Steel And Cherry Blossoms

[Elf]

It had been months since Archer had donned the lightweight cuirass, heavy steel reinforced boots, and the industrial black leather pants. He stared at the mantle and tail made out of holy burial cloth hanging up in his closet and gently ran his fingers down the ragged edges of the cloth. He managed to repair his armor and pants, but the cloth was ripped in so many places and the edges torn that his limited sewing skills couldn’t cope with. He removed his hand as he stared at the deep crimson fabric as he remembered the reason why he wore it.

Still, it could be useful, he thought as he put on at least the mantle. The tail was in such ragged condition that he wasn’t sure if it would last the trip. The only thing really wrong with the mantle were the wrist guards cracked, but they were more hairline fractures and would still offer protection. He had learned fairly early with using his falchions that lacked wrist guards for the most part was a blow to the back of the hand could be nearly crippling. So he devised the mantle with the guards for his wrists and hands to protect in lieu of a guard on a sword.

As soon as he fastened the clasp on the throat of his mantle there was a familiar knock on the door. Scowling, Archer went to answer the door and his shoulders slumped as soon as he saw his caller. Standing there was the aspiring hero of justice dressed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt, his red hair even more disheveled than normal. Without a word, Emiya Shirou stepped into Archer’s living quarters.

Amber eyes flickered around the Spartan furnishings and a slight grin caught the boy’s features as he saw what had been dubbed the Frankenbox, a personal computer cobbled from a myriad of parts that somehow managed to function. The Frankenbox, as Lancer had dubbed it, was how Archer managed his business and did any online research that he needed to do. He folded his arms over his chest and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m helping you save my friend,” Shirou answered as he folded his own arms over his chest, his hostile posture matching Archer’s so much that it was looking into the past.

Well, it is in a way, Archer thought dryly with a sigh. He asked, “And how are you going to do that, boy?”

“Well, how do you plan on saving her without scaring her half to death? She doesn’t know you,” Shirou said with a shake of his head.

Archer’s eyebrows lifted as the boy’s words hit home. He inwardly cursed because one important fact had slipped his mind. Sakura had no idea who I had been or who I was. At most she would be able to recognize him as Rin’s former Servant, which wasn’t exactly the sort of thing that would inspire confidence. “Damn,” he said with a soft sigh before running a hand through his hair.

Shirou flashed him a tiny smile and said, “So, you do need my help.”

“That would make things go smoother,” Archer admitted as his mind began to race to reform his plan. The initial things with meeting with Rider and then going to get Saber on the way to Kotomine Church would not change. The variable with Emiya Shirou was something he can work around. The boy did have access to his version of Unlimited Blade Works, even though opening the reality marble was very taxing on him.

Shirou nodded and said, “I know you said what’s happening with Sakura is private, but is she okay?”

“It’s . . . complicated, Kid. Hopefully after this and with some help, she will be,” Archer answered as he headed towards the door with Shirou in tow.

Shirou asked, “Can you let me in on the plan?”

“I go in, trace Rule Breaker, stab Sakura with it, we get Rider, head to Kotomine Church, get Saber at the bridge, and then Avalon keeps Sakura alive while Kotomine performs an operation,” Archer answered briskly as he locked the door behind him.

Shirou’s eyes widened as he stopped. “Wait, if she needs to be stabbed with Rule Breaker . . .” he said in a small voice, “But Shinji’s not a magus. How could he have any control over her?”

“He doesn’t but their grandfather is fully capable of using his Circuits,” Archer said in a grim tone with a shake of his head, “This is what I can tell you. The Matou line is dying and Matou Zouken did something to Sakura that would help bring them back to power. Rider came to me because this will only hurt Sakura in the long run.”

Shirou sighed and said, “And Kotomine is the only one who can perform the operation to help her.”

“Right,” Archer said with a nod.

Shirou stared at him and sighed, “And you stated you didn’t want to be a superhero anymore.”

[Elf]

“No, I stated that I wanted to erase my existence by killing you,” Archer retorted with a glare.

Shirou’s eyes gleamed as he asked, “Then why did I win that fight?”

“Because I realized my ideal was beautiful despite its flaws and let you win,” Archer answered as he found himself smiling despite himself.

“Then why are you miserable?” the boy asked, his question hitting Archer as soundly as Berserker’s axe club.

Archer quietly answered, “Because this isn’t my life, it’s a shadow of the life I use to live and I’m living outside of it.”

“Yet this is the most animated I’ve seen you since the War ended,” Shirou said as Archer realized he had fallen into step with the boy and they were walking side by side, instead of the redhead following.

He answered, “Because I’m doing something worth meaning. Saving someone I didn’t know needed saving in my own life time. Because I couldn’t save that Sakura, maybe I could save this one.”

Shirou fell quiet as the two of them walked to the part of Fuyuki that housed the Western mansions. As always, the Tohsaka house loomed on top of the hill like a foreboding king watching his subjects. Archer could see the glow of lights on in Rin’s bedroom from where they were standing and wondered what she was doing now. Doing with Lancer, a snide voice firmly reminded him in his mind.

“She’s fine,” Shirou said softly, “We invited her and . . . that man to dinner last night. They were both well.”

“Hn,” was Archer’s grunted reply as they headed towards the Matou manor. It was larger than the Tohsaka home, and the aura was different. Rin’s family had set up wards to keep normal onlookers away by making the house give people passing by a foreboding feeling if they didn’t belong or did not know the key to the wards. Word had sped around Fuyuki that the Tohsaka house was haunted, and that only added to Rin’s mystique at school.

However the Matou house had a sickly sweet aura to it, almost like it was decaying. Considering Zouken, that’s an apt description, Archer thought as they looked up at the house. He swallowed and said, “At this time of night, there are two places Sakura can be, either the basement or her bedroom.”

To his credit, Shirou didn’t ask any questions but grimly nodded. “We should try her bedroom first,” the boy whispered.
Archer nodded, it had been his plan too. The two of them moved quietly to where Sakura’s bedroom was on the second story. The light was still on, but the curtains were drawn obscuring Archer’s view inside. He could easily leap to the windowsill and perch, but Shirou didn’t have a Servant’s abilities to get up there. So he grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt, hunched his muscles and jumped. Heavy boots and well worn sneakers landed with ease on the heavy stone sill that supported its recently increased load.

Shirou lightly tapped the window and looked at Archer. Archer nodded and whispered, “Trace On.” Analyzing window. Structure complete. He was now fully aware of the mixture of silicon used to make the window as well of the type of wood for the seal. More importantly, he knew that he could unlock the window from the outside without breaking it. He closed his eyes and visualized a long, slim bladed knife he’d seen one before, broke it into the required eight parts and with a snap of mana the blade materialized in his hand.

He applied mana to his eyes and slid the blade under part of the seal to the window locking mechanism. With a subtle twist of the wrist the thin blade shoved the lock aside and there was a gentle click that filled the silence. Shirou moved to open the window right as the curtains were drawn and a pair of large purple eyes stared down at them. Shirou froze and stumbled back, Archer reached out and righted the boy as the girl stared at them.

“S-sempai?” she said in a hoarse, breathy voice as she looked at Shirou before her eyes moved towards Archer, widening slightly before frowning and staring at them. He noticed that there were high, bright spots of color on Sakura’s cheeks, her eyes were glassy, her chest was rising and falling rapidly and sweat was trickling down her fair skin. Small, delicate hands were shaking on the window sill as the girl watched them, breathing as if she had ran a marathon.

Shirou automatically flushed, looked away and stammered, “Ah, I’m sorry Sakura we didn’t mean to startle you . . .”

“We’re here to help,” Archer said as he looked at the girl, “Can we come in?”

Startled violet eyes moved rapidly back and forth as both of those delicate hands flew to her chest. She shook her head and stepped back, her supple body wavering. Wavering too far actually as she began to list to the side as gravity took over.

His reaction was immediate, Archer didn’t even think before his body was in motion. He stepped into the window and over to the girl right before she touched the ground. White fingers clutched the burial cloth covering his forearms as Sakura was mere centimeters from hitting the ground, the ends of her hair actually brushing against the hardwood floor. He heard Shirou cry out her name, but he was too stunned to do anything when she moved one hand to his face, rose up and her lips hungrily met his.

[Elf]

Sakura stared at Shirou and Nee-san’s former Servant perched on her windowsill. Somehow the old stone managed to support both of their weight as she moved the curtain aside. She had felt the release of mana from where she had been lying on her bed, trying to ride out the latest wave of need. She’d walked over to pull the curtain to see identical expressions of surprise on their wide eyed faces.

They had even been kneeling the exact same position as well, almost mirrored images of each other.

She swallowed as she felt her body heat up again as she felt the squirming in her body, gnawing and crying out. She bit her lip as she stared at them, and they stared at her. Each breath was a tremendous effort and her heart was pounding like a drum. She clinched her fists at the gnawing within her as she looked at the two men perched on her window.

Shirou flushed, looked away and stammered, “Ah, I’m sorry Sakura we didn’t mean to startle you . . .”

“We’re here to help,” the former Servant said as his steel grey eyes locked on hers, “Can we come in?”

Sakura’s eyes widened as she looked at them, her heart thundering in her chest as she felt her body began to shake. Eyes darted around rapidly as panic threatened to take over. A small voice chanted in her mind over and over, They know. They know. They know. They know how dirty and filthy you are . . .

She stepped back from the window and felt her balance shift. The world spun and it seemed like the floor was too close to her. She let out a tiny cry as she felt herself rush to meet the ground. However, the impact never came and strong arms cradled her. An oddly familiar smell hit her nostrils, but it was different. There was leather intertwined with the smell of steel, forge smoke and the overall cleanliness that made up Sempai, but it was close enough that it caught her breath.

She opened her eyes to look up at her rescuer before her body took over. She surged forward and captured warm lips with her own, seeking to devour him from the inside out. The former Servant stiffened but made no move to pull away as she began to sweep her tongue through his mouth. She dimly heard someone shout her name but made no mind as her hands started to trail down hard body armor.

However hands like steel that were oddly gentle pushed her away. A cry of protest escaped her lips as she moved forward again, but he held her at arms’ length. “What did you do to her, Archer?”

I just kissed Nee-san’s Servant, she thought distantly as she reached for him again.

There were high spots of color on Archer’s cheeks as he looked at Shirou and answered, “I didn’t do anything, Kid. Neither did she. It’s that old man who lives here that made her like this.”

“No,” Sakura whispered as she looked from Shirou to Archer as her heart began to sink. They knew, she thought as she squirmed, but apparently he wasn’t letting her go. Delicate hands shoved at arms like steel with no effect, they still held strong despite the girl’s best efforts. She felt tears burn her eyes as she shook from side to side and opened her mouth to shout.

That large, bronze hand eased over her mouth as Archer looked down at her. “If you scream you’ll alert Zouken and Shinji. If we’re going to help you Sakura, you need to be quiet.”

She swallowed, the hand was removed, and looked over to the redhead watching with large, golden brown eyes. She whispered, “Sempai.”

“I don’t know what’s going on Sakura, but we do want to help you,” he said with a smile that made her chest tighten. He’s not mine, he’s with Saber, she thought with a shake of her head as she looked away. To him, she was a family member at best, and certainly not a lover.

Her legs began to buckle, but oddly enough she wasn’t sinking to the floor. Archer’s hand came up again, this time resting on her forehead and he swore, “Damn, she’s burning up.” Grey eyes met hers again as he said, “Sakura, you’re going to need to trust us, but you’ll never worry about that after all this is over. I’m not going to lie and say this is going to be easy and that it won’t hurt, even after knowing that, do you still want us to help you?”

She nodded as she felt an all new warmth tickle down her cheeks as she looked down at the floor. She whispered, “Yes . . .” Tremors ran up and down her body as she looked down and wondered how long she had dreamed of this day, of Sempai saving her. However, it seemed to be more of Archer saving her than Sempai. Delicate shoulders quaked as a choking sob left Sakura’s throat as a hand flew to her hand to stifle her cries.

Sakura hated herself at that moment, hated her weakness and the fact she was crumbling so easily. This wouldn’t happen to Nee-san, she thought distantly and that just brought up another sob as her vision began to blur. Before she knew it she was sitting on the floor with Archer kneeling in front of her. Firm hands cupped her shoulders as his intense eyes bore into hers.

He easily lifted her back to her feet and took a quick look back at his watch. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said as he moved her towards Shirou.

Shirou asked, “How are we on time?”

“Good. Rider’s waiting,” Archer answered as he eased himself onto the windowsill and turned back to Sakura and Shirou.

Shirou swallowed and said, “Ah, Archer, my reinforcement’s not good enough yet to keep me from breaking my legs from here.”

“I’ll handle the jump, Boy,” Archer said as he held out his hand to Sakura. She stared at his callused hand, swallowed and took it. “Easy,” he said as he helped her onto the sill. She swallowed as she looked down the three stories to the ground and clinched her eyes shut.

She heard Shirou grouse, “Archer, stop calling me Boy, it’s annoying.”

“Why do you think I call you that then?” Archer replied with an amused lilt to his voice.

“Asshole,” Shirou mumbled and Sakura’s eyes flew open as she saw Shirou’s scowling face as Archer was smirking.

She stared at him and gasped, “Sempai!”

His cheeks turned adorably red as he pointed at Archer as he took to the other man’s side and said, “Well, he is!”

“To you anyway, Boy. Sakura, hold onto me tight, okay and it’s okay to close your eyes,” Archer said with a slight, reassuring smile as he brought her closer to him. Her body flushed anew, cringing at all of her nerves firing at once. A gasp torn from parched lips as the girl listed forward as sensation threatened to engulf all of her nerves at once.

She dimly heard Shirou call for her and a strong arm wrap around her waist to keep her from falling. Shirou asked, “Archer, what’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know,” Archer replied with a sigh. Sakura swallowed as her body trembled, the welcoming warmth of Archer’s body was so close. She wrapped an arm around him and sighed at the feel of muscles under the hard armor he was wearing. Despite her best intentions, her body heated up in response and she looked away in shame.

Shirou audibly swallowed and said, “We need to help her.”

“We’ll get off the window and then we can use Rule Breaker. It’s just going to kill Zouken’s connection with her, Kotomine needs to do the rest,” Archer explained before there was a rush of air. Sakura cried out as she felt her stomach go flying to her throat and her hands latched onto the former Servant like a vice. There was a heavy thud from the other side, but slipper covered feet gently skimmed across the grass before gently landing.

A deep breath flooded lungs that were straining for air as eyes opened. Sakura swallowed as she realized she was standing in her yard. She flushed as she let go of Archer and took a step away from him right as Shirou was dropped unceremoniously onto the ground. Grey eyes scanned the building and Shirou looked up as well. He asked, “Do you want to trace it?”

“My copy’s better anyway,” Archer said with a sort of a self-depicting grin as Sakura felt a flare of mana as he whispered, “Trace On.” She blinked as a wicked dagger with zig-zagging edges and a prismatic blade that shone with every color she could think of appeared in his right hand. He flexed his left arm as he clinched and unclenched his hand into a fist, the muscles visibly flexing under the red mantle he wore.

She froze as he lifted the dagger and turned to her. He explained, “This breaks magical contracts. I know it won’t kill what’s inside of you, but it’ll cut the connection to that old bastard.”

“He won’t hurt you,” Shirou said as he looked at her with unflinching eyes before glaring at Archer, “I won’t let it.”

Archer sighed, shook his head and said, “It’ll be a little prick, it doesn’t hurt that bad.”

“You should know, shouldn’t you?” Shirou said with a dry snort and a shake of his head.

Sakura stared at him then at Archer, who merely smirked ever so slightly and shook his head. If the situation would have been different, she reasoned she would have laughed at the pair of them and their obvious dislike of each other. Instead she wavered as she felt another rush fill her veins and cause her to gasp. She looked down, clinched her fists and swallowed, her eyes wavering with burning tears.

A warm hand lightly touched her shoulder and her head jerked up to see Archer towering above her. She had to crane her neck to look up at him and found her hands twisting the fabric of her skirt. “Do it,” she whispered with a nod.

[Elf]

“Rule Breaker,” the Servant said in his rusty voice as he gently brought the blade down towards her free shoulder. She felt something like a pinprick before something snapped like a rubber band pulled too tight within her. She drew in a deep breath before she felt something like a weight lifted off her shoulders. She relaxed and stared at her shoulder in wonder as the blade vanished from the corner of her eye.

Shirou asked, “Did it work?”

“It broke the connection to the old man, Kotomine’s got to do the rest,” Archer said with a nod. He looked at Sakura and said, “This is going to be the hard part.”

“I’m ready,” she said with a nod as she stood up straight. He nodded as Shirou peered worriedly at her. Archer started to walk and Sakura fell into step beside him while Shirou took her other side. She blushed at the two of them escorting her away from that hellish place that had imprisoned her for ten years.

This is . . . exactly what I wanted, she thought as she looked at her two savors. Even though Sempai is with someone else, he still saved me. She felt herself smiling when suddenly every nerve in her body caught on fire. Pain and need washed over her body as she felt her knees start to quake, her legs unable to hold her own weight. She felt gnawing inside of her and her vision swam and darkened.

With a tiny cry, the girl collapsed.

******

Archer cursed as Sakura swooned, except it was Shirou that caught her this time and not him. The redhead looked up at him with wide eyes as Sakura’s eyelid fluttered shut, her chest rose and fell sharply with each breath, and sweat trickled down flushed features. “What happened?” Shirou asked with gritted teeth.

“Goddamn it,” Archer swore as he glared at the house. In one of the windows he saw the silhouette of a small, twisted bit of a man watching them. He knew, Archer thought with a glare as he reinforced his eyes so he could pick through the shadows casting on the man from the light behind him. He saw a stooped old man in a blue kimono holding a twisted cane. He seemed to be entirely made out of wrinkles, but black pitiless eyes like a shark’s met Archer’s as the old man grinned ever so slightly.

Son of a bitch, Archer thought, but took a deep breath. He’d gained control of his hair trigger temper years ago and then smirked at the old man before slowly drawing his finger across his throat. Zouken threw back his head and laughed at that before drawing the drapes closed, shutting himself from Archer’s hawk’s eye view. He turned to see Shirou glaring up at the same window that Archer was just watching, his arms protectively encircling Sakura.

“Come on, Rider’s waiting,” Archer said with a sigh as Shirou flushed before attempting to arrange Sakura in a fireman’s carry. Without a word, Archer reached for the girl and lifted her into his arms. There was a tiny murmur of protest and Sakura’s eyes were moving rapidly under her eyelids. Shirou blinked, but said nothing and Archer wanted to punch him for the small smile the boy wore on his face.

The two of them walked rapidly down the hill, attempting to stay out of eyesight when Archer spotted Rider’s voluptuous form at the bottom of the hill. She was leaning against a street light, the golden light playing with long lavender strands of hair and reflecting off her glasses to make them look opaque. She turned towards them and within a moment she was sprinting towards them.

“What happened?” Rider asked as she placed her palm on Sakura’s forehead and smoothed her sweaty bangs back.

Archer answered, “I broke her connection to the Old Man and she then collapsed.”

“Rider, what the hell is going on? She was acting weird when we went to her, she almost fell and then she . . . kissed Archer,” Shirou asked, running his hand through his hair.

Rider’s eerie eyes fell on the boy and she asked, “What is Shirou doing here?”

“I demanded that I come with Archer. Sakura’s my friend, but he’s not saying what’s wrong with her,” Shirou answered with a glare at Archer’s direction.

Archer sighed and said, “And I made a miscalculation. I figured Sakura would be more cooperative if she had someone she was familiar with and cared about instead of some former Servant dressed in body armor and leather pants showing up at her door stating that they’re there to rescue her and scare her half to death.”

“I see,” Rider said with wide eyes before adjusting her glasses and fussing over Sakura more. The girl’s body was burning hot against Archer’s, even through the armor and cloth. Rider’s fists clinched as she swore softly in what Archer assumed was Greek before looking back up at him.

Archer nodded and said, “Come on, let’s get Saber and get to the Church.”

******

Lancer grumbled softly to himself as his wee lover commanded him to head for the attic and fetch some sort of blueprint or the like for some magic he’d never heard of. He’d offered to teach her Rune Magics, but Rin simply scoffed at him and stated she would be ill suited for that sort of thing. Then to rub salt in a man’s wound she threatened to withhold herself if he didn’t get his bum up to the attic and get it for her right that instant.

The demi-god ran a finger through thick blue bangs as he stared at the clutter around him, wondering how the hell he would find it in this mess. Wish the Curmudgeon was still here, he’d find it in this mess. Hell, if he was here, everything would be perfectly arranged by alphabet and color, Lancer thought with a chuckle as he sneezed at a giant dust cloud. Rin Lass stated it was in a red chest with brass fitting, bugger, there’s like three that match that description.

He sighed as he opened the trunk closest to him to find it empty. The second trunk provided pretty much the same story except it housed a spider that could carry away small children. Lancer promptly closed the lid on that one before moving to the last trunk. With a sigh, he grabbed it to lift the lid, except it stuck.

With a scowl, he used more strength and there was a loud pop before the trunk opened. He blinked at the trunk’s strange contents, mainly the pink stick with wings leaning against the sides as well as a safe box, some rolled up scrolls and a very old leather bound book. The Hound blew off the layer of dust on the objects and move to pull out the pink stick with wings.

As he was reaching, he heard rustling outside and a very familiar footstep that had a slight metallic clang to it that made his ears twitch and he lifted his head up. Smiling to himself, the stick forgotten for the moment, Lancer made his way to the window. He peered out and his eyes widened at the familiar broad shoulders dressed in red and the redhead walking beside him.

He saw something violet move along Archer’s bicep and noticed it was a head of hair, and that he was carrying Rider’s Master’s little sister in his arms. Lancer watched from his perch as he watched Archer carry the wee lass with little Shirou at his side as they walked down the long hill. His errand forgotten, Lancer ran down the steps calling out, “Rin, you can’t believe what I just saw!”

[Elf]

The walk to the bridge was a quiet one, and Archer saw Saber’s tiny silhouette shrouded in street light, haloing her golden hair. Emerald eyes narrowed as she saw Shirou approaching as well, but the anger swept off of her face as she noticed Sakura’s condition. The former King moved with her usual grace towards them and placed her hand over her mouth.

“In the name of the Holy Father, what is wrong with her?” Saber whispered against her fingers.

“I don’t know,” Shirou answered his lover with a frown.

Green eyes narrowed as the former King looked up at the taller, lavender haired woman. “What are you doing here?” Saber asked in a cold voice as her hand went to her side.

Rider simply smiled and Archer sighed and moved between the two women and said, “She’s the one who told me what’s going on with Sakura. We don’t have much time, we need to get to the church.”

“I think it’s time for you to be more forthcoming in your information,” Saber said with a glare as they started to walk again.

Rider tucked a lock of stray hair from her braid behind her ear and replied, “It is none of your business, Saber. It is Sakura’s, and she would prefer if you and your lover don’t know the details.”

“She is our friend, she should know that we wouldn’t judge her,” Saber protested as she looked up at the prone girl in Archer’s arms.

Archer ignored the bickering women and walked faster with Shirou trailing at his side like a lost puppy. At that moment, the violet haired girl bucked up with a sharp cry, her eyes snapping open as she writhed before slumping forward and breathing hard again. Somehow that old bastard knew what I was planning, or had a good idea, Archer thought to himself as he looked down at Sakura’s sweating, pain filled grimace. She gripped the lapels of his mantle and rasped, “Grandfather . . . He’s doing this . . . I . . .”

“Who’s harming you Sakura?” Saber asked in a soothing tone as she reached for the other girl’s hand. To Archer’s surprise, Sakura slid her hand away from Saber’s, causing the small blond’s eyes to widen. “Sakura?” Saber asked in a small voice as she awkwardly moved back.

“Rider,” Sakura said and the quiet woman moved to her former Master’s side.

Rider reached up and smoothed Sakura’s sweat soaked hair from her face and said, “It wasn’t fair that we were brought back to life and you were still in that situation. You needed help . . .”

“Saber and the boy don’t know what happened,” Archer told her quietly, “And they won’t, unless you tell them.”

Sakura nodded and then attempted to shift out of Archer’s arms, one hand pushing at his chest as her cheeks became even redder. She shook her head and said, “I can walk, Archer-san, please put me down.”

“Like hell you can,” Archer said with a snort, causing misty violet eyes to widen as Sakura looked up at him. He swallowed at the look on her face and looked away.

Then, in a small voice Sakura asked, “Did nee . . . Tohsaka-sempai ask you to help?”

“No, I did,” Rider said with a slight smile, “Because I wanted someone who could do more than get you away from that place.”

Eyes welled up and the girl looked down. Sakura took a deep breath and said, “I see.”

Archer sighed at the irony of it all, both Servant and younger sister wanted Tohsaka Rin to save them, and she had turned her back on both of them. In his case she chose another man over his, in Sakura’s case she ignored her existence. His eyes strayed to the faded, slightly frayed pink ribbon tied in a simple bow in Sakura’s hair. Rin had a match of it in better condition in her room, it had been the clue Archer had to deciphering the bond between the two girls. However, other than that there was no proof that Rin acknowledged Sakura.

Unless . . . That’s the real reason she healed Emiya Shirou and wasted her jewel on him. She knew how important he was to Sakura, Archer thought as his eyes widened. He inwardly shook his head and thought to his former Master, Rin, you’re not nearly as cold as you like to pretend. Still, Sakura was unaware of all of this, and it seemed all Sakura wanted was to be saved and acknowledged by her nee-san.

Without another word, the motley crew headed to Kotomine’s church.

******

Rin heard Lancer’s jovial voice and smiled to herself as she wondered what he saw to make him so excited in the attic. Then her eyes widened as a mental image of Lancer carrying around a certain magical artifact with mischievous intentions and a rather innocent looking appearance. Lancer had more than enough Circuits to activate Ruby and a mental image of him prancing around in a dress made her shudder.

She ran towards the steps and breathed a sigh of relief to see his hands were empty and he was still wearing that horrid neon green Hawaiian shirt he seemed to favor. She then scowled and asked, “Where’s that blue print I asked for?”

“Eh, still up there. Still, I was looking for your scroll and I heard familiar metal clad footsteps outside. So I took a gander only to find Archer carrying Rider’s Master’s wee sister with little Shirou tagging along. Wonder what’s going on with that, don’t ya, Lass?” Lancer said as he looked out to the window.

Rin’s blood chilled in her veins as she asked, “Lancer, where were they coming from?”

“Oh, that house that’s larger than yours down the hill,” Lancer said with a jerk of his thumb behind his shoulder.

She reached out, grabbed his wrist and said, “Come on.”

“Oh, we’re going after them then?” Lancer said with a grin as he gave no resistance.

******

Sakura swallowed as she looked around the plain room. The smell of disinfectant was cloyingly thick in the air and there were items draped with pristine, white sheets. She was sitting on top of a table, her heart thundering in her chest as she looked up at the large priest who’s hands were currently hovering over her. “Take a deep breath,” he instructed in a low, deep bass voice that reverberated through Sakura’s spine and made her shiver.

Her lungs expanded and she gasped as she felt something tingle within her. Pain shot through her nerves and she gasped, her hands digging into the fabric of her skirt. “How bad is it?” Archer’s voice came from behind her.

The hand was lowered and the pressure lessened. Sakura’s vision swam as she took a gulp for air as her body started to burn again. “Apparently the vampire installed some sort of safe measures inside of her. Even with Saber’s sheath, there is a good chance she might not survive,” the priest said with a slight smile that made Sakura shiver.

Archer sighed and said, “Don’t look so damn delighted about it, Kotomine.”

Kotomine’s fathomless dark eyes met Sakura’s as he asked, “Knowing that, do you still want to go on with this?”

“Yes,” Sakura said, swallowing the lump in her throat and nodding, “I . . . I can’t be like this anymore.”

Kotomine nodded and said, “There may be side effects. You may not be able to use your magecraft again.”

“I don’t care. None of that matters to me in the first place,” Sakura said with a shake of her head.

Archer awkwardly patted her shoulder and asked, “Do you want Rider in here too?”

Heat rushed to her cheeks and she bit her lip. Despite her giving up Rider to her brother and despite the second chance at a normal life, Rider was going out of her way to save her. Not Sempai and not nee-san, but two former Servants, she thought with a nod. She swallowed and looked up at the man with the sad grey eyes. She asked, “Archer-san, will you be here as well?”

“Of course. I like to finish things through,” he said with a nod.

Sakura nodded and thought, I bet you do. Kotomine said, “I’m ready to begin.”

Archer nodded, his grey eyes met Sakura’s before he headed to the door. He said, “I’ll get Saber and Rider then.”

“Good, at one point you may need help holding her down,” Kotomine said with a slight smile.

[Elf]

Archer thought he had a strong stomach and was desensitized to most pain the world had to offer. After all during his tenure as a Counter Guardian he had seen so many causalities and tragedies, so many broken and torn bodies, and walked hand and hand with the Grim Reaper himself. However Kotomine’s surgery had been one of the more unsettling things that Archer had seen even with Avalon in full use and glowing before Sakura.

Sakura herself did not scream, nor did she black out. Tears did stream from her eyes and Archer found himself holding her hand through most of the surgery except for the few times both he and Rider had to hold her down. Blood was sprayed across the room in crimson swatches and the room smelled sickeningly sweet. Kotomine had a jar filled with these obscene things that he handed to Archer with a smile. Archer stared at his macabre offering as the things writhed inside. Kotomine said, “They’ll die within a few hours without a steady supply of prana.”

“Good,” Archer said as he set the jar down.

Sakura was sleeping on the table, her skin slightly flushed but not the bright red it had been. Her hair was slick was sweat, but her chest rose and fell easily with each breath. Archer looked down to see that her hand was still holding his ever so slightly and he felt his cheeks flush. He cleared his throat and extracted his hand, not even aware she was still holding it. Kotomine handed him a smaller jar where the worm was different than the others, more flagella shaped than obscene. Unlike the others it was still and shriveled around the edges.

“This unusual specimen was used to house a soul. Except it was freshly dead when I removed it,” Kotomine said as he strummed the glass with his index finger.

Saber paled and her eyes were so wide that Archer could see the whites around her irises. She asked, “Why?”

“Because he sought immortality,” Archer said with a glare at the jar before looking back at the former king. “We both know about deals made, but at least our means weren’t selfish.”

Saber nodded and brushed her hair from her face, she was gleaming with sweat as well and looked paler than normal. Then again, she had been charging Avalon during the entire surgery to keep Sakura in a stable condition and then to completely heal her at the end. She swallowed and said, “Do you need my assistance for anything else, Archer?”

“No, go to the boy and get home,” Archer said with a shake of his head. He then bowed and said, “Saber?”

Saber’s cheeks flushed as she looked up at him. “Yes, Archer?” she asked in a weary voice.

He smiled and said, “Thank you.” Then he rose to his full height, and to his surprise, Saber gave him a slight bow as well. Then the former King rose to her full height and walked out of the door. Archer watched her proud form leave as Rider lightly stroked Sakura’s hair as she slept.

Those strange eyes locked with Archer’s as she said, “Thank you.”

“It’s not safe for her to be moved yet,” Kotomine warned the Gorgon, “She’s going to need a few more hours rest.”

“Then I’ll stay here,” Rider said.

Archer said, “Get me when she’s ready. I’ll walk you both home.”

“I think I’m able to get home safely on my own, Archer,” Rider said with a tiny smile as she pushed her glasses up her nose.

Archer grinned back and said, “Yes, but until she’s safe with you, that part of my job is not finished.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re so thorough in your work,” Rider replied, her smile turning slightly wicked.

From beside him, Kotomine chuckled and Archer cleared his throat. Kotomine said, “Well, since you are going to be here awhile, Servant Archer. I think you owe me a long talk.”

Archer nodded and said, “I think you’re right.”

******

Archer stared at the crimson glass of wine sitting in front of him and then at the priest sitting at his desk. Kotomine asked, “Would you like to go to the confessional, Archer? You seemed to be rather forthcoming the last time we spoke in there.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Archer said with a shake of his head as he looked up at Kotomine. “

Kotomine took a sip of his wine and asked, “So, you were going to tell me who you were?”

“Yes. In my life my name was Emiya Shirou,” Archer answered, his eyes not leaving the priest’s face. For a moment there was silence, Kotomine studying him intensely, those dark eyes flickering over Archer’s armor and fixating at his face. Archer made no movement as Kotomine silently studied him before taking a rather large gulp of wine.

A smile graced Kotomine’s face as he set the wine glass down and said, “Well, I’ll be damned.”

[Elf]

“I’m not going to deny that,” Archer retorted with a shake of his head.

The false priest threw back his head and laughed before leaning closer to Archer. “So you hated your existence so much you were going to kill yourself before you made the deal with the Spirit of Humanity?”

Archer nodded and said, “Except the chance of a paradox was next to nothing, even if I killed the boy with my own two hands.”

“At that point you wanted to take your frustration and hatred out on the one person you could blame for that situation,” Kotomine said with a slight smirk.

Archer nodded and looked up at the ceiling. He said, “The road to Hell is paved by good intention.”

“You wanted to save everyone, and in the end you realized how foolish it was,” Kotomine said, “Yet, you went to all of this trouble to save that one girl.”

Archer simply nodded. “Even though it gets you nothing in return, and you know the folly of such things, you couldn’t help yourself,” Kotomine said with a shake of his head and another smile. “You saw that dream shattered before you, yet you still cling to it. It broke you and twisted you, but yet you still cannot let it go.”

“It was beautiful,” Archer replied in a sharp voice as he glared at the other man, “You thrive on people’s suffering, I want to thrive on the happiness of those close to me.”

Kotomine leaned closer to Archer, faces mere centimeters away as he asked, “But who is close to you now, Emiya Shirou? You have no friends, you have no lover. These people here are not a part of your life, and nor are you in theirs.”

“I have you,” Archer replied with a smirk, causing the priest to blink and sit back.

After a moment’s pause, Kotomine smiled, shook his head and said, “I’m surprised you’re not trying to kill me.”

“Why? There’s nothing you can do now and it’s nice to know that there’s someone just as hollow as me in this town,” Archer said as he finally picked up the wine glass and took a sip.

******

“How are you?” Rider asked as Sakura was redressing. She grimaced at the sweat starting to dry on her and was in desperate need of a shower and a change of clothing. And I don’t have to use that stupid soap anymore, Sakura thought with a smile. There was nothing inside of her, no sickening crawling with need, just herself.

She answered, “I’m . . . better, thank you, Rider.”

Rider’s normally stoic face was made even more radiant by the smile she flashed at Sakura. Sakura found herself smiling back until a wave of weakness washed over her. She staggered and ended sitting on the table as the room spun ever so slightly. Rider scowled as she was at her side in an instant, elegant hands lifting Sakura’s face up to study her.

“You’re still low on prana,” Rider said with a sigh and a shake of her head.

Sakura rubbed her forehead and said, “I’ll be fine. I’ve been worse, now I just . . .” Need to figure out what to do.

Her eyes widened as she realized she was now homeless and all of her belongings were at that place. Lungs constricted as Sakura’s chest tightened as she realized she had utterly nothing. “Oh god,” she whispered as she placed her hands over her mouth as she felt her eyes begin to sting.

Rider peered at her and said, “Sakura, it’s over . . . you can do whatever you want to now.”

“What am I going to do Rider? I was in that place for so long and . . .” Her breath was coming in ragged gulps and the room was suddenly closing in on her. She looked around rapidly before shoving herself upright. “I . . . need to get out of here,” she muttered as she wobbled on her feet.

She put her hands on the wall to adjust herself and began to walk out of the operating room. She looked around the church and swallowed, it’s brightly lit interior and brilliant stain glass windows doing nothing to calm her. She bit her lip as she looked around, noting that Shirou and Saber were long gone.

Not surprising, they have their own lives to live. I have nothing. I don’t have nee-san and I don’t have sempai and no one wants me and I don’t know what to do. A sob tore from Sakura’s throat as she looked around the church. She heard Rider’s even footsteps behind her, but she took off not towards the exit of the church, but towards the back of it.

“Even though it gets you nothing in return, and you know the folly of such things, you couldn’t help yourself,” Kotomine’s voice was muffled by the door, but Sakura could clearly hear the low tone. “You saw that dream shattered before you, yet you still cling to it. It broke you and twisted you, but yet you still cannot let it go.”

She froze as she moved to the closed office door. She pressed her hands to it before tilting her head and putting her ear up to the door despite the improperness of it. Rider was beside her and looked down at her with a frown before following suit beside her. The two of them stood quietly, Sakura’s cheeks burning as they listened to the conversation between the two men.

Archer’s voice was sharp as he retorted, “It was beautiful. You thrive on people’s suffering, I want to thrive on the happiness of those close to me.”

“But who is close to you now, Emiya Shirou? You have no friends, you have no lover. These people here are not a part of your life, and nor are you in theirs.”

Sakura felt her eyes widen right as she looked up at Rider and Rider peered down at her with eyes the size of saucers. The two of them stared at each other and Sakura eased away from the door, the priest’s words echoing through her ears. More importantly, what he had called Archer. Rider was scowling as she mouthed, “Emiya Shirou?”

Sakura took one look at the door and pressed her hand against it. Sempai, but not Sempai. Her cheeks flushed as she realized it was Archer she had went after without realizing it. The mannerisms, that smile, the neat way he had stacked his shoes and even his smell. Even though she knew she couldn’t have Sempai, in that state she had recognized one she could have.

And he’s just as alone as I am, she thought as she moved away from the door. A shaky hand rested on her heart as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Rider gently pulled on her arm, tilting her head back to the operating room. However, Sakura did note that her Servant looked rather . . . thoughtful.

******
After a long, exhausting talk with Kotomine, Archer hoped that Sakura was ready to travel. The clock in the false priest’s office read that it was after 3 AM, and there was still a twisted magus to deal with. Kotomine’s words about the worm created to house a soul that was now empty made Archer’s blood boil even more. The old bastard had set up Sakura as a safeguard just in case, he thought with a scowl as he headed towards the make shift operating room.

He knocked on the door and within moments it was pushed open. Rider was standing there and she offered Archer a smile as Sakura sat up from reclining on the table. The girl quickly rearranged her skirts, her cheeks flushing softly as she stood up. She bowed and said, “Thank you, for everything.”

Archer shook his head and said, “It’s not over yet.”

“I want Shinji,” Rider said with a slow, easy grin.

Sakura shook her head and said in a rather firm voice, “No. You’re not to hurt Nii-san.”

The smile fell off Rider’s face and Archer studied Sakura who was looking down, but her hands were clinched tightly at her sides and trembling. Archer asked, “What about Zouken?”

“I don’t want Nii-san hurt,” Sakura said in a small, but firm voice as she lifted her head to look up at Archer, her teeth worrying slightly at her lower lip.

Archer looked at Rider, shrugged and said, “Well, I wasn’t planning on going after Shinji anyway. My primary target right now would be Makari Zouken.”

“Fine, I will refrain for now,” Rider said with a sigh and a shake of her head.

He looked at the small, violet haired girl and said, “Sakura, your Grandfather is dangerous. With you gone, there’s no guarantee that he won’t come after you again, or hurt someone else.”

“I understand,” Sakura said with a nod, “But with Nii-san . . . He wasn’t always like this.”

Rider was scowling behind Sakura, her hands folded under her breasts but otherwise silent. From her face, Archer was sure she would have killed the boy and enjoyed every minute of it. Shinji was a pest, but he wasn’t outright murdering anyone or causing anyone harm at the moment so he was below Archer’s radar. Archer nodded to the girl and then looked at Rider. He said, “I’ll make sure you get home, then I’ll take care Zouken.”

[Elf]

“Alone?” Sakura asked with a frown and wide eyes, one hand going towards him but stopping half way and dropping to her side.

Archer shrugged and said, “It’s safer that way.”

“Not for you it’s not,” Sakura said with a scowl and a shake of her head.

It’s not like I have anything waiting at home for me, he thought, Kotomine’s conversation still ringing through his ears. His only real friend it seemed was the priest, and there was his relationship with Ilya, but there were plenty of others who could take his place. He was a man out of place in a time he already lived in filled with familiar faces that were at turns strangers to him. He was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, but failing. He had no purpose here, and he was so disillusioned that he had no one he wanted to keep safe other than Ilya and Rin.

Or Sakura, he thought as the girl scowled up at him, her face set in an oddly familiar determined line. Heat filled his cheeks as he replied, “I’ve handled worse things than Zouken.”

“Don’t underestimate Grandfather. At least ask Kotomine-san to go with you,” Sakura said with a frown as she moved closer to him.

He frowned and said, “I don’t want to owe Kotomine anything else.”

“Then I’ll come with you,” Rider said, her voice barely audible.

Archer shook his head and said, “No.”

“Why not?” Rider asked as she adjusted her glasses.

He cleared his throat as he felt his cheeks heat up. “Well, um, those things are rather focused on . . . and since we freed Sakura, he might try to . . . And you should make sure Sakura adjusts to your apartment.”

Sakura blinked and asked, “I’m going to be living with you, Rider?”

“If that is fine with you. I have a big enough apartment for the both of us, and I already have a bedroom ready for you,” Rider said with a slight smile.

Archer shook his head, sighed and said, “We wouldn’t have gone to all of this trouble and not have figured out living arrangements once you were safe.”

Sakura fussed with her skirt and then bowed her head, her cheeks flushing. Her violet hair obscured her face, but her shoulders were slightly shaking. Rider stood there awkwardly but Archer moved forward. He had enough experience with trauma victims to at least know what Sakura was going through.

Hell, I’m going through a version of it myself, he thought dryly as he bent his legs down so his face was even with Sakura’s. He hadn’t been aware of how petite she was when he was a teenager, or had he just grown so much that he towered over everyone else he knew? He shook off his train of thought as Sakura peered at him with red rimmed eyes and tear tracks coming down her face.

He whispered, “Trace On.” He visualized eight parts and in his hand a simple, white cotton handkerchief appeared. It was a waste of mana, but sometimes one needed to be frivolous when someone else was in need. He lifted it up to Sakura and said, “Here.”

“Ah, thank you Archer-san,” she said in a soft voice as she took it from him and gently dabbed her eyes. Once she was finished she handed the cloth back to him. He released the mana and it vanished into gold shimmers, causing her to smile ever so slightly. “So you know mage craft then,” she said as her smile widened slightly as he stood back to his full height.

Archer shrugged and said, “It has its uses.”

Rider asked, “Are you going to go after Zouken tonight?”

“Yeah, to keep further complications from happening. Once everything’s cleared up, you should be able to help Sakura collect her things,” Archer said with a tiny smirk, “I doubt Shinji will protest too much.”

Sakura bit her lip with a frown and said, “I still don’t like you going alone, Archer-san.”

“Sometimes you have to do things you don’t like, but the results are worth it,” Archer said with a shrug as he looked towards the door, “However it’s getting late, let’s get you home.”

[Elf]

Getting Sakura to Rider’s was rather uneventful and Archer was back to the Matou manor. He scowled at it as he knew the easiest thing to do would be just to jump on Rin’s roof and nail it with a charged Caldiblog. However, that would draw too much attention and cause Rin to go into fits because a magical explosion of that magnitude would get back to the Association. Besides, that house is full of secret compartments. He has to have an escape route, Archer thought grimly.

So, I have to go in and hunt him down. He hated infiltration missions like this, even when he had been alive during his time they made him uneasy. Breaking into an ancient magus’ lair wasn’t anything to thumb one’s nose at either, especially one who apparently had a basement full of prana starved worms. He had stabbed the jar Kotomine had given him with a prana loaded knife to make it explode, obliterating any trace of what had been in Sakura.

Then again, the old man might be expecting him. After all, Archer did take his most precious experiment right from underneath his nose. Magi tended to be an arrogant, paranoid bunch as they searched for the origin or perfected whatever magecraft they were obsessed with. He stared at the old home and weighed his options before walking up to the front door.

The lock was old, and with the right tools it slid open. Heavy boots moved surprisingly soundlessly as Archer walked into the door. He gritted his teeth as he had several pairs of Kansho and Bakuya already in mind to use, all he had to do was bring them to form. He walked through the once familiar house, the echoes of old ghosts running through his mind when he had been a boy. Shinji bringing him here after school to show off some new video game or toy. Long hours had been spent playing hide and seek with Shinji and Sakura, trying to get the morose girl to smile.

Then again, the Shinji and Sakura that lived here were not the ones that haunted his memories. Shinji had been the first bit of blood to stain his hands while his version of Saber had killed Rider. Shinji had shown no remorse, in fact he had laughed while people began to melt away and ordered Rider to drain more and more. Archer had felt bad about killing his friend, but Shinji had stopped being his friend the moment he decided to become a mass murder. Or attempt mass murder, Archer thought dryly, even though the survivors hadn’t been able to live very fruitful lives after that.

He walked along the hallway paneled with dark wood had a rose carpeting. There were pictures along the walls of various Matous around the ages and Archer stopped at an old painting of a slyly handsome man with sharp blue eyes and wavy blue hair. He looked like a more intense, rugged version of Shinji. There was part of the picture covered up by a curtain. Makari Zouken.

Curious, Archer moved the curtain aside and stared at an all too familiar crimson pair of eyes. Standing beside Zouken and smiling was what looked like an older version of Ilya, dressed in a floor length white dress with a purple sash. The young woman was exceptionally lovely and her smile had a hint of wickedness to it, just as Ilya’s did. Standing behind her was an Asian man with wavy black hair and sloe black eyes dressed in a typical kimono but bright red. Justica Von Eizenburn. Makari Zouken. Tohsaka Nagito. The three founding members of the Holy Grail War of Fuyuki.

“I’d almost forgotten I had that,” a raspy voice said behind Archer.

Archer turned around to see Zouken standing there, holding his old cane as he was stooped over, one hand bent to help support his back. The man looked like an old, shriveled apple who had been left in the sun for too long. He stared up at the painting with dark eyes and sighed, “She was lovely, wasn’t she?”

“Justica?” Archer asked, surprised by the question as he looked up at the painting again. “Yes, yes she is,” he answered quietly.

One eye opened almost grotesquely compared to the other one that was almost squinted shut as Zouken studied Archer. “So you know who she was then?”

“I know whose body her soul inhabits now,” Archer replied.

Zouken nodded and said, “I . . . don’t remember her well.”

“Well, your body is decaying,” Archer replied as he folded his arms over his chest and looked down at the old man.

The ancient magus chuckled, “Yes, my body’s decaying. I wanted immortality, but not in a corpse’s shell. And you took the means from me to get a new body.”

“Yes, but somehow you knew to take your soul out of Sakura,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

Zouken chuckled again and replied, “Of course. A better opportunity presented itself. Why wait for an offspring when I have a former Heroic Spirit right in my grasp.”

Fists clinched at nothing as the familiar blades became ready as Zouken simply smiled. Wordlessly, Archer drew his blades back to attack, but Zouken simply stepped back and slammed his cane into the floor. Prana began to ripple in obscene amounts, the air around Archer becoming impossibly thick to move through. He swung his blades and lurched forward. However he kept looking around him, knowing that was all too easy. A magi of Zouken’s age and ability didn’t get that way by playing it easy.

Archer noticed that his vision was blurring ever so slightly and his blades shattered into fine gold mist. The old man was standing there, his whole body was trembling and there was strain in his eyes. Muscles became slack and fatigued, his whole body was heavy and his prana was dropping dangerously low. As his vision started to fade to black, Archer thought, Of course. The Matou family’s expertise is absorption.

[Elf]

Sakura was curled up on the futon in Rider’s fairly spacious apartment. She had been surprised at its sheer size and wondered what sort of rent she paid to stay in a place like this. That also made Sakura wonder what Rider did for a living. She was aware of the former Servant working at the library part time during the week, but those earnings couldn’t come anywhere close to affording a place like this.

She had seen the sleek racing motorcycle parked in the apartment complex’s garage and Rider was a rider after all. There were rumors of street racing that happened on the later parts of the week down in Shinto, but nothing was really confirmed. Taiga-sensei had a rant once during archery practice about some hooligans that had cheated some men who worked for her grandfather involving motorcycles. The teacher then made everyone on the archery squad promise that they would never buy or ride a motorcycle as long as she was their teacher.

Mitsuzuri-taicho had scowled as she had made the promise and some of the other girls had teased her about being a tomboy. Then rumors had circled around that Mitsuzuri was racing illegally at night for extra money. Everyone had a good laugh about it because street racing was rather far fetched, but thinking back at the motorcycle in the garage it did seem like something Rider would enjoy.

Still, Rider had enough foresight to buy her a few change of clothing once she had arrived as well. The first thing she had done was take a long, scalding hot shower and scrubbed hard. She had scrubbed until her skin was pink and tingling and had washed her hair until all she had smelled was the antiseptic scent of the soap Rider had for her. It’s as if Rider knew I needed to get clean, she thought as she looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. She wondered if Rider had needed to get clean once she had gotten away from Shinji herself.

Sakura shook the dark thought off and lightly fingered the faded red ribbon in her hair. Eyes stung with unshed tears because Nee-san hadn’t been the one to save her. Rider hadn’t even thought to ask Nee-san, but instead went directly to her former Servant. Her abandoned Servant, she thought as she pressed her lips together and curled her knees to her chest. The same Servant who had carried her from her house and knew everything that was going on with her, but didn’t speak a word of it to anyone.

Nor did he judge me, and now he’s going after Grandfather alone, Sakura thought as her chest tightened. A shiver ran up and down her spine and she clutched the blanket more closely to her chest despite the room being a comfortable temperature. Archer had all but forced Rider to stay with her, but Sakura didn’t want to leave Archer alone.

After a few moments, Sakura got up from the futon, made it and dressed in some of the street clothing that Rider provided. Even though the colors were darker than what Sakura normally liked, the black tank top and matching skirt fit perfectly. And the black will make it easier to hide, Sakura thought as she went to find Rider.

Rider was still dressed as she met Sakura half way. The former Servant pushed up her glasses more firmly on her nose and said, “You want to go after Archer.”

Sakura bit her lip, felt her cheeks warm but she didn’t lower her eyes from Rider’s. Hands twisted in soft black fabric as the violet haired girl nodded. She said, “Y-yes. I do.”

“Then let’s go,” Rider said with a tiny bit of a smile as she tilted her head towards the door.

Sakura blinked and asked, “You’re not going to tell me to stay here?”

“Of course not. You are your own person, now I will let you know that I am going to do everything in my power to keep you safe, and I do owe Archer for that safety,” Rider said as she zipped up her riding jacket.

Sakura smiled and said, “Thank you Rider.”

[Elf]

The first thing that Archer was aware of was that he couldn’t move. Muscled limbs felt like lead and that he was on a hard, cold surface lying face down. Stone or concrete and considering the temperature of the room during this time of year I’d say I’m underground. Which means I’m in the basement of the Matou household. Archer opened his eyes as he felt something slick and damp slither across his cheek.

In the corner of his eye was a bulbous, obscene looking worm and even in the dim light he could see hundreds of the creatures writhing and slithering about. “Ah, you’re awake,” Zouken said in a very cheerful voice as Archer saw small, withered bare feet beside him.

He kept still and silent. One of the withered feet reached out and poked his now bare arm, the mantle had been taken off. Or eaten, he thought as he suppressed a shudder at the things slithering all around him. “A bit scarred, but in very good condition despite everything. You Servants really were the peak of humanity, weren’t you?” Zouken asked as he bent forward to look into Archer’s face.

“Well, I wouldn’t say I was. It seems like you got a flawed specimen. If you’re looking for perfection, I’d go for the King of Heroes,” Archer replied as he forced a smirk on his face.

Zouken shook his head and said, “No, I’m not risking anything else. Besides unlike the others you seem to be a magus which makes things useful. That draining spell I used against you up there wouldn’t have worked on someone such as Saber or the like. You on the other hand it worked like a charm.”

“My brand of magecraft is rather specialized,” Archer replied as he flexed his fingers. The skittering sound was getting closer and he could see the mass writhing around him, gnashing tiny mouths filled with razor sharp teeth.

The old man nodded and said, “I know that. So I need to change you so that the Makari magecraft works with you. Your prana output is far less than Sakura’s maximum, but I can’t be choosy at this point can I? Besides, I could produce a heir through you that will be a more acceptable host with proper care.”

“I thought the worms are more acceptable with a female host,” Archer said as the bulbous bodies moved ever closer.

Zouken nodded and said, “You did your research well, Archer, as I did mine. Another reason I chose you is that no one is going to miss you if you vanish. You sealed your fate the moment you betrayed the Tohsaka. You live alone, you have no lover, and people move away all the time. Especially ones that have connections with the yazuka.”

Archer gritted his teeth as he felt anger spike hotly through him, but he didn’t let it show on his face. As a wise American had told him in his life time, “Giving into anger gives that person who made you angry power over you.” He had remembered the words well and made it part of his internal mantra to remain absolutely calm and also used it to generate anger in an opponent. Get angry, one got sloppy and a lot of the people he had come up against in the past had hair trigger tempers that were easily exploited.

However he was becoming very tired of everyone letting him know just how alone he was. He was very aware that all he did was work, clean, cook, eat and sleep just to keep doing something. Kotomine’s face came into his mind and he almost started laughing at the irony of everything. He had saved Sakura from this fate only to end up trapped in it himself and the only person he “had” wasn’t going to help.

Not that I haven’t been in hopeless situations before, he thought dryly before taking a deep breath.

Zouken said, “First I’m going to begin the process by making your magical alignment something that I can use with the worms. This will hurt and you may not survive.”

“However chances must be taken,” Archer said as he attempted to move his legs, but they felt like lead weights.

Zouken smiled and said, “Of course, now, let’s start the process shall we?”

The worms quickened their pace, slithering in an increased rate as their tiny teeth clicked in anticipation. Within moments their bulbous bodies were mere centimeters away from Archer. The first thing slid across his arm, leaving a thick trail in its wake. He shuddered in revulsion and then the first set of teeth nipped into his skin like a thousand pinpricks all at once.

More and more followed it, the grotesque process already beginning.

His heart was racing in his chest, he was completely pinned down and could not move. Thousands of little teeth were already biting him, and he could feel blood trickling hotly from the tiny wounds. Soon they would either make an opening or find one on their one. He clamped his teeth together as one tried poking its way into his mouth while he felt them traveling lower down his body.

Ice rushed through his veins as he flailed. His mind froze, every calculated plan he could have laid was unreachable to him at the moment. However, his body reacted defensively.

I am the bone of my sword.

It was the first line to open his inner world, yet in Emiya Shirou’s case it was all too true.

Even with his teeth clinched he cried out as he felt the first set of blades poke from his body, acting defensively against the oncoming invaders. Fire and agony slashed through his nerves as the blades poked through his skin, stabbing into some of the worms and sending others slithering back. The blades retracted a moment later, sending another bout of agony from his head down to the soles of his feet causing him to hiss in pain as well. However his body was responding again and Archer began to stand, blood dripping from various wounds in his body as he glared at Zouken.

******
Sakura paused as she heard the sharp cry of pain at the door and looked at Rider. Rider waved back and she stepped back. The statuesque woman pushed her glasses more firmly up her nose before pivoting gracefully into a spin kick. The heavy, steel toed biker boot hit the door with a resounding crash and shattered under the impact.

Rider smiled at Sakura before stepping over the ruins of the door and extending her hand to the girl. Sakura swallowed as she gripped Rider’s hand as she helped ease her over the debris. “Archer’s in trouble,” was all Rider said.

Sakura nodded, licked her lips and clutched Rider’s hand as they hurriedly made their way to the basement. The girl silently prayed, Please let us be in time. Please let us be in time.

******

There was a soft squish as heavy, steel reinforced and toed boots pressed down firmly on the mass of wiggling bodies with each approaching step. Blood dripped onto the stone floor from a variety of wounds that the wiggling mass swarmed to only to be crushed in Archer’s wake. The former Counter Guardian glared down at Zouken, who oddly enough smiled up at him before chuckling slightly.

“Interesting,” Zouken said with a shake of his head.

Archer flexed his arms and rolled his shoulders to release some of the stiffness there. The blaze in his nerves had calmed down to shocks that he was more than familiar with and could deal with. Eyes like steel met Zouken’s and he said, “My body’s made of swords. Trace. On.”

Kansho and Baykura appeared in his hands as he swiped at the writhing mass of the floor, tiny bodies flying against the wall and splattering in a spray of dark ichor. He worked methodically, using his blades over and over to make sure there was nothing left of the worms until the walls and floor were covered in their remains. The blades vanished in a snap of prana as Archer towered above the ancient magus.

“Are you going to kill me now?” Zouken asked with a shake of his head.

[Elf]

Archer shook his head and replied, “I can’t. Your soul could be stored anywhere and I don’t know where it is. I know you have more of those things.” He pointed to the wall at the gore staining it. “You could always create another body.”

“So, what do you plan to do with me?” Zouken said as Archer approached.

It felt as if a nail had lodged itself into Archer’s spine and he gritted his teeth at the sudden surge and the draining afterwards. However the heavy crimson cloth was soft against his palms and finger tips and there was yards of it, more than enough to contain Zouken. The old magus didn’t move as Archer moved forward and bundled him up with the copy of the Burial Shroud of Martian, the same shroud his mantle and tail had been made from.

He threw Zouken over his shoulder, winched slightly at the pain radiating through his body and began to walk up the long steps. The door at the top suddenly shattered and standing there, haloed by residual light was Rider holding Sakura’s hand. Both women were peering at him with wide eyes as Archer strode up the steps with his bundle. Rider smiled and said, “Apparently we were late in our rescue, Archer.”

He stared at both women, his chest tightening as everyone’s words about him being alone came racing back to him. The cynical part of him scoffed that they were just replaying him for what he had done. However, there was a part of him that remembered Sakura stubbornly coming to his home day after day to help take care of him despite Shinji’s protests.

“I’m surprised anyone came at all,” Archer said with a bit of a lopsided, dry smile as he shifted his burden on his shoulder.

Sakura frowned at him and reached out one hand to his bloody arm. Her hand hovered in front of him before she pulled it back to place over her mouth. Violet eyes were wide as she asked, “What happened?”

“My body defended itself,” Archer said with a shrug, “I’ll be fine.”

Sakura scowled and said, “But you’re bleeding.”

“I’ve been through worse,” Archer said again with a shrug as he moved past the two women to step through the ruins of the door.

There was a tiny stomp and Sakura blurted out, “But you’re not a Servant anymore! You’re a person who can be hurt and it doesn’t heal instantly . . .”

He blinked and turned to face her. Sakura was staring up at him with wide eyes and a trembling lip. He noticed that she was wearing black, and while it harmonized with her skin tone, hair and eye color it wasn’t Sakura. Before he realized it, he said, “Black doesn’t suit you, Sakura.”

Then he started to walk out of the door. Rider fell into step beside him, a tiny frown marring her features. She asked, “Where are you taking him?”

“To Caster,” Archer said with a grin, “For some karmatic retribution.”

******
The Greek witch was garbed in a deep grey kimono with a bright flowered print and her periwinkle hair was completely unbound. Her pointed ears were drooping slightly and she stared at Archer as he dropped off his bundle. Her ears perked back up as she asked, “Is that him?”

“That’s him,” Archer said.

She folded her arms under her breasts and asked, “Do you know what time it is?”

“Late,” Archer answered as he rolled his increasingly stiff shoulders. He noted that there was some numbness in his left arm and his vision was blurring along the edges. He shook it off as Caster frowned at him.

She scowled and said, “You look like the inner ring of Tarturus.”

“I feel like hell too,” he said as he moved to turn to head for the door. His head swam and the room spun. His stomach clinched and he swallowed. He shook it off and clinched his fists.

He looked over at Caster right as the burial cloth dissolved and Zouken was sitting on the ground. The witch smiled sweetly at him and reached out to cup his cheek with her palm. “You are an interesting specimen, aren’t you?”

Zouken chuckled then looked at Archer. He said, “You should have killed me.”

“I didn’t know where your soul was,” Archer said as he blinked against grey splotches in his vision.

Caster grinned and said, “Well, I’d wager I will find out. Won’t we, my little prune?” Then she frowned at Archer and said, “You will uphold your end of the bargain, won’t you?”

He nodded and said, “Yeah. When I’m done with you you’ll be an expert in Japanese style cooking.”

She smiled and said, “Good. Now, what to do with him . . .”

Archer nodded and said, “Thank you again, Medea.”

“I’m not Medea anymore. I’m Caster,” she said with a tiny smile as she began to speak in her ancient tongue, possibly binding Zouken in something inescapable.

Archer nodded in satisfaction as the room began to tilt again. The grey dots in his vision were becoming increasingly more intense as was the nausea. He attempted to shake it off as he started to walk down the temple steps were Sakura and Rider were waiting.

Their forms were becoming more and more indistinct despite him getting closer to them. Everything spun again and he felt his knees buckle. He tried to brace himself, keep moving, but then everything went decidedly black.

[Elf]

Rider moved faster than Sakura could even blink as they watched as Archer started to sway before finally collapsing. The lavender haired woman bounded up the steps almost faster than Sakura’s eyes could follow and she managed to catch Archer before he hit the hard steps. Heart pounding, Sakura gathered up her skirts and began to run up the steps to meet her former Servant. She was breathing hard once she reached Rider and stared down at Archer’s face.

He was pale underneath the dusky bronze of his skin and he was breathing hard as well. In the moonlight she could see a slight sheen of sweat gleaming from his skin. Worriedly, Sakura placed a hand on his forehead to find that it was cold. She frowned up at Rider as Rider adjusted his broad body. “We don’t know what Grandfather did to him before we got there,” she said in a hushed voice.

Her chest was tightening and it was becoming harder and harder for her to breathe. She darted her head around as her throat began to close up. Rider’s strange eyes intently stared into hers and she said, “Sakura breathe. We’ll get Archer to his home and then we’ll take care of him from there.”

She nodded and took a long, deep breath. Her hands clinched and unclenched at her sides as she gave Archer another worried look. She nodded and said, “Do you know how to get to where he lives?”

“Of course. He has an apartment right above his shop,” Rider said with a nod. She looked at Sakura and asked, “Can you make it there? It’s quite a walk from here.”

Sakura nodded and replied, “Of course I can. Let’s get Archer home and taken care of.”

Rider smiled ever so slightly as she managed to support Archer with relative ease. Sakura rushed to his other side and felt her cheeks heat up the instant she wrapped her arm around Archer’s waist. Her breath caught, her body tightened greedily at the stark reminder even though that they had been removed, their need still lingered strongly. The violet haired girl shook it off as she helped Rider guide the quite large man down the steps.

As they walked, it was apparent that Rider was bearing most of the burden and Sakura was just helping her balance. There was no strain on the former Servant’s face, just her normal calm countenance. Sakura shook her head as they walked towards were Shinto met with Fuyuki, towards the industrial end of the two towns. She knew that Shirou often had jobs at the various warehouses here and that was how he got the acid burn on his shoulder.

Blinking, Sakura looked at Archer’s exposed bicep. The red mantle had vanished, leaving his arms and shoulders exposed. She peered up to see the same familiar scar that she had nursed what seemed like a life time ago. Biting her lip, she lightly pressed her fingers into it and felt its raised texture. I didn’t take care of this, some other version of me did, she thought as she readjusted her arm to help balance him better for Rider. She wondered what that Sakura thought of this Emiya Shirou and what had he felt for her.

If he had felt anything for her other than familiar affection.

She shook off the dark thought as they approached a shop with a neat, simple sign that said “Repairs” in both English and Japanese. Oddly enough, there was the golden glow of a light from the second story of the shop. She looked over at Rider and Rider’s beautiful face was marred by a scowl. Sakura whispered, “Archer-san has to have keys on him.”

“Well, these interesting pants do have pockets in them,” Rider said in a soft voice with a tiny smile.

Sakura’s cheeks heated up instantly as she blinked mutely up at Rider. Rider was still smiling ever so slightly as she said, “Well, I’m supporting his weight, I can’t look.”

“Ah, then I will have to,” Sakura stammered before sliding her hand into the pocket closest to her. Almost immediately her hand brushed against something hard and cold. It jingled ever so slightly as it was pulled from the confines of the thick leather-like fabric. She clutched the keys in her hand and brought them up. She moved away from Archer and to the door.

After a few attempts and a few misfires caused by shaking hands, Sakura found the right key. However as soon as she pressed on the door to balance to unlock it, it swung open. She frowned at Rider and Rider frowned back at her. “Someone else is here,” was all the lavender haired woman said as she brought Archer into the shop.

He was still breathing hard and his chest was rising and falling sharply with each breath. Sweat had dampened his hair to the point where the hard spikes had partially fallen into his face. Sakura’s chest tightened as she looked at his sleeping face, and with his hair falling into it he looked even more like the boy he use to be. Biting her lip, Sakura placed her hand on Archer’s forehead and he made a sort of murmuring sound and tried to move away. The flesh under her palm was cool and clammy. She sent Rider a worried look, afraid he would go deeper and deeper into shock.

Rider looked at Sakura and said, “Lock the door. We are going to see who is intruding upstairs.”

Sakura nodded and did as she was instructed. Rider, still holding Archer, headed up the steps first with Sakura following closely behind. They slowly crept up the steps to the apartment, but the door swung open before Rider could reach the last step. Crimson eyes set into a friendly, smiling face peered at them.

A jovial, male voice with an accent that Sakura couldn’t place called out, “Oy, you three were making enough racket to raise the dead!”

“Lancer, what are you doing?” an annoyed, high pitched female voice that Sakura knew all too well.

Sakura froze behind Rider and looked around. She swallowed hard as a pair of aquamarine eyes framed by raven hair poked underneath Lancer’s outstretched arm. Tohsaka Rin rose to her full height as her eyes met Sakura’s. Sakura moved to be more behind Rider as Rin’s eyes traveled over to Archer. Her eyes widened, then narrowed as she simply moved Lancer aside and ran the rest of the way down the steps.

[Elf]

Rin frowned as she saw that her Archer was desperately low on prana and bleeding from pretty much everywhere. There were half healed cuts on his body, but they had come from the inside out from the angle that she could see. Her eyes widened as she remembered Archer’s Reality Marble.

Then she saw tiny bite marks that looked a lot like what she’d seen on TV with Lancer about shark attacks but quite smaller. She frowned at the wounds and noted that at least they had stopped bleeding. “We need to get him into bed. He may have lost a lot of blood,” Rin said as she looked over at Lancer before looking back at Rider. She inwardly cringed at the sight of Sakura almost hiding behind the former Servant.

She’d demand answers later, but right now Archer needed care. Lancer nodded and moved to take the fallen man from Rider, but Rider tightened her grip on Archer and glared from her special beryl glasses that Rin herself had made. Rider started up the steps again, moving past Lancer who had that half amused grin that made Rin want to punch him sometimes.

Rin asked, “What happened?”

“Archer did what you should have done a long time ago,” Rider said in a voice that could have frozen water despite the Summer heat.

Sakura looked down at the steps as she trotted behind Rider, pointedly ignoring Rin’s gaze. Rin bit her lip as she looked at her lover. Lancer was frowning slightly as well before glaring at Rider. He moved rapidly up the steps and said, “What do you mean something that Rin should have done a long time ago?”

Rin froze at that and she heard a very familiar voice groan, “Loud. Irish. Annoying. Why is Lancer here?”

“Archer-san,” Sakura said as she moved to Archer’s side as he tried to push away from Rider.

Rin approached as well and sighed in relief, but then Archer could be sarcastic and insulting half dead. She gritted her teeth and expected Sakura to move away when she approached. However, Sakura drew closer, glaring at Rin ever so slightly as she looked Archer over.

The white haired man finally managed to move away from Rider, take two steps, and then promptly start to fall again. Even after all of this time, Rin was still amazed at how fast Lancer moved to catch him, even reaching him before Rider. “Eh, Bowman, when a man’s being escorted by two lovely lasses you’re supposed to be a bit more lively,” Lancer said with a tiny grin as he attempted to help straighten up Archer.

Almost automatically, Archer started to back away from Lancer, grey eyes narrowed and his face twisted in a scowl. Rin walked over to Lancer, placed his hand on his shoulder, shook her head and then pushed him. Lancer frowned, but nodded and stepped away. Rin stepped in front of her former Servant, moved to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist.

His arm draped over her back to help her support him as they walked away from the group. Rin knew her Archer well enough that he wasn’t going to say anything helpful around Lancer and he’d keep his condition hidden as much as he could to keep the others from worrying. His bedroom was at the back of the small apartment, and it was no surprise that it was as well kept and Spartan as the rest of it. The one piece of luxury in the room was an air conditioner seemingly made out of spare parts.

She helped ease him on the futon before turning on the light and moving to close the door right as Sakura was approaching. Rin blinked as the younger girl glared at her as the door was closing. She took a deep breath, felt her shoulders sag and turned around to see him lying there. She bit her lip and approached him.

“Rin, I . . .” he began.

She lifted up her hand and snapped, “Don’t. You have this new life, saved from your Hell and . . . just look at you. It’s déjà vu all over again. I’ve been in your head, seen your life and . . . why are you so stupid not to be happy that you can live again?”

“You try living in a world with people you know but yet you don’t and they don’t know you and you expect them to even though you know they don’t. And I don’t know what to do. I’m not some Hero of Justice anymore, but I’m not some normal person who . . . Goddamn it, Rin,” Archer retorted as he sat up, his steel colored eyes narrowing. However, he still looked far too pale under his normal bronze countenance.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she shook her head. She felt the familiar pressure behind her eyes that she experienced every time she seemed to talk to him lately. She rubbed her eyebrows and slid her hand into her skirt pocket. The familiar glasses case was warm and the latch opened easily. She slid the familiar frames over her face and it immediately took away some of the strain.

Archer looked away and they sat there quietly for what seemed like a small eternity. Rin bit her lip and then reached out for his cuirass. She said, “I need to get this off to see how bad you’re actually hurt.”

“It’s probably full of holes,” Archer said as he moved to unlatch the armor. There was the briefest flash of pain in grey eyes as the armor came off. As soon as Rin saw the smears of dried blood on his back and the countless half healed wounds that looked as if something had stabbed out of him she drew back her hand.

Her fist connected with hard bone and Archer’s head was snapped back. She all but shouted, “You idiot. What where you doing?”

Archer rubbed his jaw with the back of his hand and replied, “You were waiting for a long time to do that.”

Rin glared and said, “Answer the question Archer.”

He smirked, just the slightest little bit and she clinched her fist with a glare. He smiled ever so slightly and said, “It’s hard to order me around without the Command Mantra, isn’t it? However, I was taking care of Matou Zouken.”

It felt as if an icy hand gripped Rin’s heart as she stared at him. She looked towards the door and asked, “And what are you doing dragging Sakura into this?”

“I was saving your sister,” he said, making the words “your sister” feel as if he had slapped her.

She recoiled slightly and stared at him with wide eyes. She looked down and said in a soft voice, “No one’s suppose to know that except the Tohsaka and Matou houses.”

“Rin. It’s me. Besides, that pink ribbon in your room is a direct match to hers and you were always watching her, making sure she was safe. It wasn’t hard to figure it out,” he said in a quiet voice.

She bit her lip and then pressed them together. She gripped her skirt and said in a soft voice, “Not even Lancer knows.”

“Rin, Lancer’s not exactly known for his powers of deduction,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

She raised her eyebrows and said, “He’s smarter than you give him credit for.”

“He’s instinctual, there’s a difference,” Archer replied with a snort, his lip curling up ever so slightly.

Rin sighed and pushed her glasses more firmly up her nose. She said, “Archer, you can be bitter at me all you want, but it’s not my fault.”

“I know,” he said in a voice that she almost didn’t hear.

She stared at him and rested her hand on one of his broad shoulders. She frowned at all the scars she saw there, including the one his version of Lancer gave him as a teenager. “Shirou, you need to be more careful,” she said, using his real name to get his attention.

“I don’t want to die,” he said with a shake of his head, “I realized that tonight.”

[Elf]

She smiled and said, “Good. So what brought this amazing realization then?”

“Talking to Kotomine started it, then almost being overwritten by Zouken cemented it in,” he answered as she began to peer at his wounds. She would have to clean the bites and bandage them before infection sat in. However the stab wounds from the inside out were already recovering, it was just the blood and prana loss that would be his main problem at the moment.

Then Rin registered that he said that name. She glared and asked, “What where you doing with Kirei?”

“I needed a spiritual surgeon. He’s the only one in the area,” Archer said in an even voice.

She clinched her fists and gritted her teeth. The rage she had felt that night, bound helpless before her former mentor and his stolen Servant had over ridden any fear she had felt. The man had killed her father. Betrayed him in cold blood for what? Nothing.

Rin hadn’t been overly close with either of her parents for obvious reasons. Tohsaka Aoi had been somewhat of a doormat that hadn’t protested when her daughter had been taken away. Tohsaka Tokomi had given up his youngest daughter to make sure she wouldn’t be experimented on by some random magi and to live to her potential. Not to mention magi for the most part were not social people, if anything they shrouded themselves in secret and isolated themselves from people.

Still, it didn’t mean the betrayal stung less, and despite everything she had loved her father very much and a man he had trusted took him away from her.

Then, of course he attempted to rip her heart out to put the Einzbern’s heart in its place to make her the Grail. If Lancer hadn’t turned against him, she would have died. In hind sight she knew that Archer expected Saber to do what any other Servant should have to save her Master. Instead, Saber had watched the fight between boy and possible future to see if her question could be answered. Rin understood the need, but in hindsight that bothered her almost as much as Archer’s betrayal.

“What was wrong with Sakura?” Rin asked as she took a slow deep breath.

Archer sighed, his shoulders slumped as he answered, “I’m sorry Rin. I can’t answer that.”

“Why not?” Rin said with a frown.

Eyes like steel met hers as he answered, “You need to talk to Sakura about it. And you can by the way now.”

Rin bit her lip and looked at the door. She shook her head and said, “Our families made an agreement.”

“Consider that agreement null and void,” Archer said, “Zouken’s in Caster’s tender care.”

Rin frowned and said, “But he’s from a prestigious magus family. What am I going to tell the Association?”

“You don’t have to tell them anything. It’s not like they visit here often,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

She looked towards the door again and asked in a small voice, “I . . . I can talk to Sakura?”

“I think that would make her happy,” Archer said with a smile, “And let her call you Nee-san.”

Her cheeks heated up as she stared at her former Servant. She looked down and said, “I don’t know if I can do that Archer.”

“Just a suggestion. By the way, the first aid kit is in the shop downstairs Rin,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

Her cheeks heated up even more at that as she stood up. She stammered, “I figured that. I’ll be back with it.”

She moved to open the door to see Sakura standing there, holding said red bag with the white cross on it. Sakura said nothing to her as she simply brushed past her and made her way to Archer’s side. Rin turned around and blinked at the odd image of her sister dressed all in black as she gracefully sat Japanese style beside the broad shouldered, white haired man. She watched as Sakura’s cheeks began to match the old ribbon in her hair as the violet haired girl deftly unzipped the bag.

Archer’s cheeks started to redden as well as he said, “Ah, we’re okay Sakura. You should get home and get some rest. You’ve had a long night.”

“I’ll rest better when I know you’re not going to faint again, Archer-san,” Sakura said with surprising firmness as she pulled out a gauze pad and some antiseptic. “Now, hold still, this may burn.” She poured some of the liquid onto the pad and began to dab at the myriad of bite wounds covering Archer’s arms. As always, Archer showed no hint that it currently felt like what had to be the equivalent of acid in an open wound.

However, his cheeks were still pink.

Rin leaned on the door as Sakura quickly cleaned the bite wounds and began to wrap his arms in clean gauze. Slim fingers nimbly tore off pieces of white medical tape to keep the bandages in place. She then cleaned off his shoulders, chest and back, her eyes widening at the scars there, and the rapidly healing stab wounds.

Rin wasn’t that surprised that Sakura was still blushing, but the fact that his cheeks were still flushed was rather interesting. She stored that information for use as she watched the two of them. Rin thought as she thoughtfully watched them, I haven’t seen Archer this animated since he was brought back to life. I think he might have just found his purpose. She felt a hot, spike of jealousy at that, that he wasn’t blushing at her like that. She shook it off, reminding herself firmly that she had Lancer.

She had made her choice and she wasn’t going to regret it.

However, Sakura had better prove herself worthy of him, and he needed to prove that he was worthy of her.

******

Sakura swallowed at the many scars covering Archer’s back, chest and torso. There was the familiar acid burn on his shoulder that she knew all too well, but there was a particularly nasty one over his heart as well as other ones that looked like bullet entry and exit points as well as stab wounds. One scar had a rough, raised texture as if someone had tried to file down the muscles on his back shoulder blade. She stared at them as she cleaned up the drying blood.

She knew the antiseptic had to sting the bite marks caused by those things, but he didn’t even flinch as she cleaned them. Her cheeks were currently on fire as she bandaged his arms. There were far too many bites to simply bandage them individually, and they needed to be kept covered and clean anyway. Those things were filthy, and who knew what else they carried inside of them.

Rin’s aquamarine eyes were focused on them as Sakura started to clean the blood off his back. She blinked at the odd, mostly healed stab wounds that seemed to come from the inside out, as if the blade was coming out of his body. What was even more strange was how rapidly they were healing compared to the bites. Even with her limited training as a magus, Sakura knew that he was dangerously low on prana, to the point where it had been almost fatal.

She had listened in on the conversation between Archer and her sister. She had heard the all too familiar sound of a fist striking flesh, and she had almost ran into the room. Then she realized there would have been nothing she would have been able to do, and worse was that it seemed that Rin knew Archer very well.

However, Archer had guarded her secret again.

She wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of having Rin try to figure out what happened to her, but the former Servant was right. If Rin wanted to know the situation she should ask Sakura, not Archer or Rider. She also realized if she didn’t want to tell Rin this she didn’t have to.

Once she had him cleaned off and bandaged, she stood up, smoothing up her skirt. She said, “You need to rest. Grandfather nearly . . . he could have killed you.”

“Thank you, but I’ll be fine Sakura,” Archer said with the slightest bit of a grin, reminding her all too much of the boy he had been.

She bit her lip, clinched her fists at her sides and replied, “No, he drained you of prana until it nearly killed you and then you pushed yourself to the point where you blacked out. You need to rest, and you will not argue about it.”

“He’ll sleep for a few hours and then probably will be up on time to open his shop,” Rin said dryly with a shake of her head and a sigh.

Archer looked at her and said, “Traitor.”

“I learned well,” Rin said with a sweet smile, “Also, I’m calling this retribution.”

Archer snorted and said, “Tyrant.” Yet he was smiling ever so slightly. Sakura felt a hot spike of jealousy as the two of them easily talked to each other. Their banter was like second nature. Why is Nee-san even with Lancer when she could have been with Archer?

Rin said, “Sakura is right though. You need to rest. This could have killed you. Whatever happened was enough to trigger a defensive response from within.”

“I know. It’s been a while since that’s happened,” Archer said as he flexed his right hand into a fist.

“Any numbness?” Rin asked as she peered at him.

Archer answered, “Right now everything hurts. I won’t know of any circuit damage until tomorrow.”

“If you need them reset, let me know. Shirou explained what happened when he felt those symptoms and I think I can rectify the problem,” Rin said firmly.

Sakura bit her lip and bowed her head as Rin started to leave the room. Rin turned towards them and she flushed as she looked at Sakura, her lips pressing together in the same way. She swallowed and said, “Ah, Sakura . . . if you want to, would you like to meet me for tea? We could talk.”

[Elf]

“I am going to be busy, Tohsaka-sempai. It may be a while,” Sakura said as she looked up at Rin.

Rin wearily closed her eyes and nodded. She said, “Well, let me know when you can. I look forward to it. Archer, you had better rest.”

Sakura merely nodded as Rin exited the room, leaving the two of them alone together. She was suddenly aware that she was alone in Archer’s bedroom with Archer. She looked around the Spartan, lonely room that was almost a mirror of Shirou’s, except instead of being in an old Samurai’s house, it was in some warehouse downtown. However she had noticed that since Saber had moved in, Shirou’s bedroom was growing more and more of a personality as well as becoming a haven for various stuffed animals.

“You should go home with Rider,” Archer said after a moment.

Sakura shook her head and said, “No, I’m not, and if I want to stay here Rider’s not going to drag me home.”

“I’m fine,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

Sakura swallowed and met his eyes. A shaking hand reached out and gently pushed him back into bed. She bit her lip and said, “No. And I’m going to make sure that you don’t open up that shop tomorrow and rest.”

“I have orders that I need to finish up,” Archer protested with a frown.

She frowned back at him and said, “They can wait. You’re not a Hero of Justice anymore. You . . . you can I don’t know, but do something for yourself for once.”

“You’re not under Zouken’s control. The same can apply to you,” Archer retorted.

There was another spark of heat and she stammered, “I want to be here.”

“I’m not your sempai,” Archer said with narrowed eyes in a low voice.

She jumped at that and looked up at him with wide eyes. He sighed and said, “I know you know who I was. I’m not that person anymore. I haven’t been for a long time. In fact, I nearly killed him. Then I rescued him several times, but it’s a long, complicated story.”

Sakura bit her lip and said, “You helped me when no one else would. I am not leaving you alone.”

“The only reason I helped is because Rider asked me to,” Archer replied in that same steel laced voice.

She gripped her skirt and stammered, “A-and you could have turned her down. But you didn’t.”

He chortled ever so slightly and said, “No, I didn’t.”

“So, you had better rest. I know that you aren’t this Sempai, but you must have known a version of me where she took care of you,” Sakura replied as she pointed to the burn on his arm, “And you remember she kept coming back despite you telling her not to.”

He sighed and laid down in the futon. “I guess I have no choice then,” he said with a shake of his head.

“Well, you need someone other than Father Kotomine,” Sakura said with a smile as she got up and headed to the door. “I will be sleeping on the couch in the living room. I’ll have breakfast ready in the morning.”

******
Archer awoke to the smell of slightly burnt toast, fried eggs, rice, tea and vegetables. His eyes opened to see a smiling face framed by purple hair holding a tray of steaming food. There was toast, slightly burnt as he liked it, eggs over easy, rice and steamed vegetables with a cup of black tea. It had been his favorite breakfast a life time ago and he blinked as Sakura waited for him to sit up before placing the tray on his lap.

Once the sleep was blinked for his eyes he noticed that there was actually two servings of food, a larger one presumably for him and a smaller one for her. She sat gracefully beside him Japanese style as she picked up her plate and chopsticks. The girl bowed her head for a moment before starting to eat. Archer picked up his food and began to quietly eat.

As expected of Sakura, everything was delicious and perfectly cooked. He scowled as he scooped some of his runny eggs onto his toast and ate. She smiled at him and asked, “How is it?”

“Good, very good,” he answered after swallowing. He reached for the tea and took a sip. His nose wrinkled slightly and she blinked at him, large violet eyes widening.

She asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Too strong,” he said with a cough, “And the leaves were burned.”

Pale cheeks flushed pink as she looked down at her tea cup. She said, “I apologize Archer-san.”

“First off, stop apologizing. Second, please don’t call me Archer-san, it feels off,” Archer said with a sigh.

She blinked at him and stammered, “Ah, I’m . . . ah . . .”

“Don’t apologize. It’s not something to be sorry about,” Archer said as he took a bite of rice with a shrug.

Sakura bowed her head and replied, “Just . . .” She started blushing furiously again, one hand rubbing against the other arm as she looked away. Archer gritted his teeth and hoped that Caster was taking very good care of Matou Zouken right now. He sighed, set his food down and stared at her. Most of her face was hidden by the fall of her hair, and she was avoiding direct eye contact.

He knew it wasn’t her fault, but it was annoying. And if she keeps like this someone else is going to take advantage of her, he thought angrily. Telling her that she was free and safe wasn’t going to do any good until she realized it herself. She was saved, but she wasn’t aware of it yet. And I know how that feels.

Archer said in a soft, but firm voice, “Sakura, look up at me, please.”

Slowly but surely, violet eyes looked up at him from Sakura’s worried expression. He studied her closely and noticed that she and Rin had the exact same noses, but Sakura had rounder, softer more Asian features while Rin’s foreign blood was evident in her sharper features. He reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder, her skin warm under his palm. She jumped slightly and her eyes widened at him, her chest falling rapidly with each breath now.

“You can’t cower now,” he said with a shake of his head, “Besides, it’s sort of disconcerting if you’re flinching all the time.” He smiled and to his surprise she smiled back.

She gripped her skirt and said, “I don’t mean to and I know you won’t hurt me just . . .”

“Because of your Grandfather and Shinji it’s what you expect,” Archer said with a sigh and her nod confirmed it, as did the pale pink flush across her cheeks. He looked around and said, “And you’ve just suddenly been thrust into a world where it shouldn’t be what to expect and you don’t know how to handle it. You expect to wake up in that same hellish situation despite all the time you’ve been put into this new situation. It’s uncomfortable, and you don’t know how to deal with it.”

Large, violet eyes looked up at him as he idly picked at the few grains of rice still remaining in his bowl. He scowled at the bowl before looking at her. She nodded and said, “Y-yes, that’s exactly it Archer. Except for me being in this situation for some time. You and Rider only freed me last night.”

[Elf]

“And you’re spending your first day of freedom taking care of some moron,” Archer said dryly with a lopsided smile.

She smiled back and said, “I wouldn’t say a moron, but someone who helped me when no one else would.”

He finished off the toast and egg mixture and asked, “Why didn’t you ask for help?”

“Why didn’t you?” Sakura asked as her eyes unflinchingly met his. They stared at each other like that for several heartbeats.

Archer finally answered in a soft voice, “Because we didn’t think we’re worth saving.”

“But yet, here we are,” Sakura said as she looked around his apartment with a frown.

He looked around as well and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s very plain here,” she said with a frown.

He eyed her and replied, “Your room was rather plain.”

Sakura chuckled slightly and shook her head. She studied him and asked, “How are you feeling?”

Archer stretched his arms and closed his eyes. He attempted to flood prana through his circuits, but there was nothing to flood. Aches were running up and down his body from the tip of his head down to his feet. There was no numbness and he wasn’t dropping anything, so that was a good sign. However, the prana drain hadn’t recouped.

“You’re still drained,” Sakura said in a soft voice with a frown.

He opened his eyes and asked, “You?”

“Ah, I’m recovered actually. After they were removed my body started to automatically recuperate,” Sakura admitted with a tiny blush. She shook her head and said, “You can’t stay like that though.”

He shrugged and said, “I’ll just not use any magecraft for a few days, give it a chance to build back up again.”

She continued to frown at him, causing him to shift as if the futon was digging into him. He started to gather their plates and said, “I’ll take care of these.”

“No, I will, you need to rest,” Sakura said, practically snatching the tray out of his hand and rising up in a smooth, fluid motion.

Archer sighed and said, “I can’t just lay here all day. It’s not like I haven’t worked like this before.”

And apparently, he chose those words poorly.

Sakura’s violet eyes narrowed at him and she asked, “You do this all the time?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and answered, “In worse condition.”

Her eyes narrowed until mere slits of violet were visible as she clutched the tray so hard that her knuckles turned white. She simply said, “I see.” Then she moved away from him briskly, leaving him sitting on his futon. The door shut behind her and Archer groaned, sinking back into his bed.

Now that he was alone, he could take better stock of his condition. Jolts of pain danced along every nerve ending and all four limbs felt as if someone had injected him with lead. He wasn’t the type of magus that could regenerate his prana at will, and his stock was so low compared to someone like Rin, Ilya, or even Sakura apparently. Then again, it would make more sense if Sakura had the same capacity as her elder sister, she just has no desire to use it, Archer thought.

He had studied magecraft extensively, but only had a rudimentary grasp on the basics, but excelled at reinforcement and Tracing not to mention his “forbidden” talent. He understood most theories, but he couldn’t follow through. Besides what he could do helped him helped others. At least my boost from humanity didn’t go away when I was brought back, he thought dryly.

He spent countless moments staring up at the ceiling when he heard loud knocking verging on pounding and a cry of, “Onnnniiiiiiii-cccccccchhhhhannnnnn!”

A strikingly bold and rich male voice called out, “Archer, can you hear us? Are you well?”

A moment later there was a soft knock on his door and Archer said, “Sakura, let them in. It’s okay.”

“Right,” Sakura’s soft voice drifted from behind the door and he heard her light steps as she went down the steps. Moments later he heard boots rush up the steps and a slower, heavy pounding behind that. The bedroom door flew open and Archer felt his face light up at the snow fairy standing in a lavender sundress at his door.

“Oni-chan!” Ilya called out before rushing to his side and curling up on the futon beside him.

Cherubic lips pouted and crimson eyes narrowed as one slight hand touched his face. “Oni-chan, what have you been doing?” Ilya asked with a sigh and a shake of her head.

Archer gave her a dry smile and replied, “Saving people. Well, one person.”

“Sakura, so that’s why she’s here,” Ilya said with a tilt of her head as she looked at the door the same moment that the massive mountain of man known as Berserker ducked into the bedroom. Standing almost three meters tall he seemed to fill the room, however the giant demi-god was smiling as he sat down Japanese style in Archer’s room.

Berserker said in his oddly rich and rolling voice, so different than the loud bellows Archer had come to associate with him, “We received a call from Rin today and she said you were in an unfavorable condition.”

Sending my little sister to check up on me after I saved yours. You’re cheating, he thought to the absent girl. Archer shrugged and answered, “I’ve suffered worse.”

Ilya scowled and said in a brittle voice, “You shouldn’t be doing stuff like that, Shirou! You could have gotten yourself killed. I mean, I know you’re unhappy, but . . .”

Archer sat up as Ilya’s bottom lip started to quake and her eyes started to glisten with tears. “I know I wasn’t upset when you died during the war until after I looked inside of you,” she said in a soft voice, “But . . . I don’t want to lose you again, Oni-chan.”

Sighing, Archer pulled the frail girl into his arms and stroked her hair. He held her close and said, “I promise I’m not going anywhere again, Ilya.”

[Elf]

Archer sighed, after Ilya and Berserker had left he’d been told to get back into bed however he wasn’t tired. So he simply stared up at the ceiling and went through the various swords in his head. Automatically he began to reconstructing Caliburn in his head after breaking it into eight parts there was a tiny snap and a jolt of searing pain ran through the left side of his body.

Well, damn it, he thought as he gritted his teeth after the pain subsided to feel the whole left side of his body prickly and numb. He sighed loudly and ran his right hand through his hair. And I wasn’t even aware I was opening my circuits, he thought dryly as he rested a hand over his eyes.

A moment later the door bust open and Sakura came running in holding a dish towel and wearing his simple white apron. “Archer, what are you doing?” she asked with a scowl as she knelt beside him.

“Something unconsciously idiotic,” he answered as he looked up at her.

She glared and replied, “You have virtually no mana and you opened up your circuits for what?”

“I was bored and going over analysis of the weapons I have stored,” he admitted as he sheepishly shrugged, “And before I knew what I was doing I started the process . . .”

Amethyst eyes narrowed and gleamed at him and Archer’s eyes widened at the terse look on Sakura’s face. “I can’t believe you’re doing something so reckless,” she said in a voice laden with steel.

He blinked up at her and said, “I really wasn’t trying to do anything. I just . . .”

“You just can’t lay there and let yourself get better,” Sakura said with a huff as she got up, spun away from him and walked out of his room. He blinked as he caught angry mutterings as she walked away.

Sighing, he managed to jerk himself out of bed and move towards her. As expected the left side of his body was having trouble responding and sluggish. He knew that his circuits were probably severely taxed and needed a jolt to get the nerves working properly again. Teeth gritted tightly gritted, Archer made his way to the kitchen where Sakura was at.

The purple haired girl was furiously scrubbing dishes from lunch, rinsing them off and setting them to dry. Her slim shoulders were tense and her back was ramrod straight as she cleaned. “Sakura,” he said and she jolted, the plate in her hand falling from her hand and into the sink with a loud crash. Shaking hands reached up to turn off the water as the young girl started to shake so slightly.

She took a step back from the sink and looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes. “It’s just a plate,” he said as he half drug himself over to the sink and started to pick up the large pieces of the plate out.

“You startled me,” she said in a soft voice.

Archer looked at her and said, “And you stormed away calling me things that normally are reserved for people who aren’t as nice as you.” It was awkward shuffling to the trashcan with half of his body responding as oddly as it was, but the pieces of the plate found their new home in the bag.

She stood there watching him with wide eyes as she said, “Why are you moving like that?”

“This has happened before,” Archer replied.

A frown marred her pretty face as she said, “That didn’t answer my question, Archer.”

He blinked at the firmness of her voice in regards to his welfare. Heat washed ever so slightly at his cheeks as he shifted. Just like Rin, he thought with a chuckle, just nicer about it.

“Your condition worsening isn’t anything to laugh about,” Sakura said, her scowl deepening even more as her own cheeks reddened.

He found himself smiling as he shook his head and said, “I’m not laughing at that, just its not that often people worry about me.”

“You don’t even worry about yourself,” Sakura accused as she pointed at him.

He rubbed the back of his head and said, “Well, some things never change I suppose.”

“Your left side of your body is barely moving and you keep saying things like that. You’re even worse than Sempai!” Sakura said, her voice rising at the last sentence.

He stared at the little purple haired young woman yelling at him, her eyes bright with tears as her fists were clinched at her sides. Ample breasts rose and fell sharply with each intake of breath as Sakura looked as if she was torn between yelling at him and crying. He blinked as he looked at her, a sudden lump forming in his throat that he swallowed down. He reached out his good hand to her and said, “It was an accident, I didn’t do this on purpose.” It’s been years since I’ve done something that stupid.

Sakura blinked at the hand on her shoulder and she tensed ever so slightly before she relaxed. The flush on her cheeks was beginning to match the ribbon in her hair as she said, “I . . . don’t like seeing you like this. Especially . . .” She bit her lip and looked down.

“Especially after I helped you?” Archer asked as he patted her shoulder and the girl nodded, still looking down.

She looked up at him and answered, “Yes.”

He lifted his hand from her shoulder and to the top of her head. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. “I’d be a damned poor superhero if I couldn’t save a girl in distress, wouldn’t I?” he said with a smile.

“Well, I’d hope you wouldn’t have gotten hurt doing it,” Sakura said as she was now gripping the fabric of her skirt.

He shrugged and said, “It’s part of the job description.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Sakura asked as he lowered his hand from her head.

Archer blinked as he studied the girl. Coddling her would only make her more closed in, however giving her something to focus on would help her more than she’d realized even if it was him. However he was going to make it completely clear that he wasn’t the same Emiya Shirou that she called Sempai, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t change the situation that much.

He said, “I have a cluster on my back that with a jolt of prana it will correct the nerve problem.”

“Where is it?” Sakura asked in a soft voice.

Archer turned and lifted his shirt. Sakura gasped slightly and he smiled dryly as he knew she was looking at all the scars there. Awkwardly, he moved his hand to the lower left of his back and pointed. “Right there,” he said in a quiet voice.

Warm, nimble fingers pressed into the spot right before a jolt of warmth filled his body. The numbness was washed away and he could move easily, just the lethargy from the lack of prana still remained. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his left arm before lifting it up and down. Sakura was watching expectantly with her hands clasped together and with wide eyes as he turned around and smiled at her. “Thank you,” he said.

She flushed and asked, “Did it work?”

“My movements aren’t restricted and sluggish, so I would say yes,” he said with a nod.

A smile brightened her features while a flush crossed her cheeks. She said, “Well, you’re welcome, I thought it wouldn’t work.”

“And here you said you didn’t want to practice magecraft,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

Sakura bit her lip and said, “Honestly, I’m not sure what to do at all.”

“With your new life and freedom?” Archer asked as he checked the sink for any shards of broken ceramic from the expired plate.

Sakura nodded and replied, “Yes . . . It’s . . .”

[Elf]

“Overwhelming,” Archer said with a nod.

She nodded and bit her lip. He looked down at her and said, “Look, I can’t tell you how to live your life or how to be happy, because frankly I don’t know myself. All you can do is fumble along until you find something you do love.”

“Are you still going to help people?” Sakura asked as she reached a hand to toy with the edge of the sink.

He chuckled at that and said, “Honestly, I don’t think I can stop. I’m not going to be an idiot about it, and I do want to live this life. Trust me, I’ve seen Hell and it’s not pleasant. I have no intentions on going back anytime soon.”

Sakura pointed to the chair at the kitchen table and said, “Please sit down. If you won’t stay in bed, at least rest somewhat.”

Archer smiled at that as he eased his body in the simple wood chair. He looked around most of the furnishings in the sparse kitchen, most of which he had found in the local junkyard. With enough sanding and lacquering, the chairs and table were like new. As with most of his other furnishings except for his futon, that he bought new.

Once he was seated, Sakura asked, “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

Archer looked up at her and answered, “You want to know what happened to me, don’t you?”

The girl quietly nodded and Archer sighed with a shake of his head. It had been the moment he’d secretly been dreading, but . . . Part of him wanted to get this off of his chest as well. He trailed his fingers over the wood over the table, remembering all the scarring and cigarette burns that had covered every centimeter of it before he had salvaged it. With enough work, a lot can be saved, even people, Archer thought with a slight frown as he looked up at the expectant girl.

“After I graduated from high school I started traveling looking for conflicts to save as many people as possible. I figured out quickly that if I killed one terrorist I could save ten innocent people. Originally I wanted to save everyone, but the more I killed, the larger number I could save. So I went around the world doing this until there was a major disaster.”

Archer shook his head with a snort as he looked up. “I thought it would be a good idea to make a deal with the World. Service after death for the power to help the hundred or so that would have died in the disaster. I made the deal thinking I was going to help people after death, which made me happy. Eventually one of the people I saved pinned the start of World War III on me and I was publically executed for my crimes against humanity. I was okay with that though, it wasn’t until . . .”

“After your death you became unhappy with your deal,” Sakura said in a soft voice as she finished up the dishes.

He nodded and said, “Yeah.”

“To the point of doing something desperate like trying to erase your existence by killing your past self,” Sakura said with a shake of her head.

Archer gave her a wiry grin and said, “It wouldn’t work anyway. Then it became if I killed him before he became like me I’d be doing him a favor.”

“And what about those he’d leave behind?” Sakura asked as she turned to look at him, “Ilya, Saber, Fujimura-sensei, Nii-san . . .”

“You,” Archer said with a sigh. If I would have succeeded, then what would have happened to you, Sakura? He gritted his teeth, unhappy with that train of thought and shook his head.

Large, violet eyes stared at him and she bowed her head. Even, white teeth worried on the girl’s bottom lip as she turned back to the dishes. Sighing, Archer stood up and walked over to her, only to notice that her shoulders were silently shaking and she had her head bent at an angle to obscure her face. However there were splotches of wetness that were hitting her arms that had nothing to do with the dishes she was currently drying to put away.

It was the one thing he hated more in the world, hated more than the Special Hell he had served in for such a long time.

“Sakura?”

“What else did you do?” she asked, her voice hitching with a soft sob.

Archer blinked and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Ilya mentioned you kidnapping Nee . . . Tohsaka-sempai?” Sakura asked as she turned to look up at him with red rimmed eyes. Tears were quietly spilling down her face, but Archer figured she learned how to silently cry years ago.

His shoulders slumped as he said, “You can call her Nee-san if you want, Sakura. I’m sure . . . if you’d talk to her, she’d want to reconcile if she had the chance. She always worried about you, and she saved the boy for you I think.”

“What do you mean saved Sempai?” Sakura asked as she wiped her tears away.

Archer lifted up his shirt and poked the scar over his heart. Violet eyes became huge as Sakura went even paler as she reached out to hover her fingers over it. “Before we summoned Saber we saw Lancer fighting an Archer class Servant. In his case it was me, in my case it was the Archer that Rin had summoned in my time. Lancer saw us, and as rules of the War he was going to kill the witness. Gae Bolg right through the heart. Technically we were both dead, but both versions of Rin were able to return our hearts back to us. I didn’t know what the Rin of my time said when she healed me, but the one that is your sister was upset, but not for her sake. So she used her most powerful jewel to heal us, losing it in the process.”

He dropped his shirt down and Sakura shook her head as she withdrew her hand. She stammered, “Q-q-quit trying to distract me.”

“It’s a good tactic,” he replied with a slight smirk.

Sakura stomped her foot on the ground and he blinked at her as she snapped, “I want to know what you did to Nee-san!”

“I kidnapped her, held her at Ilya’s castle and waited for Emiya Shirou to come and fight me,” Archer answered, leaving the part about betraying his former Master to save her life and letting Caster use Rule Breaker on him to escape Rin’s Command not to kill Emiya Shirou.

Her eyes narrowed and said, “You’re leaving something out.”

“Yes,” Archer answered with a shrug.

Sakura sighed, blushed and looked away, her cheeks puffing out slight. Smirking he leaned forward and asked, “What?”

“N-nothing,” she said as she moved towards the dish rack where the dishes were still dripping dry.

Archer smirked and replied, “I think something’s bothering you, Sakura.”

“I-I’m not bothered,” she said as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She then grabbed the dishtowel again to dry the remaining dishes. She reached up to open the cabinet, but as soon as the door was open, Archer leaned forward and closed it.

Her eyes narrowed at him, but she simply side stepped him to put the bowl she was holding up. Archer watched as she grabbed a couple of plates to put them up, but closed that cabinet door on her as well right as she was about to push them into place when she rose on her tip-toes. Again, she glared but said nothing, however the glare was better than the head bowing and the cowering.

She spun around swiftly and began grabbing the tea set to put it up. Archer grabbed the plates she just put up and set them back in the wet dish rack, just to see her reaction. Shoulders stilled and went tense and she continued to glare at him. However her hands were trembling ever so slightly as she spun to face him better.

“Stop it,” she said in a trembling voice.

Archer asked, “Or what? It’s my home and my dishes. I think I can put them where I wish.”

“You’re . . . you’re toying with me,” Sakura said between gritted teeth, her tone of voice rising just a bit.

Archer nodded and answered, “Yet another good tactic.”

“Why are you using tactics on me?” Sakura all but cried out at him.

He answered, “Because it’s getting a reaction other than you cowering from me. It’s anger, but at least it’s something than fear, than nothingness.”

“Well, stop,” Sakura yelled at him before running out of the kitchen. Archer blinked and watched her head not for the steps, but for the restroom. He heard the door slam in the small hallway and then after that nothing. Afraid he’d taken his game too far, Archer swiftly dried and put the rest of the dishes up before going after her.

[Elf]

Sakura shut and locked the door to the restroom before turning to press her back against the wall. It felt as if someone had lit her on fire again and she was shaking. Tears burned her eyes as she gripped her hands into fists at her side. She was taking slow, ragged breaths, but her body was prickly and restless, as if her skin was stretched too tight.

“It’s anger, but at least it’s something than fear, than nothingness.”

She swallowed and ran a hand through her bangs to shove them off her face as she could still see that smirk on his face as he teased her. However, he was right though. He had provoked her enough to get her to yell at him.

I yelled at Archer, Sakura thought as her eyes widened. Her mind started running around in scared patterns. Images of Archer scowling at her as he ordered her out of his home entered her mind. Of course he would, I yelled at him, she thought as she pressed her hands to her mouth as her heart was racing in her ears. Tears fell from her eyes and she briskly wiped them away.

Tiny tremors ran up and down her hands and her stomach clinched angrily. Her throat burned and a sudden wave of nausea washed over her. She spun around, lifted the lid off the toilet and was on her knees in an instant. A wave of clenching, burning welled over her as she dry wretched hot bile into the pristine, white porcelain bowl.

“Sakura?” Archer’s voice was muffled behind the door and there was a soft knock.

Another wave hit her hard and she gagged more into the toilet. Her face was burning, but the rest of her was shaking and cold. There was a dull click she could make out beyond the strange rushing, buzzing sound that was all around her. She was aware of the sound of water coming on and the feel of pressure behind her.

She jerked when she felt a large, warm hand move her hair from her neck and something cool and damp was laid across her neck. Each breath that left the girl’s mouth was a ragged gasp as there was the slightest bit of pressure placed over the cool cloth at the back of her neck. The tension slowly eased out of her and she looked up to see Archer kneeling beside her with a slight frown on his face as he held the wash cloth in place.

“Better?” he asked in a soft voice.

Sakura nodded and moved to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. Archer shook his head and passed her another damp cloth. Her eyes widened as she took it and used it to lightly dab at her mouth. He reached up and flushed the toilet, sending the contents swirling down the drain. “I pushed too hard, I’m sorry Sakura,” he said as he smoothed her hair back for her.

She bit her lip, heat filling her face even more and she nodded. The soft, damp cloth twisted between her now cool fingers as she looked down at the scoured floor around her. Her hair brushed back into place as the towel on her neck was removed. Strands stuck heavily to her neck and Sakura absently rubbed the back of her neck under her hair.

“Here, let’s get you home,” Archer said in that same soft voice as he easily lifted her up to her feet.

Sakura bit her lip and said, “I . . . I don’t know where home is anymore.”

“Well, let’s get you back to Rider. How does that sound?” he said. Sakura looked up at him to see him gently smiling.

Sakura twisted the wash cloth in her hand and asked, “Is this some tactic too?”

“No, this is me being apologetic for being an asshole,” Archer said with a shake of his head.

She blinked at his use of profanity and then swallowed. She asked, “Are you apologizing?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Sakura. Let’s get you home to Rider to rest,” Archer answered with a nod.

Sakura bit her lip and asked, “May I still keep in contact with you?”

He blinked at that and Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear. She explained, “I know you’re not the Sempai I know, but . . . you seem to understand. And you treated me like a person, and not an object or something to pity.”

Archer smiled, transforming his whole face, making him look all too like the boy Sakura had loved. Her chest tightened as he said, “I think I would like that, Sakura.”

She smiled in response and replied, “G-good, and maybe next time you make me angry I won’t throw up.”

“That’s a new one for me,” Archer said with a tiny laugh as he rubbed the back of his head, “I’m not use to helping someone after I save them. It’s a lot of work.”

Sakura bowed her head and quietly handed him the towel. Warm, callused fingers brushed against hers as he took it from her and she bit her lip. Her first instinct was to apologize to him for being such a bother, which would only get him irate at her again.

“With enough work almost anything can be saved, even people,” Archer said as he held the towels in his hand.

She looked up at him, almost having to crane her neck to look up at him. Sempai use to be so upset with how short he was, apparently he doesn’t have to be upset anymore if he grows that tall, Sakura thought suddenly. She shook her head and asked, “Would you get mad if I thanked you?”

A slight flush tinted his dusky cheeks and he canted his head. He swallowed and said, “Ah, no. And you’re welcome, so let’s get you back to Rider. Once you’ve adjusted more maybe we could get together again.” Then he quickly added, “And if Rider wants to join you, I’m fine with that too.”

Sakura nodded as she let him guide her out of the bathroom.

******
Archer had returned Sakura to Rider’s apartment without any trouble. The Gorgon had been out of the house, but Sakura had a key to the flat and entered with ease. It was too late to open up the shop, and honestly he didn’t feel up to doing any repairs today anyway because he often had to use his Analyzation ability to find out what was wrong. Since he practically had no prana in his system he couldn’t even do that.

So he found himself walking to the Church. He blinked as he watched a few people leave the Church, huddled against each other despite the heat with faraway looks etched on their features. Archer shook his head, wondering what on earth Kotomine would preach about. Possibly the most despaired filled passages of the Bible or old school Fire and Brimstone, he thought as he entered the Church.

Kotomine was there with a long candle snuffer in his hand as he blotted the flames on the candelabra around the pulpit. As if he sensed him, the tall man turned to face him, his dark eyes fixing on Archer. “Emiya Shirou,” the priest said in his low, deep voice as his face spread to a slow smile.

“It’s Archer now, at least here,” he replied as he approached the older man.

Kotomine said, “I’m a bit disappointed that we couldn’t have traded blows over our ideas.”

“Because we’re both empty, just you were on one side of the spectrum or the other,” Archer replied with a shake of his head, “Instead you were stabbed by Lancer.”

The priest snorted and said, “Yes, he got his revenge. However his Master is back in England once again while the former Servant bides his time with my former student.”

“You’re bored,” Archer said as he sank down on the pew closest to the pulpit.

Kotomine looked him over and said, “And you look exhausted. Zouken dealt with?”

“He’s in Caster’s tender mercies,” Archer said with a half smirk.

Kotomine chuckled and said, “I didn’t think you had that in you, Archer.”

“Sometimes Justice can be harsh,” he replied with a shrug.

The priest nodded and said, “Yes it can. Maybe you and I aren’t so different after all.”

“Difference in ideals, but still if you hit our chest there would be an echo,” Archer said as he looked up to the ceiling.

Kotomine looked at him and said, “That’s an interesting way to phrase things, Archer.”

“I’m feeling rather introspective right now,” Archer drawled as he sat back up and rubbed the back of his neck.

Kotomine eyed him and asked, “How so?”

“It’s an odd sort of mood,” Archer replied with a shrug, “So, as the local priest I thought I should bring up my complaints.”

Kotomine smiled at him and asked, “And how is the girl?”

“She could be better,” Archer answered with a sigh with a shake of his head. The image of the poor girl kneeling on the floor over his toilet was currently etched in his brain. He had heard of such things happening and during his life time he spoke with a combat nurse who told him all about reactions to stress. She also informed him that everyone reacted to stress differently. Some people cry and throw up, others have swords protrude from their body and try to kill teenage boys.

“She’s having to adjust,” Kotomine said with a smile, “Living a normal life maybe more difficult for her than the life she had before.”