Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Shadow of the Wisteria Blossoms

Chapter 3

"He didn't let it show," Sakura observed as she and Rin worked on the paperwork in the latter's office at school, doing what they could before the first period began. "But father was rather agitated at breakfast, no matter what he said about us putting off talking about the coming Holy Grail War for later."

"Of course he didn't let it show." Rin said while working on a series of forms in triplicate. "That'd be unbecoming. Also, what's the point? Will ranting and wailing about it solve the problem? No, of course it won't. Instead of wasting time and effort, better to stay calm, think things over at length, and prepare a solution."

Sakura stayed silent, and after several moments Rin sighed, and finishing the set of forms set them aside before sitting back. "Though," she said, folding her hands in front of her. "It's understandable why father would be so agitated. You understand why, don't you?"

Sakura nodded in silence. "The Holy Grail is an incredibly complex system." Rin continued. "Its functions and components exist in a delicate balance with each other, with even the single variable out of line potentially having critical consequences. And there's the fact the reason Heaven's Feel is held every fifty years is because it takes that long to gather enough mana for the ritual…"

Rin paused and laughed. "Ten years…" she said, half-turning her chair away before rising to walk to and look out of the window. "In ten years there's enough energy already to perform the ritual to use the Grail once again. Considering just…just how insane a divergence that is for a complex system like the Holy Grail, I strongly doubt just one variable is off with the whole thing."

"You don't seem particularly enthusiastic." Sakura observed.

"Should I be?" Rin asked.

"I don't know." Sakura said after a moment. "Though, normally you'd be jumping at the chance to prove yourself worthy as the heiress of the – main – Tohsaka family. Victory in the Holy Grail War, something that has eluded us for over a century…isn't that such a chance?"

"Guess I can't deny that," Rin said with a shrug and a smile, though the latter quickly fell. "But, this chance may not be what it looks like. The Grail's…divergence from normality is already a big…sign, that something has gone terribly wrong."

Sakura nodded once, her eyes narrowing. "True," she said. "As you said, delicate things like Grand Rituals – which Heaven's Feel is an example of – are supposed to proceed according to predetermined patterns, even if the outcome may be left in the air. If they don't then either something has gone wrong, or will soon."

"Or both," Rin said grimly, before turning and returning to her desk. "But even though we know all that, we can't really avoid participating, can we?"

"No, we can't." Sakura agreed. "We can't sit it out, since as one of the founding families we're guaranteed a spot, and everyone knows that. If we don't summon a Servant, we'd be left vulnerable to enemy attack, even if only because other Masters will assume we're involved regardless of whether or not we actually are. And why wouldn't they assume? Why would magi ignore the opportunity offered by Heaven's Feel?"

"Well, we could always take a vacation out of the city if we want to sit the war out." Rin said.

"Is that really an option?" Sakura asked with an uncertain laugh.

"If we wanted to ignore and endure the loss of face," Rin said with a small smile. "It is. And I think father would consider that option for a while. After all, he was nearly killed during the last Holy Grail War, and even then he suffered critical injuries, didn't he?"

Sakura's face fell, and after a moment and briefly looking away, she nodded in thought. "Of course," Rin said, taking her seat again. "Given I was the one granted command spells, knowing father he'd leave the choice to me."

"And what will you choose?" Sakura asked.

"Father would probably prefer I choose not to participate." Rin said without hesitation. "And I'm very tempted not to. The Holy Grail War…people die there. It's a war after all. A competition between magi…"

"Nee-sama…"

Rin sat back in her seat, eyes fixed on the ceiling. "I don't want to make our parents cry. I don't want you to shoulder the burden that comes with being family head." She said, closing her eyes. "But the magus in me…she's telling to stop being such a sentimental fool."

Sakura didn't say anything, and for several more moments Rin stayed silent. "It worries me more, you know." She said, keeping her eyes closed. "How our greed at the opportunity that presents itself to us, blinds us to the all-too-large possibility of disaster that comes with a Grand Ritual going wrong. And I understand why. You do too, don't you?"

"Yes, yes I do." Sakura said softly. "It's a blindness born of ignoring or defying the possibility of death or worse that comes with even the most basic mysteries going wrong, a way of thinking taught to us and made a part of our being the moment we begin out training as magi."

"Precisely," Rin said, opening her eyes with a sigh, and sitting normally. "It's ironic, that from a purely objective perspective, a perspective magi are supposed have, our…blindness, is foolish in the extreme. And yet, we encourage it among ourselves."

"Nee-sama…"

Rin sighed again. "I just hope in this case it won't end up destroying us all, especially if Heaven's Feel goes wrong, like it did during the previous war." She said.

Sakura nodded grimly, knowing as Rin did that at the conclusion of the previous Holy Grail War, the Holy Grail had exploded, and set off a fire that would take half the city with it. Why it had exploded was not known, and while Kiritsugu Emiya and Tokiomi Tohsaka had been close to the epicenter when it did, even they could offer little information, understandably focused at the time on just staying alive, and before that fighting each other in what had been the last battle of the Fourth Holy Grail War. That would ultimately lead to the conclusion that the Grail had somehow malfunctioned, resulting in what would be known as the Fuyuki Great Fire.

The Grail's already malfunctioned – and catastrophically at that – once before, and it is again with the next Heaven's Feel starting forty years early…

…and no one cares! There…there has to be something wrong with that…

"Do you think," Sakura began, jolting Rin out of her musings. "That Fujiwara taking action here and now, is connected to all this?"

Rin's eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed in suspicion.

"That's…a very good point…"


Tokiomi sat alone in his workshop, holding his head in his hands. He remembered the climax of the previous Holy Grail War, of lying helplessly on the ground, staring at the weapon in Kiritsugu Emiya's hand, aimed at his head.

He remembered the resolution, his resolution, to neither flinch from death nor to beg for life. He had been a magus for as long as he could remember, risking life, limb, soul and sanity all for his family's legacy long before the war began, and the risks it brought had been nothing new to him.

And they should not and would not have been for the other participants, magus and spell-caster alike. Even the untested boy who would later become the great and mighty Lord El-Melloi II had been no exception in that regard.

Everyone had entered the contest prepared to lose their lives or worse, and to take those of others. He had not expected otherwise of them, and was certain they expected no less of him. And he had had no intention of dishonoring them or himself, magi and spell-caster alike, who had placed everything on the line for the promised prize.

It should have ended then and there, between himself and the last other Master still in the war, but…

…but…

…but…

"…there are two ships, one of which has fifty people aboard, while the other has forty-nine…both ships are leaking and will sink in one hour…Kiritsugu Emiya can repair the leak but only has enough time for one, and he is aboard the ship with forty-nine people…"

"…now, what would Kiritsugu Emiya do?"

"…two boats, one of which has twenty-six people aboard, and the other has twenty-four…both boats are leaking and will sink in one hour…Kiritsugu Emiya can repair the leak but only has enough time for one, and he is aboard the boat with twenty-four people…"

"…now, what would Kiritsugu Emiya do?"

"That's wrong! The logic is messed up! That's not how it's supposed to…!"

"…now, what would Kiritsugu Emiya do?"

"The Holy Grail will grant your wish. All you must do is offer up your desire."

"Daddy loves you very much, Illya. If nothing else, I swear that's the truth."

Tokiomi gasped, eyes going wide as he jolted back, only the brakes on his wheelchair keeping him rolling away from his desk. For a few moments, he sat upright, breathing heavily, and then slumping forward on his elbows, clutched his hands against his forehead.

"You truly were something else, Kiritsugu Emiya." Tokiomi whispered, remembering how he had been made to watch until the very end, in the grasp of a…thing, that had taken Kiritsugu's, or indeed, any victor of the Holy Grail War's desire, and perverted it in the worst possible fashion.

Only the sacrifice of the bravest man he had ever known had kept…it, from succeeding. But, the cost. And more than that…

"D-darling…w-why…why do you refuse us…us…and…the Grail?"

"Six billion people…the two members of my family…I…I…I…I will kill you…and save the world!"

"If…if…" Tokiomi murmured. "If I had been in your place…could I…could I…"

Tokiomi closed his eyes, and remembered Kiritsugu's daughter falling, her head a mangled ruin. He remembered the man's tears, his choked defiance of that which had corrupted and defiled the Grail and his wife alike, the image of that same wife cursing him to a tortured existence as he crushed her neck.

"…could I have done it? Could I have done as you did, and sacrifice everything I hold dear, for all the world?"


"What?" Shirou asked in surprise, as he ate lunch with Rin and Sakura. "You think Fujiwara chose now to take action, because of the Fifth Holy Grail War?"

"You don't think so?" Rin asked.

Shirou didn't reply at once, instead thinking things over for a moment before continuing. "If that was the case," he said. "Why didn't they take action ten year ago, during the Fourth Holy Grail War?"

"Good point," Rin conceded with a nod. "I could say it's because they weren't ready or didn't see it coming…but that's stupid. Heaven's Feel is – until now that is – a regular thing, happening once every fifty years. So they'd know it was coming, and it couldn't be they weren't ready either, as Fujiwara's resources are vast. They'd have been ready ahead of time."

"Maybe they didn't receive command spells?" Sakura offered.

"Also possible," Rin admitted. "And that could be it…"

"But you don't think so." Shirou prompted as Rin trailed off.

"It could be it…" Rin hesitantly repeated. "And…they didn't think…their divinations…didn't say it was the right time. Or it could be something else entirely."

Shirou and Sakura looked at each other, and then back at Rin. After a few moments Rin sighed, and shook her head. "Why they didn't ten years ago is academic anyway," she said. "More important is that they're probably participating in this war. Or even if they're not, they'll probably ask us to be their proxies."

"That's…"

"It's the perfect way for us to prove our loyalty or submission to proper authority, isn't it?" Rin continued. "Though, they might attach an agent with us in that case, to observe our performance and represent their interests."

"Put another way," Sakura said. "A spy. They don't really trust us in that case, do they?"

"Understandable," Rin said with a nod. "Up until the third Heaven's Feel, we were allies with Matou, and had been for about a century or so. We cooperated on founding the Heaven's Feel, and allowed to them settle on our territory. Even if we had severed ties, our past history, and the fact that we allowed Matou to remain on our territory – no matter that grandfather managed to reach an understanding with Fujiwara at the time on that matter – means we need to prove ourselves, no matter how…insulting, it might seem."

Sakura and Shirou again looked at each other. "If they actually participate in the war," Shirou began. "About the Grail…"

Rin sighed and shook her head. "I don't know." She said. "There can only be one victor after all. The normal meaning of that aside, well, the Grail will only accept and grant one Master and their Servant's wish. No more, and no less."

"It's going to be a…lively, discussion with Fujiwara's representatives that's for sure." Sakura remarked. "Whether or not they'll actually be participating."

Rin nodded unhappily, and sighing leaned back to look up at the sky. "Fujiwara…" she thought. "Whether they actually participate or not…whether they want the Grail or not…their goals are actually quite obvious. The Matou have coveted the Grail for nearly two centuries…just like us and Einzbern. And Fujiwara knows this."

Rin sighed again, and returned to her lunch. "It won't be enough for them to simply make examples of the Matou." she said. "No, before Matou are made into examples, Fujiwara will take everything Matou has, what they have always sought to gain, and leave them with nothing, broken and humiliated. Then and only then will Fujiwara make examples of them."


A knock on the door drew Tokiomi back to reality, and sitting up he took his glasses off. "Enter," he said, and a moment later the door into the workshop opened, the bounded fields parting and flowing welcomingly around Aoi as she entered. In her hands she held a tray on which was a plate with a pair of sandwiches, a bowl of hot soup, and silverware on clean cloth.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," Aoi said politely as she went to a table in the middle of the room, and placed the tray down on it. "But, here's your lunch."

Tokiomi smiled and nodded, glancing once at a clock as he did so. "And once again," he said. "It seems I've lost track of time. My apologies."

"It's fine," Aoi said. "It comes with the job, doesn't it? Still, don't push yourself, alright?"

Tokiomi nodded, beginning to roll his wheelchair over to the table before Aoi came over and helped him to the table. "Well then," she said, preparing to leave. "Is there anything in particular that you'd like to drink?"

"Cold water will be fine."

"Alright then," Aoi said with a nod. "I'll be back."

Tokiomi nodded back, and turning away Aoi strode out of the workshop. Turning back to his lunch, Tokiomi took and savored a few spoons of hot soup, before taking one of the sandwiches and biting into it. As he chewed at his food, he sat back, and glanced once at a calendar hanging on a wall.

"Even if the war is early," he thought as he swallowed and bit into his sandwich again. "Given the timing of Rin receiving her command spells, the war will begin and be conducted when it usually is, in late winter, just before spring. That gives me a month. One month, to prepare for a war…"

Tokiomi paused, chewing slowly before swallowing. Looking down for several moments, as though weighed down by a mountain on his shoulders, he slowly raised the sandwich in his hand and forced himself to continue eating.

Rin…can…can I really ask her…allow her to participate in a contest that has absolutely no meaning whatsoever?

But even as the thought was completed, Tokiomi knew the choice was out of his hands. Rin may prefer not to participate – not that she would say it but he knew his daughter even if she didn't say anything – but she would. Her pride as a magus would not allow her to sit it out.

Movement drew his attention, and Tokiomi turned his head to see Aoi return with a glass and a pitcher of cold water, the glass of the latter frosted from the cold. Tokiomi nodded his thanks as Aoi placed the glass and pitcher down, and poured him a drink.

"Thank you." Tokiomi said, taking the offered glass and taking a drink. Setting it down on the tray, he turned back to Aoi, who'd stepped back and was now just looking at him.

There was nothing expectant about it, just a wife being properly attentive to her husband, but…given his concerns…

…there were so many things he wanted to say. Things she might not admit she wanted to hear, but he was sure that deep down, she did. And which he wanted to say to her, but could not.

He wanted to say that he was sorry that it had come to this.

He wanted to say that he could have given her and their children a more peaceful and less burdensome life.

He wanted to say that he could do something, and have their family avoid the turmoil and upheaval to come.

But he couldn't say anything, and could only return her gaze with the faintest hint of sadness, regret, and apology on his face. And despite the complete lack of words, she understood, giving him a sad smile that mirrored all the emotions he felt and accepted and understood them.

"I have other things to do." She said with a sigh. "So, I'll come back for the tray later, alright?"

Tokiomi nodded, and with a nod of her own, Aoi left. Alone, Tokiomi finished his first sandwich before returning to his soup. "So," he thought. "No way to avoid this war. And one way or another, whether as their proxies or as their allies, we'll stand with Fujiwara as they punish Matou for their impudence. And I only have one month to prepare Rin for what is to come."

Finishing his soup, Tokiomi sighed and sat back. "One month…" he thought. "I wonder…no, that'll barely be enough time to secure a proper catalyst. Well I suppose…no…no, absolutely not. Rin could control the King of Heroes, but considering all the secrets this war has, he's not the best choice."

Humming to himself, Tokiomi stroked his chin, narrowing his eyes. "Well," he thought. "We could always use that…and come to think of it, she'd certainly be more suitable compared to the King of Heroes given the delicate touch needed to manage this potential disaster."

Sitting up, Tokiomi sighed, and taking a drink of water first he took the second sandwich and began to eat. As he did so, he remembered.

"These maps are accurate?"

"My friend, my family are the supervisors of this territory. Of course these maps are accurate."

Tokiomi and Kiritsugu were in the Tohsaka workshop, poring over maps of Fuyuki City. One was a regular geological map, while the other was a more esoteric document, outlining the ley-lines which ran through the land, and pinpointing key points in the territory. Reference materials were stacked to one side of the two men, who faced each other across the table.

Kiritsugu chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry about that." He said. "In any case, this is a big help."

"Oh I'm sure that even without my help you'd have figured it out eventually." Tokiomi said with a nod and a smile.

Kiritsugu didn't reply at once. "Maybe," he finally said after a few moments. "But then again, I couldn't do what I'd once have been able to do in my sleep…"

The man's fists clenched as he spoke, and Tokiomi slightly lowered his face. After several moments, Kiritsugu sighed, and opened his hands. "Forgive me," Tokiomi said softly. "I truly wish I could be of more help."

"It's not your fault." Kiritsugu said, giving his host a small smile. "And it's not like you could do much, because unfortunately, law and custom isn't on our side, and as someone with rank, you have to set an example, am I right?"

Tokiomi nodded slowly. "Even so, I…" he began only to trail off. After a moment Kiritsugu nodded, and then picking up a grease pencil, turned back to the maps.

For the next hour and a half Kiritsugu and Tokiomi pored over the maps and reference materials, jotting down notes on sheets of scratch paper, and marking down points across the city along the ley-lines which ran through the territory. Finally, Kiritsugu shared a nod with Tokiomi and looked down at the finished plan of action they'd prepared between them.

"With this," he said. "We can keep that…thing, from ever having another chance."

"The ley-lines will be shifted," Tokiomi said with another nod. "And without them, the Grail will be unable to gather enough mana for another Heaven's Feel ritual to be conducted with. In short, we'd starve it into oblivion."

Kiritsugu nodded again, but Tokiomi sighed. Narrowing his eyes at Mount Enzo, he reached forward and tapped it few times. "Still," he began. "I'd be happier if we could go in ourselves, and take the mechanisms apart, thus making sure with our own hands that the Grail and that abomination which has defiled it can never rise again. But in our current states…"

Kiritsugu nodded as Tokiomi sighed again. "This is the best we can do." The former said. "And we'll have to settle for it."

"When she's old enough," Tokiomi said after a few moments. "I'll tell her. I'll tell her about the mockery our family's legacy has become, and everything we've done to take responsibility when no one else could, or would. And why would they? Apart from our words, there's no proof. And without proof…"

Tokiomi trailed off, but Kiritsugu nodded in agreement. The two stayed silent for several moments, and then Kiritsugu sighed. "Will she understand?" he asked.

"She will." Tokiomi said, before closing his eyes. "I believe she will. And I believe that she'll finish what we started, and make sure the evil in the Grail will never see the light of day for good."

Kiritsugu was silent, but after a few moments he took a deep breath. "Then," he said. "If you'll believe in your daughter, I will too. I believe in my son too after all, so, how can I really speak against you doing the same?"

Tokiomi nodded, and then with another sigh Kiritsugu began gathering the final notes on their plans, and rolled up the annotated map they'd worked on. "Right then," he said. "I'll make the necessary preparations, and then get to it."

"Of course," Tokiomi said with a nod. "With that said, be careful."

Kiritsugu paused and glanced at Tokiomi, who held his gaze. "I know you don't have much time left." Tokiomi said. "But even so, what time you have, for Shirou-kun's sake…"

Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes as Tokiomi trailed off, but after a moment Kiritsugu set his face in resolve, and nodded back. "I know." He said. "And I will. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Tokiomi sighed as he remembered how he and Kiritsugu had conspired and acted to starve the Grail and what it contained of the mana it needed to function, but how could they possibly have foreseen that the next Holy Grail War would have started forty years early? And how could they?

And how could it have started so soon?

Finishing his sandwich, Tokiomi sat back in his wheelchair, and smiled sadly in apology. "Kiritsugu my friend," he thought. "I'm sorry. We did what we could, but sadly it wasn't enough. Our children…will have to take on the burden, far earlier and with less preparation than they should have."


"Figures,"

Shirou blinked and glanced in the voice's direction, spotting a brown-haired girl leaning with a smile against the classroom's doorframe. "Hey, Mitsuzuri," Shirou said, smiling at the girl before returning to the task of cleaning the classroom up.

"Oh, it's just 'hey' now, is it?" Ayako Mitsuzuri said, and stepping further into the classroom.

"Yes, yes," Shirou said. "Good afternoon, then."

"Better," Ayako said with a smirk, and sitting on top of one of the desks. "Honestly, you really won't stop will you?"

"What?"

"Doing others' chores for them?"

Shirou shrugged. "What can I say?" he said. "I like to help in any way I can."

"Sure you do," Ayako said with a laugh. "No matter how much we've grown up, you're still the same as you were from when we first met way back when."

"Is that so bad?"

"Hmm," Ayako hummed before shrugging. "Not really, I guess. Only when taken too far."

"Well, don't you worry about it then," Shirou said. "I know better than to go too far. Well, at least I think I do."

Ayako glanced curiously at him, and Shirou blinked before giving a nervous laugh. "No," he said. "It's just that I don't think helping others can be wrong in any way, but at the same time, I know I'm not really helping anybody if it results in me needing help myself. If that's the case, then…"

"Then it means the people you helped become responsible for putting you in a tight spot." Ayako said with a nod. "Well, well, looks like we can get things through that thick skull of yours."

Shirou made a protesting yelp, and Ayako giggled as he glared reproachfully at her. "Hey," she began, hopping off the table to lean in towards him with her hands behind her. "Kyuudo practice ended early today, so I have some free time. So tell you what, I'll help you finish up here, and then you come with me for a snack, alright? I know this really good coffee shop downtown, so…"

"Well, I uh…"

"Oh? Errands to run for the Tohsaka sisters? How strange…I asked Sakura earlier during practice and she said you were free…at least until I came here and saw you cleaning up when it isn't supposed to be your duty today."

Shirou made an uncomfortable noise, but as Ayako leaned in again, smiling invitingly, Shirou sighed. "Alright, alright," he said. "It's not like I've got anything else to do anyway, and I'm off my part-time until the day after tomorrow."

"That's great!" Ayako said with a grin, straightening up before turning and striding off. "Right then, I'll go get what I need to help you with, and once we finish it's a date!"

"Yeah, yeah, wait, what?"


A/N

Reactions to the news of the impending war, some flashbacks (featuring Kiri of all people), and a touch of normality at the end. I hope you enjoy, it was very traumatizing watching Kiri kill Illya again (technically it was an illusion but still), I having to watch that episode just to get a good feel of the context for use in the flashback. I mean yeah, we've seen her die in UBW, but for obvious reasons, seeing Illya get shot by her own father after he tells her he loves her and while embracing her, is a lot more traumatic than getting killed by an enemy on the battlefield.