Saber's Wish Chapter 5

As soon as he was finished speaking to Arturia over the phone, Shirou turned to the interloper who was listening-in on him the whole time. Said someone was casually sitting on the couch.

"Looks like Saber and Rin are finally done shopping," Shirou told Archer who then replied without looking at the boy:

"So you're going to the Temple then?"

"Yeah," Shirou affirmed, noting the underlying trepidation in his older self's voice. "You're not coming?"

Archer shook his head.

"Rin expects me to have the mansion clean when she gets back."

Shirou just stared at him in annoyance. The way this servant could just act like nothing is of any concern to him always rubbed the red-haired boy the wrong way. It also did not help that Archer just seemed so "cool" doing it. Smugness was never a trait Shirou valued.

"So why are you even here? You clearly have better things to do..."

Shirou's jab got Archer to finally look at him.

"I've been listening in on you guys since you called Rin over. I heard what happened to Saber and that the Grail might be behind it."

Shirou was not surprised at the fact Archer had come with Rin and stayed in spirit-form the entire time that she was trying to help Arturia. Archer stayed here at the Emiya household even when Arturia and Rin went out, hence why he revealed himself to Shirou just moments ago.

Shirou knew he would not unless Archer had something important to tell him.

"Yeah. Bummer, I know..."

"Bummer, is it?" Archer emphasized. "If I were you, which I am, I'd keep a close eye on her."

"That's not hard to do as of this morning..." Shirou remarked, making Archer stand up.

"NOT what I meant," he said, his tone becoming even more serious as he towered over Shirou. "If you REALLY have been paying attention to Saber since she got her new makeover, you'd know that she might not be keen on reverting back."

The red-haired boy was taken back a bit by this. Shirou knew all too well that his Archer-self took pride in the fact that he could see things before others could, and rubbing the fact in that his younger counterpart did not possess that level of perspective. Still, what Archer was implying seemed unthinkable to Shirou.

Afterall, Archer was technically Shirou himself, and knew Arturia as well as he did even if events did not play out the same in his time.

"Why wouldn't she be? She knows that her new body will get people asking questions. Can't let slip anything about magecraft, can we?"

"Listen, kid," Archer said, slightly annoyed at Shirou's naivety. "The thing about Saber is that she's more used to thinking about other people before herself, and when she IS being selfish, she convinces herself that it's not for her benefit. ALL wishes are selfish at their core."

Shirou thought coyly that Archer was one to talk; after all, he was only part of the Grail War to kill his younger self, not to make a wish. It was for this reason why his and Archer's interactions were always kind of tense, even after destroying the Grail. Considering how different they were in terms of personality, Shirou had to constantly remind himself that he was talking to his older counterpart.

They both hated each other's guts... but they both found common ground in the fact that they also cared for Arturia.

"Your point?" Shirou asked spitefully, and it did not faze Archer one bit.

"My point is you should REALLY think about what ultimately made Saber wish the way she did. Something tells me her wish coming true is giving her ideas. Could make her reckless..."

Archer's visage softened somewhat with that cryptic remark. Shirou could never tell if the servant was being helpful or was deliberately trying to confuse him. Taking a moment to actually consider Archer's words, Shirou was not completely convinced that Arturia would be opposed in undoing her wish.

"Well, if I know Saber, she won't let her desires override her better judgement. I think once we know what Caster can do for her, she'll see reason."

Archer then crossed his arms and look down at Shirou with skepticism.

"Another problem: you seriously trust Caster of all people? You know that witch won't involve herself in anything that doesn't benefit her. I sure hope you have a bargaining chip."

Unbeknownst to Archer; or maybe to his expectation rather, Shirou has thought about this conundrum. Having dealt with Caster directly during the Holy Grail War, Shirou knew better than to engage her without a plan.

"I have an idea..." he assured his older self. "I'm banking on Souichirou-sensei to get that hopeless romantic to cooperate. Medea won't be toying around with Saber again on my watch."

Shirou felt Archer's gaze judging him silently. He waited with trepidation before Archer slowly nodded and told him:

"Keep your guard up around her, and don't let Saber out of your sight either."

"I don't intend to," Shirou replied, but seeing Archer's coy smile made him quickly correct himself. "Umm, not like that of course."

Archer simply sighed.

"Just when I think you're growing a spine, your chivalry shows itself. It's honestly sickening..."

Shirou knew what Archer was referring to the fact that Arturia's new body was very tempting to the eye, and the red-haired boy was acting like it did not matter to him. Afterall, Shirou was telling Arturia the truth when he said that she was already perfect to him. Her looks alone were not the reason he was in love with her. Of course, he'd be lying if he did not think Arturia was even more beautiful now, but Shirou knew he could not allow himself to be fixated on her new body, considering that they must hide it from Taiga, Issei, and Ayako.

A fact he was quick to remind Archer of...

"What's wrong with wanting Saber to be back to normal so we don't become fugitives of the Mage's Association?"

"Her wish was her choice, as were her reasons..."

Shirou stared at Archer, who was slowly forming a smirk on his face. It implied that perhaps Arturia wished for her body for reasons other than...

"She only wished for that body because Taiga got on her nerves," Shirou told him, unwilling to accept the possibility. "Saber isn't the type to want anything for herself."

"Both her and you have that problem," Archer points out. "You both convince yourselves that your actions are for others' sakes instead of your own. I think Saber got a taste for self-indulgence and realized it after all that's transpired. She wanted this... and it might not be ALL that she wants..."

Shirou found himself lost for words. He could not believe for a second that Arturia wished for her new body of her own accord. Shirou was dead set on the possibility that it had only happened because Taiga got on her nerves.

Wait... Shirou thought. Why would that even bother Saber anyway? Is she really insecure about... herself?

Looking back at Archer, Shirou could tell from the look on his face that the servant could tell what the red-haired boy was thinking.

And Archer figured it out well before he did...

Arturia was still a person, and people are prone to selfish desires. Since really getting to know the Saber, Shirou never thought that she had it in her to wish for something so... "randomly personal" as a more mature body, considering what she initially wanted to wish for upon the Holy Grail.

The question was... why?

"Archer," Shirou said quietly. "Is there something about Arturia that you feel I should know or not?"

Archer merely chuckled, seemingly affirming to Shirou that he indeed might be on to something concerning Saber. Judging from the servant's reaction though, Shirou was foolish to expect a straight answer from his older self.

"Nothing," he replied before adding, "Other than women don't like being disappointed."

When Archer started walking past him, Shirou demanded:

"What does THAT mean?" he insisted, fed up with these games that his older self was playing. Archer just stopped in the hallway and peered back over his shoulder at the boy.

"You'll see..." he says assuredly. "We always like finding things out the hard way..."

"Find out WHAT?" Shirou then asked, thinking Archer might have experienced this in HIS time and was neglecting to share it, only for that thought to be quickly crushed.

"How should I know?" Archer said with a shrug. "None of this happened before. Have fun, kid."

When Archer disappeared in thin air, Shirou grunted in frustration.

I hate it when he's all cryptic. I bet Archer gets a kick out of knowing more than I do...

He soon pushed his "issues" with Archer aside to focus on a more important matter, quickly grabbing his jacket to go meet Arturia and Rin at Ryuudou Temple. As he exited through the front door and through the gateway of the property, Shirou could help but ponder something concerning his older self.

"Where did I learn to be such a jackass?"

Shirou took a bus to the foot of Mount Enzou, waiting by the stairway path up all the way to Ryuudou Temple for Arturia and Rin to arrive. Checking his watch, he had been standing there for ten minutes since arriving with no sign of the girls.

"Where are they?" Shirou whispered to himself, growing nervous that he will be out too long before Taiga came back to the Emiya Household from her date, and therefore not have enough time to prepare dinner. After the thought occurred to him, Shirou reminded himself that satiating Taiga was currently the least of his problems. There was still the matter of getting Caster to help them hide Arturia's new body.

Just then, looking to his left, he found Rin and Arturia coming towards him in a hurry. They stop before him with Rin looking winded, but the Saber not seeming at all exhausted. Before Shirou could ask what took them so long, a hunched over Rin said to him between deep breaths:

"Sorry for the wait... but apparently... trying to avoid people... is like walking on a minefield. We had to marathon it the rest of the way..."

"Why did you two not take a taxi or something?" Shirou found himself asking.

"I suggested that, but Rin was unwilling to spend more yen," Arturia bluntly answered before then warmly adding; "But other than that mishap, I now look presentable."

"That's putting it lightly..." Shirou said under his breath, tugging at his collar. Remarkably, Arturia was wearing clothes similar to what she normally wore yet accommodating her more mature body perfectly. However, the obvious difference was not only Saber's height, but also that her buttoned shirt was working extra time to contain her "bounty." Shirou's face started to heat up at the observation until Rin snapped his attention.

"By the way..." she said, looking up at Shirou sternly. "You owe me A LOT of money, bonehead."

Shirou sweat-dropped when Rin handed him the receipts for all the clothes that she bought for Arturia. It was indeed a lot more than he could make working part-time at the liquor store. There was NO way he could pay back Rin while still having enough yen to feed himself and Arturia, especially considering how much the Saber eats.

So, Shirou offered the only thing he could...

"I'll make you a nice dinner, Tohsaka... I promise."

Rin looked dismayed before she retorted:

"I just said to Arturia not long ago that-"

"Don't try it, Rin..." Arturia cuts the mage-girl off. "We have more important matters."

As emphasis, she looks up the countless steps to the summit of Mount Enzou where Ryuudou Temple stood, and where Caster was residing. If they were going to meet Medea in hopes of hiding Arturia's figure from Taiga, Iseei, and Ayako, then they had a climb ahead of them. Shirou did not mind the long walk up the mountain, and he was sure Arturia would have no issue doing that as a Servant. Rin on the other hand, having already exhausted herself running to get here, was NOT looking forward to travelling all the way up on her own two, aching feet...

"Let's just get this over with," the Tohsaka mage said with a sigh, knowing they have all wasted too much time already. "We can talk about my compensation later."

Rin reluctantly stood up and started walking up the stairs for Shirou and Arturia to follow. They did not do so right away, as once Rin was out of earshot, Shirou said this to Saber beside him:

"I hope she forgets..."

The climb up the steps to Ryuudou Temple has been going slow to say the least. Having overtaken Rin on the way up, Shirou and Arturia had to wait at an outlook on the cliffside for the Tohsaka mage to catch-up before continuing. For about a minute, they admired the view of Fuyuki City from where they stood. They marveled at how quickly the city seemed to have grown significantly since the Holy Grail War ended, particularly across the river to the Shinto district where Arturia and Rin were earlier.

Mount Enzou, and the neighborhood surrounding it, including Homurahara Academy as well as the Emiya, Tohsaka, and Matou Households that represented Miyama; the "old" district of the city. Across the river was Shinto; the more modernized district of Fuyuki, and the one of the two major areas that goes through the most visible change. In addition to Verde, the indoor waterpark: Waku-Waku Splash, and the New Fuyuki Center for the Performing Arts, Shirou and Arturia could see the tallest building in the city; the Hyatt Hotel, which not long ago had opened to foreigners for the first-time in over ten years, having been constantly renovated and refurbished over time after a certain "accident" occurred around that time.

With it being a sunny day with a gorgeous view, Arturia saw a couple of tourists out of the corner of her eye stopping to take a photo of each other with the city in the background. She eventually had an idea...

"Shirou? How about you take a photo of me in front of this view?"

"Seriously?" Shirou was caught a bit by surprise. He'd taken shots of Arturia before, but with her the way she is now, a photo of a mature Arturia seen by Taiga or anyone else would be incriminating. "Aren't you worried about someone seeing it?"

"Take it with your phone," Arturia said as she picked a spot by the wooden railing before adding suggestively, "Nobody will see it except for you..."

Shirou was stunned as Arturia leaned back against the railing with one leg behind the other. The Saber knew Shirou seeing her like this was exciting him, even though he tried his best to not make it obvious. Stamping down her own bashfulness, Arturia then arched her back, in turn emphasizing her already massive chest oh so subtly. She was surprised at herself for daring to tempt Shirou like this.

Arturia could not explain it, but this new body of hers was giving her a confidence she never felt before today. She then said to curb Shirou's hesitation while savoring the growing blush on his face:

"Decide quickly... wouldn't want Rin to come and spoil the moment..."

Shirou snapped himself back to his senses and pulled out his phone.

"Alright... fine, Saber."

Arturia simply smiled and reset her pose against the city backdrop. Shirou snapped a picture and viewed the image.

"Wow," Arturia heard him say with an impressed look on his face. "That's amazing..."

Narrowing her eyes coyly, Saber asks him:

"What is?"

Looking back up at her, Shirou hesitated to answer, but Arturia did not wait for it.

"MY turn..." she said as she reached for Shirou's arm and forcefully pulled him towards her. The red-haired boy yelped as he found himself sandwiched and pressed against Arturia with her arm wrapped around him as she pulled out her phone for a selfie.

"Saber-!"

"Hush, Shirou," she instructed him calmly, lining up her shot. "This one's for me."

Unable to do anything, Shirou was forced to comply as Arturia squirmed against him, looking into the camera.

"You're out of frame, Shirou," she said slightly impatiently. "Come closer."

Shirou then found Arturia (who remember is taller than he is at this point) pulled the boy against herself forcefully, to the point that Shirou's face was smooshed against Arturia's left breast. Blushing bright red, Shirou was frozen stiff until he saw the flash from Arturia's camera.

"There!" she said contently, releasing Shirou who stood gasping for breath. Ignoring him, Arturia looked at the image on her phone, smiling at it satisfied. "It turned out great!"

Shirou was speechless as he stared at Arturia looking at the phone and beaming at how well it turned out. As adorable as the whole scenario seemed at first glance, Shirou had never known Arturia to be so "forceful" outside of a heated sparring session. This was the most carefree he had ever seen Saber.

This was not like her...

Arturia stood admiring the picture she took with Shirou, feeling giddy at how flustered Shirou looked right up against her like that. To be honest with herself, as soon as she had thought about taking a selfie with Shirou, Arturia's judgement had just boiled down to the point where she did not think about her own pride and image as a dignified king like she usually was even when she and Shirou were together. What she did just now felt... different, like everything felt inconsequential and she just did what she wanted without hesitation. Her heart was still pounding passionately at having such a moment with Shirou when she had all the leverage. All because she was mature...

It felt like something in her took control for just a few moments... and Arturia enjoyed it.

Having this body was doing exactly what she hoped it would do when she wished for it.

This body... it feels great! I feel secure, confident, powerful even! This is what I've been missing since I had pulled Caliburn from the stone; Pride... as a woman! My wish really DID come true!

Arturia started chuckling under her breath, almost maniacally to Shirou's ears.

"Uh... are you okay, Saber?" he asked cautiously, making Arturia stop suddenly.

"Eh?" She looks back at him in surprise, her face slowly turning to shock at having no idea what came over her. Perhaps she got a bit carried away...

Just then-

"Enjoying the scenery guys?"

Arturia and Shirou turned to see a displeased Rin, who sounded exhausted and was hunched over, putting her hands on her knees while looking up at the two lovebirds who left her behind. Before they could respond to her, Rin did that for them.

"Oh, I'm alright, thanks for asking," Rin said sarcastically before going ranting. "I only had to walk up a hundred feet up a mountain wearing flats! My feet are now toast from trying to catch up to you two dimwits!"

They both looked at the Tohsaka mage apologetically before the awkward silence got Rin fed up and she stumbled onwards past them.

"Never mind, let's keep going. The sooner we get off this mountain, the sooner I can ask Archer for a foot massage..."

While Rin started slowly climbing the remaining flights of stairs up to the temple, Shirou and Arturia looked at each other briefly, silently agreeing NOT to bring up the fact that Rin did not want either of them behind her on the off chance that they'd look up her skirt before soon rejoining her.

With Rin now in a sour mood, both Shirou and Arturia walked beside her, helping to nudge their friend up the steps. This made the remainder of the climb slow going, but with the gates of Ryuudou Temple within sight above them, they figured it would not take them too long to reach it. The trio saw couriers carrying backbreaking amounts of food and supplies, trekking up and down the stairs effortlessly. Seeing this seemed to only irate the Tohsaka mage even more than she already was, still having the energy to complain despite her fatigue.

"(groan) I forgot how many stairs are in this place. Why are temples built so high up?"

"Issei always said; the higher you go, the less cluttered the air is," Shirou told Rin, hoping that some casual conversation will lighten her mood as well as give her something else to focus on. Getting the message from him, Arturia then chimes in.

"And that a good view does wonders to soothe the soul, if I recall; hence why most temples are built on mountains. I've seen monasteries in my time that follow that philosophy."

"I never heard THAT from him," Rin remarked, looking at Shirou skeptically.

"If you hung out with us and Issei, you would hear much more."

"Excuse me," she retorts to him. "As a matriarch of the prestigious Tohsaka family, I have other acquaintances of greater importance than a student council president who has issues with my sparkling personality..."

"Not how I would describe it," Shirou quipped before something crossed his mind. "By the way, Rin... these "acquaintances" you speak of; you told us about Zelretch and the Edelfelts more than once, but who are the ones you mentioned this morning?"

"You mean Aoko and Alice?" Rin asked to which Shirou nods and Arturia listens intently. "Well, my clan has had past dealings with the Aozaki family. Aoko is heir to her grandfather and bears her family's crest, which is strange considering it didn't go to her older sister, Touko, the next in line. From what I heard, Aoko previously had no plans on being a mage. She is currently residing in Misaki town with Alice Kuonji; one of the last remaining witches in the world."

"A witch?" said Arturia. "Isn't that no different than being a mage?"

"Not quite," Rin replied. "The Mage's Association doesn't categorize female mages as "witches." A true witch is not entirely human, having been born able to innately use a very special kind of magecraft. Some scholars at the Clock tower have theorized that witches were originally Fairies, having altered their appearance to blend in perfectly in human society."

"Sounds like someone I used to know..." Arturia lets out; a certain evil sorceress from her past came to mind as Rin continued.

"Most mages consider witches to be "rejects," who were at one point were a part of the Association's founding before quickly splintering off. Witchcraft isn't the same as magecraft."

"How so?" Shirou found himself asking, only for Rin to respond with:

"It will take me all day to explain, especially to YOU, Emiya-kun."

"Give me SOME credit, Tohsaka," Shirou simply humored her. "I've still been practicing Tracing since Saber came back. I even have a reality marble, remember?"

"Which you've gotten from Archer..." Rin was quick to remind him. "If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't really have much to brag about."

"I thought we were talking about these Aoko and Alice persons," Arturia cuts in before they went too far off subject.

"Oh right... so since Aoko unexpectedly got her grandfather's crest, Alice has been helping her get up to speed quickly. I heard through grapevine that she got into a feud with her sister Touko a couple years back over Aoko's possession of her family's knowledge of magecraft, which if rumors are to be believed, they have cracked the code on unlocking Fifth magic. Oh, finally..."

The trio got up to the top of the many flights of stairs to the gates of the temple. Shirou and Arturia allow Rin a few moments to catch her breath before they proceed inside to find Caster. In the meantime, the two of them contemplated what they heard from the Tohsaka mage concerning this Aoko person. It seemed unbelievable to them that there was another mage apart from Zelretch that wields true magic in some form, and unlike the mysterious guy who was supposedly of ancient age, Aoko seemed to be not much older than either Shirou or Rin respectively.

While Shirou tried wrapping his head around how someone close to his age can obtain abilities considered unattainable, Arturia found herself less concerned about that, and more about what abilities Aoko herself uses. Most mages would have trouble fighting a Heroic Spirit such as herself, but Arturia was curious if someone wielding true magic could challenge her in a fight. From what Rin revealed to them about her, along with the fact that most mage feuds culminate in violence, Arturia found herself morbidly curious of this Aoko Aozaki.

With Arturia having two Noble Phantasms now, a friendly bout against this magician would certainly be interesting...

"To think that people fought over the Holy Grail for a long time to gain true magic," Shirou pondered aloud. "And this Aoko person is just walking around with it. How did her family do that?"

Hearing him, Rin perks up and tells him:

"The details are sketchy, and they sure won't tell me about it..."

"So how do you know them?" Arturia then asked after overhearing them.

"They contact me whenever they need "supplies" that my family has stockpiled over the years. Mainly spell gems that my family specialized in."

"And what do YOU get?" Shirou asked Rin. From what he learned of the magus community at large from her, mutual relationships between different Mage families were always shaky at best. And what deals they end up making tend to hurt individuals involved in the long run. Shirou was reminded of how Sakura was traded to the Matous to know that to be true.

"I get incense and mineral powder that I can use to make more of my gems," Rin's response sounded benign much to Shirou's surprise. "Instant spells are resource-heavy to make. Basically, whatever spell gems I created, I ship a percentage to Alice's mansion, and she and Aoko keep sending me the base ingredients. It's mutual business..."

"Wow. They sound pretty upstanding for mages..."

"Aoko is not like the rest of her family," Rin said sincerely, indicating the level of trust she puts in these two individuals. "She and Alice honor their agreements."

"This Aoko Aozaki and Alice Kuonji sound like people well worth meeting," Arturia remarked before asking Rin, "Are you associated with them on a social level?"

"I try to be..." Rin answered with a shrug. "The girls have been keeping to themselves since their whole deal with Aoko's sister way back. I keep inviting them to come to Fuyuki for a weekend or something, but they turn me down each time."

"You're curious as to if they HAVE Fifth magic or not as your motive, no doubt," Arturia deduced, smiling at Rin coyly. The Tohsaka mage stiffened before Shirou added for his Servant in the same manner:

"Yeah, that'd be a hot topic to discuss over a cup of tea, wouldn't you think?"

Rin's gaze darted between the two of them, a blush forming on her face at having been found out. She then narrowed her eyes at them and tried to brush off their "suspicions."

"I don't know WHAT you two are talking about..."

"Deception is unbecoming of you, Ms. Tohsaka."

The trio turned around to see a familiar face sitting right near the gates to the temple grounds under a sakura tree. Clad in a purple kimono and sporting long, indigo hair was Assassin Sasaki Kojiro, eyes closed in peaceful meditation. Arturia expected to see him out here as he usually was, but Shirou and Rin failed to even notice him despite the Servant sitting literally in plain sight.

"Kojiro-san!" Shirou greeted in surprise and bowed in apology. "Didn't see you there..."

Without opening his eyes, Kojiro calmly said to the boy:

"That would be due to my Presence Concealment; allows me to meditate in peace."

"Well, I can see that this is your favorite spot," Rin remarked bluntly at the Assassin who was seemingly ignoring her. "Don't get out very much, do you?"

"Rin," Shirou lightly admonished the Tohsaka mage for her rudeness, no doubt due to a mix of exhaustion and impatience. Turning back to Kojiro, Shirou said to him, "Sorry to disturb you, but is Caster here?"

Hearing his "captor's" name, Kojiro finally opened his eyes and looked at the group.

"She's always here as long as her master is." The Assassin's gaze then fell on Arturia, and his subdued reaction to seeing her new appearance consisted only of an eyebrow being raised. "I think I know why you would be looking for her... Saber."

Arturia slowly walked up to him, grateful for the fact that Kojiro was not making a big deal out of why she looked more mature, at least from what she could tell from the stoic samurai. Kojiro, like most disciplined warriors, were trained to have a tight handle on their emotions, including surprise.

"Yes..." she starts awkwardly. "It's pretty plain to see, isn't it?"

Kojiro simply smiled and looked up at the sakura tree.

"Like a growing lotus flower, spreading its pedals and letting its splendor shine with the sun. When the flower blooms, so does all other life in its presence."

A blush immediately formed on Arturia's face at hearing such poetic words from the samurai.

"I'm... flattered. Thank you."

Shirou was impressed, not even mad at the fact that Kojiro just flirted with Arturia right in front of him.

"I wish I could put words together like that..."

"Yeah, that's great..." Rin cuts in with an unimpressed tone, and annoyed that her friends were wasting time making chit-chat with the Assassin instead of doing what they came here for. "We're a bit crunched for time, guys. Can we go find Caster now?"

Unfazed by the Tohsaka mage, the samurai simply replies:

"Impatience is also unbecoming. Good things come to those who wait, Ms. Tohsaka."

Rin lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Whatever," she said before turning to Shirou. "I'm going to scope out the courtyard, and make sure Issei's not out-and-about."

"I'll check too," he said to Rin, afterwards turning to Arturia. "Mind waiting a bit, Saber?"

"Not at all, Shirou," Arturia replied. Shirou and Rin then passed through the gate, leaving Saber alone with the Assassin.

"Kojiro..." she starts solemnly. "I missed you at my birthday party last night. I have reason to believe Shirou would have asked you to come."

"He did, Saber," he told her. "The boy is thoughtful and considerate, but I would feel like an intruder considering that we've only met briefly, as enemies no less."

Arturia felt sorry to hear that from the samurai. Kojiro wasn't even summoned as a real Servant in the Fifth Holy Grail war, having only been manifested by Caster so that she had someone guarding her territory, which happened to be here at Ryuudou Temple. This mountain sat on a leyline that Medea was able to utilize and fuel her magecraft, as well as being the place where Arturia and Shirou had their final battle with Kirei Kotomine and Gilgamesh.

Thinking back on when she crossed blades with the samurai-servant, during their bout, Arturia knew that Kojiro believed he had no shot at a wish (whatever it was), and the only gratification he can get from being Caster's puppet was having a good fight with a proper servant like herself.

Despite Kojiro being her enemy in the only moment they interacted, the Saber did not hold it against him.

"You fought with honor, Kojiro," Arturia said to him after a brief silence. "That I can respect enough to look past that fact."

Assassin locked eyes with Arturia for just a moment before casting his head down.

"How very kind of you," he starts apologetically. "But even if I wanted to, I cannot leave the leyline this temple sits on for too long, as I am still contracted through Caster."

The mood did not stay solemn as Arturia sees Kojiro lean back and stretch a leg out, becoming more relaxed as he then tells her:

"However, her master was never a mage to begin with, so she too faces similar difficulties. The only difference is as a Caster-class servant, she can... "break a few rules," shall we say?"

Arturia could not argue with him on that.

"Medea really needs to give you more freedom. Japan is your home country, is it not? I'm sure that even with your combat attire, you would not look out of place here."

"Indeed. Japan is my home, but times have changed since I was alive. I would hardly even recognize it, if not for some keeping the old ways alive in some form..."

Arturia notices Kojiro's head turning towards a small shrine a short distance across from them, where two monks bowed to pay respects and leave a generous donation to the temple. It made the Saber feel sorry for the samurai, who felt like a man stuck out of time.

Perhaps the Assassin was not granted general knowledge of the present that most servants do upon being summoned by a master...

The Saber also wonders if she were to visit England at this time, would it even feel at all like home to her? Looking back at Kojiro, Arturia asks him with a heavy heart:

"If you feel there is nothing for you in this age, why not ask to null your contract with Caster? Rest in peace?"

Kojiro visibly contemplates for a moment before he suddenly stands up.

"I appreciate the sentiment," he said as he dusted himself off in front of the Saber. Looking up at her, Kojiro said to her with conviction, "but someone has to keep an eye on the aloof witch. She might not like it, but she needs to stay humbled one way or another..."

Kojiro then unsheathed his katana, inspecting the blade before stating:

"Besides, there IS something I wish to gain knowledge of while I am alive here and now."

Arturia blinked at him for a moment, growing curious as to what the Assassin was referring to.

"What might that be?"

Before she got her answer, Shirou and Rin peeked out of the gate, and the irate Tohsaka mage called to Arturia.

"Coast is clear, Saber! Let's move!"

Arturia curtly nodded at Rin before turning to Kojiro with a look that said "sorry, gotta go..." Kojiro just smiled and sheathed his sword.

"Another time, Saber," he said before sitting back down. "The world continues turning, and it waits for no one."

"Farewell, Kojiro," Arturia said with a slight bow. "I hope we have a friendly spar sometime."

Staring up at her for a moment, Kojiro smiled more contently.

"It would be my honor..."

Arturia then left the Assassin to his own device and rejoined Shirou and Rin. As the trio disappeared through the gate to the temple, Kojiro returned to a meditative position, only this time he sat on his knees, untying his katana and sheath from his side and laying it horizontally in front of him. Kojiro closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Just then, the wind picked up, causing the rustling of leaves and some petals to fall from the sakura tree, gently blowing them across the wall of the temple, right past the samurai as he anticipated. Releasing his mind to the autonomy of nature around him, Kojiro's only thought in this moment was:

I will learn that which you have bested me with, my rival.

"That Kojiro-guy annoys me," Rin stated bluntly as she, Arturia and Shirou made their way across the grounds of Ryuudou Temple, walking straight towards the dormitories. "He can't help but be SO insightful..."

"Have some respect Rin," Shirou said to her while towing Arturia by her arm from behind. He along with Rin did not want to waste any more time meeting Caster, lest not arriving back home in time to make dinner before Taiga returned from her "date." While they were B-lining it towards their destination, Shirou also could not help but notice that in addition to the monks who resided here, there was also a significant number of tourists around; many of which stole glances at Arturia, making him uncomfortable. "Kojiro was a dignified swordsman all the way back in the Edo period. The only one in his time who was considered equal to him was Miyamoto Musashi."

"So what?" Rin asked, audibly unimpressed. Arturia knew that compared to her and Shirou, Rin did not have much personal familiarity with the Assassin, so Saber felt compelled to explain to her:

"Sasaki Kojiro is a man of focus, Rin. He has lived his whole life learning the art of the blade; a path that demands dedication, discipline and wisdom. His way with words reflects that aspect of him."

"Well, did any of that help him win that duel with Musashi?" Rin then asked rhetorically, just as the dorms came within sight. "'Cause from what I've read, it didn't! Maybe he could have won by composing a few haikus..."

"You really ought to get to know the guy like we do," Shirou remarked to Rin before saying, "I do feel a bit sorry for him. Kojiro's duel with supposedly the greatest sword-user in history is the only thing he's really known for."

"" Greatest" you say, Shirou?" Arturia quipped as the trio was passing a stone-walled garden with a lush, dense bush. "I would have liked to cross blades with this Miyamoto Musashi and test that claim for myself..."

"Maybe you should have wished for that instead of-" Rin starts enviously before she is cut off at the sight of someone exiting the dormitory. She, Shirou and Arturia stop dead in their tracks at the sight of- "Shoot! It's Issei!"

To the trio's horror, Iseei Ryuudou came out of the dorms carrying a bucket of cleaning supplies along with some garden tools. He appeared to be distracted as he then walked down the steps across the grounds... right towards them.

"I don't get that woman..." They hear Issei speaking frustratingly to himself. "I try to be helpful and clean out hers and Kuzuki-sensei's rooms, but she just brushes me off... I swear Caster-san is worse than Tohsaka at times... (sigh) Whatever, I can come back after I clean up elsewhere..."

Issei was hardly paying attention to where he was heading, but with the trio stuck in the open like this, it will only be a matter of seconds before the boy spots them, and a matured Arturia. Shirou internally panics before turning to Rin.

"I didn't think he'd be inside the dorms! Now what do we do?"

Looking around frantically, Rin looks for a place to hide Arturia, settling on the garden they happen to be standing beside.

"This!" she said before lighting up her circuits and spinning on her heel to forcefully kick Arturia across her backside. Saber yelped as she was sent tumbling into the bush that was just big enough to conceal her. Shirou looks at the Tohsaka mage with a mixture of shock and outrage.

"Rin! What did you-?!"

"Shhh!" Rin cuts him off just as-

"Emiya!" Issei greeted, walking up to the duo and being oblivious of what had just happened. Shirou and Rin swiftly composed themselves as Issei continued, "I wasn't expecting to see you here at the temple. You even less so, Tohsaka..."

"Don't get used to it," Rin said to him bluntly. "I'm just sightseeing."

Issei tilted his head slightly, seemingly not buying Rin's response, but soon enough he said with palpable annoyance:

"Courteous as ever, I see. And Emiya?" Issei's tone lightens when he turned to Shirou, who was trying his best to stay composed despite still processing the fact that Rin had just kicked Arturia (forcefully...) into a bush. "I'm kinda surprised not to see Arturia with you."

"She...uh," Shirou hesitated for a moment before giving Issei the only convincing response he could. "She has other plans today."

"Namely?" Issei said curiously, noticing how "off" Shirou seemed. Thankfully...

"It's not polite to pry you know, Mister student council president..."

Rin's remark prompted Issei to focus on her instead of Shirou. Meanwhile, Arturia was staring out at the three teenagers from inside the bush, daring not to move or make a sound.

"Oh, my apologies," Issei replied bluntly at Rin's all too familiar rudeness. Ignoring her, Issei returned his attention to Shirou. "Are you here to sightsee too, Shirou? My family's temple is magnificent, isn't it?"

Shirou stole a brief glance at Rin, whose face read:

Thank me later, and play it cool...

"Indeed Issei," he eventually replied calmly. "But rather, I came to see Caster. She accidentally left something at my place last night, so I'm returning it to her."

"Oh," Issei said with slight disappointment, becoming unenthusiastic at the mention of Caster. "Lady-boss is in the dorms with Souchirou-sensei. She was very adamant that she would clean their quarters herself today when I offered to do it. She's so secretive... what is she? A witch?"

"Ha ha ha... funny," Rin remarked sarcastically, the irony not lost on her or Shirou.

"It's actually funny you tagged along to sightsee today, Tohsaka," Issei continued. "Me and my brother are touching-up the grounds today to welcome the governor of Oita prefecture, who will be stopping by in Fuyuki to see how the city is handling the influx of foreign tourists. Great that our town is getting real recognition, don't you think?"

"That sounds great!" Shirou said, whereas Rin visibly scoffed.

What a coincidence... she thought as Issei replies:

"Yeah, you can tell why father wants this place to be absolutely perfect, hence why I'm carrying all this stuff" (he shows his reagents and tools for emphasis), "Come to think of it..."

When Issei's attention turned to the bush that Arturia was hiding in, the Saber's blood ran cold while Shirou and Rin looked on in barely restrained horror.

"This bush looks a bit unkept," Issei said as he leaned in closer to inspect, raising his garden shears. "I should probably-"

Thinking fast, Shirou stops him.

"I think I have a better idea." Issei looks at him in confusion before Shirou tells him, "I can't help but notice that some birds hanging out over the front gate, and I'm willing to bet that they left a few-"

"Seriously?!" Issei suddenly exclaimed, immediately going into a rant. "Those cursed pigeons! No matter how much we scare them off, they keep coming back and soiling the scenery for everyone! If word gets out about our poor upkeep of our grand entrance, our reputation will be ruined! First impressions are paramount! Excuse me while I fetch a ladder, and a power-washer!"

Issei hurried off past Shirou and Rin, and once he was out of sight, the both of them breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Whew, that was close..." Shirou said while wiping sweat off his forehead with his arm. "I can't believe he bought that..."

"Issei is so gullible," Rin remarked coyly. "Still, best not to disappoint the governor I guess."

"Excuse me," an irate Arturia spoke to them inside the thick shrubbery beside them. "You two haven't forgotten about me, have you?"

Shirou and Rin could hear the Saber squirm, trying to get out of the bush.

"Sorry about that, Saber. Give me a hand, Rin..."

Reaching in, they soon pulled Arturia out of the bush. The servant stood there, her hair a mess and her clothes stained with dirt, visibly cross at Rin.

"Well, that wasn't very funny!" Arturia scolded the Tohsaka mage, who simply shrugged in apology.

"First thing I thought of, lest you explain yourself to Issei."

Before Arturia could argue, the trio paused when they noticed a couple of tourists staring at them awkwardly; mainly at Arturia's disheveled state. Soon, Rin started to nudge (push) her and Shirou towards their destination.

"Let's not linger here too long. Issei could be back any minute..."

Once they were in front of the dorms, Rin did a quick, discreet charm on Arturia, removing the stains on her clothes and fixing her hair. Before they went through the front door, Shirou made the girls pause.

"Wait, not through the front!" he warned them with a whisper. "Issei's brother and father might be in there."

"Good point," Arturia affirms and Rin nods in agreement. The trio circled around the dormitories to the back door, which was oddly left open. As they sneaked closer, Shirou made a less than obvious observation.

"Anyone smell something burning?" his comment made Arturia and Rin whiff the air.

"Yeah," Rin reveals. "Probably incense."

"No," Shirou said in a low voice, his eyes narrowing. "Burnt cooking is what that is..."

"You sure?" Rin asked.

"I think Shirou of all people would know..." Arturia replied in a whisper. They then froze when they heard the clanging of pots and pans. Along with-

"Kuzuki-sama!" the trio heard the cheery voice of Caster beyond the entrance. "I've made these for you!"

Shirou motions Arturia to stay back while he and Rin slowly peeked around the doorway and observing the peculiar scene of Medea, dressed in casual clothes and an apron, standing over Souchirou Kuzuki. The former ethics teacher was dressed in his regular jacket and tie was sitting down and reading a newspaper before being approached by the Caster, who brought him a platter of (badly...) prepared "confections."

"What are these, Caster?" he asked her evenly.

"Pastries!" Caster replied before her face sooned turned devious. "I swiped this recipe from the Emiya-boy last night!"

Shirou was visibly appalled hearing that as Caster then continued cheerily.

"I've spent all this morning making them! Would you like to try them first?"

Rin cringed as the lovestruck Caster moved the platter of burnt pastries closer to Souchirou, who clearly was not sharing her enthusiasm. Medea was oblivious to it however as Souchirou tells her:

"Medea... there was no need to be deceptive around Shirou. You could have just asked him to make them for you-"

"I am perfectly capable of preparing food myself," Caster insisted. "I don't need to be instructed by some naive boy on something that comes so naturally to a caring spouse..."

"But we're not even engage'-"

"Semantics!" Caster happily cuts him off again, and Souchirou just sighed. "Please Kuzuki-sama, try one! Taste how much love I've poured into making these JUST for you!"

Souchirou briefly stared at the plate of burnt pastries. Shirou could tell that even while the teacher's face hid it well, Souchirou was not exactly looking forward to tasting it. Still, Shirou knew that Souchirou will resign himself if it meant not hurting the witch's feelings, as sure enough...

"Alright, if you insist..."

Shirou could not help but feel a little sorry for Souchirou as the teacher grabbed a pastry and took a bite. Caster watches on with a hopeful smile as Souchirou chewed (slowly...), while both Shirou and Rin could tell by how long it took for the teacher to swallow that he did not enjoy it.

"Do you like it?" Caster asked. Souchirou eventually looked up at her and said with a hesitant smile.

"It's delicious... truly."

"Ahhhh!" Caster swooned, overjoyed at her beloved's answer. "Kuzuki-sama's praise makes me so happy! I can't wait to make even more delectables for you!"

By this point, Rin has had enough...

"Ugh... I think I'm gunna hurl."

Caster froze on the spot at having heard Rin's remark, eventually becoming enraged at her moment being spoiled. She and Souchirou turn before seeing Shirou and Rin's heads poking through the back doorway, aware of their presence at last.

"WHO DARE-?!" She starts angrily before Souchirou calmly stops her.

"Easy, Medea. It's just my former students..."

Caster's face relaxes as Shirou and Rin walk inside cautiously.

"Ah... Tohsaka and Emiya," she greets them antagonistically, putting a hand on her hip. While Caster was focused on them, Souchirou quickly reached for a glass of water. "You two have some nerve coming here and interrupting my moment with Souchirou-sama."

"Yeah well, swooning time is over, Caster," Rin said, holding her ground against the mage servant. "Our time is more important than yours at the moment. We came for your help and we're not leaving without it..."

Caster tilted her head curiously, her almost sadistic smile made Shirou gulp nervously. He knew if things went south, Saber would intervene to protect him and Rin, hence why he kept her out of sight for now.

Arturia was his "failsafe" in case Caster initially refused.

"" Help," you say?" Caster then asked coyly. "And why would I lend my prowess to you two intrusive brats?"

"Because it's important?" Rin answered anxiously to which Caster scoffed mockingly.

"Hmph! Important... I doubt any mischief you two have gotten yourselves into would be of any importance to me. I could care less about two inferior mages; I am currently focused on pleasing my beloved with confections I made ALL by myself and Souchirou-sama enjoys them!"

Rin rolled her eyes at Caster's boasting, but Shirou, who took a glance at the plate full of burnt pastries, could tell that he made these for Arturia weeks ago. Seeing them so badly botched wounded his pride as a skilled cook. Having an idea, Shirou felt compelled to put a damper on Caster's delusion.

Maybe getting Caster angry enough for Saber to surprise her might make her more willing to cooperate.

"I hate to break it to you Caster," he starts, earning a confused stare from the witch. "But you are disgracing my good name by making my pastries and messing them up... badly."

Caster stiffened angrily with a vein pulsing on her head. Rin looks at Shirou with an expression that said, "what the hell are you doing?", but he gives her a wink, silently telling Rin to trust him. "Have you even tried those yourself? I can tell just from a glance they must taste like Styrofoam."

Caster was fuming by this point. She pulls a spatula out of a pouch from her apron and holds it menacingly as she stomps toward Shirou. Souchirou watched on with concern and Rin started backing away as Caster exclaims:

"COME HERE TO EMBARASS ME IN FRONT OF MY BELOVED, HAVE YOU?! AND YOU HAVE THE GALL TO ASK ME FOR HELP?! I WILL PUNISH YOU FOR YOUR IMPUDENCE, BOY!"

Shirou braced himself as Arturia, who overheard everything, rushed in with Excalibur at the ready just as he counted on. Caster froze as Arturia, now in her new armor, stood in front of Shirou ready to protect him.

"You will not harm a single hair on Shirou for as long as I draw breath, witch!"

Silence soon hung in the room; Caster just stood there staring up at Arturia. The mage servant dropped her spatula as her face slowly turned from surprise... to shock, and then to Shirou and Rin's astonishment... horror.

Shirou knew Caster had a "fondness" for the cute, little King of Knights, but he quickly concluded that he had seriously underestimated that aspect of Medea, as the Witch of Colchis stood horrified at sight of the newly matured Arturia.

Caster's response was so unexpected that it even surprised Arturia herself. The King of Knights was not so little anymore...

"NOOOO! What have you done to my Saber?!"

TBC