5 years later
Britain
During the 5 year after her meeting with her 'future husband' she had heard many things in the village she lived in, whether it was people talking about politics, the situation of the world in general or plain gossip, however there was one thing which always enraged her. And that thing which enraged her was people saying she was lucky to be in the arranged marriage with Claudas, whether it was for x reason or something else entirely, it would always end or begin on that she was lucky to be engaged to somebody with such wealth, she hated it. The only person who was even on her side throughout the year was her uncle, Ector, the man was one of the only people who even cared about her perspective on the matter in its entirety.
Whenever Claudas visited the village to 'deepen' his relationship with, in his mind, his future wife, Ector would always be there to in his words chaperone to make sure that the teenager didn't try anything with the six year old. And thank god that he did because Claudas always tried to do something inappropriate one way or another it was almost as if the 16 year wasn't taught self control and discipline. And when he did Ector would always make sure his presence was known by putting the flat of his blade on the perverts neck.
In all honesty Artoria had long grown incensed at her situation so she had come up with a plan, a escape plan, for every week a truck would passe by and give the villagers what they couldn't harvest for a price. In all honesty it was a simple plan, all she had to do was make sure nobody was looking and hide in the trunk. What was her end goal? Make it to Japan and reunite with Shirou. Was it a fever dream? Yes. Was it likely to work? Probably not. This was honestly just a way for her to escape from her family and Claudas, oh how she hated the boy, he didn't know she was in all actuality an old spirit for all he knew she was just a five year old when he met her, and what did he do he lusted after her a five year old. In her eyes he was worse than scum.
So she did the only thing she could prepare for her fever dream of a plan that she would do in 1 week, and the first step of all this was to write three letters, one for her uncle and the other two for her younger siblings. But before she could do that the door creaked.
She froze.
She hadn't expected anyone to intrude upon her quarters will she was in the process of finding materials to write her farewell letter.
But she hadn't expected her uncle to enter with a serious face, "Artoria pack your things we're leaving." The man intoned seriously leaving no space to argue with him.
"W-what?" She spoke out confused by her uncle's words.
"We're leaving I'm tired of your situation," he paused as if gathering his will, "I will not let you suffer because of the greed of your parents, so we're leaving, do not worry I have managed to call in a favor and get a friend of mine to help us get out."
"Can we not do this at any other time?" The girl questioned her uncle.
"No this is the last thing he shall do before he retires," he proceeds to look at the girl who he remembered playing with when she was barely a month old and smiles, "I know you were planning on escaping this village, it wasn't that hard to miss everybody just ignored the telles since they knew you weren't going to be able to escape on your own. Luckily for you though I have it all planned out."
Artoria looked dumbfounded for a moment before regaining her composure, "So... where shall we go to?"
Ector looked at his niece before responding with a single word, "Japan," before realizing that that wasn't specific enough, "more specifically Kuoh town its where my associate lives."
Artoria looked at her uncle, "So... what is this associates name?"
Ector looked at her before answering,"his name is Kiritsugu Emiya, he has also arranged for you to take on his family name once you arrive in kuoh, so that you can distance yourself even more from this family, and make it harder for Claudas," Ector intoned the teenagers name with so much disgust that it was tangible, "And his family to be able to find you."
Artoria was surprised that Kiritsugu was still alive in this timeline it seems that without the grail he wasn't forced into a early grave, "I see," Artoria paused before looking at her uncle, "Say can... you help me write my farewell letter to both Arthur and Le Fay?"
Ector appeared stunned for a moment before his face morphed into a kind smile, "Of course what do you want to write?"
Artoria appeared sheepish for a moment before looking to her uncle, "I wish to tell them that I truly enjoyed their company and that no matter what that they should follow their hearts and not the wills of others."
the old man smile remained as he wrote down the content soon being finished with them, "Ok now kiritsugu should be outside the village perimeter by now I'll bring you there then come back here. Understand Artoria dear?"
"Of course uncle," she said before following him to the rendezvous point.
When they arrived they saw him, dressed in a black trench coat, with a cigarette in his mouth, eyes duller than the dullest blade and a stubble on his face he looked at them before speaking, "You're late," he said simply before opening the car door and signaling for her to get inside.
Without any hesitance Artoria entered the car as Ector spoke to his old friend, "Thank you for this old friend," the man meanwhile simply waved him off muttering something about just doing his job.
"When Artoria had entered the car she hadn't expected to be wrapped up in a hug before she could even realize it by a woman who was saying how cute she was and how glad she was to have her as a another daughter. But before Artoria could even get a word in Kiritsugu had entered the car and sighed.
"Haah Iri, don't please," the man begged the woman whose name was apparently 'Iri' to stop hugging Artoria.
Iri in response merely pouted before turning to Kiritsugu, "Hmhm, but Kiri she's basically going to become my daughter once we get to Japan won't she?"
Kiritsugu's eyes once dull shone a bit brighter when interacting with this woman, "I mean you aren't wrong Iri she will become our daughter once we get to Japan."
It was at that moment that the woman who was hugging her was irisviel how she was still alive she didn't know but she was happy to see such a familiar face even if she didn't remember her.
The drive to the airport was quiet in a sense Irisviel and Kiritsugu both noticed that Artoria had fallen asleep on their way to the airport.
The next thing Artoria noticed was her being in a public plane that was just about to land she was sheared between Kiritsugu and Irisviel and not even five minutes later they landed and Artoria was surprised at the details of the town it was no fuyuki but it had its own charm and for some reason she felt a feeling in her chest not that she was here. It took some time before they were able to leave the airport and get into a car that was prearranged to be there. Irisviel had expressed intent on driving the vehicle but Kiritsugu shut her down and took them to their house it was different than the one she remembered Kiritsugu having bought and that Shirou lived in it was most certainly not the Emiya estate instead it was a small house with a parking lot stairs and a entrance. And for whatever reason the feeling in her chest blossomed even more while she was here.
When they had entered they saw two maids one who was clearly lazing around and watching tv with a girl even younger than Artoria who had to be 5 years old and a more serious maid who upon noticing them exclaimed, "Lady Irisviel, Kiritsugu, I apologize for not having cleaned the house more for Artoria's sake I would have been able to do more if a certain someone wasn't lazing around," she exclaimed the last part with almost palpable vitriol directed towards the other maid.
"Don't worry Sella it's fine really," Irisviel answered before anybody else could, "In all honesty you could even learn from Liz on how to relax god knows how much you need it."
"L-lady Irisviel!" Sella shouted embarrassed.
"Hm?" That was enough to make them pay attention and in less time than it takes for one to blink the 5 year old had appeared and tackle hugged Kiritsugu, "Papa!" The child said happily.
The man only smiled before returning the hug, "It's nice to see you too Ilya."
Ilya then turned to the one person she hadn't seen before before coming to a realization, "Ah, are you my onee-san?" The child said in barely repressed glee.
Artoria for her part found it hard to do anything but smile and answer truthfully to the child, "Yes, yes I suppose I am Ilya."
Ilya then let go of Kiritsugu to hug Artoria, while the 10 year could do nothing but smile and return the it.
"Say..." Irisviel started, "how about we go to the parc so that you can both get to know each other better?" The mother proposed.
Said proposal was met with enthusiastic approval from Ilya and a nod from Artoria and so the family went to the park while Sella and Liz stayed behind.
In the past five years after Shirou had met Issei a lot had changed, it started of with Irina leaving Japan and going to Britain because of a job that her father had, which was sad but understandable. Sadly Issei had been a bit depressed for the next few days preferring to be by himself rather than hang out with him, it all came to a head one day in which issei had went to the parc by himself and had met an old man who spoke to him with great enthusiasm and detail on the perfection of breast whether they be small, big or average all in the old man words were perfect. And to Shirou's abject horror and disappointment issei had become a pervert, oh he knew that Issei deep down was still a good person who wanted the people close to him to be safe and fine but... he had changed greatly and had put his lust above his love.
And so the now ten year old Shirou still kept contact with the kid and watched out for him but didn't interact with him or Issei's new 'friends' that had been inspired by the child's speech on the perfectness of breast becoming what the school called at that point of time the perverted trio. The headache of it all made Shirou leave his house and rest in the parc to try and calm his mind. However that wasn't the main reason for why he was in the parc in all actuality Shirou felt more at peace outside than in his house. Possibly another side effect of having Avalon inside him since before he was born outside of increased circuit number, quality and a god damn magic core of the same type and level of Artoria during her life. He was also there to try and understand this weird feeling in his chest it was almost as if he was resonating with something, almost as if Avalon was resonating with something, but the only thing it could resonate with was Excalibur... which was for all intents and purposes impossible unless Artoria had arrived in Japan as well but he didn't even know where she was. But still he allowed himself to hope, hope that she was here that his other half was here and could be with him again. That she wouldn't leave him again. That he could hold her again, hold her close and whisper sweet nothing in her ear. He knew it was a pipe dream that it could always be something else someone else, but still he allowed himself to hope, hope that he could see her again.
And the more he waited the more intense the feeling in his chest was getting, but he knew he couldn't wait that much longer it was starting to get dark out the sun was starting to set and after looking at the clock he saw that it was seven which meant that he could only be outside for a bit longer before going back home and going to sleep, plus it was a school day the next day and Su-his mother would kill him if he stayed outside too long. 'Ah I almost called her by her first name instead of calling her my mother I'm just be tired,' he thought to himself before realizing something, 'Hm? The feeling in my chest It's growing stronger and stronger?'
And then the boy heard it a series of steps and laughs and with each third step heard the feeling in his chest grew and then a familiar face pushed through from the foliage surrounding the forest giggling and laughing all the while pulling a older looking girl. The familiar face had white hair, ruby red eyes and a big smile she looked exactly like his own little sister in his past life, Ilya. But... then he saw her, her golden wheat colored hair perfectly framing her cute face and emerald eyes purer in quality than the most expensive diamond, her figure slim in size of stature yet... regal it was at that moment that he knew that it wasn't wrong to hope that he had found her again, or more specifically she had found him after all this time.
The two looked at each other with wide eyes taking in each other appearance after the 10 years that they had been reborn. Alas it wasn't made to last because after one minute of the two looking at each other and taking in their forms Irisviel had noticed and what she said next would give both Shirou and Artoria a heart attack, "Ara ara, already falling for somebody Artoria-Chan?"
Artoria sputtered in response, "Iris-" she cut herself off as she noticed Irisviel expression change once she noticed that she wasn't going to call her mother or mama so Artoria backtracked, "M-mama," is what she decided to say in the end.
Even though Shirou wanted to enjoy her presence more he had to leave it was getting late after all and he wasn't sure his heart could take all the twists and turns Irisviel would inflict upon it without meaning to. So he left after saying a quick goodbye and looking at Artoria longingly before leaving, leaving her with her new family.
The boy wasn't sure how to feel of the situation seing the love of his life again was a welcome experience but he was sure he would have died of cuteness overload had he seen her any longer in those clothes, plus he had other things to think about such as seing Kiritsugu again knowing that in this timeline he didn't die and that Ilya was never abandoned and seemed even younger than she was in the fifth and the other shock was seing a woman who looked like an all grown up Ilya, he could only assume she was her mother.
While Shirou was walking away Artoria was having thoughts similar to his own minus the surprise that Kiritsugu and his family never died. She was... very happy to see that Shirou was here, no extremely the only thing that stopped her from running and hugging him was her own embarrassment. But still she hoped that she could see him again. While lost in her thoughts she failed to notice the time flying by and before she knew it Kiritsugu was telling them to stop so that they could go to bed saying that tomorrow was a school day and that it would be very important for Artoria to make it on time and be there early.
It was honestly a blessing that Artoria knew Japanese so well even though she had only lived in Britain her whole life she spoke it with the fluency of an expert for her age, Kiritsugu thought, he was thankful for that so that he could put her in the school system with no problem.
While Kiritsugu was thinking this he felt a nudge on his side looking down to that side he saw Artoria looking at him with an embarrassed expression asking which school she would go to.
"Well you're going to the only school in the area which is kuoh academy middle school division luckily for you that division unlike the high school division is actually co-ed. It was a recent change however following only 8 years after the primary division went co-ed," the former assassin explained.
Artoria only nodded while in her heart she allowed herself to hope that she could be in the same class as Shirou if he went there as well.
She hoped from the deepest part of her heart that she could see him again.
Author's note
Thanks for reading this chapter!
This was the biggest chapter I've written for the story being over half of the words of the fic in total and in celebration I'm going to answer all the reviews that are out as I'm writing this that I can answer so the ones which just say they're interested in were I'm taking this story will not have any response with that said let's start with:
Advent of sloth: I assure you once they find out what happened to did Excalibur they will be beyond pissed and may very well stop holding back at least temporarily. And thanks for agreeing with me when it comes to powerscalling fate/type moon characters in general you have to make sure you're taking their stated feats with a grain of salt in terms of their max since when not being nerfed in a sense they could very well destroy continents when talking about high tiers and that's what make reality marble users also being nerfed because the planet itself is fighting on trying to remove their soul, their reality marble from the face of the planet. So when you take a top tier servant with full access to their arsenal and a reality marble user who can hold his own against servants and kill them if they aren't being careful and take them into a verse that doesn't nerf them they make a fool of said verse.
CocunutGoSkrrt: Honestly the fact that there barely were any Artoria Shirou power couple fics is one of the reasons why I made this fic.
Godtatasuya: Don't worry I won't let this story die It'll only go on a very very long hiatus during school since I won't be able to update.
Bronzebull: As I said before in my response to advent of sloth's review there is a reason why he seems so op because well with all the buffs I've given him so that he can stand next to Artoria it's natural that he seems so op but to be honest even heaven feel Shirou could take on most of the verse and win he only really has all these since he had Avalon inside him since before he was born so the place thinks he is a resident and it accepts him freely.
SOLARIS: Thanks for the encouragement! And the advice.
keybladeknight: I can't tell you if Shirou took up blacksmithing but seeing as he's 10 at the moment in this timeline he won't be doing it anytime soon. And yes did Excalibur is a joke. And don't worry about the reaction of the weapons of the knights of the round the worst they can do is manifest forcefully Ain a bid to destroy the fakes(dxd Excalibur).
