Meeting Fate

I walked back to my residence at Fuyuki while taking the scenic route with Sakura in my arms after her mother refused to take her back into the Tohsaka family. I had hoped that Aoi's maternal instincts and affection for the broken girl would overrule the strict rules Tokiomi had drilled into her when she decided to marry him. I could not trick her into taking back Sakura either, as she knew her husband well enough that he would not allow her to return unless under dire circumstances like Rin's premature death.

As I walked to calm my anger before returning to Illyasveil and Skadi, my thoughts turned to the Holy Grail War. Only Rider and Saber are left, and Caster has already figured out a workaround for summoning the Grail without the need for her to die after I provided all the necessary information I had gathered. Considering that I will be stuck in this world for 60 years because after I purify the Grail of Angra Mainyu's influence, it will hibernate; I need to find something to do in the meantime to stay sane.

A gnawing dread crept into my mind as I worried that I might not return to Remnant at the point in time when I got sent away by the system user but showed up much later. As I tried to stop myself from going down that rabbit hole, I noticed that Sakura was looking at something intently, and I looked to see a food truck setting up shop at a nearby park. I went over to get something for myself and the broken girl.

" Welcome; how may I help you?"

The server greeted us with a friendly smile, and I looked at the menu to decide what I wanted. They specialized in crepes, mainly. I figured out what I wanted along with what to get Illyasveil and Skadi, so I asked Sakura.

" Do you see anything you want, Sakura?"

She kept silent as she blankly stared at the menu, and I followed her line of sight. The broken girl was eyeing the crepe truck's special, so I ordered for her.

" A mixed berry crepe special for her and a strawberry and banana for me, along with a heavy vanilla cream plus chocolate banana crepe."

" Coming right up!"

After we got our crepes, I started walking back to my residence, and I heard a barely audible whisper.

" Thank you..."

I smiled at hearing that and said.

" Your welcome, Sakura."

I took a bite of my crepe, and it was fairly good. I took another bite and then offered it to the broken girl.

" Want a bite?"

Sakura looked at the crepe in my hand for a few moments before deciding to take a bite. After she swallowed her share, she then offered me hers, and I took a small taste of it and found that I preferred it over what I had got. After a while, as I walked, I felt someone's eyes on my back. I took a few odd turns to walk in a circle and still felt them. I was being followed. I went to take a different route as I did not want to lead whoever was following me back to my residence, and I did not react overall since I could not feel any ill intent.

I led my stalker on a merry chase throughout the city, but it seemed like they were very determined to follow me, even after following me through a dense crowd. I did not bother trying to find out who they were, as I was having fun leading them around. While I wanted to keep this game up for a bit longer, it was near lunchtime, and I needed to head back to cook for Illyasveil and Skadi, plus Sakura. So as I turned the corner into an alleyway, I waited for my stalker to come around the corner.

To my surprise, it was Rin that was following me. She saw me looking right at her and stopped like a deer caught in headlights, then mechanically turned around to run away. I decided to mess with the little tsundere by returning the favor by following her in turn. I grinned as I kept her in my line of sight and chased after her but kept my distance to spook her. She stopped running and then looked around to see me smiling at her, and she paled as she started to run away again.

She leads me on a merry chase in turn as she tries to lose me through a park, dense crowds, and alleyways until she gets tired. Rin has her hands on her knees as she bends over and pants heavily from running around so much. The Tohsaka heir looked to see me again as I walked over to her. Her legs were wobbly from running around so much, and she tripped. As Rin tries to get back up, my shadow casts over her, and she looks at me with a bit of fear. I grinned as I knelt down to her level and said with a wide grin.

" Boo."

Unexpectedly the little tsundere passed out. Okay, now I just feel bad for messing with her so much, but it was fun, regardless. Well, I can't just leave her, nor can I take her to my place, so I guess I will wait until she wakes up. Skadi and Illyasveil are not going to be happy with me for taking so long; I better bring a lot of takeout as a peace offering.

***

Rin Tohsaka got to her school on time, and as she went to take her textbooks and homework out, she realized that they were not in her school bag. The Tohsaka heiress decided to try and run back to her grandparent's home to get her stuff since she did not mind being late for school. After explaining to her teacher and getting permission, she ran back. Still, on her way there, she saw a giant carrying someone who, despite her changes in hair and eye color, she recognized anywhere—Sakura, her sister, who went to the Matou family.

She knew that the Matou family had no giants, so she followed them out of concern and curiosity. Rin got a little annoyed at following them as they went through dense crowds, narrow alleys, and a few other places that inconvenienced her. The Tohsaka heiress continued to follow them until she turned a corner to see the giant looking right at her, so she ran in panic. The tables had turned as the giant started to follow her in turn, and she grew more and more afraid as she could not escape him despite her best efforts.

Rin's legs gave out from running so much, and as she saw the giant's shadow darkening her vision, then turned to see the sun obscuring his face, and she heard him speak but did not register what he had said as her mind and body gave out in fear. The Tohsaka heiress started to feel something poking her cheek. She opened her eyes to see a purple-haired and eyed girl holding a stick as she continued to get poked by said stick.

Rin recognized the girl immediately and felt happy as she hugged girl in happiness as she called her name.

" Sakura!"

Sakura stiffened at being hugged, and the Tohsaka heir bombarded her with questions.

" Are you alright? Are you eating well? Why are your hair and eyes a different color? Who was that giant with you? Why are you here?"

The broken girl did not reply, which worried her former sister as she separated from her.

" Sakura?"

Rin got a clear look into Sakura's eyes for the first time and saw how dead they were, which honestly scared her. As the Tohsaka heiress looked into the empty dead eyes of her former sister to try and find an answer, she heard from behind her.

" Sakura doesn't talk much anymore after her time with the Matou family, so don't expect any answers to your questions anytime soon."

Rin turned to see the giant sitting down, and she had her guard as she tried to shield her former sister from the stranger as she demanded.

" Who are you?! You are not from the Matou family!"

Despite the giant sitting down, he was at her eye level. The giant teased the Tohsaka heiress.

" Shouldn't you give your own name first before asking another's? It's only good manners."

" Oh, right! My name is Rin To-fu-saka."

Rin bit her tongue by accident, which made the giant chuckle as he introduced himself.

" Well, Miss Tofusaka, my name is Silva Branwen, and I am currently Sakura's guardian since the Matou family was wiped out last night, leaving her as the only survivor."

The Tohsaka heiress's eyes widened at the news as she asked for clarification.

" The Matou family is gone?"

" Yes, and I just visited your mother to ask her if she is willing to take Sakura back, but she declined as she wanted to honor her husband, your father's wishes. So I am taking her in."

Silva further explained his circumstances but withheld Tokiomi's death from Rin as he felt it would be better for her to learn that her father is gone through her mother than him. The Tohsaka heiress looked down as she knew her father would not accept her sister back into the family despite her wanting nothing more than Sakura's return to the Tohsaka family. She missed her sister more than anything but she understood what it meant to be in a Mage family and heir to her family's Magecraft. The giant before her then asked.

" I am curious as to why you were following me. Don't you have school?"

" Right! My homework and textbooks!"

Rin recalled why she was not back at school in the first place, then also realized as she asked Silva.

" What time is it?"

"It's a bit past one since you passed out. Just head home and explain to your mother what happened so she doesn't worry."

" I'll do that..."

The Tohsaka heiress deflated as she did not look forward to facing her mother after skipping school and did not want to think about how her father would react. The giant man got up and carried Sakura as he told the other little girl.

" I'll escort you home, Miss Tofusaka."

" It's Tohsaka!"

Rin corrected Silva, but he grinned as he replied.

" Understood, Miss Tofusaka."

The Tohsaka heiress growled in annoyance and continuously tried to correct the giant man on her family name until she got to her grandparent's house. Silva gave his goodbyes.

" See you later, little Tofusaka."

" It's Tohsaka, you overgrown walking tree!"

Rin spat back with a bit of anger, then directly looked at her former sister as she gave her goodbye with a concerned look.

" Stay safe, Sakura..."

Sakura only looked at her sister blankly but did not respond, which only made the Tohsaka heiress worry over what happened to her formerly bright, friendly sister. Rin entered her grandparent's home expecting to be scolded for skipping school but instead learned what had happened to her father and broke down in tears with her mother at the loss of their loved one.