Connections || UNDER CONSTRUCTION DUE TO MARY SUES

Eight Piece: The Holy Grail War

Then it's up to you to guide it back up again.

I was so relieved - so happy to have him back in my arms. I wanted to just be there forever and ever - never letting go.

It was when my parents came into the room that the moment was ruined.

"What's going on down here?" Khie's voice cut in and the three of us looked up, the grips we had on each other loosening. "You aren't making any more explosives, are you, Isamu?"

Shirou gave Ishamet a confused look but stayed silent (complying to Ishamet's signal for silence).

My mother let out a grunt of annoyance and the sound of two pairs of footsteps neared us.

Though I was completely oblivious - I was busy crying tears of happiness for Shirou's return. He held me tightly and my face was still against his chest when my mother turned on the lights and gasped.

Daihar, who wasn't that far behind her, asked her something, heading further down the stairs and freezing when his eyes landed on the three of us.

Ishamet gave them a sad-yet-happy smile, hand still holding Shirou's. "Come to welcome Shirou back into the family?"

Daihar was the first to act from the two of them, rushing over and crouching down, hands reaching forward but not touching him. "Shirou...?" He asked, his voice barely audible. Said teen smiled and nodded, hefting me onto his lap, letting go of Ishamet's hand before embracing his father with his free arm.

My parents' tears were quick to spill, Khie rushing over and hugging all four of us, calling Shirou and idiot over and over again.

I felt insulted - was he stupid? No, he wasn't stupid. He was smarter than all of us - he would live longer than all of us.

But if he was stupid to go and get himself killed, he was stupid to get himself killed to save my life.

Shirou saw my discomfort and ruffled my hair, smiling at me.

Smiling at me for the first time in four years.

I bit my lip to keep myself from wailing at the top of my lungs and settled for bashing my head into his chest and wrapping my arms around him tightly. He smiled and wrapped an arm around me, in that way he always used to when he told me stories.

"Look at me," he began gently, his voice wavering as he held Ishamet's head to his shoulder as said boy cried. "I'm the worst brother." He patted our heads as Khie and Daihar watched, nostalgic thoughts running through their heads. "I made you two cry..."

That day was one of the best in my life. I woke happy the next morning, feeling myself laying down between my two brothers, Shirou hugging the both of us as Ishamet held me, happily resting.

I expected Shirou's Voice to poke fun at me, tell me what to do, but it didn't speak to me.

I knew it was there - I could tell. It simply kept silent as I rolled over again and closed my eyes.

I fell asleep again, and by the time I'd woken up, the only one sleeping beside me was Shirou, who had my head on his shoulder as he stared at my phone.

"Shirou," I groaned softly, tilting my head up to look at him. He glanced down at me and smiled gently.

"Good morning," he greeted and I got off his shoulder, peeking over it at my phone.

"Why're you reading my texts?" I questioned, adjusting myself so I was sitting criss cross beside him. Shirou shrugged before glancing at me.

"Who's 'Takashi?' " Shirou frowned as he spoke the name, the pronunciation a bit foreign. I got off the bed and grabbed my phone from him, looking at the conversation he was reading.

Recognizing it as a chat I was having with a boy I knew named Daiki Aomine, I closed the flip phone and stuffed it in my pajama pocket. "That's you, Shirou," I replied and his expression grew more confused. "When we came here to Miden, we, the four of us, we changed our names," I explained. "Mommy and daddy are Chie and Daichi now. Ishamet's Isamu, and I'm Sasuke." He nodded.

"So I'm Takashi now." I nodded as well, and he looked a bit concerned over something. "So, who's this boy, Ah-oh-mine?" Shirou asked and I held in a laugh.

"No no it's Ah-oh-mEE-neigh!"

Times were looking up for me, with my brother back and alive. I was more talkative and peppier. I'm sure Kei, Tetsurou and Yuichi noticed, but they didn't mention it. I hadn't mentioned Shirou's Voice in a while, so perhaps they thought that its absence helped me.

Every day I came home, Shirou would greet me with a smile, carrying me to the room he, Ishamet and I shared as I told him how my day went. This continued all the way until Uncle Kirei visited again, a whole month later.

His expression was grave when he opened the door, Toto trailing behind him. I was thrilled, running up to Toto and hugging him tightly. He stiffened before humming softly and patting my head awkwardly. "Hi Toto!" Was my cheerful greeting and Toto just let out a small sound.

"...do you realize what you've gotten yourself into?" Uncle Kirei's exclamation cut my from my moment of happiness and I looked at my uncle as he scolded Ishamet. "This could get you, Takashi and Sasuke killed!" My grip on Toto tightened and he held me in a comforting fashion.

Ishamet looked up at Uncle Kirei with a hard expression, making the man falter slightly. "I know exactly what I'm doing. If it all goes wrong, I take full responsibility and I promise I'll find another way to get Takashi back!"

Toto flinched for some reason and I looked up at him, to see his eyes shut as if he was in pain, regretting something deeply. "Toto?" I called his name and he creaked his eyes open to look down at me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied smoothly and I gave him a doubtful look before focusing back on the exchange happening before me.

"You are involved in something called the Holy Grail War, where you must fight to the death with others to gain a wish - your greatest desire." My brothers' eyes widened, not expecting this. Ishamet glanced at me but I hid my face further into Toto's shirt. "You have summoned a hero, who you must command and use to win this war. The last one standing wins." He pointed at Ishamet. "You, Ishamet Difenbakku, are now a Master and you must use Shirou Difenbakku, your Servant and brother, to take down the other Masters and Servants before they do so to you."

I was so sick of it.