24. Chapter 24

-TRUE ENDING- PART 2

Right now was morning, for real, and Caster was still sitting at the table in the living room.

Since she was now there she had no reason to go back in her room, or anywhere else, nothing would have changed, because she would just stand or sit in a place and think.

Since Shirou's death, her days have always been like this. She woke up, if she didn't have any kind of illusion where he was still alive she would walk around the silent house, she would be reminded once again by the silence that had invaded the home that Shirou was dead, and if she didn't have to cook or do something to distract herself even just a bit she would just stay in a place and think, and if she wanted to stop thinking she would go to sleep, then the cycle would repeat.

Even if 3 weeks had passed she... she didn't know how to react to Shirou's death.

Just like Shirou had suddenly appeared in her life, he was now gone.

She was more than sad and she missed him a lot, but in these past weeks other than some tears not even once she had cried for him.

Well, she at first didn't because she thought that she would have been able to bring him back, in fact, she knew over hundreds of rituals of any kind that varied from simple necromancy to ancient True Magic, so at least one of them should have been able to bring him back, right? But after a continuous week of trials and fails not even one of them had managed to bring back to her Shirou's soul, she should've expected it since a 'key part' for the rituals to work was missing.

When that night she had first arrived at the place where the final battle had occurred, and she realized that Shirou had died, she was already thinking of putting his soul into a phylactery or a body that would host it for a short time... but her heart stopped completely when she noticed that other than some traces of blood there was nothing left of his body... nothing, not even a piece.

From that exact moment, she started to get desperate.

It was simple, a person could not create a potion if he didn't have all the necessary components or ingredients, and now what Caster lacked was the most fundamental 'ingredient' in the ritual, which was Shirou's corpse.

She of course had tried everything, after a good number of rituals she knew failed to work, she, by using the remaining samples of Shirou's blood that were still present in the zone and using almost half of all the power she had stored in the past two months, in a single week of continuous work managed to create Shirou's body. Well, it was not his real body, but she had created him a new one with which she should have supposedly be able to call his soul back. But when she made the ritual and at first it didn't work she started to get nervous, thanks to her great knowledge of magecraft and magic she by just using his blood had managed to build his body 1:1, it was a perfect replica... but that may have been the main problem, it was just a replica, and in it, the only original components were the remaining samples of blood that on their own were not able to recall his soul. She then started to carefully think, if the body she had created was not enough to recall his soul what else she could have used? In that instant in her mind appeared a revelation that made her jump and squeaks with joy, she could use Avalon! If she combined the body she had created for him, which was basically a perfect reconstruction, and then she used Avalon, the Fae Artifact that was responsible for the creation of his soul in the first place, of course, she would have been able to recall his soul back, right?!

...When not even Avalon, after it got implanted in the body she had created, had worked as a catalyst to call back his soul... everything for Caster simply stopped mattering.

Even to this day she still didn't know exactly why she had not been able to recall his soul. Maybe it was something due to the fact that his soul was technically a sword, and she could not simply recall the soul of an 'object' in a human body... after all, the fact that Shirou existed in the first place was a unique and unrepeatable miracle on its own.

Now, for lack of better words, she now didn't know what to do.

She... didn't know what to do now since she had tried everything in her power to try and bring him back... no matter how much she struggled in the past month... nothing had changed!

As Caster started to think she was gritting her teeth, everything had gone so well until now, the war had been stopped, no disaster that claimed thousands of lives happened, and everyone else was fine and still alive... everyone except Shirou.

Why?! What had he done to deserve it?! Why he of all people had to be the one to die?! Even she of all people right now was well and alive! So why Shirou had to be the one to die?!

This is what she had been thinking for the past week, almost every moment in which she was awake. She really hated with all of herself this cruel reality, in fact, in this past week her sadness and despair had started to alter and change into anger and resentment against fate itself. She couldn't really understand why the sweet boy that had saved her, the one she had changed into a ruthless man ready to do anything to stop the war, had to be the one to die. Why she could have not been the one to die in his place instead?! If she was now there it was only thanks to Shirou! So why did he-?!

"Good morning Caster." Saber kindly greeted her, as she entered the living room.

"Oh, good morning Saber." Caster greeted her back as she snapped out of her thoughts. "Just give me a moment, breakfast will soon be ready." Caster then said as she got up.

"Ehm, sure... and thank you, Caster." Saber simply said before she sat at the table.

Caster walked to the kitchen, put on an apron, and then she started to make breakfast. As she did, a little sense of calm came to her as she thought about how she had to cook, as she remembered all of the cooking lessons she had with Shirou. Cooking revealed itself as one of the few moments where she could relax and somehow stop thinking about Shirou's death.

In the meantime, Saber was silently watching Caster, and she was thinking of what she could do for her. Saber was not a person who was good at console others, let alone understand what they were feeling and how to act properly, but she wanted to do more for Caster other than keeping her company when she could. At the moment, only the two of them resided in this house since the other inhabitants had gone away shortly or immediately after Shirou's death.

The first one to go had been Sakura and Rider.

In the early morning after Shirou's death Saber was in the living room, and she was thinking on a way to communicate to the others about Shirou's fate, but before she could come up with a proper and delicate way to say it Sakura entered in the room. After watching around the room Sakura greeted her and asked where Shirou was, she said that she wanted to speak with him about something but she had not been able to find him anywhere. Saber at that moment got taken by surprise, and for this reason, she simply started at Sakura without saying a single word. After they watched each other for a long and silent minute, Sakura simply took a step back, turned around, and left.

Since that day she never came back.

Of course Rider immediately noted Sakura suddenly going away and she went with her, the Servant later came back that same day both to tell her that from that day on Sakura would stay at her sister's house, and to take the few possessions the girl had in that home.

Then there were Illya and her maids.

A heart-breaking twinge came once again to Saber's heart when, an hour after Sakura went away, Illya cheerfully entered into the room and after greeting her with a big hug she asked where Shirou was, since she wanted him to already prepare breakfast and later play with him. Saber with a smile told her that Shirou would not come back for a long time since he was busy doing something in another city. After hearing her answer Illya started to pout and lament, she started to ask Saber why Shirou didn't tell her that he would have gone to another city and why he went there without taking her with him, she then even started to doubt her words and started to call her liar. Once again Saber didn't know what to say, so she simply told Illya to stop asking questions, and Illya, who was still under hypnosis, simply agreed.

After that Saber raised her head and watched the two maids who were behind Illya, and even if one of them had a completely emotionless expression, it was clear that both of them understood what really happened, so for this reason they went into the kitchen and started to make breakfast for their lady. After they had breakfast Saber had asked Illya if she would have liked to form a contract with her, and as she expected, Illya was more than happy and excited to do it, but after a moment she asked her why she wanted to form a contract with her when she was Shirou's Servant. Saber with another smile told her that Shirou had asked her to do it since he would not come back for a long time and he wanted her to stay safe, Illya then simply accepted her answer and they formed the contract, and after they did, Saber gifted her Sheath to Illya. She didn't just give it to her because it belonged to her now-dead little brother, she also gave it to her since in Illya's magic core there were the souls of 4 heroic spirits, the Sheath with its power would have been able to make sure that Illya would not suffer from it. Yes, later Caster had taken it for an entire week, but now Illya had the Sheath back in herself.

Anyway, some days later after they formed the contract, since they had no other valid reason to remain there since the war was finally over, Illya and her maids returned to their castle while Saber decided that she would remain at Shirou's house to keep an eye on Caster, to see if she could help her in some way, and to see if she would have been really able to bring back to life Shirou since she was trying different methods to do it.

Saber of course in the past 3 weeks had gone to daily visit Illya, both to see how she was doing and to receive some mana from her by staying close. The first week she saw how nothing had changed for Illya and she was happy and carefree as always, as she wondered when Shirou would return. The second week, instead, Saber started to note that Illya was recovering some of her memories, and while as always she was happy to see her, it was clear that she wanted to ask her some questions, but she never did. At the start of the third week, after Illya greeted her in a cordial and yet cold way, Saber immediately understood that Illya had returned to be her old self. Illya then ordered Saber to follow her into her room, and she did so without saying anything. They got in her room, they sat at the table present where there was a tea set, Illya poured Saber some tea, and after that, they started to talk.

They spoke almost all day long, and Saber answered all of Illya's questions about Shirou, herself, and the events of the war. As she started to answer her questions Saber started to note how Illya got more and more confused, she could easily guess why. She already knew how Illya had come here just to kill the boy that had supposedly robbed her father from her, and now she not only had discovered that it was a lie, that her hatred for him had always been not justified, the boy she was ready to kill at any moment never hated her, instead, he loved her as his sister and he was trying to find some ways prevent her premature death.

Illya, after speaking with Saber, had realized that she now didn't have to die since the Grail was corrupted and would bring only death and destruction, she could now live for some other years, something she had never expected... and as she thought about it, she realized how Shirou, the boy she had hated with all of herself for the majority of her life, even wanted her to live a normal life with a normal lifespan with the help of the Caster Servant. Illya simply didn't know how to react to the news, in the past 3 weeks since she had formed her contract with Saber she not only had dreamt of Saber's past, she even dreamt of some of the moments Saber had passed with Shirou... her little brother.

And now she could not even ask him, the only family member she had left, why he did the things he did since he too was long dead.

Saber snapped out of her thoughts when Caster put a plate in front of her.

"Oh, thank you, Caster." Saber said after she turned to look at her.

"You're welcome." Caster simply answered, before she sat in front of her and observed her.

Saber started to eat, and as she did she could clearly note how Caster was watching her. She right now didn't know what to say or do, today as well Caster was acting like normal with her... as if nothing ever happened. Saber had noted that when Caster was alone she would always have a gloomy expression while she was thoughtful, but whenever she approached or talked with her Caster completely changed behavior... why?

Saber also didn't know how Caster should even act right now, after all, she was a woman who killed in cold blood her own children, so was it normal that right now she was not on the verge of collapsing after Shirou's death and the failure of her rituals, or it was not? Not even her instinct could help her right now, the only thing that it told her was that Caster had no kind of resentment or hostile intention towards her... why?

She had failed her duty as a Servant, her young Master got killed right at the end of the war by the enemy she should've killed, and now because of it, how many people other than her were now suffering his loss?!

And as she thought about it, it even came to her mind how they had to settle the question with Taiga.

The woman, Shirou's guardian, around a week after Shirou's death came to the house and asked Saber where Shirou was since she wanted to know if Shirou felt it to speak with her about Kiritsugu's daughter's, and when he had the intention to return to school. She told her that at the school council she had spoken with the principal and the other professors, and luckily all of them demonstrated to be very comprehensive about his situation. Since he had always been a good student they said that they could even close an eye if he didn't want to come to school for another week or more

Saber's head started to spin at the time, she just had no idea of how to answer her, unlike Illya or Sakura Taiga knew nothing about the war, and now how should she had to tell her that Shirou was dead? And even if she believed every word she spoke, just how could she tell her that she could not even bury him since there was nothing to bury in the first place, because of her? In front of her now stood the woman who had basically grown up Shirou, even if for him she had been more of a sister than a mother not much changed in the end, just how could she tell her? What could she do? How should she act?

At that moment, like a hand coming from heaven, Caster silently walked behind Taiga's back, and after she apologized to her she brought her left hand on Tiaga's head and used magic on her. Caster then simply told the now hypnotized woman that Shirou had run away from home and that she had to never come back here, after that, Caster looked at Saber and gave her a simple nod, then just like she appeared, she disappeared, literally.

Taiga then stood still in place for around half a minute before she suddenly burst to cry. From that moment on the woman started to ask Saber why Shirou had run away from home and if she knew when he would have returned. Saber gritted her teeth and went on consoling Taiga, she started to say that she was sure that Shirou would have returned soon, she just didn't know when. And as she consoled Taiga an idea, a very cruel one especially in a situation like that, came to her mind, she at first was thinking of not using it, but she could tell that she somehow knew Taiga, and very soon she would have done it herself. After Taiga calmed herself down Saber asked her why she didn't go to search for him, she then said that maybe he was now sleeping at the house of a friend or maybe was on the other side of the city, or maybe he even went in another city. As soon she finished speaking Saber saw Taiga beaming with joy, Taiga immediately started to say that with all of the people she knew she could ask them a pair of favors, and with their help they would have been able to find him surely in less than a day. As she turned and walked toward the exit she even started to say how much she would beat him for good after she would have found him, for making her worry like that.

As Saber watched Taiga walking away she started to feel incredibly worse. Now the woman was about to launch herself, and only gods knew how many other people who knew Shirou, in a pointless research that would have brought all of them to nothing. Saber in life had been a king and a leader, she was used to seeing people of whatever age dying in front of her after she had imparted her orders, but her duty never had been the one to console the family members of the victim... the victim that could not even receive a proper burial because of her. And now because of her ineptitude, she was doing a disastrous work that was only worsening the situation.

As the sense of guilt she was trying to suppress for the past week was getting only stronger and stronger, luckily something that would distract her from it happened. After Taiga opened the door to get out, in front of it she saw a tired Tohsaka Rin, who was about to knock on the door. After she quickly greeted the young girl and said that she was now on her way to find that dummy of her protege, Taiga hastily went on her way, leaving Rin and Saber alone.

After they saw the woman leaving the two only present people turned to look at each other silently, there was not even the need to explain what had just happened, Rin had already figured it out. After Saber had let the young girl inside they went into the living room to talk, Rin told Saber that Sakura had informed her about Shirou Emiya 'sudden disappearance', in fact, in this past week she had been too busy to try and comfort her sister from when she had suddenly came to her home, so for this reason she had not come here sooner.

From that moment on they spoke about what they had to do about their Grail and the war, and after some hours they decided that they would just try to buy time until the situation calmed down, and the only person who could immediately destroy the Grail, Caster, calmed down as well. The girl said that if she had to buy time from both the organizations she would have needed the help of the war Supervisor, but she then bluntly told Saber that she didn't trust the 'fake-priest' not even a bit, in fact, she had been the one to propose to hypnotize him. A pair of hours later, after the girl went away and Caster returned home, from wherever she had gone before, Saber told her about their plan, and the woman simply nodded in response. Not even an hour later, the priest had already been totally brainwashed and he was already helping Rin with whatever plan she had, but when Saber saw Caster after she returned home from the church, she noted that she was somehow... thoughtful? It just seemed that she was reflecting on something.

After Saber finished eating, without saying a word, Caster took her plate and went to wash it, and as Saber watched her going into the kitchen she now wanted to talk with her about Shirou's death. She now wanted to bluntly ask her if she hated her for what had happened that night, but before she could even start to ask the question she heard someone knocking at the entrance door.

"I'll go." Saber immediately said to Caster, before she got up and walked toward the entrance.

As she walked there she started to wonder who would come here so soon in the morning. If it was Illya she would have called her, she then had already spoken with Rin the day before, and Taiga was still under Caster's hypnosis, so she would not come here, and it was not Rider since she could feel that the person was no Servant.

Saber after opening the door got a bit surprised, and then said: "Good morning Sakura."

"Good morning Saber." Sakura greeted her. "Is Caster here?" The young girl then asked her calmly.

"Yes... come in." Saber said, as she watched the oddly calm girl who had suddenly came back after 3 weeks, before she started to have a bad feeling.

The two of them then walked toward the living room in complete silence, where they found Caster as she was sitting down at the table.

"Who was it?" Caster asked before she looked up and saw Sakura. "Oh, good morning Sakura." She then greeted her a bit surprised.

"...Good morning, Caster." Sakura replied after a long moment, as she watched her.

"...Well-" Saber started to say, after she noted the way Sakura was watching Caster.

"Saber, could you kindly leave the room?" Sakura said interrupting her after she turned around to face her. "I want to speak with Caster, alone."

"...Sure, no problem." Saber simply said, before she backed out of the room and closed the door before she walked away.

"...Sakura, what do you want to talk about?" Caster asked both a bit confused and surprised by the girl's sudden appearance... and her strange behavior.

Much time had passed since the last time she had seen or even heard something from her, so why did she suddenly come here just to talk with her?

...No, wait a minute, it could not-

"It's been 3 weeks since the last time we saw each other, Caster, but it seemed more like an eternity, don't you think the same?" Sakura asked her calmly, as she turned to watch her.

After Sakura turned around Caster almost flinched and looked away, she did so because she now saw something she never wanted to see, especially after all the things that have happened... in the girl's eyes there were only traces of anger and resentment.

"...Do you want me to prepare some tea?" Caster asked as she started to get up.

"No. I'll stay here just for some minutes." Sakura said stopping her immediately. "So sit down, Caster." Sakura continued as she looked down on her before she got close to the table and sat down.

"..." Caster remained in complete silence as she sat down like Sakura told her to do. She right now didn't know what was about to happen... but from the way the girl was acting with her she could tell that it was nothing good.

The two of them then remained in complete silence for over a minute, as Caster looked down at the table and Sakura was watching around the living room, observing every detail of this place she always loved with all of her heart.

"...Sakura, -" Caster started to say at one point.

"You know, I always wondered why Senpai had changed so much in so little time, I always wondered why he had become... so cold." Sakura said interrupting her as she watched the kitched behind Caster. "I first thought that it had been because of me, because of my situation, because of what he had to do to help me... but in these past weeks I figured out why. He had changed because he had to take part in a war, a very ruthless one... a place that was never meant for heroes." Sakura continued as she now watched Caster. "Now, Caster, I want you to answer some of the many questions I have."

Caster said nothing, but she simply nodded as she kept looking down.

"Why are you here?" Sakura asked.

After a very long moment, Caster said: "...Because Shirou saved me."

"Oh, so that's how you see it... you're here because senpai saved you. Yes, you're here because senpai thought that saving those in need of help was the right thing to do... and I can guess that someone like you was very grateful for such a kind and merciful act, right?" Sakura asked as she watched her.

"...Yes." Caster said as she simply nodded.

"How did you thanked him?" Sakura then asked.

"...What?" Caster asked confused after a moment, as she kept looking down.

"How did you thank the person that saved you? How did you thank the person that gave you a second chance at life?"

"...I ...I taught him magic." Caster answered.

"And? What else have you done Caster? Did you perhaps prepare him for a conflict? A magic war? One of the deadliest ever?"

"...But he asked me to train him for the war." Caster answered, as she tried to justify herself.

"...Oh, so that's how it is... I see." Sakura said as she nodded. "I should have expected it, that would be totally in senpai character. Even if he found himself in front of a such deadly and dangerous conflict, he would have not backed down until there were some people to save. Until there was someone to save and help, he sure was ready to do anything to assist them... isn't it right? Shirou did anything he could do to help you and stop such a dangerous war, didn't he?"

"...Yes, he did." Caster said.

"So, we can say that he took part in the conflict because he had met you, and you involved him, right?"

After a long pause Caster said:"...Yes."

"We can say that now he is dead because of you, right?" Sakura then asked.

Caster said nothing, she just flinched and lowered her head even more.

"Look at me and answer my question, Caster. Senpai now is dead because he met you, right?" Sakura then asked again, but her tone was more aggressive.

Caster kept looking down and not answering her.

Sakura simply sighed and then started to look around the living room once again. As she looked around Sakura started to recall all of her happy memories, all of the good times she had spent there with Shirou... well, in truth those were the only memories she had left now since the other had been modified, were vague, or got out right erased by Caster.

And now, what she should do with all of these memories about herself and Shirou? Treasure them with all of her heart? Fully knowing that her senpai will never come back? Fully knowing that she will never be able to relive them again? Fully knowing that he would not desire her to grief his death? Let alone remember him?

"Do you want to know the truth, Caster?" Sakura then asked after a very long pause.

Caster said nothing, she just kept looking at the table.

"I hate you." Sakura bluntly told her. "It's kinda ironic how I hate you of all people, you, who are responsible for the fact that I'm here in the first place. I think that you have to know that not once in my life I hated someone, even despite all the things they did to me, really. I never hated my parents for selling me, I never hated my sister for ignoring me, I never hated Shinji for abusing me, and I can even dare to say that I never truly hated Zouken for all the things he did to me. The only thing that I could feel for some of them was something in between pity and disdain." Sakura admitted before she stopped for a moment and frowned. "...But you Caster, you made discover and understand what the true meaning of hate is. I hate you, I hate you with all of myself." Sakura confessed.

Caster said nothing, but she started to grit her teeth.

"We both know why you involved Shirou in the war, Medea. It's because he was convenient, incredibly so, and someone like yourself sure could not help but to take advantage of his selfless kindness, isn't it right? I forced Rider to tell me your identity, and then she even told me about senpai's peculiar nature, his abilities... how he was more than a weapon, a monster, than a human being... and you certainly couldn't afford to miss out on such an opportunity.." Sakura said. "In these past weeks, I asked both Rider and Rin of what senpai had done during the war, and how he died. I really wanted to know what he did while I was ignorant of everything, I really needed to know how he left this cruel world... and what a discovery I made." Sakura said before she stopped, as she looked in front of herself for a very long moment.

"They told me how this entire conflict had been basically one-sided. They told me how Shirou was the menace. They told me how he was the one going around with Saber or Rider viciously butchering and killing all of those who stood in his way... and to even think he was even about to kill both Rider and Rin while thinking of doing the right thing for me..." Sakura said as she sighed and shook her head. "Now, I want you to answer this question: Why did he act like that?"

"...It was because of me." Caster admitted as she closed her eyes and she clenched her fists.

"Well, it's not the answer I wanted, but at least now you're being honest." Sakura commented.

"But Sakura, I never wanted him to become like that!" Caster exclaimed as she looked up. "I only wanted to-"

"Now we're here because of the things you did, not because of the things you wanted, or hoped, to happen." Sakura reminded her. "...Now just answer me this other question: You loved him, didn't you?" She then asked coldly.

"...Yes, I loved him with all of my heart." Caster said as she looked down and brought both of her hands to her chest.

"But if you really did then why you have been so ungrateful?" Sakura asked as she leaned toward her. "He saved you, he helped you, he fought the war for you... and now, where is he now that the war is finally over? And where you were when he died?"

"I..." Caster started to say, but she had no idea of what to say to defend herself.

Sakura was right, she had been ungrateful and selfish from the very start. While Shirou was out there with Saber and risking his life as he tried to stop the war, all this time long she had remained at his home... where nothing and no one could ever harm her.

...And where she was when Shirou needed her help?

"Not only he died at the very end of the war, after all the things he did, all the things that YOU pushed him to do... now there is nothing left of him... as if he never existed... do you now have started to understand why I hate you so much?" Sakura then asked.

Caster didn't respond, she just lowered her eyes and remained silent.

"You took away from me the only person I ever loved, the only person who truly ever cared about me and was ready to do ANYTHING to help me... But just in how many ways you took him away from me?" Sakura then asked. "You turned that sweet and forgiving boy into someone that instead of trying to reason and talk, would just slaughter every single of his enemies... yes, I have to admit that this was a war, and what else can someone do in one? Senpai went around, he fought, he killed, and in the end he himself got killed... this was just a continuous cycle of violence and death... but that's not the point Caster, the problem is that the one who killed and got killed had been Shirou." Sakura continued. "Then I could tell that he got very interested in you, I would even say that he developed some feeling... and I mean... just look at yourself Caster, I never stood a single chance against you in the first place." Sakura said before she stopped for a long moment, she then took a deep breath before sighing. "And now, after all the thing that he did for me, after he welcomed me in his home, after he stayed with me for all these years, after being my only reason to live, after killing Shinji and Zouken for what they did to me, after he saved me and reunited me with my sister... I did not even have the chance to truly thank him... now I don't even have the option to go and visit his grave to pay him respect... and I never will." Sakura said as she lowered her eyes.

As she said those words Sakura really wanted to cry. She now really wanted to shed tears for the person that had done everything he could to save her and make her happy, and just the thought that she will not even be able to thank him at his grave for all the thing he did was too painful to describe... she right now should've burst to cry... but she had shed all of her tears in these past weeks.

Now other than her hatred towards Caster, the woman who got him involved in the war, there was nothing else left in her heart.

Sakura at that moment returned her attention to Caster, just to note that she had lowered her head even more.

"Answer me Caster, why? Was his life worth the price to put an end to the war? And why did he had to die the way he did? Why he had been torn apart? Caster, why Shirou had been made to pieces and then erased from the face of this earth? Didn't he had suffered enough? Didn't he push himself enough? Didn't he shed enough blood? There has to be some kind of reason why he died the way he did, right?" Sakura asked as she started to lean toward her more and more. "...I really want an answer, Caster, can you give it to me?" She then asked.

As Caster thought for an answer her eyes started to get watery... and after a minute of reflection, she realized that there was no clear answer that she could give to the girl... nor to herself.

"Huh, it seems that you cannot..." Sakura said before she stopped for a moment and leaned back. "Anyway, since you are a powerful mage have you at least tried to find a way to bring him back?" Sakura then asked with a bit of curiosity.

"Yes! I've tried to do anything in my power! I swear!" Caster said as she raised her head to watch Sakura.

"...Did you? Or as the ungrateful person that you are, you simply gave up?" Sakura asked with doubt.

Caster remained speechless at Sakura's words.

"...I hope that you will live forever, Caster." Sakura then said as she got up. "If you really loved him, if you really cared for him, I really hope that you too will live the rest of your life grieving his death."

"Sakura... I never wanted anything of this to happen..." Caster told her.

"...No one ever does, Caster." Sakura said with a little smile after a moment, as she watched the sorrowful Caster. "I can see that deep down you're really suffering his death, but I still hate you, and I still wish Shirou never saved you and left you to die that night. I know that senpai wouldn't want me to hate you since he on his own volution saved you and took part in the war, but now he is dead and not even you can bring him back, so does his will really matter anymore? Do his desires, hopes, and dreams still matters? Or now just like him, they are nothing but simple memories?" Sakura asked as she inclined to her side her head a little before she turned around and got out of the room.

"I'm sorry for my sudden arrival, but I really had the need to take this weight off my chest... other than that, have a good day, Caster." Sakura simply said before she started to walk toward the exit. "And good day to you too, Saber." Sakura said before she left.

After Sakura left, Saber, who was at the other end of the corridor and had listened to the conversation that had happened, sighed.

'...Was... was that girl really Sakura?' Saber asked herself perplexed.

The girl now seemed- no, the girl now was a completely different person.

Just how much did she change in these 3 weeks? Where was that timid girl who doubted of herself? Who was now that cold and blunt person who had just left? What happened to her in this period of time? Did Shirou's death change her so much?

After a moment Saber shook her head and started to walk toward the living room, right now she was more than sure that Caster was conflicted with herself, and she was sure that she could somehow comfort her... and maybe she would even have the chance to ask her if she hated her in return for the events of that night.

But when Saber entered the living room, she saw that Caster was nowhere to be found.

Once again, she was alone.

Caster was now wandering into the forest, the same one where Shirou found her that damn cursed night.

As she did, once again she was feeling that sense of hopelessness... but with it, there was also a strong sense of anger and hatred.

As she aimlessly wandered the forest for many hours, at one point, she started to weakly laugh as she walked. She laughed because she realized that no matter what she did her fate would always be the same... she would ruin everything, remain alone, and be hated by the world and its inhabitants.

But then at one that she suddenly stopped, and she looked up into the sky.

"Shirou, why?" Caster asked him.

As she looked up Caster really hoped to receive just a simple answer for one of the many questions she had.

She wanted to know why he had saved her. She wanted to know why he was the one to die. She wanted to know if it would have been really better if Shirou never found her and left her to die. She wanted to know if things could have gone differently. She wanted to know why no matter where she went she always ruined everyone and everything.

She hoped with all of herself to receive an answer... an answer of any kind... but no matter how much time passed, that answer never came to her.

At that point, she simply stopped wandering around, and she sat down to the ground as she posed her back on a tree and she hugged her knees.

...As much she didn't want to admit it, Sakura was right, she had been selfish from the very start, and she was responsible for Shirou's death in the end.

Even if she was grateful to Shirou for having saved her life and helping her, something that no one ever did before, she still had taken advantage of him and his kindness from the very moment they met. She involved him in a war fully knowing that he may lose his life, she manipulated him and changed both him and his mindset to accommodate her needs, she trained that sweet boy who was only interested to save others to fight and to kill... so why Shirou, her victim, had been the one to die right at the end?

She was the Witch Of Betrayal, she was the one that had really caused Shirou's death by involving him in that cycle of death and violence, so why she was now free to do whatever she wanted?

Her little hero had died, so for what reason now she, the witch, after all the things that she had done was still alive? Why she was now free from the consequences of her actions?

...Why she had not been able to repay her debt?

She started to think for an answer... for an answer that explained and justified to her the things that had happened.

As she sat under the tree hours started to pass, the sky started to get cloudy, and yet, no matter how hard she thought... she never found the answer she hoped to find.

The hours kept passing and passing as she thought, and right when the sun started to set, Caster just reached the worst of conclusions... there was no real reason for why he died... It just happened.

There was no one to really blame for what happened that night. There was no hidden truth, no bigger motive, no people behind the scheme, no Gods who were there to manipulate the outcomes... there was nothing.

The events of that night could have gone completely different, like Shirou never being wounded and Saber killing the man instantly.

She could say that what happened to Shirou that night had been because of causality, and if she wanted to dare, because of fate.

She was the first one to know how there was no real justice or karma in the world, she knew how horrible things could happen to good and innocent people who never did anything wrong in their lives. For example, she had herself when she was younger, she had Sakura, Illya, Rider, Archer, Shirou... her own innocent's children who she had murdered just for the sake of revenge on Jason.

And she also knew of how sometimes fate rewarded with happy lives the worst of the worst. She knew and saw how monsters and criminals of every kind not only got away with all the things they did, they would even live fulfilling lives free from the consequences of their actions... she had herself and her current situation as an example.

So what she could she have done in a situation like that? What she could have done to prevent Shirou's death? Could she go against fate itself and try to bring him back him?

...Maybe... she had no real choice... she really had no voice on the matter... there was nothing she could have done.

...Yea, there was nothing she could have done to prevent anything that had happened, and now it was too late to act anyway.

She until now had even tried everything she could to bring him back, but even her most powerful rituals failed to do it.

There was no reason to keep struggling if nothing would have changed, right? In the end, for her, it would end always in the same way...

Nothing has ever changed from that night, even now she was powerless as ever...

If only she had never involved him...

If only he had never saved her...

...If only she had never been born.

...

...

...

'But I can't accept an end like this.' Caster thought as she gritted her teeth as the anger she had in herself became stronger.

Just what should she do now? Give up? Let Shirou stay dead? Live the rest of her life as the ungrateful person she was? Live the rest of her life knowing that it had been her fault? Live the rest of her life with all the weight of her Sin? Carry that weight until her death?

...

...

...

No.

It was too late now, but she could not just give up, she now had the only choice to face the consequences of her actions.

Medea could not let the cruel fate decide what Shirou's destiny would be.

She had at least to repay her debt!

'Now I finally understand... now, just like you Shirou, I have the only choice to fight and rebel against this cruel fate... until my very end.' Medea thought as she got up.

"You saved me after I fell on the wet and cold ground. You saved me after I lost all of my hopes. You saved me after I gave up and I accepted my death. ...You were there for me when I needed help the most... and I'll do the same, I'll be there for you. Just wait for me Shirou, I'll soon come to save you." Caster declared to him as she frowned, while she made up her mind.

She will save him, no matter how, no matter what she had to do...

She will save him even at the cost to set on fire this entire world!

Caster looked up at the cloudy sky that had started to turn dark, and she started to speak.

She told the sky her intentions, she told the sky what would soon happen, she told the sky what soon she would do, and for this reason, the clouds became dark, and the sky started to cry.

After the rain started fell upon Medea, on her face an evil smile appeared.

The first step was done, and the time to act has finally come.

How much time has passed since she had been imprisoned?

This is what Bazett was now thinking while she was in chain.

Since that night where she found that boy and fought him, that same night she had been imprisoned, she had started to lose her sense of time. The place where she was now imprisoned, the lair of her Master, didn't have any kind of windows, so she could not know even guess what time of the day it was.

And as she thought about it she realized that her Master had not come here for... for... weeks? Months? Years?

She didn't know, and she didn't care. The only thing that right now she was hoping for was that she had been forgotten and left to die... it would still be something more merciful than whatever her Master would do to her next.

Bazett raised her head and started to look around, and once again she noted in what kind of mess the entire room was. She remembered how the for a long while her Master came and went suddenly, taking and leaving objects of any kind. At the time she was more concentrated to try to breathe a little as possible and try to hide her presence as much as she could, as she tried to not attract her Master attentions, but she could note in what kind of state of frenzy her Master was, as she did strange rituals of every kind to a body in a magic circle.

Not once she asked her Master why she did the things she did, and when she saw her acting mad like that she was sure that if she did her master would have made her suffer a fate worst than death.

After that she looked around for a while before she realized that she was kind of tired, she decided that it was better to sleep so that she could lose time faster. Soon the food and water supplies that her Master left her would soon run out, and if she was lucky enough she would simply die of dehydration.

She moved her long chains and laid on the ground, after watching the ceiling for a while she closed her eyes, hoping for the umpteenth time to never wake up and die for some reason in her sleep.

She would have tried to commit suicide a long time ago, but her Master had used magic on her, and now not only she could not kill herself in any way possible, she now was forced to consume food and water present every time she was hungry or thirsty. She at first tried to guess how many days she spent there by seeing when she ate. She at first guessed that every time she ate what could it had been considerate breakfast, lunch, and dinner, a day passed, but sometimes she would get a bit hungry in the afternoons or evenings, and with time... she had lost her sense of time.

At that point, as she thought about it Bazzet had started to drift into the world of dreams, the only secure place she could find refuge and be free...

"Good evening Bazett." Medea told her.

In that instant, Bazett jumped up and opened wide her eyes... just to see her Master looking down to her.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you at such a late hour, but now I need your help." Her Master told her with a cold expression.

"...How can I help you, Master?" Bazett asked as she got up.

Saying that now Bazett was surprised it would have been an understatement, she at the moment had no idea for what she would have been useful for, as her own Master reminded her a long time ago after she lost her right over Fragarach, she had outlived her usefulness... right, she did say that she would have kept her around in case of something.

"Do you remember the steps for the ritual to pass your sorcery trait to others?" She asked her.

"...Sure." Bazett said after a moment with a nod.

"Good, now you have to pass them to me, and you also have to help me see if I can get the rights over Fragarach." Medea said as she snapped her fingers and the chains that chained Bazett unlocked themself before she started to clean and tide her messy workshop.

Bazett remained in complete silence as she stood still, after a very long moment, and after gaining enough courage, she said: "Master, if you want to take the rights over Fragarach you have to ask the current owner..."

And just like Bazett feared at first, she had ended up saying something wrong. After her Master heard those words she froze for a very long moment before she slowly turned toward her, and watched her with her eyes filled with madness and anger. Bazett right now was hoping that whatever her Master was going to do to her would have been at least quick, but instead, to her great surprise, her Master turned her back to her and simply sighed.

"...Master?" Bazett called her confused.

"...Shirou had died, the only one who can now help me is you." Medea said.

At that moment Bazett's heart stopped beating.

'WHAT?!' She thought more than frightened and terrified than she had ever been before.

All the things that her Master had done to her, for all this time long, had been because she had attacked the boy had Master was very fond of. She still clearly remembered every single moment of all the things that her Master did to her, as she yelled on how she dared to wound and almost kill the boy with her Servant... and now this boy... had died?

What the hell was about to happen to her right now? What should she do? Should she try and find a way to force her Master to kill her quickly? Should she try to immediately find a way to kill herself?

"Bazett what are you doing?" Her Master asked. "Stop staying there and help me fix this mess."

"...Master... I beg you... after I do what you've asked, kill me." Bazett said with a trembling voice.

Medea turned around and looked at her with a confused expression and a raised eyebrow before she said: "What? Why should I do it?"

"...I-I'm terribly sorry that S-Shirou Em-Emiya has p-passed away... b-but punish m-me will not brig him b-back." Bazett managed to say.

Her Master stopped doing anything and just observed her for some very long moments, and after a while, she sighed and with a sad expression she said: "I was not thinking of punishing you... but as I think about it... I've been ungrateful with you too."

"...What?" Bazett asked genuinely confused by her Master's sudden statement after a moment.

"You know, I already knew how... reckless Shirou was after I saw his past, but when he fought you and Lancer I should have understood just to what length he was willing to throw his life away. After he recovered his senses from Lancer's attack Shirou could have summoned Saber, he could have waited for reinforcements to arrive, but no, instead he didn't waste even a moment of time and he went on attacking Lancer after he openly challenged him and told him to not run away. Shirou wanted to stop and kill him right then and there, even without no one supporting him... at the times I'm sure that he already started to think of himself as a weapon, that even if he died until he managed to stop the war and prevent the death of any innocent, it would have been worth the price... and yet, nothing, I thought that I cared about him, and yet I noticed nothing at all." Medea said before she stopped for a moment. "All this time long I've been so furius with you, I was so angry with you since you had almost killed and taken my precious Shirou away from me... and yet, I was no better than you... I've been such a hypocrite." Medea said before she stopped for a moment, as she reflected on her past actions.

"Tell me Bazett, when you fought Shirou, where I was?" Medea then asked after a very long moment.

"...You were not there... or... I do not remember you being there, Master." Bazett said as she recalled her battle with Emiya.

"No, you're absolutely right Bazett, I was not there." Medea said as she got in front of her. "While Shirou was there fighting you and Lancer and risking his life, I was here, at his home, safe from everything. I was not with him when he needed my help the most, do you understand? I always knew that I'm a terrible person, but do you realize what kind of ungrateful person I've been with him? He who saved me when I was about to die? He who accepted me for who I was?" Medea asked her as she watched her in the eyes, before she looked down to watch her hands and then clenched her fists. "If the night he fought you I would have been with him in person, he would have not been wounded like that... and if I was there with him the night he died, maybe even if I got fatally wounded, I may have been able to save him... but not only I was not there, I arrived too late..." After a moment of silence, she looked up and watched Bazett in her eyes. "But now, now I finally know what kind of terrible and ungreateful person I've been... and now I know that it is my turn to save him from his fate."

"...Should we start with the ritual after we clean your workshop?" Bazett then asked her, as she watched the eyes of her Master being filled with cold and ruthless determination.

"...Yes, you're right, this is not the time to get lost in small talk." Medea said before she turned around and started to use her magic to clean the place.

Bazett and Caster quickly cleaned the messy workshop, and after they did, Bazett with a knife cut her left arm vein and started to pour her blood into a chalice until she filled it, then after her Master stopped the beelding she helped her preparing all the other steps for the ritual.

After around 15 minutes they started the ritual to pass the sorcery trait to Medea, and around half an hour later, they were done.

After completing the ritual and Bazett confirming her that she had taken the right of Feagarach, Medea got up, and with a simple wave of her hand she called to herself one of the copies of Fragarach... one of those that Shirou made and gave her.

"And with this, I'm a step closer... yes, I'm getting closer to save you, Shirou... just wait for me." Medea said as she watched and caressed with her fingers the lead ball floating in her hand.

"Ehm... Master?" Bazett called her.

"Yes?" Medea said as she snapped out of her thoughts turned her attention to the other woman.

"May you kill me now?" Bazett bluntly asked her. She had outlived her usefulness and now her Master had other things to think about, maybe now her Master would really free her from that hell.

Medea watched her for a very long moment before a smile appeared on her face and she asked her: "Do you really think that I'm going to kill you? After all the things that you have done?"

Bazett watched her for a moment before she closed her eyes and then simply sighed, she should have expected it... it would have been too good to her for being killed so easily.

"Master, could you at least..." Bazett started to say as she opened her eyes, but she stopped speaking and blinked, when she noticed that she was under the rain, in the middle of a dark road.

"...What?" Bazett said confused, as she started to look around herself and the unknown neighborhood she now found herself in.

"If I kill you or not, nothing will change in the end." The incorporeal voice of her Master said. "Think of this as way to thank you for all of your services... and just to let you know, soon everything will simply stop mattering anyway, so I have no more time to lose with you. Enjoy the time that remains, and goodbye Bazett, our time together had been fun." The voice continued before it faded away.

...

...

...

"...What?" Bazett said again, more confused then ever.

For who knows how long she had stopped to hope of being freed, and she started to hope with all of herself to get killed all this time long... and now her Master had freed her... what?

Was this somekind of final punishment? Would her Master give her the false sense of hope before she brutally killed her?

Bazett stood there for over a minute... and yet, nothing happened.

She started to walk around... and yet, nothing happened.

She started to run... and yet, nothing happened.

At one point, after running for who knows how much long, an exhausted Bazett fell on her knees, and after she did she started to cry... she now was finally free.

As she looked up into the cloudy sky Bazett swore to herself that she had enough of this usless fights and wars, she now just wanted to go home and live in peace.

It was now 22 o'clock, and Illya was walking in the silent halls of her castle. She now was heading back to her room after she had taken a bath after dinner, and as she walked, she was thinking about her now-deceased little brother, Shirou.

It had been a week since she had recovered all of her memories and discovered the truth... and 3 weeks have passed since Shirou had died.

Illya, since she had spoken with Saber, didn't exactly know what to think about the boy she had hated for so much time... the boy she thought had stolen her father from her.

All this time long, since she had lost her mother since she had 'discovered' that her father had 'abandoned' her for another child... she had been thinking and fantasizing about all the things she could have done to the child that had stolen her father from her, after she found him.

...But now, what should she do? Not only she discovered that her father had never abandoned her, Shirou, the boy that she for almost 10 years had hated with all of herself, loved her as his sister.

Saber had told her how Shirou already had the intentions to save her from the war as soon he discovered that she was a participant, since he thought that she was a child who had been forced to take part in the war as Minor Grail, and then she even told her that when he had discovered that she was Kiritsugu's daughter, basically his stepsister, his desire to save her just became stronger.

Illya at the time just didn't know how to react to the news, at first she wanted to doubt Saber's words, but not only she still remembered those few days she had passed with Shirou, she as Saber's Master she could tell that she was telling her the absolute truth...

And now that the war was over, she was still alive, Shirou was dead, and Saber had become her Servant... she still didn't know what to think or how to react... everything had happened so fast for her.

Illya entered her room, and after she put on her nightdress she went out to the balcony of her room. She sat on a chair, and as she enjoyed the cold air, she was watching the full moon. She would watch it until those dark clouds that were coming toward the castle, and brought rain with them, would cover it completely.

Not once in her life, she thought that there was a person that could truly care for her.

Not once in her life, she thought that there was a person that could truly love her.

Not once in her life, she thought that she could have once again something that she could call a family.

And now, where was Shirou? Where was this little brother of hers, who as Saber said wanted to care and love her?

He, just like all of the people that she ever cared about and loved, despite everything he did and tried to do, had died, and he had left her alone in this cruel world...

"Why this world must be so cruel?" Illya asked herself, as she watched the moon.

She right now would have really liked to talk with him. She would have really liked to spend even a single hour with Shirou, and understand what kind of life she could have lived with him if he was still alive, what kind of family they could have been.

Illya at the moment started to wonder if it was too much selfish for her to ask to have a normal family... or even a normal life.

She just didn't know why things had to always take such an ugly fold, why she had to always end up left alone.

But despite everything, Illya at the moment was happy. Even if her time with Shirou had been very short, she had finally discovered that even despite everything that had happened to her until now, she too could still love, and be loved.

Even if it was such an insignificant thing for others, for Illya this thing meant more than everything else in the world.

For all of her life, she thought of herself as a mere tool, an object, something that no one ever wanted in the first place and that soon would been thrown away... but now not only she discovered that she, in reality, had never been abandoned, there were even some people who would truly care for her, like Shirou and Saber.

As she thought about it on Illya's face a radiant smile appeared.

At this very moment, as she felt this warm feeling in her chest, this warm feeling that she never thought she could feel ever again, Illya could truly say that she could die with no regrets.

"What made you take so long?" Illya then asked as she turned around to watch the stained glass window that faced her room.

At that moment, from the darkest corner of her room, a hooded Medea silently stepped forth, revealing herself.

Illya from the stained glass window could see the woman distorted figure. She could see the woman's luminescent, cold, and penetrating eyes, who were staring her deep into her very soul... and she also saw the colored blade she had just taken out from the cloak as she approached her.

After Medea got out of the room and reached the balcony, she silently observed Illya with a strange expression.

"What do you think that I was going to do Caster?" Illya asked her before she turned to face the moon once again. "Did you really thought that I would have run away as I screamed and begged to not be killed? I'm not like one of your children, I have to tell you that unlike them not only I felt it coming, for all my life, I have prepared myself for this moment... but not once I ever thought that I could leave this world happily." She continued as her smile grew wider.

"Isn't it beautiful the sensation of being loved and cared for?" Illya then asked her after a moment. "You know, when I first arrived here, ready to fight the Grail War after I had my vengeance against Shirou, I was ready to see and face anything: Violence, sadness, pain, hate, solitude, desperation... I was ready to face any kind of negative things since they were nothing new to me... but not once I ever thought that for some strange reason, I would have found some form of love direct to me from the very person I hated and I wanted to kill." Illya said as she could see Caster getting closer to her from the corner of her left eye, before she closed her eyes.

"Love, love, love..." Illya said that word more times as she meditated on its meaning. "Love for me had always been such a strange and alien word... but now, I can say that I can comprehend once again such abstract concept, this emotion so melancholic that almost hurts." Illya said as she opened her eyes. "During all those years were I was imprisoned in that cold castle, I had forgotten what warmth felt like, even things like affection and tenderness had become alien things that I never thought to experience ever again... but everything had started to change when Berserker arrived. You know, at first, after I summoned him, I hated him with all of myself. Just his mere existence hurt me, and because of our connection, at the times his every move caused me unbearable pains... I really wanted him to die... I really wanted him to disappear... or that is what I wanted until he saved me. When that day he saved me from the wolves, as she refused to use his God hand to protect himself since would have caused me more pain, I realized that after all this time someone had come to protect and take care of me... someone had finally come for me!" Illya said happily, as she noted that Caster had gotten very close to her but now she had stopped moving and was now simply observing her.

"Then Shirou suddenly arrived, and even if it was for such a brief period, he managed to make me understand what have I been missing all this time. Now I finally remember why I've was so sad and angry when mum and dad never came back to me when they left me alone... I guess that at the times I just wanted to relive those emotions with them... even if for a final time." Illya said as her smile started to reduce before it got even bigger than before. "But still, I can finally say that I've been so close to feeling once again something that could be described as true love! I'm sure that if Shirou was still alive he could have taught me what love really was! He went on such length to save me and stop the war, so I'm sure that he would have done such this for his sister, isn't it right Caster?" Illya asked as she turned to her left, just to see a hoodless Caster that had a sad smile on her face as she watched her.

"You're absolutely right, Illya." Medea told her before she kneeled to watch Illya eye to eye and she started to gently caress her on the head. "Shirou would have done even more to make you happy, I'm sure of it. As you said, he tried his very best until his very end... I'm sure that he would have made you the happiest sister in the world." She told her as she smiled a bit more as her eyes got watery.

"...Are your crying?" Illya asked her, genuinely surprised by the witch's behavior. She knew and remembered that the witch had some feeling for Shirou, but she surely didn't expected someone like her to cry.

"Because you just made me realize that Shirou was the person who had finally come for me... the person I always wanted to save me. Not only he came when I needed help the most, he was the one person who never judged me, and he also showed me what love and affection were..." Medea said calmly.

"Oh, I see..." Illya said as she lowered her eyes a bit. As Caster said those words Illya felt some kind of envy... was she jealous that Shrou had saved Caster too?

"You know," Medea started to say, making Illya snap out of her thoughts. "we have some of the time to our disposal... would you like if I talked to you about Shirou before I do what I must?" She then asked.

"Would you really?" Illya asked her as she immediately raised her head.

"Of course I will." Medea said with a smile as she got up. "You were a very important person for Shirou, and for this reason, you are a very important person to me too." She continued as she handed her hand to Illya.

"...I have no problems in coming with you, but I have to ask you: What do you want to do with the Grail?" Illya asked curiously as she watched the woman's hand.

"I... I really want to save Shirou from the war... from this cruel fate of his... from himself." Medea answered.

Illya said nothing and just nodded, if the woman was about to save Shirou she then could really say that she could die with no regrets. After that moment Illya got up from the chair and took Medea's hand, before they both disappeared.