Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/ stay night and Fire Emblem: Awakening. It's that simple.

Kintsugi no Fusei

Book 1: On Fields of Fate

Chapter 8: Why worth requires tests

Logs burned on the fireplace and above it was a pot filled with a hearty porridge. Though the scent that wafted from it all but said it was ready, it still needed something.

A familiar tall figure immediately reached for the table nearby and took two containers which contained exactly what he needed. He had to thank Morgana later, one of the satchels she brought not only had food, but spices as well. Opened with a flourish, he sprinkled the food with just the right amount of salt and pepper each.

With that done, the porridge was now being placed into three bowls by the redhead. After he had done so, he placed them on a tray to carry them to the medium-sized circular dining table for later and reached for the next items of focus.

For the next few seconds, only the crackle of burning wood was heard over the rhythmic thud of metal as it sliced through crisp skin and flesh placed on a wooden cutting board. When it was done, he neatly placed each piece on a platter.

Shirou remained silent as he worked on the finishing touches of dinner. The pheasant meat that he had hunted, cleaned, and roasted was now chopped into bite-sized pieces with the cleaver in his non-metallic hand. His other hand then reached for the garnish he had prepped beforehand and sprinkled them over the plate of meat and the bowls of porridge he had created with stock made from pheasant bones and root vegetables. It was extremely fortunate that he had found some rice in the storage chamber, then foraged for some wild vegetables and a pheasant outside, to actually make this.

There, dinner is ready. He thought as he wiped his hands clean on a cloth first, then took the platter and tray into his hands, and carried them to the dining table where he had already set the appropriate utensils.

Unfortunately, he now had nothing more to distract him from the accusations of his mind once he placed the platter of roasted meat on the center as well as the bowls before the three chairs.

Shirou resisted the urge to sigh as he averted his gaze from the door that lead to Morgana's rather opulent bath chamber. It was a place worthy of criticism on the basis that the entire place was supposed to be an emergency pit-house as she had said. But really, it should be called a hidden mansion instead with that spring that lay inside it alone.

However, who was he to criticize when he witnessed what should have been a private moment between mother and child? Though he didn't actually see them per se (nor did he actually want to either), given that he only stood near the entrance and remained out of sight, that still didn't diminish the fact that he stayed there to listen.

However, it was also worth mentioning that Morgana might have given him her blessing to do so. Not vocally but the fact that she left the very satchel that contained all the clothes with him…

And it was his suggestion to begin with to have her give Robin a bath. A familiar face would be the better choice to help her out in that case. After all, he was still mostly a stranger to the woman and he was a man with no permission to do so. Even if he had asked, it would have been to awkward to execute.

Was it really necessary for me to hear them talk? He thought with eyebrows furrowed. The decision he made left him with mixed feelings. On one hand, he could see that it was the pragmatic choice to make since it allowed him to get a clearer picture on what to do. On the other, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth since he did trespass on their privacy.

Not to mention Robin's cries.

The redhead's fists tightened at the thought. It was one thing to hear what happened from Naga, but to hear it from the source and have several blanks filled was…

Nobody should have ever gone through that kind of torment.

The burning emotion of rage gripped his heart once more. Again, his body remembered something. The sensation of an embrace from a woman, of her tears staining his chest, and her heart wrenching cry that reverberated throughout his entire being.

He didn't know when or how, but he was certain now that the anomaly that he would hunt down at some point had an involvement with this. Why he even thought of that was natural, for what slivers of memories he had drew this conclusion.

Think ten steps ahead, analyze everything to achieve victory.

Shirou placed his flesh hand on his chin, eyes closed to help focus more. He needed to carefully gleam all the details and thoughts he had gotten throughout the day.

Robin felt way too similar to that woman who he could only get a silhouette of. So perhaps the said woman was also involved in the anomaly the same way that the albino was connected to the Fell Dragon. And she was Grima's host.

Host.

A shadow. An anomaly. Important.

Shirou ignored the sharp pain that lanced through his head all of a sudden. He was going to ignore that sudden statement for now. He was finally onto something here.

Given the similarities, it wouldn't be far for him to assume that the woman was the host of the anomaly and that he was close to her. And since he was close to her, he might have attempted to get rid of– if not outright try to destroy– the anomaly for her sake that it had nearly cost him his own life. But what was the anomaly's nature? Why did it interfere with the timelines?

Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing more of this, not without access to his lost memories. He didn't even know if they would return naturally. So that means, I would need to find a way to get them back.

Was there something in this world that helped restore lost memories? He'd like to think so, perhaps Morgana and Robin might even know of one. However, he swore an oath to Naga to protect Robin and he was going to keep it, no matter how long it would take him.

And again, he had to remind himself that he had no way of knowing where the anomaly was so he was stuck on that front.

He let out a sigh.

Damn, it's been a long day. I might as well make some tea while I wait. They should be out of there soon enough. The champion of Naga thought as he placed a kettle filled with water over the fire after he had put the pot of porridge aside. He then turned to one of the containers over the table, and his nose had picked up the scent of dried flowers within it. Chamomile huh?

He opened the container and his guess was correct, the floral apple-like aroma it gave off and the white petals that were now a pale yellow because of the drying process was what confirmed it.

Chamomile. One of the best herbs to choose as a stress reliever. Tea made from it acts like a natural sedative due to its calming effects. The effect can be enhanced by adding other soothing herbs, lavender and rosemary to name a few, be it for tea or aromatherapy applications.

He paused and almost recoiled.

Morgana came prepared it seemed. And there was that voice providing him knowledge that was not his memories yet again. Maybe Robin did have a point when she said he was weird. Otherwise, why couldn't he shake off the feeling that it was whispered and came somewhere from his left?

Is that what Naga actually meant when she said both of you? That's frightening really. He thought before annoyance seeped in when he realized something. Hey, that was a full thought. It could give me details for cooking and tea but the actual anomaly is glossed over. What the hell?

"Oh my, that smells amazing!" At the exclamation, Shirou turned his gaze at the mother and daughter duo who stood by the door, both now in fresh clothes and their silver hair slightly damp. They were both clad in simple dark dresses with lighter-colored robes over it, all of them a varying shade of violet. "I have to admit. I am impressed so far Shirou."

"Feel free to eat, I'm just going to prepare some tea for us all." The redhead replied to Morgana as he grabbed a separate kettle and put some of the chamomile to be steeped in when the water was done. He was grateful for the distraction they provided him. He wasn't yet ready to prove the possibility that he was either just that weird or that he might actually have another person somewhere in his mind who may be unhelpful.

No, that way lay madness.

Still, the fact that they were now here meant that he only had to wait till either one or both of them would talk about his interference earlier. They were both smart, that much he knew, it wouldn't be far off for Robin to realize that he had been there because they'd have no clothes otherwise. Though in his defense, Morgana made the decision to leave the clothes with him. What else was he supposed to do? Leave them wet?

…

Wait, that came out wrong. Shirou grimaced at the thought he had, it was a good thing he hadn't said that out loud. He could only thank the fact that the voice didn't deign to comment at all. You know what, I'll just apologize.

"…eat with us." The soft voice easily trickled in his ear even though its speaker was seated at the dining table a few meters away.

Shirou turned his gaze away from both kettles, his mismatched eyes drawn to Robin's purple ones. In them, he saw want beneath the hesitancy as she tried her best to meet his gaze. They remained there for a while before she spoke again, voice firmer. "Shirou, eat with us. Please?"

Having said that, she began to pull at the sleeves of her dress, visibly uncertain even as she tried to maintain eye contact with him.

It was at that moment that he realized. She knew.

But she wants to talk about it. She still wants to talk to me. The redhead barely hid his surprise at that but he was far from being disappointed. Instead, he placed the kettle nearby as he approached the table where they were all seated.

"Okay. Let's all have dinner together."

The water was still boiling and it wasn't going anywhere. The tea could wait, he owed her that much.

When he sat on the remaining chair available on the circular table, the twin-tailed albino lips twitched upwards. At this, Morgana gave him a grateful nod and a knowing glance as they turned their gaze on the food he made. "Well then, let's give grace."

"Thank you for the food."

"Itadakimasu."

"Eh?"

Unbidden his hands were raised and put together before he had spoken the word that rolled of his tongue, punctuated by a slight bow of his head afterwards, eyes closed. When he had opened his eyes once more, he found their eyes back on him. "Is there something wrong with what I said?"

Even as the question left his lips, he knew it was obvious that yes, there was indeed a difference with his when compared to theirs. The word he said was so much more than just a simple way to give thanks. He didn't know why, but it felt oddly appropriate nonetheless to say that word.

It means to receive humbly. A way of thanking the plants, animals, and people involved for the meal to exist.

…why are you telling me this just now? When and where were you before? Do you know who I am?

Shirou waited for a reply.

The mysterious voice did not.

The redhead resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose out of annoyance. Why did he feel that though the voice would indeed help him– make no mistake– the ordeal involved would be a pain in the ass?

"Well not really but…" Robin trailed off, hesitant yet her eyes seemed to shine with a hint of familiarity, as if she might have had an idea of what had happened. "Are you okay Shirou?"

"What my daughter means to say is that you winced all of a sudden there." Morgana noted with an eyebrow raised curiously, her eyes not unlike the hawk he saw earlier this day. She then shrugged, eyes closed as she grabbed her spoon. "I guess it's just one of those things we'll have to talk about later. I don't want the food to get cold."

At that, he could only agree. This was a discussion best left over tea, now was the time for dinner.

All three of them got a spoonful of porridge from their respective bowls. He noted that Robin had a look of surprise at her own spoon, which was lighter than it appeared. She gave him a glance and he only gave her a brief nod to confirm that he had indeed done something to it beforehand. Every little bit to ease her for now, difficult stuff could be done later.

He lifted his own spoon to his mouth to taste. It took him a careful chew and a few more seconds to make his verdict.

Hmmm, it could have used an egg or two. Maybe a bit of minced ginger to give it a kick. He swallowed the porridge before he used a fork to pop a piece of the roast inside and chewed. The pheasant could have used some lime as well for marinade. I'll find some next time.

Though that was his thought, he found himself satisfied for now. He already knew it was good, he wouldn't even dare serve a bad dish, but improvements were always welcome.

With that done, the redhead watched as they dug in. He saw their eyes widen before a muffled moan left their closed lips. They chewed slowly, the two of them doing their best to savor the flavor as they closed their eyes. The sight made him smile in response.

But…

For some reason though, he could have sworn that he saw a lot of flowers suddenly bloom into existence in the air behind them. They were gone when he blinked several times afterwards but still, it made for quite the sight.

Is my cooking really that good? The champion of Naga had to ponder whether that was good or bad.

This is absolutely the best!

Robin blissfully thought in her mind as she ate her food. She had been right about Shirou's cooking. He was limited before with just what ingredients he was able to have on hand but now that her mother had given him more to work with the stuff that he himself had foraged, the overall experience was heightened on a scale she had only just discovered.

The flavors made her feel like she was frolicking on a golden field of rice as the wind blew petals into the air and made her dress billow with it. A basket of vegetables was in her hand while a retinue of pheasants followed her.

Okay, maybe I am blowing this out of proportion but…that is my honest opinion. The albino thought as she opened her eyes and turned her gaze to the pheasant meat on the plate. She reached for her fork, now lighter than it should due to Shirou's weird magic, and used it to get a piece.

It sank easily into the tender flesh and mouthwatering juices seeped out of the pheasant.

She barely managed to stop herself from immediately jamming it inside her mouth, fork and all, but she did. This would be the first time she was eating meat again after so long. Though she had eaten a sweetfish for lunch, this was still different.

And Robin knew very much that she would have so many more things different soon.

Carefully, she put it inside her mouth. The second it graced her taste buds it closed swiftly as she barely stifled a moan of delight. A simple bite then released more of the pheasant's succulent juices and complimented the salt and pepper while she felt the exquisite texture of the meat and the crisp skin.

She could see it now. A mighty pheasant had risen from the raging flames against all odds to flaunt its supremacy over all other pheasants.

This is absolutely insane! How could Shirou make this magnificence? The albino thought as her hands shoveled food into her mouth with spoon and fork. She certainly had her manners still, but it was a difficult battle to resist the urge to just abandon it. She wanted to make the flavor last but she also wanted more, definitely between a rock and a hard place.

"Mm~ That was delicious. Do you mind sharing a few recipes with me Shirou? I'll get you some better ingredients in exchange." Her mother suddenly spoke beside her, which caused Robin to pause from her attempt to scoop more porridge…only to realize in horror that her bowl was now empty.

No! That went by way too fast! I wanted more!

"I was going to ask you that but now that you mentioned it, I accept. What you've brought is enough for now, more so if I forage for more, but having more ingredients to work with definitely wouldn't hurt. I'm quite certain that this meal could have been a lot better with some eggs, a bit of ginger, and maybe a lime." The way that the redhead phrased those words nearly made the albino choke.

This already scrumptious meal could have been a lot better?!

It was that thought which confirmed it. She was now worried that her taste in food may be skewed for the foreseeable future if she was to have her meals made by him every day. The jury was still out whether that would be a good or a bad outcome.

However, there was still something much more important to consider.

Robin raised her bowl. "Um, can I have seconds Shirou?"

"I'll have some as well young man." Morgana echoed as she too, raised her own.

"Don't worry there's plenty more porridge in the pot and please, feel free to eat the remaining pheasant roast." Shirou revealed as he stood up and placed their empty bowls onto a tray, a smile on his face. He seemed happy that they were more than satisfied with what they thought of dinner. "The water should be done boiling so tea's not far behind as well. I'll be right back."

As the sound of his steps got further away, the tactician turned her gaze to the platter and saw that one slice of the remaining four had already been taken by her mother. At her questioning gaze, the former royal could only shrug as she finished chewing and swallowed. "He did offer them little bird."

"I won't argue with that." She stabbed a piece with her fork and placed it inside her mouth, resolved to eat at a slower pace now that there was so few of it left. As she thought of before, though delicious, it would prove difficult.

"I must say though. I believe his worth as your caretaker is proven enough." The older albino commented as she got another pheasant slice and left the remaining one for her. "He certainly knows his way around the kitchen. And there's also the fact that he tidied this place up. I haven't been here in months. There should have been some dust build up but..."

Now that she mentioned it, there was indeed a suspicious lack of dust and she had been asleep since noon. It was more than enough time for a person with enhanced capabilities to clean up.

Though all of it was true, the sheer fact that Shirou was acknowledged as and would indeed be her caretaker was not lost on her.

Robin snorted as it made her remember a detail about said caretaker. "His hand actually reminds me of yours mother."

"Oh?" The former royal raised an eyebrow. "How so daughter?"

"Well, his callouses there made it clear he does quite a lot of housework. Maybe for most of his life?" It certainly made sense. He must have done it so much like it was a routine that it had been deeply ingrained into him despite his memory loss. "He used swords and bows as well."

"Swords and bows huh? Like a bow knight but without his horse." With how Shirou was capable of swift long-distance travel on foot though, she wondered if he even needed a horse when he could do it by himself. "If that is the case, I'd better make Sharur just a bystander tomorrow…a lot farther away than anticipated. He doesn't show it out of pride but he's still a bit miffed that he accidentally got nicked by an arrow when your brother practiced archery last time."

"He's only just started on that then?" The tactician only received a nod to confirm her query and that was all she needed to know on her brother's current progress.

Now that she had access to the memories of her first timeline, the albino finally realized why it was relatively easy for her to gain experience in any role she needed to be even while she was amnesiac in her second timeline. She wasn't gaining experience so to speak but she was regaining them instead.

Out of justified paranoia and as an investment in general, Morgana trained her (and in this timeline, her twin brother) in any and every way of combat that was possible to learn, further helped by the fact that centuries of selective…breeding to create the perfect vessel for Grima had resulted in a body that allowed her to do just that.

Unfortunately, a focus on martial prowess and tactics meant some other skills that might have been useful was just given the bare minimum, like cooking. It was a blessing and a curse that most of what she tried to cook was only consumable by and was apparently delicious to Manaketes.

Huh, maybe Shirou can help me out with that. Robin thought hopefully as she munched on the last piece of roasted pheasant, a pleased moan muffled by her closed mouth. Mm~ This is too good!

Footsteps rang out from behind and Shirou finally went back into view, the tray that held their refilled bowls and another that had steaming cups of tea perfectly balanced on top of each hand. It honestly made him look like a butler of sorts. "I'm back. Tea's ready as well."

Her mother took the now empty platter off the table to give him space to place the tray that held the tea. He did just that and gave the royal a grateful nod as he used his now free hand to place their respective bowls on the table while they took a cup of tea.

When the redhead finished, he took his own cup off the tray and placed it on the table. Then, he placed the now empty tray that he still held on the empty tray on the table which left her mother free to place the platter she still held above it. This way, it would be much easier and neater to take it all away later when they finished the meal.

With a word of thanks that he only gave a simple response of "You're welcome", they finally resumed to eat.

As they did however, Robin knew that she would eventually have to address the elephant in the room. Namely in how much exactly did Shirou hear from the conversation she had with her mother in the chamber. It was obvious he was there. A satchel that contained clothing certainly wasn't brought near the entrance there by her mother, given what she brought with them at the time only contained toiletries.

Though that did beg the legitimate question of whether that was purely his fault or if her mother also had something to do with it.

Knowing that Morgana was pragmatic with everything but her hidden hobby of architecture and landscaping while Shirou was the very same person who chose to pursue her at Naga's request for her safety, it was more than likely that it was a bit of both.

It was when she had just swallowed her last delectable mouthful of porridge that the redhead in question suddenly stood, his bowl long since empty.

There was a very serious look on his tan-stained face, so serious that the intensity it emitted was downright baffling.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping earlier." With that declaration, he bowed so deep he would have hit the table had he not been taller and had the foresight to do so after he had backed away.

Nevertheless, the effect of such a sight was rather prominent.

Well, it was prominent for her mother, who was doing her best not to chuckle.

Okay, I am now certain that mother did have something to do with this. The albino thought as she suppressed a sigh. Her mind presented a theory that Shirou likely gave a suggestion to her mother to give her a bath because of obvious difficulties if he did, only to be tricked and forced to bring the satchel that contained the clothes to the bathroom were they were talking, and more or less got suckered into eavesdropping. A rather quickly-made efficient plan by her mother for all of them to be in the know without repeating details again and again.

Oh, she definitely approved of the merits of her mother's plan, even if she was rightly disappointed at the execution.

"Aha-ahahahaha!"

Still, Robin couldn't fight the giggles that escaped her mouth.

"Huh?"

"Hahaha! I'm sorry about that." She wiped the tears that streaked from her eyes as she took in deep measured breaths. Out of all the reactions that she expected of Shirou, she never thought he would apologize first and in such a manner. It was a reminder that for all that he said and promised that he would help her, they were still strangers to each other. At best, they were just acquaintances who happened to have similar yet different experiences.

"I forgive you Shirou. Let's discuss this over tea." But, that didn't mean they would and should stay as strangers though. Recovery was a long road, and it was obvious that they both had ways to go.

"An excellent idea but one that should not take too long." Morgana suddenly interrupted, which naturally drew their attention. Her mother still looked amused, if a bit thankful, but the way she drummed her fingers on the table made the albino realize what she would say next and what it likely meant for the redhead.

"We should all rest up soon, especially you Shirou." Slender calloused hands were now steepled as the royal smiled. "I wish to see how you'll fare against me tomorrow in a spar. Care to accept?"

Ah, I should have realized that this was what mother was hinting at when she mentioned he's accepted as caretaker and that Sharur would just be a bystander. Robin thought as she reached for her tea instead of her face.

Shirou blinked owlishly but nodded. "Can I at least hunt and cook our breakfast first?"

Morgana opened her mouth to as if to rebut him but paused for a while. "…very well. I will give you ample time for that."

The tactician pointedly ignored that exchange and sipped her tea. As expected, it was delicious.

My responses to the reviews:

RedRat8: I wouldn't say that exactly as this chapter has revealed. But yes, there are indeed things that Shirou and Robin can't do until they know more about each other.

AoiKishi: I don't think just a rain will be enough.

M2R: We shall have to see for ourselves if she would harden up before that happens or not. Robin has just taken her first step, one of many I believe.

Swiftcaliston: I wish I could do that soon but my announcement below says otherwise. Sorry.

warrior of six blades: It certainly is not an easy feeling. As for Sharur, he'll appear in the next chapter, though he almost made it in this one. Robin has indeed begun the recovery process but it will not be an easy one I'm afraid.

Kayen1024: In the next chapter, we'll see all their reactions.

prisontaker: Well, I'm honestly glad to hear that. It's really quite a review and thank you for sharing your thoughts.

jlchrist: I appreciate the review, as for the thing about magecraft all I can say for now…is to stay tuned.

Author's Notes: Don't play Astronomia yet readers. This crossover and I are still alive…just bogged down by IRL issues which leads to my announcement.

Due to the importance of a certain IRL issue as well as the fact that it is a difficult and a time-consuming endeavor, I would be unavailable for about a month or two to help me focus on doing that. I don't like the fact that it must be done since I really like writing this story but it's unavoidable.

Anyways, don't hesitate to tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review. Love it or Hate it, do tell me what you thought of it for improvement. I hope I was able to entertain you in these trying times.

Till next time, this is Will S. LaVi.

P.S. Due to a valid criticism in regards to pacing, I shall be rewriting some of the previous chapters to rectify this issue whenever I'm available during my two month hiatus. Rewritten chapters will be marked with an (RW) in the chapter index. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Also, I'm looking for a Beta Reader to better help rein me in.