Emiya awoke to the dim artificial light of a lamp seated on a corner desk. The dark ceiling was painted in a mix of white, black, and gray. As he planted his palms to seat himself, a splitting headache ran across his skull making him reel back onto the mattress in pain.

"What… happened?" he asked himself, bringing up his right hand to massage his forehead. Another effort was hastily realized, successfully managing to push himself to a seating position. His eyes scanned around the room, noticing three additional bodies aside from his and Lappland's. The only reason he was even sleeping on the same bed was because of Lappland's insistence, and he was sure that was the plan. Originally.

What happened after they got back? Lappland planned to sleep, wake up, and then eat. Emiya was sure it didn't include Ling, Dusk, and Nian sleeping on the same bed as them.

Due to the lack of space, or rather, all of the space being taken up, everyone except him was all tangled up. Their hair was a mess, being quite lengthy and all. It's a wonder they're even able to sleep this peacefully. Perhaps it's a Terra thing.

"Don't tell me…" Emiya then turned his head, intensely focusing his vision on one blue-haired woman in particular. "Ling."

The Lupo carefully maneuvered over the other bodies to Ling's side, which was harder than he expected due to all the hair sprawling onto the bed. He planted an index on the dragon's right cheek before applying pressure, releasing, and then poking her again in succession.

"Wake up."

"Nhhhhh."

Emiya poked a little harder, eyebrow twitching as he suppressed his irritation.

"Ling, wake up," he demanded once more.

"Nhh."

Huffing out a sigh, the boy moved his hand toward Ling's nose before cupping it closed with his thumb and index.

"If you don't wake up, you're not going to wake up." He concluded grimly, watching attentively as the dragoness began to feel his disturbance.

Ling tried to brush off his hand with her own but couldn't budge the grip. Her eyes soon opened, and just as she did so, Emiya sneaked his hand back towards himself.

"Why, good morning, Ling. I hope you've slept well?" Emiya asked with a cheerful and closed-eyed, yet oddly ominous smile to Ling. He had his hands behind his back, projecting the image of an innocent young boy asking an equally innocent question.

Ling raised an eyebrow before starting to rub at her eyes, letting a yawn escape her lips as she gaped her mouth. "Ahh~ Morning, little one. Did you need something?~"

Emiya laughed, although his laughter lacked any joviality. "Ah, need? No, no. I do want to ask something of you, though."

"You may be welcome to."

"So what happened yesterday?" he asked, his smile even brighter and more ominous than before.

A carefree chuckle immediately escaped Ling's mouth, her head turned slightly away as she stretched her arms. "To answer. Haha. We had a wonderful celebration to welcome the white one's return?" she answered eloquently, her tone tranquil and welcoming.

Emiya placed a hand on Ling's shoulder, widening his smile even more. Exerting sufficient pressure, he held the dragon in a firm grip. "So we did, you say? Was there any drinking involved?"

Ling simply chuckled. "Why, of course. Naturally, there would be the sort for such a merry gathering."

"Mhm. I see. I understand. But you wouldn't happen to have slipped any strong liquor into my drink of choice, juice, would you?" Emiya tightened his grip.

Ling returned the action with a smile, raising a hand and placing it atop the Lupo's head. "No, in fact, I did not! It was the white one! The culprit!" came her earnest confession, moving her hand back and forth. "I, Ling, would never. Place your trust in me." She removed his hand, placing it on her chest where her heart lay.

"I should've known," Emiya sighed as he quickly retracted his hand. "But you're still not off the hook," he then added, giving one last glare to Ling before hopping off the bed. The boy heard another laugh quieting behind him as he walked further away to the kitchen.

"Let's see what's left," he mumbled to himself as he opened the fridge.

A few minutes after he got started on breakfast, Ling joined him in the kitchen, taking a seat at the nearby table. He made no comment, his attention wrapped on the stove and pot in front.

She made herself comfortable, pouring a drink as her eyes drifted towards Emiya's steady form.

"You seem at ease," came her comment not long after. Ling stopped pouring and raised her cup, not missing the boy's split-second fidget. "Mmm… Truly delectable. You're certain of not partaking?" To which she was swiftly answered with a flat, "No."

"Truly so? A shame, unlike what little Nian passionately recounted not long ago. Would you like to hear?" Emiya shook his head, which only served to brighten her smile. "She came to me one day, a smile plastered, saying, "Elder sister, elder sister, I've found him!" And my, oh my, what could she have possibly discovered? I questioned in accordance. She answered happily, "my soulmate!" Most interesting. Imagine the shock on my face!"

The boy felt lucky to have his back exposed, it would surely rile her up more to see his frown at failing to imagine such an expression. Ling began to refill her cup.

"Who could they be? I wondered aloud, eagerly awaiting a response. Nian declared boldly, "A boy, a Lupo!" A boy? A Lupo? Most interesting. We're of two different worlds, so how may this be? Soulmates seem to go beyond rhyme or reason, don't you agree?"Fondly so, she rattled, reminiscing of a life-long friend."

To which the boy stilled, as if recalling something, and then continued stirring the pot.

"Sniff, sniff." The subtle noise made him turn, eyes narrowing as Ling's tilted chin returned to an even level. "Mm…Smells enticing." Her usual smile didn't help to specify what.

"Sounds rather cliché if you ask me," Emiya responded coldly, his hand deftly adding seasoning and spices in a delicate manner. "However, such a difference doesn't matter when talking about such bonds," he noted somberly, memories of blurry figures of the past flashing in his mind. Shaking such images off, he quickly shifted the subject. "You spoke of different worlds, yet only one of us knows of them."

"If you seek an echo of our past, then I shall deliver." Gently swirling her cup, the dragoness slowly traced the soft surface as she gazed at the wine. "Once there was a deity named Sui, who was split into fragments long ago. We were born of those same fragments, each of us following the paths we chose as to who we decided to be." In one fell swoop, she gulped down the entire cup, letting out a satisfied sigh. "A boring topic for such fine wine, yet in good company one finds sweetness most sincere even amidst bitter tidings."

"I suppose." Emiya shrugged, taking in the story with a nonchalance that only made Ling's smile grow. "Although I didn't imagine your sister would grow attached to someone like me."

"Little Nian is ever impetuous, but her heart remains pure and sincere." Ling playfully noted with a slight flush on her cheeks, eyes sparkling with glee as she winked at him. "She was oh so endearing when she made her first creations, running to us to show her latest crafts. There was even a time when she sent me one of her films, awaiting my verdict with bated breath akin to a duckling." She continued, recounting many a short anecdote of Nian's acts.

Emiya honestly had no idea what to make of such stories, choosing to listen to them in order to pass the time as he cooked their meals.

A few comments here and there would be thrown in, along with questions and the like. Once he had finished everything and plated the food, Ling looked like she had trouble restraining herself.

It was an hour later that everyone else had awakened. Nian was first, shortly followed by Lappland. Dusk had gotten there a little late, seeing as how everyone else was almost finished eating. They were happily chatting along: Ling's mirth was ever so present, Nian's volume high on her usual enthusiasm, and the older Lupo's laughter chiming in every so often, right before being told by the younger one to eat with their mouth closed. The painter quietly surveyed the table, and to her delight, a full plate still existed, protected under the scrutiny and hands of… She should probably learn the child's name soon.

Silently making her way around the table, Dusk sat herself on the only open seat left, conveniently right next to the child. Her eyes closed, hands clasping together.

"Thank you for the food," she muttered. There wasn't any clear indication that she was thanking him, except for the glance Emiya happened to see while she was muttering. Regardless, seeing how Dusk's face lit up as she began to dig in fulfilled him more than any words could.

Although the younger Lupo couldn't recall much from last night, he took solace in the peaceful morning. Breakfast ended with a smile on almost everyone's face as the dragon sisters made their leave. Nian left with a satisfied grin and a hand on her stomach, possibly from eating so much. Ling had her usual, free-spirited Cheshire smile. Dusk had a small but noticeable quirk on her lips, a fact she tried desperately to hide when her elder sister revealed it. Lappland was grinning like usual, waving them off, while Emiya kept a neutral expression as the steel door closed.

Silently, the boy turned, approaching the sink full of plates.

"Hold on, lil' bro, let me h-" Before Lappland could finish, she received a flat stare that shut her down. "Hmph. Strange as always. Y'know, people would usually be happy about these kinds of things." She grumbled indignantly, pouting childishly at him.

Emiya rolled his eyes, releasing a breathy scoff all the while. "I appreciate the offer," he first insisted while grabbing a sponge, "but," he began scrubbing, "it's no trouble." Lappland gave a defeated sigh, slumping down onto a chair as she watched him meticulously scrub every dirty dish.

"If that's what you want, bro." She couldn't say more, seeing as how he enjoyed these kinds of chores. "Ah, right," Lappland said aloud as if realizing something. "That glasses-wearing Liberi says your test results are ready."

With a twist of the handle, warm water ran down the faucet as Emiya brought up a dirty dish to wash off before racking it in the dishwasher. "Dr. Silence? I see," he replied, proceeding to wash the rest of the dishes. "Let's head there after I'm finished."

Lappland leaned forward, her right elbow and palm providing placement for her cheek. "Ah. Okay," she accepted casually.

It wasn't long before Emiya had finished. He dried his hands with a nearby towel before hopping off of the stool that supported his dish-washing endeavors. Lappland followed suit, both of them stopping at the door to put on shoes. She took the lead, Emiya following close behind.

The walk was relatively peaceful and free from interruption. Lappland occasionally greeted familiar passersby, but none of them managed to take any notice of him, so he didn't either. Seamlessly blending in Lappland's shadow served well to limit the interactions he'd have to partake in. Everything proceeded without occurrence until Lappland suddenly ran off.

"Texas! Texas! TEXAS!" the Lupo yelled, bolting forward at top speeds and leaving Emiya exposed to the limelight of passing employees. Emiya stilled, turning to the wall and away from curious eyes. The urge to yell out his self-proclaimed surrogate sister was getting harder and harder to force down.

"Seriously. Why am I so unlucky?" he lamented, rattling his head on the wall. Emiya turned towards the direction Lappland ran off to, following at a brisk pace and ignoring anything else.

"Happy thoughts," his voice muttered. "Swords. Long swords. Short swords. Washing dishes. Cooking dishes." His rambles continued. To outsiders, they would see a child with their arms crossed, a perpetual scowl on his face as he muttered something inaudible to their ears; his lips moving yet nothing coherent could be discerned.

The boy found the older Lupo a few minutes later, down on the steel floor atop someone. Another Lupo, by the looks of it. Their hands were locked, probably not in an intimate manner, Emiya guessed, seeing as how the Lupo underneath was resisting being pressed onto the floor.

"Lappland, what are you doing?" Emiya asked, his irritation disappearing in place of indifference at the ridiculous scenario in full view.

"Oh! Right on time, bro!" Lappland yelled out with a grin, unlocking her fingers with the dark-haired Lupo underneath her. She stood, running up to his side before placing one hand on his shoulder and wrapping her other arm around his neck to place a hand on Emiya's other shoulder. "This, here, is my talented, smart, and extremely cute brother, Texas!" she introduced, looking as smug, if not, even more smug than all previous smugs combined.

"Uh…" Texas brushed the dust off her clothes, patting down her pants before ruffling her jacket. "Hi?" she greeted, somewhat confused. "Since when did you have a brother?" the disheveled Lupo questioned, tidying her outfit as if she'd done it more than a dozen times before.

"Since… Since I found him stuffed in a box! And look," she then pinched the sides of Emiya's cheeks with her hand. "Hehehe… See, he's just like me, for real!" The boy then proceeded to slap her hands aside.

"Uh-huh," Texas echoed, tilting her head to the side as she looked down upon the young Lupo. "I wonder which of us has it worse, kid." She idly noted, a hint of consolation in her eyes as the two of them shared a knowing glance.

"My condolences," Emiya dryly replied, dipping his head. Turning to Lappland, he nudged his head towards the general direction. "Lappland, let's go." Without another word, he started walking.

Lappland made a face, and then waved goodbye to Texas as she skipped to the younger Lupo's side. "You were totally going to leave me behind, weren't you?" she stated more than asked. The only answer she received with a partial glance. "You're so adorably stubborn," the older one sighed.

Emiya scoffed, closing his eyes. It's a good thing they'll arrive at the lab soon.

A few minutes later, his expression soured, arms crossed with a flat stare leveled at the hooded figure without a visor in front of him. He retracted his earlier statement. It was not a good thing they arrived so soon.

"You," he stated, his voice trailing off.

"Little," the smiling, red-headed figure said before trailing off.

"Shit," they both finished at the same time.

It was a stare down for the ages, silver eyes boring holes into smug amber ones.

Lappland meanwhile, simply watched with the dumbest expression on her face. She cupped her chin, squinting like a detective trying to investigate and piece together a mystery. For the life of her, the wild wolf could never figure out the reason behind the open antagonism between the two of them. When she talked with either of them, they appeared rather normal and hard to disturb, but put them within line of sight of each other and they would be at each other's throats quicker than she could blink.

"Do you know?" the boy suddenly asks, breaking the tension.

"Now, why would I?"

"Then you don't."

"I didn't say I wouldn't."

"You didn't need to."

Both went silent, continuing their passive-aggressive staredown. If Lappland didn't know any better, she would have thought the sparks between them were Arts and they were trying to burn each other's eyes out. It would have lasted for a while longer, if not for the voices on the other side of the door getting progressively louder and louder.

"Can you believe it? The audacity!"

One of the voices, complaining it seems, sounded quite eerily similar to someone Emiya knew. His four ears all perked up at once, head shifting towards the closed door just as it opened. His heart almost skipped a beat, apprehension suddenly welling up in his chest as he dreaded the consequences of potentially meeting her here in this form.

"Yes, yes. I understand," consoled a blonde to her companion, sounding sincere yet a little tired. The two came into full view, and as he saw them, they in turn looked back.

"Oh, Doctor. Good day to you," the dark-brown-haired Operator said in surprise, seamlessly shifting into a façade of professionalism Emiya was all too familiar with. It took him seconds to pinpoint the cracks in her mask of the perfect lady, whether it was a force of habit or his extensive experience he wasn't quite sure.

"Hello there, Doctor," greeted the blonde as she looked between Emiya and Lappland, much more at ease than her companion. A bit too at ease if you asked the former counter guardian, his brow shifting upwards at the lollipop she was enjoying. She noticed his observation, her eyes narrowing as she hugged her lollipop closer to her defensively.

'There it is!' Emiya shook his head, his amusement kept hidden masterfully.

"Greetings, Skyfire, Siege, I hope you've been well," Shirou warmly greeted them in return, a certain fondness leaking out of his usual demeanor. "We're about to head in, so, if you wouldn't mind?" he asked, gesturing towards the two silver Lupus.

"Of course, Doctor."

"We'll be on our way then," Siege said, waving goodbye as she headed off toward the right. Skyfire gave a brief gesture before catching up to Sieges' side.

"...Who?" Emiya asked not long after, staring at the backs of the fleeting figures. A nostalgia nested within his chest, smiling faces filtering through the hazy memories and static images drowned deep in his mind.

"I was surprised as well. Though, they aren't who you think they could be," Shirou answered before heading towards the open door. "Come, let's not keep Silence waiting," he added, his lips curved just a smidge as he recalled a terrible memory of a time he was late to an appointment with her. Throughout his time as the doctor, Shirou learned the golden rule to live a long and healthy life was to never ever mess with medical staff in Rhodes Island.

Emiya gave a stare before gesturing towards Lappland, who seemed to still be in deep thought. "I'm going on ahead," he quickly informed her before following Shirou through the door.

"Kay, I'll be waiting," Lappland cheerfully replied before the door closed. "Hmm…" She hummed, focusing on finding the solution to this mysterious connection between the two. It was an important step to get closer to her little brother as Ling advised her.

Omake: Sword on Sword Violence Begins

In a dimly lit room of unknown origins, there sat two individuals. A large holographic screen hovered in front of them, filled with images, labels, and numbers. At the top was the following title: Investigation of the phenomenon Shiro. Below the title and in the center was a large photo of a human-shaped head. It had no details, only colored completely black against a gray background, save for the white question mark slapped in the middle of the silhouette.

The individual on the right stood, their heavy jacket rustling with the movement. With grace, they took to the front, redirecting the hologram onto the wall. They then took out a black foldable stick from a sleeve before using it to point to some text that was right of the photo.

"I will recount Operator Skyfire's dialogue. Date XX, Time XX:XX, Kal'Tsit: Old Well. Quote on quote: Shichiyou's blade was a gift from Shiro. [I] Heard that the former owner before Shiro was a swordmaster who could fell all the cherry blossoms of the Far East with a single swing. But even that legendary swordmaster was no match for Shiro and had to surrender the blade."

The reader stopped, turning their head of red towards the remaining seated individual. The tension was suffocating, as if every move had to be measured and carefully assessed to avoid terrible consequences.

"Shiro. Blade. Swords." The seated individual squinted their eyes, their countenance growing grimmer with each word they spoke, their chin resting on their entwined fingers. "Do you not have a visual on this Swordsmaster?" he inquired somberly, eyes alight with malicious intent.

A shake of the head answered their question. "I neither had the time nor resources to expend when Skyfire first recounted the story. As Fate will have it, today is the perfect opportunity," he noted, a knowing glance giving way to a tacit understanding no words could convey.

"I see," the individual acknowledged. "I suppose personal recon is necessary. Can you fool the others to let us go to Higashi?" he asked, plans already formulating in his head as he looked over the details about the swordsman Shiro defeated in order to gauge their target's strength.

"I already have it covered. We'll have about two weeks to hunt him down." The taller figure answered confidently, a beautiful white blade appearing in his grasp before he masterfully twirled it around before throwing it to the smaller wolf. "Given enough prep time, do you think you'd lose?" he quipped, eyes mirthfully sizing up his interlocutor's smaller body.

The Lupo easily caught the captivating weapon, snorting disdainfully as his eyes scrutinized it with intrigue. 'His work isn't as bad as I expected," he concluded before giving the hooded man a confident smirk.

"Nah, I'd win," he declared, gray eyes shining with ill-intent mirrored by the other occupant in the dark room. For a brief moment, the two smiled maliciously as they stared at the files, determined to extract the answers they wanted by any means necessary.

The hunt is on, Shiro.

Meanwhile, amidst the verdant wilds of Higashi, a cloaked figure shuddered before looking over their shoulder. The traveler sneezed, feeling confused about the danger he sensed for a few seconds before it vanished. Making sure the coast was clear, the unknown figure shrugged his shoulders before continuing on their way with a soft hum.

Notes:

Thanks for reading, I hope you found it enjoyable.

I would like to thank HoJ Roxas for reviewing, editing, and propagating the finished chapter. His contribution was monumental to releasing it. And now, a word from the one and only:

"I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please support Light as much as you can so we can enjoy more of this fun story together! The poor dude was held at gunpoint by Amiya for us to enjoy this quality work."

That's all. See you next chapter! Stay healthy!

Oh, and feel free to join Roxas' server. We would love to have you. Code: cQtqV35NJS