Chapter 8 - "Dinner (Decrescendo)"
'Rider?!'
He really hadn't been expecting to encounter another Servant, and another version of himself so soon, and in such a casual fashion, no less!
'Wait, does that mean Sakura knows about Shinji summoning Rider, and about the Holy Grail War?!'
Saber's voice, ringing through his head, calmed Shirou down.
'Well, at least he doesn't seem like he's here to attack us,' Saber remarked to Shirou, telepathically. 'That could be why he didn't conceal his presence, and why he's not letting out a strong presence. He wanted to let us know he was coming and that he's not an enemy. Or at least, not yet. Maybe he's even come to propose a temporary alliance.'
That calmed Shirou down. Well, it would be a bit uncharacteristic of Shinji, but maybe Shinji still had some measure of affection left for Shirou from their old friendship, or maybe there was some shred of decency and goodness left in Shinji's heart, and he just wanted to protect his old friend. Well, either way, Shirou was glad Shinji, and by extension, Rider weren't his enemies (at least, not yet).
Sakura covered her mouth with her hand, realizing that she'd just unintentionally let a big secret slip out.
"Wh-What are you doing here?"
"Ah, sorry, did I come at a bad time?" Rider asked, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
"Ah, no," Sakura said, "it-it's just that I didn't expect you to show up here, of all places..."
Meanwhile, Fuji-nee looked back and forth between Shirou and Rider.
Once, twice, and then three times.
She hit the side of her fist against her palm, as if realizing something.
"Same face, same voice, same taste in clothing...Could this be, that?"
"That...?" Both Shirous asked at the same time.
"Yes!" Fuji-nee exclaimed, "That! You know, the whole thing about twins being separated at birth, but finding each other as adults! That kind of melodramatic and heartwarming family story!"
Both Shirous sweatdropped.
"No, that's..." Rider started...
"Not exactly the case." Shirou finished, "But it's close enough."
Wanting to avoid further explanation, he let Fuji-nee think whatever she wanted about the situation.
"Anyways, Rider," Shirou asked, "Would you like to join us for dinner?"
"Ah, if I'm not being a bother..."
"No, no, if's no bother at all."
Rider nodded, gratefully.
"Then, please excuse my intrusion."
Rider took off his shoes and placed them on the Japanese shoe cup-board.
With the excitement (mostly from Fuji-nee) dying down, they all went back to the dinner table. Sakura swept up the broken glasses, though both Shirou and Rider volunteered to help her. She refused though, insisting that she should clean it up herself since she was the one that dropped it. She told Shirou that she'd pay him back, too, but Shirou insisted that it was fine, and that just her continued company and companionship was already more than enough payment, making her (as usual) feel all warm and fluffy inside.
Now, when all of them were gathered around the dinner table, Fuji-nee asked the fundamental question:
"So, Rider, huh...? That's certainly a weird nickname..."
"Ah, that's..."
Sakura quickly covered for him, though, "Ah, Senji-senpai enjoyed watching Kamen Rider a lot as a child! And he liked to imitate the hero a lot, so he got the nickname "Rider"."
"Ye-Yes, that's right!" Rider insisted, going along with Sakura's cover story. And what she said was partially true, even! Though he never really tried to actually imitate them or got called by that nickname during his lifetime, but he did watch and admire them as a child. Well, it was a mostly pointless cover story at this point though, since Shirou knew that it actually was the Servant Rider.
(And Sakura knew that Emiya-senpai knew that, too.
But at the very least, at least she could reduce the likelihood that Fuji-nee would accidently other students and potential Masters at their school about "Rider", and lower the chances of putting Emiya-senpai and Rider at risk of attack. At least Emiya-senpai didn't seem to suspect that she was a Master yet, though. Though, she suspected that she probably wouldn't be able to keep it from him much longer, especially with the glove on her hand.)
"Senji-senpai, eh?" Fuji-nee emphasized, trying to tease Sakura and causing the poor girl to blush. Turning her attention to Shirou, she teased, "It looks like you've got some competition for Sakura's attention, Emiya-senpai."
"Geez, Sensei!" Sakura moaned embarrassedly, trying to put a clamp down on Fujimura-sensei's playful remarks. Fujimura-sensei just grinned wildly, with a cattish expression on her face and in her eyes.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Fuji-nee." Shirou commented. And he really didn't. Rider didn't understand either, but he didn't voice his opinion out loud, content to the conversion play it by itself, and not accidently spill any secrets.
"Geez, Emiya-kun, and this is why people call you such a blockhead."
"Nobody calls me that except you, Fuji-nee!" Shirou objected, comically annoyed at her antics.
Sakura just giggled amusedly, while Rider also looked on at the scene fondly.
Rider even played out some acts from his favorite Kamen Rider series, much to Fuji-nee and Sakura's delight (and to Sakura's childlike sense of amazement and wonder). Though it was a little bit to Shirou's slight embarrassment, too, seeing someone who looked so much like himself (as was himself, in some senses) acting out silly and childish scenes. But at least Sakura and Fuji-nee seemed to enjoy, so Shirou had no complaints.
Sakura knew that Emiya-senpai himself was a bit too focused and serious to act silly, but the version of him as Rider seemed to be able to take things more light-heartedly and seemed, even in some, more innocent than Emiya-senpai. Not that she preferred or could choose one over the other (since she loved her Senpai's serious and focused side, too - how cool and handsome he could be like that when he was determined to do some thing and carry it through, no matter what), but even so, she enjoyed seeing another side of another version of her senpai, able to act and be so genuinely innocent. It was like seeing another side of Emiya-senpai that she'd never otherwise be able to see.
The rest of the dinner passed peacefully just like that, and Shirou and Sakura helped cleaned up the dishes. Rider offered to help, but Shirou insisted that he was a guest, so he should just relax with Fuji-nee.
At the end of it, Sakura and Rider headed back to the Matou manor, but not before Rider thanked Shirou for the dinner, and insisted that he'd repay Shirou sometime, though Shirou said he didn't have to.
Fuji-nee also returned to her home at the Fujimura residence after she had her fill.
...
After dinner, and after everyone had returned home, Saber and Shirou talked between themselves.
"Rider seems nice," Saber commented, "Powerless, too. But that could just be a guise."
Shirou nodded.
"Be careful, and don't let your guard down." Saber warned.
"Yeah." Shirou said, cleaning up the rest of the dishes he'd missed earlier, with Saber's assistance, "But I hope that that's not the case..."
"Yeah. I hope so, too." Saber agreed.
Shirou finished washing a dish, and placed it down. "The more allies we have, the better, right?"
"Yeah. It would be good, if the rest could proceed so peacefully."
Though they both the looming feeling that things wouldn't quite be so simple.
...
Rider and Sakura were also chatting, on their way back to the Matou manor.
"So, Rider?" She asked, "What did you think of your other self, of Emiya-senpai?"
"Well, Emiya-san seems like a nice guy..." Rider said, "And personally I like him. I'm glad that my alternative self is such a welcoming and kind person."
He scratched his cheek shyly. "...But, it feels a bit embarrassing to be saying that, though. Since we are technically the same person."
He smiled at Sakura, "So it feels a bit narcissistic, talking about myself that way..."
He chuckled a bit, in a rather embarrassed manner.
Sakura also giggled, and teased him about it a little bit, too. "I suppose it is a bit narcissistic of you, Senji-senpai." She teased.
Rider smiled.
And they enjoyed a nice, slow, and peaceful walk back to the Matou manor, Sakura enjoying just being in Rider's presence along the way.
...
...
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Author's Notes:
Fluffy chapter this time, darker one next time. Literally sharper and edgier (lol)
Berserker's (and Ilya's) Interlude next, look forward to it!