The Long Awaited Reunion between Student and Teacher(TakurixShirou, PRIVATE. )

The afternoon for one specific man in the entire land of the east, Shirou Emiya, moved along slowly, uneventfully with the dullness of the clouds adding to his rather disjointed mood. There was no one around him, he had chosen a path where no strangers or city people would interrupt him for where he was going. He chose a shortcut near the end of the village, that took him directly outside of the city and to a large cemetery, a place housing the dead of times past. From Legends who made their names by protecting these lands, to warriors who fought valiantly in the name of the Sugiura, there were familiar names and unfamiliar names riddled among the tombstones. he had visited this place many times before, all of them being because he felt he had always needed to pay his respects to his village brethren from his childhood that was stolen away from him. Indeed, coming here was never easy. Nevertheless, Shirou steeled himself each time and walked with the same positive demeanor he had decided to run his life with long ago. Before long, he had grown use to coming to this graveyard in order to pay his respects. However...

Today, he was faced with the most daunting task. Paying respects to that of his beloved, the woman who captured his heart and never let go. She was a virago, a vixen of the battlefield, and her strength was nigh-unrivaled - her name was Takuri Sugiura. She was the most overwhelming woman Shirou had ever met in his entire life. Yet, their was a subtle beauty in the way she carried herself and her unusual quirks made her even more endearing than anyone Shirou could imagine. Vividly, he remembered the first time the woman saved his life when the jaws of death were ready to feed upon him, remembered when it was she who taught him that he was no regular sugiura, but a magus, a magician with latent talent hidden within. Besides his ideal, he could honestly admit that she was the driving force behind why he wanted to work so hard. She had never taken things easy with him, overbearingly making each day of training more strenuous than the last. Nevertheless, the champion of justice took these sessions in stride and before long, his abilities flourished. Eventually, once he completed all that she could teach him---she bestowed upon the young man the greatest honor, allowing our hero to become her squire and aid her in battle. From that day onward, that was his goal. Aid his mentor and guide her to victory and yet....

"I failed to do something as simple as that...heh. Fate truly has a penchant for irony. " As Shirou arrived at the destination, if one looked ever so closely, he possessed an empty gaze. His arms were slumped down, and he looked more like an empty husk rather than the cheerful, vibrant young man people knew him for. He did his best to avert his gaze from the tombstone, but his eyes betrayed him and stared intently at the name engraved upon the slab of rock--

Here lies the remains of the Great Legendary Knight, Takuri Sugiura. As one of the most peerless warriors, your efforts will always be remembered. May your soul be at peace, R.I.P.

"....." Where did he go wrong? What could he have done to prevent her death? Would he have been able to perform a miracle? He asked himself these questions, and yet the failure remained. There was nothing he could do now, nor were there any questions he could ask about how things could have been better. For the first time, the man who aspired so greatly for justice failed to save his beloved. It would've been fine to admit that there was no way to save her, yet he would never come to terms or accept this failure. It would live with him until they day he died. "...Ha....Ha....Ha...Ha..Ha" A dry chuckle escaped his lips, as he stared into the sky which seemed to fit the entire mood of this day. Depressing, tragic, and full of despair. The champion of justice, the protector of all - if he was really what he said he was, then what prevented him from saving the one he felt closest too? His knees dropped towards the ground, as he knelled towards the grave with his hands gripping the through grovel and rock. In that instant, he roared towards the sky as he was assaulted with the ultimate despair. "Don't kid me! Don't kid me! If i'm really this damned hero of justice, then why!? Why couldn't i save her!?" As soon as he asked himself these questions, the tears that had been held in ever since he arrived, rolled forth without hesitation. His fists became bruised, and yet he did not relent He gave way to his woe, and continued to weep and wail for the failure he could never re-correct.

For some questions, there is no right answer. For some actions, no excuse could be made. As the tears started to pour down the face of the young man visiting the graveyard, the sky seemed to join in - white and grey clouds blocked out more light, and then the sky itself started crying. Without any real buildup, big, cold drops of water fell from the sky - the sound of them hitting the ground started to echo together with the cry of the hero of justice. Nothing can be explained. Everything is a lie. The only thing eternal is death. That was the harsh and cold truth, or so it seemed - for the woman named Takuri Sugiura had fallen to protect the ones she loved.

But without any notice, someone was moving through this graveyard. The person was moving slowly, yet she had still heard the cry from far away. A female - only rarely did she even consider her gender in any of the actions she comitted. Because she was also a knight and protector, a servant of the people. For so long, she had been gone - months. Once, she had not thought of months as anything remotely important, for her life had gone on far longer than any human could imagine.
But now, months after her 'death', this woman returned - and it felt to her as if she returned after centuries. Every single day, her thoughts had been with all of them - her sisters and brothers, and with her mother. The mother that she had never shown the proper love of a daughter to, but the most of those thoughts - had been centered around this figure infront of her grave. Takuri Sugiura, the stoic knight... had been worried about this foolish hero of justice all the time during her 'death'. But now, seeing him like this, her steps slowed down - an unknown fear in her heart. But in the end, her determination to meet him again won her over.

So the black knight finally sped up her steps. She was still unheard - the rain and soft ground turned her from a normal knight into a silent predator, and her bare feet with the wolf fur treaded lightly. Her clothing was the usual - which is to say, barely anything. The ears on her head twitched slightly in the rain - but the water did not bother the wolf Sugiura. She had been born with the element of the storm - water was her second element. But now, the closer she got to her squire... a small tremble started in her body. The natural strength and very own grace that she held faltered just a little bit - his pained tears moved her in ways unknown before. And for once, even if just for today - her Alter was silent, her mind was completely of her own. A single tear ran down the left side of Takuri's face, almost invisible in the rain...


A voice, nothing more than a whisper in the rain - an imagination, perhaps? No. She had to break this silence - she had to make him realize that she was alive. That she was right here, that she had come back for HIM, not just without any reason. But her voice failed - Takuri had never been any good at this kind of thing. Vibrantly the memories of her past flashed infront of her inner eye - even back during her wilder times, when Gilgamesh had still been his true self, this fault of hers had shown. But one thing had never changed - that her actions spoke more than any words. So without wasting her breath any more - Takuri stepped forward quickly, even losing her natural composure - her steps made the water on the walkway of the graveyard splat upwards, as her hand shot own downwards and stopped the fists of the hero of justice that were hitting the ground easily. Her hands were not the hands of a fair maiden - her slender fingers were riddled with small scars and rather rough skin from her training, and the long nails were claws, but beautiful extensions. Thanks to her overall body size, her hands were also a lot larger than a normal woman's hands - so they easily grabbed onto the whole of Shirou's hands.
And then, with strength so well known across the land, Takuri quickly pulled the young hero onto his feet - and the moment her eyes finally saw his face again, the sky cleared. The rain stopped almost immedeatly - and ripping apart, the clouds gave a free view onto a blue, eternal field.


Finally, her voice had found strength again - although it was still not the rough, usual voice of the knight she aimed to be at all times, it was clear, distinct, and filled with a slight bit of happiness. Her wet hair was hanging down a bit more than usual, and small amounts of the water were still running down her face - but instead of the usual cold and hardened, emotionless expression, something like a slight smile was on her lips. It took nothing more than that - and she had turned from a stalwart knight and protector into a caring teacher and companion again.

Time came to a stop. All flows came to a halt. The wailing squire who expressed great anger at his failures had felt warmth, ever familiar warmth. The hands which were becoming battered with bruises and cuts were enveloped by the hands of another. “….” What was the meaning of this? Moments before, the man had roared to the sky in depression, in despair at his inability to save his beloved, and now he was being raised to his feet. He felt his weeping breaths cease completely. His tears were still pristine on his face, but when he heard a voice that he could not mistake for any other, Shirou nearly wondered if even reality was betraying him. Perhaps this was a hallucination, what men feel when their hysteria has reached a climax. Perhaps this was only a woman coming to console him that had a similar voice, and nothing more.

Perhaps, if he were to raise his head, maybe he would never hear the voice again. Whatever the case, it was painstakingly clear that Shirou Emiya could not wrap his head around this unforeseen occurrence. Raising his head to confirm his predictions, the young man gasped in awe. The unmistakable smile of her face, the transparent glow of her body, the mighty size of her stature, all of these things belonged to the woman he had longed to see again, the woman he thought he had failed. The only thought running through his mind now, was the hope that she was real, that she was his Takuri Sugiura. In a spur of the moment, his hand traced the outlines of her arms, and then tapped her waist.

They even traveled back to her large hands, and by this time, it was unmistakably clear. Takuri Sugiura was alive and in the flesh. The thought caused him to cry again, yet these were no longer the tears of despair. These tears were shed in the name of joy. He smiled with vigor, as though his body had been rejuvenated by an imaginary force. He couldn’t hold himself back, and so he wrapped his arms around her waist and brought his head into her stomach, embracing her with as much strength as he could humanly muster.

Under normal circumstances, Shirou no doubt knew this would earn him a powerful blow to the head, and a few costly bruises, yet he would accept it all. She could throw him on the ground and beat him to death, and he would be content, for his dear beloved was well and alive, a sign that he had not yet failed his goal. His grip remained the same, as he possessed no intention to let go. He would never let go. Not now, or ever. He would make things right again, prove to her that he could be the best squire the land had ever seen. With his tone now one of happiness, Shirou said, “I’m relieved.” And that was all the young man said as he lost himself within this embrace.

Another small smile was on Takuri's face now. It was not surprising that Shirou didn't believe his eyes at first - but after making sure that this was reality, he seemed all the happier. This alone made Takuri realize that returning to him had been the right choice. Her squire and likeable, slightly rash student, the first person to actually get to know her in millenia... Just thinking about the possibility of never meeting him again had, for some reason, just enhanced her will to survive and return.

But as his bright smile served only to lighten Takuri's mood further, he did something she had not expected - and suddenly hugged her. At first, the black knight froze, tensed up a bit... but then just relaxed. And, what was even more... Slowly, her long, well-trained arms wrapped around his back as well. It may have been quite the funny picture, considering that she was still quite a bit taller than him - but that did not matter to her. Without wasting a thought on keeping up her 'guard', she just awkwardly showed her own relief and small affection. They had spent a lot of time together, as she recalled - but never had she expected to notice subtle changes in Shirou as much as she did now. He seemed slightly taller than before, and even stronger. It was good to know that he had not become any weaker since her departure - but it almost made her sad to see that the 'student of the wolf' could now grow even further without her guidance.
The most important part, though, was what had not changed - his aura. This incredibly vibrant feeling of... light. It was as though even after her apparent death, Shirou had never lost his way, and that was the most important part of it all.
In her own mind, Takuri called herself a fool for hiding now. How could she have thought that seeing her hurt could've broken this part about Shirou? All she had done was hurt him. Like so many people before - once they got close to her, all that awaited was pain and, in the worst cases, corruption. Even Shirou now... But she would find a way to make it up to him, once and for all. Even if she had lost everyone else, he was the one person she'd not allow her other half to harm.

For quite some time, both were silent now - Takuri was bad with words anyway, and what exactly did you say to someone whom you had worried and pained this much? She did not know.
"I'm sorry that... it took so long."
Finally, the silence was broken by the wolf Sugiura, as she still held Shirou in the same embrace he had taken her into. Usually she'd NEVER let anyone this close to herself, but if only for today, exceptions were made.
"Please... forgive me."

As Shirou lost himself within the embrace of this herculean warrior, he was only reminded of the happy times, of when they trained together. He would give anything to have those days back, even if he had improved. Those times were branded upon his memory, and he was unwilling to part with them. Perhaps that was why he had always wept when he thought he had lost her. Unlike many males, he enjoyed that tough, overbearing attitude of hers. He enjoyed the days when she’d reprimand him for his failures, only to nod in approval when he succeeded. Even the times were she showed off her own soft side surfaced, and Shirou felt blessed to have such a woman treating him with equal respect. Takuri was no haughty warrior, though she exuded strength and possessed pride in her skills, she never once showed off any arrogance that most royalty were known for. From the moment they met, she had been that guiding hand, that stepping stone, allowing the champion of justice to ascend to greater heights. Even when he told her of his ideal, all she did was chuckle and call him an idiot. That was fine. He’d always play the role of a jester for her, to see that beautiful smile; he’d do anything for her. She didn’t need to talk to him about forgiveness. He had forgiven her from the moment she appeared. The fact that she had come to him before anyone else, only furthered that forgiveness in his heart. His embrace only tightened as he stared into her eyes. Although they were of very differing sizes, a fact that almost always embarrassed the squire, the only thing that mattered at this moment is that she was here, and Shirou would make everything better. “I forgive you, Takuri. But you’ve done nothing wrong. I was the one who failed as your squire. If anything, I ask for your forgiveness. I’ll never let any harm come to you, I swear of that. “His grip tightened, as he pressed his head against her tummy. “From this day forward, I’ll protect you as I should’ve done…” And he meant every word. He would protect her no matter what came his way. If her alter were ever to escape, he’d fight until she returned to normal. Even if he was forced between ideal and reality, if he could spend time with this woman, it would be no exaggeration to say he’d choose the latter. But for now, such things did not matter. This monumental moment was the only thing consuming Shirou’s mind…

Forgiveness - nothing else was able to mend a hurt spirit inside so easily and effectively. It was as if a last bit of regret for showing herself again within Takuri had just been burned away. The words of the young warrior made her recall her own training - a past so long gone that even her own memory had started to fade. Centuries ago, when she had faced her own shadows, Takuri chose to isolate herself - to banish all feelings, to push people away, all to secure the safety of both her sister, and everyone around her. The first time she broke that vow, Gilgamesh suffered for it.
That memory was painful - but it also made Takuri slightly angry to think about it. Why was she not able to be happy? Well, it was simple - it had been her own decision to protect others and never put her own self above them. To be a valiant knight to protect the kingdom she would never rule over herself by her own decision, to protect a sister that was able to live in happiness. So even now, with Shirou here promising to protect her... Takuri was simply unable to just accept it. In a way, she was a lot more hard-headed than even her student.
"Protect me, hm?" Her voice had something slightly amused in it, still. The whole idea was just incredibly strange to her - but for Shirou, she'd allow it. With her own little twist, of course. So now, with a little gentle force - not enough to actually be hurting of any kind - she pushed Shirou away a little, so that he had to look into her face again, which now had a bit of her serious mask back.
"I'm still a knight of our kingdom, Shirou. I can't allow anyone to 'protect' me... Not even my own squire. However..." Unconciously, the royal Sugiura took in a deep breath of air before speaking words that she had never used before. "As sister to our queen, possible heir of the kingdom and lord knight of the Sugiura... I declare that, from this day onward, you shall carry the title and responsibility of a knight, Ser Emiya Shirou. If you accept this burden, then you shall fight by my side until your dying breath, and we shall face anything in our path... together."

So it happened, right infront of the monument built to hide her true fate. Takuri Sugiura, for the first time in her life, used the royal blood and the rights associated with it for her own goals - and declared the first squire she had ever taught the ways of the warrior to her first actual companion ever since taking on the mantle of the Black Knight of the Sugiura. The bright sky and slight winds played around the two - responding to the unusually high spirits of the storm wolf.
"Do you accept my proposal... Knight of Justice?" Now even her voice had something slightly majestic, strong, and honorable - especially the first of these traits was usually never associated with Takuri, so even if Shirou did not know the entire mass of implications this carried with it, even he would most likely notice the special air surrounding this already special moment between the two.

"As sister to our queen, possible heir of the kingdom and lord knight of the Sugiura... I declare that, from this day onward, you shall carry the title and responsibility of a knight, Ser Emiya Shirou. If you accept this burden, then you shall fight by my side until your dying breath, and we shall face anything in our path... together."

As those words graced Shirou's ears, echoing throughout his entire head, the young man's heart was filled with an unspeakable joy. The path of Knighthood, a nigh-unreachable goal, the thing he had sought but never felt that it was possible.... Until today. Of course there would be hardships, he would be forced to put his life on the line everyday he joined his beloved in war and yet.... nothing but joy suffused his entire form. More than anything, to be by her side, to be seen as an equal, this revelation filled Shirou with uttermost pride. For now and until the ends of time, he would go down as not a squire, but the knight who fought beside one of the greatest warriors the land had ever seen - but then, titles never mattered to this young hero. Before long, Shirou had reached a point where simply being near this stoic woman became a daily blessing, a joy he wanted to seek out every day of the week. And now.... he would be able to go alongside her through the many perils of life, the causalities of war and everything henceforth. However, such things hardly mattered to Shirou. They were merely trivial. All that mattered was that he was given a second chance to protect Takuri, though she wouldn't admit it. She was always like this, he mused. Nothing had changed. And so without hesitation, without timidness, he accepted. "Thy Servitude lies in this flesh. From now and henceforth, Emiya Shirou will be Takuri Sugiura's most loyal knight. "

Takuri could feel her own breath becoming quiet as Shirou was replying. For some reason, this moment made her tense up a bit - maybe because she had never done something like this before, or maybe because of something else? For one thing, now he surely would never stray away from her side... They'd be together for far longer than just an apprenticeship as it had been so far with her combat training for him, which she had agreed to back then to help a way weaker Shirou that couldn't protect himself, let alone others. But now that he could... They agreed on protecting each other. The small smile on Takuri's face was entirely pure, and created by this strange happiness she was feeling.
His acceptance was answered with a small nod from Takuri. With the same majestic air that had surrounded her while asking the question, her right hand reached out to the Holy Sword on her hip - drawing the sword that choses a ruler, Caliburn, from it's sheath. The metal engraved with holy runes shimmered slightly in the sunlight, as the wielder raised it above her head, pointing straight upwards.
"Then now, with the power and authority given by the crown, in the name of the god-mother Shimura and by the blessing of the storms..." With the chant, Takuri slowly lowered her sword - first resting the flat surfice on the right, then the left shoulder of Shirou. "I declare you the Knight of Justice of the Round Table."
For a short moment, the slightly warm, almost pleasant metal rested on the shoulder - before Takuri lifted it up again, raising it towards the sky once more. A small, single bolt of golden light flew up into the sky of the Sugiura Dimension, and seemingly disappeared - but as Caliburn was resheathed, the bolt came back down, and hit the monument created in the honor of Takuri. A single crack appeared - erasing the name of the knight from the text, marking her full return for the first time. The storm wolf halfway expected her sister to have seen the light shot into the sky, but that was alright - as sisters, she had probably known of Takuri's survival already. They felt each others perils. Now, with Caliburn resting on her side, Shirou infront of her, and the memory of almost death fading... She could truly say, that she was back now.
"Well... I must say, not too bad for my first time knighting someone, right?" Almost cracking a joke, Takuri looked at her former squire who was now her companion, and felt re-assured in her role as the one protector.
//This time, I won't fail.//
\\Not if I can't help it~\\
//Quiet, you.//
A small argument in her head - the Alter was finally talking from the depths of the dungeon it was locked in.
"Sadly, the title doesn't come with too many improvements... People won't ask you questions anymore if you tell them who you are, but mostly, the Round Table is an order seperate from the main kingdom. My sister calls on us for aid, we follow - otherwise, we are protectors of this realm. And together... Nobody shall ever harm our world, Shirou." And with that, Takuri couldn't help but give her former student yet another small hug.