[RadiantBeam]

So, here we are, part 4. It might be the final part, it might not. I'm honestly very uncertain about it at the moment. For now I'll leave it at this, but I might develop it into more given the chance. Until then, please enjoy!

Spoiler for A Change in Fate, part 4:

“So, you turn away from the warmth, little king?”

A clawed hand tapped to a light tune against the sword hilt; a soft humming echoed throughout the frozen landscape. In the darkness, the creature bared its teeth in a grin.

“Well, then, game on. Let’s see how long you last before you give in.”

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“N…. gh.”

She woke with a soft grunt. Grimacing at how brightly the sunlight streamed into her room, the Servant named Saber finally found the strength to sit up, moving slowly. Her muscles still ached, and her whole body felt heavy, but she wasn’t so weak that she couldn’t move around.

Quietly, she flexed her hand, curling her fingers into a fist. Her body was slow to respond, and she still felt faded pain. No doubt it would take her days to recover the mana she had lost while fighting off the shadow; had Shirou been a proper Master, such a thing wouldn’t be a problem, but….

But he isn’t a proper magus, and I swore an oath to be his sword in this war. I knew what I was getting into when I chose to shake his hand.

Shaking her head to ward off her thoughts, the blonde slowly got to her feet. Beside her, Shirou still slept; she had no doubt he was going to be stiff when he woke up. Looking at him, she sighed. “Really, now,” she said, “you could have at least lain down on your side, you fool. I wouldn’t have noticed anyway.”

He didn’t stir; she felt herself soften. The boy had to be exhausted. She didn’t know what had happened, but he had brushed against death; such an experience would tire anyone out, even someone with her Master’s spirit and stamina. He deserved to sleep as much as he could, at least for today.

Moving gently so as to not wake him, Saber laid her Master down and slid her pillow under his head, adjusting the blanket accordingly. She didn’t know how much it would help in the long run, but she wouldn’t be at peace until she was sure Shirou was comfortable. Satisfied that he was still peacefully sleeping, Saber left her room, sliding the door shut behind her softly.

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“… Ow.”

Moving around so soon after escaping the shadow, once Saber really thought about it, wasn’t the most brilliant idea she’d ever had. The instant she started moving, her whole body protested; her muscles screamed, her bones throbbed, and a headache blazed to life against her temples, pounding against her skull in tune to a war song. Even so, she refused to stay down; she was weak, not crippled.

Focusing on her destination made it easier. Giving herself no room or freedom to think, Saber headed for the kitchen with a single-minded determination, like an animal seeking its next meal. So focused was she on her task that she passed right by Sakura, who watched her go in confusion, forgot to turn into the living room, and crashed face first into a cabinet.

“Ah! Saber-san!”

Startled out of her single-minded thought process, Saber stumbled back at the sharp sting of pain and instinctively brought a hand to her head, grimacing. Ironically enough, the pain of walking into the cabinet had distracted her from the aches and pains of her body; it was as if one source of pain canceled out the other. “Good morning, Sakura,” she managed between gritted teeth as the younger girl rushed to her aid. “Please, don’t. I’m fine.”

“But—you, your head, you walked right into—“

“I know. I wasn’t paying attention. Please forgive me for distracting you.”

Sakura stared dumbly at the Servant for a moment before she lowered the hands that had come up to examine Saber’s head. “I-If you say so, Saber-san.” In all honesty, she itched to check the small cut on the other girl’s forehead, but if Saber said she was fine… besides, Sakura knew she couldn’t push Saber half as well as she could push Shirou.

For a moment, they both stood there awkwardly. Finally, Sakura cleared her throat. “Did you sleep well last night?” she asked softly. “You were still unconscious when Senpai brought you home…”

“Ah, yes, I feel much better now. Thank you for asking.” Saber smiled. “I just feel a little pain from what happened last night, but otherwise I’m having no other problems.”

“That’s good.” Going back to the meal she had been preparing, Sakura hesitated only a minute before she pushed a cup towards Saber. “I made this for you,” she said. “It’s English tea. I know you like it.”

A peace offering, of sorts, Saber supposed. Accepting the cup, she lifted it to her lips and sipped.

“Is it good?”

It tasted cold. It occurred to Saber then that Sakura might have made it last night, while they had been out; she had probably forgotten about it in the events that had followed. “Delicious.” She drained the cup in one gulp. “Thank you, Sakura. I appreciate it.” She peered curiously over the girl’s shoulder. “And breakfast?”

Laughing at that, the purple-haired girl gently batted her companion away. “It’ll be ready in a few minutes, so please be patient. Find something to do for a little while, please?”

Grumbling good-naturedly and smiling when she earned a giggle from Sakura for her antics, Saber got the hint and started to leave the kitchen; she would respect Sakura’s request.

“Saber-san.” Sakura’s voice had softened.

Saber glanced over her shoulder. “Yes?”

“… Thank you for last night.” Her hands tightened around the cutting knife she held. “I know…. Senpai told me you were like that because you protected him. So… thank you. I know it must have hurt, but, thank you for protecting Senpai.”

Saber was quiet for a moment as she gazed at Sakura; like Taiga before her, there was nothing but pure, honest truth in the girl’s words. Sighing softly, she turned away and lifted her hand as she walked. “There’s no reason to thank me, Sakura,” she murmured. “I already told you when I came here, right? My intention is to protect Shirou no matter what.”

Sakura said nothing to that, but Saber had a feeling the girl was smiling. Stepping outside of the house and into the yard, the blonde Servant sighed and slumped back against the wall, rubbing her eyes.

“Don’t say things like that,” she whispered. “Because if you do, I’ll be inclined to protect you, too.”

She tilted her head up, gazing up at the clear blue sky.

“… My headache came back.”

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Shirou woke to the sound of birds chirping and the distinct feeling that he was alone in the room. Opening his eyes confirmed what he already suspected; he was lying down, and Saber was gone.

Crap, she’s quiet.

Shaking off his blanket, the boy hastily got to his feet and shot into the hallway. Seeing no sign of Saber there, he headed to the living room next. Sakura was in the kitchen still cooking, but the green-eyed blonde was nowhere to be seen.

There was only one place left, then. Breaking into a run without even realizing it, Shirou ignored Sakura’s startled look and headed outside, across the grass. Panting, he reached the door of the dojo and peered inside, his shoulders heaving.

He saw her then. Sitting Japanese style in the sunlight, her eyes closed, her breathing deep and even, Saber was the picture of composure and calm. Slowly, he breathed out a long sigh of relief and slumped against the side; she was alive. It hadn’t just been a dream. For a horrific moment, he had thought he had imagined her survival.

Shaking his head to clear it, Shirou slapped his cheeks and straightened up, stepping into the dojo. “Saber?”

Her eyes opened at his call; she looked up at him in response. He froze.

Her eyes had changed. The deep depths, the main color, was still the same green he had come to know over the past six days; the same deep, calm, unshakable green. But there were flecks, traces, of yellow in those same eyes that hadn’t been there last night.

It was a small change. A small change, so why did it scare him?

“Shirou?”

He blinked; in the time he had spaced out, Saber had stood and was currently in front of him, concerned in her changed eyes. “Shirou?” she repeated, lifting a hand. “Are you feeling well?”

Noticing she was way too close for his peace of mind, Shirou hastily took a few steps back. “S-Sorry,” he stammered out, wondering why his face was heating up. “I spaced out for a minute.” He took a deep breath, then blew it out, before he smiled. “I’m glad to see you up and around, Saber.”

A thin golden eyebrow arched at that. “Is there any reason I wouldn’t be up? It will take more than a shadow to do me in.”

“Still, I’m glad you’re okay.” He had questions about what had happened, what she had seen, and he knew he had to tell her about Zouken and how Rider had saved him, but first things first. “I want to talk to you about what happened last night.”

She blinked. “Yes?”

“You separated us.” Shirou frowned. “I know you meant well, Saber, but I don’t want you to do that again.”

Saber blinked again, then nodded. “I understand. If I do such a thing again, we could end up in a situation similar to last night.”

…

She didn’t get it. Shirou growled softly. “I don’t mean that,” he snapped. “What I meant was, you’re not going to put yourself into a situation where you don’t think of protecting yourself to try and save me.”

Saber’s eyes flashed at that; she scowled and squared her shoulders. “I only obeyed my duty as a Servant, Shirou,” she snapped back. “Protecting you is my top priority. Saving myself means nothing if you are lost in the process.”

“I don’t care!” He could feel his anger rising; she didn’t understand. “What I’m saying is, never do that again, got it? I’ll use a Command Spell on you if I have to.”

“Of all the—“

“Do you know what that was like for me?”

His voice had softened now; it made her freeze, the raw anger, the pain, the self-hatred she heard in his tone. “Shirou?” she whispered.

“Do you know what it was like, knowing you were on the other side of the door and there was nothing I could do if something happened? That I had agreed to help you, and yet I was so powerless?” His voice cracked. “I know you’re a Servant, Saber. I know you can take worse than that. But dammit, don’t make me feel that again. Don’t make me feel helpless because you’re in trouble and there’s nothing I can do to help you.”

She opened her mouth, then slowly closed it. Shirou had bowed his head; his eyes were closed, his teeth tightly grinding together. He was admitting his feelings to her, she realized. He was admitting that he had felt helpless, powerless. And he had hated it.

How can I say anything against that?

His eyes snapped open at a soft touch; she was touching the top of his head, a gentle pat, a soothing gesture, before she lowered it. “If that is my Master’s order,” she said softly, “then I will do my very best to obey it.”

He took a deep, trembling breath; her eyes met his evenly, and she hid nothing. “Is that a promise?” he asked.

She smiled. “It is.”

He nearly broke then. Had he been less reserved, Shirou would have probably yanked Saber into a tight bear hug. As it was, he satisfied them both by smiling shakily and offering her his right hand. “Then,” he said, “we’ll remain partners the rest of the way. Let’s see how this ends, Saber.”

There was no hesitation in her now; her hand lifted, met his, and their fingers clasped firmly. A sign of trust, of partnership. The shadow hadn’t managed to destroy that.

“Yes. Let’s, Shirou.”

And so a new day dawned on the city of Fuyuki.

I have to say, I'm satisfied with this. It was fun to work on, and I enjoyed writing the interaction between the characters.

Spoiler for Author's Notes:

1. Saber came across a bit goofier than I originally intended, to be honest, but for some reason I thought it fit. Saber in HF is much more open than either of her UBW or Fate versions, so I thought she'd be more prone to moments of humor than they were. Hence, some of her moments with Sakura in the section.

2. I debated adding Saber's line at the end towards Sakura, but I felt it fit her mood, and Saber honestly likes Sakura. Besides, I thought it would be some fun minor foreshadowing of things to come, if I expand on this.

3. Shirou's outburst. I don't know how it happened. I just saw him being really furious with Saber for doing what she did, and then his words came pouring out. Maybe it's slightly OOC, but honestly, I could see him having this reaction; being the type who wants to save everyone, Shirou would be angered by someone not protecting themselves.

Links for the previous parts:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three