Take Care, Little Princesses
Illyasviel von Einzbern was dying.
Her body felt as if it had been drenched in liquid fire, then cooled off before being subjected to another fiery torment. Pain unlike which she had never experienced before washed over her, even greater than when she had used her Zwei Form. She wanted to die just so she could be free of such agony.
She opened her eyes slowly, coughing. Adjusting to the darkness, she noticed that there was smoke everywhere. The sky glowed orange, and the air smelled foul; a sickening stench of death and decay.
The girl was lying on her back. And as soon as she felt a little of the pain vanished, she struggled to sit up. Her memory was fuzzy, but she knew something was horribly wrong. She just could not place a finger on it.
When she finally looked around, her eyes widened. The land was engulfed in flame as far as she could see, consuming everything in its path. Tendrils of fire licked the sides of collapsed buildings, and rubbles surrounded her. There was an acrid smell mixed with an odor of burnt flesh, making her nauseated.
She whimpered, then stood up on wobbly legs. Her clothes were torn with half of her skirt missing, and her hair was singed in some parts. Splotches of dried blood covered her face, making her looked like a zombie. She could feel bruises in her legs and arms, wincing as they hurt.
"What happened here?" Illya whispered. There was no one within sight, and she was alone. Terror rose in her gut mixed with bile. It was as if she in Hell itself.
She began to walk, casting her gaze around. Her memory was starting to return, and what she remembered terrified her. There was a battle; a fight against darkness. She recalled flashes of energy, swords raining like arrows, and a golden pillar of light... Saber! Kuro! Ruby and Sapphire! Her family and friends!
Miyu!
She broke into a run, expression set in panic and desperation. Adrenaline made her forget all about the pain in her body, and fear gave her new strength. With every step her dread grew until hopelessness seized her heart. No one could survive in here.
"Hello?" she called in desperation, but nobody answered. "Ruby? Saphire? Kuro?" Illya yelled as loudly as her throat could manage. The smoke prevented her from speaking more. "Rin? Luvia? Saber?"
There was only the crackling of fire.
"Bazett? Lancer?" she looked around wildly. "Mama? Papa? Onii-chan? Please! Is anyone there?"
Instead of receiving an answer, she stumbled after almost tripping on something. Looking down, she clamped her hands on her mouth in horror and released a muffled scream.
Bazett was lying on her back, her eyes staring lifelessly into the dark sky. Her hands were crushed, and there was a bloody, gaping hole where her heart should be. Fragarach was beside her in broken pieces.
Illya stepped back. "No!" she moaned as tears began to form in her eyes. What was going on? Bazett was dead and there was no sign of everyone she loved.
With another scream she turned away and ran. More of her memories soon returned, each one as terrifying as the last. There was a lot of blood and gunfire. A dark monster in the form of a beautiful purple-haired girl devouring anything and anyone, and her friends in school lying in their own pool of blood.
In the distance, she saw what was the unmistakable form of the old butler, Auguste, lying on the hood of a limousine and shielding Luvia with his own body. Neither of the two was moving, and both were covered in blood, their heart missing.
Illya closed her eyes and continued running past the corpses. Kuro! She needed to find her twin. Maybe they could still save the others. She could not be dead, too; she was one of their strongest fighters! She must have survived!
When she opened her eyes again, she slowed down until she was standing as still as statues. Her eyes brimmed with more tears, and she sank to her knees, trembling and shaking.
Irisviel von Einzbern and Kiritsugu Emiya lay together, hands intertwined. Their faces looked peaceful, as if they were merely asleep. The Einzbern woman looked beautiful with her white hair splayed around her, and the Magus Killer had a contented expression on his face. But they were still and deathly pale, and beside Kiritsugu was his Thompson Contender in pieces. As the fire cast a fiery glow on their prone form, Illya saw the same injuries that killed her other friends.
And just beside them was Kuro's Archer card.
A scream tore from Illya's lips, a wail of sorrow and despair. Everyone was dead and she was alone. Everything was on fire and here she was still alive. Why did it not take her, too? Why was she spared?
"Kuro! Mama! Papa!" she crawled next to them, calling out their names. But they remained unmoving, and the card lay still.
"No!" Illya sobbed. She embraced them, whispering apologies. If only she had been strong enough, she could have saved them. She could have prevented their deaths.
"I'm sorry! Mama, Papa, Kuro, I'm sorry!"
As she lay there consumed by grief, she did not noticed a figure landed behind her. With a limp, the person approached her and murmured, "Illya."
Illya gasped, then whirled around. There stood Miyu, Ruby and Sapphire clutched in each hand. Her magical girl outfit was torn and tattered, and blood dripped from the right side of her head. But otherwise, she was alive.
"Miyu!" the girl launched herself at her best friend and adopted sister. She cried on her shoulders for what seemed like hours, her emotions erupting like a volcano.
"You're alive! You're okay and alive!"
"It's alright, Illya," Miyu whispered in a soothing tone, though there was also grief in her voice. "I'm here. I'm alive. And Ruby and Sapphire are here, too." As if on cue, both wands greeted her, albeit in subdued voices.
They broke off a moment later. Tearfully, Illya said, "Miyu, they are dead. Everyone is dead. Mama and Papa are dead!" she buried her face in her hands and wept.
"I know. I..." Miyu's voice trembled briefly before she composed herself. "Listen, we cannot stay here anymore. Saber and Lancer are both fighting that thing. But we must leave soon. They won't hold much longer. Here." She gave Ruby to Illya.
As Illya transformed, something tall and blue landed behind them. Jumping in alarm, the two girls turned and saw Cu Chulainn leaning on his lance, looking much worse than the both of them combined. The Child of Light panted heavily, staring at them in relief. "Thank the gods you're still alive," he said with a chuckle. There was a large gash on his chest.
"Lancer, you're hurt!" Illya rushed to him. With a groan, Cu Chulaiin collapsed on one knee. "Don't mind me," he said dismissively. "I'll be fine. Now listen, both of you. She took your brother. And I don't know if he is still alive, but you girls have to leave now or else she'll kill us all."
At this, Illya looked even more distraught. "No. Onii-chan..."
Where's Saber?" Miyu asked, glancing around. In the far distance, they could hear the ring of steel and the roar of a terrifying creature.
"Still duking it out with our black princess. That's why you have to leave before she gets overwhelmed. Even the King of Knights is no match for her."
"But we can't let you guys just die!" Illya protested.
"Don't worry about us! Worry about yourselves!" Cu Chulainn spread his hand. There in his palm were more than a dozen cards. "Here, these are all we could salvage. Rin told me to give it to you before she died."
"Rin...?" Illya's lips trembled. It could not possibly be.
"I'm sorry, kid" Cu Chulainn said grimly. "But she did not go down without fighting, that girl. She told me to get you out of here." He looked up, then smiled. "But I guess I won't be doing that."
Following his gaze, Miyu and Illya saw Vimana in the horizon heading straight for them. Even at this distance, they could already see the two figures standing at the prow. In just a minute, the aircraft was upon them. Hovering, the riders jumped down and hurried to their sides.
"Lady Illya! Lady Miyu! Are you both alright?" Angelica said, her body clad in the gleaming silver armor of her installed Card. When she saw Irisviel and Kiritsugu lying still, her expression turned grave.
Behind her, Gilgamesh followed slowly. His gaze wandered around the fiery landscape, taking in the destruction. For once there was no mischief in his crimson eyes, nor the malice they occasionally possess whenever he was angry. There was only an expression of detached indifference mixed with pity.
"What a mess," he said.
"A mess you could have prevented," Cu Chulainn scowled. "Seriously, you guys are already late."
Gilgamesh fixed him with a stare. "As far as I remember, a dog has no right to speak like that to a king," he said nonchalantly.
"My apologies, Lady Illya, Lady Miyu," Angelica bowed deeply, "I would have come sooner. But that abomination of an old magus was too clever and cunning. If only we had destroyed him sooner, we could have arrived before anything happened. Please forgive me."
Illya shook her head. "It's not your fault, Angelica. I just wish..." Before she could continue, she was once more beset by grief. Bursting into tears, she let herself be engulfed by Angelica's warm embrace.
As she sobbed, Miyu turned to Gilgamesh and said, "Can't you do anything about this? Your weapons can surely kill her. It may be the only way."
For a moment, the child King of Heroes looked thoughtful. After a while, he shook his head. "My weapons are certainly powerful enough to destroy a continent, even kill divine beings. But they are no match for that pitiful creature." When Miyu started to protest, he raised a finger. "I do have something capable of matching its power, but that would destroy this world as well."
"I have to agree, my lady," Amgelica said. "I don't think nothing short of sacrificing this very planet will stop that monster. It's just too strong for all of us."
"What can we do then?" Miyu lowered her gaze and clenched her jaw in frustration.
Nobody spoke. Even Gilgamesh was at a loss for words. Everything had happened too quickly that they had not been able to prepare for the worst. And here was the result.
Finally, Cu Chulainn stood up. "Well, I don't know what we can do. But I know what you can do." He looked between Gilgamesh and Angelica. "Promise me that you both will protect them."
"Lancer?" Illya looked up with apprehension. She was not liking where the conversation was heading.
"Of course," said Gilgamesh. Beside him, Angelica nodded in agreement.
"Ever since my family abandoned me and the world I came from was destroyed, I have sworn an oath to protect both Illya and Miyu," the former Ainsworth doll said. "It was the promise I made to Shirou before he died, and I will fulfill it until my dying day."
"Good," Cu Chulainn seemed satisfied. Suddenly, the ground quaked. A chilling shriek came from somewhere within the center of the conflagration, and a beam of golden light briefly flashed in the night sky.
"It seems Saber is giving her a hard time," Cu Chulainn smiled ruefully. Then in a serious voice, he said, "We don't have much time. Illya, Miyu, this was Rin's final words: 'head to Europe and go to the Mage Association. Tell them what happened here. Find Zelretch. He'll know what to do.'"
"What about you?" Illya said.
Cu Chulainn shook his head. "I'll help Saber hold her off. Right now, my priority is to get you to safety." As if on cue, a wave of black terror swept across the land and they all collapsed in shock. Even Gilgamesh was affected, the boy clutching his chest as if in pain, though his was not as worse as the rest of them.
"What... what was that?" Illya gasped, her body shaking.
"That's what I'm talking about," Cu Chulainn groaned. Despite his own injuries, he was the second one to recover after Gilgamesh. He glanced back, then cursed. "Now you do have to leave!"
In the distance, a shadow slowly approached.
Everyone's eyes widened. Upon seeing the danger, Angelica immediately picked up Illya and made a run for Vimana with Miyu just behind them. As they climbed aboard the ship, Illya looked back and saw Gilgamesh handed something to Cu Chulainn before joining them.
"Lancer!" the girl called his name desperately one last time. Despite knowing the Heroic Spirit for only a week, she had grown fond of him and Saber, and she knew they did with her, too. During the course of the War, she had not treated them as tools meant to be sacrificed, but friends and family. And to see them giving up their lives for her and Miyu overwhelmed her with grief.
As Vimana lifted off, Cu Chulainn glanced back and smiled, mouthing the words, "Take care, little princesses."
Then he was gone like a bolt of lightning. And as they sped away, the only thing Illya saw amid the fire and smoke were flashes of red and gold against an island of pure darkness.