwing herself on the floor and taking a good nap was the funny faces Emiya made from time to time when revisiting his past. This was good entertainment for her.
Unlike them, Amakusa was actually enjoying the movie. He had to admit, finding out that Archer shared his first name was pretty disturbing. Name and appearance, how ironic...
Jekyll disagreed with Robin and Jeanne Alter as well. Any respectable story needs a foundation to reach an eventual climax. Personally, he found Mordred's war tedious, despite the great spectacle, but said nothing to not provoke her wrath as she seemed quite excited to show him her feats and ex-Master.
Everyone's focus was spread across the environment, characters and personal matters.
Emiya's focus was elsewhere. He was becoming more and more intrigued by the direction of that fragment. All that time he thought that the first movie would be Shirou Emiya's daily life, but with that speed that period before the war would be over soon.
So why still focus so much in Sakura?
A/N: Merry Christmas! I hope you guys have a good time.