Fate: Beyond the Gate

9

There are times where he began to question the normalcy of his life, but all things considered, it was probably for the best that he didn't if only to prevent an ensuing headache.

Bags had formed under Shirou's eyes, and a distinct twitch was formed over his left brow. Moreover, the cause of his lack of rest didn't even seem to be affected all too much and had even asked if he'd slept well.
The way Tuka and Caila regarded him had taken a qualitative leap since the events of the prior day, and he wasn't too sure how to feel about it yet. They didn't dare speak too casually to him anymore, but instead tried to be overly polite and helpful in attempt to ingrain themselves to him through action rather than words.

He let out a long sigh, but there wasn't really time to sort many things out with the urgency of the Warrior Bunnies requesting aid.

Since the dawn of the coming morning, Reines had taken to making arrangements that had everyone set on a carriage hastily makings its way south.
Tuka and Caila were originally seated on either side of Shirou looking as if they'd defend him from any threat, but had since moved to take the reins of the horses pulling the carriage. Tuka had the reins and drove the carriage while Caila had hopped up onto the carriage's roof to act as a sentry.
Inside the carriage were Waver, Shirou, and Reines respectively, Trimmao in a liquid form on Reines's person. The only one who appeared well rested was Reines. Shirou's fatigue was self-explanatory, but Waver's was more out of annoyance.
In the interior of the carriage, a silencing spell was cast to prevent conversation from leaking.
"Now, dear brother. It's no one's fault that you were careless and had your transmogrified ears dispelled in your sleep," Reines snorted, recalling how Waver had to hide from patrolling demi-humans lest he be discovered. As Waver wasn't too physically inclined, this was what caused his exhaustion in the early morning.

Shirou was keeping oddly silent at the rebuke towards Waver, but the way he stared at Tuka and Caila's direction outside the carriage was largely overlooked. He didn't want the two to get into too much trouble for something that was already fixed.
Reines had seen to it. "Shouldn't you be thanking me for being so prepared that I was able to procure you knew ones so swiftly?"
Waver wilted, rubbing his temples as two long and puffy ears fell flat over his head.
"Bunny ears," Waver murmured while Reines smiled to stifle a giggle. He leveled Reines with a flat face. "I fail to see the humour in this."
"Of course, you would. Not that you have much humour to begin with." Reines shrugged uncommittedly, but she wasn't that cruel. "Not to demean you, but if it's any conciliation, the effects of the spell were random. The only binding term was to give you a pair of animal ears. Fate and luck decide the rest, otherwise, we'd need a stronger spell, as I'm sure you'd know."
Eye twitching, Waver inclined his back into the carriage seat and tried to get some rest in while he could. He crossed his arms. "Fine, but that's not the issue. Wouldn't people notice my ears changing from dog ears to bunny ears?" He pointed out.
Reines had already considered the notion where Waver was just being too paranoid. She glanced idly at her finger nails. "That is to say, dear brother, that they had to have had paid attention to you in the first place?"
Waver glowered at himself.
"Think about it, between Emiya occupying the elves, Trimmao basking in the praise of her timely aid to the Demi-human alliance members, who was going to pay much attention to you or I? If anything, there may be a few observant ones, but they won't say anything lest they risk our cooperation. Hence, your worries are unfounded."
Silence followed after Waver grumbled about always being put on the back foot.
In any case, the trip south was a good opportunity to wind down. Reines's instructions had bought time before the other Lords of the Clock Tower could investigate the Gate in Shirou's inner world.

Speaking of which, this was as a good a time as any to bring the matter up.

"Emiya," Reines called out, shifting her attention to Shirou. "Do you have an idea, or level of control regarding the Gate in your Reality Marble?"
Shirou blinked owlishly before frowning. He did have some idea about things now. A few conjectures here and there, but the most important one was based on what he'd learned in a dream sequence of sorts.
Implored by Arturia, Merlin had meddled with some entity that ended up creating the Gate in the first place. If all was true and she'd been watching over him in Avalon all along, then it was almost certain that the Gate must have been a means to let him live freely. What was to stop him from closing UBW down, and therefore cutting access off to the Gate inside of it. No one would be able to pursue him, and he'd be a free man, Sealing Designation or not.
This was a gift in a sense, a confirmation of Arturia looking out for him even now.
Still, he couldn't just leave Rin and the others behind which was why he'd yet to close his Reality Marble in the Clock Tower despite knowing he could do so.
Well, regardless of anything, one thing was clear. Contrary to expectation, he was the one in control in the present arrangement.
"I don't think I can do anything about the Gate, but I should be able to dictate who's able to enter and exit my Reality Marble," he reasoned.
Reines wasn't foolish. She understood full well that he may not be giving this knowledge so freely just because she'd asked. It was a subtle hint that if she tried to press him for things he refused to agree with, he had still had chips in his hands.
"I see," she hummed. "In that case, perhaps we can make a contract about who does and who doesn't get access to your Reality Marble? I'm sure you understand how we magi are, and it may very well be catastrophic if use of the Gate in your Reality marble was unregulated."
"You want exclusive access for the El-Melloi," Waver spoke up with a snort. "As a future Lord, this wouldn't breach any laws considering Shirou has a Sealing Designation and is 'technically' in the Clock Tower. In fact, you can argue that you're overseeing him. Clever, I'll admit."
"How about it Emiya?"
"I think that we should focus on helping the Warrior Bunnies," Shirou changed the subject knowing that it wasn't in his best interest to agree to anything recklessly.
"Tch," Reines clicked her tongue, but was more amused than feeling snuffed.
"Shall we go over the plan then? And remember, the more indebted to us that they are, the better both for relations and research opportunity."
"I'd help for the sake of helping, and that's all the reason I need," Shirou crossed his arms and stated his views. Neither Reines or Waver contested his point as they both had a general grasp of Shirou's personality by now.
"Good, because we're nearing if all the smoke in the distance means anything," Waver sat up straighter while looking out the carriage windows.
"Be sure to remember the plan." Reines pushed up on her seat, glanced in the direction of the smoke, and then cleared her throat. "Emiya is the sharp sword, myself and Trimmao are the canons, and you dear brother will play the role of the strategist. You always were quite good at thinking outside the box."