Chapter 2

Hestia was rightfully stressed, granted, she wasn't as stressed as earlier now that her mother was with him, but still. Shirou was a good friend and she enjoyed spending time with him, even his personality and beliefs were refreshing. However, his tendency to not care about his own well-being bothered her.

She did like that he wanted to help and save people, but she found that he would go too far. It wasn't all that much of an issue, as Shirou was much stronger than most humans. However, this recent incident with Orion was a step too far. She was going to have to have a talk with him about his actions.

Thankfully, when she arrived at her hearth, everything seemed to be going well. There was no news about Orion or the huntresses. Of course, Hestia knew that it was only a matter of time until the news did break. When it did, well, she had a few ideas to help Shirou hide and not die.

She scooped her hand into the hearth and pulled out a piece of the flames, holding it in her hands. 'Shirou still possesses a fear of flames, though he himself does not know it. Rather, that part of him is muted so much that it doesn't register.' She thought to herself, before placing the flame into a small bottle.

"Aunt Hestia, you appeared troubled." Hestia stiffened for a moment, before turning towards the voice with a smile. Internally, she was very worried as the one who was speaking to her was Artemis. Though, a part of her wanted to giggle, as she couldn't help but imagine Shirou's stories of his Artemis.

"Oh no, everything is fine. I was just thinking about some personal matters. Did you wish to speak with me, Artemis? You seem a bit troubled yourself." She noticed Artemis tilt her head, before she let out a sigh.

"Yes, actually, I was wondering if you may have heard anything about an exceptional human. You see, my huntresses encountered one recently. He saved them from Orion and proceeded to defeat him. I wish to find him to thank him for his assistance, as well as to ascertain the truth of his ability with a bow." She answered.

Hestia sat next to the flames, a bit surprised by Artemis's words. She considered it for a moment, but thought better of it. If she told Artemis, then Shirou's identity would spread and she didn't wish for that to happen yet, if at all. She didn't like lying, but it was for the best.

Shirou stood among his weapons, inspecting each with a heavy heart. It was disheartening to know that he would likely never get to see them again. However, he knew that those that cared about him would be happy knowing that he was still alive and moving forward.

"If I may, could I ask why you're here?" He asked as he looked towards Rhea. She was wandering around the world and closely inspecting some of his weapons. She let out a small hum at his question.

"Well, my daughter is quite worried about your safety and well-being." She replied with a small hint of chastisement, "She rarely ever gets so out of sorts, so I decided to come and offer my assistance and maybe some advice." She said before taking out one of the swords and looking at it.

"I do apologize for that, I didn't mean to cause her any trouble. Running into Orion and the huntresses was just my usual bad luck at play." He replied to her while rubbing the back of his head. He thought about all of the caster servants that tried to help him with that particular quirk.

Even with all of the magecraft and charms they made for him, all it did was cause good things to happen because of his bad luck. Like when the branch broke when he was fighting Orion, causing him to fall but to also cause Orion's arrow to miss hitting him.

"Oh, trust me dear, I know that you never intend to trouble those close to you with how you act. I've seen a decent amount of your memories, which includes those memories of your potential future paths." She said to him, causing his eyes to widen.

'So, she saw Archer and our alter.' He thought to himself, before opening both his hands, causing the sword Kanshou to appear in his left hand and the gun Bakuya to appear in his right. Unknown to him, but Rhea's eyes narrowed at both.

"Though you cannot feel it, I know you possess fear of becoming either. I know that Hestia would feel immense sadness in seeing either, so I have locked those away, so that she would never see them." She said to him, walking up and taking the weapons from his hands.

"Thank you, Lady Rhea. I wouldn't wish for her to know about those things, when even I wish I could unsee them." He thought, remembering the battle of the Emiya's in Shinjuku, with Rhea getting a glimpse of said event.

Atop a skyscraper stood Shirou, wearing some form of armor underneath his jacket, with gauntlets and greaves over his pants, though his color scheme was black and white, instead of the red and black of the Archer next to him. He stood wielding Caliburn, the sword of one of his servants, while being reinforced by Caster.

Next to him, was Archer with his two signature swords. The two were facing towards EMIYA Alter, who was looking towards both with a look of disdain and disgust, something mirrored by Shirou and Archer. The three each readied their weapons, "Trace on!" All three said, just as Shirou and Archer charged forward.

The memory faded, with Rhea frowning at the three versions of a hero who were destined to be unhappy. However, that was in another world. Here, she was going to make sure that the boy her daughter cared about, would finally be able to find peace.

"There is no need to fear those things, for you are not them. Part of the reason why I'm here in your internal world is to make sure that your future will be changed for the better, for your sake and for my daughter's." She said to him, giving him a kind smile that reminded him of his mother's.

"I'm not sure what you mean?" He replied to her, causing her to only shake her head.

"Don't worry, it's already done. It won't happen all at once, since I wouldn't want to terrify you, however, you should start feeling better and noticing a change when you awaken." She said to him, placing a hand on his head. "Sadly, I can't do anything about your hair." She joked.

"It's fine, I've gotten used to it. Can I ask why you would do this for me? I know you've told me it's for Hestia, but I can't help but feel like there's more to it." He asked her, as he had spent a lot of time around people who omitted information.

"Hmm, it's a bit complicated. However, just know, that dreams are powerful things, often holding visions of things to come. I had a dream, one that will remain secret from the other gods, at least, until the right time." She said to him, before turning and walking away.

"There are some things that cannot be changed, Shirou Emiya. But, perhaps you can prove otherwise. Allow me to inform you of a part of my dream." She said to him. "A blade will be drawn in defense of the hearth, a guardian and savior of humanity. A lost hero, one that will be bring about change, within the home, within the mind, within the heart, and within nature."

"A blade unbroken by war, unbending to time, and unyielding to evil. He shall cut through fate, bringing about a new age for divinity, humanity, and for those that came before." She finished before continuing on. "I hope you are ready, incarnate. For this world needs you, as does my Hestia. Rest and be ready for a scolding." She giggled before disappearing.

Shirou stood within his world, puzzled by her words. 'That sounded like some sort of prophecy.' He thought to himself, but that didn't make sense. He wasn't of this world, so why would he be in a prophecy, unless his presence changed things in this world that bad.

'So, I became a singularity of sorts. Well, that's a bit disconcerting. Though, I suppose it's not all bad. Rhea seemed to want to help him and Hestia. She even knew I was a sword incarnate. Though, I'm a bit concerned about what she did to help me.' He thought to himself, sighing, figuring he'd find out soon.

Shirou's eyes slowly fluttered open. His body was aching and he could feel where the wounds he sustained were patched up. 'Suppose I don't get a miracle healing like the first time.' He thought to himself, pushing himself up from the bed. He realized that he was alone, much to his relief.

He didn't feel like getting yelled at by Hestia as soon as he woke up. So, he lazily picked himself up off the bed and rearranged some of his things. It had been awhile since he first arrived here, but he always made time to look through some of his things.

He picked up the phone he was given in Chaldea. It wasn't like a normal phone, it was more of a walkie talkie, only being able to connect to another of its kind. However, it did have a function that ended up being used by some of the servants quite often.

He tapped the photo album icon and scrolled through some of the pictures that were taken. He wasn't a photographer, nor did he really take a lot of photos, but other servants did it for him. The last photo taken was of him and Fujimaru, a day before everything went to hell.

He let out a sigh. 'I wonder if this feeling will ever go away? First, my adoptive brother, now her?' Shirou knew that he couldn't have done anything else, but it didn't stop him from thinking about it. He did spend a long time searching for his mom's first son, finding him in America as a mercenary, calling himself Sigma.

'Well, at least he'll have a future since we corrected the singularities.' He thought to himself. He scrolled through more pictures, seeing Tamamo, Nero, Kiyohime, Suzuka, Serenity, the Gorgon sisters, Circe, Medea, and so many others, enjoying happier times.

He then noticed feeling more emotions than he normally did. 'Is this what Rhea meant?' He shook his head, deciding not to worry about it. 'Maybe, I'll make some desserts or something, to apologize for what I did.' He thought, as Hestia enjoyed sweet foods for some reason.

It had been three days since Hestia had seen Shirou's injured form, but she was confident that her mother had everything taken care of. So, she was able to move around Olympus freely, being sure to keep an eye on Artemis. The moment Artemis was satisfied with her search, she returned to her huntresses.

Hestia immediately returned to her Hearth and transported back to her and Shirou's home. Of course, she didn't realize she had begun to refer to it as their home. The moment she appeared, a very sweet scent entered her nose. She could tell right away that it was Shirou's baking.

She turned and saw Shirou standing in the kitchen, wearing the purple apron she bought for him. He was wearing his black t-shirt and pants, and his scarf as usual, which made it easy to see all of the bandages on his arms. Hestia frowned when she saw the bandage on Shirou's face.

Hestia then straightened her dress, before making her way over to Shirou, who turned around when he noticed her presence. He looked at her with his usual smile, which cause Hestia to stop for a moment, but she steeled herself when she looked at his bandages again.

"Uh, hey Hestia, I'm just about done with the first batch of cookies." He said to her, before she stopped in front of him. Shirou saw her raise a hand up, causing him to realize what was about to happen. He'd received a few of them over the years, so he simply closed his eyes and readied himself for the coming punishment.

However, instead of a stinging pain, all he felt was Hestia's soft and warm hand place itself gently onto his cheek. He opened his eyes slowly, before seeing Hestia standing there in front of him, looking into his eyes with a sad expression. Her fiery red eyes were watery as she moved her hand across the bandage on his face.

"For the last three days, I was thinking about what I was going to say and do to you as punishment for what happened." As her hand went across the wound, he felt the pain subside. "It occupied my thoughts, but now that I'm actually standing here, looking at you. That is the furthest thing from my mind. Now..."

For a moment, Hestia's face was overlaid with multiple other women, each flashing by with the same worried expression and tearful eyes. 'How many times have I caused someone to have that look on their face?' He thought to himself, remembering each one vividly. Remembering how much they all cared for him.

'But, why would they? I don't deserve that.' Flashes of the fire he survived went through his mind. Flames for as far as his eyes could see. The overwhelming smell that filled the air. All of the cries for help that went unanswered, including his own. The person he tried to save, who only ended up dying anyways.

'So, I kept walking, an empty husk who only wished to live.' He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve all that he had. But, that didn't stop others from giving it to him. He realized it now, he was still walking in that fire. Slowly, others came and pulled him out of it. Their loving faces flashing through his mind.

"We are the same, you and I. We went through hell and flames. No one else understands, master. That, for us, we remain in those flames. Though, I believe I can escape those flames now, because of you. However, I shall remain with you for now, so that you don't have to be alone in your suffering."

"For surely, if even the Dragon Witch deserves to be saved, then one such as you surely deserves such a thing too." He didn't believe that, yet, those words stayed with him. Those faces, stayed with him. He realized, he didn't truly understand what he felt back then. He didn't realize, until now, that his heart didn't die in that fire.

It was damaged and scarred, but it didn't die. He was saved, and in the process, he saved another. For a moment, he recalled his mother's face looking at him with her usual faint smile for the first time, with tears running down her face. The moment his heart beat again, the moment he was able to feel, once again.

'Maiya Hisau, my mother, it all started with her. It only makes sense, that it should end with her face as well.' He thought to himself, remembering sitting beside her bed just before she passed away from illness. He remembered feeling her touch his face with that same smile on her face one last time.

It may have appeared faint to anyone else, but to him, he knew how happy she was. There was only one wish that she ever had, one she may not have voiced, but one he knew of. She only wished for Shirou to live a full and happy life. She didn't raise him only for him to die somewhere, alone.

'A hero of justice. It was never for the man who supposedly saved me.' He thought to himself, 'It was always for her. To repay the love and kindness she showed me. Unknowingly, I spread that to others, under the guise of that ideal. Perhaps, that is why Archer put up with me, when such a thing betrayed him. Because they were different dreams, born from different circumstances.'

He then returned to the present. Looking at Hestia's face, feeling the warmth of her hand on his face. "Now, I'm just glad that you're okay." Her voice was warm and pleasant, though he could still hear the sadness in her tone. "I was really worried when I saw you."

"I thought you were going to die and I didn't know how to feel about that. It was strange. There was one thing I thought about, it was something I wanted to ask you when you woke up." She then removed her hand and took a step back. "Shirou, do you really think so little of your own life, that you're willing to sacrifice it for strangers?"

"Do you not think of those who care about you? Those who would be saddened if you were to die? Do you think so little of me that you think I wouldn't be saddened by your death?" She asked him, her voice raising steadily with each word, with even the fire in the house's hearth growing larger.

"Hestia, I..." He started to speak, but Hestia quickly interrupted him butting her head against his chest, which surprised him and knocked the breath out his lungs. He sometimes forgot how powerful she was. Hestia's eyes widened, before she began to wave her arms in front of his chest.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry! I didn't mean...no wait, I'm not sorry. You deserved that." She quickly did a 180, but it only caused a small smile to appear on Shirou's face. "I-I don't know what to do. I never interacted with heroes, nor have I cared to, but here I am. Shirou, I realized earlier, that I care about your well-being. You're my friend and I don't want you to die."

"I know that you probably don't see anything wrong with what you do, but I do. If you keep doing things like that, you'll disappear one day." Her words caused Shirou to remember Archer. "You're strong, Shirou, but are other people so important that you'll disregard other's feelings?" She finished with a sad expression.

Shirou only let out a sigh. 'I'm such an idiot.' He shook his head, before walking up to Hestia and sending a sad smile towards her. "It's not wrong to help people." He said simply, causing her eyes to widen, however, Shirou continued. "Is what I would normally say. So, instead, allow me to say something I have never been able to say."

Shirou grabbed Hestia's hand and placed his other hand on top of it, looking her in the eyes. "I'm sorry." Two simple words, yet they were enough to cause Hestia's breathing to hitch.

"I don't fully understand, but I want to try and be better. I have always been chasing after something, but I think I'm ready to try and move on. It would be an insult to everyone who helped me along the way to squander this third chance I was given."

"I was saved once, by my mother, and I lived my life saving others, trying to atone for surviving. Then, Chaldea happened, once again, I threw myself into saving everyone. Then, I almost died and appeared here, where I was saved a second time, only to almost throw away my life again."

"I thought about it and, while I won't stop trying to help people, I won't recklessly charge into things anymore. My mom wanted me to live a full and happy life, and I want to try and honor that wish. I, honestly, never did consider anyone else's feelings, and I realize that was selfish."

"So, I swear, by whatever it is you swear to, that I won't do that ever again. So, I'm sorry, and I hope that you'll forgive me for disregarding your feelings like that." He finished, bowing his head. It was quiet for a few minutes, with Shirou not moving from his position, even though he was worried about his cookies.

Hestia was surprised by Shirou's apology. She hadn't expected him to give in so quickly. She actually had a long list of things that she was going to bring up, but Shirou's apology rendered it all null. She knew about most of the things Shirou said.

She hadn't bonded with him all these months without knowing the important facts about him. She had even seen some of his memories and dreams, though she was sure he didn't know that. She often used her powers to help him, to try and correct the damage that had been done to him.

Shirou was a broken person, one could even say he was a bit crazy. However, what was in front of her wasn't a broken person. Rather, it was a person who had somehow managed to piece himself back together. While there were cracks that would forever show, he was whole again.

She could feel the change, even seeing the change in his eyes. 'I wonder if mother had something to do with it?' She thought, before she frowned. 'Of course she did.' She shook her head and looked at Shirou. He was cracked, fractured, but he was holding it together. She realized something as she was yelling at him.

She cared a lot more than she thought she did. Originally, she promised to stay with him, to make sure he wasn't alone in this world, but it was more of a goddess promising to watch over a hero or mortal. He was interesting and she enjoyed his company, but it wasn't anything beyond familial.

However, she found herself worrying for the whole three days. Wondering if he would die in his sleep. Wondering if he went back out, if she would find him dead when she searched for him. The more she thought about it, the more her heart felt like it would shatter. It pained her to think about him, but it also made her happy.

She was telling the truth, she didn't know what to do. Her thoughts were a mess. She wanted to confront him and yell at him, but the moment she saw him, all of the fight she had left her body. She saw him smile and she was happy to see it on his face, then she saw his wounds.

It brought back the anger, but she needed him to know she was glad he was okay. She then told him what she felt, because she needed to. The thought that Shirou wasn't thinking about her angered her. She was all he had and he nearly killed himself for some huntresses who probably hated him.

She didn't understand him. She couldn't understand why he acted this way. Everything she liked about him, became something she hated about him. She was confused, but then he apologized. She forgot how inhuman he was. That he was just as inhuman as a god was at times.

However, with the apology came happiness. She didn't know what to do. She was fully prepared to stay angry, but that was impossible now. He acknowledged her feelings and apologized, even swearing to be better. It was almost like he read her mind. That thought scared her. She hoped she wasn't so easy to read.

So, she did the only thing she could think of doing. She was the goddess of the hearth, fire, home, and most importantly, family. Shirou was her family and this was their home, so, she would make it so that Shirou would never forget that. She would help him, just as she swore when she first met him. This time, it was because she cared about the human in front of her.

Hestia walked up and pushed Shirou upwards from his bowing position, seeing a surprised expression on his face. She looked at him with a straight face, before she walked forward into his chest and wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace, ignoring the warmth she felt in her cheeks.

"Just...don't scare me again." Were the words that slipped from her mouth. She felt Shirou hum in response, before she felt him place a hand on her back, rubbing circles in it to make her feel better.

"I'll certainly try my best not to. You have my word." He replied to her. Strangely, she could feel that Shirou was nervous, but that he was happy. She wondered if Shirou wasn't used to affection, but failed to realize that he was unused to feeling emotions so strongly.

Rhea did her job a little too well, making it so that he was thinking the emotions he felt were new. He had been subject to many heroic spirits and their displays of affection, but he had never felt like he did at the moment. He found that he didn't mind the feeing too much.

After managing to save his cookies from a burnt death, Shirou and Hestia finally managed to speak about more pleasant things. However, he was somewhat surprised to hear about Artemis, though he wasn't going to tempt fate and show himself. He still didn't know how he felt about meeting the other deities.

"Shirou, you still want to be a hero of justice, right?" Hestia asked him, kicking her feet off of a stool as she ate some of the cookies. Shirou was cleaning dishes as he replied to her.

"I would like to continue helping and saving people. I don't think that my idea of a hero of justice is the correct way of putting it, but it'll do for now." He replied, before placing another plate in the rack.

"Well, most of the heroes were all selfish and only wanted superficial things like recognition. I think that a hero like you would be a nice change of pace for the world. It sounds like something this world needs. Someone who spreads love and saves others without asking for something in return. This world needs less hate and greed." She replied, standing up.

Shirou let out a small chuckle. "Maybe, but I think I want to take it easy and help where I can, rather than look for trouble. I'd rather not worry you unnecessarily." He replied, before feeling Hestia pull his shirt, causing him to turn around.

"And I really appreciate that. Knowing that is enough. But, I also want to be able to help you. You can't argue either, because it'll help me worry less." She said, before pulling out a bottle with a beautiful red flame in it. Shirou raised a brow, before looking back at her.

"I know that flames aren't your favorite thing, even if you say otherwise. But, flame is so much more than something used to destroy. It brings warmth and light, gives people hope and acts as a refuge at night. People gather around fire, be it a campfire or a hearth. Flames symbolize and mean different things."

"I want you to be able to look at fire and think of home, to remember that it brings more than destruction." She said, before opening the bottle. "This is a gift, from me to you, so that wherever you go, a piece of me will always be there with you. And it will serve as a reminder, that you will always have a home to return to."

She then placed the flame into her hand, before placing her palm onto Shirou's chest. A part of him recoiled, but he managed to hold himself still. Rather than burning him, he felt an calm and loving warmth spread throughout his body as it entered his body.

Hestia then removed her hand and looked at him with a happy smile. She then walked to one of the spare rooms and entered it, leaving Shirou for a moment. He didn't know what to think about what happened.

He then realized that he could feel the flames of the hearth, almost as if it were a part of him. He looked to it, before swiping his hand to the left, causing the flame to answer and dance to the left. The sight actually caused him to nearly combust. 'Did she just give me something amazing as a gift?'

"Trace on." Without thinking, he summoned forth the first weapon that entered his mind, Kenmyouren, the sword of Suzuka Gozen. In his hands, rather than the blue magical energy he was used to, magical energy in the form of red flames appeared and summoned the sword in his hand.

'Even my magical energy changed?' He thought, before shaking his head. He figured it was likely a blessing from Hestia. He knew how blessings worked, to an extent, so he figured that was what the flames were. 'She did say it was a piece of her.'

He held up the sword, 'It seems a lot better quality than it should be.' He thought to himself. 'Well, I won't complain. I actually like the thought of my weapons forming from flames, considering Unlimited Blade Works is basically a forge.'

He let the sword return, watching it dissipate into embers. He let out a sigh, before realizing why he summoned her sword. On a nearby shelf, sat a replica of Suzuka's hairpin. A small smile appeared on his face, before Hestia reappeared from the room. "I've returned with my second gift." She happily announced.

"Second gift? You're really going all out with this, aren't you?" He said to her with a grin. Hestia's eyes widened, before a sheepish smile appeared on her face.

"Well, I just want to make sure you're safe. Besides, this will help keep you hidden." She replied, before holding out a black jacket with a hood. "Normally, this would be a cloak, but I changed it to match the more modern times. You won't really need it, now that the sacred flame is in you, but it will keep you hidden and protect you."

Shirou raised a brow. 'So, the flame will keep my body heat regulated? Good to know.' He then reached his hand out and took the jacket. "Did you put the Chaldea symbol on there?" He asked, pointing towards the symbol on the right arm.

Hestia responded with a sweet smile. "I did. I figured you'd like it." She said to him, before grabbing it from him and holding it out. "Put it on." Was all she said, causing Shirou to sweat drop. He shook his head, before turning around and doing as she said.

"Works perfectly. Your aura is hidden a lot better, though since it's mine, I can tell right away." She revealed to him with a nod. Honestly, he hoped this was the last gift. He didn't want her getting carried away.

"I'm a bit disappointed you didn't tell me, otherwise I would have gotten something for you too." He joked, but Hestia simply kept her smile on her face.

"Well, you're still in trouble from earlier. So, you have to make it up to me. Why do you think I put the jacket on you?" She casually said, before happily bouncing towards the door.

"You do realize I just woke up from a mini-coma and that I'm still covered in bandages from injuries, right?" Shirou said to her with a raised brow, but Hestia simply shrugged.

"You're a hero, aren't you? Besides, I know mother patched you up pretty good." She said to him, before a sad look appeared on her face. "Or, are you saying you don't want to spend time with me?" Shirou only let out a sigh, before rubbing the back of his head.

"What a troublesome goddess you are." He muttered, before making his way over towards her, seeing her face light up again. 'I have a feeling I'll be making this up to her for a long time.' Of course, Shirou had no idea how true that statement actually was.

Shirou would admit to being happy, even though he still had trouble accepting it. Old habits are hard to kick, or rather, trauma is hard to get rid of. Hestia helped with that, though no matter what, his dreams always ended with those seven lights falling from the sky.

He knew why he saw them. It was his lingering regret, feeling like he abandoned Fujimaru. However, he had done what he could and managed to save who he could. Of course, he had no way of knowing that he wasn't to be harmed during that raid on Chaldea. He had no way of knowing that his "death" actually helped Fujimaru.

If he did know, maybe he would have felt less guilty. Though, it may have had the opposite effect, as he would have known how much his "death" had hurt his friend, Ophelia. So, it was for the best, that he was kept in the dark. Ignorance was bliss, besides, Shirou had his own problems to deal with.

It had now been a year and a half since he arrived in the world. He officially listed himself as 20, since he figured he looked around that age anyways. He had went on, doing as he usually did, helping people and traveling. Though, he was more vigilant than before.

Artemis's huntresses were a rather savvy bunch, managing to almost catch up to him a few times. However, there were monsters to kill and young demigods to save, he wouldn't compromise on that. Hestia managed to help him keep under the radar, though both could tell something was coming.

More monsters had popped up since Orion's death. Nothing he couldn't handle, but it was getting ridiculous. If any chimera's or hydras started popping up, he'd need to start pulling out the big guns, secrecy or no. Luckily, nothing had forced his hand just yet.

The United States were a bit different from what Shirou remembered, then again, he wasn't sightseeing when he searched for his brother. It was a beautiful land, filled with many wonderful things, with supernatural stuff hidden under everyone's noses.

Shirou was visiting D.C, deciding to check out the Smithsonian and other museums, as Hestia said he'd enjoy it. He tended to do whatever she suggested these days. He couldn't get the sight of her upset face out of his mind, so he did whatever he could to try and make her happy.

Finding ways to make more delicious food was one of those things. So, he traveled and searched. He found it oddly fulfilling. Now that he thought about it, he had actually been to the U.S twice. Once, when he searched for his brother. Twice, during a singularity. 'That was wild.' He thought to himself.

He idly wondered if he should buy a revolver like Billy's, though he rarely used guns, so he shot that idea down. Shirou was looking through a few exhibits in a museum when he caught sight of a small group on a tour. He raised a brow, before shrugging his shoulders.

He was looking through an exhibit of weapons when a woman walked up beside him. She didn't say anything, so he figured she was looking at the weapons. His eyes narrowed when he looked at a certain spear. "Durindana." He whispered to himself, saddened at the state of the weapon.

He supposed it only made sense, considering the age, but still. "You know that spear?" An elegant and soft voice asked him. He turned his head and finally looked at the woman. For a moment, his breathing hitched. She had braided blonde hair that seemed to be faded into more of a silver, along with piercing gray eyes.

Her appearance was nearly identical to Nightingale, if slightly younger and less well endowed. She was wearing a black turtleneck with a red jacket, with black tights worn underneath a gray skirt. Her appearance caused him to grip the strap of the traced shoulder bag around he carried.

She was incredibly beautiful, maybe more so than the real Nightingale, but he managed to pull himself together. He actually wondered what Aphrodite would look like to him. Though, he figured she'd appear looking similar to one of the more beautiful goddesses he knew, either Quetzacoatl or Tamamo. Pesudo-servants didn't count.

He looked back towards the weapons. "Something like that, I've read a lot of stories. Plus, there's an inscription near the pommel." He said, pointing towards where he knew the inscription was. It was faded, but it was readable if you knew Greek, which he did.

He heard the woman hum, "What about that one?" She asked, pointing towards the remnants of a shield. He was able to tell what it was immediately, but he took a moment, he didn't want to seem odd.

"Well, going by its appearance, I'd say that was the shield of Aias the Great. Though, I couldn't say if it was genuine or not..." 'It wasn't.' "But the seven layers is a dead giveaway." He replied to her. He noticed the woman's had a slight upturning of her lips. 'Is she impressed?'

"I see. You seem to know a bit about weapons and mythology." She said to him, before both walked to another part of the exhibit. "Do you mind if I join you? It'd be nice to talk to someone who enjoys history." She asked him. Shirou raised a brow, before shrugging.

"Sure, I don't mind." He replied with a small smile. "Do you visit museums often?" He asked her, before both stopped at an exhibit of other artifacts.

"Not a whole lot. Though, sometimes I enjoy the novelty of it. I'm a college professor, History and the like." She answered, surprising him a bit. He hadn't noticed before, but he realized she had the faint scent of divinity. 'Is she a demigod? My luck isn't so bad that I'd run into a goddess is it?'

'What am I thinking? Of course it is.' "I see, so you probably know more about all of this than I do." He joked while rubbing the back of his head. He could see a faint look of amusement in her eyes.

"I might, though you seem pretty knowledgeable so far." His eyes widened at a withered golden book or tablet with familiar markings on it, before a faint smile appeared on his face. The woman quirked a brow at his reaction. "Something catch your eye?"

Shirou shook his head. "I was just reminded of a friend, is all." He said to himself, recognizing the golden book as one he had seen in Uruk. He knew it wasn't the same one, but the design was similar. It reminded him of the singularity, of everyone there.

A part of him wondered what Gilgamesh would think of his treasures being put on display in a foreign land. He let out a small chuckle. "I'm surprised something so old managed to withstand the tests of time. Though, it appears they may have aged it wrong." He simply said, before moving on.

The woman let out a hum, before following. "What makes you say that?" She said with curiosity.

"The language written is older than what they listed. I can't read it, but I know it when I see it." He said while shrugging his shoulders.

"I see, so you're a linguist as well?" Her words had a tinge of amusement in them. She seemed to be find the things he knew about amusing, even interesting. As if she was impressed. 'She must be someone who likes intelligent people.'

"I wouldn't say that, I just know languages really well. I'm more of a jack of all trades, I know a whole lot about a lot of things." He revealed, before both stopped at another exhibit. It was an exhibit about Japan, specifically during the key moments of history.

"Ah, I wonder how America got there hands on a Muramasa blade." He said with surprise in his voice. 'They probably don't even know that it's a Muramasa. It is nameless after all.' He let out an amused huff. 'I'll be sure to put it to good use, for Muramasa's sake, though knowing him, he'd prefer it was forgotten.'

"Someone picked it up from the war with Japan. Though, I'm amazed you know what it is." The woman said, though she seemed a bit perplexed.

"It's hard to tell, but Muramasa blades have a distinct look to the blade. It has to do with the unique forging process." He said, before looking at a few other things, ones that related to Nobunaga. 'Nobu's three line formation, glad they made sure to mention that.'

"You are an interesting man." He heard her say, causing him to turn and look at her. She had a hand on her chin, obviously thinking about something. "How long is your trip here?" She asked him, causing him to quirk a brow. 'She knows I don't live here?' He saw a small smirk on her face.

"From the way you're dressed, you don't seem like someone who would live here. Plus, not many people carry sturdy, green canvas bags like that." He looked down to his side, looking at his bag. It was a traced and modified version of Nightingale's pouches. 'She has really good observation skills.'

"You got me, I'm not from around here. This is actually my last stop on my trip, so I don't really have a set time. I figured I'd spend some time here, take in the sights and history, before heading back home." He answered, wondering why she wanted to know.

The woman let out a hum, before nodding to herself. "Well then, would you care to accompany me to dinner? You're an interesting person and I'd like to know more about you." She said to him, causing his eyes to widen. He rubbed the back of his head, a bit embarrassed.

"Uh, yeah, sure, but I should tell you now, I'm not all that interesting." He saw a small smile appear on her face.

"I'll be the judge of that." She then walked by him. "Shall we continue? I'd like to see how far your knowledge extends, Mr..." Her head tilted, reminding him of an owl.

"Emiya. Shirou Emiya, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss..." He extended his hand, which reciprocated.

"Alviss, Sophia Alviss." She answered. Unknown to Shirou, but he had caught the eye of a goddess, one whom would bring great change to his life. Though, this also worked both ways, as Athena would end up changed as well.

Hestia was dancing across the kitchen floor, taking out fresh pastries, cakes, and cookies, before placing them in a display or putting it on the table for whomever may have ordered it. A big smile was on her face, as she served the items to anyone who ordered, which was mainly women and children.

She knew why this was, but the reason why was currently on a trip. She let out a sigh, wondering when he was going to be returning. Their little shop was becoming more popular, and while she was confident in fulfilling all the requests that came in, she wouldn't mind having Shirou there as company.

Just as she was taking a small break, another customer walked through the door. Hestia put on her usual sweet and loving smile, "Hello and welcome to the Unlimited Sweets Bakery!" She then heard an audible gasp, causing her to tilt her head, until she saw who entered.

'I take it back, I'm glad that Shirou isn't here.' She thought to herself. Standing in the doorway, was a perfectly beautiful woman with wavy blonde hair, wearing a stylish red satin dress with dazzling eyes like that of spring water. She had a large smile on her face, one that was just as dazzling as her eyes, even Shirou may have blushed at the sight of it.

She would have hit him for it, but she wouldn't blame him. Goddess powers were pretty potent, even if he should have some resistance to it. His blessings and her flame saw to that.

"Hestia? What are you doing here? Wait, do you run this bakery?" She asked with a happy tone, Hestia noted that the few men in the room were all looking towards Aphrodite with dreamy expressions. She let out a sigh.

"Aphrodite, what a pleasant surprise. I'm just filling in for the owner, I suppose. Though, I'm more interested in why you're here." She said with a huff, trying to divert attention from herself.

Aphrodite raised a brow, but only offered a shrug. "I heard some people mentioning a small bakery here, so I had to come try it for myself. Though, with you running the place, I can see why everyone's been talking about it." She said, sitting at the at the counter nearest the kitchen.

"Actually, the owner is on a trip. He's the one who usually makes everything, so really, he's the one who's responsible." Hestia informed her, giving a cookie to a young boy at the other end of the counter. "Though, I am surprised that you'd take the time to come by to try it."

Aphrodite simply let out a small giggle. "Well, course, I enjoy sweet things after all. This mysterious owner, he doesn't happen to make candy too, does he?" She asked with some excitement. Hestia tilted her head a bit.

"I actually don't know. He made some chocolate once, but he's never mentioned it. Though, considering how much he knows, I wouldn't be surprised if he did." She replied. 'I'll have to get him to make me some if he does know how.'

"It sure sounds like you know a lot about him. Hmm, you wouldn't happen to be in a relationship with this human, would you?" She asked in a teasing voice, causing Hestia's cheeks to slightly redden, however she wouldn't give Aphrodite the pleasure of seeing her embarrassed.

"I'll have you know, that we have a very good friendship. Of course, I would know a lot about him." She replied, before turning and taking out another batch of sweets. Aphrodite simply smiled at the goddess. She could fool anyone else, but she was the goddess of love, she could recognize love when she saw it.

'Best not to tease her too much, besides, I'm rather interested to see what comes of this. One of the virgin goddesses falling in love with a mortal? How fun and interesting is that?' She thought to herself, before an idea popped into her head.

"I see, then you wouldn't mind if I stick around and meet this human. If he's good enough for you to expose yourself like this, then he must be quite a man." She responded, as she knew that Hestia didn't enjoy the spotlight, being satisfied with only being noticed every once in awhile.

Hestia stiffened for a moment, before she turned to Aphrodite with a smile on her face. "I don't know, I'm not sure if he's exactly your type." Hestia replied. She inwardly groaned. 'He totally is though! He's handsome, strong, sweet, kind, a hero, and he's one of the best cooks I've met! Wait, I can salvage this.'

"Oh, don't be so sure, Hestia. The heart wants what the heart wants, love is like that. Besides, from what I can tell, he must be exceptional. Who else could claim to be friends with THE Hestia. Does he know about you? Or should I say, us?" Aphrodite had one of her usual looks, the kind that told Hestia she wouldn't let it go.

"I'll have you know that I've had mortal friends before. However, I will say that he is quite exceptional. Though, I think he'd probably be more of Athena's type than yours, also..." Hestia thought about it for a moment, wondering if she should reveal his knowledge about the supernatural. "He knows a little bit, but not a whole lot."

"I'd prefer to keep it that way, I don't want him getting involved in our affairs." 'More than he already has. Though, I'm glad he's been helping some of the children, they deserve to have a hero be there to save them and to look up to.' Aphrodite had slightly narrowed eyes, but simply just let out a sigh.

"I see, so he's one of those brainy, intelligent types." She replied with a bit of disappointment. "Well, I suppose that's fine. A shame, I would have liked to get to know this human who's managed to catch your eye." She said, faking disinterest. Though, Hestia's eye twitched as her last sentence.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have some cookies and a chocolate cake and be on my way." Aphrodite then smiled. Though, Hestia didn't know that Aphrodite planned on returning many times, hoping to get a chance to see the human.

Hestia, however, was just glad that Aphrodite wasn't going to dig to deeply into his identity. She'd have to warn Shirou, since she knew that Aphrodite wasn't one to give up so easily. Something about her words bothered Hestia, so she knew that she was up to something.

'I'll have to keep an eye on her. I have a feeling that she's the biggest threat to Shirou's safety here.' She tried to tell herself. Though, it wasn't really his safety she was worried about. Little did she know, that Aphrodite wasn't the goddess she should have been worried about.

Shirou Emiya was a very interesting person. At least, Athena thought he was. She found Shirou to be a very intelligent and thoughtful individual. She also noticed that he was a caring and kind man as well, witnessing his small acts of charity and kindness throughout the few days they spent together.

She supposed that the fact he was rather good looking was another plus. She could see that he was someone who trained his body religiously. In fact, his body almost appeared to be a well oiled machine. He could try and act like he was an ordinary person, but she could recognize a warrior when she saw one.

He wasn't a demigod, of that she was sure. She would have assumed him to be a soldier, but something told her that wasn't the case. At least, not completely. A mercenary? He didn't seem the type to really care about money. So, her thoughts went to one conclusion, he was a hunter and someone who was trained in martial arts.

He certainly moved like he was, plus his eyes had the look of a hunter's, moving like a bird of prey. She wondered what martial arts he was trained in, as the few times she was able to feel his body, she couldn't exactly get a good grasp of what it was he focused in.

That was when she remembered what he said about being a jack of all trades. 'So, he's more than likely trained his body to be proficient in just about everything? Perhaps, I can ask him to show me what he knows. It would be interesting to know. Besides, fighting someone is a good way to get to know someone.' She thought to herself.

They had a few, 'dates', as people said. She had found them to be rather enjoyable, hearing about his travels and the people he knew was interesting, even if she was goddess of wisdom, she still found it interesting. He was a rather good story teller as well.

She did test him on his knowledge of warfare and history, being somewhat surprised by his capabilities. It was one of the reasons she assumed he was a soldier, as he made some interesting maneuvers that would imply that he studied in the military. Then he made some moves that were much older, strategies from the old age.

He told her that he enjoyed studying the old heroes and kings, those that led great campaigns and left their mark on the world. He surprised her more when he mentioned that he even looked up to some of the more questionable figures, those that were infamous. It was refreshing to hear his thoughts on it.

He often spoke of heroes and mythology as if he was there, or as if he heard it from the lips of the individual themselves. It was something she wasn't entirely prepared for, to be honest. It was why she was so interested in him, and why she invited him to the temporary residence she was staying in.

It was rather spacious and had everything she would need to test him further. He admitted to being rather good with a bow, though he didn't elaborate any further. It was the only thing he didn't downplay about himself. He was a humble person, almost overly so, but she didn't mind.

She had known far too many self absorbed heroes and humans to last a lifetime. To meet one who wasn't greedy, self absorbed, lustful, or violent was a nice change of pace. She did notice that he wasn't perfect, as he almost seemed a bit uncomfortable at times, almost as if he wasn't used to being around others.

Honestly, she wasn't expecting to actually enjoy his company. She had asked him to dinner simply because he interested her in the museum. She expected to have a nice conversation and be on her way. Though, she found herself enjoying the time she spent with him, with him even making her laugh on a few occasions. It was refreshing to be around someone like him.

Perhaps, it was because he was younger than who she normally associated with. Or maybe, it was because he wasn't really the type of person she would associate with. Not to say the previous men she was with weren't kind and charming, but Shirou was very different from them. He wasn't intimidated by her and, while there were times he was uncomfortable, it wasn't because of her.

He treated her like a lady, though, he didn't treat her like she would break at the slightest touch. It was strange, he had the mannerisms of a knight, but he also had adopted certain aspects from other cultures, those that wouldn't be noticeable to modern people, but for one as old as her, she could see it clear as day.

She looked at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was nearly time. She changed and prepared a few things for the upcoming meeting. She hoped she would learn even more about Shirou Emiya tonight. This night would be the deciding the factor in her decision.

Shirou Emiya was not having an easy time. He let out a sigh, as he realized that he may be a little late to his meeting with Sophia. He was confident that she was some sort of divine being, but he wasn't sure what kind. She didn't feel like a goddess, but she didn't feel like a demigod either.

It was like being around a servant, or more specifically, a pseudo-servant. It was strange, but he didn't mind. If she was a goddess then, as he promised Hestia, he would give her a chance. So far, he thought that they could say they were friends, but then again, he was a human.

Hestia's flame and jacket were doing a really good job of keeping him hidden. Or rather, they were doing a good job of keeping his scarf and charms hidden. Then again, he wasn't sure how much aura they leaked, so he couldn't be entirely sure.

He didn't really plan on staying too long, but Sophia seemed to be enjoying their time together, so he lengthened his stay. He had a feeling that she was the type who never took breaks and tended to stay busy, so if he managed to make her take some time off, then that was fine.

She had invited him to her home, or rather, her temporary residence as she put it. He was a bit hesitant about doing so, but she didn't seem like the kind of woman who would try to seduce him. So, he decided to agree, which led to now. He was on his way there when he caught a familiar scent.

He then heard the cry of a young girl, "Help!" Shirou's eyes narrowed and he immediately began to run towards the location of the cry. 'A demigod?' He thought, though he also smelled something repulsive, meaning there was more than likely a monster.

"Trace on." His circuits activated and he reinforced himself, quickly running into an alleyway. As he ran through the alleys, he came across the source of the cries. It was a teenage girl, one that seemed a bit prettier than normal. There were two large men cornering her, maybe around nine feet tall, a bit shorter than Orion.

He then began to trace his two trusty blades, Kanshou and Bakuya, as he ran forward. His footsteps caused the two men to notice him, they turned around and saw him slide along the ground as his swords manifested in his hands. Without thinking, he swung his arms and struck the tendons behind their knees.

The two quickly yelled out in pain, but Shirou wasn't focused on them. He popped up and managed to reach the girl, who was staring at him with wide eyes. She had blonde hair and pink eyes like cherry blossoms. She was dressed in some sort of school uniform, though he saw that it was personalized to be more stylish than it was.

The sight actually caused him to smile a bit, though he mainly did it to make the girl less scared. "Are you alright?" He asked with a small smile. She was trembling and he could see she was too scared to speak, but she managed to nod her head. "That's good. I want you to close your eyes, okay? This will all be over in a second."

The girl once again nodded and covered her eyes with her hands, which caused Shirou to let out a small chuckle. However, any levity he had soon washed away, as he stood up and turned towards the men. Once he did, he saw the singular eye each one possessed.

'Cyclops? Interesting, I haven't fought one of those before.' He thought to himself, holding his blades in front of him. "I'll give you both this one chance, turn and walk away, or forfeit your life." His voice was cold and full of steel. So far, he hadn't actually saved a demigod from intelligent monsters.

"You meddle in affairs not your own human. However, it just means we get more to eat." One of them replied with a deep and ugly voice. Just the sound grated on Shirou's nerves. Both were favoring one leg. It was obvious they didn't know why, however, Shirou did. His swords had properties that made them effective against monsters.

"Very well, then this day will be your last." Shirou replied, he quickly threw both his blades at one of them, catching them off guard. He raised his hand, but the blade easily pierced his hand and the other stuck itself into his chest. Shirou summoned another pair, throwing them, following up with two more barrages, sticking eight blades into the cyclops.

The other began to charge at Shirou, ignoring his ally who was turning into a pincushion. Shirou knew it wouldn't be enough to kill it, but they weren't meant to kill it just yet. Just as the other managed to reach Shirou, he reinforced himself as much as he could, before taking a stance and dodging the hands that came to grab him.

He slipped forward, the hands going over him, as he delivered an elbow to the sternum of the giant. It was like striking a wall, but he didn't let it slow him down. The strike caused the giant to recoil backwards, but Shirou then followed up with straight punch, using all of his strength, managing to make the giant stumble backwards.

Shirou winced at the resistance he faced, but he didn't stop. He turned his attention to the other giant, who had recovered and was delivering a strike towards Shirou. His eyes widened, before he brought his arms up and activated the charm on his wrist.

The strike sent him flying into a nearby wall, managing to make a crater in it. Shirou felt the full weight of the strike, but he had taken worse hits. Just as he managed to make it to his knees, the giant was bringing a fist down to crush him. Shirou rolled to the side, dodging the strike, before grabbing one of the swords stuck in the giant's body.

He swung himself onto the back of the giant, grabbing onto the two swords that pierced his back. He brought a hand up and traced Kanshou into it, though the giant was making it hard to keep a grip on him, bucking wildly. Shirou's eyes narrowed, before he brought down his sword onto his back.

"Burst!" He yelled, channeling magical energy into each blade, causing circuits to connect to each blade in the giant. The giant's wounds then exploded blood, causing Shirou to jump off while tracing the jet black bow of a certain apple loving huntress, and shot multiple arrows at the other giant's foot, pinning him to the ground.

'One down, one to go.' He thought to himself. "Trace on." He held out his hand and traced the sword of a knight, one who protected the maiden. Arondight appeared in his hands. He burst forward, allowing Tauropolos to dissipate. The giant ripped his foot from the ground and swung his fist down at Shirou.

Shirou, already seeing the attack coming, jumped over it and swung his sword against the chest of the giant, directly over his heart. When he landed, a blue line appeared on the giant's chest. The giant ignored it and brought his other hand up to crush Shirou, "Arondight, Overload!"

Just as the giant was swinging down, the wound and light began to shine even brighter, causing him intense pain, before it exploded with magical energy, easily cleaving through the giant's body. Shirou stood still for a moment, before allowing the sword the dissipate.

He then dropped to a knee, feeling everything he had just been through, as well as the immense burden that Arondight's noble phantasm put on the body. He was breathing heavily and he could feel his body was pretty banged up from the attacks he received.

'I should have handled that better.' He thought to himself, but he was focused on saving the young girl and allowed his emotions to get the better of him. 'Live and learn. Next time, I'll do better.' He managed to pull himself to his feet, before looking at the bodies of the dissipating giants.

'Good, I managed to kill them. I didn't know if that would be enough to kill them, to be honest.' He shook his head, before turning to find the girl. However, he was surprised when he felt a body slam into him, causing him to take a step back to prevent himself from falling over.

"Thank you so much! You saved my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Shirou looked down and saw the girl he saved, holding onto him with a very strong grip. She was surprisingly strong, considering how fragile she seemed. She actually reminded Shirou of Ereshkigal a bit.

He let out a sigh, before patting the girl on the back. He figured that she must have been really scared if she was this thankful. He had a small smile on his face, one that the girl saw when she looked up at him. He noticed her looking and looked down at her, before noticing her cheeks reddening.

"M-my name is, C-Caroline. Um, c-could I maybe, know yours?" She stuttered out, causing Shirou to let out a chuckle.

"Sure, the name's Shirou Emiya, and you don't have to thank me. I just did the right thing. You asked for help, so I came to help you." He said, patting the girl on the head.

Caroline wasn't someone who would normally be so flustered. In fact, she felt a little silly that she stuttered. But, she couldn't help it. Shirou had saved her life. She was just taking a walk, not wanting to return back to the dorms, when those to monsters appeared and tried to kidnap her.

She may have been a demigod, but daughters of Aphrodite weren't exactly strong fighters and her charmspeaking wasn't too strong yet. So, she tried to run, but she only ended up getting cornered. She was sure that she would be caught, but she called out for help, hoping that those stories about heroes she read were true.

She didn't think anyone would actually save her, only for her to be proven wrong. A hero appeared, saving her from her fate. She promised to not look, but she couldn't help but peek. He stood tall, wielding and calling swords from flames. He was like a knight who had come to save her from the monsters.

He was handsome and looked strong. He had unique red hair that seemed be turning white on the ends. His eyes were a beautiful golden brown, though she saw some steel discoloration in there. He had a beautiful red and golden scarf, with a black denim jacket with a strange emblem on the arm. He wore a red shirt underneath it, while wearing blue jeans and black boots.

His voice was strong and cold when he spoke to the monsters, but it was so warm and caring when he spoke to her. It was so amazing to witness, to watch a hero fight against two monsters like that. Even when he was hurt, he stood back up and acted like it was nothing. She always wanted meet a hero from the stories, and she ended up being saved by one.

"You were so amazing, I've never seen anyone move like. You're a hero, aren't you? Like in the stories?" She asked him with a happy voice. Shirou only shook his head with a smile.

"I wouldn't say I was hero. I just know how to fight monsters. You should be more careful, Caroline. Monsters tend to wander around more at night, especially when they know a demigod is around." He said to her, causing her to widen her eyes. 'So, he knows about us? Is he a demigod? But, the way talks makes it seem like he isn't.'

"I know, but I didn't want to return to the dorm. It's so cold and lifeless there. I just want to go home." She said sadly, causing him to tilt his head.

"Why can't you?" He asked simply, only for Caroline to smile sadly.

"I can't. My dad died in a fire last year. I didn't have any other family, so I was put into a home, but they just sent me to a boarding school. I don't have anywhere to go. It's so lonely, and for a daughter of Aphrodite, not having anyone or anything to love is painful." Shirou's eyes widened at the information.

"I see. I haven't met any children of Aphrodite before, but I can imagine how much that must hurt." He said to her, causing her to shake her head. Really, she just didn't want him to see her tears. She knew that he would leave, as heroes never really stuck around. They were always fighting and going on adventures to save others.

She let go of him and turned around. However, he surprised her when his hand appeared with a handkerchief. "I don't know how much I can help you, but I would like to." She took it and tried to wipe away the wetness. She then heard him writing something on some paper.

"Here." She turned around and saw him handing her a piece of paper. She looked at it, seeing his personal information on it. "That's my phone number, address, and some other information for you to use. I don't know how much I can help, but you can always talk to me, through letters or a phone call."

"If being alone is that painful, then I'll be whatever it is you need me to be. I don't know how good at it I'll be, but I'm certainly better than nothing. In fact, if you call that number later tonight, there might be someone who may be able to help make you feel better." He said with a reassuring smile.

Caroline felt really warm in that moment. A bright smile made its way onto her face. He really had no idea what he had done for the girl. She wasn't lying when she said that, for her, the absence of love was painful. It was dark and cold, but suddenly, a warm and bright light had appeared in her life.

She turned around, wiping away what remained of her tears. She looked up at him with a smile. "Does that mean you could even be my boyfriend?" She said with a playful tone. Shirou's eyes widened, before he let out a small laugh.

"I'm afraid I'm a bit too old for you, Caroline. Besides, I don't think I'd make a very good boyfriend." He replied, patting her on the head. She giggled at his response, before looking back at him with a playful and flirty smile.

"I'll have you know, I'm about to turn seventeen. I'm sure I can wear you down by the time I turn eighteen." Shirou shook his head at the 180 the girl pulled. He could tell that she was a daughter of Aphrodite, just by the way she spoke. "But, thank you, Shirou. Even if you don't think you're a hero, you'll always be one to me."

Caroline then showed him a sweet and sincere smile, one that seemed to catch him off guard. She was pretty sure she saw a slight reddening on his cheeks, which caused her to inwardly celebrate. He coughed into his hand, trying to refocus himself.

"I...you're welcome, Caroline, and thank you for that. You really should head back, I wouldn't want you to get into any trouble." He said to her, "I'll walk you back to the street." She only nodded to his words, before grabbing onto his arm as the two headed back.

"I will see you again? Won't I?" She asked as they reached the street. Shirou looked at the girl and chuckled.

"It's not out of the realm of possibility. Besides, you know where I live. Chances are, we'll run into each other again." He said to her, before he reached into his bag. He pulled out a simple necklace, on it was a glittering light blue gemstone that Caroline had never seen before. "Here, consider it a gift. It'll keep you safe." He said to her.

Caroline took it into her hands and inspected the beautiful gemstone. She really hadn't seen one like it. "That'll hide your scent from monsters, though it will also generate a small barrier in case you're ever in trouble." He informed her. He took it from her hands and proceeded to step around her, before placing it around her neck.

"I'll definitely treasure it." She whispered, touching the gemstone on her chest. "You know, when you do things like this, it only makes me want to try harder to make you mine." Shirou quirked a brow, obviously not understanding what she meant. She let out a small giggle, before once again hugging him.

"Thanks so much, Shirou, for everything. You better believe that I'll see you again, and I hope you're ready to be getting many calls and letters in the future." She then let go and quickly turned around, heading back to her dorm. Her face was red and she didn't want him to see her face like that.

She was supposed to be a daughter of Aphrodite, someone who was able to charm men and make them fall for her. Yet, someone who wasn't even a demigod turned the tables on her. 'And it seemed like he wasn't even trying either!' She thought to herself, a bit frustrated. 'He'll see, next time I see him, I'll charm him for sure.'

Shirou was obviously oblivious to these thoughts, so he simply smiled as he watched the girl run away. He shook his head, being happy that he managed to save someone from a terrible fate. 'That's another demigod I've saved. Though, that's the first time I've actually stayed and interacted with one.'

He was glad that he gave her the necklace, as it was a new mystic code he made in an attempt to help demigods lead more peaceful lives. He'd need to find a replacement gem once he ran out of the gems Ishtar gave him. Though, he supposed it was fitting that she received that particular gem.

'It was one of Ishtar's favorites, after all. For a daughter of Aphrodite, it's perfect.' He thought, before turning and deciding to head to his original destination. His body was still aching, but he figured he could power through the rest of the night. He checked his circuits, trying to figure out the time, before realizing he was late.

'Well, that's not good. I better run.' He thought to himself.

'He's late.' Athena thought to herself. She could have forgiven being a few minutes late, but he was nearing thirty minutes now. 'Surely, he wouldn't stand me up, would he?' She then shook her head, 'Why should I care? It's not like it's all that big of a deal.' Just as she thought this, her doorbell rang.

Her head snapped towards the door, causing her to quickly make her way there. She wasn't like Aphrodite, so she didn't check every detail of herself to make sure it was perfect, but she did straighten out her clothes and hair before opening the door.

She had a bit of a scowl on her face when she opened the door, but that look vanished the moment she saw him. "Shirou, are you alright? What happened to you?" She asked, quickly taking him by the hand and leading him inside the house.

She saw that his knuckles were haphazardly cleaned off, though she could see remnants of blood on them. He had some dirt and other debris in his hair, with his jacket likewise having some dust on the back of it. His face had a few scratches that he obviously couldn't tell were there, and she could see that he was tense.

In fact, she would have assumed he was sore from a workout if she didn't know any better. She quickly led him to the kitchen and proceeded to fix him up. "Some creeps were trying to take advantage of a girl in an alleyway, so I intervened. Most of this is self inflicted, so don't worry too much." He said, trying to ease her worries.

"Even small wounds can get infected if not taken care of properly, Shirou." Was her simple and curt answer. Shirou's eyes widened at her response, 'It seems it's not just her looks that are similar to Nightingale.' "I wondered why you were late, as it isn't like you. Though, saving a young maiden does seem like something you would do."

Shirou let out a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. 'She really has no idea.' "I do apologize for being late, even if I had a reason." He said to her, causing her to look at him with some exasperation. She shook her head, before continuing on.

After putting some bandages on him, with Athena noticing the faint scar he had on his cheek, the two finally managed to take a moment to relax. "So, Shirou, judging by your heroics, would it be safe to assume that you have some combat training?" She asked him, as that was one of things she was most interested in.

"I know my way around most weapons. I've had a lot of teachers who specialized in different styles, with some hand-to-hand combat thrown in, just in case." He answered, deciding not to lie to the, maybe, goddess. Though, by this point, he was pretty sure that she was one.

"I see. You wouldn't happen to be up for a light spar, would you? That is, if you're up to it. I can see that you aren't a hundred percent." She asked him, though Shirou could hear some anticipation in her voice. 'If she's a goddess, then that must mean she knows how to fight.'

'Is she Athena?' He thought to himself, before clenching his fists tightly for a moment, remembering Medusa, Euryale, and Stheno. However, he let out a calming breath, relaxing himself. 'Not the same Athena, and not the same Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale.' He reminded himself.

Shirou, with a faint smile on his face, replied to the goddess, "Sure, I wouldn't mind. You have a dojo, or a practice area?" He asked, deciding to go on along with it. Sparring was one of the few ways he could clear his head and calm himself anyway.

"Of course, follow me." She said to him. The two made their way through the admittedly large house. It actually surprised him, since the house seemed bigger than what he intitially thought it was.

"There are clothes in there, if you wish to change. When you're done, step through that door and I'll be waiting. There will be weapons for you to choose from in there, so there's no need to worry about that." She informed him. Shirou nodded his head, before heading into the room.

Admittedly, he wasn't sure why the goddess wished to spar with him. It was far different from anything else the two had done up to that point. Up until that point, they had mainly had discussions on varying topics, while playing some games or simulators, which he found pretty fun.

Though, he found the trip to the library to be the most fun, as he found many interesting books on different subjects that he hadn't been able to read before. Considering his thoughts on his world's Athena, he expected to dislike this one. Perhaps, not knowing she was Athena helped him not have any bias towards her.

It was similar to spending time with some heroic spirits, those that enjoyed to converse and bond over more intellectual things, or enjoyed teaching and showing off their chosen field of study. Medea was one of those people. He enjoyed learning magecraft from her and Circe, it was one of the few pastimes he enjoyed.

As he sat next to his stuff, he idly remembered the fun times he had back in Chaldea. "Trace on." He whispered to himself, before a small model ship appeared in his hands. He found himself doing such things more often, ever since Rhea did whatever she did. Though, truthfully, he would probably still reminiscence without Rhea's interference.

Medea was the caster who enabled him to survive throughout most of the singularities, allowing him to fight on the front lines despite being a human. Why she was the caster he summoned, he had no idea, but he was thankful for all of the assistance she gave him.

He sat the model ship down next to his bag. It was one of many she helped him craft that he had memory of. As he stood up, he wondered what style he should use when he sparred, before deciding to use the style of Ushiwakamaru. He was close to her and she taught him the longest, so it only made sense.

He would need to restrict himself to the basics and not use any of the more taxing techniques. Without reinforcement, he would feel a significant strain on his body. Besides, he was sure that Athena wouldn't try and push him that far. If it came down to it, he could always switch to his dual-wield style.

After stepping into the sparring room, he saw an impressive array of weapons on the wall. There were many different kinds, some of which had an impressive history. He was sure that some could even be called noble phantasms by how old and how much mystery they contained.

He saw Athena on the other side of the room, dressed in workout clothes, the kind that he associated with yoga. He idly wondered if all the goddesses possessed such beauty. He figured that it made sense, as they were goddesses. It reminded him of all of the female heroic spirits he saw, each possessing their own beauty.

He passed by one of the racks and saw a wooden sword, one that was perfect for what he was going for, being a replica of a tachi katana, which is what Usimidori was. He grabbed it, before carefully inspecting it, weighing and feeling its balance, before nodding to himself.

"So, that is what you chose? I must say, I'm a bit surprised." He heard Athena say, causing him to turn to see her holding a spear in her hands. 'I figured she'd choose a spear.' He thought to himself, before he nodded to her words.

"Yeah, it's probably the weapon I'm most comfortable with, aside from a few others." He said to her, thinking about the few noble phantasms he was much better at using without his magecraft. His preferred style, the one he came up with after gaining Muramasa and his future selves knowledge and fighting other dual wielders, was actually two katanas.

He thought about using that style, but figured he'd keep it hidden until she forced him to use it. Besides, he didn't want to strain himself too much. Though, if she thought that he would be a simple sparring partner, she'd be mistaken. His skills were gained from training and live combat against monsters and servants.

She may have been a goddess that was known for using a spear, but he was trained by some of the best lancers in history, including Scathach herself. 'And wasn't that some hellish training.' He thought to himself, before standing opposite the goddess. "We can start on your count." He said with a faint smile.

Mia was not in a good mood at all. This marked the twentieth time since the Orion incident, that they arrived too late to catch the mysterious hero. Each time, it appeared as if they arrived a day or two too late. This time, however, it had only been a few hours.

The problem was, there was no way to track him. There was no traces of him, despite the traces of a fight that happened. She blamed the smell of perfume in the air, as it was obvious the demigod he saved was a daughter of Aphrodite. She never understood why they needed to wear so much.

Since they couldn't find him, they decided to follow the demigod to get some information. Lady Artemis was quite adamant in finding him, as was she, so by the gods, they would find him. So far, they only had vague descriptions of him, along with the variety of weapons he supposedly used.

He was becoming something of a legend among the demigod circles. They referred to him as The Blade of Hestia, which was the cause of a lot of confusion. Apparently, whenever he saved people, he would give out gems with runes on them, though they often possessed a design similar to that of the flames of Hestia.

Though, Lady Artemis did tell them that Hestia didn't know about the hero they were searching for, so they figured it was just a hero paying homage to the goddess. It made some of the huntresses view him in a better light, though she noted that there were still some that weren't convinced.

She supposed that was only natural, but it still bugged her. She knew that he wasn't like the others. She couldn't explain why, but she had a feeling. She would find out for sure soon enough, as she was adamant on finding him as well. She still wished to thank him for saving her and her friends.

So, she would search, for however long it took. He couldn't outrun them forever. The small group of huntresses finally arrived at their location. It was a dormitory of some kind. Mia lamented having to interact with a daughter of Aphrodite, but if she could help them, then it would be worth it.

Athena had to admit, she was impressed. Shirou's skill with the blade was quite good. His movements were clean and practiced, with little to nothing wasted when he did move. His strikes were quick, powerful, and precise, while being sure to protect his openings. His footwork was just as impressive, being steady and firm.

While ordinary people wouldn't be able to notice, she could easily tell from sparring with him. While he held some talent, his skill came from arduous training and hard work. Yet, she could also tell, that he wasn't just someone who trained hard. He had certain habits that were only developed from real combat.

She couldn't imagine how he was able to have those habits, unless he sparred at full speed with no restraint. Though, she figured that he must be someone who had fought real enemies. 'Judging by his scars, I'm guessing he's fought against monsters.' She thought, easily seeing the marks on his arms and legs because of his sleeveless shirt and shorts.

Though, for Athena, this knowledge actually heightened her views on the man in front of her. If he knew about monsters and could see past the mist, then that would make everything much easier. However, for now, she wanted to see the true capabilities of his sword skill.

She wanted to see the accumulated knowledge of swordplay he had attained. She had a feeling that is what would be the deciding factor. It would be much different from any of the past humans, but with Shirou, she got a strange feel for him. Something that was far different from anyone she had met.

When the two clashed, she could feel his soul behind each strike. Without fail, she felt his true nature. Shirou Emiya was a sword. Underneath everything else she had learned from him, everything he showed her, the one in front of her was undeniably sword. It was fascinating to her. She had never met anyone like that before.

His eyes and aura were all sharp and focused when the two sparred. His body and movements were the same. He was able to analyze her movements and adjust accordingly. She found herself enjoying it. It was one of the few times she actually enjoyed herself when testing someone like this.

When she thought she had him figured out, he would switch to a different style, modifying it to suit the Tachi he wielded. One of the styles intrigued her, especially when he said it was meant for a two handed broadsword, despite holding it off to his side, as if drawing it from a sheathe.

Another, that actually brought her some amusement, was a style that was meant for a sword much longer than what he had. He delivered two quick strikes, each within a split second of each other. He said could do better if he was at a hundred percent, but he didn't want to overdo it.

"Shirou, I know this may be asking a lot, but could you show me how you really fight?" She asked him, making sure to keep a fair distance away from him. She noticed his eyes revert back to their earlier softness, before he tilted his head at her question. The sight caused her to let out a small laugh.

"Despite how well you move, I can tell that you aren't using your preferred method of combat. I can't really say I've seen what you're fully capable of if you don't fight with all of your soul. I wish to see how you managed to survive those wounds." She said to him, though she could see some understanding in his eyes.

'Good, then he understands that I know he's different. I still wish to know how he managed to survive said monsters, but that can wait.' She thought to herself, watching him let out a sigh, before he walked back towards the rack of weapons.

After placing his previous weapon back, he took a moment before grabbing two more. Athena raised a brow when he picked up two wooden katanas. 'A dual wielder? Interesting.' She watched him weigh each one, before taking a few swings. He shrugged, before walking back to his previous spot.

"The weight of one of them is a bit off, but I'll get used to it." He said to her, before taking a strange stance. This was Shirou's personal fighting style. It wasn't Archer's, nor their Alter's, it was his own. Attained through countless hours of training and combat, thanks to the knowledge of many teachers.

His stance blended aspects of Musashi, Archer, and even Serenity, though it contained hints of every swordsman he met. It was the culmination of his Unlimited Blade Works, something which wouldn't have been possible without Muramasa. Instead of gathering each sword into one, to create the ultimate blade.

He would instead blend all of the training, knowledge, experiences, and memories from those weapons, and focus it into his own personal style. It took countless hours of trial and error, but he finally managed it with magecraft, before beating the muscle memory into his body to achieve it naturally.

This was what he would show to Athena. She instantly took to her usual stance, before thrusting her spear forward. Shirou deflected the attack, and with a simple step, sent his own attack forward without any delay. She quickly dodged the attack and reset, before seeing Shirou charge forward with another attack.

They were fast strikes, but not powerful in the slightest, at least, that's what she thought. She noticed that each attack was gaining in power, slowly and subtly. 'Is he trying to tire me out?' She thought, before deciding to chance tactics. She switched to a more offensive style, but Shirou's strikes changed again.

For every attack she gave him, he had a counterattack ready and waiting. Then there were attacks that were hidden, either by his own blade or by his body, waiting until the last second to reveal it. It was like a mirage. She had gotten used to it, so when she expected a counter to come, and it didn't it caught her off guard.

Instead, he opted for an attack that came from the weapon he parried with, rather than the open sword that normally attacked her. 'I see, so he sets a rhythm, before completely disrupting it.' That thought actually caused a smile to appear on her face.

She decided to take it up a notch, enhancing her speed greatly. Two strikes managed to break through, glancing his arm and leg, before he took a quick hop backwards. She thought he was going to stop, but instead, his eyes narrowed, before he charged forward again.

This time, the attacks had much more force behind them. They were strong enough to throw her a bit off balance, though she knew if it was a normal human, it may have knocked the weapon from her hand and knocked her to the ground. The speed and ferocity was a surprise, but nothing she couldn't handle.

So, she set herself up in a way that could handle those strikes, while maintaining enough power to keep her speed up. Shirou must have noticed, because he switched again, though, it was a bit more disappointing. Sure, she was fighting with more speed and strength, but he was doing so well until now.

He was able to just barely keep up, even knocking her off balance with his strikes. Of course, Athena didn't know that she was actually moving much faster and using more strength than she thought she was. Shirou could feel the weight of her blows and he was just barely keeping up with his natural body.

He almost activated his circuits, but he wanted to push himself. She wasn't at the level of a servant yet, but she was much faster and stronger than he was currently. His eyes could keep up, but his body was still banged up and he needed to preserve his strength for the spar. Which meant, no arduous techniques, like shukuchi.

'If I do too much, Hestia will get upset, and I'd prefer for that to not happen.' He thought, before switching to a style that would allow him to fight her at his current strength. His body couldn't keep up, but that didn't matter if he knew where she was going to strike at.

It was an insane strategy meant for opponents that far outclassed him. Against most people, he would never use it, but Athena wished to see his skills, so he would show her. He emptied his mind, focusing only on what mattered. Now, she would see everything.

Everything so far had been so clean and perfect, with plenty of thought put in, but now it looked like he wasn't trying. Or, if he was, that he sacrificed defense for offense. 'A shame, I felt like we were close to achieving it.' She thought, before Shirou once again attacked.

'I'll end it here.' She thought to herself. However, to her shock, her attack was immediately blocked. The moment it was, an attack nearly took her head off. She dodged, seeing another opening, before quickly attacking it. However, this too, was parried.

'What's happening?' The two traded multiple blows, however, none of Athena's hit their mark. In fact, Shirou had actually paid back the blows he received. 'This is impossible.' She thought to herself. 'No, not impossible. But, no one would ever think to try it.' Every strike she made was blocked or parried at the last moment.

She could feel it, once again. It was beginning to take hold. The two were beginning to mesh. A smirk appeared on her face, 'How truly and utterly insane.' She did wish to see how Shirou would react in the face of defeat, when he knew the opponent exceeded his capabilities.

She had reached the core of Shirou Emiya, she could feel it. Even getting to see the answer to her question. Shirou would never give up. This style proved it. It was made for enemies that exceeded him. In the face of defeat, he would continue to strive forward.

As long as there was a chance, however slight, he would reach for it. He would never give and never surrender. She could tell that he was already pushing himself beyond his natural limits. Yet, his eyes remained steadfast and sharp. They were looking forward, beyond this moment, into the many possibilities.

In his mind, he has already experienced the many attacks I would levy against him. In fact, his body was already moving, reacting to the attack she had just begun to throw. It was a minute detail, one not noticeable to any other, but she saw it. At the last second, he would parry her strike.

'It's so brilliant, despite the insanity of it.' She looked at him, watching as his body moved slightly to the side, allowing her spear to glance his left side. 'I never thought I'd see another human hero again.' The man in front of her was steel, shining and radiant.

Then, she experienced something akin to an explosion inside of herself, just in time to see Shirou's arm slam down to his side. He wrapped his arm around her spear and spun his body around before jumping backward with all of his strength. The move caught Athena off guard, the spear was ripped from her hands.

Shirou's body then shot backwards, before knocking into her and causing both of them to fall towards the ground. As she landed on the ground, her eyes were wide and she was rendered speechless. She turned her head to see Shirou laying on the ground next to her, breathing heavily.

It was the first sign of exhaustion she had seen from him since they started. 'A draw? That's what he decided on?' She thought to herself. He could have swung his off hand sword and caught her when he spun around, but he didn't. She actually chuckled at the thought.

'Rather than go for a victory, he went for a draw. I wonder if it was because he didn't want to hurt my feelings.' She shook her head. It didn't matter, because she knew that he could have won. Sure, she wasn't putting her all into it, keeping her capabilities within the realms of humans.

Of course, Athena's realm of humans included many heroes who accomplished great deeds, so she had no idea that she had actually went far beyond what any normal human would be capable of handling. What she didn't know, was that Shirou didn't go all out either.

That revelation didn't occur until much later. However, at the moment, it didn't matter. "That was very impressive, Shirou Emiya. I don't think I've actually enjoyed a spar like that in a very long time." She said to him, getting him to let out a small laugh.

"I'm glad I could be of service." He replied, before laying his head against the floor. 'Not many are capable of gaining my favor like Shirou Emiya. You have no idea how impressive that is. But you will.' She thought, before standing up. She stood over Shirou, before offering her hand to him.

"Come on, we can have dinner after you've cleaned up." She said to him, causing Shirou's eyes to widen, before he let out a sigh. A faint smile appeared on his face, before he took her hand and stood up. "Thank you, Shirou." She said to him, before she turned began to walk away.

Shirou tilted his head at her thanks. He didn't know what he did that was worth being thanked for. But, rather than dwell on it, he decided to clean up and get dressed. This was his final night here, so he figured he'd do something special for the goddess.

He was pretty sure that she planned on cooking something, but he felt like he should be the one to do that, as a thank you for time she spent with him. Despite being one of his least favorite goddesses, he enjoyed the time he spent with her. The spar was pretty fun too, it showed him some things he needed to work on.

Particularly, his endurance. It would be tough, but he was sure he could do more to improve himself. He had expected her to ask him about his scars and if he knew about the supernatural, but she never did. In fact, she seemed to be a bit nicer and more expressive after he changed.

She was perfectly fine with him cooking, even asking him questions about it as he did so. Strangely, it was a pleasant and enjoyable time. It was a departure from what he expected of her, as she now had a strange warmth to her that wasn't there before. He wouldn't complain, as he actually liked her a bit more like that.

He was able to make her a traditional Japanese dinner. He even shared some of the sake he had from Shuten, though he had to dilate it. He still remembered what happened last time he drank out of it without doing so. It was sweet and amazing, but it nearly knocked him out as soon as it began to effect him.

It was a pleasant dinner, one that felt like more of a date than just a friendly dinner that he assumed it would be. All the others were like that, so it caught him a bit off guard. Though, he did get to talk about his bakery, which was always fun. Of course, he didn't explain everything about it.

Such as the reason why he had one, which was Hestia. After what happened, he decided to make time dedicated to being around more. So, he pawned off some items he had, which may or may not have been traced, and proceeded to buy a building where he decided to base his bakery out of.

There was also a house, which is where his official address was. Of course, it was just a front, in case anyone tried looking for him, or in case anyone needed a place to stay. Hestia made it so that he could get to the cabin from there, in case she was ever too busy to just transport him there.

After dinner, he decided that he would head home. He didn't want to leave Hestia in charge of his bakery for too long. Besides, he was actually missing home. "So, will you be returning home after this?" Athena asked him, after walking with him to the door.

"That's the plan. I've been gone for awhile, plus my trip was a bit longer than expected, so I don't plan on making any detours." He replied to her. She brought a hand up to her chin, thinking for a moment, before she nodded to herself.

"I see, well, I enjoyed our time together Shirou. I'm sure that this won't be the last time we see each other." She said to him, causing him to rub the back of his head nervously.

"Yeah, I did too. If you're ever in the area, feel free to stop by the bakery. It'd be nice to talk with you again." Athena smiled at him, which actually caused his face to redden. He had to admit, she looked a lot more beautiful with a smile on her face. He ran a hand through his hair, before offering a small smile back. "Well, I should be on my way."

"Stay safe, Shirou, and try not to overdo it. I can tell you're exhausted. Until next time." She said to him, waving as he turned and continued on his way. He wasn't expecting her to be so nice at the end. He idly wondered if there was a reason for it, but decided not to dwell on it. He figured it had nothing to do with him.

After Shirou left, Athena decided to clean up around the house. She needed to return to Olympus for awhile, and she didn't want to return to a messy home. As she moved around the house, she made it to the changing room that Shirou used.

When she entered, another smile appeared on her face. She walked over to a nearby table, picking up the model ship that sat there. 'Did Shirou leave this here on purpose?' She thought to herself. As she looked at it, she felt a strange sense of nostalgia come over her.

'Perhaps, I'll place this in my temple when I return to Olympus. It is rather well made.' She took picked up the small model and returned to the main room. Unknown to her, but the model was actually built to resemble the Argo from Shirou's world, which caused the nostalgia. Of course, that didn't matter to her.

"You did what?" Hestia's voice had a sense of resignation to it. After Shirou returned home, she was quite happy. She was always happy to hear about Shirou's adventures. She found it cute that he accidentally charmed a daughter of Aphrodite without knowing. He was able to save another demigod, of course, she knew about that already.

She received a call from said demigod. Hestia was more than glad to offer her advice to the young girl. She understood why Shirou did what he did. She may have done the same if she was in his position. The young girl was quite forward, but that was to be expected of Aphrodite's children.

What wasn't expected, was for Shirou to run into a goddess. Let alone, Athena. It wouldn't have been a problem, usually. Shirou did say that she didn't ask him about anything supernatural or about anything that may have revealed him. Of course, she knew that had more to do with how well Shirou was able to hide himself these days.

Even without his jacket, she'd need to be touching him to completely feel the divinity in him. It brought a smile to her face, knowing her flame was doing its job. Though, any kind of relief she felt, was completely flipped around when Shirou told her what happened.

"Uh, well, we spent some time together. It was pretty nice, to be able to talk to someone like that. It reminded me of some of my friends in Chaldea. Mainly, the smart ones. It was fun. Though, she caught me off guard when she asked for a spar. But, it all ended well enough. We said our goodbyes and I came home."

He finished with a shrug, before taking off his jacket and boots. His body was still tired and it was late, so he wanted to get some rest. At least, that's what he wanted to do, but the look on Hestia's face was bugging him. It was a look of panic, anger, and frustration. Oddly, it wasn't pointed towards him.

"Uh, you alright Hestia? I didn't know I wasn't supposed to talk to any goddesses. I figured, as long as no one knows about me, it'd be fine." He said, walking up to her. However, she only shook her head.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong. I did want you to give the gods a chance, since I know you have a poor outlook on them. No, this doesn't have to do with you. It has to do with her." Unknown to Shirou, but Hestia knew how Athena operated. Everything Shirou said was enough to tell her what Athena wanted.

She was worried about Aphrodite, when really, she should have been watching Athena instead. Shirou was taught by heroes. He experienced things most people could only dream of. He had knowledge on things that most had no clue about. All in all, Shirou was someone Athena would target.

She was surprised to hear about the spar, but realized, that was probably the only way she could actually bond with Shirou. She let out a groan. "Shirou, I'm afraid that you're life is going to change soon." She said to him, before walking by him and turning off the lights to the cabin.

Shirou only watched with a quirked brow. "Um, I'm not sure what you mean by that. She knows about the bakery, but I kept everything else a secret. I'm not sure what could possibly happen." He replied.

"I refuse." Shirou heard her say. It actually confused him a bit. "Shirou, come here." She said to him, pointing next to her. Shirou shrugged, figuring he'd go along with what she wanted. She seemed like she wasn't in a good mood, so he'd do what he could to help.

Once he reached her, she sat on the bed, before she pulled his arm and caused him to fall beside her. His eyes widened, before he prepared to stand up, but Hestia stopped him. "Shirou, could I...sleep with you tonight?" She asked him with a small, almost terrified voice.

The moment he heard her voice, he turned and saw her trembling. He didn't know why this was, but his only thought was that it may have been because of him. "Are you sure? I mean, you seem kind of...terrified." He said to her, though she only shook her head.

"It's...not because of you." She replied. She closed her eyes, shutting them with a lot of force. "Can you...can you just hold me?" Was her simple question. He wondered what could cause her to be this way. However, he didn't like her being like this. So, he decided to help her, in the only way that he could.

He wrapped his arms around the goddess, causing her face to be next to his chest. He didn't know if this was the best course of action, but if it made her feel better, then he would do it. He cared for her. She was his family and this was their home. True to her words, he found himself looking forward to returning home when he left.

Thanks to Rhea, he didn't exactly know what he felt for the goddess. Love? He didn't know. It was times like this, that he wished he could speak with his mom

Hestia's trembling stopped, her breathing evened out, and she could feel the warmth from Shirou. She had struggled with her own thoughts and feelings for awhile now. Her mother didn't help matters, with her constant teasing. But, she thought that it was fine. Everything was fine, just the way it was.

At least, she had thought so. She realized something when Shirou spoke to her about Athena. She didn't like it. She found Shirou first. He spent most of his time with her. They were happy and their home was filled with happiness, most of the time. Unless Shirou did something stupid, which hadn't happened in a long time.

However, when she found out about Athena, knowing what her plans were, it caused her to act. She didn't know what she felt, but she wanted to find out. So, this was her plan. However, what she was terrified of, wasn't anything Shirou could imagine.

Hestia had no desire to be a mother. It was one of the main reasons she requested to become one of the virgin goddesses. She had seen the pain on her mother's face so long ago, caused by her children when Kronos swallowed them. The agony and pain in her mother's wails were enough for her to say no.

Then, there was Zeus's paranoia which was even worse than their father's. Even the smallest thing caused him to freak out. It was the second reason she didn't wish for one. Needless to say, the thought of a child terrified the goddess, so she never thought about having one.

Then, she found out about Shirou and Athena. The thought then crossed her mind. Which led to now. She was completely terrified, but then, Shirou embraced her. All of that terror and negativity just washed away. She felt safe, warm, and as if the moment could last forever.

No one was able to make her feel this way. Her fears were washed away, as she realized, Shirou would go to the ends of the Earth for her and any child he had. In fact, she knew he would do so for her. It was a comforting thought. In fact, Hestia was happy.

She found herself realizing, she didn't want to be away from him. She didn't know when it happened, but she found herself relying on him. She was fine only being noticed every once awhile before, but now, she wanted Shirou to always know she was there. She wanted him to see her.

A part of her was scared of that feeling. Humans who got involved with the gods always ended up being a part of a tragedy. It was the way things were. She didn't want that for him. He had been a part of so much tragedy already. He had even saved humanity once. Did he not deserve to rest?

Then, she realized that's what she was doing for him now. She had seen his memories, she had seen what he was like before. He was happy, she could feel it with her powers. What would her disappearance do to him? Would he search for her?

It was too late. Before she realized it, the two had bonded together to the point where one couldn't be without the other. She would miss him and he would miss her. So, that answered her question, did it not? She didn't need to be like Athena. She would disappear from his life and Hestia would be there.

However, she found herself wanting something more. She was the goddess of the home and family. She then imagined a scene, one that caused her to feel an overwhelming sense of peace and warmth, rather than fear and trepidation. 'So, that's how I feel?' She thought to herself.

A big smile appeared on her face. 'I'm not an Olympian, nor is Shirou a human of this world.' She thought to herself. She laid her head on Shirou's chest, listening to his beating heart. As she laid there, she felt herself feeling more at peace. An overwhelming warmth throughout her body.

There was no need for any tests, no need to bond closer, no need for anything magical. In one moment, the sword and the flame resonated and became one. Their thoughts, dreams, and emotions were one in that moment. They had reached the same conclusion, but only one could voice it.

'I know it may be selfish and I know that it may cause problems later, but I can't help it.' She thought to herself, already knowing of what had occurred. She looked up at Shirou's face, who appeared to be sleeping. She managed to squirm her way up, before placing a hand on his cheek.

"I wonder what would have happened, if we hadn't met Shirou." She whispered, "I couldn't imagine such a thing anymore." Her face became extremely red, as a certain thought crossed her mind, but she shook her head. She placed a small kiss on the hero's cheek. "I'll make you repay making me feel this way for the rest of your life, because..."

"I love you, Shirou Emiya."

Alright, I'll end this here, on a cliffhanger. Well, slight cliffhanger. Shirou's in for a couple of surprises next chapter. So, I hope you're ready to see it. I made this chapter super long, as thanks for the amazing reception my last chapter had. I admit, I wasn't expecting it. I had to pick up my notes on this and make some changes. Right now, I have a pretty decent roadmap planned out. Monsters are beginning to get worse, while there will be consequences for Shirou's magecraft. Pantheons can feel when he uses Np's, so yeah. Artemis and her huntresses are catching up, his mystic codes aren't going to be ignored, Aphrodite is interested which means Ares will be watching, and so many more things. It will be fun to write. Hestia is the main pairing in this, in case you didn't notice with this chapter. Despite the developments, the two have a long way to go, as you can see from her interaction with him while he was asleep. Or was he? Prophecies will be heard, not just from Greeks, but everywhere. Shirou's existence, as he said, is basically a singularity in itself. His existence changes things. This Shirou, is a bit different, as someone pointed out, he doesn't really like to waste too much time. He used Gae Bolg out the gate with Orion, but he isn't someone who goes overkill. Also, some were asking why he would tell Hestia about everything, I thought I made it obvious but I guess not, Hestia used her powers on Shirou. She didn't mean to get that info, but it made him comfortable enough to explain. She has bond manipulation powers, it's kind of her thing. He has some resistance, but his panic and need for someone to unload on made it easy to tell her. Not sure if this chapter is as good as the last, or if you'll even like it, but I did my best. I'll be keeping it going, trying to make it as good as the first chapter. Also, just for people who don't know, Maiya Hisau was Kiritsugu's partner in Fate/Zero. Now, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed. If there are any questions, feel free to ask, I usually answer. Thanks again for the amazing reception, and, as always, until next time.