Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Fate series.

Thanks, like always, to BlindSeer0 for editing this chapter.

Author's Note: This is it. Read to the bottom for information on the future of the Justice Rangers.

Fate/Zero: Heroes of Justice

Chapter 21: As the Dust Settles

Arturia gently closed the bedroom door behind her so as not to wake either Irisviel or Illya. The pair were sleeping, huddled together in bed. It was no surprise really that the events of the past night had drained the pair completely. They would likely need to rest for a long time, and Arturia planned to ensure that they got every moment they needed to recover. She walked down the hallway of Einzbern Castle, making a mental list of everything they would need to get in order to recover from the Holy Grail War, and move forward with their lives. It seemed like an insurmountable task, but she knew from experience that the seemingly impossible could be made possible. She would just need to find the correct path.

She looked down at her hands, marveling at their very existence. No longer could she enter spirit form, she was now completely flesh and blood instead of a heroic spirit. It would take time for her to find out what exactly this meant for her abilities, but that was now time she had. She could worry about that later, for now her pressing concern was procuring a proper meal for those who were now under her care.

It was with surprise that Arturia heard someone moving around in the kitchen as she approached. She entered and saw Waver, an assortment of raw food materials before him. He was scratching his head, clearly trying to figure out his next move.

"You are getting an early start I see," greeted Arturia. The young man turned around in surprise, looking like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Good morning." He looked her over, concern on his face. "You were very wounded last night, is it okay to be moving around?"

She nodded. "Avalon has healed my wounds quite nicely. It would take a force capable of causing instant death to render its protection null."

Waver shivered. "That would be a scary thought."

"What are you up to this morning?" she asked, looking around him to the food on the counter. "Crafting yourself a meal?"

"I was trying to make a meal for everyone. As payment for everything, but I wasn't sure how to go about it."

Arturia frowned. "You do not owe us. If anything, it should be us repaying you. Your assistance in a battle you did not need to participate in was invaluable."

"I think if I hadn't helped I would have regretted it. I want to live my life with as few regrets as possible. That's what Rider taught me."

"That is a valuable lesson," replied Arturia with a smile. "I did not agree with the King of Conquerors on much, but in this, I believe we are of one mind."

Waver looked unsure about something for a moment. "Uh, thank you, by the way."

Arturia frowned. "For what?"

"For defeating Archer. I'm sure Rider can rest easy knowing that you defeated the Servant who defeated him."

"He was a great warrior," replied Arturia. "He and I may not have agreed on what it meant to be a King, and maybe there is no true meaning in the end, but he was worthy of being in this War, and of my respect. You should be proud of him, just like I believe he would be of you."

Waver looked teary eyed for a moment. "Thank you," he said, his voice cracking slightly. He wiped his eyes and held out a hand.

Arturia smiled and took it, shaking it tightly. "You also have a great future before you. Do not rush it."

"You could rush on making that food," came a tired and irritated voice. Arturia and Waver turned to see Sola-Ui slowly walking into the kitchen, bags under her eyes. She pulled out a chair and fell heavily into it. "Coffee. Now."

Waver looked around the kitchen. "Uh, I don't think we have coffee here, or anything to make it in…"

"Then tea," replied Sola-Ui. "I've been up all night and I need something warm to drink."

As Waver went about preparing a pot of tea, Arturia turned to the other woman. "How does everyone fare?"

"The children are mostly unharmed except for some expected cuts and bruising, but nothing that needed a healer. The black-haired girl, Rin, was a little worse off due to the choking she received, but I healed the bruising around her throat to make it more comfortable and less visible, so she'll be fine."

"That's good," replied Arturia. "Irisviel and Illya are still sleeping, and I doubt they will wake for a while."

Sola-Ui nodded. "From my examination last night their mana is completely drained, but otherwise they are physically fine. It's just a matter of rest for them." She gave a heavy sigh. "The hard one is the other woman. Maiya?" Arturia nodded in confirmation of that being the correct name. "It took me a lot of effort to properly set her leg and make sure that the healing will take without any issue. Her willingness to walk on and aggravate it is going to set back the healing for several weeks."

"I will make sure that she behaves herself and heals properly," said Arturia.

Off to the side, Waver was muttering a spell over a pot of water. There was a flash and steam hissed out as the water suddenly boiled. He put several bags of tea leaves in the pot and closed it. That done, he took several tea cups out of the cupboard and set them on the counter. He turned back to them. "Are you going back to London immediately?" he asked.

"Of course," said Sola-Ui. "The War is over now, and it won't be long until word about that gets out. I have people who will be expecting me to return to make my report on the events that transpired. This was all one big mess, with no victory and Kayneth dying, I'll be having to put out fires for months."

Waver shivered. "I'm glad to be staying away for a while then. The Clock Tower's politics are a nightmare from what I've heard."

Sola-Ui glanced over at him, surprise and curiosity in her tired eyes. "Oh? You're not going to return? I'm sure professors will be scrambling to get you as their student."

"Really?" asked Waver, frowning. "Why would you think that?"

A laugh. "Because you summoned a Servant. It's a difficult ritual to properly pull off. This was a great test of skill, that's why Kayneth competed in the first place. You also fought Kayneth in a duel."

"But, I didn't win…"

She shook her head. "That doesn't matter. You showed creativity and survived a battle with a master mage. That will impress a lot of important people."

Waver frowned. "Shouldn't you be able to expect the same thing? You fought as well, and you managed to do a Servant transfer ritual."

"My situation is more complicated," she replied.

While they talked, Arturia stood and checked the tea. It looked fine to her, so she poured three cups. She took two over to Waver and Sola-Ui, who accepted them with thanks. Going back for her own cup, she then sat back at the table. "As an outsider to the society of modern mages," said Arturia, taking a sip of her tea and glancing up at Sola-Ui. "Only a fool would not regard your deeds throughout this War with respect. If you have no allies inside your Clock Tower who will acknowledge you, then know that you will always have me as an ally. I am sure that Irisviel would also agree to the same." She glanced over at Waver. "And the same is true for you as well. Thank you both, and may you find good fortune on your future endeavors."

Sola-Ui took a sip of her tea, starting to look much more relaxed. She glanced over at Waver. "What are you planning to do instead of returning to the Clock Tower?"

He blushed slightly. "Well, I was planning to stay in Fuyuki for a while, you know, learn more about the outside world before returning to continue my studies. I think there's a lot I still need to learn out here."

"Oh?" said Arturia, surprised to hear that. The young man was unsure with his words, but he seemed to have a clear idea of what it was he needed to do to grow. That was a valuable skill. She wished that she'd had such insight during her own life. "I have not talked to her yet about our future plans, but Irisviel and I will likely be settling down in Fuyuki since this is where we have a home, if you want to, I am sure she would love to have you stay with us."

Waver shook his head. "No. I mean, thank you for the offer, but I have somewhere else I think I need to be. I'll visit, but I have people who are worried about me, and something I need to make right." He gave a bitter laugh. "If it doesn't work out for me, then I'll probably need a place to stay."

Arturia reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "I am sure that everything will work out for the best. You have a bright future before you."

"Thank you," said Waver with a smile. He looked back at the counter of food still sitting out. "Uh, what should I do about breakfast?"

"I am not a skilled chef," admitted Arturia. "So, I do not know how much assistance I can be. It was not a skill that was deemed necessary in my training."

Sola-Ui slowly stood, stretching tiredly. "Step aside then," she said gruffly. "I'm hungry and if the quickest way to get food is to do it myself then I'll do it."

"You do not need to," insisted Arturia. "You have been tending to the wounded all night and do not owe us anything."

"I just want to eat something that isn't burnt," replied Sola-Ui. "You two aren't getting out of this so easily either. You're helping me in every way you can. Now, let's get to it."

Sola-Ui turned away from them and Arturia and Waver nodded, exchanging small smiles with each other behind the woman's back. The tired healer moved with surprising speed, taking out food and giving them instructions on how to prepare it. For Waver that running around the large kitchen and finding what Sola-Ui needed. Meanwhile, Arturia was cutting, slicing and dicing almost non-stop. She had to do so with a little more precision than she was used to, but her skills at handling blades, regardless of their size or purpose, served her well.

After ten or so minutes their frantic rush to prepare food slowed down and conversation once again became possible. Arturia, methodically cutting vegetables, addressed Sola-Ui. "Once the fallout of this War has settled down, what do you plan to do?"

Sola-Ui didn't look up from the pot she was stirring when she answered. "I plan to resurrect Diarmuid."

That was not the answer Arturia had been suspecting and her gaze drifted from her cutting to the woman who had said such a sentence so casually. "Truly?"

"Yes," replied Sola-Ui. "The existence of the War, the Heroic Spirits and your being in front of me right now shows that resurrection is a magical possibility. After the events of the past few weeks I have several possibilities I can experiment with."

"Isn't it risky playing with the cycle of resurrection and death?" asked Waver.

"Probably," said Sola-Ui. "But Diarmiud is worth it."

Waver thought about that for a moment. "Are you going to try to resurrect Kayneth as well?"

Sola-Ui was silent for several moments before she answered. "No. I…was only engaged to him because of a deal made between our families. If I'm being honest, I'm glad to be free of him. That said, I don't believe that resurrecting him would be as easy as Diarmiud, or even possible. Diarmuid is a legendary hero, his Spirit is inscribed into the Throne of Heroes that the Holy Grail interacted with to summon Servants for the Wars. That should mean that reaching his spirit and bringing him back to life will be much more possible than a regular person like Kaynth."

"Diarmiud Ua Duibhne was a fantastic hero and warrior and I would love the chance to duel him once more," said Arturia. "That said, will he truly want to return? His wish was to serve a Master faithfully, and he completed that desire. What if he does not choose to return?"

"Then I'll convince him that he should!" yelled Sola-Ui, slamming her fist onto the marble countertop. The kitchen was quite for several minutes except for the sound of cooking food. Sola-Ui was the first to break the silence, speaking much softer and quietly this time, "His original Master died on his watch and he failed to kill Archer, he would definitely want to return. He can serve me, and we can both have our wishes granted this time. I can convince him that it wasn't his charm affecting me but genuine affection. We can make things works…"

"Then I wish you luck," replied Arturia. This drew surprised glances from Waver and Sola-Ui. Arturia shrugged. "It would be inappropriate of me of all people to tell you not to resurrect him and to try to obtain happiness for you both." Her tone became more serious and her expression darkened. "I only ask that while you do so that you do not infringe on his wishes. Understood?"

Sola-Ui nodded, her expression serious. "Of course not. I love him, truly love him, and I don't want him any other way than truly loving me back. If he does not wish to be with me, I will allow him to be free to do what he wants."

Arturia nodded. "I will keep you to that." She brightened, smelling the delicious aromas of their meal coming to completion. She wondered if there would be enough food to satiate the growling of her newly reborn human stomach. She should probably make sure that everyone else had enough to eat before she went back for thirds, that would only be polite.

Irisviel sat up in bed, Illya cradled in her lap. Empty food trays sat on the nightstand next to her. Arturia had brought them food an hour prior, making sure they were doing okay and properly fed. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to stay and keep them company, she had said her duty lay with making sure that everyone in the castle was fed and regaining their strength properly. Irisviel had agreed with this, understanding what her lover meant. Before she had left, Arturia had leaned in and kissed Irisviel on the lips, promising that their home would be ready for her when she was ready to move.

"Their home", Irisviel liked the sound of that phrase. It helped to ease the pain of Kiritsugu's passing by knowing that through his actions he'd left her with the best gifts of all, a future and a home to live it in. She still had Illya, Shirou, and now Arturia. She planned to take none of that for granted and make the best of it all.

When Arturia had left the room, Irisviel had gently awoken Illya and together the pair had eaten in bed. After having their very life energy sapped by Angra Manyu the pair found themselves ravenous for food and nourishment. It wasn't long before they had eaten everything brought to them and Illya was once again nodding off to sleep. Irisviel stroked her daughters long white hair, helping her along to hopefully sweet dreams.

It was as she was stroking her daughter's hair that a soft knock came at the bedroom door. "Yes?" asked Irisviel, wondering who it was.

"May I come in?" came the soft answer.

Irisviel smiled. "Of course, you may," she replied.

The door gently opened and Shirou entered, looking unsure of himself. He looked at Irisviel in the dimly lit room. "How are you two doing?" he asked.

"Much better," said Irisviel. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

The boy nodded. "With Rin, Sakura and Arturia. And the others. It was good."

There was silence for a moment before Irisviel pat the bed next to her. "Would you like to join us up here?"

Shirou nodded and climbed up onto the large bed. As he did so, Irisiviel noted the curious fact that one of his hands was clenched tightly into a fist. He sat down next to her on the bed, his expression still looking unsure as he glanced between Irisviel and Illya. "When will you be better?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "But I am feeling much better already. A night's rest and a meal has helped immensely. So, hopefully today or tomorrow. Illya may be able to move sooner, she's a strong little girl."

"She is," agreed Shirou with the flash of a smile. It disappeared quickly though. Irisviel realized that something was weighing heavily on the boy's mind. Was it the events of the War? The final battle against IRSS? His mother? About being adopted by near strangers who lived in a castle? All of these? None of them? She didn't know and realized that the only way she would find out was by asking.

"Is something bothering you?" asked Irisviel. The boy looked surprised by the question for a moment before looking down. She followed his gaze and saw the clenched fist. He looked up at her and brought the fist up before him.

"I-," he started, before cutting himself of. He took a deep breath. "I found this, and I think you should have them." Irisviel was confused for a moment before the tiny fist opened and revealed two small gemstones, a ruby and a tiger's eye. She let out a small gasp as she realized what was being held before her.

Irisviel held out her hand. "May I see them?" Her hand was shaky as she took the gemstones, feeling the power inside of them just through touch.

She must have had some visible reaction to touching the gems and Shirou hastened to explain. "I found these when Illya's father disappeared and I think they belonged to him, so that would mean they belong to you, right?"

She nodded. "This tiger's eye is the crystallization of Kiritsugu's magical crest," replied Irisviel, pointing to the orange stone. "The legacy of his family."

Shirou frowned, trying to comprehend what she was saying. "That means it's Illya's then?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Irisivel with a nod and a smile. "Thank you, for bringing me this."

"You're welcome," replied Shirou with a blush. He pointed to the ruby. "What about this one?"

"This is also a magical crest," explained Irisiviel. She focused on the crystal for a moment, trying to figure out who it may belong to and why Kiritsugu would have had it. Unlike the Tiger's eye this ruby wasn't newly formed. It contained more generations of mage's, had existed for a few days, and was strangely familiar. Her mind returned to the fight with IRSS and the feel of her magical crests when she'd shown them. She realized that this was likely the Tohsaka crest, but she wasn't sure of the exact events that may have led to it ending up in Kiritsugu's possession.

"Does it belong to someone?" asked Shirou.

She nodded. "I believe this is for your friend Rin's family." She remembered the sight of Tokiomi Tohsaka laying in the morgue that they had seen in IRSS's scrying orb. Her voice got low and mournful. "Likely that of her father."

"Oh," said Shirou, realizing what she was referring to. The young boy had seen much more death in his short life than any child should have to. They all had. Irisviel vowed that she would do whatever she could to help all of them through it, to make up for the sadness with happiness. She eyed the ruby gemstone in her hand and knew that she needed to return it to its family. No, not just that, she needed to reunite the entire family, what was left of it. She had been trying not to think of anything else beyond getting better, but she realized now that she'd just been overwhelmed by recent events and the enormity of what she would need to do going forward. Instead of ignoring what had to be done, she realized that she would need to start now taking steps forward, just like Shirou had when he'd entered her room with the gemstones.

Irisviel reached out and put a hand on Shirou's head, ruffling his hair. He blushed when she smiled gently at him. "Thank you," she said. "Illya will be glad to have this, and when it's time she can inherit her family's magic. I'm sure that Rin will be happy to have her father's crest as well."

"You're welcome," said Shirou meekly.

"Would you do me a favor?" asked Irisviel.

Shirou smiled brightly. "Sure!" he said. "What is it?"

"Will you go bring Arturia here? We have a lot to do and discuss, and afterwards I would like to talk to Rin and Sakura; it's time to bring them back home."

"Thank you for the ride," said Waver, exiting the large black car. Inside, he could see the four children packed tightly together. It's not like there hadn't been room in the middle where he'd sat, there was an empty seat after all, but the children had insisted on sticking together until the end. Seeing them, he wondered at how in his own life he hadn't succeeded in making many friends, especially none as close as they were. As a mage, friends were often treated as handy tools, something to be used to climb the hierarchy, but able to be disposed of if needed. These children made him feel like maybe even among mages having true friends could be possible.

"You are welcome," said Arturia from the driver's seat.

Sitting next to her was Irisviel, looking much better than she had in days. "If you need anything," said Irisviel, "you know how to contact us."

He nodded. "I do, thanks."

Irisviel smiled. "And even if you don't, you're welcome to visit whenever. We'll be happy to have you."

"Very much so," agreed Arturia.

Waver fought back tears, overwhelmed by their simple kindness. He wondered if this is what it felt like to have friends? "Thank you, for everything," he replied, proud that he managed to keep his voice from breaking.

The car drove away down the streets of Fuyuki, headed to its next destination. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, Waver turned to face the house. Here it was, just as he'd left it. The same house he had spent the last few weeks co-habiting. Glen and Martha's home. His home. He tried to move, but his legs felt like stone. This was insane. He couldn't just go in there and tell the couple that he'd been hypnotizing them for weeks into believing he was their grandson. Most likely, they wouldn't believe him, but if they did, then he'd be a horrifying monster. There was no way this would end well.

"Idiot," said a voice in his head that sounded very much like Rider, scolding tone and all. "Just walk in there and tell them. If they hate you, then you deserved it. But if they don't, then you deserve that as well. Claim what's yours, for good or ill. Don't let fear stop you from taking a step forward, ever."

Spurred on by these words Waver finally found the strength to move, taking one step after another. In mere moments he was in front of the door and knocking. This was a place he had entered before without formality, one he still had the key for, weighing down his pants pocket. But if he was going to do this, and he was going to do this, then he needed to do it right. That meant starting by knocking.

The door opened, and Waver was greeted by the at first concerned, then delighted face of Martha. "Waver," exclaimed Martha excitedly. "Did you have a nice time staying with your friends?"

His mouth felt dry and he was unsure of how to start. In the hallway behind Martha he could see Glen, leaning against the wall, observing them. Turning his attention back to the old woman he nodded and forced a smile. "I did," he replied. He wavered for a moment, his smile disappearing. "A lot happened. May I come in?"

"Of course, you can," yelled Glen from down the hall, a smile on his face. "This is still your home."

"He's right," said Martha. "Come in, we can talk over coffee. How does that sound?"

But Waver didn't move. Instead, he clenched his fists, tightened his resolve and yelled out. "I'm not your real grandson! I hypnotized you into thinking so and I'm sorry!"

The elderly couple were silent for several moments. No one said anything, just standing there while Waver breathed heavily, feeling strange with the words now out of it. It came as a surprise when Martha was the one who spoke first. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I believe you should come in. This is a discussion to be had over some coffee."

Sola-Ui sat in her room in the Einzbern castle. She had just finished checking on Maiya, helping the woman fall asleep with a simple spell. Everyone else had left to run some errand or another so she had time to herself. On the table before her sat a small glass ball the size of her fist. She put a hand on it and concentrated on activating the magic contained inside. Once activated, the magic of the ball attempted to connect to the twin that it was connected to. A minute passed with no answer and Sola-Ui wondered if she would need to try again later. But before she stopped the spell a small figure appeared inside. She gave a deep sigh as the small figure stared up at her, wearing only his underwear.

"Sister," exclaimed Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri in happy surprise. Her brother seemed genuinely pleased to be seeing her, and his enthusiasm was a little infectious. Only a little though. "You're alive and unhurt, that's great news."

"And you're nearly naked," replied Sola-Ui teasingly. "Is that the new style for siblings to greet each other under?"

Bram didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. It was one of the traits she loved, and hated, about him. "Well, there's a good reason for that. You called when I was on a business trip for the Clock Tower."

"A business trip, eh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow incredulously.

He nodded. "A very important one. Some high-quality magical material could be obtained through this. I'm engaging in negotiations."

From outside of her she heard a woman's voice. "Bram!" pleaded the voice. "Are you coming back in any time soon?"

Bram turned his head from the crystal ball and yelled, "In just a minute! It's my sister, it turns out she's alive and unharmed."

"That's good news," yelled a second, male voice. "That means instead of soothing your loss we can celebrate. Tell her we said hello."

"Will do," called back Bram. He returned his attention back to Sola-Ui. "See? Important negotiations."

"I can clearly see that," said Sola-Ui, giggling slightly. Her strict upbringing had trained her to feel disgust at such behavior, but also because of it she secretly cheered on her brother whenever he acted like such. It made her wish that she could behave so irresponsibly as well. Either way, she enjoyed his antics more than she was annoyed by them. She hadn't felt this relaxed in weeks, maybe months. "Do you have time to spare or should I contact you later?"

Bram shrugged. "They're an understanding pair. I thought you were dead, we all did. There's been no word from you or Kayneth, and the Overseer from the Church has stopped sending reports. Everyone is getting worried, and it's only a matter of time before an investigative squad is sent over."

"As you can see, I'm not in fact dead," said Sola-Ui. She frowned. "Keep this a secret until I can return to London, but Kayneth is dead."

Her brother's eyes widened at that. "Really?" he asked. "Kayneth? How did that happen? Wasn't he a favorite to win this War?"

"A lot happened," admitted Sola-Ui. "He was killed by a Servant a few days ago. I've been staying with some of the other Masters to help end an…issue that arose in this War. It's complicated and I'll explain later, when we have time to really talk."

"Understood," replied Bram, he smiled. "I'll keep you to that promise. It sounds way too interesting to ignore. So, if Kayneth died, who won the War?"

Sola-Ui shook her head. "No one did. The War was voided due to the earlier complications I mentioned. Look, things got messy here, that's all that matters." She paused for a moment, thinking. "But even though the War is over, and the Holy Grail destroyed, there's still a Servant left walking around. She gained a physical body."

Bram's jaw dropped as he stared at her through the crystal ball. "You just said some impressive statements so casually," he said in awe. "I don't even know where to start."

"A Servant staying after the War is over might be the most momentous bit of modern magic ever performed," said Sola-Ui excitedly. "It means that the dead, even, or maybe even especially, the long dead could be brought back to life. Think about it, heroes and legends, coming back to teach, lead and live with us in the modern era."

Bram's expression turned serious as he studied her through the crystal ball. Sola-Ui realized that she'd started smiling at some point while talking, her tone increasing and speeding up in excitement. It wasn't fit behavior for a woman of her lineage, but she couldn't help it. She could only see images of Diarmiud, his lovely, gently smiling face, in her mind. After a few moments of study, Bram spoke. "You seem much different after this War," he said. "What happened to you?"

Sola-Ui felt herself getting defensive at her brother's questioning tone. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm the same as I've always been."

Her brother shook his head. "No, you're not." Suddenly, he smiled. "You seem much happier. I hate to assume, but is this because of Kayneth's death?"

She felt herself taken aback by his comments and was momentarily unable to respond. "Maybe a little," she admitted. If there was anyone she could say these words to, it was Bram. "But mostly, it's because during this War I fell in love."

"Really?" asked Bram. "Not with Kayneth, of course. I know how you felt about him. With one of the other Masters?"

"No," she said. "With the Heroic Spirit Diarmuid, the Lancer Class Servant who served Kayneth, and then me, before he perished."

"Huh," said Bram, seemingly at a loss for words. "But he's dead now, right? He's not the Servant who stayed around?"

"No," said Sola-Ui, "he's not. But like I said before, the events of this War show that it is possible to resurrect him, permenately."

"That sounds like something that will take a lot of money and resources, even if it is possible," replied Bram. "You're not getting any of that from Kayneth's family anymore. I'm not sure our father will be accepting of such a thing either."

Sola-Ui shook her head, feeling her emotions rise once more. "I don't need any of them to be accepting of it," she said. She looked through the crystal ball, right into her brother's eyes. "I just need you to be accepting of it. Will you?"

"Of course," said Bram without hesitation. He smiled at her. "I'll do anything for my precious little sister."

"Thank you," said Sola-Ui smiling at that. Like always, her brother was someone she could count on to support her. Although, he only ever did so when she asked, never unprompted, but when she did ask, he was there. That's what mattered in the end. She steeled herself, knowing that she was about to ask him for everything. "But I need to ask one more, very large, favor of you."

"Oh?" asked Bram, looking curious. "What would that be?"

"Our Family's Magical Crest."

Aoi Tohsaka sat up the bed that she was borrowing from Risei, and just thought about everything she'd lost over the course of the War. Her childhood friend, his mind taken to madness. Her husband, his corpse bled out before her. Her daughters, both now missing amid a War more brutal than she had ever imagined. And here she was, laid up in bed, unable to go out and do something about any of it. She needed to find her daughters, to help them somehow, but she barely had the strength to sit up. And Risei wouldn't let her leave anyways. The old priest had been walking around hollow eyed since he'd saved her, horror at the knowledge of how his son had killed Tokiomi and left her for dead. Only his timely arrival, aided by a minor healing magic she'd been taught to ease the pain and strain of childbirth, had led to her survival.

There was a knock at the door and Aoi turned her head to look. "Come in," she said. The door opened in and she was surprised to see the tear stained face of Risei, fresh tears rolling down as she watched. "Father?"

"You have visitors," said Risei, his voice choked and full of emotion. "If-if you'll excuse me, I need to attend to…something…," his voice trailed off as he turned and left down the hall.

Without him blocking the doorway, Aoi noticed two people she didn't recognize. One was a white-haired woman in a wheelchair, red eyes staring sympathetically down the hall after Risei. The other was a blond-haired gentleman in a suit. No, Aoi thought about it again and realized she was just a very handsome woman with a very confident bearing. The white-haired woman turned her gaze from Risei's retreating figure to Aoi and gave a friendly smile. "Hello, would you be able to talk with us for a bit?"

Aoi nodded, gesturing into the room. "Of course. Sorry I can't greet you more formerly, but well, I'm not doing too well currently." As the blonde woman rolled the chair into the room, Aoi heard a small squeak of distress, but saw no one behind them who could have made the noise. The hall was empty. She turned her attention back to the woman. "Pardon me for asking, but I don't believe we've met before, have we?"

The white-haired woman shook her head. "We haven't," she replied. She gestured to herself and her companion. "I am Irisviel von Einzbern, and this is my partner, Arturia Pendragon."

"It is nice to meet you," said Arturia.

"Likewise," said Aoi, thinking. She frowned. "Einzbern…why does that sound familiar?"

"My family is one of the three who formed the Grail War, along with your husband's family," replied Irisviel. "I was a competitor in this most recent Grail War. You might understand better if I told you that Arturia has been more commonly referred to throughout this War as 'Saber'."

Aoi did finally understand. She didn't fear what a Master of the War and her Servant might want with her. She had nothing left to give, and she would die before she allowed the Grail War to take any more from her. "My husband is dead," said Aoi. "The Tohsaka family is out of this Grail War. What do you want with me?"

"Nothing except for a conversation," said Arturia. "The Holy Grail War is over, there's been no winner. The Grail itself is destroyed."

"Then, how are you still here?" asked Aoi. "You were a Servant, weren't you?"

"There were special circumstances that led to that," replied Arturia.

Irisviel picked up the conversation. "We come not as enemies in this War, but as fellow concerned parents. We've been informed of your current circumstances."

"You mean the death of my husband and the disappearance of both of my daughters," said Aoi with sadness in her voice. "What do you have to say about it?"

The Einzbern woman's expression changed to one Aoi recognized well, it was what she'd looked like in the mirror earlier that day. She too was experiencing great loss. But the next moment her expression turned to one of empathy and understanding. "I am sorry for the loss of your husband, but I come with good news."

Aoi's heart started to beat faster as her mind tried to guess at what the woman could be referring to. Could she dare hope for her dreams to come true at these words? She tried to keep calm and her voice steady as she responded. "What news?"

"The first piece is that Kirei Kotomine, the man who killed your husband, is dead," replied Irisviel. "He was killed by another competitor in the Holy Grail War. Before we came to talk to you, we delivered his body to his father."

Risei's earlier tears and strained demeanor made sense to her at that moment. She was torn with the feeling of sympathy for the priest and his loss, and relief that her husband's murderer had met justice. She decided that she could feel both in equal measures. She let out a deep breath that she hadn't even known she was holding in, some of the tension she'd been holding in released by that statement. That said, it still hadn't been the news she had been hoping for, so it was with a tight chest that she asked, "is that all the news you bear?"

Before Irisviel could respond, from around the corner came a hissing noise and a young boy stumbled into view, as if pushed. He had orange hair, and a citrine hanging on a thread around his neck. He looked from adult to adult in the room, looking embarrassed to be there. Aoi didn't recognize the boy, although he looked to be Rin's age. Irisiviel and Arturia on the other hand did, and they both broke into smiles upon seeing him.

"Have you been sent to give the news?" asked Irisviel, mirth in her voice.

The boy nodded. "I have," he said. A blush. "I hope you don't mind?"

Irisviel shook her head. "Of course not. Go ahead."

He turned to Aoi, took a deep breath, released it and spoke. "Hello," he said stiffly. "I am Shirou-," he paused and looked to Irisviel. "What is my last name now? Is it still Manjome, or is it Einzbern or Pendragon? Is it Emiya?"

A laugh. "It's whichever you feel most comfortable with."

He nodded. "Then Manjome for now. Is that fine?"

"Of course."

A small girl ran out from around the corner of the door frame to stand next to Shirou. Aoi was surprised to see that she looked exactly like a small Irisivel. She looked to be even younger than Sakura would be. Like Shirou, she had a gemstone around her neck, this one a rose quartz. "Are we able to change names?" asked the girl. "I want papa's name!" she looked sheepish for a moment. "Not that I don't like your name mama, I just want something to remember papa by…"

Irisiviel smiled gently at her daughter. "I understand. If you want your papa's name, then you can have it. I like the sound of Illyasviel Emiya. Do you?"

Illyasviel brightened. "I do!" she said. She turned to Aoi. "Hello! I'm Illyasviel vo-Emiya, and this is my new older brother, Shirou Manjome!"

Aoi couldn't help but giggle lightly at the girl's exuberance. "Hello there Illyasviel and Shirou. I'm Aoi Tohsaka. Do you have something to say to me?"

Shirou nodded. "We do," he said, looking unsure. From his position standing in the doorway he looked down the hall at something Aoi couldn't see before nodding and looking back at her. "I don't come with a message as Shirou Manjome, I come as Justice Orange of the Justice Rangers!" he yelled the last part, falling into a pose where his arms were held out to his right.

"And I'm Justice Rose Pink!" yelled Illyasviel, her arms held out to her left, mirroring Shirou's pose. Aoi recognized the poses as the type children at the park liked to make when pretending to be super heroes. Children she had seen playing with Rin and Sakura. Her heart ached once more.

As that thought passed though, she realized why the boys' name sounded familiar to her. "Wait, you're a friend of Rin's, aren't you?" asked Aoi. She had never met the boy, but she remembered her daughter mentioning him just days prior. "She helped you with your homework the other week at your apartment."

Shirou brought down his arms, with Illyasviel following suit, a frown on his face. "Uh, yeah, I'm a friend of your daughters. But uh, I'm not here as that, but to bring you a message from Justice Red, our leader."

"Leader?" asked Aoi.

Illyasviel nodded. "Yeah! Justice Red is the Leader of the Justice Rangers. Our members also include Justice Purple." She glanced at Shirou, looking unsure for a moment. "Do we still count Justice Black? She was mean in the end."

"I don't think we do," said Shirou with a frown.

"Justice Orange," said Irisviel gently, regaining the boy's attention. "You had a message to deliver?"

"Oh, right," he said. "Justice Red would like to apologize to you personally, through me. She's very sorry for everything." A glance down the hall and Aoi could make out a hissing whisper, but not the words being said. He looked back. "She's sorry for lying to you. I'm not her classmate and she wasn't helping me with homework, we were planning how to win the Holy Grail War. Among other lies. She's also sorry for sneaking out of the house, several times. She had good reasons for all of this, and she hopes you can understand. She never meant for anything bad to happen to anyone, especially you."

Shirou stopped for a moment, looked down the hall and looked seriously at the girl Aoi was now convinced was there. "What happened to my mother wasn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself. I agreed to help, and I know, deep down, my mother would be proud of both of us for making the choice. So, don't blame yourself for something that no one else does."

There was a small squeak of surprise from around the corner, and Aoi wondered what was happening back there. Shirou smiled and turned back to Aoi. "Uh, I think that's all Justice Red wanted to say. Can you forgive her?"

Aoi smiled at the boy. "Of course," she said. She looked past the boy. "I don't know everything that has happened Rin, but I know that you would always have a reason to do something. You're a kind, thoughtful girl."

There was a moment of silence, then from around the corner peaked Rin, her eyes watery with fresh tears. "Mom…," she said slowly. "I-I don't want you to be mad or disappointed in me."

Aoi's eyes teared up. "I could never be mad at you. I want you back with me, because we're all that we have left. Because I didn't fight hard enough to keep Sakura. I trusted your father, but in this, it wasn't worth it. He was wrong, and I was wrong. And now your sister is missing, with no one knowing where she's gone. And it's all my fault…"

Rin's expression took on a level of guilt. "About that…," said Rin, walking out from behind the corner. It was more a waddle, because there was another girl, her arms wrapped tightly around Rin. Together they walked into view and Aoi let out a gasp. She had changed a lot since Aoi had seen her a over a year prior, but before her was still clearly her daughter. Both girls had necklaces around their necks like their friends, a ruby and an amethyst.

"Sakura…," whispered Aoi. The girl in question hugged herself even tighter to Rin, glancing up at Aoi as if she was a stranger. The look broke Aoi's heart, but it didn't stop her as she threw aside the blanket covering her waist and slid herself out of bed. Her legs were shaky as she'd stood. She walked over to her daughters, Shirou and Illyasviel moving over to stand by Irisviel and Arturia. In front of Rin and Sakura Aoi's legs finally gave out, but she managed to drop lightly to her knees before them, tears down her cheeks. "My beautiful girls…I can't believe it. You're both here, I missed you both so, so much."

"I missed you too mother," said Rin. "I-I saw a vision of Sakura, in pain. The Matou's, they weren't very nice to her. I had to save her. I had a powerful Servant, and-," Rin was cut off mid-sentence as Aoi reached out and put her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"You don't need to explain it all to me right now," said Aoi softly. "We'll have plenty of time to do so later. I just want to know, how are you? Both of you. Did you get hurt? Have you been in danger?"

Aoi noticed as they paused, looks exchanged, but she chose to ignore them as Rin replied, "No, we're both fine."

"Yeah," agreed Sakura meekly.

"Sakura," said Aoi, turning her attention to her other daughter. Sakura seemed to shrink from her words, hiding behind Rin. Aoi involuntarily flinched at the rejection but pushed on regardless. "I'm so sorry for everything you had to go through. Karia, he'd told me the Matou's were awful, but your father, he assured me that it was all the exaggeration of an angry child and that everything would be okay. I wanted to trust your father, to know that this choice I was going along with was right. I've regretted it every moment since. Will you forgive me?"

A pained expression appeared on Sakura's face and Aoi realized her mistake. Before Sakura was forced to answer she rushed to correct herself. "I'm sorry, that was an unfair question. Of course, you couldn't forgive me right now. Instead, I hope that I can earn your forgiveness. May I have that chance?"

A pause, then Sakura slowly nodded. "Yes," said her daughter.

"Thank you," whispered Ai softly. Then, louder. "Thank you. I won't let you down again."

Aoi turned her attention from her daughters to the others in the room, watching them with smiles on their faces. These were clearly kind people, even if Aoi didn't know much about them yet, she could tell that. She was confused as she noticed the hand Arturia had on Irisviel's shoulder, a gently loving touch like something between lovers. Could they be…no, she'd figure out the relations of these people later. She knew she'd be seeing a lot more of them over the coming years, so instead she said, "Thank you, all of you, for returning my daughters to me."

"It is our pleasure," replied Irisivel. "You daughters saved my life and the life of my daughter. If it hadn't been for them, none of us would be here." Irisviel started to dig around in a jacket pocket and pulled out something wrapped in a small white cloth. "This also belongs to your family and I would like to return it. Shirou, you found it, so could you return it to her?"

"Yep," said Shirou, carefully taking the object from Irisviel and bringing it over to Aoi. "Here you go."

"Thank you," said Aoi politely as she took it. She peeled away the cloth and gasped in surprise at what she saw. A red gemstone, with tiny dancing runes on its surface. Her husband's magical crest, the one Kirei had stolen upon killing him. With this her daughters could still carry on their family tradition and become proper mages. It was the greatest gift they could have been given, second only to their reunion.

"That is the last piece of business we had to discuss with you," said Irisviel. "I'm sure you want to spend as much time catching up with your daughters as possible. If you ever want to talk to discuss the War and its events, feel free to call on us in the Einzbern Castle at the edge of town at any time. We'll love to have you and your daughters. I'm sure Shirou and Illya would love to play with them as well."

"Of course!" said Illya excitedly. She waved to Rin and Sakura. "Please come visit!"

Rin nodded, smiling. "We will."

"Yes," said Sakura slowly. "See you again."

Shirou went up to Rin and held out his hand. "Thank you for everything, leader."

Rin took his hand and shook. "You make a good second in command. Thank you for helping me." A pause. "And stopping me."

Suddenly her daughter was pulled into a tight hug by Shirou. "I told you, Iris wasn't you. Don't ever think that!"

Sakura stepped forward and joined in the hug from behind her sister. "He's right. She might have been just as much us as you. But none of us are that. Not anymore."

"Hey!" yelled Illya, jumping out of her mother's lap and running over to join in the hug. "Don't leave me out! I'm a Justice Ranger too!"

"We all are," said Rin with a laugh. Her expression became serious for a moment. "Justice Ranger Roll Call!" she yelled suddenly. "Justice Red!"

"Justice Purple!" yelled Sakura with more energy than Aoi had seen in her since their separation.

"Justice Orange!"

"Justice Rose Pink!"

"Here is my Oath," said Rin.

"I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead," continued Sakura.

"I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead."

"Justice Rangers unite!" finished Illya. When she did, all of the children burst into fits of laughter, tightening their group hug.

Aoi smiled at the display and saw that Irisviel and Arturia were doing the same. She didn't know what the future held but she knew that whatever it was she would be with her daughters and they with their friends. Everything would be fine.

Risei finished attending to the needs to his guests and left them for the night. He struggled to keep a neutral expression on his face as the happily reunited Tohsaka family sat down for dinner. Aoi still wasn't healthy enough to cook, so he had prepared for them a meal. As he put the food down, Aoi frowned.

"Risei, there's only three places set," she said. "Are you not joining us?"

He shook his head. "No, I am not," he replied. "I have something I need to do and will be eating out. I know it may be a burden, but I don't know how late I will be. If you could clean up after you are done…"

Aoi nodded. "Of course. Have a good night."

"Let's eat!" said Rin, excitedly, serving food onto the plates of her sister and mother first.

Risei left them without another word and walked down the street lamp lined streets of Fuyuki. The air was cold, but fresh. It felt good to his body, like a trial of rebirth he needed to go through. After over an hour his feet took him to the door of his destination. Colorful lights lit the store front and the old priest entered the Chinese restaurant. It was with an absent mind that he replied to the waitress's greeting an took his seat. He ordered without hesitation, knowing exactly what he had come for.

The only other patron in the show was a young boy, probably the same age as Rin. His clear blue eyes watched Risei with curiosity for a moment before returning to his half-eaten meal. The boy absently played with a strand of his seaweed like black hair, the light playing off it making it seem to glint blue at times.

Seeing the boy made him think of his granddaughter, Caren. When Kirei's wife had passed she had been sent to live with her mother's relatives. Kirei had not felt ready to take care of a child just after the loss of Claudia and Risei had been willing to give him the time he needed. He himself had considered taking Caren in, but had trusted his son's judgement in the matter. He wondered now if trusting his son's judgement had been his ultimate failure.

Aoi's words, and the proof he'd found in that house…Tokiomi dead and Aoi left for dead. The Einzbern Master, telling him of Kirei's last minutes and her Servant bringing in his mangled body, it had all been too much. He had trusted his son's judgement without really understanding him and his twisted judgement. No more.

The waitress brought over a large, steaming bowl of Mabo Tofu, the air around it seeming to shimmer due to its heat. He thanked her and then took a large, steaming spoonful. He held it before him. This, this had been his son's favorite meal. The only time Risei had seen tears, and maybe even emotion, on Kirei's face had been while eating this. He stopped hesitating and took a bite of the food.

His body reacted immediately, rebelling against what he had just fed it. It wanted to cough, sputter and writhe. But Risei had trained his body and mind over long years and he used every bit of that training now to hold himself together. Once past the excruciating pain, he found the taste to be a thing of beauty. He took another bite of the food, his mouth on fire.

He went to take a third bite and saw something wet drip into his bowl. He realized it was his tears. Whether due to the pain, or the emotions he felt flooding his mind, or both, he was now crying uncontrollably. He took another bite, breaking into sobs as he did.

His boy, his little boy, had been raised to be a killer for the church, but that had been for a cause. His actions during this War, they were a sign of failure on his part as a father. His mind turned to Caren as he took yet another bite, relighting the fire in his mouth. She was older than Rin, a young teenager now. She would be soon to join the Church in service, much like her mother and father before her. Much like he had. As he thought about it, he came to a conclusion; Caren would join the Church, but under his direct tutelage. He would not let his granddaughter come to the tragic end of either of her parents. He had failed before, he would not fail again.

With this pledge, Risei turned his attention to finishing every last painful, repentful bite of mabo tofu. He never noticed that the boy had turned his attention to Risei once more, confusion and wonder on his young face.

Author's Note: And that's it. This is the final chapter for Fate/Zero: Heroes of Justice. Thank you to everyone who has read this story. This is the longest fic I've ever written, and it's been a ride. When I started writing this, I knew where it was going to end, but still I found myself surprised by the twists that the story took while I wrote it. I hope everyone else enjoyed the twists and turns of this story too. It's been great making this story feel as much like a super hero story as possible, from the chapter titles to the sentai poses. I love these dumb heroes of justice, and this franchise, and there's sure to be more stories coming from me in the future. I've got a lot of interesting, experimental stuff planned. Expect a lot of what if AU's coming from me in the future.

Thank you once more to my Beta editor Blind Seer, who has read everything I've written for this and helped me plan out large chunks of the fic. Writing this has become an obsession that has consumed us both. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic. I appreciate the sheer volume of reviews and views this story has gotten. The level of engagement people have had in reading it makes me happy every time I think about it. Thank you for everything. In thanks, who wants a Marvel Movie style after credits stinger? ;)

Irisviel sat on a chair outside the Einzbern castle. There was a table set up before her and covering it was dozens of documents that she was looking over. There was a lot of work needed to securing a proper living for her family, practically from the ground up. Adoption for Shirou, school enrollment for Illya and proper documentation for Arturia. She would also need to work on properly setting Japan as her place of residence and salvaging the remains of the Einzbern family fortune and holdings.

She looked up and smiled at the sight of Shirou and Illya helping Arturia clean up the destroyed courtyard of the castle. They were all smiling, enjoying working in the brisk, winter afternoon air. Seeing her family getting along so well warmed her heart.

"Lady Irisviel." Irisiviel looked and saw Maiya approaching on crutches, her leg now in a cast. Sola-Ui had done a lot with her magic before returning to London, but there had only been so much she could do. Luckily, Maiya would only need to have the cast on for a few weeks instead of a few months, but she still needed to stay off it as much as possible. This was easier said than done.

"Maiya, come to join me?" asked Irisviel, gesturing to a chair. Maiya moved to the chair and carefully sat down in it, laying her crutches carefully on the ground next to her. Irisviel noticed that Maiya had a folder that had been tucked under her arm. "What's that?"

"This," said Maiya, setting it on the table and sliding it over to Irisviel, "is one of several files I have compiling my research and investigation into all the Masters and participants in the Fourth Holy Grail War."

"And who's file is this?" asked Irisviel with curiosity. She took the folder and read the name printed on the front. Her eyes went wide as the words registered for her. "This-this is Shirou's mother?"

Maiya nodded. "It is. When I looked into her, I found a surprising history for Akira Manjome. The first being that that's not her original name."

Irisviel looked over the file, reading every line, her surprise growing as she did. Eventually, she got to the end and looked up at Maiya. "Why did you show me this?"

"Since you've adopted him, I thought you should know," replied Maiya. "Are you going to tell him?"

"I-."

The Heroes of Justice will return in:

Fate/Heroes of Justice!

Coming in 2019