A Certain Heavenly Feeling(ToAru-FSN)

[MaHaL]

So, was reading a bit on Spacebattles and eventually I went "You know what, this is good, and involves the Nasu-verse. Is it on Beast's Lair?" It wasn't so I went and asked the author if he felt like putting it up here, he said he didn't but if I wanted to then I could go ahead. Evidently I have too much free time.

I'll be releasing the chapters as they come, and dumping a generalization of feedback to the author about once a week. Any feedback you have for me on stuff that I'm responsible for is appreciated too.

(Non-magical) Index
Original thread on SB
The More Things Change
Prologue - This Post
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16

Note, (loosely)based on the Hollow Ataraxi doujin Heaven's Failure. Now, without me waffling on even further.

Prologue

​


Emiya Shirou hated mirrors. It hadn't always been that way. Once, quite a few months ago now, he hadn't really thought anything about his reflection one way or the other. Physical appearances didn't really count for much in the end, and he'd never been a particularly vain person. He may have had little use for them, but they'd never troubled him. If anything he felt reassured by the familiar sight of his own face every morning.


Now though, and for the last few months following the nearly disastrous conclusion of the debacle they called the Fifth Holy Grail War, he couldn't stand the sight of his own reflection. As he looked into the mirror, and the pale skin, snow white hair, and ruby eyes of Illyasviel von Einzbern stared back at him, all he could see was a constant reminder of the small girl he couldn't save. Who, in blatant defiance of his express wishes, sacrificed herself so that he could continue living. Even beyond that, though...


His/her frosty white eyebrow twitched. “What the heck happened to all that business about the body changing to match the soul?!” s/he demanded in a very manly, not at all feminine, high-pitched squeak of a voice.


____________________​



“Still fuming?” Rider queried dryly as the sound of her host's regularly scheduled morning tirade began to pick up steam.


“Senpai is...understandably upset that 'his' body doesn't seem to be...um...adjusting the way we hoped.” Sakura replied defensively. The zombie in the corner wearing the shape of her sister provided an unladylike snort into her coffee at that remark.


“Not half as 'upset' as you are, I bet.” Rin snarked as she imbibed more of the beverage. Sakura glared at the currently unwanted interloper in her morning routine.


“It's going to provide an...interesting challenge.” the Matou heiress replied diplomatically in between nibbles on her scone. Rider shook her head in amusement. Well, she certainly wasn't after the boy for his body then, was she?


Down the hallway, the angry ranting abruptly cut out and the door slammed shut, causing all conversation of the topic to abruptly cease. All the current inhabitants of the Emiya manor knew better than to mention anything about the subject before breakfast was over. Especially considering Shirou's recently applied kitchen ban. Said individual, garbed in comically oversized pajamas, marched into the room while studiously avoiding anyone's eyes as she sat down in her usual position.


“Good morning, Emiya-sama.” a placid voice called from the kitchen as Sella, the surviving Einzbern maid turned Emiya maid announced as she entered the room and deposited Shirou's breakfast in front of her, who repaid the gesture by glaring at her so maliciously that an involuntary shiver went down Rin's spine at the recollection of the last time that glare was directed at her.


“Young lady, there is no call for that kind of attitude and you are gravely mistaken if you think those mystic eyes of yours mean anything to me.” Sella admonished. “You can resume cooking when I am satisfied with your performance in your coordination exercises. Illya-sama did not offer up her life for you so that you could squander it foolishly with fumbled cutlery.” the stern woman admonished. Shirou flinched visibly as anger at her situation faded to sadness at the loss of her sister.


“I'm sorry. It's just...I'm sorry.” she said, clearly looking miserable. Sella's expression softened.


“I realize this has been difficult for you, and it will likely continue to be so.” the maid offered in a soothing tone. “You must understand though, if your body does not adjust, and at this point it looks as though it is not going to, then you will have to learn to live with it.”


“What about the puppet option?” Shirou asked sulkily. The maid shook her head in the negative.


“While a puppet body might have worked if the container for your soul were small enough, Illya-sama gave her entire being to you. Unless you have spontaneously mastered Heaven's Feel since the last time we spoke...” the maid trailed off, staring meaningfully at the white-haired girl grinding her teeth, “...then we cannot safely materialize your soul for transfer into another vessel. You would end up like Makiri Zouken with your soul rotting over time.” she concluded. Nobody could miss the combination of fear and disgust in Shirou's eyes.


“Not an option, then...” she muttered dejectedly.


“There...is another thing we should discuss Emiya-sama.” the maid stated carefully, ignoring Sakura's gestures to ward off the topic. Enough time had passed to come to terms, now it was time to face the music.


“What is it, then?” Shirou asked with evident dread.


“In order to continue living here free of interference, you are going to have to adopt Illya-sama's legal identity.” Sella said, reasoning it was better to get it over with quickly. The glass in Shirou's hand cracked slightly.


“How do you figure that?!” she demanded.


“If the Einzbern discover that even an incomplete form of Heaven's Feel was successfully used during the war, and they discover that you are the product of that working...” Sella prompted as the smaller homunculus blanched.


“They'd stop at nothing to dissect me would they?” she asked weakly. Being a target for possessing a reality marble was one thing. Becoming a Sealing Designate effectively just placed one on a 'capture when convenient' list. A clever person who avoided making too many waves could stay free and clear indefinitely. Becoming known to the Einzbern, a family who had been using all of the considerable resources at their disposal for generations to recover their lost True Magic, as the potential key to recovering said True Magic? Nope. Done. Probably wouldn't last a week. Shirou drew a shaky breath and expelled it slowly.


“I see.” she said after a moment's thought as the room's occupants looked at her sympathetically. Her fists curled in on themselves in impotent fury. The others tried, but they couldn't really understand the problem. She wasn't all that upset by the change in her physical form. That was a secondary, nearly cosmetic concern. The problem was that everything about the situation had made it that much more difficult to pursue her goals.


Even if she acknowledged that trying to save everyone was impossible and more than a bit foolish, she still wanted to help whoever she could, and this...body was ill-equipped to do that. Every benefit came with two downsides. Illya had managed to pass on her obscenely powerful magic circuits, but she couldn't handle the output. Her reality marble had developed during the war and become far more potentially formidable, but now it was fractured and unstable due to a spiritual three-way tug of war between herself and the remnants of Archer and Illya. Any attempt to use it beyond accessing some of the blueprints stored within it could see her becoming a perverse inversion of a pincushion as the endless blades within it tore her apart.


“I could...” Rin began haltingly, before firming her resolve, “I could ask the Wizard Marshall for help. He's taking me as his apprentice after all...” she offered hesitantly. Everyone else in the room stared at her in disbelief.


“I saw some of that man's history in the Jewel Sword.” Shirou replied flatly. “Do you really think we're badly enough off to invite that kind of chaos on ourselves?”


“I didn't say it was my preferred option...” Rin replied irritably, “Just that it's an option.”


“Let's cross that bridge when...if...we come to it.” Sakura declared, prompting a chorus of nods in response.


“Honestly, it may not turn out to matter for too much longer...” Shirou pointed out. “If this body is exactly the same as Illya's, then we may be looking at a pretty short timetable.” she said, prompting a misty-eyed Sakura to draw her closer and embrace her tiny form.


“Don't say things like that.” she pleaded. “We'll find a way somehow...”


As if on cue, the front door slid open with no warning from the house's bounded fields.


“Maybe I can help with that!” a man with a black suit and sunglasses announced as he strode into the house, neglecting to even take his shoes off. A split second later multiple flashes of light blinded him and he was sailing across the room, yelping as he was pinned to the wall by several very large, very sharp swords piercing through his suit. The shadows in the room appeared to darken, the woman with square pupils began thoughtfully fingering the edges of her glasses, the woman in the red dress produced several brightly glowing gemstones, and the maid in the kitchen was holding a frying pan and eyeing him in a decidedly unfriendly way.


“Wait, wait, wait!” the man exclaimed, dignity thrown to the wind. “I COME IN PEACE! I COME IN PEEEAAACE!” he screamed desperately. A brief flash later the swords were gone and he collapsed in a heap at the base of the wall. He raised his head, sunglasses knocked askew, and met the most terrifying crimson glare he'd ever seen.


“Start. Talking.” the high-pitched voice those awful eyes belonged to demanded.

[RoydGolden]

Interesting. As an Index fan, this is definitely worth checking out. And your writing is quite imminently easy to follow without being terse, which is good.

From his behavior, I'm guessing sunglasses guy at the end is Motoharu? Or somebody else I'm less familiar with from Index...

[MaHaL]

Interesting. As an Index fan, this is definitely worth checking out. And your writing is quite imminently easy to follow without being terse, which is good.

Not my writing but I'll be sure to pass on compliments to the guy who wrote it.

[RoydGolden]

Not my writing but I'll be sure to pass on compliments to the guy who wrote it.

Oh. I only skimmed the introductory bit so I didn't really catch that.

[Draconic]

Careful. I got banned for doing something similar on another site. I don't know if that's how this'll be viewed, but better to just write a recommendation in the Fanfic Recs thread.

[Kirby]

He said he got permission so it's probably fine.

[Draconic]

Hm. Okay then.

[MaHaL]

Alright, so figured that I'd drop the second part now that it's been a couple days.

Chapter 1​

“I...ah...uh...” the man in the suit stammered, trying and failing to come to grips with how utterly terrifying his reception had been. Granted, he'd been briefed on the situation so he couldn't say he had no idea what to expect. He just hadn't counted on what felt very much like a near death experience right out of the gate.


“Well?” the small girl demanded.


“I'm ah...a rep...representative of...” he continued to babble as the faces of the room's other occupants were growing steadily more annoyed.


“Oh, for heaven's sake, Sawano.” an irritable digitized voice groused from the device in his coat. “Just let me speak to them directly before you get yourself killed.”


Numbly, the shell shocked, newly identified Sawano looked uncertainly at the girl seated at the head of the table. At her impatient nod, he slowly plucked the advanced electronic communicator from his left suit pocket and held it up as if in surrender before depositing it on the table. Several shafts of light emitted from the communicator before resolving into the oddly youthful face of his employer. The eyebrows of the room's other occupants rose sharply in surprise at the advanced holographic technology.


“Okay, I don't know who you guys think you are, but...” Shirou began.


“Aleister Crowley.” the man's face being projected above the table replied.


“Crowley-san, then.” she allowed, recognizing the western name for what it was. “We were kind of in the middle of something important when your...um...” she stalled out.


“Flunky?” the holographic man offered.


“Oi...” Sawano grumbled in discontent only to be completely ignored by the important people in the room.


“Flunky.” Shirou agreed. “When your flunky interrupted. In fact, I'm pretty sure he was eavesdropping.” she complained. Crowley's smile slipped a bit and a bead of sweat formed on the suit's forehead. A small camera at the base of the device rotated a hundred and eighty degrees as the man focused on his unfortunate employee.


“...you came bursting in at the most dramatic moment again, didn't you?” Crowley asked in disapproval.


“I...!” the suited man began, then stalled and sighed. “...Yes.” he admitted.


“Hmm...did he hear anything he wasn't supposed to?” Crowley queried as the camera whirred around again.


“I'm not sure, but you can understand our concern.” Rin stated mildly, though anyone familiar with her could see the anger in her posture. “That is, assuming you are that Aleister Crowley. The ah...'occultist.'” she said, making quotes with her fingers.


“That would be quite impossible, I'm sure.” the mysterious individual replied with a beatific smile. “After all, he's been dead for decades. No, I'm merely a distant relative. Besides, I am a man of science. The occult holds little interest for me.”


The lackey's brows furrowed in confusion. He was pretty sure that his boss was being threatened somehow by the dark haired girl, but he couldn't figure out why being associated with some old crackpot would be threatening.


“At any rate, you have my blessing to handle my subordinate's faux pas as you see fit.” Crowley said dismissively. The suited man began sweating again as the woman in the red dress began eyeing him like a predator.


“Boss, are you serious?! These people are crazy!” he exclaimed desperately. A digitized sigh was his response.


“Relax. I seriously doubt they're going to harm you. It doesn't fit Emiya's profile.” Crowley said. Unsaid, of course, was the fact that hypnosis didn't really count as 'harm'. Either way, it was no skin off of his nose.


“Can we get to the point, already? What do you want so badly that you were willing to send this guy out here?” Shirou demanded impatiently, strongly wishing for both of these intruders to leave.


“Ah yes, let's get down to it then.” Crowley replied, the camera whirring around again. “I had my subordinate here deliver this device to you so that I could personally relay the news that you and Matou-san...” he trailed off to build suspense. Shirou opened her mouth.


“Have both been pre-selected for a full ride at any of our fabulous Academy City educational facilities!” Crowley crowed as an array of tastefully framed images of schools appeared next to his face with scrolling marquees extolling their individual virtues and a small trumpet fanfare played.


“Bwuh?!” Shirou managed in utter confusion and disbelief. That...was not where she'd expected this conversation to go.


“Sawano, give them the brochure!” Crowley instructed. The underling jumped slightly.


“Oh! Right. The brochure...” he muttered extracting a piece of folded paper from one of his suit pockets, only to stare at it in dismay as the bottom half swung from a small scrap of paper before detaching and fluttering to the floor. Everyone in the room stared at the pitiful sight, prompting another weary sigh from the man in the hologram and eliciting a chuckle from the larger purple-haired woman, who had lost the intense edge to her gaze and now looked merely amused.


“Hah...sorry. The swords...” he hedged lamely as he began rifling around for some more and finally produced a couple of undamaged brochures and handing them to the indicated individuals.


“Academy City educational complex...general superintendent Aleister Crowley...” Sakura read off the brochure. “Oh wow, a ninety-nine percent employment rate upon graduation?” she queried, impressed in spite of the situation.


“Power Curriculum Program? Esper abilities? You're giving people superpowers?!” Shirou exclaimed, attention having been drawn by something else. Sakura's eyes widened along with those of the room's other occupants as she hurriedly flipped through to the relevant section before sucking in an astonished gasp.


“Ohhh...” she finally managed. “No good will come from this...”


“How can you even do something like this?!” Shirou demanded. “You're going to get these people killed!”


“I know exactly what you're thinking, and you're wrong.” Crowley stated flatly. “I am not teaching these people magecraft. Academy City is highly technologically advanced. Everything at play here is strictly mundane.”


“Uh sir...magecraft?” Sawano queried worriedly. The camera whirred around to fix on his position for a moment, before Crowley's hologram shrugged.


“Eh, I suppose it doesn't matter considering you're about to have your memories modified. Yes, magic is real. These people aren't espers, they're magic-users.” the superintendent stated bluntly.


“Oh my God...” the suit whispered. Rin sighed and whistled over her coffee.


“Hey! Sunglasses!” she shouted and the traumatized man involuntarily met her eyes. “Sleep.” she instructed. The man collapsed like a marionette whose strings had been cut.


“Ah. My thanks, Tohsaka-san.” Crowley offered. “I'd have done it myself, but the situation being what it is...”


“My pleasure.” Rin replied airily. “Now, what's this business about espers?”


“Well, it's a bit of an open secret at this point honestly. We don't publicize the fact, but given the fact that the vast majority of our students have at least a minor expression of supernatural ability, and the fact that children will talk about these sorts of things...” he trailed off.


“I thought they were just rumors...” Shirou replied weakly.


“We generally prefer it that way. Various national governments are aware of our existence. As, of course, are the multitude of magical organizations around the world such as the Clock Tower, the Atlas Academy, and the Church.” he elucidated.


“And you aren't dead yet how?!” Shirou demanded.


“We have hosted multiple visitors from these organizations and allowed them to verify beyond any doubt that not only are we preventing the spread of knowledge of magic, the espers themselves have never activated their circuits or channeled any prana whatsoever. Moreover, the program actively prevents them from ever doing so, as usage of formally structured magic quickly becomes hazardous to an esper's health.” Crowley explained.


“Even if that's true, I can't believe they're happy to have you around.” she replied.


“Believe me when I say that they are decidedly unhappy about it. However, given the public's attention on the complex there's relatively little they can accomplish without doing something too overt. Furthermore, our research is supported by certain, shall we say, influential parties in the mystic circles. Opposing them openly would be hazardous at the best of times. As a result, the various factions involved have reached something of a stalemate. It is this stalemate that will serve as your defense if you should elect to accept my offer.” Crowley said.


“Yeah, and I'm sure you're offering purely out of the kindness of your heart.” Rin replied scathingly.


“Of course not.” Crowley freely admitted. “I openly admit that I do not have your best interests at heart. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that I wish you ill, and there is much we can offer that might interest you. I know you are concerned about the condition of your homunculus body, Emiya. A colleague of mine has already volunteered to add you to his patient list. I do not feel that I exaggerate when I claim that this man is the greatest physician in the world. If anyone can stabilize your condition, it is him.” he offered, knowing he'd just sold the Matou and the elder homunculus. From the grimace on Tohsaka's face, she knew it too.


“How do you know all of this?!” Shirou demanded. “You couldn't possibly know these things!”


“Truthfully, I've been interested in you for some time, but the fact that you were a practicing magic-user dissuaded me from pursuing the issue. It's different now, though. We monitored the situation during the Heaven's Feel ritual. Through a series of unrepeatable mystical mishaps and sheer dumb luck you have come closer to what I hope to achieve than any other human currently living. That it was achieved through the influence of magic is regrettable, but the fact remains that the data we could glean from your condition would be endlessly valuable to us. As such, acquiring it is worth a few paltry concessions on our part. There are other benefits to my proposal as well, positioning you as a gemstone esper would mean that you would no longer need to hide your abilities so zealously. You would have a ready justification when using your unique gifts in the wider world.” he claimed, delivering the piece of the deal custom designed to appeal to Emiya's unique mindset. He could see the evident temptation in the child's eyes. He was basically offering Emiya a golden ticket to use his abilities openly to help others. Tohsaka knew it as well, based on the venomous glare she was directing at his avatar.


“How can we trust that you'll actually hold up your end of the bargain?” she demanded, obviously trying to find some way to discourage the others from agreeing too readily. Fortunately, he'd already considered that possibility.


“Somewhere on my subordinate's person you should find a self-geis scroll already drawn up and activated upon myself. If you decide to accept my bargain then the terms we have just discussed, which are reiterated on the contract itself, will become binding. All I ask is that you consider it. I will shield and shelter you. Ensure that you receive the best care I can possibly provide. All that I ask in return...is that you let me scan your brain over time and monitor your development.” Crowley asked, placing his avatar's hands together in a pleading posture. “Pretty please, with cherries, let me scan your brain.” he asked with faux humility.


“I...I'll think about it. Attending 'Crowley's School for Gifted Youngsters' isn't really what I imagined doing with my life at this point.” the young Emiya stated. Crowley smiled.


“Funny you should mention that. Initially I wanted to dub the highest tier of espers as the 'C-Men' but the board shot down my proposal.” he joked. Rider snorted slightly as everyone else simply stared at him slack-jawed.


“What? I'm not allowed to have a sense of humor?” he queried, honestly irritated.


“No, that's okay.” Emiya allowed. “It was just...unexpected.”


“It kind of ruins the mysterious atmosphere you cultivated.” Matou concurred. Crowley's avatar rolled its eyes.


“Everybody's a critic.” he groused before severing the connection.

[RoydGolden]

Pretty amusing all around. Never imagined Aleister to be the dead-pan comic type, but it works. I presume things are going to kick off a bit once the gang actually reaches Academy City.

So, the guy who introduced himself before isn't Motoharu like I imagined. Is this 'Sawano' an OC? I've never heard of him before, but I haven't gone past the anime's second season so...

[Renko]

I don't like it.

I read everything in SB until the current chapter.

Ugh....

The whole merging of concepts from two series is a headache to read.

Various character personalities and events have been altered in an attempt to form a plausible outcome of events.

I'm a fan of both Toaru and Type-Moon and I really like to read a good crossover but the whole thing is just ridiculous!

I prefer that other Fate x Toaru crossover but sadly that one seems to be dead.

Note: I prefer Illya!Shirou waking up in the Toaruverse instead of this thing.

[MaHaL]

So, the guy who introduced himself before isn't Motoharu like I imagined. Is this 'Sawano' an OC? I've never heard of him before, but I haven't gone past the anime's second season so...

Yeah, he hasn't shown up again. Author just needed somebody to deliver the message and came up with a random name.

I don't like it.

I read everything in SB until the current chapter.

Ugh....

The whole merging of concepts from two series is a headache to read.

Various character personalities and events have been altered in an attempt to form a plausible outcome of events.

I'm a fan of both Toaru and Type-Moon and I really like to read a good crossover but the whole thing is just ridiculous!

I prefer that other Fate x Toaru crossover but sadly that one seems to be dead.

Note: I prefer Illya!Shirou waking up in the Toaruverse instead of this thing.

Eh, if you don't like it that's fine but I would prefer more feedback I can give to the author than "it's ridiculous and characters don't act like they should." There anything specific?

And I totally get the headache thing, discussion in that thread makes my brain hurt.

[MaHaL]

So, new chapter was released over on SB today which means you get another chapter here as well.

Chapter 2​

“Careful, Emiya-sama.” Sella cautioned patiently as her charge focused intently on the project in front of her.


“I know...” Shirou replied absently as sweat beaded on her forehead as she slowly removed a foreign mass from her patient.


“Now extract the wishbone. Easy does it...” the white-haired maid encouraged. A bead of sweat rolled down Shirou's face as she tightened her grip on her instrument, then winced as her hand twitched slightly and the tweezers contacted the edge of the cavity.


*BZZZZZZZZT*


Shirou growled in frustration as her patient's bright red nose illuminated once again. She'd been so close that time!


“I'm sorry, Emiya-sama. It seems your prohibition stands for now.” Sella offered, not sounding entirely sincere.


“But I passed all the other tests!” Shirou protested. “Just because my fine motor control isn't a hundred percent doesn't mean I'm a hazard to my own safety!”


“I will admit you've come quite a long way since finding yourself in this position. It speaks well of your tenacity.” the maid agreed. “However, do not think I have failed to notice the way you occasionally stumble when getting to your feet or walking down stairs. The way your balance is thrown when holding heavier objects.”


“Cooking doesn't require perfect coordination.” Shirou objected. The maid tilted her head slightly.


“Perhaps not, but it certainly serves as effective motivation does it not?” she queried with an almost imperceptible twinkle in her eye. Her charge huffed unpleasantly but Sella could see the minor upturn of the lips that she hastily concealed.


“So that's your game is it? Holding my hobby in front of me like a carrot?” she accused. “Come on, be reasonable Sella.” she requested, adopting a slightly pleading expression that the maid was all too familiar seeing on that face in a more exaggerated form. Unlike Illya-sama, Shirou-sama didn't seem inclined to actively leverage her childlike features for her own benefit. Nor, for that matter, did she even seem to be aware of the possibility. A fact she was grateful for, since the tactic was almost supernaturally effective on certain members of the household. Still, such restraint merited a slight reward she supposed.


“I will allow you to assist us in the kitchen this evening provided you do not attempt to do everything on your own in an effort to live up to some ill-defined 'masculine ideal.'” she finally decided. Crimson eyes rolled in their sockets.


“I'm not sure if you've noticed, but what you're looking at is pretty much the opposite of any kind of 'masculine ideal.'” Shirou replied flatly. The maid's eyebrow lifted slightly.


“That fact does not trouble you?” Sella asked cautiously.


“Of course it does.” Shirou replied immediately. “Being stuffed into someone else's body would bother anyone. Though given the choice between 'different body' and 'dead' I'd choose 'different body' every time.” she replied, causing the maid's eyes to widen a bit. Really? Could the child finally be placing some actual value on her own existence?


“After all, you can't help anyone if you're dead, and I wouldn't want Sakura to be sad.” the child declared in a matter-of-fact tone as the maid's hopes crashed and burned silently. They'd been hoping that Shirou would develop self-preservation instincts beyond the effect her death would have on loved ones, though they agreed that much by itself was a massive step in a positive direction considering what they were working with in the first place. That said, it sometimes kept her up at nights knowing that her charge, whom her beloved Illya-sama had died to protect and who she'd grown to care for in her own right, would cheerfully go to her grave with a smile on her face if it meant a single random stranger didn't. People simply weren't supposed to work that way. Clearing her face of any emotion, the maid stood.


“Very well, let us tidy up here before Fujimura-san arives.” she declared, her feelings on the lackadaisical teacher very mixed. It was obvious she genuinely cared for her charge, but she wasn't a magus nor related to one so the thought of her being 'in the know' didn't sit entirely well with her. Shirou-sama had been adamant on the matter however after Fujimura had accidentally been exposed to her original body in the...unfortunate state it had been left in in the wake of the War.


That...had not been a pleasant evening for anyone. Nor a pleasant conversation. Fujimura's horrified denials and the stricken look on Shirou-sama's face as she realized exactly what effect her own 'death' had on her 'Fuji-nee' had been truly heartbreaking to behold. In any case, from that moment on it became impossible for Fujimura to be aware of her sibling's survival without being aware of magic and therefore whenever the possibility of hypnosis was brought up Shirou-sama dismissed it. Firmly.


Perhaps her concern was unwarranted. By all accounts the woman was the granddaughter of some type of organized crime boss, so presumably she knew how to keep a secret when it mattered. A sinister voice whispered to her that it hardly mattered when there were so many magical means to pry those secrets out of her. Sella shook her head in dismay. It simply went against the grain for her to let the woman go her merry way when she was privy to such potentially dangerous knowledge. In the end though, it wasn't her call. Her place was to serve and she would continue to do so with distinction.


As they entered the dining room it became obvious that Tohsaka-san was still obsessing over the exact, literal wording of every statement in the geis scroll they'd been given. Truthfully, Sella had very large concerns about this Crowley fellow's trustworthiness. That he'd seen fit to provide a geis scroll at all sent up very large red flags, as that wasn't something one could simply back out of. The terms in the scroll, when activated, would be permanently engraved upon his soul. Even death would not free him from the terms of his agreement so long as his soul continued to persist.


“Evening Tohsaka.” Shirou greeted her guest to be met with a bleary stare in response.


“Oh. Hello Emiya...” she offered half-heartedly in response.


“That bad?” she asked in surprise.


“No. That's just it!” Rin replied in frustration. “I know there's a trap in here! I can feel it! I just don't know what it is! ”


“Is it really so robust?” Sella asked in surprise.


“He defines exactly what he wants, that being 'compulsory non-invasive full body scans on demand.' That's it. If he asks, then Shirou has to go get this done whenever he wants. Failure to comply constitutes breach of contract and frees him from his obligations.” Rin explained.


“That's it then. He can ask for a scan at an inopportune time, declare the agreement null, then proceed to whatever other aims he may possess.” Sella noted.


“I thought that too! Thing is, there's a grace period before his geis ends. For one full lunar cycle, he still has to protect everyone who comes from any threats, internal or external, to the best of his ability. He doesn't have to defend us if we start something, but apart from that it's fairly airtight. If he knows about a potential threat he has to inform us and he has to take appropriate steps to ensure our safety.” Rin said. “We can back out any time we want after agreeing and he still wouldn't be able to touch us...or have us touched by anyone else, or arrange for us to be touched beforehand, or...” she continued building into a rant before Sella cut her off with a lifted hand.


“I see. So there is either no deception present, or it is concealed so well that you cannot identify it.” she summarized.


“It scares the hell out of me.” Rin admitted. “As far as I can tell, these are about the most generous and comprehensive terms anyone could possibly ask for. He's...good. Better than me, apparently.” she concluded, acting as though it caused her physical pain to admit it.


“Maybe he's actually not such a bad person?” Shirou asked hopefully. She'd gotten as far as 'Contracting party Aleister Crowley (hereafter referred to as “Party A”)' before realizing this was not a battlefield she held the advantage in and promptly deferring to more skilled individuals. Rin stared at Shirou blankly for a moment. Then her shoulders began shaking.


“Bwaaahahahahahahaaaa~!” she burst into laughter, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she held her sides. “Ah-hah...hah. Ah, I needed that. Never change, Emiya.” she said fondly as Shirou sulked.


“'Ordinary morality is for ordinary people.' That's a quote from the 'original' Aleister Crowley. Honestly though, it's not impossible that the contract is straightforward, and whatever he hopes to gain from those scans is valuable enough to him that he feels it's worth limiting his options a bit. There are...several possible things that could be...” she trailed off in thought.


“Heaven's Feel?” Shirou prompted, guessing at the most obvious thing a magus could want from her.


“That almost makes sense if you look at it a certain way.” Rin concurred. “No matter how powerful he supposedly was, Aleister Crowley was most certainly not immortal. Add to that the youthful appearance, when he should be much older. If he transferred his soul to a younger body, then maybe he's begun degrading...”


“So you think that's it?” Shirou asked. Rin was shaken from her reverie before shaking her head.


“...Reason says yes, but my instincts say no. I think it's too obvious. Agh, I'm not sure! Why does he have to be so infuriatingly indirect?!” she questioned in frustration. Shirou opened her mouth to respond before the door slid open dramatically.


“SHIROUUU!” Fujimura Taiga wailed dramatically. “I had a bad day! Feed me!” she demanded, noting the small smile her younger brother-turned-sister tried and failed to completely suppress with relish. Then she noticed the grim expressions on the others' faces.


“Wow, who die-ayyyy-ay-ay-” she panicked and trailed off awkwardly as she and Shirou shared similar haunted expressions. Then she coughed. “Uh, what's going on guys?” she corrected herself. Rin sighed explosively, mentally giving up secrecy as a lost cause.


“Shirou was invited to Academy City.” she stated bluntly. Taiga blinked, then beamed.


“Wow, Shirou! Way to go! They only accept the best of the best! I know your grades are decent, but I didn't think they were that...” she trailed off in confusion at the serious expressions on display. “I'm confused. Why is this a bad thing?” she asked blankly.


“The superintendent is a shady magus who's been spying on us and wants us to sign a suspiciously too-good-to-be-true contract.” Shirou explained.


“Ah.” Taiga noted accurately.


“Yep.” the other occupants of the room declared.


“So...is there anything hinky in that contract itself?” she asked thoughtfully. Tohsaka's eyebrow crept up slightly.


“'Hinky?'” she repeated in confusion.


“You know, hocus pocus! Mumbo jumbo! Does it actually say anything about the uh...the 'Sunlit Side' or whatever?” she asked hesitantly.


“'Moonlit World,' and no.” Rin corrected, curious where her former sensei was going with this.


“Well then why don't we just ask a lawyer?!” Taiga declared, nodding in satisfaction.


“But where will we find a lawyer who won't ask too many...” Shirou began before lighting up in realization. “Can you?” she asked hopefully. Taiga smiled.


“I can!” she replied exuberantly with a thumbs up. “See? We muggles aren't totally useless, am I right?!” Shirou returned her smile and all was well. Best big sister ever.

[RoydGolden]

Getting a lawyer to adjudicate a magical contract... never change, Taiga.

[MaHaL]

Alright ladies & gentlemen time for the next story post.

Chapter 3

​


'Why did Illya even have a gym uniform?' Shirou pondered in confusion as she picked at the fabric of the unfamiliar garment self-consciously. This among many other questions surrounding the small girl's...eclectic wardrobe had been eating at her on and off over the past few months. She'd been forced to wear the embarrassing thing as the required uniform for her lessons with Fuji-nee.


Taiga had been slightly displeased about being kept in the dark for so long and may have vented slightly by forbidding the use of magecraft in the dojo and proceeding to thrash her up and down the length of it several times. When Shirou kept coming back for more, they began to make a habit of the practice.


Taiga was waiting on the opposite side of the dojo's center with a loosely held Tora-Shinai at her side and an uncharacteristically serious expression. Sella was waiting on the sidelines to render assistance if necessary, which largely meant to counter any accidental activation of the Mystic Eyes of Binding she'd inherited from Illya.


Shirou was uncomfortably aware that she had an unfortunate tendency to trigger the effect during periods of heightened emotion. Against a magus on the level of Sella that didn't mean much, but against an ordinary person...well, it was a bit like that one early villain in Rurouni Kenshin whose name escaped her. The effect could vary from “it's slightly difficult to move all of a sudden” to “oh dear, it seems I've forgotten how to breathe,” and the less said about the time Sella caught her trying to use them on herself in a mirror the better.


“Alright then senior student! Prepare yourself!” Fuji-nee declared with what Shirou felt was totally unnecessary gravitas, sweeping her shinai up into a proper guard position. Shirou sighed lightly and mirrored her sensei's posture as closely as she could. If she'd been allowed to read the history of Taiga's shinai (or her own less formidable implement of devastation) then it might have been easier, but Fuji-nee had been adamant that there was to be no 'cheating' going on.


“Hajime!” Taiga shouted, and promptly went on the offensive.


“HAH!” both combatants cried as their weapons crashed together with a resounding clack. The kiai, or spirit yell, was apparently one of the fundamental principles of kendo. It was important to “stoke the flames of the kendoka's fighting spirit” or something like that. Turns out it just compresses the diaphragm and squeezes a little more oomph out of someone's muscles, but she wasn't going to argue that point with Fuji-nee around. The moral of the story was that she'd better be shouting when delivering a strike or else get whacked even harder in retaliation. A few barely withstood blows later and she was clipped on her shoulder.


“Hit.” Taiga noted. Shirou growled in defiance and launched a counteroffensive. She knew she couldn't win without the benefits of magecraft, but was determined not to make it too easy. She got a little overeager though, and committed to a strike that left her off balance when Taiga evaded. She immediately shouted and tensed her muscles preemptively and was rewarded when the inevitable blow to her midsection didn't sting as badly as usual.


“Big hit, but good reflexes.” Taiga chimed in somewhat approvingly, before launching a blistering series of strikes at her student. Individually Shirou could handle the greater strength behind her opponent's strikes, but collectively they added up. Her palms began to hurt from the repeated impacts and she realized that a battle of attrition was not in her favor. Fuji-nee was simply stronger and faster than she was.


'Well, what else is new? The sky is blue, the grass is green, and I'm fighting at a disadvantage.' she thought somewhat wryly to herself, considering her options. Well, Fuji-nee probably wouldn't like it, but she could fall back on the “Archer Combat Doctrine.” That is, deliberately create an opening, predict the opponent's strike, and preemptively move to counter.


'Eh. Why not?' she thought, deliberately lowering her weapon more than she should to bait an attack. Sure enough, there it was. A strike was angling in to rap her on the head, but she was already moving to parry.


*clack*


Taiga's eyes widened as she recognized the gambit for what it was, but her weapon was already off balance and she couldn't correct in time.


“Hit!” Shirou declared happily as her shinai connected with Taiga's shoulder. An uncertain smile worked its way onto her teacher's face in response to her enthusiasm.


“Yes.” Taiga offered, then grew slightly bolder. “I mean, yes! That was well done, senior student!” she enthused as her pupil smiled. Then she sobered slightly. “However, I don't particularly want you using that strategy again.” she stated seriously. Shirou was taken slightly off guard.


“Why not? It worked didn't it?” she asked in confusion. Taiga sighed.


“Yes, yes, it worked. I won't deny the effectiveness of the tactic, but it should be your last resort. Never your first.” she stressed, trying to impress this lesson with everything she had. From the uncertain look on her student's face she wasn't certain she was succeeding. She sighed and changed track.


“Look, uh...you know why we're doing this right?” she finally asked, resisting the urge to grin as her “senior student” tilted her head adorably. It wouldn't do to be anything less than completely serious now.


“Um...you said it was because that even if I could 'cheat' constantly, that the 'cheating' itself was dependent on the weapon and not me. So I should have a core of 'real' skill to fall back on if I'm using a weapon that doesn't carry enough history with it or if the history would hurt instead of help.” Shirou replied. Taiga nodded in response.


“Exactly, and that is a big part of it. The other reason though...is to keep you safe.” she admitted uncomfortably. This kind of serious stuff wasn't really her forte.


“I'm not sure I–” Shirou began before Taiga held up a hand and thought hard about what to say.


“I just...I needed to do something. At this point I know better than to think you're going to wise up, do the smart thing, and keep your head down. At some point you'll fight again, and I can't stop you. What I can do is try my very best to make sure that you...” she paused, blinking away the piece of dust that had suddenly gotten into her eyes. “...that you live through it.” she concluded thickly.


“So you see, Shirou-chan, I'm not worried about all the times that your little trick works. I'm worried about the one time that it doesn't. So please, I want you to promise me that you won't do that again unless you definitely, absolutely have no other choice. Got it!?” she demanded, eyeing her student in her patented 'sensei knows best' pose.


“A-alright, Fuji-nee. I promise.” Shirou offered in response to the unexpected demand, bringing a radiant smile to Taiga's face. A light cough from the sidelines drew their attention to the Einzbern maid.


“Emiya-sama. I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's almost time for your magecraft lessons.” Sella interjected. Taiga nodded agreeably.


“Alright then, you heard the lady! Good session! I'm starving!” Taiga declared happily as Shirou shook her head in bemusement.


“You're always starving. We just ate before coming out here.” she replied bluntly.


“Awwww, but working out like this really builds up an appetite! I need a snack!” Taiga asked with puppy eyes.


“We have time for some light refreshment, Emiya-sama.” Sella offered, making both of the room's other occupants stare at her in surprise. She wasn't normally willing to delay the schedule like that.


“Alright, alright.” Shirou huffed. “Let's go have a snack, since a certain voracious eater is never satisfied.” she declared.


“So mean!” Taiga declared, recoiling as if struck before she fell in behind the two albinos.


“Say...can I watch?” she asked uncertainly. She'd wanted to see more of this magecraft for a while now, but had been informed that magi were notoriously secretive and didn't like demonstrating such things. Shirou looked at her in surprise. The Einzbern maid turned on her heel and eyed her critically. Glancing at Sella, Shirou opened her mouth and prepared to politely decline.


“I have no objection.” Sella stated simply. Using her keen deductive reasoning skills and the evidence that was Shirou's open mouth, Taiga suspected that was not the answer her sibling had expected. Shirou remained in that position of stricken disbelief for a moment as Sella quietly turned about and resumed walking. As Taiga drew level with Shirou she leaned in toward her sibling's ear.


“I think she's warming up to me.” she whispered conspiratorially.

[Sleepy100]

I don't know about Toaru, but Shirou is not Shirou. Heaven's Failure is based on Heaven's Feelike route. The Shiro of that route gave up on trying to be a hero, opting to live and protect Sakura. He's not going to run off to save people as soon as he becomes male.

[MaHaL]

I don't know about Toaru, but Shirou is not Shirou. Heaven's Failure is based on Heaven's Feelike route. The Shiro of that route gave up on trying to be a hero, opting to live and protect Sakura. He's not going to run off to save people as soon as he becomes male.

Hmm, my interpretation of it was that he had accepted that he valued some people more than others, not that he would stop trying to save people. Shirou would just make sure the people he cares about like Sakura are safe before he tries to save anyone else.

Either way thanks for giving constructive feedback.

[MaHaL]

Alright then, new chapter went up last night so I'm putting one up here. As always any feedback is appreciated, discussion as well.

Chapter 4​

“Trace on.” Shirou said, reciting her activation aria and subconsciously controlling the process to ensure she activated only a few of her original twenty-seven magic circuits. Though she technically had access to a great many more that were of substantially higher quality courtesy of Illya, they were noticeably different. Her original circuits were typically much easier to use and had a better compatibility with her magecraft. This, along with certain other issues, made her resolve that under normal circumstances she would limit herself to her original circuits only.


Carefully manipulating the slight flow of prana she carefully began reinforcing the object in front of her. In this case, an incandescent light bulb. Most of the time those who were training with this particular art used cheap, easily replaceable objects that could also accept a great deal of prana before breaking. Before the Grail War her talents in this area were...kind of hit and miss. After the ridiculousness that was having a Servant's arm attached to her, however, she'd experienced a noticeable upswing in her performance. Though, to be perfectly frank, she wasn't sure if that were more accurately attributed to Illya's remnants, as by all accounts the small homunculus was no slouch when it came to magecraft.


“Trace off. There.” she noted in satisfaction, having successfully worked around several small imperfections in the glass globe that she just knew Sella had detected with Structural Analysis before purchasing the package. Her teacher was nearly as devious as Rin sometimes. With this she'd managed the entire pack with no mistakes! Glancing over at Fuji-nee she noticed her nominal guardian appeared to be dozing off. The corners of her lips turned upward slightly. So far the experience didn't seem to be living up to Taiga's expectations, though given that they always started with Structural Analysis and Reinforcement training, perhaps that was to be expected.


*thunk*


The sound of each bulb being ritualistically tapped against the wall caused Taiga to start and Shirou quickly looked away so as to avoid embarrassing her. Sella didn't really need to actually test the durability of course. Shirou was pretty certain that she could tell if they were properly reinforced with nothing more than a touch. Having to watch a badly reinforced bulb shatter was probably some motivational method, and honestly there had been a few times when she'd been certain she got them all right only to have missed some minor detail. Soon enough all the bulbs had been checked and not a single one was found wanting. A small, satisfied smile appeared on Sella's face.


“Well done, Emiya-sama. All of the targets have been successfully reinforced in spite of their non-obvious deficiencies. Congratulations.” she offered. Shirou flushed slightly at the uncommon praise. Early on in their sessions Sella had very little good to say about her magecraft and eventually her teacher had simply decided to drill her on the basics so hard that she could do them in her sleep. They'd even experimented a bit with the self-reinforcement Archer had been so skilled with.


Shirou had been surprised to discover that Illya's homunculus body was actually considerably more malleable than that of an ordinary human. There was accordingly a greater margin for error with self-reinforcement, but she had still been initially barred from attempting it without Sella to monitor the situation. The bar had been grudgingly lifted recently, with an admonishment that it should only be used when genuinely necessary. Use of self-reinforcement on sensory organs was still discouraged, but given her skill with Structural Analysis it was unlikely she would ever cause lasting damage unless she were pushing it to the absolute limits and her control slipped.


“Whoo! Good job, Shirou!” Fuji-nee chimed in, clearly trying to be supportive but somewhat failing to conceal her disappointment at the crushing revelation that magecraft training could be boring. Sella's eyebrow crept up and she smirked slightly.


“Not to worry, Fujimura-san. I think the rest of the lesson will be more to your liking.” she stated knowingly, causing Taiga to perk up in clear interest. Sella slowly revealed a kitchen knife and a whetstone. Using the whetstone she deliberately slammed it down on the blade and shattered it.


“Wha-?” Taiga asked, mystified.


“Alteration.” Sella explained. “The art of manipulating the properties of an object. Similar to reinforcement, but more complex and varied. Reinforcement can only amplify an existing property, but alteration can add a new property altogether or remove an undesired one. In this case, the purpose of the exercise is to revert this object to its original state. Repair is one of the most basic uses of this thaumaturgy, and almost all magi use it for this purpose.” she lectured as Taiga nodded.


“So...why the kitchen knife then?” she asked in confusion. "Wouldn't one of the light bulbs have done just as well?"


“Because it's one of my favorites...” Shirou growled irritably. Sella lifted an eyebrow at her interjection.


“Oh? I had not noticed that, Emiya-sama. I merely selected a target that I felt might produce optimal results given your atypical elemental alignment.” she demurred unconvincingly.


“Element? Ah! So Shirou is a Steel type?!” Taiga declared excitedly, though Shirou suspected it was more likely she was referring to Pokémon than any legitimate classical element scheme.


“Close.” Sella agreed, oblivious to her student's suspicions. “Shirou-sama's element is 'Sword,' meaning that any magecraft targeted towards bladed objects will see enhanced results.” she explained. As Taiga 'ooh'd Shirou was simply thankful that Sella wasn't trying to explain the concept of Origin to her as well. “In any case, we have dallied long enough. Emiya-sama, please Alter the knife into its original state of 'wholeness.'” she instructed. Shirou nodded.


“Trace on.” Shirou said, activating a different series of circuits and Analyzing the object to start. The pieces all still had a connection to each other, having initially been part of the same whole. The more time that had passed the more difficult it would be to repair, as eventually the pieces became 'individuals' instead of 'pieces of a whole.' With Shirou's Stuctural Analysis on the level that it was however it would take a lot longer than a few minutes to pass that threshold. With a firm image of the blade's history in her mind, she imposed her will. 'The blade isn't broken. It was never broken. It is and has always been whole.'


Taiga's eyes widened as metallic shards seemed to flow back together into a cohesive whole. Sella handed her the repaired knife and she ran a finger along the side of the blade. Seamless. It was impossible to tell that it had ever been broken.


“Now, that's a neat trick.” she said appreciatively. “That must have saved you so much money over the years.” she continued, looking confused when Shirou winced slightly. Sella smiled slightly.


“Actually, before we began our sessions Emiya-sama was absolutely atrocious with Alteration. Even now, she can only reliably make any progress with blades. We're working on it though. I've deduced that the easiest way to make appreciable improvement in any facet of magecraft is to somehow tie it into her overwhelming Sword affinity and gradually branch out from there.” she confided.


“Why was it necessary to tell her that?” Shirou asked plaintively. Both older women simply snickered lightly before Sella's eyes softened a bit.


“Very well, if you want to show off for your sister then we'll skip ahead to your specialty.” she allowed magnanimously. “We will spend double the time focusing on Alteration in our next session though.” she cautioned as Shirou's eyes lit up.


“What's your specialty?” Taiga asked in excitement. Sella nodded encouragingly, allowing her student to explain this part.


“Projection. Basically, it's the art of bringing a mental image of an object into the real world. You condense ether into a form that mimics another object.” Shirou explained happily.


“So you can make...anything you want appear out of thin air?” Taiga asked, clearly impressed.


“Um...not really, no. It's hard to explain. Most magi don't find it very useful, since the end product is only a superficial image and it fades away almost immediately.” she explained, then realized Fuji-nee wasn't following. “Uh...say a magus tried to project a television set or something. They'd get what's basically a big chunk of solidified ether. It would probably look vaguely like a television set on the outside, but if you broke it open it would look kind of like clay. Obviously something like that would never work if you actually tried to use it.” she explained.


“Oh...but if it isn't useful, then why do you specialize in it?” Taiga asked.


“I uh...” Shirou hesitated, not usually one to engage in self-aggrandizing behavior. Sella nodded encouragingly, so she continued. “I made it better. A lot better.” Shirou admitted.


“How?” Taiga asked curiously and with a small amount of burgeoning pride for her younger sibling.


“I expanded the process out to eight steps, basically going the extra mile when it comes to building a mental image. Instead of just keeping the exterior shape in mind, I also visualize the history of the object and its material composition. Everything up to the very concept that led to its creation. By visualizing the sum total of an object in this way, it's possible to create a duplicate that lasts much longer and that's so faithful to the original it becomes almost impossible to tell the difference.” she replied, explaining the basics of Tracing.


“So you could project a TV then?” Taiga asked, clearly impressed. Shirou chuckled nervously.


“Not exactly, no. The thing is, a television is a really complicated electronic device. It's really hard, if not absolutely impossible, to hold all of the necessary information in my mind at the same time during the projection process. I've managed to create a working lamp by holding the original close at hand and constantly refreshing the image in my mind by using Structural Analysis, but the process took longer than usual since I kept forgetting things and, in general, it just isn't worth the energy or the effort. Thing is, thanks to my element and a...unique advantage I have that really isn't worth getting into right now, I can hold all of that information in my mind easily as long as what I'm projecting is a blade of some kind. Even if the blade is also magical.” she explained, grinning slightly. She wasn't really predisposed to be prideful, but it was kind of nice to have her accomplishments acknowledged.


“I see...so this is what you were doing out in this shed all those nights.” Taiga deduced, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Well, let's see it!” she declared enthusiatically.


“Right. Trace on.” Shirou said, effortlessly accessing the kitchen knife's blueprint stored in her Reality Marble, holding the perfected image in mind, progressing through all eight steps in a blink, and Tracing the blade. In a flash of light, a perfect copy of the kitchen knife appeared right next to the original.


“Oooooh!” Fuji-nee exclaimed delightedly, applauding slightly. Both blades were presented to Taiga. “I...I really can't tell which one is real.” she noted, slightly awestruck, then looked at Sella. “Can you?” she asked curiously. The Einzbern maid smiled.


“If I hadn't seen the one on the left materialize, I would have no clue. Even Structural Analysis is useless, as the object is simply replicated that faithfully.” Sella stated flatly.


“Hot damn, Shirou. That's really something else!” Taiga declared honestly. “You helped teach this?” she asked Sella. The elder homunculus shook her head in the negative.


“After Emiya-sama's explanation of her method I have successfully employed the Tracing technique to improve the quality of my projections, but I have never achieved anything remotely near the fidelity her projections possess. The high accuracy of her projections is due to natural disposition for the technique that cannot be readily imitated by anyone else.” Sella replied proudly. “I would never presume to instruct Emiya-sama on how to better master Projection, as she is already the world's leading expert in the art.” she concluded, smiling lightly as her student's face turned bright red with embarrassment.


“So what's next? Do you pull a rabbit out of a hat?” Taiga snarked slightly. Shirou's smile fell.


“...Should she really see this part?” she asked uncomfortably, looking uncertainly at Sella.


“I believe so.” Sella declared firmly. “The basis of thaumaturgy is something known as the 'magical circuit.' Based partly in the body's nerves and partly in the soul, a magical circuit is necessary to channel magical energy." she explained to Fujimura. “At this time, Shirou-sama will activate the additional magic circuits she received from Illya-sama. Not all of them, but enough to serve our purposes. We must do this with a different subset of her...secondary circuits if you will each evening.” she continued. Taiga nodded uncertainly to show she understood.


“Channeling prana through one's magic circuits is always uncomfortable, but the discomfort becomes less pronounced with continued use.” she revealed, and Taiga began to have a very bad feeling about where this was going. “Due to the incomplete usage of the Third Magic, it would appear that these additional circuits have yet to fully integrate properly with the rest of Shirou-sama's soul.” Sella explained grimly, wordlessly passing a small piece of leather to the small girl in the center of the room who placed it between her teeth and gripped a nearby metal rod. Sella placed her hands on Shirou's back.


“You may begin when ready, Shirou-sama...” Sella prompted. The young girl took a few deep breaths.


'Trace on.' she thought, this time activating all twenty-seven primary circuits and as many of Illya's as she could bear. Her world became fire and a dull red glow illuminated her surroundings as the massive command seal Illya's entire body had been turned into shined slightly. Her teeth clenched, she gripped the bar tightly, and a few involuntary grunts of pain escaped her. Her vision blurred slightly, but she would not prevent so much as a single pain-induced tear from escaping so long as Fuji-nee was present.


Honestly, it wasn't as bad as it had been to start with. Then it had been outright unbearable. No longer had she been inserting a heated iron rod into her spine out of ignorance. No, she had graduated to weaving it throughout her entire body with permission. It was worth it though. Sella assured her the process was bearing fruit, and that eventually she would have full command of Illya's formidable circuits. She'd never questioned whether it was worth it. With the extra power boost, she would be able to protect her family that much more effectively. Through Taiga's shocked expression, she could see the comprehension in her eyes. If her nerves weren't presently alight with pain, she would've sighed with relief. She understood.


____________________​


Later that night...​


Shirou lay stomach down on her futon as she recovered from the “acclimatization process.” The dull ache throughout her body was unpleasant but easily tolerable. She could hear the door slide open but couldn't quite muster the will to turn and see who it was. Not that she really needed to.


“Good evening, Sempai.” a familiar voice greeted her eyes, making her smile. Sakura always came to stay with her in the aftermath of her lessons.


“Hello Sakura. How was your evening?” she asked contentedly as Sakura entered the room. Her...girlfriend? What exactly were they now? It was a question that had kept her awake sometimes as she wondered if she really wanted to know the answer. Now that she'd finally accepted that she was probably stuck like this, the question felt even more taboo.


“Rider and I went shopping.” Sakura said, depositing a bag nearby and beginning to massage Shirou's back slightly. Said target emitted a pleased sound in response.


“Oh? What did you get?” Shirou asked with a sleepy sigh.


“I picked up some new manga. I thought you might like to read some with me while you recovered.” she replied nonchalantly, intensifying her massage technique.


“Sure. That sounds fun. What genre?” Shirou asked. The massage halted as she felt Sakura lean in close to her ear.


“Shoujo-ai.” Sakura whispered meaningfully. Shirou's entire body immediately went as red as her eyes as a distressed vocalization fought it's way out of her throat.

[MaHaL]

It's been about a week, so here's chapter 5 for you lot. Also, feedback please. Even if it's just a "This isn't shit."

Chapter 5​

“Flight 417 to London by way of Narita International Airport will be boarding in ten minutes.” a feminine voice announced over the intercom system. A few more announcements later, she continued. “Special Flight 23 to Academy City will be boarding in thirty minutes.”


“Well, I guess I'd better get a move on.” Rin said uncomfortably with her carry-on bag slung over one arm.


“We have time. We'll see you off nee-san.” Sakura declared firmly as Rin's expression shifted to a sort of fond exasperation.


“That's not really necessary...but I appreciate the gesture.” Rin allowed.


“It seems strange that there would be different planes considering how close Academy City is to Tokyo.” Shirou mused.


“My understanding is that Academy City only allows their own planes to land on their runway as a security measure.” Sakura replied, having researched the area a bit in her spare time.


“Oh of course, of course. Crowley can't have his precious specimens threatened, now can he?” Rin questioned rhetorically.


“Fujimura-sensei's lawyers found no major issues with Crowley-san's contract.” she reminded her sister. “There are some caveats but if we don't accept then he could...” she trailed off as Rin waved off her argument.


“I know, I know. You don't have to remind me. Again. At length.” Rin groused.


“In our defense it's you who keeps bringing it up.” Shirou chimed in. Rin glared at her for a second before her expression softened.


“Ugh...” Rin voiced in disgust as she rested her face in her palm for a second before dragging her fingers down her features. “I just can't approve of you doing this. I'm sorry, I don't really want to leave on this note so let's talk about something else.” she suggested as they stepped off the moving walkway and started looking for the correct gate.


“It's okay.” Shirou offered in an understanding tone. “We don't really trust the situation either, it's just that...if he's going to this much trouble then I sort of want to know why.”


“At least you get to travel First Class on a bleeding edge aircraft.” Rin grumbled, muttering under her breath about how such a luxury was wasted on Emiya.


“I don't know...” the snow-haired girl hedged uncomfortably. “I feel sort of strange getting pampered by someone I'm probably going to wind up stabbing at some point...” she admitted, oblivious to how very "Illya" she sounded at the moment. Rider shook her head at that declaration.


“In these sorts of situations, I've found that even when you fully intend to bite the hand that's feeding you it's occasionally acceptable to sample the food first.” the gorgon replied. A very slight smirk crept onto her face which vanished as quickly as it appeared. Shirou didn't know exactly what situation she was referring to but, where Rider was concerned, she figured it was best for her peace of mind to avoid asking too many questions.


All too soon they reached the gate and Rin pulled out her boarding pass.


“Now boarding: Boarding Group A.” the employee at the gate stated. Rin's companions looked at her questioningly.


“Group B.” she replied to the wordless question, waving her pass a little as she attempted to conceal her anxiety. In an unforgivable lapse, her eyes betrayed her slightly.


“Oh nee-san.” Sakura gushed suddenly. “It'll be alright.” she reassured her sister, embracing her fully for the first time in weeks. Rin resisted the urge to groan. She really hadn't wanted an elaborate farewell, and judging from the conflicted look on Emiya's face...


*thud*


Yep. The tiny homunculus was trying to hug them both though she only reached waist-height at best. It was pathetic...and adorable. Adorably pathetic.


“Shirou.” Rin half-scolded in exasperation.


“Sorry.” Shirou offered in a tone of casual insincerity. “There's no reason to worry though. We can all handle ourselves, and there's no reason we can't come visit at some point right?” she asked.


“I...I'd like that.” Rin admitted in a slightly strangled voice, eliciting glowing smiles from her sister and her...whatever Shirou was. Friend, she guessed, but the word seemed weak. Recovering, Rin focused a glare on the taller homunculus. “I trust you to keep an eye out. Neither of these two are stupid, but they're too naive for magi society.” she stated harshly as her family released her and gave her a look which demonstrated how unimpressed they were with her bravado.


“I am not entirely in agreement with your claim, Tohsaka-san. That said, it goes without saying that I will do whatever I must to ensure the safety of my charge. That is, after all, my purpose in this world.” Sella replied, studiously ignoring the disapproving look Shirou directed in her direction.


Rin glanced at Rider, who simply arched a challenging eyebrow in response. The message was clear: 'The answer is beyond obvious. If you even ask I will take offense.'


“Now boarding: Boarding Group B.” the airport employee announced as more people started to queue up at the gate.


“Rider...” Rin finally said as the Servant's glare intensified. Rin smirked. “Those glasses look great on you.” she concluded. The Servant simply returned the smirk in response.


“Have a pleasant flight, Rin.” Medusa offered, pleased that Rin had not insulted her.


“Yeah. Fly safe Rin.” Shirou agreed. Soon everyone was offering her their wishes for a pleasant journey.


“Yeah. You guys too.” Rin offered thickly as she fought down the complicated swell of emotions that were bubbling up within her and started off toward the gate.


'Alright then. The die is cast. London, here I come.'


____________________​



'That's the strangest sensation.' Shirou thought as the smaller jet they'd boarded via a ramp accelerated and began to lift off. She was pressed into her ludicrously cushioned seat as the craft rapidly gained velocity.


Having never flown before, the experience was a novel one for Shirou, and for a moment she marveled at mankind's collective achievements. Sakura seemed to be enjoying herself too, which was nice. Sella gave the impression that she'd been there and done that before, but seemed impressed with the quality of the aircraft. That made sense, as she assumed that Illya had initially flown in from Germany with Sella and Leysritt in tow. She wondered what they had done with Berserker on that flight. He'd probably been astralized the entire time, but the mental image of the enormous giant of a man inside a large container in the cargo bay was amusing.


Rider was the only one who looked bored, but given her Noble Phantasm that was understandable. Flight in an aircraft probably didn't compare to flying on the back of a pegasus. For a moment she wondered if the Servant of the Steed would consent to letting her ride along with her, but the thought of actually going through with asking was...intimidating. Vague memories of being slowly turned to stone were a sufficient deterrent against doing anything that might unduly irritate Rider.


She was still subject to Sakura's final Command Spell, so the Servant couldn't actually do anything to her...not that she thought that was likely. Shirou was convinced that Rider was a good person on the whole and her motives were pure, if a little too narrow in focus...and occasionally overzealous in execution. She grimaced slightly and hoped that the Servant wouldn't cause too much havoc in Academy City.


As she glanced at her companions on the flight, she idly wondered if Crowley truly understood exactly what he was inviting into his city. A Heroic Spirit, a product of the Third Magic, a remarkably gifted alchemist with the Wishcraft sorcery trait, and the Black Grail herself.


'Ah well. No sense worrying about things that haven't happened yet. Better look out, Academy City. Here we come.'


____________________​


Inside the Windowless Building...​


Aleister Crowley smiled slightly as he felt his geis activate from his position floating inside his life support unit, signifying Emiya's arrival within the city limits. He could leave his life support from time to time if genuinely necessary, but such departures were best kept to a minimum as each one made it less likely he would live to see the realization of his dream. He would accept that if he had to, but it was not ideal. Unlimited Blade Works was on its way to his castle and brought the Black Grail with it. This development would accelerate several of his side projects and should make things go considerably more smoothly.


'Even if your unfortunate deficiency renders you unsuitable for my long-term goals, your abilities provide tremendous strategic value and you could still serve as a viable fallback option in a pinch. Welcome to Academy City, Emiya Shirou.'

[MaHaL]

Come on guys, feedback, please?

Chapter 6​

Tsuchimikado Motoharu, double agent and general shady type, was concerned. His reasons, he felt, were solid. His first clue that he should be concerned came in the form of an almost gleeful order from his benevolent overlord to meet a couple of transfer students and their caretakers at the airport. On its own, it seemed fairly innocuous. It was more the way he said it. With that sort of smug I'm-making-problems-for-you-and-you-don't-know-it-yet expression. Add to that the fact that they were both from outside the city (unusual) and supposedly both gemstone espers from the same town (unlikely) who had somehow gone unnoticed until they were teenagers (unlikelier) and he began to feel wary.


Then he saw the students' names, and those feelings ratcheted to a whole new level. He didn't recognize one of them, but he knew “Emiya.” So now here he was, waiting in the lobby of the airport holding up a sign with the Magus Killer's family name written on it all the while praying that there was no relation. He shifted in place uncomfortably, doing his best to maintain his usual easygoing grin. Then he heard it.


“Emiya-sama.” a clear, bell-like voice noted in a distant, overwhelmed tone. A tone he recognized as common to newcomers in the city.


“Yeah?” a higher pitched version of the same voice inquired. Tsuchimikado craned his head forward to try and identify the speakers in the press of humanity.


“When Illya-sama and I originally departed our ancestral home and I saw the modern world for the first time, I experienced a very odd sensation. A feeling that we were in over our heads.” the first speaker stated as those in front of them shifted and Tsuchimikado caught his first glimpse of the new arrivals. His eyes widened. The toothpick he'd been idly chewing on slipped from his lips.


“I have that feeling now.” the elder of the two Justeaze model Einzbern homunculi declared as she and her companions looked at a nearby cleaning robot in undisguised amazement.


'Ohhhhh that makes two of us lady...' Tsuchimikado thought worriedly. Seriously, what the actual hell were these two doing here?! It was a damn near total violation of the Magic-Science treaty. Granted, both sides had a tendency to just politely ignore the existence of the thing while they did whatever they wanted anyway, but there was a very large difference between ignoring the treaty and outright wiping one's behind with it. 'Well...if anyone can get away with it...' he finally concluded weakly before shaking off his shock and marching forward to meet the arrivals.


“Yo! Are you folks the uh...'Emiya' family?” he asked, slipping into his usual routine. Acting as though the name meant nothing to him put him more at ease, the minor deception guiding him back into familiar territory.


“Ah! Yes, my name is Emiya Shi...Emiya Illyasviel.” the smaller homunculus corrected herself after being glared at by her apparent caretaker halfway through her introduction. “...But please call me Shirou. I'll be in your care.” the small girl concluded. Now, call him crazy, but somehow Tsuchimikado doubted that “Illyasviel” was a Japanese name. Her speech was strangely masculine, and she'd mispronounced her nickname as well. Well, the Einzbern were supposed to hail from Germany after all, so a few issues here and there were to be expected. He should probably just be thankful she spoke as fluently as she did. It was surprising that she wanted to go by Shiro, considering her...unique coloration, but it was no skin off of his nose.


“Got it, Shiro-chan.” he replied with a grin and a thumbs up, only to watch her expression sour as if she'd bitten into something unpleasant. His brow furrowed slightly in confusion. Was it something he said?


“I am Sella von Einzbern. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” the elder homunculus introduced herself. He had to fight to keep his eyebrows from climbing his forehead in disbelief. Seriously? Not even going to bother changing it? He choked down the exasperated sigh that wanted to escape him.


“Well, that's one new student accounted for.” he noted in a chipper tone, turning his head toward the other two arrivals. The first was nothing special. Pretty enough he supposed, in a reserved kind of way. The purple hair was odd, particularly since it was down to the roots, but he was hardly one to complain and Academy City had a more tolerant stance when it came to personal expressions of one's character. The other though...wow.


'Kami-yan would like this one I think.' he finally decided. She was drop dead gorgeous and gave off a potent “femme fatale” aura. Her beauty was such that it was suspicious itself though. That inhuman beauty, combined with her interesting pupils, lead him to conclude that she was exactly that. Inhuman. Fantastic. Figuring out what she was was likely to cost him some time in the near future, though with the number of bread crumbs they'd handed him already he doubted it would take too long. A random observer might notice their similarly colored hair and suspect a relation, but their features were too different. Honestly, the larger one's bone structure had him peg her as a Greek. Those eyes were bizarre though.


“Ah, forgive me. My name is Matou Sakura. My caretaker is Rider-san.” she said, gesturing to her companion. “We'll be in your care.” she declared, offering a polite bow. The tall woman, Rider, eyed him as though he were a lower form of life beneath her notice and did not bow.


“I see, I see. Well my name is Tsuchimikado Motoharu and I'm here to welcome you all to Academy City.” he replied, offering a slight bow of his own. Meeting politeness with politeness never hurts and often helps. He suspected he might need all the help he could get with this bunch. “We've got a vehicle waiting for us outside. If you'd all follow me. Need any help with your luggage?” he offered.


“Oh. No, that's alright. We packed light. Some of our other belongings are being shipped.” the small homunculus, Shiro, answered.


“I see. That's probably not a bad idea.” he allowed, but he recognized dissembling for what it was. He was a master at it, after all. A large amount of luggage would be a hindrance if they needed to fight on short notice. So there was at least some tactical thinking present here, even if their operational security wasn't worth a damn. Eventually they all loaded themselves in the car and Tsuchimikado gave the driver the address they needed before settling into a seat facing the rear of the vehicle alongside “Rider,” allowing him to speak to the other passengers face to face.


“So, first things first.” he declared, clapping his hands. “Here are maps of the city for each of you, and a more in-depth map of School District 7, which is where you'll be housed as well as taught.” he said, passing out maps to all four other passengers. “You've been assigned a private home, of the type usually reserved for notable scientists and their families. Here are the keys and the floor plan. The home is furnished, so you should be all set. If you need anything else, you can contact a residential administrator at this number and they'll see that you get it. If there's an emergency, then you can call this number for the city's emergency services. Your preliminary medical examination with Heaven Canceller has been scheduled two days from now, and your placement exams will take place in one week.” he continued, providing his slightly overwhelmed companions with more and more items.


“Any questions?” he asked with a cheeky grin. The small homunculus raised her hand uncertainly.


“Uh...you realize you're not in a classroom just yet, right?” he asked blankly. The pale girl's cheeks colored slightly.


“Do all of Crowley's henchmen wear sunglasses?” she asked bluntly. His face fell and he sighed. Does this girl not understand the concept of a polite fiction? Well, whatever. It's not like they'd believe him if he denied it.


“No. No they do not, at least not all the time, but I like my sunglasses. I won't...protest that title, but please don't think I work for that man because I want to. You should also be aware that I've been somewhat informed about your situation, or at least the cover story, and I used to be a practitioner so you don't have to try and hide the existence of magic from me.” he declared, relishing their shocked expressions for a second.


“Why do you work for him then?” the demure one, Sakura, inquired.


“Personal reasons.” he replied with a fake smile. The two younger occupants of the vehicle looked at him sympathetically, while the older two just looked suspicious. With age comes wisdom, he guessed. Only an idiot or a hopeless idealist would trust him in this situation. Though there was no way to be sure that homunculus actually was as old as she looked. Odds were she wasn't, honestly.


“Why did you give up magecraft?” Shiro asked, before apparently realizing that might also be a personal question. “That is, if you don't mind telling us.” she clarified.


“That's not too complicated. I gave it up when I became an esper.” he replied, not honestly caring if they knew.


“Wait...he did say something about the process interfering didn't he?” the white-haired girl asked. Tsuchimikado's eyebrow lifted behind his shades. Had Crowley reached out to them personally? That was...strange.


“It does.” he confirmed, regardless of his earlier musings. “All sorts of unpleasant things happen to an esper who tries to use magic. Of any kind.” he said, causing the elder homunculus to frown.


“There are recorded instances of espers using magecraft.” Sella noted. He shrugged in response.


“Natural espers don't all play by the same rules as artificial ones. Natural espers, also sometimes called 'gemstones' due to their rarity, develop in unknown circumstances and have wildly varying abilities that tend to defy scientific explanation. Thus, your cover. The two of you...” Tsuchimikado said, indicating Shiro and Sakura “...have both been added to the roster as gemstone espers and declared to be a part of the 'Gemstone Natural Development Study.'” he explained, making air quotes over the fictional study's name. “Basically, you two can have your abilities measured via System Scan, and you're allowed to use them publicly within reason, but are not permitted to actually take part in the Power Curriculum Program.” he said, before clicking his tongue at the blank expressions they wore.


“Alright, so what would normally happen is new students would be subjected to a proven drug regimen that kick-starts the development of esper abilities. After this initial treatment, certain neural therapies and/or controlled stimulation of the senses are used to intensify the effect. A student's education is also slightly tailored after the manifestation of their ability to focus on the knowledge they require to use the ability effectively. For example, an accomplished electromaster might study circuit diagrams and electrical engineering over other subjects.” he explained.


“How can a traditional classroom setup handle that kind of variance in subject matter?” Sakura queried.


“Good question. They can't.” Tsuchimikado declared. “There are certain classes that are 'across the board' subjects. The stuff that everybody needs to know no matter what. These are taught in an ordinary classroom setup. More specialized training or educational needs are handled on a case by case basis, with lots of espers becoming involved in various scientific endeavors around the city that their powers are beneficial to. This is less common among lower level espers, but those ranked level three or higher are often specifically sought out by various research groups.” he explained.


“The students are experimented on?!” Shiro demanded indignantly.


“Only with permission. The students still have rights.” Tsuchimikado replied. 'At least in theory.' he thought to himself.


“I still don't like it.” the small girl declared firmly.


“Well, you have the right to veto anything you don't want to do. Plus, thanks to the 'Natural Development Study' they can't approach you in the first place. You can't even volunteer for any invasive studies.” he replied with a shrug. The girl scowled slightly at his nonchalance. Whatever. She'd just have to get over those hangups if she's going to be living in this place.


“Looks like we're here.” Tsuchimikado noted as the car pulled into the drive of the modest home they'd been assigned. It looked...just like all the other ones on the street around it. “Well folks, this is where we part ways for now. Take this phone. If you need anything from me personally, you can call this number. Only use it in an emergency. If you call that number when it's not an emergency, or from any phone besides that one, I reserve the right to thrash you afterward.” he replied with a more honest grin, only to be met with unimpressed gazes from the four women.


“Oy. I'm tougher than I look.” he defended himself.


“Not tough enough.” Rider replied, clearly bemused as they exited the vehicle. “Not remotely.”


Well, well...wasn't that ominous?

____________________​

Later...​

“The Einzbern? Seriously?” Tsuchimikado asked as soon as the teleporter who'd brought him into Crowley's Tron-inspired panic room departed. “What did I ever do to you?” he asked theatrically. A low chuckle was his response.


“I'm sure it won't be as bad as you seem to suspect.” Crowley replied with the same small smile he'd been wearing all day.


“They aren't even trying. They'll be made the instant someone sufficiently knowledgeable runs across them, and if word gets back then there's no way they'll tolerate two of their precious Justeaze models winding up in your territory. I feel sorry for whoever winds up being their handler.” Tsuchimikado declared. The small smile widened.


“Funny you should mention that...” Crowley trailed off, making Tsuchimikado's blood chill slightly.


“Oh no...” he groaned.


“Oh yes.” Crowley replied cheerfully.


'Well...shit.'

[Xamusel]

Tsuchimikado... as their handler. Seriously, Crowley, what did he do to you?!