A Certain Magical Fate, Book 4: Cherry Blossoms

A Yesterday that Never Happened

"Hmmmm.. okay.. let's see.. attendance calling. " Zavette muttered, holding up her clipboard. "Stewart!"

"Here!"

"Charlie!"

'Here!"

"Chang!"

"Here!"

"Stella!"

Here!"

"Mikoto!"

.... silence..

"MIKOTO!!" Zavette called again, looking up.. "Hey.. she ain't here-.."

"WHAMMMMM!!" The door was slammed open to reveal Mordred and Mikoto.. despite being dressed in their neat uniforms.. the two of them were covered in a multitude of bruises, cuts.. and looked like they had just been run through a meat grinder.

"Grrmmmbble fffggff....grumm.." Mikoto and Mordred both grumbled inaudibly before they climbed into their seats.. groaning.

"What the HELL happened to YOU two.." Zavette said.

"Grail wars.." grumbled Mordred and Mikoto.

"Oh.. that explains everything." muttered Zavette. "Well then, I hope you had time to complete the assignment before getting here, cause there's a pop quiz!!"

There was a collective groan in the entire classroom, but Mikoto didn't care.. compared to having an entire building brought down on you and escaping a serial killer just barely and then hearing that your mom/servant just fought off a Norse God AND Darth Vader only for Vader to decide to spare them the fighting for now and run off..  a Pop Quiz felt like a pointless optional take home quiz..

"Yo.. did you study.. like.. at all last night?" Mordred groaned. 

"No.." Mikoto groaned. "But I probably know the answers anyways.. just copy off me.. Zavette won't care.. she never does.."

"Yep.. thanks.." Mordred said as she took the quiz papers their class mates were passing back.

As Mikoto predicted it wasn't tough, she remembered everything from the class the previous day, despite the trauma of being kidnapped, embarrassed, tormented, and then finding herself waking up in the middle of a giant flaming ruin with Saber holding her in her arms.. telling her something terrible..

Yes.. very terrible..

The moment Mikoto thought this.. her eyes began to well up with tears.. 

Mordred grabbed Mikoto's shoulder, "hey.. you okay?"

"I.. Mordred.. Shirou is.."

"I know.. " Mordred whispered. "Do.. Do you wanna call it a day? Make up some excuse..?"

"N.. No.. he.. he's the one who got me in here... I do.. I don't want to disrespect that.. I'm.. I'm going to do the best I can do in this school, to honor what he did for me.." Mikoto whispered, not sure if continuing to talk would be safe.. because she was afraid that if she continued to talk, she would break out crying in the middle of the quiz.. 

"Right.. " Mordred said. "If you need anything.. I'm here.." 

Mikoto nodded.. but she knew that her hurt was nothing compared to Saber's, when she told Mikoto upon her awakening.. and how Vader had disappeared after a mysterious vision.. her voice had sounded truly broken.. torn apart.. as she barely could register the world of the living anymore..

Shirou had changed her life and her perception of the world in such wondrous ways.. losing him was like having somebody tear her heart straight out of her chest. Mikoto was in fact worried that Saber might lose the will to live..