Return to Null Chapter 13:

Challenging Perspectives

Day 15

It was now early morning and the rising sun illuminated the city with its radiant warmth. Emiya sat on a bench looking at the pier with an empty expression. Ever since Ritsuka and Kiritsugu left the manor earlier in the morning to escort Tomiko and those two kids back to Shinkaichi, the Archer couldn't help but feel worried. He knew that Kiritsugu planned on hanging back behind those three to keep an eye, but the only ones who truly knew that place were the ones in the front then. If things went south, he felt that the Counter Guardian might cause some unnecessary collateral if he had to intervene. The Archer sensed Cú coming back to their spot with tea, smoked salmon, rice and miso soup. After the Lancer sat down next to him and gave him his food, Cú looked at the pier calmly before sipping his own tea.

"You think your old man will be able to restrain himself?" Cú asked.

"Not sure if I'd call him dad…." Emiya muttered. While he knew he called him that last night, it was more of a slip of the tongue due to the…circumstances….. "But out of all of us, he's the best suited to escort them right now."

"Well if you trust him, then that's enough for me."

"And what about Mashu?" Emiya asked. "Before we left you were the last one to talk to her. How is she?"

"A little better, but it's obvious she's still reeling from the experience yesterday." Cú answered. "Irisviel is probably going to try and keep her company."

"That's good. I just can't wait to get my hands on that bastard Zouken. Both for Sakura, and for Mashu."

Soon the communicator Emiya got from Mashu beeped, revealing Henry and Artoria on the screen. The two Servants raised an eyebrow each as they noticed some shell shocked stares from some of the staff members, and that two particular people were missing. "Where are Da Vinci and Roman?"

"They're…out for a moment." Artoria answered. "For right now, Henry is now in charge."

"And I've been given an order straight from Roman and Da Vinci before they left, and they wanted me to relay it to you." The British security chief said. "Ritsuka's got a plan to cheer up Mashu, so let him handle it."

"Of course he'd have a plan being made." Emiya said with a chuckle.

"Seriously, those two need to get a room or something." Cú joked.

Artoria chuckled. "That'll have to wait until after Zouken is beaten."

"Yeah we're all itching to get our hands on him." Cú replied.

"Da Vinci will definitely want a recording of his final stand." Henry said sternly. "She really wants to see that monster's face as everything crumbles around him."

"Does this have anything to do with the things she asked Ritsuka to buy at the store?" Cú asked.

"Oh it's definitely related." Perseus answered. "But that is what makes me concerned."

"Why's that?" Emiya asked.

"I think Ritsuka might do something reckless."

"I think so too." Artoria said.

"So you want us to keep him from getting too crazy?" Cú asked.

"No." Artoria answered. "I think you all need to have faith in him. I know that he'll be fine."

"I actually agree with Perseus." Medusa said. "If he and Da Vinci are thinking what I think they're thinking of, then someone needs to stop Ritsuka and talk to him."

"And what would that be?"

"I think he's planning on fighting Zouken alone."

"You can't be serious!" Medea yelled. "That's tantamount to suicide!"

"Ritsuka's gone against much more powerful foes than him." Artoria countered.

Medea stared at the Saber in bewilderment. "You can't be serious. Look, Zouken might not be as powerful as I am, but if Medusa is to be believed, in his prime he could fight a Heroic Spirit!"

"Don't let his frail body fool you." Medusa added. "Yes, he might not be as strong as he was back then, but I know what he's capable of. He's too strong for him."

"I'll talk him out of it." Cú said. "I'm getting bad vibes from this."

Artoria grinned. "Okay I didn't want to do this, but I guess I'll have to. Cú, I want to make you a little bet."

Cú raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Okay, you have my attention."

"Here's what I propose: Let Ritsuka at least try to fight him by himself." Artoria said. "If he wins, then I win the bet. If he loses, then you bail him out and help him, and you will win the bet."

"You're insane…." Medea muttered.

"Don't worry, Ritsuka's more than likely going to be okay." Tatsuko said. "He can be incredibly stubborn when it comes to stuff like this."

Cú sighed. "Damn, you're right. Okay, I'll take the bet. What must the loser do when things calm down?"

"I'll have to get back to you on that." Artoria said. "In the meantime, just let him and Da Vinci handle this."

"I'm with her on this one." Henry said. "In fact, I actually expected, and hoped for this scenario to happen."

Everyone barring Artoria stared at the security chief in absolute shock. He was the acting director in Roman's and Da Vinci's absence….and he was WANTING this fight to happen?

"I know what you're all thinking. Trust me, under different circumstances, I'd be siding with Medusa and Medea. But the moment I heard that crusty old bint creeped on Mashu, all bets were off."

"You seem….protective of her." Andromeda replied.

"I've known them for about four to three years now." Henry said. "We all know Roman's practically her father figure, so consider me her protective uncle. Anyone who messes with her like that has to answer to us. And if we're not around, then you can be bloody sure we'll find someone who can correct that mistake."

Everyone went silent as the grave. The entire room stared at the current acting director with deadpan pale faces. It was probably best to…..not make any further comments, for Henry was actually starting to scare them….

"In any case, we just wanted to relay the orders that Roman and Da Vinci gave us." Henry said calmly. "Terribly sorry for taking too much of your time, so we'll let you eat in peace now."

Without another word, the communicator turned off, and once more Emiya and Cú were alone. The blue haired Lancer chuckled and ate some fish. "You know, if my suspicions are correct as to Da Vinci's current state, then she might have something in common with my wife."

"And what's that?"

"Feisty and doesn't take shit lying down."

Emiya laughed. "Sounds like she and Da Vinci have something in common with Rin then."

"Yeah, but Da Vinci might actually be the scariest of the three." Cú said.

"I've met scarier."

"I don't even want to know, don't I?"

Emiya shook his head. "No, you really really don't. Anyway, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you, what was Fergus really like?"

Cú thought to himself for a moment to find the right words to describe his foster father. The moment he settled on what to say, the Lancer smiled. "So you heard about his legends, right? Well those legends weren't that far off the mark."

"So he was a great warrior…a good king….and also was the only one who could satisfy some lustful queen one on one in the bedroom?"

"Pretty much."

"And what about your mother?"

"We always kept in contact." Cú said. "Heck, she was even beaming with joy when she learned Emer was going to be my wife."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she really liked that wonderful woman in particular."

The white haired Archer could only chuckle in amusement. "If the mother approves of the wife, then you know you hit the jackpot."

"And Emer was as smart as they came!" Cú exclaimed proudly.

"Well what did you two do as a favorite activity in your spare time?" Emiya asked.

"You want the wholesome answer? Or the not safe for work answer?"

"Former please…I get the gist on the latter and don't want to know that one."

"Oh, then we just like telling each other riddles or playing strategic mind games."

"Why am I not surprised?" Emiya joked. "Maybe she has what it takes to become a Heroic Spirit in her own right."

"As much as I'd love for that to happen, I don't think it's possible for her to be one on her own…." Cú muttered. "She'd have to fuse with someone else to have a chance to become one, and I don't think there's anyone aside from Aife who'd agree to it."

"Aife? Isn't she the mother of your…."

"My son? Yes, yes she is."

"Okay…how about we change the subject before this gets weird." Emiya said. "What about the forces of Medb. Did you seriously challenge them individually?"

"Yep."

"And none of them thought to just rush you at the same time?"

"Hey, what can I say? We Celts have our pride." Cú said with a mischievous grin. "But enough about me, what about you? Did you find any new hobbies in Chaldea?"

"Aside from being on the cooking staff?" Emiya asked jokingly. "Well I've been thinking about it, and even though I've enjoyed actually making real swords instead of projections, I thought about expanding more on different hobbies."

"Anything in particular?"

"Fishing." Emiya answered. "I kind of like the idea of fishing."

Cú laughed. "Finally, looks like I'll have someone to go fishing with!"

"Seriously? No one else has that hobby?"

"Well there are, but not many that are there half the time." Cú answered. "The only ones aside from me that frequents the pond are Perseus, Alexander and Asterios, but they mainly stay together because Perseus wants to teach them more about fishing."

Emiya, in his curiosity, asked more about the three Servants and their lessons on fishing, and Cú was more than happy to answer. As they continued to talk, it felt as if they finally forgot the serious conversation that took place earlier, and with it, all their worries.

Ritsuka sighed as he slumped on the bench in the park. The black haired teen felt his heart still racing after the stress of not only returning Tomiko and the kids into Shinkaichi without them getting caught, but also treating Mai and Honoka of whatever illness they had. Thankfully for the latter, while somewhat serious, their sickness was something he could easily treat with the right medications, all of which he bought previously a few days ago just in case. A small smile formed on his face as he thought about how nice it was to see the three of them again, even if they weren't the ones he knew. Tomiko, Mai, and Honoka…..out of all the prostitutes that helped Doc in watching over him, those three were the biggest influences in his life. He knew their lives were terrible, even worse than his and Doc's, but after seeing the things he saw a few days ago, and realizing what the stockades were for…he had no clue just how bad it really must have been back then. They only gave small answers, and kept more to themselves, now knowing they only did it to protect him…. It only made him more thankful that Roman and Da Vinci immediately sprang to action to help him come up with a way to get them out of that hell hole.

"Oho, look who we have here!" A booming voice rang out in the boy's ears. Ritsuka turned around to see Rider and young Waver standing a few feet away from where he sat. The red haired giant of a man looked around and raised an eyebrow. "Where's the rest of your group?"

"I had one other with me for a bit, but I wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a while so he left." Ritsuka answered.

"You are quite the bold one to be out here all alone." Rider said with a smile.

"I mean I can be alone now if I wanted to." Ritsuka playfully quipped. "Daytime is a ceasefire, remember?"

Rider laughed. "You have a point, kid."

"Want to take a seat?" Ritsuka asked politely. "I think the company might do me some good afterall."

The two newcomers simply shrugged and sat next to the Chaldean Master, but not before Ritsuka scooted over a bit to allow Rider to sit in the middle. The young Waver then turned his face to see his competitor in curiosity. "Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"

"Honestly after what happened last night and earlier today, I have no clue." Ritsuka answered. "One of my friends…had an unpleasant experience yesterday, and I'm just running through the plan on how to cheer her up."

Rider frowned. "Seriously? Oh come now, guilt doesn't befit a Master. Just let the matter rest and don't think about it."

Ritsuka ignored his comment and turned to the younger Waver with a forced smile, clearly offended by Rider's callous remark. "So, what brings you and Rider out here on this fine day?"

The young Waver looked at Rider with a stern and disproving visage, letting the red haired man know he clearly should not have said those words to him. "Well…we were actually trying to look for you as a matter of fact."

"Let me guess…..you're wondering if I like beans on toast like a plebian." Ritsuka said playfully.

"No, it's for a different matter." The other Master answered. "How are you able to be contracted to so many Servants?"

"That's…something I cannot really answer." Ritsuka said.

"You do realize that you're breaking the rules with that right?"

"Well I can't be breaking rules if I don't intend to win the Grail, so it's pretty much a moot point…." Ritsuka countered.

"Then why are you here then?!" Young Waver asked.

"The Holy Grail is dangerous." Ritsuka answered. "It can't be left alone…."

"What are you-"

"Let it go, boy." Rider replied. "We won't get much out of him on that front."

"Sorry about that guys…." Ritsuka muttered. "It'll make sense soon."

"Well can you tell us where you come from?" Young Waver asked.

"Now that I can answer." Ritsuka said with a smile. "I'm from a different timeline altogether."

"Seriously? How did you get here?"

"Er….I think my boss should explain." Ritsuka answered calmly. The young teen turned on his communicator on and saw Henry clearing his throat. "Where's-"

"He and the vice director had to step out. But we all heard you loud and clear." Henry answered before looking at Rider and Waver calmly. "I'm Henry Maxwell. I am the chief of security and third in command of the organization that this boy is apart of, and in the absence of our acting director and the vice director, I will tell you what you need to know."

"Oho! Long distance communication from a different timeline?" Rider muttered. "You all must have some interesting gear!"

"Thank you, but that is beside the point." Henry replied. "You see, what we did was use magecraft that wouldn't normally be possible to achieve."

The young Waver raised an eyebrow in suspicion. While he could tell they were telling the truth about being from a different timeline, something about their explanation didn't sit right with him. They were purposefully hiding how it was done, which was to be expected for those who study magecraft. But this explanation was shoddy, especially for how careful they were before. Why would it be so…..

The young man scowled at Ritsuka and folded his arms across his chest. The blue eyed Master tried to stifle a chuckle as he looked at Rider with a grin. "I can tell why you tease him so much."

"Remind you of anyone?" Rider said with a mischievous grin.

"Oh yeah, definitely."

"I'm nothing like that Caster of yours!" Young Waver shouted. "However, the fact that all of you are from an alternate future makes sense now. How else would you have known about Caster's Workshop?"

"They could have learned it from me." Artoria said from the side of Henry. Waver and Rider stared in shock as Artoria stared at them both coldly. "Hello, Rider. I'm sure you suspected I would be here."

"I had a sneaking suspicion." Rider admitted. "You seem much more at peace now."

Artoria smirked and pointed at Ritsuka. "And now I also have a follower. Well, technically a squire, so you're not the only one."

Rider laughed. "Its a shame that he won't be living to come back to you."

"You have a lot of guts to underestimate my squire like that." Artoria said.

"It's definitely a shame that we can't resolve this peacefully." Ritsuka said somberly. "But I know that as things are now, there's no turning back, and that you wouldn't back down anyway…."

"Good to see you understand me so well." Rider replied.

"I've met someone similar to you, but he's different from you in many ways." Ritsuka answered.

"What do you mean by that?" Young Waver asked.

Ritsuka said nothing. Instead, he got up and stretched. "Sorry, but I have to get going. Thank you both for the talk. I really mean it."

"B-but what about-"

"No problem, kid." Rider said. "Just remember that the next time we meet, it'll lead to your death."

Ritsuka simply smiled sadly. "Take care of yourselves now…"

Without uttering another word, the blue eyed Master walked away silently from the duo.

"What do you think?" Rider asked.

"Well, he was certainly….honest about who he was." The young man answered.

Rider stroked his chin and contemplated his Master's words. The fact that Saber managed to arrive and become this new kid's Servant and is now mentoring him, yet didn't come with him gave him some ideas. But a small smile crept on his face after remembering the face Saber made when seeing him through that techie thing. She seemed to have risen above some of her issues, and seemed more…kingly. And with her confidence in her "squire" as she put it, it only confirmed his suspicions that this boy would be a worthy foe. The young Master, on the other hand, felt a chill up his spine as he mulled over the facts given to them. The new Master was clearly younger than him, yet had a sense of….maturity that he didn't expect. Add the fact he was from a future alternate timeline who came here, and refused to elaborate further. It's obvious his goal is the Holy Grail, he had no other reason to be here. But he didn't seem to want to use it either….no, he could tell that this new Master didn't even think on using it. So why come here for the Grail…..

"Rider, I think if worst comes to worst, we might need to team up with him."

"Not happening." Rider said. "I want to fight them."

The young Waver sighed and chuckled. "I somehow knew you'd say that. But I forbid you from killing that Master. I have a feeling that he has some important role to do, and if we kill him, then things might become worse."

"What do you mean by that?" Rider asked.

"I just have a gut feeling." The young Master said. "Besides, I think him sharing his origins was meant to warn us that he's not here to win the Grail. He's here to prevent something from happening."

"It won't change the fact we will fight him." Rider said. "But IF we beat him, then I can consider helping out."

"Then I suggest sparing that girl with the shield too. She doesn't seem to be a proper Servant." Young Waver continued. "Besides, I have the feeling that if you kill her, I get the feeling that that new Master might not be willing to see reason…."

"Fine, fine I won't kill them." Rider said. "But we'll be beating them down regardless."

"You seem more fired up than usual."

Rider laughed. "What can I say? Those newcomers are interesting! The very idea of fighting them gets me excited."

As the Master and Servant pair decided to speak of more mundane matters, a lone woman looked on from the rooftops, staring down at them. Assassin witnessed the entire exchange, wanting to know more about Ritsuka, and of Rider's plans. It would seem that Rider and his Master intend to continue to oppose the new faction in this Grail War. But something was gnawing at her, for the young Master of Rider's words continued to ring in her ears. A part of her felt relieved that the young Master suggested sparing Ritsuka, but did not know why. However, his reasons for doing so gave her a sense of dread.

Something was wrong here…but what could it be?

Day 16

(Early morning)

"Are you sure taking Mashu out right now is a good idea?" Waver asked.

"Positive." Ritsuka answered.

"Your Caster is right." Kiritsugu replied. "You had a long day yesterday. Just get some rest."

"Gee, thanks dad." Ritsuka said sarcastically.

"I'm not your father either." Kiritsugu said with slight annoyance.

Irisviel looked at the two of them for a moment and smiled mischievously. "Are you sure about that? You both look pretty similar."

Diarmuid was about to protest that statement before looking at the two of them and widening his eyes in disbelief. "I don't have any words…they do look alike!"

Waver raised an eyebrow before going slack jawed as he saw the two of them together. "I….how did I not notice that before!"

Irisviel giggled as she stepped in between the two men and smiled. "They even have a similar hair style."

"I swear if you turn out to be my actual father in my timeline, I'll hunt you down and force you to pay child support." Ritsuka joked.

Kiritsugu let out a small laugh as Irisviel patted the boy's head gently. The white haired woman soon stopped her headpats for just a moment before her eyes beamed. "Oh wow, your hair is so soft, Mr. Fujimaru!"

"Huh?"

"Mashu, try patting his head!" Irisviel said.

Mashu tilted her head a bit, her eyes still empty and hollow from yesterday's events. But she did as Irisviel asked and raised her hand to pat Ritsuka's head. At least that's what she tried to do, but he was a little taller than her, so she tried jumping a bit to try and get to his hair, but to no avail. Ritsuka decided to do her a favor and lowered his head a bit, allowing the lilac haired girl to feel his hair. "Ms. Einzbern is right, Senpai, your hair really is soft."

Ritsuka chuckled. "It's always been soft."

"FOU!"

"No I am not, Fou. My soft hair is no match for your fluffy tail. I will always submit to your floof!"

"Okay you two and Fou take care of yourselves now." Irisviel said as she gently pushed Ritsuka outside the door towards Mashu. "Have fun, and be safe!"

Without hearing Ritsuka's confirmation, the homunculus closed the door and grinned at the two men who stared at her disapprovingly.

"It's a mistake letting them go out right now." Kiritsugu said.

"Clearly you two don't understand how girls work." Irisviel said calmly. "She's had time to be alone, but now she needs this to try and get over it."

"And how would you know any of this?" Waver asked. "Last I checked, unlike the Irisviel of my timeline, you never got the chance to socialize much."

"It's called a woman's intuition." Irisviel said teasingly. "You boys wouldn't understand."

"That makes zero sense." Kiritsugu replied.

"No, she's got a point." Diarmuid countered. "Lady Irisviel must have recognized Lady Mashu's distress that night and knew that Ritsuka would be the one to bring her out of her slump."

"Not to mention Ritsuka must have known what was happening, and didn't want to see her like that." Saber chimed.

Irisviel nodded proudly like a child. "Now let us change the subject and relax in our own ways."

Irisviel led them all to the living room, and closed the door behind them. Soon, Irisviel began to walk around the room, or rather dance to an invisible beat as she hummed a tune. Waver raised an eyebrow as he watched the homunculus do a small spin as she reached the fire place and stoked the fire. "Why are we all here?"

"For all your skills in deduction, you still have a lot to learn." Irisviel said. "Especially regarding a woman's heart."

"I thought you wanted to change the subject." Diarmuid said in amusement.

Irisviel hummed a tune as she went towards the radio, turned it on and giggled a bit as smooth jazz played around the room. "I do what to change the subject. I want to help these two grumps not be so uptight."

Kiritsugu said nothing for a few moments. The Counter Guardian didn't want to admit it, but he always liked jazz music, even after becoming the weapon he is today. But he always had to bury it down so as to get his work done. Unfortunately, he could feel his head bob to the beat of the song, meaning he couldn't deny it anymore. A small smile formed on his face as he recognized the song itself. "This was always one of my favorites."

Waver turned to the Counter Guardian with a raised eyebrow. "I'm surprised you'd even admit that."

Before Kiritsugu could answer, Irisviel took the Counter Guardian's hands into her own, and pulled him towards the center of the room to dance. The white haired hitman stared at her in slight bewilderment, obviously unsure how to proceed.

"Don't worry, just put your hands on my waist, and I'll take the lead." Irisviel whispered.

"Have you ever done this before?" Kiritsugu asked.

"I danced with some of my maids back home."

The white haired hitman stared into the homunculous's eyes, her smug smile shimmering with pride and an impishness that he couldn't help but feel slight amusement by. He then shrugged and did as he suggested by putting his hands on her waist. "I guess that's good enough for practicing."

Irisviel was good on her word, and took the lead as the two of them danced slowly to the beat of the song. Saber and Diarmuid watched on in idle curiosity, specifically at Kiritsugu and with pleasant surprise in their eyes noted that he wasn't doing too bad in his part of the dance. As that was happening, Waver decided to sit down, take out a book and poured some tea into the cup next to him. "Feel free to join them if you both want, I'll just sit here and enjoy the scenery."

The two Servants shrugged and decided to join Irisviel and Kiritsugu. As the two of them took their places, Diarmuid took note of Saber's expression and raised an eyebrow. "Is everything okay, Saber?"

"Oh don't mind me." Saber said softly. "I am just thinking how….strange all of this is. Everything that we have learned about that other timeline, especially what was supposed to be our final confrontation….."

"Perhaps this timeline we're in now did something right." Diarmuid said. "We don't have to go through that here."

Saber chuckled. "I should be thankful to your new Master for that. He's definitely a reliable sort, preferring cooperation and trust over cheap schemes and backstabbing."

"Speaking of him, what do you think of him?"

Saber thought to herself for a moment, trying to figure out what to say about Ritsuka. She knows that her other self trusts him, and that he's been nothing but cordial and kind to her and Irisviel. But the problem she faced is that she didn't know him for too long, and that made her feel slightly unsure how to truly feel about him aside from what she has seen…..

"I think he's a gentle soul." Saber said finally. "He clearly prefers helping others, but would fight back if sufficiently pressed. But he's also got a temper, as you have mentioned a couple days ago. However, I tend to find that more amusing, seeing someone like him get riled up."

"Personally, while I do enjoy his companionship, and that he's been a wonderful Master, I think he needs help…."

"Are you referring to his temper?"

Diarmuid nodded softly. "He's done well in trying to keep it under control, but he's also quite the vengeful person. I fear that it will one day reach a boiling point, and will cause no small amount of grief…."

"I suspected something like that. But it's not really something we should worry about now." Saber replied. "I'm sure it isn't that big of an issue."

"Perhaps you're right…" Diarmuid muttered. "I apologize for making things so dark. We should probably forget this conversation and enjoy the evening."

"I was just about to say the same thing." Saber said with a smile. The two Servants continued their dance alongside Kiritsugu and Irisviel, following the beat of the song. Meanwhile Waver occasionally looked up from his book and glanced at the two white haired dancers. The Caster noticed a small smile on Kiritsugu's face, and had a silent chuckle. He didn't think he'd see it, but the fact that the Counter Guardian seemed to be enjoying himself was….interesting to say the least. However, Waver couldn't help but feel slightly nostalgic as he sat there with his book and sipped his tea. It almost felt like he was back home in the Clock Tower. He only wished his students were here.

Well, all of them except Flat of course.

(Meanwhile)

"It's only a little farther, Mashu."

"Senpai, why are we back in Shinkaichi?" Mashu asked. "I thought you hated coming back here…."

"Don't worry, you'll understand when you see it." Ritsuka said. Mashu could only tilt her head inquisitively as Ritsuka continued to lead her towards whatever destination he had planned. The Shielder was pretty surprised that Ritsuka would take them to the Shinkaichi district of all places, given how vile it was, but she trusted his instincts regardless. She looked around the district and noted how…quiet it all seemed. While in other places it would make it tranquil and pleasant, the air and unpleasant aura in this area had made the silence more ominous and sinister. However, it was a far cry from the day to day life she saw when she first came through here with Ritsuka and Cú. "We're almost there."

Mashu could only widen her eyes in slight surprise as she felt Ritsuka gently take her hand and began to walk at a quicker pace as he led them towards his goal. "S-Senpai, your hand-"

The Shielder soon forgot about the whole thing as she was compelled to watch where Ritsuka was taking them. The black haired Master took a few twists and turns, making Mashu struggle to memorize their surroundings. However, after a few more twists, the black haired teen stopped and Mashu felt as if he was grinning in delight. "It's even dirtier than the one I grew up with."

Mashu raised an eyebrow at the statement before looking at a lone building that was isolated from the rest. It was dirty, but only moderately so. But the thing that caught Mashu's eyes were the foundations of the building itself. It was an older building, but unlike the rest of Shinkaichi's buildings, it wasn't as run down, and in fact, looked even sturdier than the rest of the red light district's buildings, aside from the clinic Ritsuka was raised in.

"What is this place?"

"Honestly, I have no idea." Ritsuka answered. "All I know is that because of how strong the building is, almost everyone in the district hated it. They can't stand the idea of not being able to ruin or destroy something."

"I can only imagine…." Mashu muttered softly.

"I, on the other hand, loved this building." Ritsuka continued.

"Why?"

Ritsuka chuckled. "You'll see in a few minutes."

Mashu gave a childish pout, something that Ritsuka couldn't help but find adorable. "I do not like how cryptic you are being, Senpai…."

Ritsuka chuckled louder. "Sorry, sorry. How about I answer any question about this place within my knowledge as atonement."

Mashu sighed but did not grumble. If Ritsuka intended to keep his idea a secret for now, then she had no choice but to let him. But learning more about this place did seem to be a fair trade, so she pondered on what to ask until an idea struck her. "Did…did the girls know about this place?"

"Oh yeah, almost everyone from the old guard and the middle gen's know about this place." Ritsuka answered.

"Then how did you find this place?"

"Long story short, when I was still just a little kid, I found it by chance when running away from some bullies." Ritsuka answered. "The messed up part was that they were adults….."

"What did they want?" Mashu asked. "And what compelled adults to try and attack a child….?"

Ritsuka went silent for a moment and took a deep breath. "I'll explain that one another day. I promise. I will say this though, I had to hide inside the house for the entire day until they decided to just leave. So when they left, I just sat on the steps to try and recover from the shock."

"Okay? And what then?"

Ritsuka smiled. "Why don't we sit down on the steps for a few moments. Trust me, you won't regret it."

Mashu simply nodded as Ritsuka gently led them to the steps of the building and sat down at the top of the stairs. As they sat down, Mashu looked at Ritsuka in curiosity, wanting to figure out what was going through his head. However, when she saw his smile, she felt her heart skip a beat. She couldn't help but wonder why it was doing that all of a sudden.

"You might want to look forward now. Otherwise you might miss it."

Mashu was brought out of her stupor by Ritsuka's words. The Shielder decided to trust his judgment and faced forward. A dim light began to shimmer through the horizon, slowly rising up and becoming brighter. Mashu could only stare with widened eyes as she saw the sun slowly rise. However, unlike many other sunrises she had seen, this one felt different. It felt as if everything that bothered her was being washed away, and awe took its place. The way the light shimmered on the buildings, how it bathed their area with a gentle, inviting warmth, everything about it felt…perfect. This was perhaps the most beautiful sunrise she had ever seen.

For the first time in two days, Mashu felt a bright smile form on her face again. "This…this is amazing, Senpai!"

"Shinkaichi might be the worst place imaginable, but it's also home to THE best spot to see a sunrise."

"Did you plan on taking me here from the start?" Mashu asked, her voice regaining it's warmth and cheer.

Ritsuka winced and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand shyly. "Not exactly…..I was wanting this whole thing to be about you, so I wanted to think of places that would be places you'd want to go….but this one place was the one area that just kept coming back in my mind…"

"Honestly Senpai, I think this spot was the right choice." Mashu said.

"Fou fou, Fou fou fou!"

Ritsuka's smile returned and patted Fou on the head. "You're right. Just because this place has value to me, doesn't mean I should discredit it from taking other people here to cheer them up."

"Indeed. And Senpai, pardon my boldness, but I have to get this off my chest." Mashu said. The Shielder took a deep breath and smiled. "Do not hesitate to open up more about your past to me."

"I…..you overheard me and Tatsuko back then…."

Mashu nodded. "I know you have been trying to avoid it as best you could. I know that I tend to see things in a….more romanticized and have a habit of seeing the best in everything. But your life experiences, and Tatsuko's managed to do something I did not think would happen. Your way of thinking, the way you see things, challenge my own worldviews. But I think…that it is a good thing."

"You…you do?"

"Yes….Granted, I did not feel this type of thing until recently….." Mashu muttered. "Zouken, he…no, IT, unfortunately, cemented that I have much to learn."

"Let's not dwell on that now." Ritsuka said gently. "We should just enjoy the sun and think of pleasant thoughts."

Mashu couldn't help but giggle. "You are right. I want to burn this memory into my mind forever."

"Fou Fou!" Fou cried. Ritsuka and Mashu turned to look at Fou in confusion.

"What do you mean we're being lewd?"

"FOU HOU HOU HOU!"

Ritsuka and Mashu tilted their heads for a moment before looking down like Fou told them to. As soon as they did so, they immediately started to blush crimson red.

They were still holding hands!

The two of them screamed internally in their minds, instinctively letting go of each others hand and stammering to find the right words.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" They both cried out in unison. The two of them then looked at each other, still blushing in embarrassment, their hearts beating faster and faster. They had to find a way to get out of this awkward situation, but the silence only made it worse.

"Let's just….watch the sunrise…." Ritsuka said shyly.

Mashu nodded profusely until they sat back next to each other. The two of them sat there with Fou in the middle wagging his tail in amusement and glee as he messed with the two teens. As soon as Mashu looked at the sun once more, she felt as if something was missing. Something within her that she should be holding onto. The Shielder internally gasped as she remembered what it was, a smile forming on her face. The lilac haired girl rummaged within her pack and took out her camera, aiming it at the sunrise. If she really wanted to be reminded of the beauty of things even in the most vile of places, this would be the best to do it.

CLICK!

OC: Holy shit how lewd can those two be? Holding hands in public?! And without protection to boot!

Y: According to the thoughts and opinions of some particular couples, Mashu has a 103% chance to end up pregnant. With a 3% margin of error…

OC: Oh hell nah! She's too young to be a mom! Someone has to give her a check up!

Y: Good thing they have a doctor on staff. Though considering the time he was raised in, that'd be seen as a good thing…like the one fancomic where Saber congratulated Shirou on having a granddaughter while still being a teenager (actually Gudako and a misunderstanding).

OC: That sounds…..odd. But wholesome. Oh sorry everyone, we just got a little shocked with the events that played out. So back to our regularly scheduled programming. So for scene one, we just decided to have Cú and Emiya interact, mainly because oddly enough we haven't had them talk to each other much since Orleans. Strange how I didn't notice that little error.

Y: It's a shame, they have good banter with each other. I think Nasu noticed that himself after UBW, since they're treated as rivals with banter in later projects despite them only having two fights in FSN and the second only happens in UBW. Think that was a missed opportunity, to have them share quips and barbs

OC: Indeed. And we had them expand on Cú's relationships…which was pretty awkward lol. But we also learned more about the status of the Chaldean Staff and boy they're…not really happy. And with Henry saying he's basically in charge right now, you know things are getting serious. As for those wondering why he said he's basically Mashu's surrogate uncle, that will be explained at a later date, and make sense in context.

Y: Mhmm, sounds like an important development. Though it's good to give them names and proper support roles; I think the Mangas did the same thing, like show Meuniere, Sylvia, Chin, and a couple more with proper designs so we feel for them once Lostbelt arc starts. Well, curious how things will progress.

OC: Indeed. Now as for scene two, we finally got to do something I had been dying to do for quite some time. The interactions between Young Waver, Iskander, and Ritsuka. And frankly, I'm surprised at how pleasant and mellow they all acted.

Y: Well, Waver is already beginning to show this ability to bring others together and unleash their full potential. He just needs to turn green and grow to 50 feet tall and he can be Guru from Dragon Ball Z.

OC: That's Super Kami Guru! How else do you think that guy got so faaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!

Y: I guess that'd make Gray Nail and Reines…would still be Reines. Only those she kills are banished to limbo. But yeah, it was nice to see smol Waver start putting pieces together and use his smart brain.

OC: Indeed. And now onto scene three. We decided to give more characterization to Kiritsugu and I always had this headcanon that he was a lover of jazz music, so having him and Irisviel dance to some jazz felt….right somehow.

Y: I imagine the same. Hrmm, kinda like: he enjoys jazz, but he'd be bad at it if he tried it. Jazz is about freeform movement and going against the flow, which would be difficult for Kiritsugu and his 'follow the plan' mentality. Small contradictions like that are amusing, helps add more to a character.

OC: I get the feeling that given time, he'd make a great jazz musician. And as for the second half of scene three we had Ritsuka being the good boy that he is and taking Mashu to a spot that he enjoyed as a kid to cheer her up. Now the thing is that originally this moment was going to be saved until the end of this arc before they rayshifted out of there, but after thinking about it, Yatsu and I both agreed that now was the best time to do so. Though I was also conflicted about whether to have it be something Ritsuka held dear to him instead of choosing a different location because as he stated, this was meant to be about MASHU and helping her get over what happened last chapter, not about him.

Y: Mhmm, important for washing off bug stank. Always remember to clean yourself after handling any suspicious bugs. Also don't forget to bring a big canister of bug spray for any nasty swarms or suspicious individuals you may come across at the park. Or just sicc Fou on him, but that might've kickstarted Beast IV early.

OC: I mean Fou was ready to rip him to shreds when he got close to Mashu, so you're not far off. Though for Ritsuka, the fact that he took her back to a place he hated, but to a small part that he loved showed some personal growth, as he's willing to put aside his desire to stay away from there in order to show her something beautiful.

Y: Mhmm, it was a good spot, it reminded me of Waver and Glenn's talk on the roof after Waver and Iskander lost the chariot. It was a nice moment, very wholesome considering everything that had happened then. And sunsets are classic, rather than fireworks…dammit fireworks…

OC: And Mashu also showed some great growth herself. First by saying that she finally acknowledges she's seen the world and people through rose tinted glasses, which let me be clear, is not a bad thing at all (in fact it can be a wonderful thing to do), but that Ritsuka's world view and his thoughts are slowly bleeding in, and is in fact CHALLENGING her perspective. Her acknowledging that as a good thing shows that she's starting to understand the world more, but also reinforcing that it won't stop her from seeing the beauty or the goodness within others. Just that if there isn't any good in a person, she won't make excuses anymore.

Y: It's important, it all contributes to her final philosophical confrontation with Goetia at the end of Part 1. Shame we don't get to see more of that later on in the story.

OC: You know how the Nasuverse works. Status quo is god, and no deviations. Eh, it works for a lot of the characters though, so I can't complain.

Y: Quite. Disturbances happen every now and then, but things reset and repeat. Like Nemo and the Storm Border getting bodies every chapter.

OC: Or Sherlock Holmes basically figuring everything out but decides to withhold information which leads to everyone having to struggle MORE than necessary…

Y: Y'know, there's a lot of "I couldn't say anything until I was certain…" but that's happened like 10 times already. You'd think someone would've brought up the pattern. At least Traum kinda-sorta explained that last one via the Sion and Davinky talk about the 'perfect unsolvable problem' but the others are kinda…wonky.

OC: Don't remind me….In any case, that's it for this chapter. Thank you all for your patience, and we hope you all tune in for the next one! Owen Chaser and Yatsu, signing off!

Y: See ya everyone. Nobu Nobu Nobu!