Hello all you lovely readers and welcome to the next installment of Rebirth, I know I know it's been literally a hot minute since the last update, and it's aching me to have to fall to such a slump but multiple factors play into this that I must kill in order to regain proper productivity, and that starts now, need to re light the forge and keep hammering away with consistency.

This chapter will be an interlude to look at the aftermath of the incident and what Touma and Tama are up to

Fate/Index belong to Nasu and Kamachi respectively, LET'S GET INTO IT!

Chapter 3.5: The Wake of Separation

A couple of months had gone by since that terrible incident.

Between being almost burned to death, and bleeding out, Touma's chances of survival were, put lightly, extremely grim.

Almost by a miracle, however, he had been saved from death. However, he knew he wasn't alone in that event.

A companion with him who had stuck by his side through what should have been a lonely year…a certain girl with a foxy nature, named Tamamo no Mae.

Fate was a cruel thing— driving the two away via near death experiences. The profound aftereffects evident on the unlucky boy's demeanor as he sat at the dining room table with his parents during dinner, not touching an iota of food on his plate.

"Touma dear, what's bothering you?" Shiina asks.

Shiina herself had been a collateral damage victim herself: in an attempt to save her son and Tamamo from that decrepit businessman, she herself almost died in the process. She was formerly sequestered to a wheelchair and her left arm stuck in a cast, but a little while ago had been relieved to crutches for the rest of her recovery.

Touma stiffened as his mother asked that question. Quickly he dropped his stupor in favor of a smile as see-through as glass.

"I'm fine Mom." He flatly states.

"There's nothing bothering me."

"Are you sure, kiddo?" Touya responds. "After what had happened, it's understandable to feel some kind of way…no child should have to experience that, and with Tamamo still..."

Despite his father sputtering out the sentence halfway, hearing the name of his best friend was enough to make his head drop a little and some of the light in his eyes to fade slightly. He reached under his shirt and pulled up the gift around his neck: the golden fox necklace that was a symbol of their friendship.

'I wanted her to be safe, but now that she's gone…

…I hope you're safe Tama, wherever you are.'

He wanted to believe, to hold hope.

But those feelings were buried deep within him. Most of his thoughts were less-than optimistic, bogging him down under a thick raincloud.

"Touma. My sweet, sweet baby boy." Shiina said gently as she rubbed Touma's spiky head. "I'm so frightened for you, me and your father both."

It was clear Shiina was all choked up at the thought of her son being scarred for life so young. No child should have to have gone through what he did, after all.

"Mom?" Touma said, looking blankly at his mother shedding tears.

"Your mother and I have been talking extensively." Touya chimed in. "It took a lot of convincing on my part over the past two months 'till she agreed with me on our next course of action."

Touma stayed quiet, but a sinking feeling was beginning to wash onto him.

It caved further by his father's next words.

"As much as we don't want to, we decided that once you graduate Kindergarten, we will transfer you to Academy City."

Touma's eyes immediately went wide. His limbs tremble without his input.

He didn't know how to respond, other than with exasperated disbelief.

"Dad….?"

"It's the best course of action, the only course of action we have left." Shiina said gently, yet with a sniffle.

Touya continues in her place. "This place is too superstitious and dangerous for you, we believe you will be safer in a place that is devoid of such things, and supernatural phenomena are explainable."

All that his youthful mind could comprehend was he was going to be moved somewhere else away from his parents.

And the biggest kick was that it shunned his chances to find Tama.

And even if she did come back— if being extremely slim, he would be long gone.

Of course, he had to bring up this discrepancy immediately.

He wouldn't allow himself to be separated from her any longer than what he thought was necessary. He had already lost her— he didn't want to be separated from his parents, too.

"Wh-What about Tama!?" Touma quickly spouted.

Both his parents flinched. It was clear how Touma was starting to feel.

Indeed, they didn't know if separating themselves from their son would be particularly the best idea, either. It was a con for sure— but they believed certain pros outweighed it, at least barely.

For the sake of their son, they knew this was the right decision, even if he didn't feel like it was.

"Touma, please we are still praying to the heavens everyday that Tamamo will be found…

…but it's been two months since that awful day. You can't stay here any longer." Shiina said. Her eyes were a dam only barely holding back a flood.

But their sympathetic, loving gazes didn't help Touma at all.

With a swift motion, Touma dropped his chopsticks and stormed out of the dining room, not sparing his parents a glance despite their plea for him to listen.

Barging into his room and slamming the door, Touma plopped onto his bed and violently threw the sheets over his head.

He thought of just turning into bed early. A part of him hoped that this was just some bad dream— and after he closed his eyes, he would wake up to the sight of that fox-eared girl waiting for him by his bedroom door.

Such thoughts were just fantasy. An illusion.

This was his reality.

After the air within the covers got too hot and choking, he lifts the blanket off his head silently gazes toward his desk.

Facing his way was a framed photo, with the image of two young kids. Reaching from his bed, he proceeded to pick it up.

It showed a bright image of him and Tamamo asleep, up against the base of a tree near the same parkland woods where he found her. The two of them leaned comfortably onto one another as they dozed into the dreamlands, hands entwined.

'I want to believe we can reunite…

…that you're safe out there, wherever you are, Tama.'

As Touma voiced his belief in his young feeble mind, flashes of that moment before they separated sprang up as he began to drift into slumber.

"Just go Tama! I don't know why and it might be stupid to think it but I'm certain we will be reunited! This won't be the end of me, please just go and get out of town, to safety, FOR ME!!"

"I promise Tama, we will be together again."

Those words resonate in his head as he sleeps, those same words, that same promise that he made as it looked like the world was burning around him in an exaggerated sense. However the one thing that made him squirm was the constant vision of Tamamo's crying face.

As this was going on, Touya was helping Shiina up the steps.

"Are we really doing the right thing Touya?" Shiina asked quietly.

"I know it's hard, but we don't have any other choice." Touya sighs. He was trying to reassure his wife, but his own face was clearly conflicted.

Just a few short months ago, this house was brimming and full of life with two kids.

Now, there was only one, locked in his bedroom.

And pretty soon, they'd have the house to themselves. Eventually, all parents would like their children to go out and find their own paths in life, and indeed, they would want their house to just be husband and wife again.

But not now. They were too young— both of them, and especially Touma.

Biting the inside of his lip, Touya leads his wife to the door to Touma's room. He knocks on his door, trying to be gentle enough not to startle him.

"Touma? You awake in there kiddo?"

…

No response.

"Touma dear, please." Urged his mother in a gentle manner. "We wish to talk to you."

There were still no sounds coming from beyond the door. It was beginning to bother Shiina as she locked eyes with her husband.

"Honey?"

Touya gently shushes her, gesturing to her to listen carefully. As they both pressed their ears lightly on the wood, they could hear the ever-present, yet faint sound of whimpering.

Touya gently placed his hand on the doorknob and quietly opened up his son's room.

They see Touma, his face clearly showing the sandman had cruelly tossed him into a black cloud; tossing and turning as tears dripped from his closed eyes.

"Touma…" Touya called his name quietly.

As he said his son's name, Shiina quickly hobbled over to her son and sat on his bed before cuddling him to calm him down.

"Sniffle…Tama, I miss you Tama, I want to see you again….Sniffie."

"Oh Touma." Shiina gently said. She embraces him, holding her crying, sleeping son to fight off the plague of a nightmare torturing his mind.

At the same time…

As the lunar lit night enveloped the Japanese Archipelago, there was a cave isolated from the hustle and bustle of society, secluded far into the realm of nature. The atmosphere of the cave was quieter than a still lake. The only sounds that could be heard were the crackling of a fire within.

Within this cave was a certain fox-eared girl.

Sitting quietly, still as a statue was Tamamo no Mae, she had been blankly staring at the yellow and orange flame she had made by setting alight some gathered twigs, sticks and shrub.

'Alone, I'm all alone…..

…..I hate this feeling so much.'

If there was one thing Tamamo hated more then anything, it was loneliness, in her previous life she was once consort to the Emperor Toba back in the feudal era of Japan, she was his favorite courtesan for her stellar beauty and elegance.

In that time she was loved.

In that time perhaps she would have become empress.

Fate had other plans.

Her real nature would be discovered and winded up being hunted to execution, dying by a hail of arrows after slaughtering 80,000 soldiers. She would forever be known in legend— as a monster.

"Why would I be afraid of you?…

A voice rang in her mind.

"You're nice…

A voice that soothed her woes.

"…just because you have animal features doesn't take away the fact that you're still a girl."

"Touma…

…please be alive."

Tamamo then played with the gift around her neck, the golden dragon necklace Touma had given to solidify their close friendship.

As she looked at her treasured necklace she the rain cloud of bad thoughts began to vanish from the depths of her mind— yes, the legacy of Tamamo no Mae will solidify her a force of evil in the eyes of many, and her appearance would have any and all enact great prejudice against her.

Her first and only friend in this new life, this new reality, never did any of that.

"Touma." Tamamo softly spoke. "You showed this fox great kindness. You talked with me, played with me, you didn't care that I was not human, you treated me so well despite knowing what I am."

As she said her words to the necklace hoping to anything that her words might reach Touma somehow, like through a spiritual connection between necklaces.

Her eyes began to grow hot with brimming tears. A cyclone of emotions ravaged her as she struggled to hold onto hope that Touma was alive and well, against the dark recesses of her mind that was telling her that he was dead, burned to ashes.

She was so close to wallowing in her own pity.

To let uncontrollable sorrow and anger plague her mind.

Taking labored breaths, slow and steady as she drowns out her inner voices with the soft melody of nature, the crackling of her fire.

"I can't think about it too much." Tamamo said to herself. "I just have to believe that his words will be true."

Smacking herself slightly on both sides of her face she began to think of something that would occupy her mind, so as she went into concentration she began to pool as much mana as she could to try and summon at least one talisman.

After much effort, the sparks of light between her fingers finally took shape into three paper talismans, each glowing a unique color to represent a single element.

One was fire.

The other lightning.

And the third was ice.

"MIKON! I did it!!" Tamamo yelled in delight, however she was dizzy not long after and noticed her labored breathing.

"Damn, it is too much at my current state." She lamented.

The talismans began to dispel as she dropped to her knees panting, the effort took more out of her than she thought.

"Guess it is time to just turn in for now, but this is gonna take a lot of practice from here on."

Yawning— the fox maiden put out her fire, the darkness now washing over the cave like a blanket of shadow, Tamamo would lay down on a bed of leaves she procured for comfort, letting the sandman drift her off into the world of dreams.

Time passes.

It was now time for Touma to officially graduate from Kindergarten, surely a momentous day would've been of happy feelings.

Parents would watch their kids take another step in their long road of growth into adulthood, with smiles of pride on their faces.

For the Kamijou family however…

…this proved to not be the case.

Touma, even after the horrific incident he suffered was still the subject of prejudice, however after what happened before spread to the rest of the town like wildfire everyone mostly avoided him— only ever calling hideous insults behind his back.

There was even a point where the school wanted to stop Touma graduating, only for his parents to threaten legal action.

"Come on honey, smile." Shiina urged Touma.

As the graduation ceremony was in the midst of getting underway, Touma and his parents were amongst the gaggle of people waiting.

"Come on kiddo— it's a big day for you." Touya said. "Try to think of the positive things, it may help brighten your mood better."

Touma looked at his father with a less than stellar expression, the young Kamijou was not sulking— yet he wasn't down to show an overly positive attitude. All Touma did was give a small smile and subtle nod.

Touya and Shiina looked at each other briefly, they understood clearly that despite this ceremonious event that their son was still hurting.

The ceremony went on with a nice celebratory party, but despite the social setting, no one wanted to go near the Kamijou family, Touma especially, treating them like the black plague. Later at the closing event, when each graduate was coming up to the stage upon their names being announced.

"Touma Kamijou." Said the principal as they announced the misfortunate boy's name.

Touma walked his way up to the stage, however unlike every other kid that was called up to applause of the audience of parents, teachers and fellow students— he received only silence and cold stares.

"That's my boy!" Shouted Touya.

"Congratulations sweetie!!" Shiina followed.

Unsurprisingly it was his own parents that were taking the initiative to congratulate their son, being as loud and proud as possible for that show of encouragement.

Touma was happy to know that regardless of everything he had such wonderful parents, and their will to see him succeed and reach his hand to the heavens of success made him feel just a bit better as he strides to the podium.

The universe thought it funny then and there to play with its favorite young toy.

As Touma walked closer to the podium a SNAP sound quickly burst the bubble of majority silence as the boards under Touma's feet snapped like twigs and the unlucky boy fell through.

"Oh my God!!" Squeals Shiina as she and her husband rushed to the stage. As this happened everyone had burst out laughing, even those who were supposed to be professionals broke down at the sheer absurdity that befell the very child they clearly hated.

XXX

The drive back home was quiet, not a single Kamijou member said a peep, and really what could they say after the sudden humiliation that the youngest suffered on what was supposed to be a happy day.

"Touma dear…" Shiina called out to her son.

Touma slowly lifted his head to meet his mother's gaze.

"We're almost to the train station." Touya said.

Touma only dipped his head back down as he knew what it meant.

After Touma had graduated Kindergarten, it was also the same day he had to leave— to go to Academy City for his own safety, the paperwork finalized, the documents scanned and in the system proper, all that was left was to have him arrive with a representative to pick him up once he had gone through procedures.

Now all that was left to do…

…say their goodbyes.

Once the train arrived, Touma was hesitant, but urged by his father to go on. That it would not be forever, and while Touma agreed the nausea still made him feel metaphorically sick

As Touma was about to board the train to his new home, he spared one more look at his parents— the whirlwind of emotions raging between himself and them, especially his poor mother who spoke.

"Sweetheart…

…please, be safe ok, make sure you write to us…"

Shiina could not say more as she began to choke on her own words, so instead she let her actions do the speaking for her, and quickly caught Touma in one more tight, emotional embrace— the sound of crying just barely heard as Touma hugged her back.

"Take care of yourself Touma, we'll try to visit whenever possible." Touya said as he ruffled his son's spiky head, and easing crying wife off him, now feeling cold when not feeling her child's warmth.

"We…sniffiling…love you Touma." Shiina whimpered.

A single tear glistened and slid down Touma's cheek.

He took his left hand and gently waved at his loving parents before replying.

"I love you two Mom…Dad."

And so like a barrier that would separate two different worlds, the train door closed, officially making its round to Academy City, the moment those doors closed his days in the normal world were over.

His parents would look on as the train gained distance, and not long after, Shiina would cry heavily into Touya's shoulder, all while the Kamijou patriarch would attempt to comfort her into a calmer state, but he knew this was not easy for both of them, or their son.

As for Touma? As he rode his way to a new adventure, one thing always was a constant on his young fractured mind.

'Tama, I know you're out there, please be safe, PLEASE be safe…

…that we may see each other again.'

With that constant running in his head he looked at his golden fox necklace fondly before falling asleep.

Deep in the quiet, and mostly peaceful woodland area, Tamamo was meditating.

However long it was between the incident and now, she would be training herself to actually get back up to par with her magical prowess.

Needless to say she was making decent progress— yet still had a way to go.

As she stay still in the Zen position she feels a light tingling sensation up her spine.

Looking out over the scenery as dusk was approaching she let one thing pass her mind that broke her concentration, her own thoughts forming into a single entity.

Looking out towards the natural scenery as one word flooded her thoughts.

Or more specifically…

…a name.

As Tamamo raised her right hand, slowly bringing it in front of her till it lined with the distant setting sun, she felt, or rather wanted to feel like she was reaching out— that what the feeling she received moments earlier was possibly Touma's thoughts, or words reaching her.

A sign of hope.

One she affirmed to herself as she took another look at her necklace as it shined in the light of dusk, all while she uttered that one name affectionately in her head.

'Touma…'

AN: YEEAAAGGHHHH!! About bloody time! Agh, man I've been putting this off for so long, my story suffers from obscurity because of it and I don't want that! There's so much good stuff coming to not write it all down, I need to find that itch again but hopefully this will bring it back, that and writer's discipline.

Anyway hope you enjoy the chapter and I will see you in the next one

PEACE!!