CHAPTER 2.1 - DEPARTURE

It was a bustling airport with people walking all over the place. Occasional announcements about check-ins, airplane landings, and take-offs filled the air. In the midst of this busy airport, Irisviel stood with a rolling case beside her. Accompanying her were her son, Shirou, and Tamamo.

"Remember, Shirou, always listen to Tamamo and Taiga. If something happens, just ask for their help, okay?" Irisviel reminded her son.

Shirou huffed, "I know, Mom. You've already told me this three times now."

"That's because I'm worried about you, baby. What if something happened to you when your father and I are gone? Like a robbery? Or an earthquake? Or even a meteor shower?"

"Mom, I doubt Tama-nee and Fuji-nee could do much for the last two."

"But still!" Irisviel pouted.

"You worry too much, Overseer," said Tamamo, standing not far from Shirou. "Besides, you of all people should know that Shirou would be the most protected kid in the whole world by now."

Irisviel sighed. "You're right, Tamamo. Now listen, Shirou, do not stay up late, remember to always eat your veggies, and I would love it if you went out to play sometimes. God knows spending most of your day in the shed won't be good for your health."

"It's not like I'm in the shed doing nothing, I'm practicing my magic," grumbled Shirou.

"Magecraft," Irisviel corrected. "But still, promise me you won't spend too long in the shed. Go take a walk, have a picnic, play in the park, do anything else, really."

"Uhh..." Shirou averted his eyes.

"...Shirou?" Irisviel smiled darkly.

"Y-yes, I will, Mom," Shirou quickly answered, feeling the threatening aura.

Irisviel patted his head. "Good boy."

Irisviel turned to Tamamo. "I leave Shirou to you, Tamamo. Make sure he doesn't overdo his magecraft training."

"No need to worry, Overseer. I will keep a close eye on young master," Tamamo replied cheerfully.

"And Taiga..." Irisviel turned to her right and left. "...Where's Taiga anyway?"

"Fuji-nee said she wanted to try the new ice cream stand that just opened, so she went to get it for us," Shirou shrugged.

"Seriously?" Irisviel chuckled a bit.

She didn't know Fujimura Taiga for long, but she already had a good grasp of her character. A hell of an energetic girl who lived her life as freely as possible. If she wanted something, she would sure as hell get it.

"When you spend enough time with the tiger, you won't be surprised by something like this," Shirou remarked nonchalantly.

Not too long after Shirou said that, he felt a sudden chill down his spine.

"Hooo... who is this tiger, Shirou?"

Lo and behold, an annoyed tiger in the form of Fujimura Taiga stood behind him, holding a plastic bag filled with four cups of medium-sized ice cream sundaes.

Shirou turned to see the impending Tiger, nodded his head, and calmly walked over to Tamamo, hiding behind her back. Yep, he screwed up. Best to just let the fox deal with the tiger.

"Not today, Shirou." Betraying Shirou's trust in her, Tamamo easily shoved him towards Taiga. "You're on your own today," she said with a foxy grin.

Et tu? Traitor! He had been betrayed! No!

"Tama-san, please hold these," Taiga gave the bag to Tamamo.

She then cracked her knuckles and glared at Shirou. "Now, Shirou... would you like to tell your sister who this tiger is that you mentioned before?"

Ack, tactical retreat! Tactical retreat!! Shirou immediately tried to bolt, but Taiga was faster. She grabbed Shirou, bear-hug style, and slowly squished him while ruffling his head.

"Who's the tiger now, huh?! Say it! Say it!"

"Hyaaaakk!!!"

"Come on, lil bro, just tell your big sis. No need to be shy..."

"N-Nyooo!"

Shirou refused to comply, which led to Taiga continuing her actions. She smiled cruelly. No one escaped unscathed after calling her a tiger, not even her beloved little brother. It was a justified divine punishment!

This continued for a while before Irisviel intervened. "Okay, kids, that's enough. Taiga, if you keep doing this any longer, our Shirou will die of embarrassment."

Shirou's face was now beet red. Not because Taiga's "Divine Punishment" hurt or anything, but because they started to attract attention, and it was embarrassing for him.

"I'll let you go this time, Shirou," Taiga released her hold on him.

Irisviel put her hands on her hips, smiling a little. "Seriously, the two of you..."

"Hmph, Shirou was the one who started it," Taiga pouted.

Irisviel and Tamamo couldn't help but sweatdrop upon hearing Taiga. '

'You were the one who being childish here, getting annoyed by a kid's words.' Both of them silently thought.

"So..." Tamamo spoke, holding up the plastic bag. "..about this bag?"

Taiga's expression brightened. "Ah, it's for all of us. You can pick one, Tama-san. Iri-san, you too. As for Shirou..." She eyed Shirou mischievously, who smiled cheekily while avoiding her gaze. "You get one too. See? Look at how generous your big sis is. Surely you wouldn't hurt her feelings next time, right?"

"....Sure, Fuji-nee," Shirou replied weakly.

The four of them then opened the sundaes and started eating them. The delicious taste brought smiles to their faces, with Taiga showing particular delight and Irisviel humming happily. Meanwhile, Tamamo had a calculating look on her face. She might be trying to figure out the recipe by taste alone, thought Shirou.

"You know, it's a shame that you need to go back to Germany so soon, Iri-san. It hasn't been that long since you reunited with Kiritsugu, after all," said Taiga, her voice tinged with a touch of sadness.

"Don't worry, it's not like I won't be back in Fuyuki. I just have some family business to attend to," Irisviel replied.

Taiga nodded in understanding. Irisviel had shared with her that she was one of the many victims of the Fuyuki Fire, so it wasn't strange for her to go back to her hometown to inform her family that she was okay.

Curious about Kiritsugu's whereabouts, Taiga asked, "Where's Kiritsugu anyway? His wife is leaving soon, and he's not even here?"

"Oh, Kiri has another work to do in France. He left yesterday," Irisviel explained.

"Wait, what?" Taiga looked visibly confused.

Shirou sighed. "Fuji-nee, we already told you about this a week ago. We even called you yesterday, but Raiga-jii told us you were busy."

"What? But I wasn't!" Taiga was shocked before realizing something. Her grandfather had been mad at her for her abysmal test scores and forced her to study her ass off during this school break. "Damnit, gramps!"

Now, what would Kiritsugu think of her? What if he thought she was rude or didn't care? No!

It was kind of obvious to everyone that Fujimura Taiga once had a crush on Kiritsugu. Sure, the feeling quickly died down after learning that his wife, whom he thought had passed away in the fire, was still alive. Fujimura Taiga was many things, but a homewrecker she wasn't.

She didn't have a crush on Kiritsugu anymore, but the feeling of respect still lingered. So the fact that she missed saying goodbye to Kiritsugu bothered her a bit.

"Calm down, Taiga," Tamamo grabbed Taiga's shoulder. "Kiritsugu didn't mind at all. In fact, he left a message for you."

Taiga immediately brightened up. "Really? What is it?"

Tamamo cleared her throat and did her best Kiritsugu impression. "I heard from Raiga that you needed some help with your test, so I left some notes for you to improve your English."

Taiga's expression froze.

'Did you really have to share that with him, gramps?' Taiga screamed internally. Her dignity in Kiritsugu's eyes... it was gone.

Then a ringing bell sound was heard, followed by an announcement for passengers heading to Germany to check in and wait in the waiting room.

"Well, that's my cue to leave," said Irisviel.

She knelt down to Shirou's eye level. "I'll be back soon, so please take care of yourself, Shirou." She smiled warmly.

"Yes, Mom," Shirou replied.

He approached Iri a bit closer and whispered in her ear. "I believe in you, Mom. Illya surely can't wait to meet you again. You will save her, right?"

Tears almost fell from Irisviel's eyes. Yes, she couldn't wait to bring back her baby daughter, but she was also sad that she had to leave her son. She regained her composure and answered with determination, "Yes, so please treat her kindly when I bring her home, okay?"

Chu chu~

Irisviel planted a gentle kiss on Shirou's cheek. Ignoring her flustered son, she turned to Tamamo and Taiga. "Thank you in advance, both of you."

Tamamo nodded.

"No need, Iri-san. Shirou is my little brother, after all," Taiga responded with a cheeky grin.

Irisviel grabbed her rolling case and waved goodbye as she left.