Chapter 6
It was cold. Yes, maybe she was stating the obvious, considering it was January in Colorado. 'Well, it's not like I didn't know that running away from home would be hard.' Granted, it had been pretty easy so far, but monsters began to get to worse and worse the more she travelled.
She brought her hands up to her mouth and attempted to warm them up with her breath. Normally, she would be following the roads, but she saw something that had to be sign of some kind. There was something telling her to go to it. 'That bright blue pillar of light, I'm so close now, I can't stop now.'
She had been walking all day, the sun was beginning to set and she was tired, not to mention hungry. Whenever she got there, she would get something from her bag and eat. Thankfully, she was close to the location now. She hoped that whatever she was looking for was still there.
She had seen the pillar of light the previous night, so she hoped she wasn't too late. However, she soon realized that she wasn't too late. She saw signs of some kind of battle, though whatever it was, must have been quite large. Trees had been uprooted and broken, the ground had craters and was cracked in many places, and that wasn't all.
There were scorch marks all over the place, with flames still being alive in some areas. She was pretty sure that some large battle must have taken place. She continued, until she saw what had caused the large amount of devastation.
She let out a small scream as she fell backwards, coming face to face with one of the most dangerous monsters there was. She was about to run away, before realizing that it was dead, and missing its teeth, as well as most of its body. She could see that it was in the middle of dissipating, thankfully, but wondered what happened to the rest of it.
She noticed that there was a hole in the middle of its head, 'Probably from whatever killed this thing, most likely.' She thought to herself. She slightly shivered when looking at it again. 'This thing could eat me with one bite if it wanted to.' She shook her head, before walking past it towards a small light source.
As she grew closer, she saw that it was a fire, with a camp set up nearby. There was a log placed near it, with a pot resting over the flames that emitted a mouth watering aroma. She found herself drawn to it, quickly making her way over to it. As she did, she caught sight of a few more details.
Resting against the log was a large black and bronze bow. A red and gold cloth was wrapped around the bow, extending to both ends in a spiral, allowing the black and bronze to be seen. She didn't know much about bows, but she knew that this one was special, especially if it was celestial bronze, like she thought it was.
Beside it, rested a spear with a red spearhead. It seemed to radiate a slight glow under the moonlight. She also noticed a canvas bag sitting beside them. It was closed, but she could feel some kind of power radiate from it. It was odd, but she ignored it. She wasn't a thief, though, she wanted to get a closer look at the spear.
After a few , the fire seemed to spike for a moment, before it settled down, startling her. She heard the sound of snow crunching underneath feet, turning and looking towards whoever it was. She reached behind her and grabbed the sword from her bag.
The fire obscured his features, though she could easily make out steel and golden brown eyes peering at her. They seemed to glow slightly, before the fire lowered once again, allowing her to see the stranger completely.
She saw a young man with short red hair with white edges. He had a horizontal scar on his left cheek, though it didn't seem to detract from his looks at all. There was a blue and gold scarf wrapped around his neck that had faint designs of fire and scenes of romance embroidered upon it. Though, she could feel some power radiating from it.
He had on blue jeans, boots, and had a dark coat with some kind of fur lining on the inside and on the collar. It appeared to be made of some kind of leather. Underneath that coat, appeared to be a black denim jacket, along with a red shirt.
Though, her eyes were drawn to the sword on his hip. It was a beautiful, sheathed longsword. It was black in color, with an ornate guard that looked like vines intertwined in the cross section. On the ends of the guard was purple coloring that matched the cloth on the handle, as well as the pommel, that was shaped like a purple rose that had yet to bloom.
She watched him let out a sigh, before walking forward without a care. He kneeled down next to the fire and placed in some wood that he had been carrying. After moving around the wood, he proceeded to check the pot, letting out a small hum as he did so.
"You can put the sword away, I'm not going to hurt you." He spoke, with her being surprised by the gentle voice. She lowered her sword, but kept it in her hands. She wasn't sure if she could trust him, but she did come here looking for the source of the blue light, so she figured she'd at least try to appear compliant.
"Who are you?" She asked, watching him add some spices into the pot, before mixing it further. After he did so, he stood and began to walk over towards her, causing her to step away while gripping her sword. He raised a brow, before a small smile appeared on his face.
He pointed at his bag, causing her to realize what he was doing. "You should try to relax a bit. Tensing in this weather will only make you sore later. You hungry?" He asked, hearing her stomach rumble a bit, causing him to chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes." He opened his bag and took out two bowls with utensils.
"As for who I am, my name's Shirou. At the moment, my current occupation is a hunter. You?" She watched him place the contents of the pot into the bowls, before returning to the log, where he sat down and held her bowl out to her. "I should tell you, I don't harm children. My wife would kill me if I did. So, you can relax."
She looked at the bowl for a moment, before she took off her bag and placed it on the ground, while also sheathing her sword. She took the bowl and sat down, before greedily eating the food. Her eyes widened for a moment, being surprised at the taste, causing her to eat faster.
She noticed Shirou looking at her with a small smile, before eating his own food. "My name's Thalia. I..." She paused for a moment, looking down at the bowl, "I ran away from home." She decided to reveal that information, deciding to trust him, hoping that she wasn't wrong about what that blue light meant.
She heard him hum for a moment, before she felt something be placed onto her shoulders, causing her to jump slightly. She turned and saw Shirou placing his coat onto her, before sitting back down. 'How did he do that without me noticing?' She thought, before she moved the coat around to warm herself up.
'Geez, why is this thing so warm? Also, the coat smells sweet, like flowers.' She thought, sniffing a few times. She knew he wasn't wearing perfume, but the smell was still there. 'No, this is more like some sort of residual scent of magic. But, who's the one who did it?' She looked at him, before shaking her head.
"Well, Thalia, you're free to stick around for however long you need. I'll be hiking south, either tomorrow or the day after, feel free to tagalong. A young kid like you shouldn't be traveling alone. Especially with monsters most likely coming after you. There's been an increase in this state lately." He said to her, before eating a bit more.
Though, Thalia was surprised. 'Does he know I'm a demigod?' She was a bit worried, but figured that he was someone special. She almost thought he was a god, which could be the case, but she wasn't sure. "Is that where the dragon came from?" She asked, causing Shirou to let out a sigh, before he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.
"Not exactly. I've been hunting that thing for awhile thanks to a certain someone." He said with a bit of exasperation in his voice. "She keeps making it harder and harder." He said under his breath, but Thalia managed to him. "Though, I suppose that reminds me, how exactly did you find this place?"
A part of her didn't want to answer, but she had already come this far. "Um, I saw a blue light from my camp last night. I had a feeling that I should follow it, so I did. I didn't expect to find all of this though." She revealed, causing Shirou's eyes to widen.
"Huh. Interesting. You must be pretty strong then, considering I set up a barrier to hide all of that. Should have worked on most of your kind, though, I suppose there's room for improvement." He said, bringing a hand up to his chin. "Well, despite how much I dislike saying this, maybe it was fate. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if someone was meddling when they shouldn't be."
She noticed that it sounded like he was talking about someone specific, but figured he must have had problems with such things before. "So, you know that I'm a demigod? Also, are you saying that you're the cause for the blue light? As well as killing that dragon? As in, by yourself?" She was super interested to find that out.
If so, then that meant he was powerful. He let out an amused huff, "I do. You all have a distinct scent. It's usually divinity mixed with a key scent of whoever your divine parent is. You, for example, have the scent of rain or the smell of a coming storm. So, I can pretty much guess who your parent is."
Of course, this surprised Thalia. 'Not even monsters have that keen of smell. How is he able to do that?' "As for everything else, yes. Though, killing the dragon and the blue light are actually part of the same thing. I had to use something to ground the dragon, so I did. However, the killing blow was done with something else, for certain reasons." He said to her.
"So, you're the one I was looking for then." She said absently, before realizing her bowl was empty. She frowned, before looking towards Shirou. He raised a brow, before smiling. He took her bowl and refilled it. "Thank you. Honestly, I didn't know what I was going to do. I was sort of just traveling around, hoping to find something." She added.
"From what I can see, you have a few options." He replied, getting her attention. "I can take you to the camp for demigods. I've made that trip a few times, helping other demigods like you. Two, you can go home, though I have a feeling you have a pretty good reason for running away."
"Option three, you can continue to roam around, maybe you'll run into another demigod or two. Viable, but risky. Option four, you can pray to your parent, though, I know his wife and she wouldn't be happy about that. Option five, you can stick with me until you wish to leave." He said, causing Thalia to become a bit surprised.
"Judging from your looks, you're about ten to twelve years old? I can train you a bit and give you a place to stay that won't be under attack by monsters all the time. My home has plenty of room, besides, I already have three children, what's one more?" He said with a bit of chuckle.
"I would only cause problems." She replied with a bit of sadness. "I'm different. All demigods are. It makes it hard for us to be normal. I've already seen some of it." She said, though Shirou only laughed. She looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Sorry, I realized that I didn't really explain myself that well. My children, they're demigods like you. My wife and the other residents are all tied to your world in some way. I have two hunters of Artemis and another demigod of Aphrodite staying there. So, trust me, I doubt you'd find a more suitable place to stay."
'Who is this guy?' She thought. She knew for a fact, that wasn't normal. It only further reinforced her idea that Shirou was someone special. "Are you a god or something?" She asked, wanting to know more about him. She was tempted to go with his last offer, but wasn't sure just yet.
Shirou shook his head at her question. "No, I'm a human. In fact, I'm just a simple baker most of the time. Though, as you can guess, there's a bit more to it than that." He said with a small grin. 'This guy killed a dragon and he has the audacity to call himself a simple baker?' Honestly, Thalia was a bit exasperated.
"I can see you don't believe me, but if you decide to stick around, you'll be able to see what I'm talking about. Now, while I enjoy our conversation, it's getting late and you look exhausted. You can sleep in the tent, I have a few things I have to do anyways." He said, before she saw his bowl disappear into embers.
Her eyes widened, before looking back towards Shirou, who simply smiled at her. "That was magic, wasn't it?" He nodded. "Can...could you teach me how to do things like that? If I stayed with you, would you really train me to be stronger?" She asked.
"If you wanted me to, I would. Of course, there are rules that you would have to follow. Though, we could go over that later. I was thinking about training my daughters soon anyways, so this works out." He said with a shrug. "Sleep on it, and let me know in the morning. Children need rest anyways." He said to her, before standing and grabbing his bow.
"Why would you extend such a invitation to a stranger? There has to be some kind of catch. I was taught that no one's that kind." She replied, with Shirou stopping for a moment. He turned his head and sighed.
"Believe it or not, there's no catch. I'm just a person who helps others and asks for nothing in return. A hero of justice, yeah, that used to be my dream. So, really, old habits just die hard." He said with a sad smile, before continuing to walk away. Thalia just sat back down and thought about his words.
'It couldn't be that simple, could it? Is he really just that kind?' She sighed, before looking at the tent. 'I could go to the camp, or keep traveling, but when could I get trained by a person who's killed a dragon?' She stood up and decided she would rest. 'I wonder who the mother of his children is?'
"I am the bone of my sword." Blood was coughed onto the deck of the ship, a hole in his body from the spear of Troy's greatest hero.
"Master!", "Shirou!" Voices called out to the young hero. He raised a hand up. An irritating and arrogant voice continued speaking and the young hero continued his chant.
"Steel is my body and fire is my blood." He managed to climb to his feet. "I have created over a thousand blades." A bow appeared in his hand, followed by the sword of a great hero, overflowing with more magical energy than it could hold.
"Get her, Heracles!" The blonde king cried out, with the giant monster letting out a mighty roar. The young hero nocked the sword into his bow, altering it into an oversized black arrow with a cracked blue jewel in the middle.
"Bring down the dragon. Balmung!" Heracles leaped from the Argo towards the Golden Hind, attempting to break through the many heroic spirits protecting the small purple haired goddess. All stood ready, save for four. Two pirates dressed in red and black respectively, the Last Master of Humanity, and the young hero. Each were by the young hero, worried for his safety.
The moment he jumped, the young hero let loose his mighty arrow surprising all who looked upon it. It shot forward faster than any bullet, being enveloped by blue magical energy meant to bring down dragons. In the middle of the two ships, the arrow struck true, exploding with a fury, rocking both massive ships.
The Argo and the heroes on board looked on with surprised expressions, as a massive body landed into the ocean. Without stopping, another sword was projected. It would be his last one, as he still needed to keep the two pirates supplied with mana.
He was barely conscious, but if he could protect Fujimaru and Euryale, he would fight until he fainted. 'I leave the rest to you, Asterios.' This time, he aimed at the arrogant king. Emotions could be felt, mainly hatred. Hatred on behalf of the one who helped and taught him so much in the time since he summoned her in Chaldea, Medea. "Caladbolg!"
Hestia's eyes opened. She sat up before shaking her head. 'I thought I'd be used to these dreams by now.' She let out a small sigh, looking beside her and seeing an empty space. 'He's still not back yet?' Hestia would admit to feeling lonely without Shirou around. Though, it only lasted for a short awhile.
"Momma, is daddy back yet?" Hestia looked towards the partially opened door, seeing Miyu peaking inside. She had short brownish black hair, though there was prominent red streaks that were scattered evenly throughout her hair. She had Hestia's fiery red eyes that shined brightly, even in the morning sun.
Hestia shook her head, but had a smile on her face. "Not just yet, sweetie." She replied, getting out of bed and quickly changing into some clothes. After she changed, she walked out into the hallway, where she saw her daughter waiting for her. Hestia let out a giggle. "Oh, are you being a cat today?"
"Yep!" Miyu then held her hands up towards her mom. Hestia smiled as she picked up the small girl. She was wearing a hoodie that was made to look like a black cat, complete with ears and all. She had multiple different kinds of animal hoodies and onesies. Which she wore all of the time.
The funny thing was, she wasn't forced to wear them. They were all chosen by Miyu herself. Of course, Shirou and Hestia weren't going to say no to her wearing them. In fact, the two found it kind of cute. "And are your sisters awake, yet?" Hestia decided to ask, though she knew the answer.
"Nope, I snuck out of the room while they were sleeping. Cats are sneaky like that." Hestia let out a laugh at her daughter's answer. Of the three, Miyu was perhaps the most playful of the bunch. However, there was a time that she got upset once, and Hestia saw the side of Shirou that she inherited.
Despite her having Hestia's eyes, her mannerisms and even that cold glare that Shirou had were all present in their daughter. When she got older, she was sure that Miyu would end up being an interesting young lady. That wasn't counting the fact that she was unusually sneaky.
If it wasn't for the animal themed clothes and her naturally bright and cheery nature, she was sure that Miyu would cause everyone headaches if she decided to start hiding. 'That might be my fault, now that I'm thinking about it.' She thought with a smile on her face.
She carried Miyu into the living room, sitting her down on the couch, before heading to the kitchen to begin cooking breakfast. She heard Miyu humming to herself as she began to move around the living room, probably finding things to entertain herself. 'Probably her little stuffed animals.'
'Well, the others should start waking up soon. I have a feeling that today's going to be quite interesting.' Hestia thought to herself, as she could feel her ring reacting to Shirou's. It had been six years since Shirou and her had first met in the forest. Yet, she still couldn't help but get excited whenever he returned home.
She looked at her ring while she was cooking. 'Six years since we met and five years since we had Miyu.' She looked back and saw Miyu playing with her stuffed animals with a happy smile on her face. 'I can hardly remember what life was like before.' She thought to herself, just as she could hear some movement in the house.
'Oh, well it looks like everyone's waking up.' She smiled to herself as she began to focus on cooking again. It was one of her favorite things to do, usually with Shirou, because cooking for a large group made it feel like they had a big family. 'I suppose we are kind of a family by now, aren't we?'
The snow crunched with every step taken. Shirou had to admit, he found the surrounding weather pretty nostalgic. It was nothing like Chaldea, but the snow did bring back some memories. Good memories, sad memories, and everything in-between.
He let out a hum, before coming back into the present. It had been a pretty productive five years since the Amazon incident. There weren't as many issues, save for Artemis and his 'hunts'. 'I still don't get what the point is behind it.' He thought to himself.
"Hey, are you really sure you're fine with me wearing this? Aren't you cold?" He turned his head and looked at Thalia. He stifled a small laugh, seeing the small girl walking in his coat, which was obviously too large for her. He had to admit, he was a bit thrown off by her appearance when he first saw her.
Seeing a girl in winter, dressed in a leather jacket with short, spiky black hair, some freckles, and those electric blue eyes, definitely caught him off guard. He had seen that 'rocker' or 'punk' style a few times, but to see a girl that young dressing like that was surprising.
He wouldn't judge, considering he wore his black jacket nearly all of the time. Still, he couldn't help but find the whole situation a bit strange. Then again, his luck may have been at work. "Don't worry about me, the temperature doesn't really affect me all that much." He replied to her.
"Besides, even if we're close to our destination, we could still be attacked by monsters. Despite looking like a coat, what you're wearing is actually my armor. It should keep you warm and safe, should anything happen." He continued as he kept walking.
"Oooh, so it's actually armor. That's kind of cool. Do you have other things like this?" Shirou chuckled a bit. 'What a curious child. Sort of reminds of Annabeth.'
"I do, but nothing like that armor. My jacket was a cloak that keeps my magic hidden and resists fire, then there's my scarf, though really it just makes charm effects useless and helps with strength. Besides that, my watch is a shield and you saw my spear and bow." He explained, of course, he didn't know that those were arguably cooler to Thalia than his jacket.
"Your spear and bow, I'm guessing they are like your watch?" Shirou nodded, before reaching into his pocket and tossing her the coin. His bow was a bit harder to disguise, but after modifying it, he managed to get Artemis to hide it for him in a bronze band on his wrist. 'I'm going to end up with a bunch of accessories if this keeps up.'
He heard the noise of his spear being deployed, seeing Thalia looking at it closely. "What is this made out of? I thought only certain metals could harm monsters."
"It's celestial bronze, but I coated it in the blood of that dragon from earlier. Not sure if it will have the desired effect, but it should be able to channel magic easier with the blood acting as a catalyst." He wasn't Da Vinci, Medea, or even Circe, but he did learn a lot from them.
With Muramasa's knowledge from Shimousa, he was confident that he was able to improve the spear with the chosen ingredient. 'If I had the forge Hestia and Aphrodite put in my workshop, I'd be able to create a whole new spear. Perhaps I'll use this as a test run. The girls will need weapons and such when they get older, so I need to see what works and what doesn't.'
He needed to wait until they grew up first, considering he needed to know what weapon suited them best. Though, he had a rough idea about all three. 'Annabeth will likely be able to use any weapon she wants, considering her mother.' He then heard what sounded like crackling, causing him to turn his head.
What he saw surprised him. Thalia was holding the spear and channeling lightning through it. He could see some surprise on her face, though it didn't seem to be surprise from using magic, it was more like it was surprise that it was so easy. 'Do all demigods get abilities from their divine parent? I should ask Hestia when I get back.'
"It looks like it works pretty good to me. It was a lot easier than when I try with my spear." She said as she looked up at him, with the lightning stopping as she spoke. 'She seems like a nice girl. Plus, she's the daughter of Zeus. I wouldn't want her to die, who knows what would happen.'
"Well, if you like it, you can keep it. I'm more of a swordsman anyway." He said, pointing at the sword on his belt. Thalia's eyes widened, before looking back at the spear in her hands.
"You're seriously giving it to me?" Shirou nodded.
"Why not? I can't use elemental magecra...magic anyways. Besides, I can tell that you like it. It'll keep you safe and it's better to use a weapon that's suited to you." He said, continuing onward.
"Well, I appreciate it. I'll be sure to put it to good use." She gripped the spear tightly, before it quickly reverted back into a coin. "Um, what is that sword by the way? You didn't mention it when you talking about your things earlier."
'Just another mile left.' He thought, before pulling out his sword. "Well, that's because this sword doesn't exactly belong to me." Shirou stopped for a moment, thinking about what to say. "It belonged to someone I cared about deeply." The image of Jeanne Alter flashed through his mind, causing a small smile to appear.
"Maybe I'll show you what it can do sometime. It is a rather special sword after all." He said as he admired the sword. Ever since the Amazon fiasco, Shirou had been pushing himself to learn new things, as well as balancing himself. It wasn't long after that, that he began to dual wield both versions of Jeanne's sword.
He was close with both of them, but he was a bit closer to Jeanne Alter. Her sword also allowed him to make use of his new ability to control flames. So, he ended up using her's a bit more often. Though, he also used a few others from time to time, such as Nero's sword.
It was mainly for their ability to conjure flames, though the memories they brought were a welcome plus. "Come on, we're almost there. You'll be able to rest in a real bed when we get there." He said, sheathing his sword.
"Um, will your wife really be okay with you bringing me back with you?" Thalia asked him, causing him to laugh.
"Trust me, she'll be fine with it. She's a very family oriented person after all." He replied, knowing his wife's disposition. 'She'll likely be surprised, but she'll be glad that I brought her with me. Thalia is technically her niece anyways.' He thought with a smile.
Thalia was amazed by Shirou. She was asking a lot of questions, sure, but he answered each one without a care in the world. She was expecting him to answer some of them, but not all of them. In fact, he looked like he was used to answering questions all of the time.
It made her curious. She had been wanting to ask about who the divine parent of his children was, but she hadn't actually gotten up the nerve to do it. She knew that most gods left their lover after the child was born, leaving the loved one to become heartbroken or bitter.
Shirou didn't appear to be either, at least not until he mentioned the sword. Though, something told her that the sword wasn't related to a god. Then again, she didn't want to bring up any bad memories. She was attempting to be on her best behavior, but a part of her wanted to just say screw it.
She had a feeling that Shirou wouldn't mind either, but still, he was essentially taking her in, so she was trying to be respectful. She would admit to being a bit excited though. She hadn't met another demigod besides her brother. So, getting to meet others like herself would be a new experience.
She asked a few other questions, minor questions, until they reached a cabin in the woods. She was a bit perplexed, but Shirou assured her that the cabin was simply a waypoint. When they entered, she could tell that it was well maintained, with Shirou telling her that it was used as a retreat for his family.
Though, its real purpose laid in the ability it possessed. He grabbed ahold of her shoulder before he held a hand out towards the flame of the hearth, before her vision swam. When she regained her bearings, they were in a totally different location. She had to stop herself from throwing up from the suddenness of it.
"Yeah, that's a typical reaction. It took me forever to get used to teleportation. It'll get easier when you get used to it." He said, patting her on the head. She let out a groan at his words, though that only caused him to chuckle. "Take a moment to regain your bearings, then we'll head inside the house."
'That was the worst.' She thought to herself, trying to ignore her stomach still turning. She looked around, causing her eyes to widen when she noticed what was around her. It wasn't the forge, nor all of the tools and workstations. It was everything else.
The place looked like an armory or treasury. There were multiple swords, staffs, and weapons hanging on the wall of all different makes. There was other items that obviously held importance, a pirate hat, two french flags, a blue and white haori, and many other things. It was the most amazing sight she had ever seen.
One of the tables near a wall was filled with other garments, like shrouds and such. On the wall were multiple skull masks of differing varieties along with other types of masks, in particular some fox masks. Though, she was drawn to a certain sword that hung in the middle of all the skull masks.
"Most are just replicas made with normal steel." She heard Shirou say, causing her to look over at him. He was looking at a few of the weapons himself. "Though, some are genuine fakes that I created." He said, moving his hand across the blade of a red katana, causing flames to appear where he moved it.
She noticed two others just above it, though something told her that they were different blades for different wielders. She could see a sense of nostalgia in his eyes when he looked upon the weapons. She watched him walk over towards the two french flags, before placing his sword on the wall next to a silver version of it.
"There are only a few people allowed in here, but I'll make an exception this once." He said with a small smile, before walking towards the door. "Come on, spending too much time on memories is never good." Just before he reached the door, he stopped. "Also, try not to be intimidated by anything you see."
That caused her to look at him with a puzzled expression, but she nodded her head. She was the daughter of Zeus, so there wasn't much that could do that. She figured he was just being nice and considerate, but decided to play along. 'If there was anything I'd be intimidated by, it'd be you.' She kept that to herself though.
Shirou took a deep breath, before opening the door and walked out into a yard. Thalia could see the house and the town the moment he opened the door, so she figured this was his home. She watched him walk out of the building, before she heard something that caused her to jump. "Daddy, catch me!"
Shirou turned around quickly and extend his arms, catching a laughing child in his arms. Thalia noticed how natural it was, but the thing she saw that really caught her off guard, even though it was a minute detail, was how happy Shirou seemed. It wasn't anything about his look, he just seemed brighter.
He had a smile on his face as he held the young child up in the air, where Thalia saw a young girl with dark hair with red streaks and fiery red eyes laughing and smiling. She was dressed in blue jeans, winter boots, and a black hoodie that resembled a cat.
"Oh, well look at that, you're dressed as a cat today." He said, causing Thalia to tilt her head a bit, wondering if he was going to disregard her jumping from the roof of his armory/forge building. The young girl simply smiled at his words, causing him to shake his head.
"Now, I'm sure you know how mommy feels about you jumping around like that. We talked about this, what would happen if I didn't catch you?" He asked, bringing her closer to him. The girl continued to grin at his question.
"But, daddy'll always catch me." She watched Shirou have a slightly pained smile at that answer. He let out a sigh, before he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.
"Yeah, I guess I will, but still." Shirou let out a nervous laugh. "Well, as long as your mom doesn't find out you did it again, I suppose we're both okay for now. But, no telling your mom, or we'll both get in trouble, okay?" The girl nodded her head, "Good, now let's go inside, it's too cold for you to be out here."
"But I feel fine." Was her reply, causing Thalia to wonder if being resistant to the cold was a family thing. Shirou looked at her before shaking his head, causing the girl to let out a small huff, before noticing her. "Oh, who're you?" Shirou looked back at Thalia, for a moment, before looking at his daughter.
"Her name's Thalia, she's going to be staying with us for awhile. Thalia, this is my eldest daughter, Miyu." Thalia had to admit, her fiery red eyes intrigued her, as they were essentially the same as her electric blue eyes. Thalia simply smiled at the young girl and waved. Miyu seemed to stare at her for a moment, before she smiled and waved back.
Thalia couldn't help but feel like she was looking for something when she did that, but couldn't imagine what it was. It reminded her of when Shirou looked at her at his camp. "Is everyone home?" He asked Miyu as he continued walking towards the house.
Miyu hummed for a moment. "I think Auntie Zoe, Auntie Mia, and Auntie Caroline are working." Thalia giggled at Miyu's expression, since she looked like she was trying to remember a bit too hard. "Oh, but mommy said they would come home soon." She said with a big nod.
"That's good, because I plan on making something really good for everyone today. And maybe, I just might have some presents for three certain little girls. If they've been good, that is." He then let Miyu down, though Thalia could see the excitement on her face. "Now, go get your sisters while I go see your mom."
Miyu quickly turned around and darted off into the house. She was pretty quick for her age, which was surprising. She heard Shirou let out a small chuckle, before he motioned for her to follow again.
The moment they entered the house, Thalia noticed that it seemed to be a mix of a normal American home and a Japanese style house. She had to admit, it gave off a very warm and loving feel. She had seen Japanese houses from some magazines and movies, but it was so cool to see one.
She copied Shirou, taking off her boots at the entrance, before noticing that wood floor was actually warm. "Oh, that's so cool. It feels warm." She said out loud, with Shirou letting out a hum.
"Yeah, they're heated floors. I had them installed last year. I have some needy occupants, so I'm constantly adding on to the house, but I'm glad you like it." Thalia had to admit, Shirou was so different from her own father that it felt like she was in another world.
Even the way he interacted with Miyu was different. She didn't know if Shirou was simply putting up a front or something, but the moment she saw him with his daughter, she realized that Shirou wasn't acting. He was straightforward, kind, and gentle, but she knew that was only a part of him.
She knew that there was more to him, considering everything else she had seen. However, that didn't make what she saw so far fake. That's why she was so puzzled. She had heard that beings like them weren't capable of a normal life, yet, Shirou was proving that it was possible to balance out those two lives.
As she was thinking, she heard a beautiful and gentle voice call out in excitement. "Shirou!" Thalia snapped out of her thoughts and looked towards Shirou, who was already turning and caught the woman who called out to him, who had jumped into his arms. Thalia couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu.
Thalia couldn't help but be entranced at the woman who appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties, much like Shirou, though, she could tell this was obviously his wife. She was a beauty unlike any she had seen before, yet, it was more of a natural and gentle beauty, like a flower. Her wide smile was warm and inviting and she had a sweet scent, like toasted marshmallows.
She had medium long brown hair, with ringlets framing her face. She was wearing a simple brown dress with a blue jean jacket and black tights. Thalia felt a bit jealous at how beautiful the woman was, but that was when she saw the woman's eyes. They were fiery red, just like Miyu's. 'She's a goddess!'
"And you wonder where Miyu gets her bad habits from." He said to her, with her letting out a small giggle. "You already know what I'm going to say, don't you?"
"Of course, but I know you'll always catch me, dear." The goddess then jumped down from his arms, before hugging him regularly. "I'm glad you're back home safely. Did you run into any problems?"
"I got a little banged up, but nothing too major. Artemis fixed up any wounds I had by giving me some of that moon water. I just had to guard the spoils while her hunters disassembled it. Apparently, she'll be dropping by later to give me my shares." He replied, though the goddess was looking at him closely, before she smiled.
"Good, because if you were lying about your injuries, then I might have to resort to drastic measures again." What she said caused Shirou to shiver a bit, which caused Thalia to wonder what that was. Of course, her mind was still reeling about the fact that Shirou was married to a goddess. One who hadn't left after his daughter was born.
'Actually, he had three daughters. So, she's been here long enough to have three daughters with him? Gods don't usually do that.' She thought to herself, a bit puzzled. "Oh, and who might you be little one?" Thalia flinched, before seeing the goddess smiling at her.
She opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't manage to make any noise. She hadn't actually met any god other than her father. While the goddess radiated a kind aura, Thalia couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed. That was when a warm feeling came over her, causing her to calm down. 'Whoa, what happened?'
She shook her head, before focusing on the goddess again. "My name's Thalia. Mr. Shirou invited me here. He said he could train me and give me a place to stay, since I ran away from home." She couldn't help but feel some sadness at the end of her sentence. Though, she felt better when she felt her gentle hand on her head.
"Well, I'm glad he did. You can stay here as long you want, Thalia. My name's Hestia, your dad's older sister. It's very nice to meet you." Thalia felt her eyes widen at her name, but felt like it was appropriate. It made sense why she felt the way she did, as well as Shirou's pleasant aura.
Though, what really threw her for a loop, was that Hestia was married to a man and had a daughter. Of the three virgin goddesses, she knew that Artemis and Hestia were renowned for never having children or getting married. Yet, here she was. 'Shirou married Hestia? I knew he was special. I made the right choice.'
"Thank you, Aunt Hestia. I don't know what else to say, other than thank you. And, maybe that it's surprising that you're Shirou's wife." The moment the words left her mouth, Hestia let out a small chuckle.
"Oh, I know it must be quite the surprise. It's been a secret between the virgin goddesses for awhile, and one other goddess, so do try to keep it a secret. Perhaps I may even tell you the story of how the two of us met. My daughters love to hear that story." Thalia couldn't help but smile at Hestia's bright demeanor.
"Oh, darling!" Thalia heard a voice call out, this one was a playful and seductive type voice, the opposite of Hestia's. Yet, Thalia couldn't help but feel a genuineness to the tone of her voice. She turned and saw another sight that made her feel jealous.
She noticed a slight twitch to Hestia's eye the moment she heard the voice, but she maintained the smile on her face. The woman that appeared and darted toward Shirou was arguably the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life, though Hestia was close. Of course, she was ten, but her mother was once an actress.
Yet, even if her mother was in her prime, this woman blew her out of the water. She had long legs, an hourglass figure, her body was well toned like an athlete, her skin was perfect, her face was divine and had a innocence that also felt seductive. She had blue eyes like clear pools of water and beautiful long blonde hair.
She seemed like the type to wear makeup, yet, the woman seemed to only be wearing the bear minimum amount of makeup, yet, it seemed to enhance her more natural features, bringing out even more beauty than normal. It was very annoying. She had a bright and cheerful smile that would captivate anyone, including her father.
Her scent was sweet and flowery, like a perfume of flowers. If love had a scent, Thalia felt like it would smell like her. This led her to the conclusion that this woman was Aphrodite. Yet, what she read and heard about her, especially from her father, didn't match up to the woman in front of her.
The woman in front of her was dressed in a beautiful and immaculate pink and black kimono with flower designs. Her outfit seemed to show off her features perfectly, though it wasn't overt like she expected, though she still seemed to show off a bit of her chest. To top it off, she had a long pink bow that tied up her ponytail.
Thalia expected a seductress dressed in either a white greek style dress, or a tight red dress that showed up her impressive figure. Granted, what she was wearing still did that, to an extent, however, it was insanely different from what she expected. To see Aphrodite not showing off was unimaginable to her.
However, that was when Thalia realized what she had called Shirou. 'She just called him Darling.' She was a bit stunned. She turned to Shirou, expecting him to be lovestruck like all other men, but remembered his scarf. 'He's immune to her powers because of his scarf! I wonder who made it for him?'
Shirou turned and shot her a gentle smile, one that seemed to be customary for him. Aphrodite then wrapped her arms around his neck before jumping up, causing Shirou to catch her in a princess carry. Thalia could feel like her jaw was dropping, but managed to stop it. She then heard a small groan from Hestia.
"Why didn't I make him catch me like that?" Her words were soft and like a whisper, but Thalia still heard them. 'Wait, are both of them...?' Thalia thought to herself, before she heard Aphrodite continue.
"Everyone missed you, Shirou, though Ophelia and me missed you the most." She said while winking at him. Shirou let out a small sigh, before letting out an amused huff.
"Is that right? I know little Lia missed me, but I'm skeptical about a certain goddess of love. What do you think, Hestia? I personally think someone's trying to charm me for a certain reason, that may or may not involve certain sweets I may have prepared before." He said with a small smirk.
Hestia giggled at Shirou, with Thalia seeing a pouty expression on Aphrodite's face. "I think I remember her mentioning something about cookies and cake while you were gone, though I can't be too sure." Aphrodite let out a small gasp.
"You promised you wouldn't tell him about that, traitor! Well, you know what, Hestia cooked that special meat while you were gone, because she gave into Miyu's demands, even though I told her not to." 'Seriously?' Thalia thought to herself. Though, she noticed Hestia stiffen slightly.
"Oh, is that so?" Shirou replied with a raised brow. "The A5 beef I was saving for a special occasion?" She noticed a satisfied smirk on Aphrodite's face, who was still in Shirou's arms. She nodded her head quickly, though Hestia only narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, you want to go there, Dite?." Aphrodite looked a bit worried, before she stuck her tongue out at Hestia.
Shirou's laugh then cut off the two goddesses, with him shaking his head. "I wasn't expecting you two to actually get serious. Just calm down, you're starting to scare our guest." The two women turned and looked at Thalia, noticing that she was a bit frozen, before looking at themselves.
"See, just tone it down a bit, or wait until there's no one around. I don't want a repeat of last time." He further added, before gently lowering Aphrodite to the ground. Thalia noticed the two had slightly guilty faces as their aura began to calm down.
"Now, that you've calmed down. I missed you two as well, and don't worry about all that other stuff. I already have some replacement meat coming, and I'll just have to bake a few more sweets with a little help." As he said that, three children ran into room and surrounded Shirou, with him kneeling down and being jumped on by all of them.
One was obviously Miyu, who had climbed onto his back. The other two were picked up with a single arm each. One was dressed similar to Miyu, though she wore a simple t-shirt instead of an animal hoodie. She had blonde hair that was visible underneath a baseball cap and steel colored eyes.
The third daughter had red hair like her father, and golden brown eyes with pink coloring in the middle of them. She was dressed like a small princess, with a knee length black dress and a long sleeve dress and her hair done up in pigtails with red bows. Thalia guessed that she was Ophelia.
It was obvious that they were all happy to see Shirou, which was nice to see. Especially considering that he seemed happy to be around them. Thalia would admit to feeling jealous. It was obviously possible for half-bloods to have a happy family, so why wasn't there any?
If the gods were capable of it, then why didn't they try? She knew there were rules, but obviously, Hestia and Aphrodite found a way to get around it. There had to be a reason. Or were the gods simply that untrustworthy? She then felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up, seeing Hestia giving her a comforting smile.
"I know that it's overwhelming and that it doesn't make much sense, but I promise, I'll answer any questions you may have. So, feel free to ask me anything, okay?" Thalia had to admit, Hestia really lived up to the stories her dad told her. She really was gentle and kind. "But first, you should get cleaned up. We'll have plenty of time to talk after."
'Shirou Emiya accomplished a feat that not many people have been able to do by themselves. He managed to actually hunt down the rogue dragon and killed it without harming most of the materials.' Artemis was walking through a temple, towards a very particular place.
'He did all of this as a human. I had high expectations, but even I'm amazed by his accomplishments. So, hopefully, his reward will be finished and I can present it to him. Perhaps I'll be able to see the little ones if I'm lucky.' She smiled to herself, before finally arriving to her destination.
Admittedly, she had grown quite attached to Shirou's daughters, even Ophelia, but Miyu in particular. Miyu was quite special, even more special than Hestia and Shirou knew, but Artemis could sense it. 'Perhaps, I should think about getting something for them.' She nodded to herself, deciding to think on what would be appropriate as she entered the divine forge of Hephaestus.
Thalia was amazed at how good the food was, as well as how comfortable the home felt in general. She had also met the other occupants, two huntresses of Artemis named Mia and Zoe, along with Caroline, a daughter of Aphrodite who was attending college and working with Shirou at his bakery, which was still unbelievable.
Everything about the home she was staying in went against everything she thought she knew about gods and the supernatural. The home itself seemed to be a sort of safe haven for any who wandered there. She figured that it had to do with the fact that Hestia was there.
As she was waiting for either Hestia or Shirou, she began to watch the daughters move about the house. They all had their own little quirks, though she supposed it made them easy to identify. Ophelia for example, loved to play with dolls. She liked to dress them up and place them around the room.
Miyu was similar in a way, playing with stuffed animals and even fixing up older ones with thread. Oddly enough, she would do the same as Ophelia, placing them around in different positions, according to the second daughter, Annabeth. She was surprised to learn she was a daughter of Athena, though after watching her, she could see why.
She rarely saw the child without a book of some kind. She seemed to have a fascination for stories and art and was rather smart. Though, this fascination for stories seemed to extend to all three, as they seemed to be moving the dolls and stuffed animals around to make a scene of some kind.
Once they were done, they would take a picture of it, before moving onto another one. Thalia couldn't see any real rhyme or reason behind the scenes, but could tell they were still frames from some kind of story with how they were set up. Once the picture was produced, Annabeth would take the picture and place it into another book.
It was interesting to watch them move about. This didn't seem like an everyday thing, as she figured the book holding the pictures would be larger, but it did seem like something that happened every once in awhile. As was watching, Hestia appeared next to her.
"It's interesting to watch them, isn't it?" She spoke quietly, obviously not wanting to interrupt the children. Thalia could only nod to her question. "Shirou often spends his nights watching them. Though, like tonight, there are times when he misses a few nights." She said with a smile on her face.
"I was about to ask about him, actually." Considering everything, she was actually a bit surprised that she hadn't seen or spoken with him that much since arriving.
"Ah, he's alright, he's just resting. Shirou's great at many things, but taking care of himself is not one of them. So, it usually falls on Dite and me to do that. But, he's gotten better over the years. So, I figured I'd come and talk to you in his place."
"Well, he pretty much explained everything on the way here, but I just realized that he downplayed a lot of it." Thalia replied, with Hestia letting out a sigh.
"Yes, he does that. Shirou's a bit unique, his sense of awe and pride are a bit out of whack. I'm sure he didn't think the hunt Artemis planned for him was a big deal either, despite it still being a noteworthy achievement. I blame his friends." The last bit was said under her breath, but Thalia still heard it, causing her to wonder who Shirou's friends were.
"Shirou's a special person, isn't he?" Hestia tilted her head at her question. "There was something different about him. Even when compared to you and my dad. He feels different. I had a feeling the moment I noticed the light he made, that I had to find him." As Thalia was speaking, Hestia paid close attention to her words.
"I believe that he is special, but I also married him, so I'm biased. Shirou is a human that should be considered as what a human can be. He has flaws, he isn't perfect and he isn't all powerful, as evidenced by why I have him asleep in his room. However, he is someone who acknowledges these things and runs forward all the same."
Thalia saw Hestia looked toward the girls, who were currently laughing as Annabeth was reading something from her book. "Shirou was a hero when I met him. Oddly enough, just being human, being a normal man, was difficult for him. There are many things I could tell you about him, but the most important thing I can tell you is this."
"You won't regret coming with him. I think that you can learn a lot from him, things that will make you a better person as well as a better hero. I'm guessing you'll be going to camp when you are old enough, yes?" Thalia nodded resolutely. "Then you have everything to gain. You'll learn soon enough, just what he can teach you."
Shirou managed to wake up in time to tell his children a story before they went to bed, despite still being groggy. It was the more child friendly version of Alice in Wonderland, which they all seemed to like. Thalia was sharing a room with them, since they had an open bed on Ophelia's bunkbed.
"Pst, Thalia, are you awake?" She recognized it as Miyu's voice, causing her to turn in her bed to see what she wanted. To her surprise, she saw Miyu sitting at the foot of her bed, with a small fuzzy ball on her lap. She thought it was one of her plush animals, but when it moved, that hope was dashed.
"Miyu, what is that? Do your parents know about that thing?" She asked, considering she hadn't seen a pet wandering about. It was a white fuzzy animal, though, she realized that was its tail. Miyu nodded, before picking up the animal and holding it up with a bright smile on her face.
Miyu was wearing a orange fox onesie pajamas, which Thalia found fitting. "This is Inari. She's my best friend. We all play hide and seek together with her. I wanted to show you to her, that way she doesn't get scared." In her hands was a small white fox with a fluffy tail. "You want to hold her? She's really fluffy."
Thalia eyed the small animal, noticing how docile it was. She reached out and it allowed her to hold it. "Daddy said that white foxes usually had something to do with a goddess from Japan, so he said it was okay to keep her. We named her Inari after her. Ana has a owl and Lia has a dove, so daddy said it was okay."
"I see. She is a cute fox. You said that, uh..." Thalia paused. 'What do I call Shirou? Mr.? Sir?' She hummed, before deciding on something. "Uncle Shirou said they were associated with Japan? That's interesting. Does he talk about Japan a lot?" Miyu shook her head.
"Not really. He only shares stories or mentions people from there, like daddy's friends. He also talks about heroes. My favorite is the story Tamo, or Ushi, or maybe Martha. Daddy said Martha was almost as pretty as mommy. I hope I'll be as pretty as mommy like she was. Maybe I can meet Auntie Ritsuka too."
Thalia just sat and listened as she continued to talk excitedly about whatever she wanted. Though, she was interested in everything she said, considering Shirou seemed to know a lot about heroes and other things. "I like Nightingale's stories." She heard Annabeth's voice add in, seeing her peeking up onto her top bunk.
"I also like the stories about Francis Drake, Boudica, and Arash." She finished, before making her way up and next to Miyu. She turned and seemed to grab ahold of something, before revealing Ophelia, who she was helping up. "Helping others and adventuring to new places."
The little fox then jumped from her lap and ran to Ophelia, who picked her up and held her close. "Um, I-I, like Alice in Wonderland." She paused, before looking down. "I, um, like Bryn...Brynhil...Brynhildr, and uh, stories with knights and p-princesses." She managed to squeak out.
"See, you can say it without our help. You're getting much better, Lia." Miyu said while petting her head like a little animal. Ophelia seemed to shrink a bit, but Thalia could see a happy smile on her face. 'How strange, I thought a daughter of Aphrodite would be more outgoing.'
"Ophelia isn't so great around new people. She tends to get shy easily." Annabeth whispered to her. "So, what about you? Do you have any stories that you like?" She asked, catching her off guard a bit. She smiled in reply, before attempting to think about stories she may have heard.
Shirou smiled to himself, before heading back to his room. 'It's nice that they're getting along. Though, Thalia really is in for a long night. I just can't bring myself to make them go to sleep.' He thought while rubbing the back of his head. He let out a sigh, before heading back to his room.
When he returned and laid back down, he was reminded of the feeling of home. A part of him knew that he wouldn't have to worry about the children sneaking into the room in the middle of the night. Which was a bit sad, all things considered. Though, if it meant they became friends with Thalia, he was fine with it.
Hestia's sleeping face rested beside him. There were still a few times he expected to wake up inside of Chaldea, or even back in Fuyuki. The fact he was expecting the dream to end at any point probably wasn't healthy, but he couldn't help it.
Children, a wife, others that loved him, it was all so bizarre, even now. He moved the hair from Hestia's face, letting him get a better look at her. A small smile appeared on his face. 'It seems that I can't help but feel a bit guilty.' He then decided to get some rest, considering his schedule was likely going to be busy.
Morning training was the usual routine for Shirou Emiya. Most of the time, he woke up long before anyone else. Though, there was one exception. That exception was Aphrodite. Ever since she had decided to stay with him and Hestia, she had begun to observe him closely, wanting to see more of what made him special.
It was mainly curiosity, but Shirou continued to treat her normally. Rather, he seemed to ignore her usual attempts of charming him, only responding when she was simply being herself. It was strange, meeting a man who didn't seem to care about her beauty.
'He did mention being used to handling people with strong personalities, but he seemed almost a bit too comfortable.' Aphrodite thought to herself as she watched Shirou on his morning run through the town. She had no real reason to continue watching him, but she had grown accustomed to it.
Ever since she had Ophelia, the need to grow closer to Shirou had settled. Rather, it felt like just being around him and Ophelia did more than if she was to constantly be around him. She let out a small hum. She had expected to have a child with Shirou after Hestia and him had one the old fashioned way, but that wasn't the case.
Unknown to Aphrodite, but Shirou was accustomed to bonding with servants like Aphrodite. But, even he was surprised when he felt a familiar warm feeling in his soul when Aphrodite ambushed him during Christmas time underneath a mistletoe she had hung up in his house. It was nothing more than a simple kiss, but it did the trick.
Hestia scolded her for a bit after that, but it wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be. Though, Shirou looked very guilty for a long time after that. However, he was still happy when he saw Ophelia. She looked a lot like Shirou, but her current features were there too.
She didn't know if Shirou loved her like he loved Hestia. She wanted him to, but understood if he didn't. He was married to Hestia and had known her the longest. The two even fit together perfectly. But, she told herself that it was alright, as long as she was able to have just a fraction of what they had, she would be happy.
Besides, she realized that her past may not make her an ideal partner in that sense. Then there was the fact that Ares was a sore subject. She had distanced herself from him the moment Shirou wiped out those Amazons, but still. He was likely reminded of him when he looked at her.
She let out a sigh. 'No, it's fine. I'm happy with where I'm at. I have Ophelia and everyone's a big family. I haven't had to deal with all of the drama on Olympus in years, and I'm closer with Hestia now.' She nodded to herself, before looking back towards Shirou, who had finished his run.
She watched him make his way to the back of the house, where he sat on the porch in a meditative position. "You know, you could always join me instead of just watching." Aphrodite's eyes widened a bit, before she appeared next to him.
"How did you know I was there? I know your sense of smell is inhuman, but I'm pretty sure I hid myself well enough." She asked with her hands on her hips.
"Removing one's presence completely is easier said than done. In your case, there are slight changes in the air where you are. It would be unnoticeable to most, but one of my friends wore a blindfold and fought with it. Enhancing her senses, one could say that she was able to see better without eyesight."
"Are you saying you learned how to do that?" She asked, taking a seat next to him. She saw a small smirk on his face.
"Not to the same extent yet, but yes. Besides, I've gotten used to you. Like Hestia, I'm pretty sure I could find your presence within the town if I needed to. I still need to concentrate to do so, but I could do it." He replied, before opening his eyes and looking at her.
"Are you okay, Dite?" He asked with a genuine expression of worry. She was surprised by his question, but held herself together.
"I am. There's no need to worry about me, Shirou." She responded with a smile. Though, she had a feeling that Shirou wasn't fully buying it. He was getting more perceptive as the years went on.
Shirou let out a hum. "Well, I know that Ophelia likes to watch movies. Perhaps we can find a movie that the three us might enjoy. I'm sure that she'd like to spend time with the two of us." He said with a nervous smile on his face. This time, she was surprised.
Shirou had often humored her attempts and even listened to some of her requests, but this was the first time that Shirou had actually suggested something himself. Not only that, it was the first time he suggested something himself, while only mentioning her and Ophelia.
"I think that she would really like that. Yeah, perhaps I'll let her know in case anything catches her eye." She replied, a bit of red on her cheeks. Shirou let out a small hum.
"Was there anything that was bothering you? I'm a pretty good listener, if nothing else." Aphrodite looked at him with a small smile.
"Not really. I think I'm okay for now. Though, perhaps the two of us could have a nice chat sometime today?" It was an excuse, but she knew that Shirou wouldn't say anything even if he knew it was.
"Of course. Just let me know when." Aphrodite couldn't help but be drawn by his gentle smile. She looked at his blue scarf around his neck. She was surprised that he had worn it everyday since receiving it from her. It was a gift that she was more than happy to give him.
When she found out that Shirou had gifts from everyone he had met, barring maybe Artemis by technicality, she wanted to give him something. However, she couldn't think of anything that would benefit him like the others. So, she made a counter to her and any other love powers out there.
Plus, she would be able to tell what Shirou would be like without having to resist her powers. To her surprise, he was the same, with some minor differences. Of course, she wasn't so selfish as to design it after herself. She added in things alluding to Hestia, Athena, and even Artemis.
Though, it did have a hidden function that she hadn't told Shirou about. She was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to find out about it by just analyzing it, since it was an aspect of her power and domain. She knew that he had the divine flame of the sacred hearth, so she decided to give him something of equal value.
She smiled sweetly at Shirou, thinking about what Shirou would think about it when he used her power. She felt butterflies in her stomach when she saw Shirou's face slightly redden at her smile. 'You always give me feelings of pure love without any lust. You desire to make me smile, that's what makes you happy. What a strange man you are, Shirou.'
Funny enough, Aphrodite continued with her normal routine of watching Shirou train, often asking him questions every once in awhile, that he was more than happy to answer. He wasn't doing what he normally did, but that was mainly to show that he was trying to 'take it easy'.
He had to shower and clean up afterwards, before making his way back to his room. Aphrodite did the same, both for the same reason. Shirou laid back in the bed before seeing Hestia's eyes looking directly into his. A soft smile appeared on her face, one that he had seen many times, yet he still couldn't help but be blown away by it.
On time, the door to his room opened slowly and quietly. It was the usual, official, start to his day. Miyu would sneak into the room and she would usually wake him up, which hadn't changed. He was actually happy for the routine.
Shirou smiled back at Hestia, before he felt Miyu hop onto the bed and gently shake his body, causing him to turn his head around and see Miyu looking at him with her fiery red eyes. Judging from the way they were glowing and the light in them seemed to be dancing, he would guess that she was excited.
Shirou placed a finger over his lips, telling her to stay quiet, which she imitated with a smile. He made a movement with his hand, telling her to wait for him. She held up her hand in a little salute, though, considering she was wearing a lion costume, he couldn't help but chuckle a bit as she ran off into the hall.
"What a cute little daughter we have." He heard Hestia say lightly. He hummed and laid his head back down. "Though, I suppose that's true about all of them. Hmm, I wonder if they're like that because of you?" Shirou then felt her lay her head on his chest.
"Not sure there's many 'cute' things about me, dear, but I'm flattered you think so." He said with a small grin, though Hestia only hummed.
"I don't know, a child dreaming of being a hero and doing his best to help others is pretty cute. Though, a certain someone tends to take that a bit too far sometimes." 'Yeah, suppose I deserve that.' "But, still, you underestimate how much your girls take after you."
"Maybe, though, Miyu reminds me more of you. She's expressive and happy. It's nice to see." He replied, before looking up at the ceiling. "Well, do you want to cook breakfast with me today?" Hestia hummed for a moment in contemplation.
"I would like to, though, I think I should start taking it easy." She replied, looking at him with a grin. Of course, Shirou didn't understand what she meant. Hestia couldn't help but let out small chuckle at his cluelessness. "You've been gone for a week, so I wanted to tell you when you got home, but Thalia changed my plans."
Shirou raised a brow, as Hestia popped up and moved herself on top of him, looking down at him. 'There's the redness on her cheeks.' He thought, seeing it beginning to form, despite the smile on her face. 'No matter how far our relationship grows, it seems she's still bashful.' "I don't mind the aggressiveness, but you know Miyu's still waiting in the hall right?"
Hestia hit him playfully on the chest with her blush worsening. "Hush, that's not what I'm doing." She then took a deep breath, before grabbing his hand and placing it on her stomach. He immediately felt a faint connection there. He realized what that meant. Before he could say anything he felt her fall onto him while wrapping her arms around his neck.
"We finally did it, after trying for so long!" Shirou nearly let out a small sigh, 'We haven't been trying for that long, you're just impatient.' Of course, he wasn't going to say that. For a moment, a scene flashed before his eyes, but Shirou forced it away. 'Stop. I'm not letting that ruin the moment.'
Shirou then moved around, before using his strength to stand up from their bed, being careful to hold onto Hestia. Though, he didn't really need to, considering she was stuck to him like glue. He was glad that she was excited. Though, he was also a bit excited if he was honest.
"Isn't that great, Shirou?" She asked, looking at him with a large smile and some tears in her eyes. After looking into her bright red eyes, Shirou couldn't help but remember the first time he had seen her smile. There was no smile as pure and beautiful as Hestia's. He wanted to make sure that she never lost it.
He responded with a small smile of his own. "Yes it is. I know your mom will be ecstatic when she hears it. Not to mention, a certain love goddess." Hestia began to laugh. "Though, I'm pretty excited myself, despite my calm demeanor."
"You can fool everyone but me, dear. Or, did you perhaps forget who I am? Your emotions are all over the place, but not like last time. This time, they're positive emotions. I'm proud of you, Shirou." She said to him, before placing a kiss on his cheek. "And, I love you, my dear husband."
Shirou rubbed the back of his head. "Sometimes, you catch me off guard. But, this time, I was expecting it, dear Hestia." Hestia's eyes widened, before she pouted. "But, I love you too." He said with a smile.
Of course, Shirou couldn't stay with his wife forever, since he still needed to cook breakfast. So, after a few more words, Shirou met his daughter in the hallway, waiting impatiently for him. Shirou laughed, being reminded of Hestia's pouty face. After carrying her to the living room, Shirou began making breakfast for everyone.
Shirou was excited for dinnertime, considering Hestia and him were going to tell everyone about the baby. Plus, he was excited to be able to make a delicious dinner. He used Thalia as his guinea pig the night they met, and it seemed to work. 'Dragon meat really is delicious. I'm glad she thought so too, otherwise saving the meat would have been pointless.'
He smiled, being happy about the fact that he'll be able to make a dinner he's been looking forward to for awhile. He hummed happily, as Thalia appeared next to him, watching him closely. "You like to cook." She said simply. He knew it wasn't a question.
"I do. It's one of the things that I have personally enjoyed since I was young. Everyone needs a hobby, after all. At least, that's what Hestia told me." He replied, offering a gentle smile to her. "What about you? If you don't have one yet, then that's okay. You'll find it one day."
"I don't know if I'd say I have one yet. Training, or listening to music maybe?" Shirou raised a brow at her words.
"Well, there's plenty of ways to make training a hobby. Archery, martial arts, and things like that. Music could turn into one, depending on what shape it takes. Learning and instrument or collecting records. Either way, I'm sure you'll find a hobby. Though, I'll also say, don't rush it. It's best to find something you enjoy."
Shirou had to admit, he felt like an old man talking to her like he was. "Though, I noticed that you seem to be watching me pretty closely." He said, causing Thalia to look at him with an embarrassed expression. "You can help me, if you want."
"Can I?" She asked with slightly starry eyes. Shirou chuckled a bit, before nodding. 'I wonder if she had to cook for herself? Then again, she did mention leaving home. A shame she didn't have the chance to have a mother like I did. Then again, mother was an acquired taste.' He thought to himself.
Shirou enjoyed himself while cooking breakfast. It had been awhile since he had such an enjoyable time cooking with someone that wasn't Hestia or Aphrodite. Sadly, his daughters hadn't shown any interest in cooking, though Ophelia did seem a bit interested in baking. So, that was a plus, even though she was still young.
'I wonder if that's why she led her to me. Despite Hera acting like a typical wife who hates her husbands children with other women, I know that she does possess a slight soft spot for them. As if a young girl could see through my bounded fields, I know better. Hera, you better have some answers when I see you again.' He sighed to himself.
After having breakfast, and seeing everyone getting along, Shirou realized that he should probably see what Thalia knew about combat. 'It's the whole reason she's here in the first place.' Shirou had to admit, he was kind of looking forward to it. He had always been the student, never the teacher.
He had to admit, despite being ten years old, Thalia had some very intimidating eyes. Her blue eyes seemed to almost glow when she focused. 'She's a natural born warrior. Interesting.' He had given her a wooden sword, since he didn't want to end up getting accidentally electrocuted.
"Alright, let's see what you've got. Shall we?" He said, holding his sword ready. Thalia narrowed her eyes, before charging forward and began to attack him. Shirou watched her movements closely, parrying and dodging her blows. 'Hmm, no real set style, which is expected. Though, she does at least know how to swing the sword properly.'
She then swung her sword, which he blocked, but Thalia quickly attempted to kick his leg out as the blades clashed. Shirou saw it and merely took a step back while pushing his sword forward and pushing her back. 'Huh, she's pretty good for a child. She has good instincts and she's not afraid to try something new to win.'
He noticed she was actually speeding up a bit, with her strength increasing as they continued. 'Okay, you can attack, but let's see how well you can defend.' Changing his grip and stance, he went on the offensive, catching Thalia off guard. However, her surprise only lasted for a moment, as she quickly ducked underneath his attack.
Shirou quickly followed with another attack, which Talia managed to roll away from. He could see her footwork was pretty good, though he knew that part of it had to do with the demigods ADHD they born with. This time, she began to block his attacks, likely checking how much strength he was putting into it.
Shirou couldn't help but grin at how well she was doing. With no real training, other than maybe being taught the basics of how to swing a sword, she was doing pretty well. Of course, he wasn't trying to hurt her. He just wanted to see what she knew. Shirou swung his sword, which Thalia blocked and parried before trying to flow with her parry and slash his stomach.
Shirou would admit to being surprised, however, he simply tossed his sword to his offhand and blocked her attack, before quickly using his free hand to disarm her. "Okay, that's all for now." He said quickly, seeing her about to continue to try and keep going after him.
She paused for a moment, before a frown made its way onto her face. Shirou had a nervous smile on his face at the sight. 'At least I know she's eager.' He thought to himself. 'Should I teach her my style? Maybe a greek style, like Hector or Leonidas? No, I need to teach like I was taught.'
He looked at Thalia, who looked at him quizzically. 'Maybe I'll be a little easier on her than Scathach was on me.' He took a deep breath, before looking throwing Thalia the sword he took from her. "You're pretty talented, you just need to refine yourself. So, I'll figure out a training regimen for you, then we can begin the real training."
Thalia looked at him excitedly. Shirou didn't even appear to be trying against her when they were sparring. 'He was calm and his movements were natural and fluid.' It was like she was pebble in a river. Enough to be noticed, but not enough to ruin the flow. 'He's amazing.'
Of course, she had no way of knowing that Shirou thought of himself as a third rate at best. To her, Shirou was someone to look up to. He was a human who was able to face off against legendary monsters. 'If he can do it as a human, then that means I could do it, right?'
After he spoke, Thalia couldn't help but look around, as she felt some eyes on her. Much to her surprise, she saw all three daughters watching the two of them from different areas. Annabeth was sitting on the porch with a book, watching them. Miyu was playing with Inari in the yard, but her eyes were watching them.
Then there was Ophelia, who was sitting at a backyard table with her dolls and Miyu's plushies. For some reason, it was her gaze that unsettled her more than the others. It was like she was able to see all of her weak points, before the feeling eventually went away.
They seemed to be interested in the movements used. Honestly, Thalia couldn't express it in words. At least, not until they were older. Though, she had a feeling that all three didn't need her to explain it. For some reason, she felt like the three of them understood what happened.
Shirou didn't seem terribly bothered by them either, as if he was used to them watching. As she was about to ask Shirou a question, she noticed his eyes narrow. "Trace on." Two swords appeared in his hands, one was black and the other was white.
His eyes seemed to scan the surrounding area. "I am the guardian of this land, I advise you to leave in peace." He spoke seriously, before his eyes finally stopped searching. Though, she still didn't know what he was searching for. However, he allowed his swords to then dematerialize into embers. "How odd."
"What was it?" She asked, causing Shirou to look to her for a moment, before he let out a contemplative hum. Thalia looked over towards Miyu, who was holding Inari in her hands. The little fox reminded her of Shirou. Being wary of whatever was in the woods.
"A rather large wolf. Probably nothing. I didn't sense any aggressiveness from it. Though, I felt like it was inspecting me." Thalia could tell there was something he wasn't telling her, but decided not to ask, as he was obviously puzzled by it as well.
"Your magic seems pretty cool. Are you sure you aren't a demigod? Like, from the blacksmith god?" She asked, causing Shirou to break out of his trance. He chuckled lightly, before shaking his head.
"Most positive. Though, I wouldn't doubt if others probably thought like you did. Now, enough about that. We aren't talking about magic just yet. For now, we'll keep working on your skills. This time, use your spear. Try not to electrocute me by accident." He said, jokingly.
She took out the coin Shirou gave her and activated it, revealing her spear. Shirou held out his hand, where a flame began to form. A spear then appeared in his hands, though Thalia thought it was just a sword with a spear handle attached, because the blade was long.
Shirou then flipped the spear around, causing it to switch into a sword. She would admit, it was really cool. She wondered if Shirou could make her spear do that. "Maybe." 'Was he reading my mind?' "No, I just had a similar thought when I saw it for the first time." He replied, causing Thalia to let out an annoyed huff.
"I was racking my head over how to train you, but I finally decided that I was going to teach you how I was taught, but I'll focus a bit more on the Greek side of things. This spear belonged to Hector, and I will be using it to train you how to use your spear effectively. Afterwards, if you wish to learn how to use your spear like I use it, let me know."
"But, I should warn you." He then gave her a small smile. "If you do that, it will be hellish." He said, with Thalia getting a cold chill down her back, despite his smile. 'No, I decided to do this. I'll learn everything I can and maybe, I'll be as powerful as Shirou.'
In Olympus, Hestia was happily humming and tending to her hearth, while also watching her children and husband. It was one of the perks of being her. She would admit, Thalia was an interesting girl though. Though, she had a feeling that Shirou may have trouble with her from time to time.
She could feel the girl's prideful nature, which was in stark contract to Shirou's humbleness. She let out a small sigh. 'Well, I'm sure it'll work out for the best.' She was then reminded of Athena. She was worried about her, as she hadn't seen her in awhile.
Though, she figured that was about to change, as Annabeth was growing older and becoming closer with her. Then there was Aphrodite. Hestia naturally loved her family, but Aphrodite was a mixed bag. A part of Hestia still didn't trust her, but she couldn't deny the positive influence she had on Shirou.
He was a lot more outgoing and expressive lately, and he seemed to be in a better mood more often than not. Though, there was still one thing that Shirou couldn't forget, nor would he ever forget. That one thing was approaching her hearth now. Though, Hestia still maintained her kind and gentle demeanor.
"Ares, what can I do for you?"
Now, done. Sorry it took forever, I had some personal issues to take care of. Now, this chapter was slower than others, as I wanted to slow it down to show what was going on and what happened in those five years without giving away too much, as I'll be showing what happened in those five years, rather, I'll be showing the important bits. Like Aphrodite will be the focus for next chapter, along with his daughters. I didn't get to show Shirou's relationship with them this chapter, so I'll be doing next time. I also didn't show Mia, Zoe, or Caroline, but they'll appear. Shirou's house is similar to the one in Fuyuki, just more American styled. So, he has plenty of space for a lot of people. I will be including the bonding time Shirou had with the goddesses, especially Hestia, as she's literally his wife. Someone asked how the fates can manipulate him through prophecy, they can't. Shirou said it in an earlier chapter, he's basically a walking singularity like female human Musashi. However, they can still make prophecies that include him, but they will vary and tend to change a lot because Shirou isn't bound by fate. I will also be showing more about the gods, mainly through Hestia and Aphrodite. I debated on Thalia, but I figured I'd do it. I want to do something cool with her, so yeah. She'll have her own POV's and will travel with Shirou when he goes out and does his thing. Also, Shirou and Hera's interaction will definitely be shown, because it is rather important to what's going on, but I just didn't want to put something half done into this chapter. I'll say that the coming chapters will be getting pretty crazy, as more and more people will learn about what's going on, specifically, the gods. Also, someone mentioned something about putting in some chapters with character reactions to the other stories, I might do that. I'll probably put those chapters up under the Kaleidoscope story along with other fun things. One I plan on doing is having this Shirou being summoned by Rin instead of Archer, so look forward to that. Anyways, thanks for reading and leaving reviews, it helps me fix certain things and sometimes reminds of stuff I may have forgotten. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to ask any questions, I usually answer them. I appreciate all the support and, as always, until next time.
Next Chapter: The Fate of a Princess and Her Hero
After: Sword and Vanadis
There may be Kaliedscope chapters inbetween these chapters, but we'll just have to wait and see.