A.N
Because I'm an idiot and didn't place my chapter schedule, I'll do it now.
Lost Hero of Chaldea, (Obviously)
Zero and Her Forge, Next
Sword and Vanadis
Sword Amongst the Roses, judging on how I feel, I'll do Lost Hero of Chaldea after Sword and Vanadis, but this is the schedule I have for now. I've had fun writing this and I sort of want to catch up on the chapter count. I'm a bit OCD that way.
Chapter 4
Hestia often took care of Shirou when he first arrived in her world. She remembered how he had trouble sleeping, never being able to have a decent night's sleep. She often used her powers on him, getting him to calm down and allow him to sleep.
After some time, she began to grow curious, so she decided to try and see what he dreamt of. Fire, death, and loss, those were the main culprits when she jumped inside the dream. She did all she could, and slowly, she saw him get better. The nightmares didn't come as often, and Shirou actually looked healthier.
Then her mother helped him, he was better, or at least, she thought he was. She noticed his eyes fluttering and his grimacing and his tossing and turning were major signs that he was having another nightmare. 'It's been months. I thought you were better, Shirou. But, I can see that what you've been through has really left a mark on you.'
She placed a hand on Shirou's head, 'We help each other, Shirou. So, I'm going to do what I can to help you.' She had a comforting smile on her face, as her hand began to emit a faint golden glow. She took a deep breath, before closing her eyes.
After a moment, she opened her eyes, being treated to a rather sad scene. Shirou was breathing heavily, holding black keys in his hands. He was in a destroyed city that was on fire. Smoke billowed up into the sky, the fire was spread throughout, and everything was wrecked.
He charged forward and threw his black keys, before grabbing a few more and stabbing into the group of skeletons in front of him. "Trace on." Magical energy pooled into his hand, before a dagger with a jewel on the end appeared in his hand. She had seen it before, Shirou called it an Azoth blade.
He threw the dagger into the middle of another group of skeletons, before it exploded, destroying them. He didn't even wait to see what happened, he quickly turned and ran towards a nearby alley. He quickly slid and picked up a girl, one with long purple hair in a school uniform of some kind.
"Sakura! Come on, wake up, please." She could tell how pained he was, how frightened he was. "Sakura, please be alright." He traced some kind of red garment, before placing it around her. He was about to begin CPR when her hand rose up and touched Shirou's face.
"Sen...no, Shirou." Her voice was weak and her eyes barely opened up. "You're alive. That's good." Shirou's eyes widened, before he tried to put on a reassuring smile, though she could tell he was sad.
"You'll be okay, Sakura. It's going to be okay. Just, don't speak, I can figure something out. I'll save you." He wiped the blood on his face with his finger, before placing it over Sakura. "Crap, what was that rune? No, that won't work. The sheathe mom gave me? Does it still have enough magical energy left in it?" He muttered to himself.
He was about to put his hand to his chest when Sakura grabbed ahold of it. She smiled weakly at him, with tears running down her cheeks. "It's okay. It's too late, Shirou. Can you...please stay...with me?" She asked him, Hestia could tell she was on the verge of death.
"Of course, I can." He replied, and for the first time since she had met Shirou, she saw a few tears run down his face. Hestia felt a sharp pain in her chest at the sight. She noticed that Shirou could see that Sakura was breathing her final breaths. "I'm sorry, I should have got here sooner." She placed her cold hand on his face and gave him a weak smile.
"I was never...able to...tell you...this. But...I really...love you...Shirou." Shirou's eyes widened, just as her hand began to drop, only for Shirou to grab ahold of it before it did. He closed his eyes, gripping Sakura's hand tight, before placing both her arms over her chest.
"I swear, I'll fix this, Sakura. I'm going to find whoever caused this to happen..." Shirou wrapped her body up in the red cloth, before taking one last look at her, noticing the smile she still had on her face. "And I'm going to kill them." Hestia shivered at his words, at the cold rage present within. She had never heard it before.
He noticed the sound of fighting in the distance, before holding his hand out. A large bow appeared in his hands. "I'm going to borrow your bow, Sigma. If the whole of Fuyuki is like this, then it means everyone is gone, even Rin." He said, before she noticed circuits appearing on his neck and hand.
He opened the white Chaldea jacket he had on. He looked at his hand once more, looking at the red ribbon in it. Hestia's eyes widened, realizing that one of the ribbons she saw Shirou keep tied to his wrist belonged to this girl. "I know this is a singularity, but all the same, the Tohsaka sisters were my closest friends." He stuffed the ribbon into his pocket.
The memory then faded, before he reappeared somewhere else. Shirou was standing with his bow, along with his friends and, what Hestia assumed was, a heroic spirit. In front of them was a bowman in red, though he appeared corrupted. The two began to speak, but all she heard was static, as well as the memory beginning to fade.
She had no clue why that happened, but the location switched again. Shirou was in a destroyed town, looking ragged again. Though, she could tell they weren't in Fuyuki. The sky was clear, except for a singular large wyvern, which Shirou appeared to be fighting.
She noticed a group of young children and a nun hiding behind him. "The moment I step out there, I want you to take the children somewhere safe and hide. Understand?" He spoke, though he was speaking in french. 'I hope Aphrodite never finds out about that.' The nun nodded her head.
Because of the nature of dream sharing, she was privy to all of the things present in Shirou's head. So, when flashes of the fire Shirou was in when he was young, followed by what happened in the Fuyuki singularity and the multiple bodies of people burnt to death in this new place, flashed through his mind, Hestia saw it. She noticed his mind was focused on the loss of women and children.
'I couldn't save them.' Hestia heard in Shirou's voice in her head. 'I can't let that happen again.' Hestia was saddened by it, especially when she could tell that Shirou knew he couldn't possibly save them. Rationally, his mind knew that he couldn't do it, but Shirou still blamed himself.
'This isn't even all of his memories, this is only a dream. How much more of this is in Shirou's head? I saw some of his memories, I saw how much death he had seen, but I didn't think it was to this degree. Why didn't you tell me, Shirou?' she thought to herself, before shaking her head.
'Enough is enough. I won't let you torture yourself like this.' She thought to herself, before putting more of her power into calming Shirou's mind and heart. 'I'm going to help you, because we're in this together. Even if you're happy, that doesn't mean the pain is gone.' She exited the dream.
She opened her eyes and looked back down at Shirou, noticing him beginning to calm down. His breathing slowed and his body began to slacken. She ran her hands through his hair, before holding his hand. She laid down next to him, continuing to hold his hand. 'I'm sorry for not noticing sooner, Shirou.'
Shirou rubbed the back of his head, a bit confused at the start of his day, which started normal enough. He woke up, checked on Miyu and Hestia, then proceeded to make breakfast. A pretty awesome breakfast, if he said so himself. Though, he noticed that Hestia seemed a bit, out of sorts, as if she was focusing on something else.
He asked her what was bugging her, "Hmm, oh, nothing. I'm just thinking about something I need to do later, is all." She said to him, shooting him a small smile. "Hey, are you going to come right back from the bakery? Or are you going to stop by the store?"
"Um, I figured I'd just head back, unless something comes up, which I'm hoping doesn't happen. But, knowing my luck, chances are I'll get caught up in something troublesome. Then again, I haven't had any problems for the last four weeks since you came home." He replied, though, a part of him realized that he was due some bad luck.
"I see, well, maybe it'd be nice if you came home earlier today." Shirou raised a brow at that. "I mean, I thought it'd be nice to try normal family things. Like, watching t.v or something. Plus, Miyu likes it when you're home." She said with a smile.
"Um, sure, I can close the store down a bit early. So, I'll see you and Miyu when I get back home." Shirou replied, just before heading out for the day, though he was pretty sure that something was on Hestia's mind. The only question was, what? Hestia didn't normally get like this, unless something was on her mind. He figured he'd talk to her when he got back home.
He wondered if it had to do with his dream, though he didn't really remember said dream. So, he couldn't really base that off of anything. Really, he couldn't think of anything that would bother her about him. So, he figured it was something else.
Though, one of the good things he noticed, was that the hunters had taken a more relaxed approach to watching him. While they still watched, it was from a distance and they weren't keeping an eye on him at all times. In fact, a few of them came in for cookies and muffins.
So, he had to admit, his normal-ish life was going pretty well. Though, there was still the part of him that wanted to fight monsters and save young demigods and clueless humans. He managed to resist the urge because of Miyu. There was something about her that caused that urge to lower significantly.
He was thankful that Aphrodite hadn't showed up recently. Partially, because of the fact that he didn't want to deal with divine beings that weren't Hestia. And partially because she nearly gave him a heart attack last time. Granted, he was prepared now, but still, the point stood.
Of course, some things just weren't meant to be. Shirou opened his eyes, noticing a familiar scent and aura somewhere close. Thankfully, Shirou had already hired a two people to help him with his bakery. It was originally because he was having a child, but it helped in situations like this.
He turned to one of the workers, one named Emily, and told her she was in charge until he came back, before heading out. He didn't know exactly what was happening, but he was sure that he had to be the one who handled it. The hunters were doing good in keeping monsters away from the town, as there were a few demigods around, but still.
Shirou began to head to his home on the edge of town, riding his motorcycle much faster than he probably should. He didn't know why, but he felt like whatever was coming, was headed there. Which would have angered him, if it wasn't for the familiar scent.
Once he arrived, he noticed that Hestia and Miyu were actually gone. He moved into the living room, where he found a note on the table. Shirou proceeded to read the note, telling him that Hestia had taken them to the cabin in the woods to go for a walk. 'Well, I suppose this works out perfectly.'
Shirou held out his hand, "Trace on." He wasn't expecting any hostility, but it was always best to be prepared. In his hands appeared a cylindrical container, one in the shape of a scroll. It was the hidden poisoned dagger of the Assassin class, Jing Ke. It may have been slight overkill, but he preferred to be safe.
He took a deep breath, waiting for the appearance of whatever was approaching. Shortly after, he heard knocking on the door. He placed the dagger behind his waist, with a hand on the handle, ready to pull the blade from the sheathe. He then opened the door, only to see someone who was clearly a deity of some kind.
Though, he could tell he wasn't on the same level as the ones he had met. He'd put him around the level of low ranked servant, though more on the higher end. He had curly black hair and was dressed in the men's traditional greek chiton, or whatever it was called. Shirou's greek knowledge wasn't all that great when it came to apparel.
The man had a smile on his face, along with a basket of some kind. "Are you Shirou Emiya?" He asked, though Shirou was a bit hesitant in answering.
"Um, can I ask who's asking? Or rather, what this is about?" He decided to ask, not wanting to give his name to some god right out of the gate. He didn't feel like getting wrapped up in troublesome affairs this early into his child's life. The man then conjured up some kind of clipboard.
"The name's Zephyros." 'Wait, this guy's the west wind? What does the west wind want with me.' "I'm here to deliver a gift to the mortal Shirou Emiya, from the goddess Athena." He replied, showing Shirou the clipboard. 'Huh, that's interesting. What would she want to give me? Wasn't she still trying to hide who she was?'
"Well, I'm Shirou Emiya. So, uh, do I have to sign something, or what?" He decided to just do it, besides, he knew that Zephyros wasn't an Olympian. Rather, he was one of the more minor gods. Shirou only knew who he was because he read up on all the gods.
"Oh, no, I'm not Hermes, I'm not really a delivery person. This was more of a favor, since Athena's kind of a friend. I just needed to confirm your identity. Oh!" He then produced a letter from nothing and handed it to Shirou. "I was supposed to give this to you, along with the gift. So, delivery complete. I'll be on my way, gods are pretty busy, you know."
And with that, he was gone in a flash, leaving the basket on the doorstep. Shirou raised a brow, before shrugging and reading the letter. "Dear, Shirou Emiya. You must be pretty confused, so I'll explain a few things. I'm Sophia, or rather, that's my disguise. I'm actually the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena."
'Okay, so she's finally coming out with it. Odd, but alright.' He thought to himself. "I really enjoyed the time I spent with you, Shirou. So, I sent you a gift." Shirou paused, before deciding to check said gift.
He crouched down, before noticing some movement coming from the basket. He opened it, removing the some blankets before seeing something that caused his mind to shut down for a moment. In the basket, was a baby, peering up at him with curious steel colored eyes, reminding Shirou of the eyes he would one day have.
He shook his head, before looking back at the letter "Her name is Annabeth. She's the child I was able to have because of you, Shirou. For that, I'm grateful. I have a feeling she'll be the greatest of any of my past children. I ask that you watch over her and raise her well. In the basket, you'll find something that will help you."
"If you ever wish to speak to me, or if you ever need anything, all you must do is pray and I will hear you. Perhaps, we can meet again soon, so that I may check on her. Yours truly, Athena." Shirou folded up the letter and stuck it in his pocket.
He looked back down at the baby, noticing her golden blonde hair, which surprised him a bit, and her lightly tanned skin. He was actually a bit glad she didn't have any red in her hair, considering it would have clashed with the golden hair she had. Sadly, she possessed his future steel colored eyes, rather than the grey eyes of Athena.
He chuckled to himself, imagining what Archer would think of the situation. "Well, Annabeth, I suppose I should take you to see your sister and her mother. I'm sure she'll be surprised. Unless..." He trailed off, wondering if Hestia already knew. He would have been more surprised, if he didn't already have a child, and if he didn't know about Athena.
Though, he was still surprised he managed to have a child with her. He noticed something inside of the basket, figuring it was the other gift she put in there. He reached in and grabbed it, noticing it was a watch and coin. He raised a brow, before information flooded into his mind, though a sharp pain accompanied it.
'Despite being able to trace it, it seems there's still pain when I trace divine constructs. Not too big a drawback I suppose.' He thought to himself, before placing the watch on his left hand and placing the coin in his right pocket. "Your mom must think highly of me, if she's giving me these." He said, picking up the basket and looking at Annabeth.
He noticed her tilt her head somewhat, before letting out a small coo. Shirou let out a small amused chuckle, before taking a deep breath. His life was going to get a bit more busy than it already was, considering there were now two children he had to take care of. Honestly, he was a bit put off with her having a child with him without even hinting at it.
Then again, he remembered her after their spar. 'I see. I should have noticed it sooner.' He shook his head, before heading back into the house with her. Thankfully, the moment he did so, Hestia appeared from the flames of the hearth with Miyu in her arms.
She had a large smile on her face, one that was mirrored by Miyu. Shirou smiled at the sight, always being amazed at Hestia's beauty. He noticed that her height had increased since they first met, being about the height of Atalante. Her figure was still the same, reminding him of Medea a bit.
"I'm guessing that the two of you had a pleasant time." He called out, getting Hestia's attention. She still had her warm smile on her face as she replied.
"Yes, we did. You're home a lot earlier than I thought. You should have called, we would have waited." Hestia then looked at Miyu, who was playing with her hair. Surprisingly, she wasn't pulling it or anything. He wondered if she would end up being like Hestia. Inwardly, he hoped so.
"Yeah, well, something came up. Though, it was probably for the best that the two of you weren't here when it happened." Shirou then reached into the basket, carefully picking up Annabeth, who was letting out small hums as she looked around.
He noticed Hestia's eyes widen at the sight. He then saw a moment of realization hit her, causing her to let out a guilty chuckle, while scratching at her cheek with a finger. Shirou just let out a sigh, while shaking his head. 'So, she knew, but forgot to tell me.'
"This is Annabeth. She's also my daughter, specifically, the one I had with Athena. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you, dear Hestia?" He asked with a smile on his face, it was a look that he had mastered from being around the likes of Rin Tohsaka, including Ishtar.
"Oh, um, well, you see..." Hestia stammered out, before she looked towards Miyu and smiled. "No idea. Hey, Miyu, why don't we go meet your little sister?" Shirou's eye twitched at the emphasis she put on 'little sister'. It was then that he realized why she rushed having Miyu.
'Seriously, Hestia?' He thought with a sigh and defeated smile. He shook his head as Hestia and Miyu were in front of him and Annabeth. Shirou watched as the two girls seemed to look at each other, before they both reached out and touched the other's hand. Shirou and Hestia were surprised when they felt a pulse of magical energy at the point of contact.
Shirou's eyes widened, before he focused on his two daughters. After focusing and using his analysis, he noticed something about the two of them that completely shocked him. The two girls had magic circuits, but they were different. The overall function was the same, but it appeared more like a magic crest in utility.
He could already tell, they would be able to use his world's spells. They would also be able to make use of his tracing. How effective it would be without his reality marble, he didn't know, but it didn't change the fact that they would be able to. He noticed they possessed a more divine feel and energy. He guessed magic would come naturally to them.
'They're a perfect blend of my world and this new one.' Shirou shook his head, once again looking at both of his daughters. 'Will I ever get used to calling them that?' He wondered silently. Hestia looked at him with a startled expression, but Shirou only gave her a reassuring smile.
"They're okay. Just a minor discharge, probably from some kind of build up. I'll need to teach them when they get older." He decided to explain. Shirou was a bit hesitant, but figured there wasn't any harm in teaching them some magecraft. He knew the basics of a lot of spells, even if he couldn't use them himself.
"They're not dangerous, are they?" Shirou shook his head.
"No, not exactly. The circuits are still inactive and are mostly harmless. I'll keep an eye on them, as I'm not too sure what they'll be able to do with them, but they'll be fine." He was actually a bit surprised that they had circuits to begin with. He figured it had something to do with the bonding of the soul.
'Perhaps, the discharge had something to do with that.' Hestia then took Annabeth into her other arm, holding both girls. Shirou noticed that the two were interacting just fine now, with no pulses or anything. His eyes softened at the sight in front of him.
However, images of his past flashed through his brain. Images of people he failed to save. Images of the aftermath of Tiamat's march. Small, nearly inaudible whispers. It was no longer than a second, but it was enough to cause Shirou's hands to clench, before quickly relaxing.
He put on a smile, "Well, since I'm home anyway, why don't I make something to eat?" He asked Hestia, who smiled at his words.
"Can you make something from Japan? It's always delicious and you haven't made anything like that in awhile." She replied, causing Shirou to let out a small chuckle. He nodded and moved towards the kitchen. Shirou shook his head, 'That's all in the past now. I can't risk my life carelessly anymore.'
However, Shirou couldn't help but feel a small, nearly unnoticeable feeling deep in his gut. He ignored it, instead focusing on the images of Hestia and the two girls. It was enough to remove that tug in his heart.
Hestia saw it. She saw the moment Shirou's memories came back to haunt him. It was only for a second, but it was enough. He acted like nothing was wrong, but she knew better. It was almost like he was subconsciously punishing himself for being happy.
She knew he couldn't keep going like that. His guilt would eat away at him until he destroyed himself. She still didn't know the full extent of his mental trauma, but she wanted to help as much as she could. She also wanted to know what the deal was with the red bowman.
For some reason, she was unable to hear or see what he was. Though, she wanted to know who he was. There was something bothering her about that specific person. She couldn't help but think about it. However, she decided to ignore it for the time being.
She wanted to focus on helping Shirou. He needed it. She wondered if it would be good for him to wander around occasionally, helping people and saving demigods. She knew that his trauma was deeply tied to him saving people. However, she didn't know if it was healthy to encourage it.
She didn't mind him doing what he did, but she did mind him going too far. Maybe she was being irrational, but Shirou did have two children. He was trying to be normal for them, but she could see it was building up inside of him. Normally, she would ask her mother, but she wanted to get through this without her.
'Now, the question, is what the best way to go about that is?' She thought to herself, before looking at Annabeth and Miyu. 'It hasn't been too long since Miyu, now there's Annabeth. Maybe they'll be able to help. Rather, I know they will.' She then smiled at the two. "Why don't the three of us go watch daddy cook?"
Shirou was sitting in the living room, in his rather comfortable chair, enjoying the nice quiet evening. The two girls were asleep on either side of his chair, each having fallen asleep after dinner. Shirou admitted, it was kind of nice. He then heard some classical music begin to play, causing him to turn his head towards the source.
He saw Hestia messing with some kind of old antique record player. 'Wait, when did she buy that?' He raised a brow, before she turned towards him with a smile. "Okay, I'll ask, why the music?"
"Because, I heard that it's good for children to listen to music when they're young, or something like that." She replied with a sweet smile, that caused Shirou to smile in return.
"Okay, I'm following, can I ask why you're playing classical music? Particularly, Mozart." Hestia then danced around the living room, almost floating, really.
"Hmm, do you not like it?" She asked with a curious tone. Shirou let out a small laugh.
"Well, I do, but it's always a bit surreal, considering I knew the actual Mozart." He said, making a casual wave of his hand. Hestia then appeared in front him, holding her hands out towards him.
"Well, come dance with me then. Surely, he would be glad to know that you danced to his music with a goddess, wouldn't he?" Shirou noticed a slyness to her smile. "Or, does Shirou, my beloved, not know how to dance?" Shirou knew what she was doing, but it didn't stop the twitch of his eye.
"I know that you know that I can." He said with a deadpan expression. 'My accommodating nature made me a student or protege to many heroic spirits. Including Knights, Queens, Princesses, Kings, and everything in-between. Marie was actually one of those that taught me about stuff like that.' He reminisced.
After checking on the two children, he looked back towards Hestia, before taking her hands and standing up. He heard her let out a small giggle. "I'm excited to see how well you dance, Shirou."
"Well, I'll certainly try hard not to let you down." He replied to her with a smile. Bringing her a bit closer towards him, causing her face to redden a bit. He let out a small hum, before the two began to move towards the music. Shirou wondered if she was using her powers, as he felt warm and at home as they danced together, though he knew that she wasn't.
Both were simply entranced in the moment. Hestia had laid her head onto Shirou's chest, with the slower music causing a sense of peace in both of them. Shirou had danced with a few heroic spirits, but none of them ever caused him to feel the way Hestia did at the moment.
He didn't know if it was the pleasant atmosphere, or maybe his own repressed feelings, but when Hestia looked up towards him, he couldn't help but still. He felt himself begin to lean forward, noticing Hestia's cherry red face. Rather than pull away, he saw her close her eyes tight.
Shirou had to admit, it was kind of cute to see an immortal goddess act like that. She was mature, sweet, wise, and thoughtful most of the time, so to get to see her act like this was always a sight to see. It was times like this that reminded Shirou that she was a true virgin goddess, as well as a goddess that was far more human than the other gods.
Just as the two were about to connect, a chill ran down their backs. Shirou, himself, even noticed a somewhat foul smell coming from the forest behind his house. The two both looked towards the source, knowing where it was coming from. Whatever it was, it was pretty close.
Shirou let out a small groan, before he decided to let go and take care of it. However, he didn't move, as Hestia refused to release him. He looked back towards Hestia, whose eyes weren't warm like usual. 'She's mad.' Shirou thought, using his super impressive Sherlock-like detective instincts.
"Hestia." He said simply, causing her to snap out of it and look at him. However, he decided to take a leap of faith. He quickly leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips for a few seconds, before taking a step back. He could see the gears in Hestia's head spinning, followed by the moment she went haywire.
She tried to speak, but nothing came out, only small little noises. He was pretty sure he would have seen steam rising from the top of her head if that was possible. "Well, I'm going to going to take care of our uninvited guest. You should take the girls and head to bed. I'll join you shortly." He said with a smile.
As he turned to head out, Hestia hugged him from behind, catching him off guard. In a small voice, somewhat embarrassed, voice, he heard, "Be careful, Shirou. Washing blood out of sheets is hard, even for a goddess." He let out a small chuckle.
"You got it." She then let him go, watching as he grabbed his black bow and a quiver of twisted swords near the backdoor. He stopped before walking out, looking over his shoulder towards Hestia. He offered her a reassuring smile, before continuing on.
The moon overlooked the forest, like a singular eye peering down like a god. Shirou supposed it made sense, as Artemis was likely out. Whatever was going on, he had a bad feeling about it. Despite his words to Hestia, he couldn't help feel like something was going on.
The moon didn't give him the same reassuring feeling he got when he peered up at it at night. No, it felt like a sentinel. Watching his every move, studying him. He looked down at his watch, wondering if he'd have to use it already. Why Athena gave him something so valuable, he didn't know.
It was a replica of her Aegis that manifested from the watch face. Thankfully, his didn't possess Medusa's face on it. The thought of that left a bad taste in his mouth, whether it was a different Medusa or not. As for the coin, it was just a simple celestial bronze spear. He could fight monsters with it, but against anything else, it was useless.
He didn't get why metal could be picky over what it could harm. It was a bit annoying actually. Though, that may have just been his inner sword speaking out. He couldn't complain too much, because he was similar, imagining his daughters and Hestia.
He shook his head, 'Now's not the time for that.' He reached into one of the small pouches on his belt. Inside was a bullet. It was the last bullet he possessed. He may have hated his Alter, but at least he gained something good from his knowledge, despite how brutal it was.
Normally, he wouldn't even entertain the thought of using it, but whatever was out in the forest, wasn't ordinary. He had a feeling it was a more legendary monster. He could smell the beast. It was deep in the forest, though he could already feel slight tremors from whatever it was.
His eyes narrowed, before grabbing one of his arrows. He felt like someone was watching him, causing him to lift his bow in the direction of the feeling. Though, there was nothing there. Nothing but a beam of moonlight shining through the trees.
He then heard a large roar, causing him to turn and fire an arrow. To his shock, the arrow bounced off the pelt of the beast. Shirou's eyes widened, seeing a gargantuan looking boar. It appeared like some of the worst demonic beasts he had fought in singularities. The hammer of a gun fired off in his head.
"Trace on." His circuits then burst to life. His black bow faded away, before another bow replaced it, with a very minuscule amount of magical energy being used to do so. As if it jumped out of his reality marble in order to fight the beast. The moment the sleek black and gold bow did so, Shirou knew what he was facing.
"The Calydonian Boar? Are you kidding me!?" He quickly reinforced his legs and jumped into the trees, just as it charged forward, completely demolishing the tree behind him. "It doesn't matter, you're still only a beast. The owner of this bow would be disappointed if I lost to you here."
Without a second thought, he began to fire off a barrage of arrows. The legend of Atalante said she was the first to land a blow on the boar. Her bow carried that concept in it, meaning, his arrows easily pierced the hide of the beast. However, they weren't deep enough to kill it.
The beast roared out in pain, tracking his scent and charging forward. Shirou channeled all of the experience and skill he could from Tauropolos, jumping from branch to branch, firing off arrows as he did so. 'This will get me nowhere fast. I need to try and find a way to land a decisive blow.'
He thought about what noble phantasms he could use to kill the beast, but he was still wary of the presence he felt watching him. His bows switched so fast that it was nearly unnoticeable to him, so he doubted they noticed. A thought crossed his mind. 'If I used Phoebus Catastrophe, would it alert this world's Artemis and Apollo, or just mine?'
The boar charged again, but this time, it jumped up and rammed through multiple trees. Shirou had to quickly jump to another branch and swing off of it onto the ground. The boar seemed to be getting smarter, and quicker. Neither of which appealed to Shirou.
He quickly darted through the forest, firing arrows into the air, bending arrows around trees, and firing head on to confuse the boar. At the very least, he could kill it by turning it into a pincushion, but he doubted that would work. It was like it was getting used to his arrows.
'I'll use a few of my sword arrows, that should do the trick.' He grabbed one of the twisted blades, before firing an arrow that pierced deep into the boar. A smirk appeared on his face. 'So that works, good to know.' However, that was immediately followed up by a insanely fast charge.
He jumped to the side, activating his watch as he did so, causing the shield to deploy and take the brunt of the boar's tusk. It negated the force, making sure he didn't break his arm, but gravity wasn't something immediately dissipated, especially when he was in the air.
The attack launched him back into a tree, causing it to splinter the moment he made contact. The breath was knocked out of him, however, he was spared from previous injury thanks to reinforcement. He looked back at the boar, who was beginning to turn from his charge.
Looking at it, his mind reverted back to when the demonic beasts attacked Uruk and the surrounding areas. Seeing them killing indiscriminately, always being too late to save anyone. He grit his teeth, before the image of the Calydonian Boar returned in front of him.
"You're starting to get on my nerves." Shirou gripped the bow in his hands tight. 'Don't think about the past, worry about now.' Despite what he portrayed to everyone else, projecting and using noble phantasms did put a strain on his body. At the moment, there wasn't a problem. However, if he kept going the way he was, he would tire himself out.
He slung the bow across his back, grabbing the coin from his pocket as he did so. He knew this was a bad idea, but he felt like he could do it. He opened his hand, causing the spear to appear in place of the coin. He had an idea. One that would require him to take a hit or two.
However, if it worked the way he thought it would, then he could easily kill this thing by piercing its heart. Hestia would probably be mad if she found out, but if he didn't kill this thing here, then it would rampage through the forest, then it would follow the scent of his children and Hestia. Hestia could destroy it, but he didn't know what punishment she would face.
He wasn't about to allow that to happen. So, he would kill it. He charged forward, holding his shield in front of him. The boar charged and Shirou stepped to the side while angling his shield. The beast hit the shield, while Shirou thrust his spear forward, easily impaling the beast. He then took a hop backwards, letting the gravity of the attack push him back again.
This time, Shirou was able to land on his feet and avoid any trees. He let out a deep breath, changing his spear back into its coin form. The beast charged forward after turning around again. 'It really is just a beast. A bit smarter than usual, but a beast all the same.'
Shirou took a few quick steps forward, before sliding underneath the rampaging boar, allowing it strike his shield into the ground. The weight was immense, but the moment he reactivated his spear underneath the boar, the weight subsided. The boar let out another loud roar, before running away and turning towards him again.
The eyes of the beast indicated that it was figuring out what he was doing, but Shirou didn't care. As the final nail in the coffin was happening now. Rather than stand quickly, he made his way to his feet slowly. He allowed himself to stumble a bit, before steadying himself with his spear.
He shook his head, before holding his shield up once again. However, he was already preparing for the next stage. The boar noticed his weakened appearance, and just like any monster that saw weakness, it pounced. Without any warning, it charged once again. 'I win.'
Shirou allowed the shield to revert back to a watch, before holding his hand out towards the beast. "I am the bone of my sword." Shirou steeled himself, ready to receive the backlash. "Rho Aias." A pink iridescent flower then shot out from his hand, before seven petals spread open, as if blooming.
The boar then collided with the legendary shield. Despite Shirou possessing many different shields, Rho Aias would always be his greatest form of defense. It was also much more cost efficient, compared to something like Mash's shield. Each layer of his shield was the equivalent of a fortress wall.
So, imagine his surprise when the boar broke through a barrier of his shield. The moment it broke, he felt some muscles tear, along with a few cuts appearing on his arm, but nothing too major. He was glad he didn't wear his jacket, otherwise it may have got blood on it, and he didn't want to dirty Hestia's gift to him.
He supplied more magical energy into the Aias, noticing the second petal beginning to crack as the boar continued to try and push through. However, Shirou waited for this moment, the moment the second petal broke, he dematerialized the shield and the boar fell forward as Shirou jumped to the side.
The second petal cracked a few bones in his arm, but with reinforcement to fill in the gaps, he didn't notice. With the boar finally on the ground, Shirou took his spear and stood in the stance used for Gae Bolg, before delivering a powerful thrust forward into the beast's heart.
The boar let out a bloodcurdling roar, however, Shirou simply pulled his spear out and stabbed into the throat of the creature, silencing it. "I hope you didn't wake the kids, you overgrown boar." He said with some exhaustion. 'Honestly, it shouldn't have been this tough.'
If he didn't think he was being watched, he would have ended it with one of his noble phantasms. In fact, he could have destroyed it with Phoebus Catastrophe, but that would have alerted two gods who he didn't feel like meeting anytime soon. Particularly, Apollo, for multiple reasons.
He held a hand up to his head, feeling the beginning of a headache coming on. He groaned a bit, before deciding to shake it off. "Guess, I'll head back home and get some rest." He said aloud, before beginning to walk back home. However, a large bow landed in front him.
He paused, before realizing that it was the bow of Orion. He tilted his head, before he looked up in the air. His eyes narrowed, seeing nothing. He shook his head, before picking up the heavy and large bow. It appeared smaller than when he last saw it, being roughly the size of his and Archer's black bow.
He let out an annoyed groan, seeing all the pulleys and strings on the bow. He decided to pull back on the bow, noticing that it didn't lock in place. It did take more effort to pull back, but the arrows shot from it would make up for it. He thought it was a normal compound bow, only to see that it worked like a simple bow.
It was a strange bow, one that was more mechanical than he was comfortable with, but it had interesting features. Though, he wondered if he could create something unique from it. A new bow, one that didn't make him nauseous to wield. The bow felt cursed in his hands, and he didn't exactly want to run into Artemis or hunters with it.
'I'd need to get my hands on more celestial bronze, or some other high quality material, but I could do it. This bow only has a handle made of it, I'd need more for the limbs.' He thought to himself, before grabbing a twisted blade and spinning around with the bow drawn.
The moment he did so, he was met by a girl who appeared to be in her late teens. She was fairly tall, possessing a well built and athletic body that added to her beauty. She had shoulder length black hair and stunning silver eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness.
The moment Shirou laid eyes on the bow on her back, as well as the hunting knives behind her waist, a sharp pain entered his head, causing him to wince. 'That's a divine construct on par with Artemis's bow.' The thought caused his eyes to widen. 'That aura, scent, and even her eyes. While they are different color, I'd recognize them anywhere.'
"Lady Artemis." He said softly, before lowering his bow. He saw a somewhat surprised expression appear on her face, before she went back to her neutral expression.
Shirou then did a quick scan across the trees, noticing little flashes of silver. 'Her hunters must have me surrounded.' He quickly began to recall a large amount of swords, readying himself in case he needed to fight. If something happened, he could project them quickly.
"You are the hero that killed Orion, yes?" She said to him, her voice had a rather sweet tone to it, though there was an edge present as well. Shirou simply nodded his head to her question. "I see. I expected to see you use those runes, yet you managed this without them."
"I admit, your skills with the bow are impressive, as were your movements. Who was the one who taught you how to hunt like that?" Shirou was nervous. This wasn't his Artemis. From what Hestia told him, this one was far different. So, he'd play along so he didn't get turned into an animal, or a woman.
"A friend of mine. I was already an archer when I met her, but she taught me how to hunt properly. She was a great teacher." He answered, choosing to leave out her name. Artemis nodded to his words, before pointing at Orion's bow.
"I wanted to test to see whether or not you deserved those spoils. If you had used any other methods to kill the boar, I would have kept it. However, you didn't, as such, the bow is yours. However, this was only the first test, Shirou Emiya." Shirou's eyes widened at her knowledge of his name.
'I knew I shouldn't have given my name out to Caroline, but I couldn't help it. No, it was the right choice, she needed someone to save her.' He thought to himself, before looking back at her. "What do you mean, the first test?" He asked, causing Artemis to give a satisfied smile.
"I wish to see the prowess of the man who killed someone powerful enough to kill gods. So far, you have used that power to help others, so I wish to make sure that is what you continue to do. Besides, a few of the hunters who you saved wished to see you, and complimented your skills greatly."
"So, I will test those skills sometime in the future. For now, I'll simply observe. Despite you being a male, as well as a stranger, I feel a strange connection to you. I suppose you could say I am also satisfying my own curiosity, but if possible, I would like you to assist my hunters from time to time." She finished, causing Shirou to tilt his head.
"Assist them? I apologize, but what do you mean?" He asked, a bit puzzled at that.
"My hunters are, for lack of a better term, a bit challenged when it comes to men. Perhaps, you could assist them in that regard, and maybe help train a few? I have a feeling you are skilled in close quarters, which will help them greatly. There are also some monsters that I would feel much better about them hunting, if you were with them."
'So, really, she wants me to try and make her hunters more comfortable around men? Then she wants me to train some in close combat? I have a feeling that isn't all there is to it.' He thought to himself, but he couldn't imagine what else there could be.
He watched her walk up to the boar, before she placed a hand on it. The boar then dissipated, leaving a rolled up and tied pelt in her hand. She then threw it towards him, causing him to quickly move to catch it. "A hunter shouldn't let materials go to waste." She then turned and began to walk deeper into the forest.
"I will see you again soon, Shirou Emiya. I will leave a few hunters here. Should I need to speak to you, they will act as my proxies. Oh, and also..." She stopped and turned around with a small smile on her face. "Tell Aunt Hestia I said hello." Shirou's eyes widened, before she disappeared into the forest.
'She knew.' He let out a sigh, noticing the scent of her hunters had disappeared along with her. 'My bad luck really doesn't want me to be normal.' He turned and began to head back home. 'I wonder why she didn't seem upset? Also, what did she really want from me?'
Shirou couldn't even understand what had just happened. First, the boar, then Artemis. He wondered if it had to do with Tauropolos, since she said she felt a connection to him. However, he felt like something else was going on. Honestly, he didn't like it too much.
He didn't know if he wanted to get too attached to that many people, and from the sounds of it, that would be happening soon. He felt like static rushed through his mind, giving him a quick glimpse of holding Sakura's body in his arms. However, it only lasted for a flash, before he resumed walking.
Hestia, his daughters, Athena, Caroline, and even Rhea, were enough. He didn't have to worry about things like that with them. He didn't have to worry about losing them. He just wanted to focus on being with his family. 'Is that really what you want?' Shirou shook his head.
He was going to spend time with his family, raise his daughters, and be a good father. He wouldn't deprive his daughters of a father like he was. 'Don't you wish for a world where everyone is saved? One where everyone can share their happiness with others?' Shirou shook his head again, gripping the bow tightly.
'What of those that disrupt the balance of the world? What of the evil that will threaten their future?' Shirou grit his teeth, his jaw clenched tight. 'Would you sacrifice the lives of those around you, just to achieve your own happiness?' "Shut up." He spoke quietly.
'In the end, you can save neither others, nor yourself.' "Shut up." Step by step, he continued forward. This was all he needed to do. 'It doesn't matter in the end. Archer told you, didn't he? It's endless. Conflicts will always come into view. You can't help yourself. You'll be drawn in to save them.'
'We will continue to do so, until it destroys us. That is what it means to be a sword. No matter what, we must continue to fight. No one else, but us. Save them, Shirou. Can't you hear their cries? Can't you feel it calling to you?' "Shut up!" Shirou finally reached his limit. 'You abandoned everyone by coming here.' "Trace on."
He dropped the bow and the tied up materials, before projecting Rule Breaker into his hand. Just as he was about to stab himself with it, hoping whatever was causing the voices was simply a curse of some kind. Just before he did, his tunnel vision cleared, and he felt a kind, warm, and loving feeling come over him.
He shook his head and refocused himself. In front of him was Hestia, dressed in a some pajamas she had bought when they visited a city once. She had grabbed ahold of his arm, stopping him from stabbing himself with the dagger. She looked at him with a sad expression, one that caused a sting to his heart.
The dagger dissipated into embers as Hestia smiled at him. "It's okay, Shirou. You're going to be alright. You're home, now." She said softly, wrapping her arms around him. "I came down to wait for you, and I'm glad I did. I didn't realize you were going through so much until today."
Shirou took a deep, calming breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you like this. I don't know what happened." He replied, causing Hestia to look up at him.
"You never need to apologize for that Shirou. Everything you went through, I'm surprised that you managed to hold it together this long after mother fixed you." She let go, before picking up the things Shirou dropped and teleporting them away. She then grabbed his hand, threading her fingers around his, and began to make her way into the house with him.
"I'm just used to always doing something that furthered my goal of saving others and not worrying about the consequences. I don't know, maybe the stress caused it." He said idly, "I'm surprised I even managed to make it home without veering off." Hestia led him through the house, before placing him next to his closet.
"This is our home. Your home, Shirou. Plus, with these..." She then lifted their hands together, showing their rings. "I know you'll always find your way to me." She said with a sweet smile on her face. "Now change, so you can get some rest." She then let go and stepped away for a moment.
As he changed, he decided to ask Hestia a question. "Is it wrong for me to focus on my family? To not focus on saving others?" Shirou shut the closet door, seeing Hestia standing behind it. She had a concerned expression on her face.
"Shirou, you're a hero, but that doesn't mean you aren't just a normal human either. I love that you want to focus on us, I really do. But, it's in your nature to want to help people. I noticed that you're someone who always jumps headfirst into things, but this isn't something that you can do that with."
She walked up and placed a hand on his face. "I should have told you sooner, but you have to find a balance, otherwise you'll feel like your betraying yourself. I don't want that. I want you to be careful, so that our family will always have you around. But, I don't want you to change who you are. Understand?" She then pulled him along again.
"I see. Is it that simple?" He said aloud, mostly to himself. He hadn't felt something like that in a long time, but he couldn't imagine that feeling going away that easily. Hestia pushed him onto the bed, surprising him a bit. She followed right after, laying her head on his chest.
"It's never that simple. It will take time to heal, Shirou. Trauma doesn't go away so easily. Being around me, as well as you traveling, made you not notice it. But, now that you aren't working towards helping others all the time, you had an episode, as well as a nightmare last night." She said with some sadness in her voice.
"But, I'm here with you, Shirou. You don't have to go through this alone. I'll do my best to help you, as will your daughters." Her voice was bright and sweet, causing Shirou to smile at her words. "If you're a sword, then I suppose we'll just have to be your sheathe." She said, looking up at him with a smile.
"That sounds fine to me." He replied, though he was wondering about everything that happened. He didn't realize how much wanting to save others had been ingrained into him. He hadn't ever thought about it, but now, he wondered about it. How much of it was him, his ideals, and his guilt? Was being a hero even in him? Was Archer right?
"Don't." He heard, causing him to look at Hestia. "You're making that face you make when you start to overthink things. Don't worry about all of that, right now. When the time comes, you'll be able to confront all of that, but for now, we need to focus on you getting better. And that starts with rest." He smiled softly at her, before laying his head down.
"Of course, whatever you say Lady Hestia." He replied, before he felt Hestia hit his chest, causing him to let out a small laugh.
"I hate it when you call me that and you know it." She said with a pouty face. She then laid her head down again, "Promise me that you'll tell me when something's wrong. That you'll let me help you with this."
"I promise." He replied, causing Hestia to hum in response. The two laid there in the quietness of their room, with only the few sounds being the small coos and such from Annabeth and Miyu.
"Shirou?" He noticed her begin to slowly crawl up towards his face. "C-can I...can I kiss you?" Her words were quiet and her cheeks were red. He wondered if she would ever not turn red from physical acts of intimacy. Then again, she did seem to get used to kissing him on the cheek from time to time.
"I'm pretty sure that ring you refuse to take off, means you don't need to ask." He said with a smile, but he must have underestimated something, as she practically pulled his face into hers. He had to admit, it was kind of flattering. After a few seconds, she finally let go, before she immediately flipped over, facing away from him.
"I love you, goodnight." She said really quickly. Shirou let out a small chuckle, but decided not to tease her too much. He wanted to tell her about Artemis, but he figured he'd wait until tomorrow. Besides, he had the feeling she wasn't in the right state of mind to deal with it.
"I love you too, Hestia, goodnight." Shirou leaned his head back and closed his eyes, ready for the long day to be over. His mind kept wandering back to what had occurred earlier. He knew he was messed up, anyone with a reality marble was obviously distorted, but he didn't think he was that bad. Needless to say, it worried him.
He then felt Hestia flip back over, before snuggling closer towards him. He didn't open his eyes, as he already knew she was trying to get his mind off of it. 'Her powers really are something else.' He thought with a smile. He would figure everything out, and then he'd be able to move on with his life. At least, he hoped so.
Hestia had seen many things in her life. She may not have interacted with many heroes, but she had witnessed many of their actions. The man that she thought of as her husband, had been through things many heroes could only dream of. He was someone who not only bore the weight of humanity on his shoulders, but had actually saved it.
There weren't any other heroes who could boast such a thing. That was the main reason that she thought that Shirou deserved to rest. He continued to push himself, far beyond what he was capable of, to save humanity. He achieved it, but his guilt continued to push him further.
It didn't matter what he did. His own self guilt would push him farther, until it would eventually destroy him in the end. It saddened Hestia, but she couldn't give up hope. She knew a decent amount about the human mind. Her mother had even managed to heal the damaged parts of Shirou's emotions.
So, she figured that she would be able to help Shirou in a similar way. She paid attention to his dreams and thoughts, wanting to learn more about him. She watched the hell that he went through when he was young, the fire and the screams for help he had to endure.
'This was where it all started.' She thought to herself, seeing the young version of him walking amidst the flames. It broke her heart to watch, but it allowed her to see a different version of him. She then watched as he grew, helping others where he could, until he eventually grew enough to leave.
Shirou worked as a freelance enforcer for something called the clocktower. It was here that he hunted down mages that threatened the natural order, as well as innocent people. His main partner, was a woman named Bazett. Someone who had access to a noble phantasm and runes.
They worked alongside many people, including the holy church. It was here that Shirou learned about Black Keys and their many functions. They were armaments that Shirou began to experiment with to a great extent. He hunted down many evil beings, but it was also where Shirou lost what innocence he had left.
This was what he did until he learned about Chaldea. He applied, being accepted for his high aptitude in ray shifting. She was getting a small crash course into his life, being surprised that this was what his dreams were comprised of. He was flashing through his life at high speed.
She saw him go through Fuyuki, France, Okeanos, and so on and so forth. He befriended many different heroic spirits along the way. Him and Fujimaru managed to surpass the odds, facing off against a primordial god and other god-like beings and winning, but at great cost.
She could feel the weight increasing as he went through each singularity. Each life he felt like he failed, all building until the Salem singularity. She began to slowly understand why he was the way he was. It all began in that fire. He may have been getting better, but that fire still haunted him.
'Survivors guilt, PTSD, and a hero complex.' She thought to herself. The moment he stopped, it built up until he finally exploded. Yet, he continued to fight against himself, for those he loved, for her and their daughters. Honestly, she was a bit flattered that he was going so far for them.
She could see how much he loved them. How much he loved her. He was willing to abandon his own sense of justice to raise his daughters and to make her happy. However, it was this same thing that caused her to feel some pain. She didn't want Shirou to implode because of her and their family.
She knew that if he kept doing what he was doing, he would grow to resent them, and that was something she didn't want to happen. Shirou deserved to be happy, for everything he did for humanity. His guilt made that impossible, but she would do what she could to fix that.
However, there was something that bothered her. The red archer and what he represented. She realized early on that anything to do with him seemed to be hidden from her. Anytime he showed up, the memory would begin to deteriorate before locking her out entirely.
She didn't know why this was, but she figured that it had something to do with Shirou. Something that Shirou didn't want to be known. However, the lock was weak. It seemed like whatever happened to Shirou, must have weakened it somehow. A part of her wondered if she should redo it.
If it was harming him in some way, then surely, if she fixed it, he wouldn't be so troubled. The moment she lifted her hand up to do so, she found herself inside of a memory. She assumed it to be Shirou's, but it wasn't. At least, not completely. "Conflicts came into my view for as long I was alive."
"I wasn't naive enough to think that there would be no conflict, I just wanted the people in my view not to cry." Hestia wondered what was going on. She watched someone dressed in modern clothes and a red shroud walked amongst a camp of some kind.
"My vision expanded after I saved one. Ten after that one. Then a hundred after ten. How many was it after a hundred? It was then that I realized that the ideal of a hero of justice was a convenient fantasy." She could hear Shirou's voice in this older person's voice.
"Tell me, Shirou Emiya, will saving humanity be enough for you? Of course it won't. You'll continue to save others, striving to be a hero of justice, until it destroys you in the end. The difference between us, is that there's still hope that you'll find a way out. It's the least you could do, to make sure you don't end up like us."
The image then changed, showing the red bowman besides a darker version of himself in black and gold. The three were on the roof of a skyscraper, each were bloody and injured beyond what any sane person could handle. Swords and rubble surrounded them.
Hestia's eyes then opened, showing that it was already morning. She noticed that Shirou was still fast asleep, which surprised her. 'Usually he wakes up before me.' She thought to herself. 'Maybe, it'll be good for you to sleep a little longer.' She placed a finger onto his forehead, injecting a bit of her power into him, before deciding to take care of the things Shirou usually did.
Aphrodite decided to pay a visit to her new favorite bakery. It had been awhile since she last saw Shirou, so she thought she was due a visit. She walked into the bakery with a smile on her face, but the one standing there wasn't Shirou, it was Hestia.
'Hmm, not who I was expecting, but this is fine too.' She thought to herself. She sauntered up to the counter, but noticed that Hestia didn't seem to notice her presence. 'Hmm, well that's interesting.' "Hello, earth to Hestia."
Hestia jolted, before finally noticing her. She then smiled at her, "Oh, hello Aphrodite. Sorry, I didn't notice you come in." She said, before quickly grabbing some cookies and placing them on the counter. Aphrodite quickly took one, before looking back towards Hestia.
"I noticed, it seemed like you were deep in thought. It wouldn't happen to have something to do with the fact that Shirou isn't here, would it?" Hestia simply shook her head with a smile on her face.
"No, he has a valid reason for not coming in today." She replied, "He's at home taking care of the girls." She then shot Aphrodite a pleased smile. Aphrodite's eyes widened, before she let out a gasp and made a happy squeal.
"Hestia, you had a child?! No way! You're even wearing a ring, that's amazing! Wait, I have to know, how was it?" She asked, almost jumping over the counter. Hestia simply smiled at her, before she tilted her head.
"How was what?" Aphrodite looked at her with a dull look, before noticing that she had a clueless smile on her face. Aphrodite visibly deflated, before letting out a small groan.
"Darn, never mind, you had a child like that owl." She let out a sigh, "It's a shame, I really want to know if he'd make a good lover. He certainly looks like he would be, but appearances can be deceiving." Hestia had some slight reddening on her cheeks at her words.
"I...I don't think I'm ready for that yet." She replied, before shaking her head. Aphrodite let out a small smirk at Hestia's words. 'How interesting.' Then she narrowed her eyes, realizing something.
"Wait, you said 'girls', as in plural. Unless you had twins, which I highly doubt, then that must mean there was someone else." She looked at Hestia closely, who seemed a bit sheepish at her words. "And considering that Shirou doesn't seem like a jerk, I'm guessing it was done in a similar manner."
"It was that owl, wasn't it?" She watched Hestia flinch at her words. "Hestia, I'm wounded, after all that skirting around and trying to keep me away, you let Little Miss Wisdom have a child with him instead of me? Oh, Hestia, you wound me." She saw Hestia's eye twitch at her words, causing her to smile.
"Oh, Hestia, I'm only half-joking. No need to get upset." She quickly said, grabbing another cookie from the plate. "I must admit, of all the gods, I didn't think that you'd be the one who decided to break the rules. Though, I suppose it makes sense, considering your domain."
"Sadly, I haven't experienced anything strong enough for me to do such a thing. I admit, I'm a bit jealous." She let out a small hum, before looking back towards Hestia with a smile. "But enough about that, you looked troubled. Anything I can help with? I happen to very good with giving advice to friends, you know."
Hestia looked at her for a moment, before she brought a hand to her chin. Aphrodite watched as the gears in her head began moving around, obviously weighing her options in her head. Aphrodite just shrugged before grabbing another cookie from the plate.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask you, besides you have more experience with heroes than I do." Hestia then let out a small sigh, "Very well, but you can't tell anyone about any of this, okay? I mean, despite everything, we've managed to keep a low profile for awhile." Aphrodite simply smiled before nodding.
However, the two then felt a cold shiver down their spines. Their eyes widened, before they both turned towards the direction they felt the feeling come from. Hestia inwardly panicked, as it was the direction of her home. Aphrodite's eyes narrowed when she recognized some power signatures.
However, she also felt a jolt of another feeling. One that she had only felt when around Ares, however, this one was far different. It was far more pleasurable and enticing to her, as well as filled with love. She wanted to know what it came from, so she looked at Hestia. "Shall we?" Hestia turned towards her with a serious expression, before nodding.
Earlier, all was quiet and peaceful. Shirou had managed to finally put the girls to sleep. The two of them were going to be a handful when they got older, he just knew it. He smiled to himself, before taking a seat on the ground. In front of him was a small blanket, where a few weapons were laying.
"Trace on." He held out his hand, going through each process of his tracing slowly. To see a weapon slowly be created from flames was always interesting to see. At the moment, he was trying to recreate some of the higher tier noble phantasms he had access to.
He managed to trace the sword of one of the Saber's he partnered with. In his hands, Caliburn appeared in all of its glory. He let out a hum, before a small smile appeared on his face. He let out a sigh, before laying it down next to Merodach, Gram, Durandal, and Aestus Estus.
It was amazing how he was able to trace such high level noble phantasms and not feel too much of a strain. He guessed he had about a little less than 3/4's of his reserves still ready to go. 'The potent magical energy and my flame have really improved my circuits.' He thought, inspecting the blades.
Other than Gram and Durandal, the other weapons had good memories associated with them. Even Merodach, despite Shirou not getting along with Gilgamesh. The only reason he possessed it was because Gilgamesh lent it to him in the final battle against Goetia. He had to admit, it was a fine weapon.
However, he possessed a bit more fondness of Caliburn and Aestus Estus. Caliburn, because Artoria Lily was one of the first sabers he partnered with. Aestus Estus was for a similar reason, though he actually was able to use the original in the second singularity.
He reached his hand out towards Aestus Estus, feeling a strange resonance coming from it. He could feel the divine flame Hestia gave him react to it. He didn't know how he knew, but he had the feeling that Aestus Estus would actually give him better control of his flames.
However, carrying around such a flashy weapon would raise eyebrows, so he thought about altering it to match his preferences, much like Archer did with Caladbolg and Hrunting. In fact, he wondered if he should begin doing that for all of his noble phantasms.
'It would give me something to do, while also keeping my mind busy. Besides, doing so would give me an edge for whenever I needed them.' He thought, before nodding to himself. Just as he was about to begin to experiment, he noticed something entering his bounded field.
He peered at his weapons, before shaking his head. With a mental command, he shot the blades around his daughters, before tossing a small rune engraved gem into the circle of blades, causing a bounded field to form. He created it to protect civilians when he wasn't able to do so.
He made his way towards the disturbance, stepping out the back of the house, before his eyes narrowed. 'Something's wrong.' "Trace on." He reinforced his body, checking his surroundings closely. Kanshou and Bakuya then appeared in his hands, before he quickly turned around with his blades ready.
However, he only saw the lead huntress he saved when he fought Orion, as well as another huntress. The other huntress was tall and had a certain grace to her that he couldn't explain, with brown eyes and darker brown hair, along with a skin tone similar to his sister from an alternate world Chloe. She had a beauty to her, but she appeared much to young for him to feel any attraction.
The silver circlet atop her braided hair gave her the appearance of princess. Both girls had a serious expression on their faces. Shirou knew that the hunters weren't hostile towards him, so he merely turned towards the forest, where he saw a large group of women, along with a few men, emerging.
Each one appeared to be dressed in armor that was mixed with modern clothing, along with holding swords and spears. All in all, Shirou counted around twenty. His eyes narrowed when he noticed them wearing some sort of symbol, one he recognized belonged to Ares. "Amazons." The circlet wearing huntress said aloud.
Shirou slightly flinched, as he knew Penthesilea. However, he shook his head, deciding not to focus on that. "Sir Shirou, please head inside while we deal with this." He turned seeing Mia readying her bow. He then saw something that boiled his blood.
"Bring her forward." He turned his head and saw the group part, revealing a captured Caroline. "Is that the man who saves demigods?" The lead Amazon asked her. However, Caroline simply glared at the woman and refused to say anything. Shirou gripped his blades tight, before he de-materialized them.
"Go inside and protect the girls." Both hunters shivered at the cold tone of his voice. "Release her, now." He commanded, flaring his magical energy enough to grab their attention. The Amazons all looked toward him, each had a calculating gaze.
"Hmm, it seems that this is place. We've been searching for you for awhile. How a human like you could cause such a rift within our people is beyond me, however, orders are orders. Surrender now, and we will ensure your safety, as well as the safety of your children." The lead amazon said calmly.
Shirou's eyes narrowed and his circuits were rapidly rotating, with Mia and Zoe both hearing a faint hum come from him, as well as what looked like steam from the few raindrops that had begun to fall. "Release her and return back to where you came if you value your lives."
"Not happening. Lord Ares commanded us to find and retrieve the Unbreakable Sword. After confirming with the oracle, we found that it was a human hero. However, the Daughters of Steel are just as important to us as you are. As such, they will come as well." She said, placing a hand onto her sword.
Mia had a feeling that Shirou's self restraint was beginning to crack. Even now, she could feel power coming from the man who saved her. Zoe was of a similar mind, though she was surprised seeing him like this. After watching him for so long, she couldn't imagine him appearing like he did.
"Do you not fear the consequences? Judging by your numbers, I'm guessing that all of you are in the minority in this decision. Are none of you loyal to your queen?" Zoe stated, trying to discourage them.
"We are loyal to Ares, not Bellona, as such we have answered the call. The Queen has no say in the matter. They'd rather wait than possess and raise the ones who will bring us back to our former glory. Are you hunters not the same? Why else would you be here?" She answered, causing Zoe and Mia to look at each other with puzzled expressions.
The Amazoness then laughed. "Oh, you don't even know about the prophecy about the Daughters of Steel? How sad." She then pulled her sword from its scabbard, before placing it next to Caroline, who flinched, but tried to remain strong. "Now, come willingly, or this girl will die."
Memories flashed through Shirou's mind. Images shot through at great speed, though he remembered each one as if it were yesterday. A voice then resounded in his heart. 'Save her.' In his hands appeared a katana. The rest of the Amazons each readied their weapons. "Oh, you'll kill her just like that?"
Shirou lifted the sword up and leveled it to his eyes. He widened his stance. "No, you'll kill her. Then, I'll kill you. Just like that." He then turned his head towards the hunters. "Go inside, now. Protect them." He said to them, causing them to flinch slightly. He turned looked Caroline in the eyes, and though she couldn't hear him, she was able to read his lips.
The message was clear. "Do you trust me?" Caroline's eyes widened, before they softened. She managed to nod her head a bit. She then saw him speak again, echoing words he had said to her before. "Close your eyes, okay?" Like before, she shut her eyes.
"Despite you threatening Caroline, as well as threatening to take my daughters, I'm willing to give you all one last chance, walk away with your lives, or forfeit them here." He said loudly, however, none moved. "Very well."
Zoe and Mia both stepped back, retreating inside the house, though they remained next to the door. Zoe decided that she would provide assistance in the event that Shirou needed it. While she didn't want to, she decided to listen to him. She knew how much he cared for his daughters, just the cold rage she felt from him was enough to tell.
She watched him load himself like a spring. The summer shower was now falling fully, completely covering Shirou, though she was doubtful that he was wet. The amount of steam coming from him caused her to think of smoke from a forge. She then heard him speak. "Behold, the speed of my hidden sword." Just as he shot forward, though he seemed to disappear just as he lunged forward,
Even with her enhanced sight and abilities granted to her by Artemis, Zoe was unable to see him moved, until he reappeared behind the Amazon leader, where she heard speak in a solemn voice. "Mumyou, Sandanzuki." The Amazoness didn't move, until she finally fell forward onto the ground dead, surprising all who saw it.
"Remember, I gave you the chance to run." She heard Shirou say, before the katana disappeared. He lifted his hand up to the heavens, a black and red ball of flames appeared in his palms, matching his own red shirt, red and gold scarf, and black jacket. The air was cold, perfectly representing the state of Shirou's emotions.
Looking closely, she noticed his eyes were now half golden brown and half steel, with even a streak of white appearing in his bangs. In a strong, yet cold voice, he spoke once again. "I am the bone of my sword." The red ball then formed into an ominous red and black blade.
Another chapter finished. I wanted to get this out sooner, but was delayed by a few things. Now, I want to say that I always have fun writing interactions with Hestia and Shirou. There will be plenty more for those of you that love to see it, as well as some interactions with other goddesses. There will be time skips incoming, but I'll do my best to make sure to keep Shirou's growth important when those come. It won't be all at once, so don't worry too much, as I want to focus on Shirou's recovery and Hestia helping him through it. I wanted to portray Shirou kind of like a soldier who returned from a traumatic war. Rhea restoring him is both a blessing and curse in that regard. Though, I will say, that there is much more to it. I gave some hints as to what's going on in this chapter, but there will be plenty more inbound. I don't want to spoil to much, so I won't say too much more, other than I plan on showing more memories of Shirou's time with Chaldea and his relationships with his servants and I plan on introducing the other pantheons soon. Oh, and pissing off this Shirou by threatening his family is a very, very, bad idea. I wanted to answer this, Shirou saved more than 4 people before he 'Died', he saved around twenty when the attack on Chaldea went down. I just didn't mention everyone he saved. Anyways, I want to say thanks for reading, as well as the reviews, I hope you all enjoyed. Feel free to ask questions, I usually try to answer them, and as always, until next time.