Shadow Magic

Chapter 2

Sakura was getting ready for school. It is the first day she be going to school and she was a little nerves because she had not left the temple in three days and she was worried that Zouken might try to take her back. Caster told Sakura that there was nothing to worry about as long as she had her charms. After that Sakura made her way to the gate when a familiar voice called her name.

"Over here little lady." The man said.

"Good morning Kojiro." Sakura greeted.

"Good morning." Assassin said.

"Do you have your charms?" He asked.

"Yes there right here." she showed him the charms.

"Well then off you go little lady and be careful." He said with a smile.

"Thank you." She said as she head down the stairs.

After she had left Assassin began to reminisced about his first encounter with her two days ago.

Flashback.

Sakura was standing next to wall while Caster was summoning a servant. In a flash of light a samurai warrior appeared.

"Kojiro Sasaki, Assassin class servant." He said.

"Assassin I had different plans for but after a brief look at your parameters it would seem that I will have to change my plans. The defenses of the temple have but a single weak point. You with your Saber-class skills in the area of single combat will be tasked with plugging that gap." Caster said.

"Will I now? And prey tell, why should I obey your orders to be a glorified guardsman? Or for that matter, why should I obey a woman like you?" Assassin said.

"I am your master." Caster hissed.

"Are you now?" Assassin asked. He reached for his katana and Caster's command seals light up.

"Wait!" Sakura shouted as she stepped in between them.

"Sakura step out of the way." Caster said.

"Its dangerous child, you should step aside." Assassin said.

"We're all supposed to be on the same side! We shouldn't fight like this!" Sakura shouted.

Without breaking a beat, she turned to Assassin and give a formal bow. "O-samurai I apologize if we offended you in some way, but please share with us your strength, even if we have little to offer you." She said.

Sakura give another bow, and Assassin stared at her for a few moments. He then broke out laughing. "Well this is certainly a surprise I never expected something like that from a child. Perhaps this wasn't a total loss after all." He said.

"Very well. I will accept my post as your guard. However, I have two conditions to make." Assassin said.

"Name them." Caster said.

"One: should I ever engage an enemy in single combat, you are not to interfere, even on the verge of my demise. Feel free to engage any other enemy in the vicinity, but not the one I will be facing. That is my price for offering my sword." Assassin said.

"Very well, and your second condition." Caster said.

"This little girl, what is her name?" Assassin asked.

"Sakura." She answered.

Assassin raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue. He was more perceptive enough to realize that there more to this than meets the eye, but he saw no need to inquire any further. It wasn't like family betrayal were unknown to him.

"My second condition is simple. I wish that Sakura speak to me at her leisure." He said.

"I have no desire for the grail. I have no real reason to fight. However, this child intrigues me. I would enjoy the pleasure of her company at times." Assassin said.

"The pleasure of her company…?" Caster echoed dangerously.

"Do not misunderstand me. I have no ill intentions toward her that much I can assure you. All I seek is to fight a battle wherein I can use my secret sword technique as much as I can, and converse with someone who I genuinely like." Assassin said.

Caster was still not convinced about whether to accept his second condition or not. She glanced at Sakura who give an encouraging nod. A moment passed, and she made her decision.

"We accept your conditions. But be warned: should you make any untoward actions, then I assure you that your retribution shall be swift and just." Caster said.

"And I would rightly deserve it, and now that we've reached an agreement, what would you have me do?" Assassin said.

Flashback ended.

"Ah Kariya…" Tokiomi said with a pleasant if reserved smile as Kirei led the man into his living room. Aoi was there as well, as Tokiomi knew quite well how much Kariya detested him. Hopefully her and Kirei presence would keep him under control. "…welcome, you were delayed by distance and circumstance, but now that you are here..." Kariya cut him off.

"Spare me the platitudes, first of all I want to know what the hell possessed you to send Sakura to Zouken!" He said.

"An easy enough question to answer. You know as well as I do that both my daughters have great magical potential. However, you also know that there can be only one heir for every generation of mages. Rin has already been chosen. Sakura's talents would have gone to waste, a fate I would not wish upon her, both as a mage and as a father. As such when your father offered to adopt her and make the heir to the Matou family, how could I possibly refuse." Tokiomi explained.

"That rule is only a general one! Sakura could have been a support mage to Rin! And don't you dare try and say they could start a feud between them! Those two sisters are too close for that! Even if there was competition, it would only have encouraged them as mages! Couldn't you see that?" Kariya yelled.

"Of course, I did. Unfortunately, it would still not have ensured that Sakura would reach her full potential. As you say: she would only be ancillary to her sister." Tokiomi said.

"I can understand that you want her to succeed as a mage. But couldn't you have chosen someone more decent?" Kariya said.

"Decent…?" Tokiomi echoed.

"Yes! You are responsible for this as well! I warned you over and over again: do not go near my family! Do you really think that I didn't have a good reason for that?" Kariya said.

"Kariya leave my wife out of this." Tokiomi said warningly.

"Trying to cover for her? Well you're her husband, so I suppose that's your duty isn't it?" Kariya said.

"That is correct." Tokiomi said neutrally.

"Then it's also her duty to advise you! You both grow up in mage households! We all did! Did you really think that I had no reasons for leaving Matou! Or for all the warnings that I give to you Aoi?" Kariya said.

"It's… not my place." Aoi said.

"Oh, damn it all!" Kariya said.

"Reasons? What reasons could there possibly be for you to turn your back on your heritage?" Tokiomi said.

"What reason is there for a father to send his daughter to hell?" Kariya said.

"Hell…?"

"You basted, you didn't even bother to try and find out what Sakura would be getting into?" Kariya said.

"It is not my place to question the methods and mysteries of other mages." Tokiomi said.

"Oh really…" Kariya asked skeptically, and Tokiomi actually looked a bit abashed.

"Very well, Matou is an old ally of Tohsaka. To pry into their mysteries would most discourteous." Tokiomi said.

"Enough about them is known in the Clock Tower, their methods are essentially torture." Kariya said.

"Hyperbole, the use of magic causes pain and numbness as mana flows through magic circuits, during the implantation of crests. There are also references to engraving mysteries directly to the body, but considering that's what crests are, I saw no further need to investigate. Indeed, all evidence points to Matou magecraft…" Tokiomi was interrupted by Kariya.

"You ignorant piece of shit, and a pathetic excuse for a father!" Kariya yelled.

"Careful Kariya even my patience has its limits." Tokiomi said warningly.

"Then why didn't you do your job as a father! You're a brilliant mage but you couldn't even extend the same level of attention to your family? To your own flash and blood?" Kariya roared as Kirei and Aoi restrained him and Tokiomi.

"Enough! It seems that bringing you into this was a mistake. Kirei get him out of my sights!" Tokiomi said.

"It's worms, you moron! Parasites! That's what engraving means!" Kariya said as Kirei tried to drag him out.

"What?" Tokiomi asked, taken aback as Kariya shook Kirei off. Kariya then explained what the Matou family training involved, and needless to say. Both Tokiomi and Aoi where horrified at the news.

"Why didn't you just tell us? Why didn't you tell me?" Aoi asked with tears in eyes.

"Do you really think that Zouken would have allowed me to get away with that? Would you have believed me outside of this situation? Whose word would you have trusted had not Sakura been the crux of it all? Me, a good for nothing who turned his back on his lineage, or Zouken your old ally?" Kariya said.

"Zouken! You will pay for your treachery!" Tokiomi said with fire in his eyes.

"Hopefully her training never properly began. You claim she was kidnapped the same day she arrived at the Matou mansion. Either the beginning was interrupted, or it was prevented from even beginning, there is that at least." Kariya said.

"Tokiomi…Sakura…we have to find her! I…I…she's just a child! If…if that had happened…she could hate us…please…we have to…we…I…" Aoi said weakly, openly crying now and clutching at Tokiomi.

"Kirei…" Tokiomi said, turning to the priest who shook his head.

"I'm sorry. But we can find no trace of her. It's as if she has vanished into thin air." Kirei said.

"Magic, or someone is pulling political strings, or both Tokiomi!" Kariya said.

"Clam down, whoever took her isn't the only one who can use magic and has connections. I will find my daughter, and whoever took her will pay for any harm done to her." Tokiomi said.

"And Zouken?" Kairya asked.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold." Tokiomi said with a cold smile.

"Indeed, little man, the only absolution you will find for mistakes is death." Caster said.

Caster had to admit though that man's reasoning, as a mage, was perfectly justified. But his arrogance grated her nerves and his actions as a parent were utterly abominable. On the other hand, Kariya Matou, whom Sakura spoke fondly of, seemed like a decent man, and she agreed with his points. He was to be rewarded.

But rewarding him would have to wait until after war. Canceling her spell, Caster rose and returned to where she had been preparing for tonight's lessen with Sakura. As she worked, she considered her student. Sakura's efforts were commendable and her dedication to learn was genuine, but…

"She can't grasp the full perspective of what I'm trying to teach her. Not without Divine Words…I could use the Blood Adoption…but…I genuinely like her, but could I trust her with that power?" Caster thought.

"No not yet, until I'm sure she is worthy of it. If not, well it would not the first time, I would be disappointed. Now where is Sakura she should be back by now." Caster said.

"That is as far as you go." Assassin said.

Assassin appeared before the temple gates, his sword unsheathed and held low before him. And if it weren't for the fact that it would be most discourteous to do so, he'd have cut down the old man where he stood.

"This is not a man to be trusted. And his appearance, he shames the cloths he wears." Assassin thought.

"I have business in the temple." The old man said.

"No doubt you do. But as the gate keeper of this temple, I have the authority to decide who posses and who doesn't." Assassin said.

"And who gave that authority?" The old man asked.

"That is no concern of yours" Assassin said.

Zouken sneered and took a step forward and froze as Assassin's killing intent saturated the surrounding area and wisps of mana began to wrap around him.

"You're a servant!" Zouken gasped.

"Indeed I am. My master commanded me to guard this gate, and while I will not strike you down if you choose to leave, if you press forward then you will taste cold steel. Choose carefully, little mage." Assassin said.

Zouken ground his teeth in anger.

"Tell me one thing, does Sakura Matou reside here?" Zouken asked.

"I know no one by that name." Assassin answered.

"You lie." Zouken said.

"You impugn my honor? Know your place commoner, or I will strike you down, weapon or no." Assassin said.

Zouken scoffed, but he knew he was no match for a servant. He knew that he could nothing until he summoned a servant of his own, he would have to let this go, for now.

"Pass on a message, inform Sakura and Caster I expect my dues to be paid." Zouken said.

"Assassin said nothing another moment and Zouken left.

"Gods, that man reeks of death and not by battle, by corruption. Someone like that should burn." Assassin thought.

"You can come out now Sakura." Assassin said after waiting until he sure Zouken had left. Sakura looking anxious came out of hiding, she'd barely returned before Zouken's arrival, and only her charms had kept her from being noticed as she made herself scarce.

"You should see Caster and warn her about this." Assassin said, and Sakura nodded before running through the threshold into the safety of Ryuudo Temple. Assassin stared back down the stairway, and after a moment returned to astral form.