Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/ stay night and Fire Emblem: Awakening. Or any other intellectual property I reference for that matter.

Beta Reader: RedRat8

Kintsugi no Fusei

Book 1: On Fields of Fate

Chapter 8: The first steps taken

In darkness lit up by blue flames throughout a boundless distance, an unusual tree stood upon a small hill. Where healthy trees had leaves of green barring a few exceptions and the inevitable changing of seasons, this one instead bore flames shaped in the likeness of leaves, flickering now and then as a gentle breeze would occasionally send motes of its embers free. Its robust trunk and branches bore a metallic sheen on its bark, reflecting the leaves' radiance. And bounded tightly within its exposed roots was a strange figure.

This figure was that of a man without his left arm. Azure cracks adorned his body as if he was made of glass– broken and shattered, just hastily put together despite the strength he projected. For even while bound, the facsimile blue orbs of flame that replaced his empty eye sockets retained his steel-like focus.

But now that focus was tested, his mind in disarray with but one persistent thought.

He died…and yet he lived.

His 'eyes' strayed to the cracks all over him, at the glow of power that he knew held him–them together, and let out a snort he couldn't even suppress. Lived all my afterlife in bondage, yet here I am again. Somehow freer and lesser than I was before. This might be considered a good change but the predicament is, more or less, the same.

If he had to be honest, he didn't know whether he would applaud the new benefactor for this 'life' she'd given or call her a fool. A desperate one with good reasons for why, but a fool nonetheless. She had given a mission of utmost importance yet presented a choice to not immediately pursue that mission in favor of saving someone who would have been an enemy by all accounts.

It was rather baffling honestly.

However, EMIYA also couldn't deny the thought that had wormed in his head like this strange power keeping him alive, attached to his unfortunate self.

Despite all of her stubborn faults and apparent foolishness, Naga was already a far superior choice to his former employer.

A sigh escaped his lips as he closed his 'eyes'. Damn it. I just had to go on that train of thought, and now that I've put it like that…

It wouldn't do for him to fail her now, not when he and the dragon had already invested far too much with what was left of the one called Shirou Emiya. He had already sacrificed an arm for him before, most of what he was now to reconstruct the blade's body like it was a macabre application of kintsugi, and with what the future had in store, what was more?

Who knows, perhaps he could finally be the one to see past that beautiful delusion and set his vision to a hopeful reality. EMIYA thought as he reopened his 'eyes'.

And with them, he gazed. Past the lit brambles that sealed his blades, every armament he had ever come to know and use that threatened to encroach upon this foreign landscape, and through the dark horizon that belied its emptiness. He kept at it until he could see once more, see through his mismatched eyes.

Let us see what fate has in store then, Hero.

Shirou furrowed his eyebrows as he sat crossed-legged on the floor and examined the materials on the small table before him like it was his duty made manifest. In a way, that could be considered the truth, even if it was a rather mundane one.

Carefully, he dipped the quill in his right hand in the inkwell beside the parchment he had pinned under his left hand and after removing the excess, began to write the assigned letters. He made progress with the task at hand with one careful stroke after another, a scribble here and a flourish there. Despite the activity being vaguely familiar to him, it was a task that was more difficult to do than it looked.

For one, he had to be very conscious of the ink. Too much and it would drip needlessly and make a mess of the parchment, his first few attempts were especially guilty of this fault. However, too little would hamper writing and force him to restart his efforts nonetheless, an all too painfully familiar process.

Furthermore, the symbols or letters were both strangely familiar yet frustratingly foreign at the same time. While he wouldn't call it fancy, even though that element was indeed present, more so that they were archaic and that in turn was applied to words or sentences.

It also did not help that the Champion of Naga was learning history along with the main language of the land…which meant he had much more to learn later if he wanted to survive in society once the former Heart of Grima had fully recovered.

On the bright side, I can still do mathematics. I could probably haggle too if it had to come to that. Regardless of what he knew and did not, Shirou would not dare complain about it, not when he knew that Robin has far more demanding tasks to go through.

One of the tasks was happening just a few paces away from where he was.

"That's it. Oh, my goodness. You're doing it my little chick! You're standing!" Morgana's excited voice called out, her enthusiasm and joy infectious as his lips curved into a smile. Though he might not have needed to– such was his faith in his progress– he gave in to the temptation to look at their progress.

"Mother…I get that you...missed out on raising me…in this timeline…but in case you haven't noticed…I am an adult already!" The 'little' chick in question complained, a noticeable sheen of sweat on her face as she gripped the railings. With her legs shaky and hands in desperate need to hold onto something, the task of standing up was alleviated by the parallel bars he built to help her recover, one she would be very familiar with, for the days to come, until she could truly support her weight on her own.

Despite it not being his knowledge that made it possible, as he was only the medium, for that honor belonged to the being in his arm(?) who had still yet to tell him its name, he couldn't help but feel his spirit ease at the sight. After a month of enduring the bitter treatments and regaining proper nutrition, Robin was finally standing. While that did not mean said treatments were over, this was a step in the right direction, and that was wonderful progress already.

Morgana met his eyes and her lips stretched into a grin, a shine in her eyes. "Hey, Shirou! Look here!"

The younger albino's eyes widened and shook her head to no avail, unable to raise her arms away from the walking rails or fall on her face. "Mom, please stop!"

Too late. The redhead thought as he was dragged into whatever family chaos this was.

"Do you see this? Do you see how she's standing? It's wonderful!" Shirou watched awkwardly as red filled Robin's skin. Her gaze turned to him, a plea for mercy all but unsaid as she was forced to endure the embarrassment brought by an excited mother.

Unfortunately for her though, he was of the same opinion.

"It is." He confirmed with a similarly giddy nod, seeing no harm in indulging the said mother's excitement. He then turned to the daughter who now sported an impressive pout. "How does it feel Robin?"

Robin blinked at that, her mortification fading away as the reality of her current situation sank in, and dryly grumbled. "I feel like hell Shirou."

And he blinked at that, letting the words repeat in his head for a bit before a snort escaped him.

"Robin, that's already an improvement over 'hurts like hell' you know," Shirou replied resolutely before she could retort as he raised his quill and pointed it at her. "You can do it, Robin. Take as long as you can and don't be afraid to take some rest when it's too much. We have time to spare, and you have us."

The silver-armed champion watched as she noticeably batted her eyelids again. Seemingly stunned, she turned to Morgana beside her, who simply gave her an approving smile and a gentle nod as her mirth at the situation simmered down a notch.

As the albino tactician looked at the bars she held onto, they saw her gaze become tentative before she took a deep breath and released it after a moment. Gently, all too slowly, she took another shaky step before stabilizing. Her footing secure, she carefully slid her arms along the structure and took another step.

Raise foot. Slide arms. Foot down and the other goes up. It was a slow cycle that repeated for long moments borne from being unused to the sensation of walking and that of her hesitation.

However, the redhead continued to watch her proudly with an increasing lightness in his chest.

For every step she took, she grew less uncertain and her footing stronger. And in her eyes, though misty from the painful effort, bloomed an excitement he barely saw outside of spending time with her mother or eating the food he cooked. All the while, he heard her surprised murmurs in between mouthfuls of air, "I'm…I'm doing it…I can…I can…"

You definitely can Robin. Shirou believed as he placed his quill down and stood up, his task set aside, for now, to watch her closer.

By the time he neared them, Robin reached the halfway point of the rails. Huffing and puffing, drenched in sweat as strands of her hair stuck to her face, her sight set at the end of the railing she advanced persistently as if a fire inside her had been lit.

It was a fire that evoked a familiar sensation in him even without the memory to accompany it. Normally, that would have been a source of frustration for him, but he felt no such thing at the moment, entranced as he was at the tactician's stubborn pursuit of her goal. The feeling that he had pursued something just as stubbornly as she did now was yet another piece of himself recovered, all thanks to her.

At this very moment, Shirou could see a glimmer of the woman that Robin must have been before her circumstances made her what she is now. Where the weeks and days before made her vulnerable, she was more than determined now, with no shred of the fragility she tried and failed to hide from them whenever they helped her. No, this was who Robin Daraen is, a woman whose name and being mirrored the brightness of her burning resolve and courage despite her struggles with fate. This too was just yet another struggle that she would soon overcome in time.

Still, that brightness has its limits for now. The redhead understood as he and her mother, having been silently by her side the whole time, moved into action. The albino tactician reached a scant length away from the end but it was then that her still recovering stamina reached its limits, her knees buckling and her arms slipping off the bars. Together, they prevented her fall, holding her in place between their arms as she struggled to breathe, eyes fluttering but fighting to stay awake.

"I-I…can...I c-can still…please." She gasped out in between lungfuls of air, her tone almost desperate, something that prompted him and Morgana to exchange a look.

Knowing what to do, the former royal let go of her hold on Robin and entrusted her to him. Afterward, she kissed her forehead gently and gave her another soft smile as she cupped her cheek. As she wiped away a few stray tears, she spoke, her voice brimming with pride. "I am proud of you, Robin, so don't you ever forget that my sweet daughter, my little chick. You will fly yet again. Rest for now. A castle is not built in a day."

With that said she stepped back a few paces, allowing him space to carry her the rest of the way out of the parallel bars. Before he did so, he stared once more at her daughter, now deeply exhausted. But the actions and words of her mother appeared to take effect as her haggard breaths became calmer and in slow succession. Her mollified gaze, if a bit unfocused as she took deep breaths, turned to him and dipped, permitting him.

Carefully, he lifted the tired woman aloft in his arms and followed her mother to a bench near his workspace, where the towels and refreshments they prepared beforehand awaited her.

As Shirou set Robin down on the furniture and allowed Morgana to tend to her daughter as she leaned back on his chest, he found his eyes drawn to his aborted progress. His work's distant lines compared to what he had to imitate and understand. Those were now juxtaposed with the new image he couldn't get out of his mind.

Robin's determination to move forward, even as she labored, struggled to reach the distance she had managed on this day. The fire in her eyes, her very soul, that had sparked to life as she realized what she could do.

And if she would let him, he wanted to be there to witness its growth into a bright magnificent blaze.

We have much to do…but I know we can do it, Robin. Shirou affirmed in his mind as his gaze returned to the woman in his arms and thoughts. He saw as she soon succumbed to deep slumber, her face freshly cleaned of perspiration and settled on a soft smile.

The silver-armed champion soon felt a familiar pair of eyes on him, prompting him to end his vigil over the sleeping dragon and meet them. "Is there something wrong, ma'am?"

"No, I was just thinking." The former royal answered as she brushed away the strands of her sticking to her daughter's face. "All this time since she came back into my life again, I have never seen her like that."

"She is far stronger than she realizes." He voiced after only a moment of deliberation. "I just gave a hand."

Morgana nodded in approval of that, though she paused for a second, then looked at his metal arm and raised an eyebrow. "Was that a…"

At the question she trailed off, Shirou realized what she meant as he reexamined his choice of words. Afterward, he simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No. But you know what I mean."

"Oh, I do know." She affirmed. "Still, it is nice to see you loosen up."

A comfortable silence followed, interspersed with the breaths of the sleeping Robin. And it continued to be that way for a bit further until he heard her speak up again. "Sir Shirou, you gave her hope, and I can never thank you enough for that."

Upon hearing that remark, his head snapped back in her direction quickly. "W-wait, hold on just a moment. What's with the sir? And if anything, you are the one that gave her hope and the one that should be thanked." He quickly replied in denial.

"Hmm, as modest as ever. You do not have to think about it too much right now but I do believe you will understand at some point." The former royal said with a giggle that only added more to his confusion as she stood up. "I do recommend reading the book called Royal Politesse, specifically the chapter named Treatise of Euphemia while I'm away. That is, once you have reached the necessary literacy to do so…unless that weird magic of yours can speed things up."

"I…don't think it does that, at least, not in that manner." The silver-armed champion said unsurely before his eyes widened as something particular about the words she spoke, stuck out to him. "You're leaving then?"

"Yes, but not until after she wakes and when I have explained it to my daughter." She clarified immediately, before she sighed, her eyes staring into an unseen distance. "I am blessed to have been reunited with my daughter. However, I have been away for too long, far longer than I had expected. There is still my son and my duties, I am still needed."

Shirou simply stared, silent as he pondered on the woman's plight. He could not fault her for that as the past month alone had been overwhelming for mother and daughter. There was happiness and sadness in equal measure, the scars they bore ripped open to be healed anew, together, as they made for lost time.

"That is why I can say this now." Morgana's eyes regained their focus, still kind even as she placed her full intensity toward him. "Shirou Emiya, you have proven yourself to me and mine. I hereby entrust my daughter, my Robin, to you. Swear that you will protect and care for her in my stead. Do you accept this oath?"

For Shirou, there was only one answer, and he had already made his choice long ago on that fateful day in those grassy fields. "Yes. This oath, I accept it."

The crackle of logs on the fire and the bubbling of water in a cauldron filled the main chamber of the hidden pit house once more. This sound among others did not seem to reach its resting occupant, deep as she was in her sleep. However, that was only for a moment as she soon began to toss and turn, her face scrunching tight as she began to murmur frantically.

Robin's eyes opened with a panicked gasp, and her hands grasped tight on her blanket. She found herself in her bed, skin a bit clammy and her clothes a bit damp from the perspiration. Though a bit confused, she had much more pressing matters at the moment. Her whole body was sore, her limbs and core feeling dull yet burning.

Had it nearly been a month ago? That the sensation would have made the albino tactician believe that she was still in her hellish prison. In a way, she was, just of a different make, one forged from her mind. But though it plagues her, she knew better by now.

She was free. No chains of significant weight held her weak and in place to rough, unforgiving walls stained with blood and filth. No manacles of biting cold that hungrily sapped the warmth of magic and left a painful void inside her that had festered for far too long. And the deafening sound of silence was not present to amplify the thoughts waiting in the dark depths of her head.

The former Heart closed her eyes once again, took a deep breath, and let her senses perceive what was reality and the now. She was in her bed with its sheets having absorbed a fair bit of sweat but its softness and scent left undiminished. Another scent tickled her nose, all too familiar by now to her as something that the amnesiac Champion had been cooking, and by the sound of boiling, it was likely a soup of some sort to help her regain fluids.

"Aha…ha-ha-ow." Robin couldn't help it as a giggle escaped her lips, and though it immediately reminded her again of the soreness pervading her body, she used it as further proof of what she had now.

A new life and with it, a new purpose. Her mother and brother were still alive, something she would fight to protect…and even a new friend who had given her much despite lacking his memories.

I have so much more to do. I just needed to see that I could. She thought as the aches of her limbs and core reminded her of what she'd been capable of before her body reached its current limits.

You will fly yet again. The words of her mother rang in her head as tears pooled in her eyes.

"I don't know about flying Mother…but I will be standing."

And with that said, the albino tactician wiped away the forming wetness in her eyes before she rose. Limbs burning from effort again, she lifted herself to a seated position and settled her feet on the floor. The warmth of the heated floor greeted her and she basked in it, reminded of what she had done just some hours ago.

She had been standing and walking. So, it wouldn't hurt to do it again, right?

With that thought and excitement fueling her, Robin stood up but not without immediate struggle. Legs shakier than ever as she struggled to keep her balance, she realized just how much she actually needed the parallel bars. It was at that moment then when she heard an antechamber door open, the voices of her mother and friend not far behind.

"Is it really fine for you to gather those materials, Morgana? I know I am asking for a lot already and I can just forage for them...but it would not hurt to have better materials. I promise I will find a way to pay you."

"Oh, it will be just fine. No need to think about paying me when I have enough for my griffon to sleep on. Honestly, I really should add more to the list you gave me. Trust me, I am sure Robin would appreciate them, Shirou."

"Huh?" The mention of materials and her name made her turn in their direction, even managing to take a step as she did so. They, in turn, put their sights on her upon hearing her, the bags in their grasp going slack as they stared.

Unfortunately, this proved to be a sufficient distraction as the former Heart misjudged her current strength and achievement. The momentum carried her forward and made her lose what balance she had left as her legs buckled. She was falling fast and it was already too late to correct her course.

Oh, come on! Damn you, legs! Desperately, she set her arms before her and braced for the inevitable, painful impact on the floor. "Noooo–oof!"

A familiar strong arm caught her before that could happen, the gust of his swift arrival blowing her hair back.

Robin took a second to regain the breath she had lost from the much softer impact and the unexpected fright. When she was finished, she then looked at the face of her savior, his mismatched eyes showing her equal parts concern and bemusement. "Hehe…hey there Shirou. Fancy seeing you here."

"Hello, Robin." Shirou simply said as he helped her up and allowed her to use him as support. As she held on to him, she saw his lips twitch upwards once before he spoke. "Maybe we should stick with the parallel bars for now…and maybe wait for me to make some cushions or something if you want to try this again. Does that sound good?"

"As pleasant as a surprise this is, you know, when I said that you will fly again, I did not expect you to take it as an invitation to do this my little chick." Her mother piped up as she retrieved the bags discarded by Shirou and walked closer to them, beaming ear to ear. "Then again, your brother did try to fly once with Aigle's feathers so I'm assuming that you also did that."

"…yeah. Cushions sound great." For the second time in the day, she could feel her ears burn red as the embarrassment hit her. Thus, she made it a point to ignore her mother's revelation. Not because she remembered doing it. In both of her timelines. No, that never happened. Period.

With that thought finished, the albino tactician took notice of what her mother had on her and that took precedence. She was clad in her riding armor again and though the satchels she had contained much less than what she had brought back then, it all but said one thing.

"You're leaving…" Though she tried, she couldn't hide the disappointment in her tone. And that was swiftly replaced with guilt as she remembered her brother, the Robin of this world. Of the people she knew would require her mother's vigil.

The former Heart bowed her head as her insides squirmed. Although the past weeks with her mother had been more than what she could have asked for, she could not be selfish. She must let her go, and this time, it would have to be by her choice. "Mother–"

A calloused hand cupped her cheek once more, stopping her short as tears fell down her cheek. "It will only be for a little while. My daughter, I am not abandoning you. I promise you. I will never abandon you."

Robin's free hand reached out and held on to the hand her mother placed on her, leaning in as Shirou kept her upright. "I know. I know that. I just want you safe. I want my brother safe. I want you all to be safe."

"And we will be, my sweet. Together." Morgana gently placed her forehead on hers as she shifted and embraced her. "Remember what I told you."

"I will." She nodded. "I will get stronger and I will not fail this time."

"And you will not. You are not alone my Robin. Whatever path you take from now, you have my blessings." She said as she tightened her embrace one last time and let go. "Now come on. I fear Shirou has endured us quite enough, yes?"

That statement suddenly made her very aware that yes, she was still holding on to the man in question and that he in turn held her. She looked at him and found his face tight, a bit of red on his cheeks. "Just ignore me."

"I don't think we can do that now, at least not anymore." The former Heart said awkwardly, now feeling sheepish at what she unexpectedly made the new champion experience with no hope to escape undetected.

He nodded as if resigned to his fate. "I know."

She couldn't help it. She laughed at his expense, wiping away her tears. "Sorry about this Shirou. I'll help you out with your studies if we don't talk about this."

"As long as you're okay with it. I appreciate the help, Robin." Shirou replied earnestly with a smile that she found herself mirroring, thus clearing the awkward air between them.

At her mother's sudden silence, however, Robin found her to be watching them with a smile that seemed off. She didn't know what to make of it and she had a much more pressing matter. "So, what's this about materials?"

"Oh, I would rather leave that as a surprise," Morgana answered as she twirled a finger lit with magic and approached the ladder. At once, the opening to their hidden shelter opened and revealed the pink and orange hues of the sunset sky. "It is best you focus on what you can do my little chick. Both of you do."

Wordlessly, they followed her as she climbed up, the albino tactician holding on to the red-haired champion as he did the climbing for the two of them. As they exited, they discovered Sharur the Griffon at the ready, with his rider already at work, securing her satchels onto his saddle.

Soon, the silence was eventually broken as her mother finished her packing and quickly mounted the winged beast who eagerly stretched his wings and trotted around them in response. "WARK!"

"Easy now Sharur, I know you want to go back to your gold but let me say one last thing." Thankfully, the creature acquiesced to her mother's request and their purple eyes met. "Do you remember what I told you?"

Choking back another sob, Robin instead gave a resolute nod. "I do! I love you, Mother! Please take care of yourself and my brother okay!?"

"I will! Take care of her Shirou! I will come back!" Her mother responded and with that, the flying duo took off for the skies.

Robin watched as they disappeared beyond the tree line and soon to the horizon. They quickly became a shrinking dot until the waning light of the sun went with them.

Time passed by and yet neither of them disturbed the silence that had soon settled. Side by side they stood still as the breeze blew its song upon them. There they continued to look as stars began to fill the night sky with their luminance, along with them the shine of a beautiful full moon.

"Are you going to be all right Robin?" She heard Shirou ask as she continued to stare in the distance.

And it was here, that though she may be separated again from her mother, Robin found something. "Not yet but…"

"But?"

"I will get there." The albino tactician met his gaze with hers. "Can we stay here a little longer?"

And at that request, he gave her a peaceful expression, one that made the heavy weight of her mother's departure on her lighten. "As long as you need to Robin."

Story Corner

Both RedRat8 and Will S. LaVi looked nervous yet tired as they smiled at the sight of the chapter.

"It's done, mate! It's finally done! After our super long Hiatus, we have finally come out with another Chapter!" Red shouted ecstatically as his tail wiggled in joy.

"Yeah man, I can't believe after all this time, we finally got a new chapter out, and after all the work that I had to do to." Will nodded.

"Ah well you had your Schoolwork to deal with and your own life and everyone knows as much as we want to commit to this project, real life comes first." Red pointed out.

"True that." Will nodded. "At any rate, while we are back don't expect us to come out churning chapters like it's nothing, like Red said, we have real-life matters to deal with as well, such as working for example," Will noted.

"Aye and while we may be working, you can always be assured our passion for this story will not die out anytime soon for either of us," Red affirmed.

"So, we will ask you, readers, as always to be patient with us, we want to write this awesome story for as long as possible." Will then said.

"And as such, thank you all for the patience." Red then said as both smiled.

"Until we meet again next time readers!" Both Writer and Beta said as they waved goodbye.

My responses to the reviews:

M2R: Oh it definitely was a drag. Still necessary for my line of study/work though.

Guest: Don't worry I'm back but I'll be busy again soon. As for the chapter, it truly is OOF the chapter.

Swiftcaliston: Here's more!

SentinelSlice: Well I hope that this update made up for the lack of Shirou.

warrior of six blades: I've always intended for it to be quick since there are more important matters for the crew to handle in the future. But yes, a lot of them have suffered from this debacle. Oh, it's definitely more complicated, you'll see them come to play as soon as I get to that point.

Tenma Kirin: I'm continuing! I'm sorry it took this long.

DragonTetho: I managed to survive my thesis and graduated so thanks! I hope to deliver more chapters even as I finally get a job and hopefully my license soon enough.

DeliciousFriedRice: Yup, that would definitely hurt them in so many ways.

Gabrieloliveragurgel: Thank you for the praise! And to answer that, it definitely has had an effect and I'll be showing it more in the future.

Xyanth: Not to worry, this isn't abandoned. Thanks for reading though!

Deltozilla: Glad to know you've been enjoying the story! It's more that I was delayed with IRL stuff and took significant hits to my writing flow than anything really but here I am.

Pathreader: The story ain't dead. Just been on very extended leave to focus on IRL stuff.

OniTenshi500: Here I am, hope I delivered!

Author's Note:

Guess who's back?! It's me with another chapter of KnF!

So the long story short version of my disappearance for the past few years is basically:

Defeated my Thesis. Get burned out. Did my Internships. My old laptop gives up and I get a replacement. Graduated College. Rewrite this chapter then stop. Reviewed for my Licensure Exams for Teaching. Took my licensure exams this March. Spent April rewriting this chapter again while preparing what I'll need for work. May arrived, finished the chapter, and will be working as a substitute English teacher with the results of the licensure exams coming out very soon.

Fun times am I right?

But in any case, I'm back. I will write and release chapters when I can but my immediate priority will be my job and my future students. I do hope you all can understand.

Anyways, don't hesitate to tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review. Love it or Hate it, do tell me for improvement. I hope I was able to entertain you all.

Till next time, this is Will S. LaVi.

Edit (July 11, 2023): I made some minor changes to the dialogue between Shirou and Morgana in Robin's POV. I did that so it would make more sense for a future chapter. Not in the next one though, but that chapter is close.