Shirou had dragged Illya by her hand throughout most of the streets as he made haste towards the stairs leading to Ryuudou Temple. His head was spinning with feelings and his body full of adrenaline as he dragged his sister through the streets.

"BIG BROTHER SLOW DOWN!" Illya had to yell for Shirou to finally slow down and come to a stop. He turned around and saw Illya gasping for air, having tried to keep up with the much taller Shirou pulling her along.

"Why…why are we running…"

Shirou knelt down to be on eye level with Illya and said "I'm sorry Illya but we have to get to Ryuudou Temple and quickly. Time is ticking and we need to find Saber's sword before the bad people who did this to Sakura get it."

"You mean Richter…" Illya said looking down from him.

"Yeah him….you never told me what he did to you?"

"Because I barely remember big brother. All I recall is him strapping me to a chair and inserting needles into my skin….when I came too my mother was comforting me and Kirit….I mean dad had gone after him….he is a monster Shirou…I just hope Sakura doesn't remember what he did to her…"

"I hope so too. But that's why we must go to the temple. We must find Excalibur before…"

"Why isn't Rin coming with us then?" Illya asked concerned.

Shirou flinched at the mention of Rin. He knew where she was going but didn't know how successful she would be. He hoped and prayed that Elena would find a way to stop her.

"She….she has something else to do…let's get going."

Shirou again grabbed her hand and continued walking on towards where the temple would be. His mind wandering off to thoughts of Rin. He was angry at himself for not stopping her. Going after Richter was a bad idea. The man was obviously bad news and seemed like the person who had many tricks up his sleeves.

Morning was coming to an end already as he finally arrived at the stairs leading up to Ryuudou Temple. Shirou recalled everything that occurred on these stairs during the last Grail War and took in a deep breath.

"Are you ready Illya?" he asked her.

Illya nodded resolutely and with that the two began ascending the stairs in silence. In a few minutes they where at the top and saw the familiar sight of the destroyed temple.

"What do we now big brother?" Illya asked.

Shirou sighed deeply. This was the part that he dreaded the most. He needed to connect with the memory of Saber and according to Elena it was the only way to retrieve the sword. He didn't even manage it the last time but now the situation was dire and he had no choice.

"I need to connect to her. I need to connect to Saber" Shirou said to Illya as he closed his eyes.

He imagined her in their last moment together. Her last words to him. It was difficult to see her clearly, often times her appearance was shifted with Elena like it had been in his dream. He tried to focus on her, keeping her memory close to him.

Then suddenly her image was replaced again. And Shirou saw Rin before him, her hair waving in the wind.

"Shirou…I…I love you."

It broke him out of his trance and he fell to the ground.

"Big brother are you okay?" Illya called out as she went over to his side. Shirou nodded and stood back up, clenching his fists.

"It's no use I can't connect. I will never find the sword like this."

"You have to keep trying Shirou. If you don't find it then they will and then what?"

That question was something Shirou had never given full attention because the implications of it where simply to disgusting to him. If Manadek succeeded and got the sword then that would mean the end of all Magus in the world, innocent or not.

Himself, Illya….Rin.

Shirou breathed in and closed his eyes once again "please Saber…please help me…." He begged softly as Illya watched with baited breath.

He imagined her once more standing on that hill, hair waving in the wind. Now he saw her clearly and the light emanating from behind her, enveloping him. He felt himself lifted off the ground momentarily and his mind became cleared of all his worries.

Bright light flashed around him until he finally saw what seemed to be a path marked with light right in front of him. Beside him stood Illya holding his hand and watching wide eyed as the path of light was illuminated before their eyes.

Rin couldn't get the image out of her head. She felt paralyzed and all she saw before her was Richter's lifeless form, the metal pole jammed straight through his throat.

Elena had carried her out of the hospital and they where now sitting on the front steps. Rin had Elena's fluffy jacket wrapped around her and she only could manage a very soft "thank you" as the woman whom she had mistrusted for this entire time was wrapping it around her.

Elena sat down next to her and didn't say anything. Rin with her thousand yard stare just went out in front of her. The afternoon wind was rushing through their hairs yet Rin didn't seem to feel a thing.

"Rin…" Elena started cautiously "you did what you had to do."

"I killed a man…." Rin simply responded.

Yes she had indeed. Even in the Holy Grail War she never did. She had attacked people and defended herself but had never outright killed someone. And she did it so brutally without hesitation. It scared her, the image wasn't leaving her head.

"Richter wasn't a man. He was a monster. You saw what he did to your sister. He would've done that to more innocent people if you hadn't ended him" Elena countered.

Rin didn't argue against that. She knew Elena was correct. She had barely met Richter but his work spoke volumes. To her he seemed like a man that wasn't concerned with ethics or morality. Only with results.

She looked over at Elena, who stared out in front of her in apparent deep thought.

"Elena I…." she stopped mid-sentence, swallowing the big lump in her throat and finally saying "thank you…"

Elena turned to her, smiling politely.

"It was nothing."

"It is…if you hadn't interfered then…"

Elena touched her hand "look Rin you and I are a lot alike. We are both independent and stubborn and….well I knew I couldn't let you do this on your own. Seeing you fight for your sister…I can understand."

Elena looked forward again "you know I used to have to stand up for my brother. Kerrion was always picking fights with others, especially when they hurled insults towards my father. So I had to step in and help him you know…like a good sister."

Rin listened attentively "Sakura and I….we are almost strangers to each other."

"And yet you still came here and fought for her" Elena said.

Rin fell silent, her words lost on her. Looking at her hands, although they where clean, they felt dirty and stained with blood.

"Would you have killed for him. For Kerrion?" Rin asked.

Elena turned to her, giving her a half-hearted smile.

"I don't know to be honest. I never really thought about it. I guess in the moment I probably would. I mean he annoys me to no end but…he's still my brother. Just like Sakura is still your sister."

Rin smiled briefly at that. A gesture which Elena returned. She then reached out and held her hand.

"Look Rin I know you feel like you went too far today. But I promise you that you haven't. Richter deserves neither your sympathy or your guilt. Not only did you do right by Sakura but you also rid the world of a monster and you should be proud of that. Your act has saved many more innocent lives that that madman would've harmed."

Rin tried to accept Elena's encouraging words. It felt so unreal to her. She had been nothing but mistrustful and passive aggressive towards her this entire time and yet despite that Elena had been the bigger person and never turned it back around on her.

"Elena I'm sorry about…"

Elena suddenly shushed her and gestured towards the fence that gated off the abandoned hospital. All she could see was the open door creaking from side to side in the wind and nothing else. But she heard something that sounded like….people talking.

Elena took the initiative and stood up and peeking around the corner. Her eyes widened up as she saw two people conversing just a few meters away.

Particularly her father and Gil.

She quickly scurried back over to Rin and said as soft as she could.

"Rin you have to go. My father and Gil are right around the corner and we can't be seen together."

Rin immediately stood up and Elena grabbed her arm.

"Look Rin listen to me very closely. You have to go to Ryuudou Temple as fast as possible. Shirou is there looking for the sword. I'll try to hold them off for as long as possible."

Rin nodded in understanding. Shrugging the jacket off and handing it back over to Elena and sharing one last look before she ran into the abandoned hospital, running through the hallway to the backdoor as Elena steeled herself and stood there, waiting for her father to turn the corner.

A/N: We're in the homestretch now everyone. The final few chapters of the story. Sorry for the absence that last chapter was a bit much for me. But I'm all ready to wrap this story up.