I PROMISED A SNIPPET TODAY! BEHOLD!
(Post-Fate scenario, so Saber is gone, gone, gone...)
-----------------------------------------
And Then It Rained
by Kamikaze Wraith
------------------------------------------
ôBloody fuck, he ran the bastard through!ö
ôFuck this, letÆs leave!ö
ôShirou!ö
ô-the fuck, donÆt let go of her! Shit, gimme the-ô
ôItÆs over- what the fuck are you-ô
ôSHIROU!ö
It was raining.
A black-gloved hand sneaked out from under an umbrella, allowing the raindrops to wash away grime and bits of dried blood.
æIt was for the greater good, right?Æ
Seconds passed. The hand clenched into a fist, withdrawing back under the umbrella.
Emiya Shirou sighed.
æHome, sweet home,Æ he thought as he trudged through Fuyuki CityÆs darkening streets, æat least I managed to get back in one piece, butàÆ
A powerful gust of wind interrupted his thoughts, blowing through the loose ends of his tattered black coat and forcing him to move his umbrella to avoid a shower of rain.
ôLooks like even getting to the house will be tiring,ö he muttered to himself.
It wasnÆt like he was going to be getting much rest, regardless. What little sleep heÆd be able to catch when he got to the Emiya complex would be interrupted by having to head off to school early next morning. Unhealthy, perhaps, but a necessity û his excuses for his absences were running thin, and he owed Fuji-nee too much to get kicked out.
æThe so-called protector of justice canÆt even keep himself out of trouble at school. Pathetic, Shirou, really pathetic, but it looks small when compared to my other-
ôEmiya! Emiya-kun!ö
Shirou snapped out of his pondering for the second time, looking around to see the Archery Club captain, Mitsuzuri Ayako, running towards him, a purple umbrella in her left hand and a smile on her face.
ôEmiya-kun,ö she repeated when she finally reached him, ôitÆs such a surprise to see you! I mean, werenÆt you sick?ö
Shirou froze for a moment, not knowing what to say. He and Ayako were friends, but their friendship had taken a backseat during the Fifth Holy Grail War, and ShirouÆs frequent disappearances had done nothing to rekindle it. Seeing her address him so familiarly, even after he had all but completely ignored her existence for weeks on end, left him rather dumbfounded.
ôAyako! Ià erà what are you doing out in this weather?ö
Ayako quirked an eyebrow, as if Shirou had said something strange.
ôIÆm going back home from school, silly! You know, that big place you used to go to in the mornings?ö
Shirou nodded tentatively, completely missing the jibe at his frequent absences.
ôBut school ends after four oÆclock,ö he said, ôwhy would you be going back home this late?ö
ôIt was my turn to clean the Archery dojo.ö She rolled her eyes. ôSomething youÆd remember if you werenÆt gone so often. By the way, you donÆt look sick at all. What were you actually doing?ö
ShirouÆs eyes widened. Of course she had to notice.
ôNo! Ià er, I really was sick, but I made an impressive recovery!ö
ôRiiight.ö Ayako frowned. ôYou know, I never expected Emiya Shirou, the very model of the hardworking student, to just skip school like that. You always seemed so dedicated.ö
Before Shirou could respond the sound of thunder rolled above them, startling them both and causing Ayako to look up.
ôThe rainÆs getting worse,ö she said, staring at the clouds. She turned to look at Shirou again. ôWe really shouldnÆt just be standing here.ö
She smiled.
ôWalk with me, Emiya-kun. IÆll ask you what I want to know on the way.ö
She started off, and Shirou could only follow, his formerly slow pace quickening to match AyakoÆs step.
ôSoàö Ayako said as Shirou finally caught up with her, ôfirst things first. What have you been doing thatÆs so important that you had to skip school?ö
æWhat have I been doing?Æ
Memories of his recent failure flashed through ShirouÆs mind. He couldnÆt tell Ayako what heÆd been up to. However, he realized with a shock that heÆd been gone for almost three weeks now, and that wasnÆt even counting his previous absences. He had to tell her somethingà
ôIÆve been leaving the city because of personal matters. Things prompted by several objects my father left me when he died that I hadnÆt inspected until now.ö He sighed. ôItÆs rather private, which is why the excuses I sent the school arenÆt the real thing. I donÆt want people snooping around.ö
All true, in a way, and he knew Ayako wouldnÆt pry.
Sure enough, she nodded and said nothing more, seemingly thinking about another subject to talk about.
Finally, she seemed to land upon something good, and turned to speak to Shirou again.
ôSo... whatÆs with the coat and the hair? I didnÆt think youÆd be the kind of person to go for the ôdarkö look, Emiya-kun, but,ö and here her voice took on a teasing quality, ôI kinda like it on you.ö
A slight blush quickly colored ShirouÆs face at her words. HeÆd never been equipped to deal with teasing, as one Tohsaka Rin had proved before.
ôIà itÆs, uhàö
Ayako giggled.
ôYouÆre so easy to fluster, Emiya-kun. But really, at least tell me why you did that to your hair.ö
Shirou brought a gloved hand to his hair, feeling nothing different.
ôWhatÆs wrong with my hair? I havenÆt seen myself in a mirror for a while.ö
ôYou really havenÆt noticed? The roots are bone white!ö
Shirou stopped walking abruptly, the memory of someone coursing through his mind.
ôEmiya-kun? Is something wrong?ö
ôNo! I mean, thereÆs nothing wrong at all.ö He started to walk again. ôSo, what have you been up to lately?ö
ôOh, well, nothing particularly interesting. Just the usual Archery club duties.ö
ôUh...really? I thoughtàö
The pair walked on, the formerly serious conversation degenerating into small talk as Shirou changed subject after subject to prevent more questions from being asked. Things continued in this manner until they reached the threshold of AyakoÆs house, where the girl started walking towards the door, before turning around and smiling at Shirou.
ôWell, Emiya-kun, since I made you walk all the way here, how about you come inside for dinner?ö
Shirou felt rather startled for a moment, but that quickly wore off. Surely, he thought, he should have realized that Ayako wouldnÆt make him walk with her to her house just to leave him there.
æStillà I donÆt think itÆd be a good idea to stay here. ItÆs going to be pretty late by the time I leave, and after what I did yesterday, that wouldàÆ
ôEmiya-kun?ö
Shirou nearly jumped as Ayako shook him from his reverie, but managed, through a feat of amazing eloquence, to give an educated response.
ôHuh?ö
Ayako rolled her eyes.
ôIs it just me, or are you phasing out even more often than you usually do? I was asking you if youÆd like to come in for dinner.ö
æGotta find a way out of this oneàÆ
ôAh, Ayako-san,ö he said, ôI wouldnÆt want to erà intrude, or someth-ô
He was cut off as Ayako decided to take matters into her own hands, grabbing his right hand and pulling on him as she walked towards the front door.
ôYouÆre just being silly, Emiya-kun,ö she said, ôYour house is too far away for you get there in time for dinner. Come on in!ö
Shirou sighed, but let himself be dragged inside.
æGood going, Shirou. Is this how I get out of a complicated situation? Dad would be so proudàÆ
--------------------
ôWait here,ö she told him,öIÆll be back in a second.ö
Shirou nodded, and she left, leaving him to inspect the place. AyakoÆs house wasnÆt nearly as large as the Emiya complex, but it was cozy and well decorated. A delicious smell of food permeated the place, which Shirou assumed to be coming from the kitchen. All in all, the little house gave off a touch of warm humanity that much bigger and grandiose places, such as IlyaÆs castle and RinÆs manor, seemed to lack.
Smiling, Shirou unbuttoned his coat and dropped himself on the couch.
ôWarmthàö he whispered. Almost a month without it, except for one personà
æThe operation will take four weeks. The result will forever clean your fatherÆs memory and fulfillàÆ
æHeh. So, who are you? We donÆt really-æ
æYou were ultimately the winner of the Fifth Holy Grail War! Has that taught you nothing- Æ
æIÆm Shirou, and you?Æ
æYou canÆt fulfill this goal without killing, your father knew that-æ
æCall me Yumi.Æ
ôEmiya-kun?ö
Shirou started, AyakoÆs voice shattering his thoughts.
ôYu- I mean, eh, whatÆs up?ö
Ayako shook her head, smiling before unceremoniously plopping herself down beside Shirou.
ôAre you this distant because something is troubling you, Emiya-kun? Or is it somethingà different?ö
ôDifferent?ö
Ayako smirked.
ôWell, since you wonÆt tell me whatÆs wrong, IÆm being forced to draw my own conclusions.ö Her smirk widened. ôDoes it have something to do with Tohsaka?ö
ôTo-Tohsaka!?ö
AyakoÆs expression looked positively malicious now.
ôCome on now, you can tell me, weÆve got time. Dinner wonÆt be ready for a while, and mom has to stay in the kitchen to watch over the stew, soà I want the whole story. What is it? A romance? An affair? Have you two, you knowàö
Shirou, his face redder than a tomato, tried to come up with a response to end the barrage of questions.
ôIà weà itÆs not like that, weÆre just, that is to sayàö
He failed miserably, as Ayako simply moved closer to him, the look on her face almost predatory.
ôItÆs not like that? So why is she almost always waiting for you after school? Or going to your home? For that matter, why does Sakura always go there? And what about that white haired girl- oh!ö
Shirou gulped.
ôOhà?ö
Ayako edged even closer to him, so much so that he could feel her breath.
ôI think I knowàö she said, her voice sultry.
ôKnowà know what?ö
ôEmiya-kunà are you trying to makeà a harem?ö
There was silence.
ôàwha?ö
ôChildren, dinnerÆs ready!ö
Ayako immediately moved away from him as a tall, slender woman came out of the kitchen. Apparently, her mother had finished early.
Her mother, who looked like she had the body of a lingerie model and, at least from what Shirou could see, was dressed in an apron and nothing else.
ShirouÆs brain crashed.
-------------------
Shirou and Ayako walked out of the house, going down the streets in silence for a moment. The girl had decided to accompany Shirou through the first part of his trek home, and after convincing her mother theyÆd finished dinner and left, simply walking beside each other peacefully until Ayako decided to start up a conversation again.
ôSoà tell me Emiya, did you like it?ö
A slight bit of color tinged ShirouÆs cheeks as the image of Mitsuzuri KeikoÆs amazing cleavage swam in his head. Dinner had revealed that AyakoÆs kind, funny, and at the same time extremely attractive mother had not, in fact, been dressed in only an apron; it was just that she had been wearing her old clothes to do housework. Her old, really small, really tight fitting clothesà
ôEmiya?ö
Shirou almost jumped.
ôErà yes! I liked it! A lot!ö
Ayako just stared at him. Shirou gulped.
ôEhà what were we talking about?ö
Ayako shook her head in frustration.
ôDinner, Emiya, dinner. Notà other thingsà that you may have had in mind. I swear Mom just sometimesàö
She stopped short, giving a little sigh, but then looked Shirou in the eye with a small smile.
ôWell, at least youÆve stopped brooding, Emiya,ö she said, ôthatÆs a- eep!ö
She jumped backwards, almost crashing into a surprised Shirou.
ôAyakoà what happened?ö
ôThat thing almost hit me!ö she shouted, pointing to the ground.
It was a long, thin iron needle, embedded firmly into the asphalt. ShirouÆs eyes flew open in surprise, gloved hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
ôEmiya?ö
Shirou said nothing, simply staring as two more needles silently flew through the air and struck the ground near his boots. His mind, however, was in turmoil.
æNoà no, damn ità not hereà itÆs over! This shouldnÆt be happening!æ
ôAyakoà get down!ö
Acting purely on instinct, Shirou roughly shoved the girl to the ground, ignoring her protests as he whipped his black umbrella open.
æTrace, on!Æ
The attack was swift and deadly; thousands of needles falling from the air as Shirou jumped back and the Reinforced umbrella went up, spinning in his hands as it blocked the attack like an iron shield.
From behind his makeshift protection, Shirou could barely discern his shadowy attacker jumping from rooftop to rooftop towards the street, throwing needles until his landing forced him to stop. Shirou immediately took the opportunity, closing his umbrella and throwing it at his opponent with all his might. His attacker, surprised, managed to dodge, and the magically strengthened umbrella impacted against a nearby building, leaving a huge crater on one of its walls.
The attack served its purpose, however. His opponent had been forced from the shadows in order to dodge the incoming projectile, and now stood before him, his features finally visible.
He was a tall, thin man, impeccably dressed in a long blue suit coat with a matching wide-brimmed fedora hat. His bright green eyes looked upon Shirou from a pale face, their stare calculating.
ôBuona sera, Emiya Shirou. Mi piace molto vederti nuovamente.ö
There was no need to decipher his greeting. Shirou already knew him.
ôRaphael.ö
The man tipped his hat slightly in acknowledgement.
ôGlad you remember me, Emiya Shirou,ô he said, his tone polite, almost aristocratic, if someone accented, ôWearing your fatherÆs coat again, I see? He was a great magician.ö
Shirou ignored the comment, staring at him intently.
ôWhy are you here?ö
Raphael smiled, his gaze turning almost condescending.
ôI am here, Emiya Shirou, on business purposes.ö He raised a hand, holding up three long needles. ôI assume you know what that means.ö
ôI thought it was over,ö Shirou argued, ôThere should be no reason for you to be here.ö
Raphael raised an eyebrow.
ôIt does seem that way, doesnÆt it, Emiya Shirou? Indeed, you were not the only one to think that way. I believed that, and I believe that Nyvel probably still does. Howeveràö A smug look slowly spread through his features, green eyes almost glinting. ôàother parties certainly do not believe so.ö
Shirou shook his head, frowning.
ôOther parties? That canÆt be. Who is it?ö
Raphael smiled again, but the smug look did not fade.
ôIÆm afraid I cannot say, nor is this an appropriate moment. What they contracted me for is obvious, though, is it not?ö
ShirouÆs eyes narrowed.
ôYeah,ö he said, ôit is.ö
Raphael nodded.
ôThen I assume youÆll have no problem if we were to start? By the way, I do hope that girl knows what this is about. I would hate to have to do something to an innocent simply because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.ö
æThat girlà whoà oh, noàÆ
ôAyako!ö
Shirou fought the urge to turn around, which would expose him to Raphael, but moved his head enough to be able to glimpse what was happening behind his own back. Sure enough, Ayako was there, kneeling on the ground.
æWhat is she still doing here?Æ
Ayako, for her part, seemed to notice that she had become the center of attention, and looked at Shirou, bewildered.
ôEmiya-kun, whatÆs going on?ö
ôAyakoà this doesnÆt involve you. I want you to get up and start running. Quickly!ö
The girl obeyed, rising from her knees, only to throw herself back to the ground with a scream of fright as a long iron needle flew towards her, imbedding itself into the cold asphalt only inches away from her. She stopped for a moment, looking at the thing in shocked fear, before she finally appear to gather her bearings and turned around, running away from them.
Shirou watched her silhouette recede into the dark streets for a mere second before his attention immediately returned to Raphael. That had not been a missed shot. It had been a warning.
ôWhy?"
Raphael simply stared, impassive.
ôShe has already seen me attack you and talk to you, Emiya Shirou. I will give her courtesy until after we are finished, but once that is over, wellà you know what I must do.ö
ShirouÆs gloved hands tightened into fists, anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. Threatening him was one thing. Threatening innocents was much different.
ôI canÆt allow that,ö he said, eyes narrowed and voice a cold whisper.
ôSo it would seem.ö
The needles were thrown, only to be batted aside in a flash of light as Shirou charged forward, twin falchion blades in hand. Raphael dodged the strike that followed, leaping backwards to keep his distance. More needles appeared in his left hand, while three long rapier-like blades flashed into existence in his right, each held carefully between his fingers.
ôBlack Keysàö Shirou muttered, his grip on his own swords tightening unconsciously.
ôCorrect,ö Raphael said, holding the weapons up, ôan agent of the Church contacted me not too long ago, but he became a tad tooà bothersome. I dispensed of him and kept his blades. Contrary to popular belief, they make as good melee weapons as long ranged ones.ö
He settled into a fighting stance, the loose ends of his blue coat fluttering almost theatrically in the wind.
ôThey should be able to match you effectively,ö he said, and then he struck, Black Keys swiping down on ShirouÆs form like claws. Shirou brought his swords up to block, only to almost be thrown to the ground as Raphael aimed a kick towards his knees. Shirou jumped back to avoid further attacks, but Raphael was on him before his feet even hit the ground. A flurry of needles flew towards him, forcing Shirou to concentrate on batting them aside, diverting his attention.
Raphael took this advantage to its limit, leaping forwards into the air and twisting around to land behind Shirou, and striking at him with his Black Keys. Shirou managed to turn around quickly enough to block the strike, but could not predict a high kick that flew past his defenses and slammed into his chest, sending him flying.
Shirou spun around the air and landed gracefully a few meters away, but Raphael was already onto him. Blue coat flaring, the man ran at him, sweeping down and aiming a low kick at ShirouÆs knees. When Shirou jumped to avoid it Raphael struck with his blades, forcing him to block and throwing Shirou off balance, knocking his blades out of his hands. He fell to the ground with a thud, too shocked to avoid a kick to the gut which knocked him back down when he tried to get up.
Raphael smiled.
ôCiao, Emiya,ö he said, and brought the Black Keys down.
--------------------------------------------
This is the second draft of this thing, so it's not finished (all I have written (and posted here) covers only about 30% of the story), and is rushed at several parts. The scene at Ayako's house was supposed to be much longer, and it was supposed to include dinner with her (secksay) mother and several conversations. Also, the with Ayako right before the fight was supposed to be a tad bit longer and feature a more brooding Shirou. It's no problem, though. I'll just go back and edit them once I completely finish the second draft (which is currently having a lot better fortune than the first draft, which sucked so much it did not deserve finishing).
The thing is, though, that I promised to post something today. This might not be part of The Shadow and the Flame, but it sure as hell counts.
Anyways... comments? Suggestions? Ideas? Flames?
Get on with 'em!
(Post-Fate scenario, so Saber is gone, gone, gone...)
-----------------------------------------
And Then It Rained
by Kamikaze Wraith
------------------------------------------
ôBloody fuck, he ran the bastard through!ö
ôFuck this, letÆs leave!ö
ôShirou!ö
ô-the fuck, donÆt let go of her! Shit, gimme the-ô
ôItÆs over- what the fuck are you-ô
ôSHIROU!ö
It was raining.
A black-gloved hand sneaked out from under an umbrella, allowing the raindrops to wash away grime and bits of dried blood.
æIt was for the greater good, right?Æ
Seconds passed. The hand clenched into a fist, withdrawing back under the umbrella.
Emiya Shirou sighed.
æHome, sweet home,Æ he thought as he trudged through Fuyuki CityÆs darkening streets, æat least I managed to get back in one piece, butàÆ
A powerful gust of wind interrupted his thoughts, blowing through the loose ends of his tattered black coat and forcing him to move his umbrella to avoid a shower of rain.
ôLooks like even getting to the house will be tiring,ö he muttered to himself.
It wasnÆt like he was going to be getting much rest, regardless. What little sleep heÆd be able to catch when he got to the Emiya complex would be interrupted by having to head off to school early next morning. Unhealthy, perhaps, but a necessity û his excuses for his absences were running thin, and he owed Fuji-nee too much to get kicked out.
æThe so-called protector of justice canÆt even keep himself out of trouble at school. Pathetic, Shirou, really pathetic, but it looks small when compared to my other-
ôEmiya! Emiya-kun!ö
Shirou snapped out of his pondering for the second time, looking around to see the Archery Club captain, Mitsuzuri Ayako, running towards him, a purple umbrella in her left hand and a smile on her face.
ôEmiya-kun,ö she repeated when she finally reached him, ôitÆs such a surprise to see you! I mean, werenÆt you sick?ö
Shirou froze for a moment, not knowing what to say. He and Ayako were friends, but their friendship had taken a backseat during the Fifth Holy Grail War, and ShirouÆs frequent disappearances had done nothing to rekindle it. Seeing her address him so familiarly, even after he had all but completely ignored her existence for weeks on end, left him rather dumbfounded.
ôAyako! Ià erà what are you doing out in this weather?ö
Ayako quirked an eyebrow, as if Shirou had said something strange.
ôIÆm going back home from school, silly! You know, that big place you used to go to in the mornings?ö
Shirou nodded tentatively, completely missing the jibe at his frequent absences.
ôBut school ends after four oÆclock,ö he said, ôwhy would you be going back home this late?ö
ôIt was my turn to clean the Archery dojo.ö She rolled her eyes. ôSomething youÆd remember if you werenÆt gone so often. By the way, you donÆt look sick at all. What were you actually doing?ö
ShirouÆs eyes widened. Of course she had to notice.
ôNo! Ià er, I really was sick, but I made an impressive recovery!ö
ôRiiight.ö Ayako frowned. ôYou know, I never expected Emiya Shirou, the very model of the hardworking student, to just skip school like that. You always seemed so dedicated.ö
Before Shirou could respond the sound of thunder rolled above them, startling them both and causing Ayako to look up.
ôThe rainÆs getting worse,ö she said, staring at the clouds. She turned to look at Shirou again. ôWe really shouldnÆt just be standing here.ö
She smiled.
ôWalk with me, Emiya-kun. IÆll ask you what I want to know on the way.ö
She started off, and Shirou could only follow, his formerly slow pace quickening to match AyakoÆs step.
ôSoàö Ayako said as Shirou finally caught up with her, ôfirst things first. What have you been doing thatÆs so important that you had to skip school?ö
æWhat have I been doing?Æ
Memories of his recent failure flashed through ShirouÆs mind. He couldnÆt tell Ayako what heÆd been up to. However, he realized with a shock that heÆd been gone for almost three weeks now, and that wasnÆt even counting his previous absences. He had to tell her somethingà
ôIÆve been leaving the city because of personal matters. Things prompted by several objects my father left me when he died that I hadnÆt inspected until now.ö He sighed. ôItÆs rather private, which is why the excuses I sent the school arenÆt the real thing. I donÆt want people snooping around.ö
All true, in a way, and he knew Ayako wouldnÆt pry.
Sure enough, she nodded and said nothing more, seemingly thinking about another subject to talk about.
Finally, she seemed to land upon something good, and turned to speak to Shirou again.
ôSo... whatÆs with the coat and the hair? I didnÆt think youÆd be the kind of person to go for the ôdarkö look, Emiya-kun, but,ö and here her voice took on a teasing quality, ôI kinda like it on you.ö
A slight blush quickly colored ShirouÆs face at her words. HeÆd never been equipped to deal with teasing, as one Tohsaka Rin had proved before.
ôIà itÆs, uhàö
Ayako giggled.
ôYouÆre so easy to fluster, Emiya-kun. But really, at least tell me why you did that to your hair.ö
Shirou brought a gloved hand to his hair, feeling nothing different.
ôWhatÆs wrong with my hair? I havenÆt seen myself in a mirror for a while.ö
ôYou really havenÆt noticed? The roots are bone white!ö
Shirou stopped walking abruptly, the memory of someone coursing through his mind.
ôEmiya-kun? Is something wrong?ö
ôNo! I mean, thereÆs nothing wrong at all.ö He started to walk again. ôSo, what have you been up to lately?ö
ôOh, well, nothing particularly interesting. Just the usual Archery club duties.ö
ôUh...really? I thoughtàö
The pair walked on, the formerly serious conversation degenerating into small talk as Shirou changed subject after subject to prevent more questions from being asked. Things continued in this manner until they reached the threshold of AyakoÆs house, where the girl started walking towards the door, before turning around and smiling at Shirou.
ôWell, Emiya-kun, since I made you walk all the way here, how about you come inside for dinner?ö
Shirou felt rather startled for a moment, but that quickly wore off. Surely, he thought, he should have realized that Ayako wouldnÆt make him walk with her to her house just to leave him there.
æStillà I donÆt think itÆd be a good idea to stay here. ItÆs going to be pretty late by the time I leave, and after what I did yesterday, that wouldàÆ
ôEmiya-kun?ö
Shirou nearly jumped as Ayako shook him from his reverie, but managed, through a feat of amazing eloquence, to give an educated response.
ôHuh?ö
Ayako rolled her eyes.
ôIs it just me, or are you phasing out even more often than you usually do? I was asking you if youÆd like to come in for dinner.ö
æGotta find a way out of this oneàÆ
ôAh, Ayako-san,ö he said, ôI wouldnÆt want to erà intrude, or someth-ô
He was cut off as Ayako decided to take matters into her own hands, grabbing his right hand and pulling on him as she walked towards the front door.
ôYouÆre just being silly, Emiya-kun,ö she said, ôYour house is too far away for you get there in time for dinner. Come on in!ö
Shirou sighed, but let himself be dragged inside.
æGood going, Shirou. Is this how I get out of a complicated situation? Dad would be so proudàÆ
--------------------
ôWait here,ö she told him,öIÆll be back in a second.ö
Shirou nodded, and she left, leaving him to inspect the place. AyakoÆs house wasnÆt nearly as large as the Emiya complex, but it was cozy and well decorated. A delicious smell of food permeated the place, which Shirou assumed to be coming from the kitchen. All in all, the little house gave off a touch of warm humanity that much bigger and grandiose places, such as IlyaÆs castle and RinÆs manor, seemed to lack.
Smiling, Shirou unbuttoned his coat and dropped himself on the couch.
ôWarmthàö he whispered. Almost a month without it, except for one personà
æThe operation will take four weeks. The result will forever clean your fatherÆs memory and fulfillàÆ
æHeh. So, who are you? We donÆt really-æ
æYou were ultimately the winner of the Fifth Holy Grail War! Has that taught you nothing- Æ
æIÆm Shirou, and you?Æ
æYou canÆt fulfill this goal without killing, your father knew that-æ
æCall me Yumi.Æ
ôEmiya-kun?ö
Shirou started, AyakoÆs voice shattering his thoughts.
ôYu- I mean, eh, whatÆs up?ö
Ayako shook her head, smiling before unceremoniously plopping herself down beside Shirou.
ôAre you this distant because something is troubling you, Emiya-kun? Or is it somethingà different?ö
ôDifferent?ö
Ayako smirked.
ôWell, since you wonÆt tell me whatÆs wrong, IÆm being forced to draw my own conclusions.ö Her smirk widened. ôDoes it have something to do with Tohsaka?ö
ôTo-Tohsaka!?ö
AyakoÆs expression looked positively malicious now.
ôCome on now, you can tell me, weÆve got time. Dinner wonÆt be ready for a while, and mom has to stay in the kitchen to watch over the stew, soà I want the whole story. What is it? A romance? An affair? Have you two, you knowàö
Shirou, his face redder than a tomato, tried to come up with a response to end the barrage of questions.
ôIà weà itÆs not like that, weÆre just, that is to sayàö
He failed miserably, as Ayako simply moved closer to him, the look on her face almost predatory.
ôItÆs not like that? So why is she almost always waiting for you after school? Or going to your home? For that matter, why does Sakura always go there? And what about that white haired girl- oh!ö
Shirou gulped.
ôOhà?ö
Ayako edged even closer to him, so much so that he could feel her breath.
ôI think I knowàö she said, her voice sultry.
ôKnowà know what?ö
ôEmiya-kunà are you trying to makeà a harem?ö
There was silence.
ôàwha?ö
ôChildren, dinnerÆs ready!ö
Ayako immediately moved away from him as a tall, slender woman came out of the kitchen. Apparently, her mother had finished early.
Her mother, who looked like she had the body of a lingerie model and, at least from what Shirou could see, was dressed in an apron and nothing else.
ShirouÆs brain crashed.
-------------------
Shirou and Ayako walked out of the house, going down the streets in silence for a moment. The girl had decided to accompany Shirou through the first part of his trek home, and after convincing her mother theyÆd finished dinner and left, simply walking beside each other peacefully until Ayako decided to start up a conversation again.
ôSoà tell me Emiya, did you like it?ö
A slight bit of color tinged ShirouÆs cheeks as the image of Mitsuzuri KeikoÆs amazing cleavage swam in his head. Dinner had revealed that AyakoÆs kind, funny, and at the same time extremely attractive mother had not, in fact, been dressed in only an apron; it was just that she had been wearing her old clothes to do housework. Her old, really small, really tight fitting clothesà
ôEmiya?ö
Shirou almost jumped.
ôErà yes! I liked it! A lot!ö
Ayako just stared at him. Shirou gulped.
ôEhà what were we talking about?ö
Ayako shook her head in frustration.
ôDinner, Emiya, dinner. Notà other thingsà that you may have had in mind. I swear Mom just sometimesàö
She stopped short, giving a little sigh, but then looked Shirou in the eye with a small smile.
ôWell, at least youÆve stopped brooding, Emiya,ö she said, ôthatÆs a- eep!ö
She jumped backwards, almost crashing into a surprised Shirou.
ôAyakoà what happened?ö
ôThat thing almost hit me!ö she shouted, pointing to the ground.
It was a long, thin iron needle, embedded firmly into the asphalt. ShirouÆs eyes flew open in surprise, gloved hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
ôEmiya?ö
Shirou said nothing, simply staring as two more needles silently flew through the air and struck the ground near his boots. His mind, however, was in turmoil.
æNoà no, damn ità not hereà itÆs over! This shouldnÆt be happening!æ
ôAyakoà get down!ö
Acting purely on instinct, Shirou roughly shoved the girl to the ground, ignoring her protests as he whipped his black umbrella open.
æTrace, on!Æ
The attack was swift and deadly; thousands of needles falling from the air as Shirou jumped back and the Reinforced umbrella went up, spinning in his hands as it blocked the attack like an iron shield.
From behind his makeshift protection, Shirou could barely discern his shadowy attacker jumping from rooftop to rooftop towards the street, throwing needles until his landing forced him to stop. Shirou immediately took the opportunity, closing his umbrella and throwing it at his opponent with all his might. His attacker, surprised, managed to dodge, and the magically strengthened umbrella impacted against a nearby building, leaving a huge crater on one of its walls.
The attack served its purpose, however. His opponent had been forced from the shadows in order to dodge the incoming projectile, and now stood before him, his features finally visible.
He was a tall, thin man, impeccably dressed in a long blue suit coat with a matching wide-brimmed fedora hat. His bright green eyes looked upon Shirou from a pale face, their stare calculating.
ôBuona sera, Emiya Shirou. Mi piace molto vederti nuovamente.ö
There was no need to decipher his greeting. Shirou already knew him.
ôRaphael.ö
The man tipped his hat slightly in acknowledgement.
ôGlad you remember me, Emiya Shirou,ô he said, his tone polite, almost aristocratic, if someone accented, ôWearing your fatherÆs coat again, I see? He was a great magician.ö
Shirou ignored the comment, staring at him intently.
ôWhy are you here?ö
Raphael smiled, his gaze turning almost condescending.
ôI am here, Emiya Shirou, on business purposes.ö He raised a hand, holding up three long needles. ôI assume you know what that means.ö
ôI thought it was over,ö Shirou argued, ôThere should be no reason for you to be here.ö
Raphael raised an eyebrow.
ôIt does seem that way, doesnÆt it, Emiya Shirou? Indeed, you were not the only one to think that way. I believed that, and I believe that Nyvel probably still does. Howeveràö A smug look slowly spread through his features, green eyes almost glinting. ôàother parties certainly do not believe so.ö
Shirou shook his head, frowning.
ôOther parties? That canÆt be. Who is it?ö
Raphael smiled again, but the smug look did not fade.
ôIÆm afraid I cannot say, nor is this an appropriate moment. What they contracted me for is obvious, though, is it not?ö
ShirouÆs eyes narrowed.
ôYeah,ö he said, ôit is.ö
Raphael nodded.
ôThen I assume youÆll have no problem if we were to start? By the way, I do hope that girl knows what this is about. I would hate to have to do something to an innocent simply because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.ö
æThat girlà whoà oh, noàÆ
ôAyako!ö
Shirou fought the urge to turn around, which would expose him to Raphael, but moved his head enough to be able to glimpse what was happening behind his own back. Sure enough, Ayako was there, kneeling on the ground.
æWhat is she still doing here?Æ
Ayako, for her part, seemed to notice that she had become the center of attention, and looked at Shirou, bewildered.
ôEmiya-kun, whatÆs going on?ö
ôAyakoà this doesnÆt involve you. I want you to get up and start running. Quickly!ö
The girl obeyed, rising from her knees, only to throw herself back to the ground with a scream of fright as a long iron needle flew towards her, imbedding itself into the cold asphalt only inches away from her. She stopped for a moment, looking at the thing in shocked fear, before she finally appear to gather her bearings and turned around, running away from them.
Shirou watched her silhouette recede into the dark streets for a mere second before his attention immediately returned to Raphael. That had not been a missed shot. It had been a warning.
ôWhy?"
Raphael simply stared, impassive.
ôShe has already seen me attack you and talk to you, Emiya Shirou. I will give her courtesy until after we are finished, but once that is over, wellà you know what I must do.ö
ShirouÆs gloved hands tightened into fists, anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. Threatening him was one thing. Threatening innocents was much different.
ôI canÆt allow that,ö he said, eyes narrowed and voice a cold whisper.
ôSo it would seem.ö
The needles were thrown, only to be batted aside in a flash of light as Shirou charged forward, twin falchion blades in hand. Raphael dodged the strike that followed, leaping backwards to keep his distance. More needles appeared in his left hand, while three long rapier-like blades flashed into existence in his right, each held carefully between his fingers.
ôBlack Keysàö Shirou muttered, his grip on his own swords tightening unconsciously.
ôCorrect,ö Raphael said, holding the weapons up, ôan agent of the Church contacted me not too long ago, but he became a tad tooà bothersome. I dispensed of him and kept his blades. Contrary to popular belief, they make as good melee weapons as long ranged ones.ö
He settled into a fighting stance, the loose ends of his blue coat fluttering almost theatrically in the wind.
ôThey should be able to match you effectively,ö he said, and then he struck, Black Keys swiping down on ShirouÆs form like claws. Shirou brought his swords up to block, only to almost be thrown to the ground as Raphael aimed a kick towards his knees. Shirou jumped back to avoid further attacks, but Raphael was on him before his feet even hit the ground. A flurry of needles flew towards him, forcing Shirou to concentrate on batting them aside, diverting his attention.
Raphael took this advantage to its limit, leaping forwards into the air and twisting around to land behind Shirou, and striking at him with his Black Keys. Shirou managed to turn around quickly enough to block the strike, but could not predict a high kick that flew past his defenses and slammed into his chest, sending him flying.
Shirou spun around the air and landed gracefully a few meters away, but Raphael was already onto him. Blue coat flaring, the man ran at him, sweeping down and aiming a low kick at ShirouÆs knees. When Shirou jumped to avoid it Raphael struck with his blades, forcing him to block and throwing Shirou off balance, knocking his blades out of his hands. He fell to the ground with a thud, too shocked to avoid a kick to the gut which knocked him back down when he tried to get up.
Raphael smiled.
ôCiao, Emiya,ö he said, and brought the Black Keys down.
--------------------------------------------
This is the second draft of this thing, so it's not finished (all I have written (and posted here) covers only about 30% of the story), and is rushed at several parts. The scene at Ayako's house was supposed to be much longer, and it was supposed to include dinner with her (secksay) mother and several conversations. Also, the with Ayako right before the fight was supposed to be a tad bit longer and feature a more brooding Shirou. It's no problem, though. I'll just go back and edit them once I completely finish the second draft (which is currently having a lot better fortune than the first draft, which sucked so much it did not deserve finishing).
The thing is, though, that I promised to post something today. This might not be part of The Shadow and the Flame, but it sure as hell counts.
Anyways... comments? Suggestions? Ideas? Flames?
Get on with 'em!
