It goes without saying it's been a long time since I updated this story and for that I deeply apologize to you all. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic amongst a few other things for me to fully get my drive to keep working on this story back, that and some free time which gave me some more time to think. Anyways, enough of the author's rambling, I like to save all that for the end. Hope you all enjoy!

I do not own anything.

Chapter 3-Musings on the Future

As it was to be expected of a Master and Servant, especially from the same country but different time periods, Hakuno and Tamamo remembered two radically different versions of Kyoto.

Naturally, Tamamo remembered it at its greatest, when the former imperial capital had been built and the power of the imperial court absolute. The splendor of the city was beyond anything else in Japan at the time, and would remain so for a few centuries. It had been the dream of many, peasant and nobility alike, to be invited to Kyoto for whatever reason; even a stay as short as a few hours at best would suffice for many. Then there were those who called the capital home, especially the nobility such as members of the imperial family, on top of them were the more well-off merchants who'd set up shop. Some found success while others found only failure and heartache. Matter of fact, one could argue that went for Kyoto as a whole. Yes, in spite of its splendor, it was still a city just like any other. Opportunity awaited, one could find either glory or ruin on its streets. In Tamamo's case, she'd found glory.

Fortune had smiled upon her as she'd been delivered to Kyoto in the most extravagant way possible, at the request of the emperor of course. From that point onward, Kyoto became her home, her life one of lavish privilege and courtly intrigue as one of the emperor's favorite courtesans, as well as one of his most intelligent. The side of Kyoto that she saw was the brighter side, the side that was now idolize and memorialized in Japan's history. Of course, every coin had no sides. Just because she primarily lived on one side didn't mean she was ignorant of the other. No, just like the other members of the aristocracy, Tamamo knew of the seedier sides, the sides that people like her won't supposed to be caught dead in, yet stories of ventures to that side helped feed the massive gossip wheel that kept court life humming. It was a beautiful, wretched, contradiction that she couldn't help but look back on and smile at.

That wasn't the Kyoto that her beloved former Master-turned-husband knew.

The Kyoto Hakuno had known was a half-demolished pile of rubble, or at least the one from his first life. Said life was spent in idyllic bliss before being horrendously interrupted; following that, it was spent helping heal a world that had been broken in several ways. There were things he could smile at, but his memories of first coming upon Kyoto weren't one of them.

His Kyoto had been a shooting victim, shot several times then given hasty treatment that had perhaps only prolonged the inevitable. It actually put Kyoto in a category that included forty-percent of the other cities around the world so the people there didn't feel left out. Not that it made them feel any better. Hakuno often shut his eyes and overlaid the memories of his first life with the life he now held, the two were like night and day, much like the buildings he passed.

Broken and burnt out husks that all stood on barely stable ground, speaking of which, all of that had been upturned and broken apart giving the appearance of a smashed piece up piece of China. All of it stood in the shadow of a now volcanic Mount Atago. Survivors looked up to the mountain with fear that it would erupt and finish the job wrought by the Overcount 1999 Incident; some actually prayed for such a thing to occur. It'd be a quick and merciful end compared to attempting to continuing to carve out a meager existence in a once great city. Hakuno had met more than a few people who believed so, including one who was willing to enforce such a view using violence and murder, oh, and with a little help with some stolen seismic generators which could set off a new earthquake. The memory wasn't one he liked to look back on, even if he had been hailed as a hero for helping stop the maniac from destroying what remained of Kyoto.

All of that was far away, so very far away. The Kyoto he and Tamamo walked through was nowhere near close to being destroyed, nor was Japan a nation decimated and at the whims of powers greater to it, and the world itself was turning along just fine.

Two people from two who'd seen two very different Kyotos, now united in a peaceful one that they walked through. In a year's time, they would be joined by two more souls. This Kyoto, so different from what either of the pair knew, would be the playground of their children.

"We'll have a lot to teach them." Tamamo started, uncharacteristically nervous. Starting the conversation off was her thing, being the more socially graceful of the pair. That didn't mean that she couldn't stumble. She had good reason to this time, especially good.

"Suppose when we get home, we'll have to make a list. Probably starting with don't show their ears or tail in public." Began the male brunette in a rather casual tone. Yet another aspect of their contrasting nature, something that Tamamo took comfort in. When she was unsure, he was strong and steady, for her just as himself. She looked up to him with twinkling eyes. He laughed and kissed her on the forehead. To onlookers, his wife was just an exceptionally beautiful woman, which she was. Only he could see her foxy ears, which twitched in delight. Hakuno was absolutely sure that their children would inherit their mother's animalistic traits, and her magical capabilities. "I still can't believe it…twins."

"I for one…well, I'll admit, I'm just as surprised as you are, Hakuno." Whispered the former Servant snuggling into her love's arms. The coldest winds from the north could be blowing upon her and she'd still feel as warm as a summer day in the arms of her former Master. There were times when such a thing had literally true. "Truth be told, I'm kind of happy we're having twins. It means that they'll have someone to play with."

"Yeah, double the mayhem for us." Chuckled the two-time Master with a lazy smirk. His wife's giggling only added to the imagery forming in his head. Hakuno couldn't help but see it as almost prophetic. He'd met more than his fair share of interesting people over three lifetimes, some of whom he'd come to admire, some he'd come to hate, and others who…just left him speechless. All of them had caused him no end of headaches, especially the pink-haired woman whom he was happy to call his wife and now the mother of his children. Hakuno knew for a fact that said children would be little hellraisers just like the both of them were, and in some ways still are. "Just so you know, they'll be no witchcraft training until they're at least seven years old."

"Mikon, that's too old." Huffed the Shinto goddess. "Besides, from the moment they'll be born, their magical power will be off the charts. A simple hiccup or cough could spew out either a mass of light or a blast of solar energy. They could illuminate the darkness of night while sleeping! No, no, we'll be starting earlier than that." Hakuno's serious demeanor lasted barely a minute. He knew all along that the training would have to start earlier as he was no fool; like her, he harbored no illusions about how potentially powerful their children could be. Or the powers who would seek to use them for their own ends. Raising and protecting one demigod would be arduous enough, but two, that would be a challenge even for them. But they would rise to the occasion as they had several times before. On top of that, it was as the divine queen had said before, the children would have each other watching their backs. Tamamo was sure of that because even if they squabbled with one another much like she and her siblings did, the sibling love between them would prove strong enough to bind them together. It certainly had been the case for her.

It wouldn't just be from her end, but from her husband's end as well. After all, the Kishinami family had produced men of considerable willpower, especially when it came to the safety of loved ones.

Darkness had cast a blanket over the sky, the sun having just recently set. Trails of blue and purple remained across the sky if one looked hard enough, they could catch wisps of orange and red, reminders of the bright and warm day that it had been. It had been a day well spent as far as the married couple were concerned, a day that would be engraved into their memories. In the grand scheme of things, one could have argued this was a day that would have gone down in history, yet everything was as tranquil and mundane as it had been when Hakuno and Tamamo had woken up; just how they liked it. For two people with…histories as interesting as theirs, that might have come off as a tad shocking. Then again, those who knew exactly what those histories were would have understood quite well that normalcy was welcomed by the Kishinamis. Of course, what they called "normal" could vary wildly from the common definition, perhaps mundane was the better description.

Neither the human nor goddess believed there would be anything mundane about raising two demigod children in a world that had moved on from gods and magic. It would be a new exciting chapter of their lives that they would face with all that they had, especially each other.

Once more, the couple walked under the darkening sky, welcoming the stars as they blazed into existence on by one. They both could see them so clear, and if they wanted to, they could even literally reach up and touch them, especially Tamamo. Looking up at them always brought a smile to her face, or rather, stargazing when she had the arm of her beloved wrapped around her waist.

"Hey," Hakuno began, a lazy smile on his face as he looked up. "Do you remember when the sky was virtual?"

"Yes, I do, but it was still quite beautiful to look at." Answered the former Servant in a soft voice. Given its processing power, the Moon Cell had been able to replicate the real world down to a tee. Tamamo found it impressive, but somewhere inside, perhaps the goddess in her, had longed to see the real sky and the stars that came out at night. She wasn't looking forward to seeing her brother, but one took the good with the bad. That had been the case with the Holy Grail War as in some ways, it offered her a second chance, but at the cost of a life of bloodshed. "You know, I think one wish I might have had was to see the real sky again." There was an instinctive flex on her part, on that her husband had been expecting. "Looking through Twice's memories though…I think…I like to think some part of me wanted to go back to Earth to clean it up, if only just a little."

The male brunette laughed, showing no distress at the mention of his antagonistic foil who also happened to be his wife's former Master. "Yeah, the planet really was in a bad way, wasn't it? If it's any consolation, you got to save the planet in this timeline."

Spinning around, she leaned up and peaked her lover on the lips. "Oh, that's more than a consolation." Her hand rose and caressed his cheek while her golden eyes stared longingly into his warm brown orbs. Those eyes had been one feature that immediately stood out to her when they first met. That first meeting she'd stared into wide eyes filled with fear, uncertainty, and most importantly awe. After that, she'd watched with heartfelt joy as the fear and uncertainty slowly but surely was replaced with a harden will that looked ahead toward the future through the pain and tragedy of the Holy Grail War. In spite of that, those eyes never lost their tenderness, even after learning of her true identity. "Just being able to experience so much beside you…that was no mere consolation prize, it was a blessing, one that I thought I'd long since lost the right to receive."

"Heh, every time you say that, it makes me feel like I'm the one who's been blessed." Remarked the human, his hand falling over his wife's. Her touch was warm and gentle, as it always had been and always would be. "Tamamo," Hakuno began. "Since you're…expecting…do you think we should…well, since you brought him up…would you be…alright with telling Twice?"

He looked directly into her eyes, silently telling her that he'd abide by whatever decision she made. Tamamo let out a sight, but continued to smile none the less. "Yes, I would. After all, I do want doctors that I can trust watching over me and being there for when I deliver our children. Heh, the experience may be helpful to him and enough to motivate him to rip his head away from all the computer monitors." He snickered, and so did she. They both knew that she was an emotional woman, especially when it came to the people whom she cared about, which most certainly included her Masters, even one whom attempted to trap mankind in a forever war in another timeline. The version of her former Master that existed in this timeline had no such inclinations, albeit he did share some of the original's somewhat antisocial mannerisms. "Hey, do you think that when our little ones are born…"

Hakuno raised a playful eyebrow. "Would you have any arguments to them growing up to be doctors or programmers?"

Smiling, the pink-haired woman looked down to her stomach. While it was relatively flat now, in the coming months it would begin to expand. "Their futures will be theirs to decide…I just hope…that they're able to stay on what can be called a noble path. I hope that…they'll be able to do better than-" Lost in her musings, she was unprepared for the kiss that her husband began. Tamamo didn't fight it, she never fought his lips. Her knees went weak as she felt the love and care that he held for her. Once more, her hands went to his chest, his quietly held her by the waist, as they had a thousand times before, across two lifetimes. He'd vowed that he'd always be there for her, that she would always be able to find sanctuary in his arms.

Likewise, his arms would provide that same sanctuary for the two souls to be brought into the world in about nine months or so. Hakuno deeply looked forward to that time, but until then, it would be him and Tamamo, as it had been before. Both former Master and Servant were looking forward to that changing.

In what felt like no time at all, the day had gone and night had fully set in, and with it came the night life. Rather than life slowing down, it merely sped up. Tamamo's hidden foxy ears twitched with excitement as she listened to the buzz of the Kyoto nightlife. Truth be told, this was one of the things that she loved, and had missed about the real world. There had been seeing it through a virtual lens, and then there was walking through the real thing.

Hakuno was in a similar boat, albeit his experience was more unique.

Moving to Kyoto had been a joint decision made after he'd graduated college and was ready to work as was Tamamo. They'd taken several long walks around the city, spending whole days moving from place to place with no clear destination in mind…and at other times attempting to lose pursuers. None of them ever dared make a move; magi or not, they knew that attempting to cross a reborn sun goddess and her husband, who happened to be a dangerous man himself, was just asking for a world of pain at the least. Tamamo had made it frighteningly clear to the Clock Tower and Magus Association any attempts made on her or her inner circle would end in blood and ashes. That declaration would be repeated when she made her presence known to both groups, now knowing that she was going to be giving birth to not one but two divine-blooded children.

Those children would no doubt be walking or even racing down the same streets that they were walking now. Tamamo and Hakuno smiled at the thought, almost picturing it happening with their eyes. Countless times they'd passed couples and parents struggling to keep up with little kids, even bumping into and helping a few themselves. More than once they'd stopped by some playgrounds and even child-themed stores; Tamamo's gaze would fill up with longing as she thought of what could have been, as did Hakuno. They'd be doing a lot more window shopping now that they knew they'd be parents.

Which was exactly what the couple did as the night began to wear on.

Between the two of them, it became obvious that Hakuno's mind was the one that was truly wondering. The goddess wasn't surprised in the slightest. While she was nervous as hell, so too was the love of her life, perhaps just as much or even a little more so than her. Knowing that, Tamamo chose to remain silent, at least for now. When they were back in the privacy of their own home she could talk to him about it, or they were some place a little more private. Kyoto had plenty of private places for them to talk; skyscrapers and hilltops offered amazing privacy for the pair of mystical travelers. From time to time, being high up on the skyscrapers and towers was relaxing, comforting even. At night they had the added benefit of being able to see the stars much better than they could on the ground.

At the brunette's request, they did window shopping for furniture and diapers, all things they knew they were going to need close to a year from now. Hakuno's intuition told him that they were especially going to need plenty of diapers, and the two of them were going to be grateful they'd mastered enchanting enough that they could cast it on clothing. Especially clothing. Then there would no doubt be the furniture.

"Um, were you a runner as a kid?" Questioned the mortal.

Naturally, his response was a very foxlike series of snickers. "A little…but I do believe it's worth pointing out that I can move at lightspeed when I want to, much like you can, Hakuno." The goddess cocked her head as she smirked at him. "You know, there's a chance that they could take after you and we'd have to worry about everything being frozen instead of on fire."

"Another layer of protective enchantments, great." Muttered the former Master. There was a small hint of pride in his voice in spite of his grimace. Truth be told, while he was certain their twins would inherit traits of their mother, he wondered what features they could potentially inherit from him. After all, Tamamo wasn't the only one who wielded the power of a celestial sphere, so too did he curtsy of the cube-shaped moon rock embedded deep within his body. His hand went to his chest as he continued to browse around, looking at the cribs set up on display.

Ultimately, they didn't buy anything, but they certainly made mental lists of what they would be buying when they came back months later. By then, Tamamo's stomach would have grown, and with it her eye for detail would have been turned up several notches. Hakuno wrapped his arm around the goddess and mused how he looked forward to that day; he had a gut feeling that he'd be doing a lot of apologizing.

"Mikon, I'll be able to restraint myself…I'll just want the best for our little ones." Half-heartedly defended the goddess with a pink tint on her cheeks. "We could always get someone to build one for us."

"Nah, I'd rather buy one ourselves, or better yet, maybe let someone gift us with one as a present." The sequel of delight that came from the former Servant had Hakuno blushing, and slightly fearing her illusion magic would break revealing her animalistic features. From that thought came another concern, should their children be born with their mother's animal traits, how far would they have to go in hiding them?

"I'll take care of that part, better they learn from me." Having spent so long connected to one another, it wasn't too surprising that she could seemingly read his mind. If Tamamo wanted to, she could, and he could do the same to her if he put some effort into it. Thankfully, they had no need and could simply feel the other's thoughts most of the time. "Keeping themselves hidden…I wonder if they'll resent having to do so as they get older." The goddess' eyes fell down to the ground as she continued to walk in the arms of her husband, who leaned over and kissed the top of her head, murmuring words of encouragement. "It's not like I'm ever against this, there are places where I can go and let my tail and ears show, the inn being a shining example of that even if I have to occasional hide myself for the more mundane guests."

"Speaking of which, how long will we be able to keep them away from the inn?" Measly questioned the food company worker. It was a question with an easy answer, one that they both laughed at as they thought of it. "They'll be running loose around the inn, which I think will honestly be cute to see. It'll definitely drive some guests up the walls."

"Darling, if I didn't know any better, it almost sounds like you want our child to become little disasters while at my job, while I am treating guests from the normal world and moonlit world." Remarked the pink-haired woman with a catty smile. Hakuno grinned at her causing Tamamo to giggle and cuddle against his side. Mere seconds later she was forced to break away as a wave of nausea overcame her. As she groaned, her husband scoured the surroundings, she let him guide the way from there.

Almost ten minutes later and she emerged from the restroom looking rather gloomy. Hakuno looked to her with an understanding smile. There were many great and vast questions about life and the universe that mankind desired to know. Even with a piece of a supercomputer inside of him, he couldn't say that they were all answerable, not even those questions concerning the gods who'd long since departed from this world save for the one walking back to him.

Do gods experience human pregnancy complications? He could answer with a resounding yes to that question. Were they annoyed by them? Oh, definitely.

"After years of watching, it's finally my turn to experience the pain and discomfort." Tamamo groaned taking her husband's arm again. There wasn't any hesitation as he gently caressed her palm. "While I have no doubt this is going to be worth it in the end…oh, this next several months are going to be a hassle."

"We've faced worst." Hakuno countered in a sing-song tone. All his former Servant did was groan even more. Leaning over, he whispered into her ear. "It's not like we won't be able to have sex, we still can, we'll just…have to be a little more careful. Even after the twins are born."

Were it not for her self-control, Tamamo's ears and tail would have manifested there. Of course, her self-control only extended so far. Like a firecracker, her face lit up. "Y-Y-You've been corrupted by being around me, Hakuno. More so than I originally imagined." She could still recoil the days when she was the amorous one in their relationship; she still was, but her beloved had learned the ways of love and romance quite well beneath an ever stoic and disinterested façade. His romantic teasing had become a favorite way of tormenting her. Surely such a thing could only have been called karma, albeit it was karma that Tamamo was happily willing to indulge in. "Y-You know that as time goes on I'm…probably going to get wilder."

"Uh-huh, I know." Came the same sing-song tone that was as gentle as a nightly breeze. That same breeze served to only intensify the heat consuming the former Servant's cheeks. As always, Hakuno was well aware of this and happily indulged himself. "All I can ask is try to keep any potential sun-related disasters on the down low."

"I'll do my best, and here's hoping that when our kits are born, they won't go too control-happy. Come to think of it, what will happen to my Authority?" Questioned the sun goddess. "Surely it'll be passed down to them, or some form of it will." There was a pregnant pause as she raised her hand and held it against her husband's chest. "And your powers, the powers of the Luna Corona…it's practically a Magic Crest, one that can passed down, or at least portions of it."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Hakuno assured her. "For now, how do you feel about getting something to eat?"

"Considering that I just vomited out everything I'd eaten from lunch onward, that idea sounds wonderful. No promises about being able to hold it down for the rest of the night though." Eating out never bothered her, in fact, Tamamo rather enjoyed it. Such feelings were something of a far cry from how she was back on the Moon Cell; she was still rather possessive-protective of her Hakuno. To a degree she still was, but that was literally another life time ago, and oh how things had changed since then. Speaking of change, she was somewhat happy to find that while some things had changed, others had remained the same.

The Kyoto she had known often had packed restaurants, by day and night, and the same went for the Kyoto of the modern era. Admittedly, she'd…pigged out a little on their first visit to Kyoto. The memory was one of happiness and embarrassment that she looked back on more so than she'd like to admit. Hakuno had little issue with bringing it up and happily musing on how the "sun collapsed into a black hole that devoured everything in front of it"; he sat there with a smug smile on his face as she fixed him with a glare that could have incinerated planets to their cores, then turned those cores into ashes to be scattered throughout the cosmos. Only the Victor of the Moon Cell and defeater of the Vulber could claim to have survived such a glare, to have utter such words before the head goddess of the Shinto pantheon and lived to tell the tale. And do so again, and again, and again, always content in the knowledge that there would be no mortal repercussions. Or at least none that involved bodily harm to himself, there were certainly some that involved him being given…less than enviable duties when he chose to take a shift at the Senbonzakura Inn.

With two little demigods on the way, Tamamo could envision more punishments for her husband should he ever get smart over her eating habits. Those were probably going to take a surprisingly and unknown turn as her body had to provide for two more life forms.

Tamamo honestly wondered if her children would inherit their father's appetite…and maybe some of their maternal uncle's too. If that turned out to be the case then she'd certainly be able to put her hard-earned cooking skills to even greater usage than she had before. The excitement practically had her giggling with every bite of her and Hakuno's dinner.

Arashiyama, 9:36 PM…

When most people thought of traveling through the air, their minds normally went to flying in an airplane or helicopter, which were the methods human beings used to travel the skies once previously thought out of reach. For gods, especially celestial gods, it was a tad different.

Hakuno could remember when Tamamo could literally carry him around while leaping superhuman distances, and then when she learned how to fly during the Shanghai Great Holy Grail War. His mind had been blown away, and his awe of her, already considerable great, grew twofold. Especially on the second occasion where he was able to see her sun-based powers for the first time; they were indeed magnificent. He couldn't deny that he'd felt proud that his girlfriend could move through the skies as a beam of solar light faster than the eye could see. Alternatively, she could simply move through the air as casual as if she were riding in a carriage. Tamamo being Tamamo had made no small shortage of jokes about how she would be his "personal" carriage through the skies, rather clear or stormy, all he needed to do was ask.

And then there were the times when he'd joined her, gaining the ability to fly himself. When that happened, it was the final nail in the coffin cementing that he wasn't a normal human being, not anymore.

Where as his wife moved with the strength of the sun, he moved with the grace of the moon. On a night like tonight with half of the moon showing, his powers were considerably increased. In spite of that, he moved at a leisure speed as did she. This too was another favorite hobby of theirs, gliding across the skies of Kyoto; they did so whenever they wanted to get somewhere in a hurry or had no desire to catch the ground-based scenery. The view afforded to them from the sky was twice as majestic as what they could have experienced on the flat streets.

Particles of gold and silver dispersed as the couple touched down, their feet barely making a sound against the paved pathway of the bamboo grove. They danced amongst the glow of the sidewalk lights which cast a tranquil glow over the massive green stocks. It was a sight that neither Tamamo nor Hakuno ever grew tired of. Quietly, they began to walk the bath.

"You know…twins sound kind of fitting for us." Hakuno started.

Tamamo giggled. "Oh, I most certainly agree." Her hand going over to her tummy, she mused, "Perhaps one will inherit my powers over the sun and the others your power over the moon. Yin and yang, much like us." The principles of duality, even gods could not escape them, in fact, those principles covered their existence as they did all other things in the cosmos. "If that's how things end up being, I have full faith we shall not raise another Tsuku."

"Hey, one of them could end up having my moon powers, but Susanoo's temperament." Joked the Holy Grail War victor with a cheery smile.

His wife looked to him with an all too familiar grimace. "Eh, darling, remember what I told you about some jokes not being funny. At all. Let's not ponder any of our offspring taking after their, er, uncle. I'd much rather have it they took traits from your side of the family." Her formerly sour expression fading, she looked upward to the star-studded skies. "The stars…I…would like to hope that…Naoki-san is watching over us, and will watch over them. No," she gave his hand a squeeze that was returned. "I know he is and will be."

The male brunette's heart ached at the memory of his beloved uncle, a man who'd raised him in one life time and loved him as a nephew in another…even while he was possessed and trying to kill him and end the whole world. In the weeks following the conclusion of the Shanghai Holy Grail War, he'd noticed how everyone had been careful when addressing his uncle, especially his Servant-turned-girlfriend. Almost everyone had lost family, but they all seemed to agree that Hakuno had been put through a tougher ringer; it wasn't hard to arrive at that conclusion when one considered that the deceased astronomer had been possessed by aliens and made to act as their proxy, trying to bring about the destruction of all life on Earth including that of his own family. Hakuno tried hard not to think about it, in time, he'd made peace with what had happened, and so too had the rest of his family.

"When they're born…let's…bring them to go visit them." He finally said after several moments of silence. "And not just uncle Naoki, mom and dad too."

"Naturally, they are your parents, my in-laws, our children's grandparents…the much easier and nicer of the two." Chuckled the former Caster. There was a twinge of sadness in her as she made the statement. Her adoptive parents had dreamed of their daughter one day bringing home children and a man. Hundreds of times she'd wished they could have met Hakuno, and now that same wish had returned with a greater fervor as she had not one but two lives growing within her. "I think it's hard to tell who'd have spoiled them rotten."

"Something tells me that question may just be better left said for when they're born and we can introduce them." Offered the empowered human. "Still, it's kind of comforting to know that my folks are in a comparison with deities."

"That's because they're just and kind people, naturally given that they raised such a fine man whom I'm lucky enough to call my own."

After the quiet and tranquil walk, the married couple arrived at the destination that had been a place of interest to both of them since moving to Kyoto.

Hakuno remembered how during his first life, Arashiyama was a massive crater on the western outskirts of a broken and decimated city. The famed Togetsukyō Bridge was gone, not a shred of it, or the river it stretched across, remained. Having that memory made him able to cherish laying eyes on the untouched and very real thing as he had several years ago. He'd walked to the edge of the river bake barefoot; the cool waters felt like the shores of the heavens. He'd thrown his head back and inhaled the warm early summer air. That had been one of the things that pushed him to choosing Kyoto as the home of him and his reincarnated Servant. Tamamo had joined him, barefoot as well and basking in the warm air that was carried down from the mountain. That same air caressed the now married couple as they once more stood on the shores beside the bridge. They would cross it back into town eventually, but for now they'd enjoy the splendor of the view.

As autumn had come, the leaves had changed color from bright green to various shades of red and orange, the color of flames. At night they were visible, but at sunset, the bright colors would have no doubt truly come alive. Such a sight was a good tourist attraction, which was one of the many reasons why the area was so diligently maintained, much like the rest of the natural scenery of Kyoto.

Shoes and socks lay folded up by the side and pants were pulled up to the knees allowing for a light immersion into the water. Hakuno sighed in bliss at the cold yet relaxing feel of the water.

"I'm…scared to be honest." He started.

"So am I, Hakuno." Comforted the former Servant. "I…the last time that Amaterasu gave birth was centuries ago, and…as for myself, Tamamo-no-Mae was a surrogate mother, but never a birth mother." For a goddess of the sun, Tamamo's eyes could sparkle surprisingly well in the moonlight. "I'll be new to this too, especially the whole birthing part. Heh, I suppose I should warn you now that your hand will probably be in a cast for a little while. I'll do my best. Hasn't that always been our motto?"

Brown eyes twinkled hearing the reflection of his words. Those were the words he'd told Tamamo and himself back during the original Moon Cell Holy Grail War. He'd had absolutely not idea how either of them were going to make it through? Fighting other Masters and Servants? Surviving a battle royal to the death? What was he, a wizard without a past, supposed to do? Some would have said give up since he had absolutely no idea who he was, what was going on, or what the hell he even wanted. He didn't have a goal or dream like the other participants, who gave it their all for the sake of their dreams.

"Well, in that case, I just…I'll just have to do my best."

"Mikon! Master, that'll be more than enough, just leave everything to me! As your Servant, you have my word I shall deliver us to victory and the prize of the Holy Grail!"

It was a ridiculous statement to make…but it was one that he made of his own free will, as an NPC, as a human being with a will to survive, as a Master in the Holy Grail War.

And in the end, it had ultimately carried them through, against all odds. His "best" seemingly grew as he and Tamamo found themselves facing stronger and stronger opponents. Each one forced him to grow, to harden himself, yet at the same time forge who and what he was. After every battle, he walked away with an understanding of his opponents, with a respect for them, yet he also loathed fighting, and he in turn loathed the Moon Cell which set up such a cruel competition. It was only natural that at the heart of it lay a man who'd hated war as much as Hakuno discovered he did…and yet he sung of its positive effects, of the noble and admirable qualities it brought out of people. Hakuno couldn't deny he was a living testament to Twice's beliefs.

But that didn't stop them from coming into conflict with one another.

"I see…in that case…from here on out…it's yours to use…no, for a person like you, it's yours to guard. It won't be an easy task, but you've learned by now that nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Maybe that's why…I can finally rest in peace, because I know that you can do it. I know that you can do your best, Hakuno." Twice had spoke to him mere seconds before he was pulled out of the black abyss of oblivion born from touching the Holy Grail and making his wish to end the fighting. "Heh, that…and I can see now…you can make her happy. Yes, you are the type of man that she needs, that she's always needed. Hakuno…I know that I have no right to ask this…but…

"Darling?" Came the soft voice of his wife. Hakuno blinked and looked to her. "I…if you want…we can stay out a little longer. It's not like we have to worry about getting caught in traffic." That last part was added with a light giggle. Given their capabilities, things such as railways and buses could seen quite trivial to them.

But Hakuno and Tamamo had made their decision on how they would live with this new extra life they'd fought for and achieved.

"Yeah, but where'd be the fun in that. Besides," he winked at her. "I'm up for a train ride."

Leaning into the human, the sun goddess responded, "A train ride home sounds good. Here's hoping I don't vomit before we can get home."

"Hey, you can always vomit in the train bathroom. I promise I won't tell anyone, especially-mphhhh." When the miko fox withdrew from his lips, there was a glint in her eyes, a silent mischievous warning not to go any further. Hakuno chuckled and conceded defeat with a nod of his head. His reward was a light giggle from his wife, and maybe a little cuddling when they got home.

Home, that was another concept that Hakuno had an interesting relationship with.

One upon a time, he had an ordinary home with an ordinary family, and then that home was burned to the ground and his parents murdered in front of his eyes. He'd taken swift revenge on one of their killers, taking his first life at the ripe age of eight years old. After that, home had become his uncle, who traveled across the globe helping who he could. Hakuno had first learned what happened to him was nothing special, far from being the only one to ever feel like he'd lost everything, there were countless others like him, thousands across the globe. In realizing that, where he could, he worked to give those poor souls some semblance of joy, and at times even a home to replace the ones they'd lost.

And then he'd lost his memories of that life, and that home; he slept in darkness until he'd awoken on the moon. From that point onward, home became a classroom turned room…and a bubbly but capable and even fearsome fox with a past she'd rather keep hidden. In spite of all of that, any place where she was became his home.

Following that, home became a lavish mansion from which they ruled over the Moon Cell, or rather, she ruled and he blindly followed her, having lost most of his reason. When the threat passed, home became a modest house in the capital of their territory. It would be a lovely place until danger once more came calling, and then their home was lost along with everything else, or so Hakuno had believed.

He awoke again, and home was as it had been the first time, two caring parents, a nice house on a farm in western Japan. That had all been good until he went off to college and home became a college dorm. And then the affairs of the Moonlit World caught up to him and home became a room in a mansion owned by one of the wealthiest and most influential families in all of China, and the world of magi. That same family had ultimately welcomed him as one of their own. After that, home went back to being a college dorm room, now shared with his newly incarnated Servant, and the love of his life.

Five years passed and home became a nice two-story house in Nishijin Kyoto. A house that would be occupied by not two but four souls by the end of next year.

Hakuno chuckled as his wife leaned against him. Not a bad stretch for a little farmer's kid.

Once again, sorry for the year long absence in an update. I got way side tracked and it took a while for me to be able to come back to this story. As with the last chapter, I dropped some more hints on all that Hakuno and Tamamo have been through, namely it was the theme of this chapter. Admittedly, some personal feelings went into this chapter as the last year has been…taxing to say the least. I'm one of those people who likes to believe that eventually, things will turn out better, but only if you're willing to put in the work to keep on marching toward them. In the case of our couple, the uncertainty and anxiety of parenthood is the hurdle to climb; it can seem daunting, but it can be overcome, and what comes after is…life changing. Such a theme is a constant I like to associate with Hakuno and Tamamo, one of the keystones of their relationship that I love so much. I'll be looking forward to seeing the two of them again in Record, which was one hell of an anniversary gift.

I'll have another update coming in about a week or two so no worries about a months' or even a year long dark period. Until then, stay safe and healthy, everyone!