"Really? Business cards?"
Rin was understandably perplexed as she followed Shirou and Arturia down the steps from Ryuudou Temple. Having procured a way to hide Saber's matured body thanks to Caster, Arturia now appeared small and youthful as she did before her wish... at least to the naked eye due to the charm she wore. She and Shirou could not keep the curious white box that he held from Rin.
"Yeah..." Shirou replied bluntly, mildly sharing in Rin's disbelief. The cards in question were their condition for paying back Caster for making the illusion charm for Arturia, and its implications were nothing short of bizarre when it came to the Witch of Colchis. Medea wanted the three of them to promote her dress-making business, provided that Arturia and Rin wore the dresses Caster made for them; loaned in the case of the Tohsaka mage.
"So me and Arty are to be Caster's walking billboards?" Rin asked rhetorically. "Well, I guess it's not the most unreasonable thing we could pay her back with. Today really is full of weird."
"I concur," Arturia remarked, looking down at herself under the guise of the illusion. As close as it was to how Arturia appeared before, she found herself already missing as she did before donning the charm on her wrist. "Considering what I woke up with this morning, and what followed after..."
Shirou looks back at Arturia as they walked down the countless steps. He would not say it out loud, but he fully agreed with her, especially considering that his day began by waking up with his face buried in Arturia's bosom. Shirou stomps down the growing redness in his face at the memory and decides to ask her:
"How's the charm working, Saber? How does it feel?"
Arturia took a moment to assess herself before answering.
"Feels as fitting as a glove... Caster has outdone herself."
"Do you just appear smaller?" Shirou asked in curiosity with the knowledge that the charm was made by the less-than-trustworthy Caster. "Or do you actually feel smaller wearing it?"
"That was a concern of mine when Caster made it," Arturia replied. "Fortunately, it feels like I 've been shrunk to fit inside the illusion, and my sight matches my younger body's eyeline."
"Caster has thought of everything, hasn't she?" remarked Shirou, initially worried that Medea might have tampered with the charm in some way that could negatively affect Arturia. But to the boy's relief, it seemed that the charm was working as advertised. Then to his surprise, Arturia giggled.
"Indeed. It would be awkward if you thought you were looking at my eyes, when in actuality you would've been looking at my breasts instead."
"Oh, uh..." Shirou stammered and looked away upon hearing that, while Rin was stifling a laugh at having overheard. The boy tugged on his collar while replying with, "Well, as long as it works in front of Taiga, we'll all be better off for it."
Arturia's smile vanished. Her little joke got a reaction out of Shirou, but it was not as strong as she expected. She was left wondering which form he preferred for her.
"Is that all?" she said under breath, prompting Shirou to turn back at her.
"You say something, Saber?"
"No, Shirou..." Arturia said quickly, reminding herself that how she looked was not important compared to making sure the illusion works in Taiga's presence. As Shirou shrugged and looked away, Arturia thought about what on Earth made her say such a vulgar thing to him anyway. Since gaining her new, mature body, Arturia felt bolder than usual.
It was just like the moment when she and Shirou snapped pictures earlier...
"Say, Rin?" Shirou then turned to the Tohsaka mage. "Did anything happen while you two were shopping?"
Rin hesitated, deciding against telling the naive boy about her and Arturia's disastrous experience bra shopping.
"We found Sakura and Rider at Verde," she told Shirou. "Then we bumped into Lancer on our way to meet you... at his job."
Shirou stared at Rin with mild surprise upon hearing that.
"Where?"
"Some brunch cafe on the market strip," Rin revealed. "He was working as a waiter."
"Oh, good for him..." Shirou remarked calmly, leading Rin to ask him:
"You don't find that strange?"
"Well, Rin... what else is Lancer going to do besides fishing?"
Rin was not sure how to answer, as there was truth in Shirou's words. Just then, Arturia cut in.
"That was not all, Shirou. Lancer told us he has contracted himself with another master, who's operating at Kotomine's church."
This time, Shirou was genuinely shocked after hearing that from Arturia.
"Say what?!"
"You heard that right," Rin remarked rather seriously. "He even told us that his master is interested in meeting you and Saber. Not me apparently..."
"It might be a trap, Shirou," Arturia warned her master. "But someone from the church taking over for Kotomine in Fuyuki is a potential threat that we cannot ignore. I would suggest that we investigate the church at first opportunity."
Shirou considered Arturia's words before nodding in agreement.
"I think we should too. We'll see what this priest-lady's deal is with us. We'll swing by the church tomorrow, but right now, we gotta hurry back home and cook dinner before Taiga comes back from her date, or she'll be-"
"Whoa! Hold up...!" Rin interrupted Shirou once she heard: "Taiga went on a date?!"
Shirou was stunned by Rin's bewildered reaction, and as it was also Arturia's first time hearing that, she too was quite surprised to hear that Taiga was seeing someone. Eventually, Shirou spilled the beans to the girls.
"She told me this morning. Apparently, Taiga hit it off with some guy, and they've had two dates before."
"This is huge! How did we not know this?!" Rin squealed in delight, eager to hear some juicy gossip. Arturia rolled her eyes at Rin's enthusiasm for wanting to know more about Taiga's mystery bachelor; a far cry from how the Tohsaka mage was cringing at the sight of Caster pining for Souichirou Kuzuki.
"I guess Taiga wanted to be sure that this man was a keeper," Shirou said with a shrug. "She didn't say who he was, but he's got connections into the most exclusive places in town."
Rin was intrigued.
"Oooooh, this guy sounds rich. Still, for Taiga to see this guy twice before letting any of us know..."
"It means she's confident that she has found a dependable partner," Arturia said. Despite not showing it, she too was curious about who Shirou's Guardian was seeing. "Taiga may want us to meet him eventually."
"I guess I should be happy for Taiga if that's the case," Shirou remarked rather dully, prompting Rin to point out:
"You don't sound happy about it, Emiya-kun..."
"I am, seriously..." Shirou replied, and Arturia could see that he was being honest while appearing to be struggling to wrap his head around something. "It's just, I don't see Taiga having enough feminine charm for a guy to be interested in her."
Arturia appeared appalled to hear that, but before she could refute Shirou, Rin beats her to it while belting out an unladylike laugh.
"Ha! Fujimura-sensei has plenty, and you better believe it, Emyia-kun. Taiga is more capable of having a functional relationship than that pointy-eared sack of a bleeding-heart up there... "
"What's your problem with Caster?" Shirou asks Rin as the trio finally reached the bottom of the stairs and passed through the torii-gate back to Miyama neighborhood. The Tohsaka mage continued her rant.
"It's her desperate-housewife complex to Kuzuki-sensei. Those two make me sick... why is Caster so overly clingy for our stone-faced teacher of all people? Not only is he the least excitable guy ever, but he's too old for her!"
"I think it would fascinate you to know, Rin..." Shirou pointed out to Rin as Arturia followed them behind on the sidewalk. "Kuzuki-sensei is twenty-five."
"What?!" Rin looked at red-haired boy in disbelief. "He looks almost double that age! I don't believe that..."
"Whatever his real age is, it's still nothing compared to a three-plus millennia-old sorceress from Ancient Greece if we want to obsess ourselves with numbers. What does it matter, Rin?"
"Speaking of numbers, Emyia-kun... WHEN are you gonna pay me back for Saber's clothes? You thought I'd forget, hmmm?"
As Shirou and Rin obliviously continued their banter, Arturia stopped in her tracks as she turned to see an inconspicuous teal-colored kei car parked across the street. It appeared empty, but she got the feeling that they were being watched. When nothing seemed to happen, Arturia dismissed that feeling. Perhaps after Rin telling her earlier that Enforcers from the Mage's Association were scouring Fuyuki that Arturia felt she had gotten paranoid...
Once Arturia caught up to Shirou and Rin again, in that same car, two men in suit-and-tie and wearing shades slowly rose up in their seats in sight of the car windows, stoically watching the trio as they walked off. One of the agents held up his hand beside his face which glowed with lines resembling circuit patterns, and he spoke into it like it was a phone. His accent was "distinctly" British.
"Watch leader, this is squad 37... we have eyes on the subjects... tailin' them now."
The agent's circuits dimmed down, and he lowered his hand to motion his colleague to start the car's engine and follow their targets. Only when he attempted to do so, the other agent fumbled the keys and struggled to start the car.
"What's the matter?" the first agent expressed his frustration, as his stockier partner continued to struggle. Their image of two dignified undercover agents were instantly lifted.
"I thought all cars needed keys to start, Biggs," the other agent said as he desperately scanned the dashboard around the steering wheel. "Where's the hole on this thing?"
"Weren't you paying attention, Wedge?" "Biggs" scolded him. "The keys are only getting into this bloody thing. It's a push-start. Don't you see the button?"
He pointed to the side of the steering wheel for "Wedge" to see, and he pushed it, making the car's engine spring to life.
"Oh..." Wedge let out embarrassingly. "The Association's classes on mundane technology are outdated. You could've told me that after you got to drive this from the rental place on the way here..."
"I'm not the one who wanted to rent this garbage can. What the bloody hell were you thinking when you paid for this sodding toy car?"
"It was the cheapest, and it helps us blend in," Wedge said to then point out: "YOU said get a car that'll make us blend in..."
"You call this toothpaste-colored, turd on-wheels "blending in?"" Biggs countered as his and Wedge's bickering turned into an argument. "We stick out like a sore thumb. Of all the things you could've rented, you get a bloody kei car. Might as well bought a G-Wiz..."
"Perhaps if you didn't pay for a Jag' and wrecked it later that day, the bosses might've let YOU rent a car again this time."
"That was NOT my fault!" Biggs insisted. "How was I to know that lying prick of a dealer was making me rent a tin-can that had already been in an accident?!"
"That you blew our entire budget on I might add, and never got it back..."
"Let's not get hung-up on details, alright-?"
"Oh, NOW you don't want details..."
"Listen here. We're putting our careers on the line to get this assignment done. I don't want to muck things up again, or we'd get stuck pencil-pushin' for the rest of our lives."
"So can we forget about the car already and do the bloody job then before we become the Enforcers' laughingstock?"
"Okay, I'll shut up about the car, just tail the targets..."
Wedge rolled his eyes and said sarcastically:
"Aye-aye captain-" he cut himself off after turning back to the forward windshield of the car and saw- "They're gone..."
Biggs looked out the window, stunned that during their argument that their persons-of-interests have walked out of sight. Awkward silence filled the car briefly until Biggs asked cautiously:
"Know where they live at least?"
Wedge nods.
"Yeah, it was in the briefing-"
Biggs silenced him by slapping the back of his head.
"Then THAT'S where they're headin', you muppet! Drive!"
"Right!" Wedge fumbled before starting the car and driving off with his fed-up partner by his side.
______
Sometime later, Shirou and Arturia returned to the Emiya Residence. Rin dropped off the many shopping bags full of clothes that she had bought for Saber before returning home, leaving her and Shirou to prepare dinner before Taiga's arrival. It just so happened that Shirou planned ahead and prepared some filleted meat and seafood for a yosenabe before leaving for Ryuudou Temple. Grabbing the meat from the fridge, there was only the matter of cutting vegetables and herbs to add to the hot pot before cooking.
From the window from the dining room to the kitchen, Arturia watched contently as Shirou, now wearing an apron, went to work in preparing tonight's meal. She was almost mesmerized by how methodically Shirou went about chopping vegetables with great precision and at a rhythmic pace while at same time monitoring the seafood as it simmered over the stove, adding herbs accordingly and while preparing the broth. The air was filled with an aroma that made Arturia's mouth water. She was breathless with anticipation as she continued watching Shirou cook, impressed by how well he was handling a kitchen knife as he chopped more herb to be added.
"You're awfully quiet," Shirou remarked over-shoulder to his audience of one. "Can't wait for a taste, Saber?"
"Just enjoying watching you..." Arturia blissfully admitted. "If you mind me sitting here, I could be helping you..."
"I know," Shirou replied, turning to face Arturia. "We're in a bit of a rush. Perhaps next time I'll chaperone you while you try making okonomiyaki. Should be easy enough for you."
"You speak as if I'll set something on fire," Arturia playfully jabbed. "I'm not THAT careless in the kitchen, Shirou..."
"This coming from the person who was about to split the cutting board the first-time I let her chop cabbage," Shirou joked in response, recalling the time after they first met during the Holy Grail War. The first time Arturia held a kitchen-knife was not far off from how she would normally use a sword.
Still, his joke made Arturia giggle. Seeing her being amused and joyous, even at her own expense, filled Shirou with a kind of happiness he never felt before Arturia entered his life. He wanted to see her smile everyday...
Speaking of which, Shirou grabbed a sample of fish from his hot-pot and held it up for Arturia to try. Softly blowing to cool it off, Shirou offers the piece of fish on a spoon. Arturia takes a bit and slowly chews before swallowing.
"How is it?" Shirou asks her, already knowing the answer.
"Delicious," replied Arturia with a smile. "Absolutely perfect."
"It's not too salty, is it?" Shirou then asked more seriously, having grown slightly paranoid after one time at Waku Waku when Archer chastised him for putting too much salt on the omelet he made for lunch.
Shirou held the phrase: "You're your own best critic" to an unhealthier degree than most people... but thankfully-
"Not at all," Arturia's answer was sincere. Shirou knew that as much as she loves his cooking, Arturia would not hold back if she thought there was something wrong with whatever she was served.
Arturia was a voracious eater, but not a mindless one...
Still, Shirou breathes a sigh of relief, knowing if he had any yosenabe leftover, at least Archer will not scold him for making it too salty. He felt like he had won one over his older self.
"Great. Anyway, it's almost done; it just needs a few minutes to simmer before-"
Just then, the two of them hear the front door open, along with-
"Shiroooooou! I'm back!"
Shirou and Arturia tensed up. They have been so caught up in the moment that they forgot that there was matter of Caster's illusion charm masking Arturia's grown body and making sure that it worked on Taiga.
They did not trust Caster enough to believe that her charm would work as well on Taiga as it did to Shirou and Rin's eyes. Medea could be pulling a sick prank on them, and Arturia would not put that one hundred percent past the witch.
Still, there was only one way to find out.
"We're in the kitchen Taiga!" Shirou called out. "Dinner's almost ready!"
Shirou glances at Arturia, who then instinctively brushed her hand against her opposite wrist, ensuring herself that the bracelet Caster gave her was on and working.
"I still look small, right?" she quickly whispered to Shirou.
"Yeah, you do," Shirou quietly affirms as they hear Taiga's approaching footsteps. Leaving the hot pot to simmer, Shirou threw off his apron as he entered the dining room. He notices the mini-TV against the wall was showing the local news and grabs a remote to turn it off. Just before, the reporter on screen announces:
"In other news, police in Shinto district are investigating a string of random murders and unable to identify any possible suspect-"
[OFF]
The screen goes dark and silent as Shirou stands ahead of Arturia to greet Taiga as she entered.
"Mmmm..." Taiga savors the aroma in the air from the simmering hot pot. "Smells good in here... like seafood hot pot!"
"Your nose never fails you, Fuji-nee," Shirou remarked. "How was your date?"
"It went great!" Taiga replied. "I think I'll be seeing him again very soon..."
She trails off when she spotted Arturia standing up to greet her. Taiga beats her to the punch before Arturia could utter a word.
"Ah, Arturia! How was your day out with Rin?"
Arturia's initial nervousness receded, as it seemed that the charm was making it so that Taiga could not notice any change with her body. Her reaction to seeing her implied that the illusion was working perfectly.
"It was... fruitful, I must say."
Arturia's response was met with Taiga's usual enthusiasm.
"Wanting to treat yourself after your big day huh? I sure hope you two had fun and-"
Taiga suddenly stopped. Arturia and Shirou tense up as they notice her starring hard at the blonde-haired girl. Taiga stands up straight and her gaze narrows at Arturia.
"Hmmm..."
Shirou's blood ran cold. He should have known that despite her aloofness, Taiga can be very observant and can tell if something did not seem right. Was there a flaw in the illusion?
Arturia's face remained stoic and passive, but inside she felt tense as Taiga scanned her with suspicion in her eyes.
"Is something wrong, Taiga?" Arturia asks casually, but Taiga merely rubs her chin as the room became dead quiet.
"There's something off about you, but I can't quite put my finger on it..."
Now internally panicking, Shirou tries to defuse the situation.
"I think you're acting a bit crazy, Fuji-nee-"
"No no no no no no..." Taiga waves Shirou off as she started walking until she stopped right in front of Arturia. "Arturia-san, you're not carrying yourself like you normally do. Your posture is off..."
"It is?" Arturia asks, nervousness now seeping into her voice. Thinking about it, she figured that with her growth spurt, especially in the chest-area that she was still not properly adjusted to it. There was no way that Caster's illusion could cover THAT up.
Adding to Arturia's panic, she was blindsided when Taiga grabbed her shoulders.
"What are you-?!"
"Shhh..." Taiga hushed with grave concern in her voice as she pushed them back, correcting Arturia's stance. Arturia was frozen stiff, and Shirou grimaced as Taiga kept glancing between Arturia's head and her chest. Taiga's eyes then lit up.
"Could it be...?" she starts, and Arturia swallowed nervously as she awaited Taiga's response. "That you're finally sprouting?"
Arturia blinked for but a moment.
"Pardon-?" she stopped and quickly corrected herself. "Eh, I mean-! Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
Taiga's face then relaxed.
"Ah, then that must be it!" she cheerily replied, and Shirou exhaled with relief. "No wonder you decided to go shopping with Rin! You're now at the point where you'll be making frequent clothing trips!"
"That's a thing?" Shirou asked, only for Taiga to humor him.
"Arturia's got some growing to do, Shirou! Seem's I was fretting about her growth last night for nothing!" Taiga then turned back to Arturia and asked in whisper, "Did you buy bras while you were out?"
"As a matter of fact, I-" Arturia began, but Taiga does not let her finish.
"As I thought! You better get used to it; you're looking a bit top heavy right now, and I imagine you'll be buying new bras at least every two months."
"Two months...?" Shirou said under his breath, and Arturia responded with:
"Oh my..."
"Don't stress," Taiga assures her. "You're a growing girl after all! Shopping for clothes doesn't have to be a chore. You can take Rin with you again!"
"I'm sure she'd love that..." Arturia replies sarcastically, now comfortable with the fact that Taiga was indeed fooled by the illusion and the charm was working perfectly. Speaking off, Taiga notices said trinket on Arturia's wrist.
"By the way, did you pick out that bracelet yourself, Arturia? It looks so pretty on you!"
"Thank you," Artuira courteously replied. Shirou wipes the sweat off his forehead and strikes casual conversation back up. Namely...
"So anyway, uh... Taiga, you were telling us how your date went?"
"Huh? Oh, right!" Taiga said in recollection before sharing her experience. "We met up at the old theater park before we went to this pricey latte place by the waterfront. He offered to pay for everything, even for the tram ride up to the cliffside lookout. We were going to try and catch a play at the new Performing Arts Centre, but last minute they reserved it for some rock band that's changing venue."
"You enjoyed going around the city?" Shirou then asked. "Fuyuki is no Tokyo or Osaka..."
"It sure isn't, but you know? Living here all my life yet never having much time to go out and explore with the hours I work... Honestly, why does Japan still insist on six days a week?"
Taiga's face then turned blissful as she continued sincerely:
"Still, it made me appreciate this place more. Especially with someone who makes time for me..."
"What you mean to say Taiga," Arturia starts. "Is that you think he is suitable for you?"
When Taiga nodded, Arturia smiled at her.
"Then me, Shirou and Rin are very happy for you."
"Thanks, Arturia," Taiga replied, wiping a joyous tear from her eye. "I honestly can't wait to introduce all of you to him."
Taiga's face then lit up as if she remembered something.
"In fact, he wants to meet you all!"
"He does?" Shirou starts before realizing, "Wait, you told him about us?"
"Yeah-huh," Taiga replied. "I told him about you guys on our first date. All of you are important to me, so why wouldn't I bring you up?"
"What did you say?" Shirou asked.
"Well, Shirou... I told him you are a kind-hearted, hardworking boy who's a great cook and a crack shot with a bow."
Shirou rubs the back of his, flattered by Taiga's words. It was only after the Holy Grail War that Shirou decided to rejoin the archery club at Homurahara Academy. Taiga then continued with:
"Arturia," she turns to the blonde girl. "You are a very dignified, loyal, and confident young woman... who occasionally likes cosplaying as a European Knight."
Arturia subconsciously rubbed her arm, remembering the time Taiga caught her wearing her Servant armor, which thankfully Taiga dismissed as mere cosplay. That was the closest she and Shirou got to accidently revealing magecraft to the mundane English-teacher.
"I'm curious what you said about Rin..." Arturia remarked, and Taiga obliges.
"I said that Rin was a good friend of you two, and a distinguished student at the school... aside from not seeming to know how a television works. Poor girl..."
Both Arturia and Shirou tried not to laugh. They both knew how much trouble Rin has understanding modern technology of any kind, as most mages of prestigious families tend to be averse to. They pulled themselves together when Taiga continued.
"And I said that all three of you are history buffs. You enjoy reading books and going to the museum when you're not at Waku Waku. He seemed intrigued and at the end of our time today said he wanted all three of you to come with us to dinner at a fancy place!"
"How soon?" Shirou asked, intrigued that Taiga's bachelor was interested enough in them to invite them on their next date.
"Within a week!" Taiga replied ecstatically. "He's great, isn't he?"
Arturia, however, was skeptical.
"You haven't even told us his name..."
"I want it to be a surprise!" Taiga tells both Arturia and Shirou. "Please bear with me, you two? He could very well be my it-man!"
"ALREADY you're marrying this guy?!" Shirou exclaimed in disbelief, wondering just what on Earth came over his guardian.
"Of course not, silly!" Taiga assured him. "That's still at least a year away..."
Both Arturia and Shirou stare at Taiga perplexed. A year was not a long time leading up to an engagement, and they thought Taiga might be desperate.
"You're sure in a hurry..." they both remarked bluntly. It went ignored by Taiga who just smiled without a care... at least until she noticed a distressing sound.
"Is something boiling?"
Taiga's question prompted Shirou to snap out of his stupor and listen. To his horror, he realized that being nervous of Taiga's arrival made him forget to turn the heat down, and now Shirou's hot pot was boiling over!
"Crap!" Shirou rushed back into the kitchen and quickly shut off the stove. He took the lid off the pot and released the steam before the broth spilled out. Shirou breathed a sigh of relief that at worse the yosenabe would only be slightly overdone. Turning back and seeing the girls' bewildered looks, Shirou announces exhaustingly:
"Dinner's ready..."
From outside, Biggs and Wedge were observing the scene unfolding in the dining room of the Emiya residence, using a special lens to see past the walls and into the room where Arturia, Shirou and Taiga were residing. Conducting their surveillance from inside their brightly coloured kei car, the two rookie Enforcers of the Mage's Association shared their intel.
"At least the mundane one is still in the dark..." Wedge said to his colleague in the passenger seat.
"Then we're all good," Biggs replied with a wicked grin. "But the moment they slip up, they'll be in a world of trouble..."
_______
Meanwhile:
In the lavish hallways of the Matou mansion, a violet-haired boy dressed in a button-shirt was walking past the vases and statues towards the dining hall wearing a disgruntled look on his face.
"Homework is such a pain... since when I ever had to care about that?"
Shinji locked himself in his room all day, not really doing much besides "studying" of all things. There was a time he could have cared less for his grades over the girls that would hang around him after his classes. Even now he did not care about it, but at Sakura's insistence lest he not graduate this year, Shinji found himself not able to ignore it. "Responsibility" was never in his vocabulary before... that.
That being Shinji dying and then coming back to life miraculously.
He shivered at the memory. While Sakura had gone dark and was doing her thing, Shinji thought it be a good idea to "get rid" of Rin Tohsaka while Sakura was busy with Shirou Emiya. It did not end well for him, as his tussle with the Tohsaka mage ended up with him accidently falling into Grandpa Zouken's pit of worms and being eaten alive...
His death was slow and agonizing, and his last thoughts were of... regret.
Whether it was not living up to the Matou name or for how badly he treated Sakura for years before the Holy Grail War... Shinji did not know.
All he knew that was since coming back and learning of what happened after his death, Shinji had not felt the same since before his demise.
"Death has a way of reshuffling one's priorities I guess..."
Once coming back, Shinji was face to face with Sakura and Rider, expecting some kind of retribution funnily enough. Shinji knew Sakura had EVERY reason to punish him after all the pain he caused her. The Matou boy was never a brave soul... he was secretly dreading Sakura letting Rider pay that pain back tenfold.
But that was not what ended up happening...
Sakura welcomed him back, much to Shinji's shock. Granted, the "power dynamic" between them had completely shifted. Zouken was no more, and Sakura now had complete control of the Matou family's assets, leaving Shinji in a precarious position:
It was either shape up or walk out...
Shinji did the only logical course of action; with nowhere else to go, he took his chances staying with Sakura and Rider here at the mansion. It was not an "all-expenses paid" affair, for it came with the catch that Shinji take the opportunity to "reevaluate" himself.
That included improving his studies and deciding what he was going to do after graduating. In addition, it also meant that Shinji had to be nice. Any aggression on his part towards Sakura invited Rider's wrath, not that either really "warned" Shinji of that.
It was not needed.
Given how he treated Rider briefly during the Holy Grail War, she'd no doubt be eager to discipline Shinji should he so much as stuck the tip of his toe out of line. Medusa had made no threatening advances on him as per Sakura's wishes, but Shinji always felt her watchful gaze whenever he was around his adoptive sister.
It was distressingly uncomfortable. And yet, that's not why Shinji alienated himself while here at the Matou mansion.
It was because of Sakura...
After she had welcomed Shinji back with open arms, the boy could hardly bear to be in the same room as Sakura. Being of the Matou family, yet not born a mage, Shinji was mistreated and deemed inferior by his "Grandfather," Zouken. Sakura was taken in from the Tohsaka family to be the Matou's bearer of magecraft; a fact Shinji was too young to be aware of at the time. He treated Sakura very well at first, like she really was family.
But as time went on, reality dawned on Shinji that he was nothing but a disgrace to his family, he took all that frustration out on Sakura...
By the time of the Fifth Holy Grail War, their relationship had completely deteriorated.
Shinji lets out a sigh as he walked on. After all those years of insults and abuse, he could not understand how Sakura was so willing to take him back upon his return from death; how on Earth she could bear him staying under the same roof as her tormentor. Shinji could not wrap his head around it.
Was this Sakura's way of taunting him? Flaunting the fact that she now owns all that has once belonged to the Matou family? Was she keeping Shinji prisoner in his own home?
Shinji bit back the familiar pang of anger at the thought of being degraded. It would be times like this when his pride was wounded that he'd find an outlet for it; something he could hit.
Then he'd be reminded that it would be poetic justice. Shinji supposed it be appropriate punishment, for it was his treatment of Sakura for all these years was what brought this situation upon him.
Then in his quelled anger, a more unfamiliar feeling would take root when Shinji recalled seeing Sakura after his return... guilt.
Shinji stopped when he came up to an all-too-familiar set of double doors; the entrance of the dining room. He slowly opened it, secretly hoping neither Sakura nor Rider would be in there.
Entering the lavish room, Shinji quietly scanned his surroundings, finding it empty save for-
"Oh... dinner."
Shinji was not overjoyed. After all, he figured that with how late in the day it has gotten, Sakura and Rider have had their fill already, with Shinji neglecting to join them. It was the same routine every day; Shinji would wake up, have breakfast, not speak unless spoken to, do whatever business he had that day, and not show up for dinner unless he was very hungry. He would find a big, empty table with just Sakura's cooking warmed up for him.
Shinji doubted Sakura or Rider would even welcome him if he showed up on time at all. He would not made for good company anyway he figured.
Still, the kind gesture was not without some appreciation. Shinji took a seat and removed the covering off his meal, seeing the steam and savory scent emanating from it.
"Thanks, Sakura... I guess."
As Shinji sampled a taste of his meal, behind another set of doors, Sakura was peering into the dining room and watching her brother eat with anticipation. Sakura then gets ecstatic when Shinji took another bite... and another... and another.
"He seems to be liking it!" Sakura whispered excitedly to Rider standing behind her, who standing there with her arms crossed did not seem to share in her master's enthusiasm.
"Sakura, was it really necessary to leave that for him?" Rider asked with concern and skepticism. Sakura looked back at her Servant, and keeping her voice down as to not be heard by Shinji, replied:
"Shinji won't eat with us, Rider. I can't just let him starve..."
"The boy should know better," Rider bluntly stated. She was adamant about keeping Shinji around as opposed to Sakura, believing it to not be good for her. Her own feelings about the Matou boy were not favorable at all. "If he wants to have dinner, then he should be having it with us."
Sakura just gave Rider a somber look, trying to get her Servant to understand:
"He's still adjusting, Rider. I'm sure Shinji is afraid to be around us after all that has happened."
"For good reason," Rider said coldly. "He should be grateful that you keep him fed after everything he did to you. With me there beside you, he's right to be too afraid to show his face."
Sakura's face fell further. Sharing a link with Medusa as per Master and Servant, Rider no doubt saw Sakura's memories of how badly Shinji treated her. It was no doubt making Rider on edge at the thought that Shinji might hurt Sakura again, only tolerating the boy's presence because Sakura wished for it.
"Rider, please don't think like that," she told her Servant. "If you were around when I was first adopted into the Matou's, then you would know Shinji was not always so... abrasive."
"Violent is more like it..." Rider spat, earning an unamused glare from Sakura.
"Zouken constantly degraded Shinji for not having any trace of mage blood within him," she told Rider with a rare seriousness from the girl. "What my brother has done to me is not too different from what Zouken did to him. You're unlikely to receive mercy from someone who has never been shown it."
Rider watched as Sakura put her hand over her heart.
"I believe fully that with Zouken out of the picture, that Shinji would turnaround for the better. It's just..."
Sakura's gaze then fell slightly.
"It's just taking longer than I thought it would..."
Rider's look of indifference wavered for but a moment. Gazing upon her master through her glasses, Medusa would be a liar for saying that she did not admire what Sakura was doing; giving the person who caused her so much pain a chance to make amends and become a better person. But considering this was Shinji that they were talking about, not to mention having been bossed around by him at the start of the Holy Grail War, Rider did not believe the boy could change.
She feared Sakura was only setting herself up for disappointment, or potentially more pain. As her Servant, Rider could not allow that to happen.
"He has let out his frustrations on you for over ten years, on top of-," Rider stopped herself, knowing Zouken's experiments were more horrible for Sakura than Shinji's fist ever was. Her eyes narrow as Rider stressed her concern for Sakura's wellbeing. "I just feel that keeping Shinji around is doing more harm than good for you, Sakura. You must understand... how I'd feel if that happened to you again..."
Sakura's face turned somber, touched by this rare show of emotion from the Greek Servant, however minimal it was. Rider just wanted to protect her, but the Servant did not believe Shinji turning over a new leaf was possible, if even probable.
Sakura, however, just could not believe that. She cannot, despite Rider silently telling her how fruitless it was, along with another voice in her head scolding her for even trying... Sakura stomped it down and said resolutely to her Servant:
"If you insist on not giving Shinji a chance to change, then you should give me the same treatment, Rider. I've hurt people too... ones I care about no less."
Her master's words astonished Rider, reminding her of when Sakura snapped and became corrupted by Zouken forcing a connection to the Grail through her. The sight of an innocent girl turning into a monster would forever haunt Medusa, having been transformed into a monster herself and losing reason, resulting in the devouring of her own sisters.
"THAT was different, Sakura," Rider explicitly insisted to her. "You weren't in control."
Sakura saw the genuine fear in Rider's eyes and understood she did not want her master feeling any way responsible for what happened after going "dark." Silence hung briefly in the air until Sakura cast her head down and revealed:
"That's what I keep telling myself since I got out of the hospital," she said with great shame in her voice. "It didn't make knowing what I did feel any better..."
Rider looks on with great sympathy as Sakura looked down at her own shaking hand; the same that bounded Rin, corrupted Saber, and commanded Rider to transform into her monstrous Gorgon-form. Having been vanquished at Saber's hands, Medusa could not imagine what guilt Sakura experienced after Shirou and Saber saved her, only the immense regret when she and Sakura were reunited. Rider held none of it against her...
"Shirou-senpai, Rin, even Saber-san..." Sakura continued, her voice shaking but Rider noticing her growing resolve. "They did not give up on me... so I'm not giving up Shinji."
Sakura closed her fist and brought her head up to meet Rider in the eye. The Servant could see a fire and passion behind her master's eyes; something Sakura never had before Zouken's demise.
"I need to believe he can change... so that I don't ever fall back into that darkness again."
Rider once again found herself astonished by Sakura, as well feeling a stroke of pride for the girl. She was helpless before the Holy Grail War, but now she was taking charge of her own life and going after what she wants.
And what Sakura wanted was a healthy, familial relationship with Shinji. Despite Rider's misgivings, she was assured it would make Sakura happy if she got the boy to soften up to the point where he did not have to feel afraid to be around them.
"If that is what you want, Sakura," Rider starts assuredly, tucking a long strand of her hair behind her ear. "Then I won't stop you from trying. Shinji is a bit of a longshot... but if you are confident about it..."
She trails off suggestively, earning a smile from Sakura, along with an optimistic reply from the Master of Rider.
"Senpai would say that longshots are the best kind...!"
_______
Back at the Emiya Residence, it was late in the evening, and Taiga had retired to her own home for the night, leaving Shirou and Arturia alone in the traditional Japanese house. They had just finished cleaning up after dinner and were getting ready for bed. Walking beside Arturia in the hallway leading to her bedroom, Shirou let out a relieved sigh.
"Taiga is finally gone. Not gonna lie… I thought Caster's charm was a sham, but hey… it worked!"
Arturia was feeling pretty relieved herself. It was hard not allowing for awkward silence over dinner whilst keeping Taiga from suspecting anything out of the ordinary.
"I was holding my breath there too, Shirou. Caster could have easily tricked us into using her charm, not knowing if it would be successful, but I suppose Taiga finding out about magecraft would be bad on her, so Caster was true to her word."
"Thank heavens," Shirou said as they stopped before Arturia's bedroom. Sliding the door open for her, Shirou then adds, "Now we just need to make sure Fuji-nee, Issei and Ayako never see you without that bracelet."
"I'm sure it that won't be hard," Arturia replied before she reached for the bracelet on her wrist. Taking it off, Shirou was speechless as within just a few seconds, Arturia's body grew, along with her protruding chest and her clothes. It felt so surreal to Shirou seeing the normally petit Saber transform seamlessly into a tall and busty woman.
"I'm glad to finally be able to take this off," Arturia said strenuously as she stretched her arms over her head, one after the other. "The illusion does make me feel a bit cramped…"
Shirou had not seen Arturia in this form since they had left Ryuudou Temple. He was so enamored that he failed to notice in time before Arturia blindly turned to enter her bedroom, only to hit her head on the doorframe.
"Oww!" Arturia recoiled and clutched her head. Shirou snaps to his attention as Arturia then leaned forward.
"Saber! Are you alright?" Shirou asks with worry as Arturia assures him:
"I'm fine, Shirou," she said, slowly lifting her head to face him. Rubbing her forehead, Arturia eventually manages a smile. "I just need to get used to my new size…"
After she had said that, Shirou's gaze slowly dropped from Arturia's eyes to her slightly sagging bust, emphasized thanks to the way Arturia was bent over.
"No kidding…" quietly slipped out of Shirou's mouth before he could stop himself.
"Did you say something?" Arturia asked curiously, noting how red Shirou's face was turning.
"No!" he quickly corrected, instead asking her, "Need me to get some ice?"
Arturia soon stood up and shook her head, still clutching it with one hand.
"No need... Servants have a higher pain tolerance than humans. I'll be fine, Shirou."
Shirou exhaled deeply. Even with how strong Arturia was, he could not but worry for her in times like this. Her wellbeing was the most important thing to him.
And vice-versa...
"Okay, if you say so," Shirou said as Arturia stepped into her room, minding her head this time.
"Whew... now I know what it's like to be Rider with her height-" Arturia suddenly stopped when she came before her bed. Shirou notices at her starring at it with a slightly distressing look on her face.
"What's the matter? Concussion?"
"Not at all, Shirou. It's just that…" Arturia trails off as she slowly turned to Shirou. "My bed is too small."
Shirou eyes dart between Arturia's grown body, and the tiny twin-sized mattress with blue bedsheets, understanding the issue almost immediately. Arturia, as she was now, will not fit on it, as her feet will be hanging off the end of the bed. Arturia therefore had nowhere to sleep...
"Oh…" Shirou lets out, before then asking. "But what about your-?"
Arturia stops him by shaking her head, knowing he was about to suggest wearing her bracelet again.
"Caster said that I shouldn't wear the charm in bed," she reminded Shirou. "Even though it makes me smaller, it could still break if I'm any bit careless with it. Guess I'm sleeping on the floor…"
Hearing that, Shirou knew he had to do something.
"Hold on, Saber. My bed is longer… how about you take it? I'll just pull out my futon and- "
He was swiftly shot down...
"I can't possibly ask my master to degrade himself for my sake!" Arturia replied, appalled at the suggestion. She then put her hand over her heart as she states resolutely, "I'd be damned if I make you sleep on the floor, Shirou! As a king, I am nothing if not courteous…"
Shirou should have expected this response, but letting Arturia have the short end of the stick was unthinkable to him.
"Well, I can't let you sleep on the floor either, Saber!" he tried convincing her. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let THAT happen?"
They stared at each other in silence, at a loss of how to proceed. It only lasted for but a few moments, but neither Arturia nor Shirou were willing to let the other sleep on the floor.
"Hmmm…" Arturia visibly pondered. "Seems that we are at an impasse. Unless…"
Her eyes then lit up with an idea.
"… we share your bed, Shirou!"
Shirou stares at Arturia in surprise. Sure, Shirou's bed was big enough for both him and Arturia, but that was while she was still small. If this morning was any indication, him with Arturia's now mature form in that bed would be a tight squeeze, given that she will end up needing to take up most of it.
Not to mention... how the heck was Shirou was going to sleep with a well-endowed Arturia pressed-up against him?!
Not seeing any other option, Shirou let out an exasperated sigh.
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that…"
_______
A few minutes later, Shirou was preparing his bedroom for him and Arturia to share for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Arturia was moving some her belongings into Shirou's room, mostly the stuff she and Rin had bought while clothing hunting today. Shirou had just finished replacing the bedsheets and added a couple more pillows to the bed, still anxious of the prospect of the now buxom King of Knights sleeping with him.
Normally, any teenage boy well into puberty would give anything to be in Shirou's position right now; sharing a bed with a mature, beautiful woman like Arturia.
But alas, Shirou was NOT just any teenage boy. As Arturia's boyfriend... the "sheathe" to her "sword" as she would put it, Shirou must be considerate of her feelings. Arturia did not see herself as most women would, and for that reason, Shirou should not either... despite his hormones insisting otherwise...
Just the thought of grown-up Arturia snuggling up against him was making Shirou's face heat up. Taking a deep breath, Shirou smoothed out the last wrinkle in the blanket as Arturia walked in.
"Okay, Saber. The bed is ready," he said as Arturia put down some shopping bags near the closet.
"Excellent," she responds. "This is the last of our procurements..."
Shirou turns and sees just how many bags Arturia had brought in; well over half a dozen to his astonishment...
"Holy… how much stuff did you and Rin buy?" Shirou said as he walked over to inspect Arturia's belongings. He crouched down and looked inside each bag as Arturia tells him:
"I insisted that we get as much as possible given that my adult form is most likely permanent. We got shoes, shirts, nightwear, undergarments…"
As Arturia was listed what she and Rin had bought, Shirou reached in one of the shopping bags and pulled out, to his astonishment, a very large pair of bras.
"Geez! These are massive!" Shirou exclaimed in disbelief, holding one such pair up to eye-level, baffled at the cup size. "I could probably fit my face in these…"
Arturia just giggled at his reaction. Shirou was secretly happy that Arturia would not mind him mulling over her belongings in the slightest. Shirou knew that if Rin caught him doing this, she'd kick his face in if not fire a spell at him, all while calling him a pervert.
Goes to show that Arturia did not think like most women either... she never even minded if Shirou saw her naked.
"I guess it's no wonder now why I stopped aging to preserve the notion that I was a boy," she said as Shirou promptly put the bras back in one of the bags. "But to think that I could have appeared like this..."
Looking back, Shirou observes Arturia gazing over herself.
"Could have...?" he repeats what she had said, and Arturia clarifies for him.
"Caster said that the Holy Grail gave me this form because it was the simplest way of granting my wish," she said while walking towards Shirou's bed, stopping at the edge. "Apparently, there is a version of me in the Throne of Heroes that appears just like this as a Lancer-class variant of me, and it has merged our spirit origins."
Fascinated, Shirou got up and faced Arturia.
"Hence, that is why you are dual class?" he asked rhetorically, and Arturia nods
'It would seem so..."
As if to highlight her point, Arturia closed her eyes as light enveloped her and revealed her new Servant form; her silver armor over her blue leotard with the wide cleavage window. Shirou was once again left captivated as Arturia gently sat down on the edge of the bed.
"This crown..." she starts while reaching for the gold ornament over her head. Pulling it off her blonde hair, bundled in double braids, Arturia holds the ornament in front of her and asks herself, "How could I have been a king and yet present myself like... this? I cannot wrap my head around it..."
Shirou knelt in front of her, not quite understanding what was troubling Arturia, yet it was obvious that it somehow tied into how the King of Knights appeared now.
"What do you mean?" he asks her softly. Arturia raises her brilliant, emerald-green eyes to meet Shirou's.
"Caster presented the possibility that this me..." she gestures to herself, not sure how to properly articulate what she had found out to Shirou. "-Made a very different choice at some point, and that... led to a better outcome than the life I've lived. I know this all sounds far-fetched but..."
Arturia trails off, but to her surprise, Shirou grasps her hand, seemingly getting what Arturia was trying to say. He saw her memories after all and knew almost as well as Arturia did what hardships she had faced while she was King Arthur.
"It's not your fault," Shirou tells her. "That is why no one likes multiverses..."
Arturia smiled at him again.
"I'm glad you're able to grasp it. Anyway, this also could mean that... I might have misjudged my own people, by choosing to pass off as boy as to be the ideal king."
Arturia paused for a moment, carefully considering her words while trying not to breakdown like she did when Caster gave her this insight. She did not want to appear weak before Shirou.
She had been wondering about this since they left the Temple and felt like sharing her thoughts with the one person she trusted the most.
"What if... me choosing NOT to do that would have made things... better?"
Shirou's eyes widened slightly.
"To just present yourself as Arturia, and not Arthur?" he asked.
"Precisely!" Arturia replied before she starts getting carried away. "The Lancer version of me did NOT choose to do what I did... I mean, I pulled Caliburn from the Stone, that which grants the right to be King of Britain. Would anybody have questioned it? Would me having to hide would've even been necessary-?"
"Saber, slow down," Shirou cuts off her rant. "I don't think it's a good idea to be obsessing over this, not when you've already put the past to rest."
Arturia was stunned, but eventually as Shirou's words sank in, she relents.
"I suppose..." she lets out. Soon after, Arturia then said, "Shirou, I don't know what it is about this body... but I feel... like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, despite the-"
Arturia suddenly stopped, and noticing the blush forming on her face, Shirou worriedly asked:
"Yeah...?"
Arturia could not stop herself from grinning as she revealed:
"I was going to say some of that weight went to my chest..."
Shirou was stumped as Arturia put a hand over her bosom, all while stifling a laugh now.
"Did you just attempt to make a joke?" he asked, and Arturia could not contain herself.
"I suppose I did," Arturia replied before calming down a little. "And I'm not at all embarrassed."
Shirou should have been feeling concerned, as it was not often that Arturia expressed hilarity in anyway, at least not on purpose. But seeing that happy and content smile on her face, Shirou let that peculiarity slide as Arturia transformed back into her civilian attire.
Perhaps Arturia's mature form was making Shirou see a side of her that even Arturia herself did not know she had.
"Alright, harlequin," he humored her before telling Arturia. "If we are going to check out the church tomorrow, then we should rest up."
"Oh...?" Arturia let out as Shirou got up and turned around, slipping off his shirt to reveal a tank-top underneath. "Then I should slip into something more comfortable..."
Eventually turning around, Shirou freezes when he finds that Arturia had stood up and immediately started removing her skirt.
"Wait!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing?!"
"Changing..." Arturia said nonchalantly as she then proceeds to unbutton her top. Shirou gulped as she undid the last one.
"Don't you want some... privacy?" he asked as Arturia as she slipped off her top completely, leaving her in just her bra, panties (both in blue of course), and pantyhose... which Arturia then swiftly proceeded to remove.
"Aren't we already in private, Shirou?" she replied, and Shirou eventually forced himself to look away. He should not be surprised that Arturia trusts him enough to strip down in his presence, but still...
"I meant get changed in another room where..." Shirou tells her. He then hears Arturia's footsteps, and the sound of a crinkling shopping bag.
"I already brought my nightwear in here. Don't be ridiculous, Shirou..."
"Oh, help me..." Shirou said under his breath. Daring to take a peek, Shirou glimpsed Arturia near the closet with her back turned to him and holding what appeared to be her nightgown. Hurriedly removing his jeans for shorts, Shirou then sat on the edge of the bed and forced himself not to look as Arturia proceeded to slip into her nightwear.
Secretly, although Arturia was acting calmly throughout Shirou's ordeal, she was quite enjoying her little display to Shirou. While she never had reservations about him seeing her in an "indecent" state, something was different this time around. The thought of Shirou observing her as she changed attire... in this body... it was exciting her in a way she never felt before.
Arturia could feel her own heart racing as she stood there barely clothed in all her glory. When she was small, she never thought she would appear desirable. Arturia recalled saying to Shirou that her body was revolting due to her "overdeveloped muscles." She was insecure back then, stuck with a child-body honed only for swordplay.
But not anymore...
Setting her gown on the tatami mat she stood on, Arturia slowly reached around and unhooked her bra, removing it and letting her massive breasts rest against her body. Arturia could not help but grin, admiring herself as she felt their weight and softness. Her hands then travelled down to her toned abdomen, then a strange thought crossed her mind.
Should I turn around?
The room was dead silent, but Arturia was sure that if Shirou was watching her, he would probably be starving for oxygen at the sight of her right now. Was this a stroke of womanly pride?
Arturia continued feeling around herself, slowly letting her hands move from her tummy to her round hips, then reaching around to her bulbous backside. She was not sure if she was flaunting herself for Shirou's pleasure or her own, but Arturia did not care due to how giddy she felt. Arturia was so into it that she briefly forgot that she was supposed to be changing, only being reminded of it when she began to shiver from the cool air of the bedroom. She reached down and grabbed her nightgown, slipping it over her head and adjusting the thin string-straps holding it up from her shoulders.
"There... done," Arturia said before turning around for Shirou to see. Eventually, he did allow himself to look and momentarily forgot how to breathe as he gazed upon Arturia wearing her white gown with blue-lace trim. The most striking feature of the outfit was not how low-cut it was, but the fact that from the waist-down was translucent, offering a glimpse of Arturia's panties, and highlighting her hips as the gown stopped just below them.
The smile never left Arturia's face.
"Like it?" she asked, only to be met with-
"Like wha-?" Shirou replied, still stunned, and making Arturia giggle.
"The nightgown of course..."
"Oh!" Shirou responded. "I think Rin picked a good for one for you..."
"She didn't pick this for me. I did..." Arturia revealed.
"Y- You...?" Shirou stammered, having difficulty picturing Arturia selecting something so sensual to wear, as she normally preferred to dress modestly.
"I can shop for myself, Shirou," Arturia calmly told him. "I didn't really need Rin's help for that..."
"I never thought you couldn't!" Shirou clarified, only to trip over his words. "You're a big girl after all- shoot! That came out wrong..."
Arturia giggled again, even louder.
"Get comfortable, Shirou," she says suggestively. Shirou then slipped under the covers of the bedsheets as Arturia walked towards it, stopping before the bedside.
"Oh! Before I forget..."
Shirou watched silently, his mouth dry as Arturia reached behind her hair, undoing the blue ribbon holding her braided bun together and letting her vibrant blonde hair fall past her shoulders.
"Now I'm ready..." Arturia said as she proceeded to lay on the bed next to Shirou, who immediately scooted over to make room for her. He felt the bed creak from her weight as Arturia lied down right next to him; close enough to feel her breath what with the limited space of the bed. They lie there in silence for a while with Shirou's heart hammering wildly and Arturia just contently observing him.
"Comfortable?" she eventually breaks the silence. "Not taking too much space, am I?"
"N-not at all..." Shirou manages to let out. Arturia rolls over for a moment to put her bracelet on the nightstand beside Shirou's bed and shutting off the lamp, making the room go dark. Turning over again towards the other occupant, Arturia then said:
"I'd wear the charm to make myself smaller, but Caster warned against wearing it in bed. All those enchantments made it so fragile. Besides, I'd much prefer sleeping like this."
Shirou just stared anxiously, and Arturia was enjoying every second of "tormenting" him. She was feeling same pull as she did earlier when she and Shirou took pictures up Mount Enzou.
"And..." she before adding, "I think you prefer that too..."
Those words came out of Arturia's mouth the moment they entered her mind. It was so unlike her yet it felt so natural. Arturia could not explain what force was guiding her, but it felt intoxicating as she found herself emboldened seeing Shirou struggle to respond. He was wrapped around her finger...
"Well..." Shirou starts, growing even more nervous of Arturia's intentions. "It'd be very bad if it were to break, then you'd be one awkward conversation away from explaining yourself to Taiga-"
He was silenced when Arturia put a finger over Shirou's lips.
"That's not remotely what I meant..." she said suggestively, unable to contain her growing excitement.
"No?" Shirou asked. "Then what did you-?"
He was interrupted again as Arturia snuggled against him, even climbing on top of Shirou. He was stunned as Arturia loomed over him; her long blonde hair framing their heads, and Arturia's unsupported bosom nudging against Shirou's chest. The boy's face was red now as Arturia said to him:
"You know, Shirou..."
"S- Saber?" Shirou asked nervously, and Arturia lowers her head and whispers:
"We're alone in this house... no Taiga, no Rin, no Illya... just us... in this small bedroom... in this small bed..."
As she trailed off, all that could be heard was Shirou breathing heavily. His and Arturia's eyes remained locked on each other as they waited to see who would make the next move.
Arturia so wanted to be the initiator in this scenario. She dreamt of sharing an intimate moment with Shirou since her return; wanting them to embrace each other again since before their final battle with Kotomine and Gilgamesh. Arturia could only imagine how good such a moment would feel now that she had a mature body unlike the one she had during the Holy Grail War.
All that love and passion... and Arturia was feeling bold enough to want to find out for herself. She had slowly let go of her modesty and restraint over the course of today and had Shirou right where she wanted him, her heart hammering in her chest. There was nothing stopping Arturia from satisfying this almost primitive lust.
So why has she not made her move?
Staring down at Shirou, he appeared very anxious... almost scared. Arturia was hoping he wanted this moment to happen as well, only Shirou did not seem willing. Seconds ticked by, and Arturia was being egged on by the voice inside her head, telling her:
Come on... He's all yours... What are you waiting for?
The smile slowly faded from Arturia's face. This was not right... in this position, if Arturia acted on such instincts, then she would be forcing herself on to Shirou. It was not how Arturia wanted things to go... if she was to be a proper partner to Shirou, Arturia needed to consider his feelings, not just her own.
So... acting against her instincts and preserving her honor... Arturia reluctantly relented. Letting out a sigh, she gently rolled off Shirou and rested herself on her respective side of the bed. This move surprised him, and Shirou blinked as Arturia searched for something to diffuse the awkward silence. She just could not stand it after what she almost did...
"I -" Arturia's voice was devoid of the boldness she had moments ago. "I can't imagine how lonely it was for you, Shirou... living by yourself in this empty house... with only Taiga to keep you company. All those years leading up to the Holy Grail War... without Kiritsugu..."
It was a tonal left turn, but Arturia hoped the subject would help Shirou forget that her advance on him ever happened. Shirou looked slightly lost for words, but he appeared to have calmed down as Arturia's words at last sunk in. Shirou begins hesitantly.
"It... wasn't easy," he said as he recalled his relatively short time with his adoptive father. "The last time we spoke, it was a calm night like this... and he tried to tell me something important. Even when I said about wanting to be the Hero of Justice that he couldn't be, there seemed to be more that my old man wanted to tell me, but something held him back."
Arturia listens intently as Shirou then gazed off into space, continuing with:
"Maybe he thought I was too young to understand and just held off on saying it. But the next morning... I found him dead in his bedroom."
"Did you think of him as your parent?" Arturia then asks, making Shirou sigh.
"He might not have been my real dad... but I had no doubt that he cared about me. After the fire took everything from me... who I was before... Kiritsugu was all I had."
Arturia's heart bled for him, finding herself wanting to share something personal with Shirou; something she had not yet revealed to him.
"I too had a surrogate parent," Arturia tells Shirou. "I've never known my real father… nor my mother…"
"You mean...?" Shirou asks, turning to her. Arturia proceeded to tell her story:
"Most of what I know of them was as told by Merlin. My mother, Igraine, was the unwilling concubine of the Fae envoy, Gorlois. One day, my would-be-father, the aspiring king Uther Pendragon, won her heart over. With Merlin's help, he helped her escape his castle, along with- "
Arturia stopped herself, unable to utter the one thing she was ashamed of acknowledging.
"Saber?" Shirou said with concern, but Arturia soon responds.
"It's not important. When Gorlois discovered that Igraine had fled, he launched a campaign against my father... Gorlois would die in the ensuing battle at the hand of Uther's most loyal knight, Sir Ector. My parents wed shortly after, and before long, Uther was seeking an heir to his kingdom. So, he and Igraine had… me."
Shirou stayed silent. His pact with Arturia as Master to Servant allowed Shirou to dream of Arturia's memories, but they were of only key events in her life that she remembered vividly and vital to her legend as King Arthur.
"I of course was not a boy," Arturia continued. "So naturally I was not to inherit Uther's kingdom, or so I thought..."
Arturia's gaze then dropped solemnly.
"I don't even remember his face… I was apparently still an infant when Uther was betrayed by Vortigern, who infiltrated his keep and slew him in cold blood. Igraine was forced to flee with me in her arms."
A tear then escapes her eye...
"In the escape, Igraine was shot with an arrow that was meant for me. In her dying breath, she entrusted my wellbeing to Sir Ector. Both she and my father gave their lives to ensure that I had a future…"
Shirou found his heart aching for Arturia with great sympathy.
"And Sir Ector?" he found himself asking, having gain some glimpse of the man in some of Arturia's earlier memories... but not the later ones...
"He raised me alongside his son, Kay, hidden safe from Vortigern," Arturia tells Shirou. "Ector had been there for me after I pulled the sword from the stone, established Camelot, and confronted Vortigern."
Arturia then glared, keeping her voice firm.
"But then he was murdered... by Morgan le Fay..."
Shirou was astonished. Judging by Arturia's visage, he figured that she has personally seen that happen and kept that horrific memory to herself. Shirou would not have been surprised if that event in Arturia's life was the catalyst to which she closed herself off emotionally to everyone. In her own words, a king needed to be strong, steadfast, inhuman...
Arturia could not bring herself to mourn her guardian...
"I'm really sorry…" Shirou said, and Arturia's face relaxed slightly.
"It was a long time ago, Shirou. Besides, I doubt that they have died in vain. But..."
Arturia's eyes then met his as she asks Shirou with a strong desire to know:
"Do you think… that my parents would be proud of me, Shirou?"
Shirou was momentarily at a loss of what to say, but the more he thought about it, the more he entertained the idea that Arturia's parents, both her biological and her guardian, would be smiling down on her. Despite what ultimately happened towards the end of Arturia's reign over Britain, since Shirou has met her, they have overcome great hardships. The two of them fought against some history's greatest heroes, foiled the plans of a mad priest and an egotistical king, destroyed an evil, magical artifact and saved all of Humanity.
All of that was certainly something to be proud of for sure. Not to mention of Arturia's growth as someone both deserving and accepting of affection.
"I'd say they definitely are," Shirou answered sincerely. "And then some."
For the first time since this conversation began, Arturia smiled.
"I'm glad to hear that…" she said before contemplating aloud, "But it's absurd in a sense. I'm looking up to two people who I have no memory of. My parents were as much strangers to me as everyone else I kept at arm's length when I was king…"
Shirou did not what to say that, besides:
"Perhaps that is why we need heroes…" he suggested. "People who inspire us to be better than ourselves… more than we believe we can. I sometimes wonder if my old man had people he looked up to. But I guess knowing what he did before the Holy Grail War, I imagine he had no idols…"
Arturia recalled the time she was Kiritsugu's Servant during the previous Holy Grail War, none of her memories of him were ever what she would consider as good ones, as they tended to clash. Arturia believed in that ends did not necessarily justify the means, as she wanted to win each battle fairly and honorably as a seasoned knight like her would. Kiritsugu on the other hand, had no such views. He killed and deceived whoever he could if it meant giving him advantage in the War. He was a man without limits... or honor.
Arturia would never have imagined a man such as Kiritsugu having the sentimentality to raise a boy like Shirou, as she had soon come to find out during the Holy Grail War.
"He would've been a vastly different man if he did," Arturia found herself sharing. "Your father and I never really got along; I thought nothing good can come from the path of dishonor that he insisted on following. Kiritsugu had the eyes of a cold-blooded killer, but someone close to him never doubted that he had heart behind those eyes."
"Illya's mother, right?" Shirou asked.
"Yes… Irisviel," Arturia replied nostalgically. Shirou knew of her through Illya telling him multiple times, and it seemed Arturia remembered Irisviel von Einzbern more fondly. "I thought what she saw in Kiritsugu simply did not exist. But seeing the fine young man he raised, maybe I was just blind to it."
Shirou could help but feel a bit flattered to hear that. Just then, he stifled a yawn, prompting Arturia to respond with:
"Looks like I've rambled on long enough... you must be tired after all that has happened today..."
Shirou could help but agree, feeling his eyelids beginning to droop.
"You'd think after having my eyes opened to the world of mages that I'd be used to these sort of surprises..." he remarked, settling himself on the bed.
"This was certainly one for me too..." Arturia admitted, not feeling tired just yet. "But I suppose that I can learn to live with this new body."
"Uh huh," Shirou found himself agreeing once again. He never imagined he would wake up this morning with Arturia having changed so drastically. Speaking of which, he found himself more comfortable with the thought of Arturia staying like this, tall and mature, sharing the bed with him... if Taiga never finds out.
There was still the matter of what exactly made Arturia want to wish for such a body herself, but Shirou supposed there was no use obsessing over it if she found it to be no issue.
After all, Arturia's wish could have been more catastrophic...
"Arturia," Shirou started, wanting to get this off his chest before falling into slumber. "Whatever the reasons for your wish... as long as giving you a makeover and a new class was all it did, then we don't have much to worry about besides keeping this a secret, at least for a - while..."
Shirou yawned again. Arturia watched him as he turned over, facing away from her.
"Guess I am very tired... goodnight, Saber."
Shirou closed his eyes and turned away from Arturia. Within moments, he was breathing lightly and slipped into deep sleep. Arturia laid awake for a while still watching him, silently kicking herself for not taking the leap when she had the chance to earlier.
Her morality and dignity were the two things that stopped Arturia from seizing the opportunity to embrace Shirou like they did near the end of the Holy Grail War. She was sure that with this new body of hers that it would lead to a magic moment same as before.
It was partly the reason why Arturia wished for this adult body in the first place. It wasn't just for the sake of her and Shirou's future together, but also to deepen their relationship in the present.
But even with this mature form, Shirou did not make a move on her. While Arturia could admire his resolve, it was also frustrating for her. This body was making her feel sensations that she had never felt before, instilling her with a unique confidence foreign to her because of her upbringing; hiding any semblance of femininity.
Instead, Arturia chickened out, fearing she came off as too forward and risked making Shirou see her as a lowly, depraved woman.
Arturia Pendragon was a king, and she had standards ingrained in her to abide by. It would have offended her sensibility if she forced herself on to Shirou when he did not seem to be willing.
It was the voice in her head, telling her to go through with the act of consummating... it was so tantalizing... Had it not been for Arturia's morals, she was not sure if she would have dismissed it so easily.
Arturia was torn about not going through with embracing Shirou made her a good partner... or a coward.
Eventually, Arturia pushed those overpowering thoughts out of her head, convincing herself that not going through was the right decision on her part. There would be a time and a place for her and Shirou to consummate their love for each other fully.
This just was not it...
Before resigning herself to slumber, Arturia leaned over and gently kissed Shirou on the cheek. Careful not to wake him, she then slowly draped her arm over his sleeping form and gently pulled herself against Shirou so that her breasts were pressing against his back. Arturia then whispered tenderly:
"Rest well... Shirou..."
With the eyelids over her emerald-green eyes drooping, Arturia rested her head on the pillow beside Shirou and gradually accepted the slow embrace of a good night's sleep.
But before she closed them, Arturia's eyes flashed yellow...
END OF ACT 1
______
(A/N) Just so everyone is clear on this, while the visual novel of Fate/Stay Night is set in the year 2004, the year in which the plot takes place is NOT vital to the story the same way as the Edo Period in Fate/Samurai Remnant is in THAT game. All that really matters in this case is that Fate/Stay Night is set ten years after Fate/Zero. I gave hints to this such as touchscreen phones being a thing, and Shirou remarking to Taiga that "It's not 2004... no one my age says that..." (a little nod to Spiderverse for the keen readers). The events of MY version of Fate take place loosely in the "near present."