Illya's Big Family Zwei
Summary: The Grail grants Illya's wish again.
AN- Each 'part' takes place on different times.
Disclaimer: I do not own FSN
Drip drip drop.
Drip drip drop.
Drip drip drop.
Again and again, in an endless repetition, a drop of crystal blue water would fall from what she assumes is the sky, or the ceiling she couldn't really tell because as far as she could tell she was surrounded by pitch black darkness, to what was probably the floor. The drops of blue were the only thing that broke away from the flawless monochrome, well, the water droplets and herself were the only other source of any color in, wherever this was.
The droplets fell in front of her, close enough to touch, and yet she never reached out to touch them. She was content to simply watch as they fell, and upon making contact with the same surface she happened to be sitting on, they would make ripples not unlike the ones she made when she was skipping rocks. She found herself fascinated by how the ripples would just seem to keep going, to continue to stretch on forever.
There was tranquility in the moment, and other than the sound of the water dripping, there was complete silence. She didn't seem to mind though as she was currently content to just stare at the ripples. But this temporary peace was broken when a hot searing pain suddenly came over her right hand as seemingly glowing red lines suddenly appeared on it. She knew what it was; she could recognize the familiar pattern and design.
But what she couldn't understand was why it had suddenly appeared again, and why now. She no longer had any use for it. But it seemed that the red mark though differently as it seemed to pulsate as if it were alive and had its own will. She could feel it; all of her mana was slowly being consumed as if it was just mere food for the red sigil on her hand. She tried to stay conscious as she fought off the pain that was not cease, in fact it just seemed to intensify every minute.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to scream from the pain, she wanted to scream for help, and most of all she wanted to scream for her family. Even if they wouldn't be able to do anything, at least they would be there for her. At least they could hold her other hand and hold her close as her body continued to tremble from the pain. But she couldn't even do that, every time she tried what would come out were just pained whimpers and hoarse whispers that were unintelligible and lacking in any coherence.
She felt wetness in her cheeks and realized that she must be crying now. She had curled up into a ball and her left hand was clutching onto her right hand with such desperation, as if she was trying to will the pain to stop. She doesn't know how much time passes, it could have been just a few minutes, or it could have been hours when the pain just suddenly stops. She doesn't uncurl herself, nor does she breathe out a sigh of relief, or even attempt to move for that matter.
She feels completely exhausted both physically and magically. Aside from the pain she felt, there was also a constant drain on her mana. Right now, her mana reserves were almost completely used up. It was a miracle that she was still conscious. Her breathing was ragged but after several minutes of lying down, they evened out to short shallow breaths. She slowly released her right arm, but did not dare to move it, in fear of a repeat of that pain.
But it did not take long before the red sigil began to glow, and she clenched her teeth and shut her eyes in preparation for another round of both pain and drain. Yet, they never came. Tentatively, she opened her eyes to find that while the sigil continued to emit a crimson light, which was all it seemed to do. She gingerly lifted her hand and to her very pleasant surprise, she felt absolutely no pain. She brought it closer to her face to inspect the sigil.
A small frown marred her delicate doll like features as she noticed that something was off about the pattern on her hand. Was it just her, or did they seem different? They looked to have even increased in number. But that was thought was preposterous, why on earth would such a thing happen? She didn't have much time to ponder about such a thing when the crimson light turned from bright to just downright blinding. She quickly closed her eyes and brought her hand away from her face.
After a few moment, she slowly opened her eyes to see that she was in another unfamiliar place. Instead of black, everything as far as the eye could see was in an immaculate white. There were no longer any water droplets that fell from the sky, but from where she lay, she noticed that there was something engraved on the white floor. With some effort, she managed to sit up, to take a better look at her surroundings. She had to stifle her gasp when she realized where she was.
She stood in the center of a familiar summoning circle. She felt dread in the pit of her stomach, and her instincts screamed at her to run away. But she stayed rooted where she sat. Not because that was what she wanted, no, it was because she couldn't move even if she wanted to. Her whole being seemed to be completely paralyzed, her legs were no exception. She could only watch on as the circle began to glow with a soft blue light as it activated and a familiar white orb suddenly appeared directly above her.
She awoke with a start and was met with seven pairs of eyes looking down worriedly at her. She tried to calm herself, to try to force composure in her mind which was whirling and reeling from what she had dreamt of. But she couldn't, just as how she couldn't help going to the first person closest to her and hugging them fiercely as the tears started to flow freely down her face. The other occupants of the room seemed surprised at the actions of the little girl, but it only lasted for a brief moment.
They then immediately began to try to comfort her, offering her kind words of reassurance like she was safe and that the nightmare was over. While the others tried to sooth the distressed girl, Saber ran a hand through the hair of the crying girl who was on her lap. She did not try to remove the girl and let her cry as the others rubbed her back or gave her their own comforting words. Eventually, the girl's tears finally stopped and she slowly released her hold on Saber.
She let out a surprised gasp when a few seconds later, she felt a pair of strong arms lifting her from Saber and into a warm and muscular chest before the same arms held her securely in place. "Feeling better now, princess?" Lancer asked and she could only nod as she leaned back into the chest, confident that this man would not drop her. A hand then made its way onto her head before its owner decided to pet her like a kitten. "That's a relief, you had us worried Illya."
The girl now known as Illya lifted her gaze to see her uncle Lancelot giving her a small smile as he continued to pet her head. "Well now that the princess is alright, that's one problem down, only eleven more to go." Lancer said, his voice dropping to a mere whisper as he spoke the last part. Illya was going to question him on it, when a loud crash from downstairs was heard. She then saw the other occupants of the room either flinch or frown at the sound.
"I'll see what they broke." Castor said as she began to head to the door, Saber silently following suit with Gilgamesh in tow. The king of Britain stopped for a moment to look back at Lancer then at Illya before a facing front once more and leading Gilgamesh out the bedroom door with her. Illya, was completely confused at what just happened, her mind racing miles per minute. "Who broke what? Did they have guests or something? Was it her grandfather's men? Did they come to take her back?"
Just as Illya was about to have a panic attack, Lancer gently set her down on the bed in a sitting position. Sitting next to her was Dia, or Diarmuid while on her other side sat Berserker. Dia offered her a kind smile as Berserker began to pick at the stray locks of her hair; it was a gesture that helped calm her somewhat. "Now, Illya. I think it is obvious that we have company downstairs, but before you meet with them, I think now is a good time as any to have a conversation about something very important."
"So basically… I dreamed of command spells, a summoning circle and the Holy Grail, and all of you suddenly felt my mana suddenly spike before it scattered and spread about the house. Then you guys got worried that an enemy magus might have somehow snuck in Caster's barrier and that I was in danger and headed to my room to check up on me, but Dia-nii who was on the veranda when it happened had instantly noticed that a magic circle suddenly appeared around our house?"
Lancelot nodded, and gestured her to continue. "After that you all felt the magic circle suddenly activate with my magic and just like new servants were suddenly summoned at our house." Illya said hesitantly, and sounding both confused and unsure as she said the last part. "Technically, they were summoned in the garden, but yes that's the gist of things." Illya fought of the groan that was making its way out of her lips. "But how?! It should be impossible to successfully summon multiple servants unintentionally!"
"Actually, just summoning should be impossible. The fifth Holy Grail is already done, finished, caput since last year!" Illya exclaimed seemingly at a loss and frustrated from this new development. "Does the Grail plan on making me summoning new servants to fight my old one, or something? Is it mad that there was no fighting for the fifth Holy Grail war?" Illya asked with a huff as she stared at her hand, where the command seals should be, but isn't.
"Illya, please calm down. I don't think that is the case. I don't think that this has happened because the Grail's wants to get revenge or to punish you. If anything, I think that if their appearances are anything to go by, that this might be related to the wish you had asked of the Grail." Dia said to her gently before Berserker ruffled her hair as he gave what sounded like a grunt of approval for his brother's words. "See, even Berserker agrees with me."
Illya made a sound of protest as she tried to move away from her brother's hand, but to no avail. "If I had to think of an explanation as to how you managed to summon new servants, well it's probably because of the omnipotent Grail." Dia added as Illya tried to move out of Berserker's range. Lancer merely chuckled at their antics before addressing Illya. "Hey don't worry about it princess. I'm sure things will work out one way or another. It'll be fun; we'll just have a bigger family now."
Funny how right Lancer was, because as soon as she had calmed down and went downstairs to finally meet her new servants, did she learn the definition of what an extended family was. The servants were definitely more than the ones she summoned for the fifth Holy Grail war, but what she first noticed about them was that judging from how calm, relaxed or how they interacted with her "family" and the other new servants, they all didn't seem like they were planning to start a fight, much to her relief.
When she finally got a chance to talk to them, they revealed that they also had no idea why they were summoned; all of them just heard a call from within the thrones of heroes. But they didn't really seem to dislike the current arrangements and seemed more than content to stay with them and to become new members of the family. As soon as that was over with, they had their first emergency family meeting with the new servant, and it was during this meeting that they created their cover stories.
They established their relationships and gave them new names, well, they really just changed or tweaked their names a bit to make it more fitting for the present. They also planned things like room assignments, which followed their cover stories. Luckily, there was enough room for everyone, and they still had rooms to spare. They had even contacted Jubstacheit to tell him of the new developments, partly because they had promised to keep him posted, and partly because they needed his help.
After deciding that a shopping trip would be in order, the sooner the better, they decided to retire to their rooms for the night. It was already a quarter after three in the morning, so all of them were feeling either sleepy, or tired from all the excitement, heated discussions, and occasional bickering. Illya was bone tired, but then again having your mana drained and meeting new servants can do that to people. So, once she had reached her room, she unceremoniously crashed on the bed for much needed rest.
Three months later, and Illya cannot believe the feeling of normalcy she feels as she thinks of her whole family. It was almost as if the new members of her family had been a part of it all along. She didn't know if it was because some of her servants already knew each other, or if they were just really good at handling and adjusting to the unexpected. It actually only took a few days for all the awkwardness and the shyness to pass and before they all became completely comfortable with each others' presence.
If not for the few reminders like the memory of the dream with the Holy Grail, or even worse, the memory of the searing pain that she had felt during said dream, she would have never believed that the new members of her family have only been there for a month and not since the beginning. Her new servants had adapted quite well to the modern world, and had even integrated themselves in human society. The older ones got a job, while the younger ones were enrolled in school or daycare.
Illya was brought out of her musings as something bumped against her right leg. She looked down to see one of the youngest members of her family looking up at her with a blank look. "Sowi, Illya-nee." The little girl said in a deadpan voice. Illya smiled as the child climbed onto the couch. "It's no problem, Rhyme-chan. But you shouldn't run around in the house, you might get seriously hurt next time." She said to the child who just nodded in response before turning to the book she was holding.
Illya sighed; it wasn't as if the girl was trying to be rude. That was really how she was, the heroic spirit named Nursery Rhyme, was by nature emotionless and easy to bore. But that didn't mean she was apathetic or didn't care for the family. She could actually be rather affectionate, though in her own subtle and quiet way. Nursery Rhyme was originally a child, but when she had been summoned she became even younger, right now she was probably no older that three years old.
"Rhyme-chan, where are you? We need to go to papa's dinner." A voice rang out. Rhyme stopped reading and looked up to where the voice had come from. In a few seconds a woman with pink hair and fox ears wearing a beautiful kimono walked into the room and her face brightened immediately when she spotted the child on the couch. She walked across the room with the grace of a dancer before she stopped in front of the couch and scooped the child in her arms.
"Mou, Rhyme-chan, I was worried when I couldn't find you anywhere." She said before turning to address Illya. "I hope my little Rhyme-chan wasn't bothering you, Illya-chan." The woman said as Illya giggled. "No, don't worry. I was just spacing out when Ryhme and I ran into each other." Illya answered, a small grin playing across her lips as the woman looked at the child who seemed to stiffen slightly at the other girl's choice of words.
There was a moment of silence before the woman laughed. "Hahaha… Rhyme-chan, that's not good. Papa just reminded you that it was dangerous to run in the house this morning." The woman gently chided as the child shifted uneasily in her arms. "But I guess that I'll let you off the hook this time, if you promise to be good for tonight's dinner. No disappearing acts again, alright?" The child nodded her head, seemingly with more vigor than what she had done earlier.
Ah, that's right. The little girl was known to pull disappearing acts whenever she was bored, no one knew if she could do it because of her magic or because she was really quiet, in one moment she was there and in the next she was already long gone. This had caused a lot panic attacks, frantic searching and a near breakdown for one daycare worker, but fortunately, members of the family at least had an easier time finding her, with her "parents" being the most skilled in finding where she had gone.
"Now come along, Rhyme-chan, lest we end up late. Illya-chan, we'll see you later." She said before walking out of the room. The woman, was the one of the two Casters that had been summoned this time round, the other being Nursery Rhyme. The woman was Tamamo-no-Mae, a former court lady during the Heian period and one of Japan's three great monsters. But here, she assumed the role of a simple woman who worked as the owner/seamstress of a shop selling traditional eastern clothes.
That wasn't her only role though; she was also Rhyme's "mother", and a "wife" in this life, and it was a known fact that these two roles made her both extremely content and happy. She was a bright and cheerful woman, who loved to tease people. She could get mischievous and pull pranks sometimes, but it was hard to hate her, or to even get really mad at her for that matter. But she was also as unpredictable as the sea; she could be silly in one moment, but could be so sly and serious the next.
Illya turned her head to look at the doorway the woman had long passed through. It was a good thing that the woman had been summoned as a Caster because it would have been much harder to hide her ears and tail without her magic. Illya sighed for the second time that day, remembering all of the close calls that had happened during the first few days, when some people had almost seen Caster's fox ears. She would have continued reminiscing the not so distant past when she heard soft thudding sounds.
They were the sound of someone coming either up or down the stairs. Out of curiosity, Illya went over to see what was going on. The sight that greeted her was that of two people and a child by the entrance of the house. Tamamo, having changed into a brilliant rose colored dress was currently fussing over the clothes of her daughter and "husband." Rhyme stood still as her mother fixed the ribbon of her Brink Pink dress, though she seemed a bit uncomfortable.
Illya guesses that she would have preferred a darker shade for her dress. When Tamamo had deemed that the ribbon was no longer crooked, she rounded her attention to the man and began to fix his tie. The heroic spirit, Siegfried, had done the same as his daughter had done and stayed still as his "wife" got rid of the creases on the piece of fabric. Illya giggled inwardly as she stared at the two, the two of them really looked good together.
Siegfried was currently known as Siegfried Knight(They got a real kick out of thinking up of a last name for Saber's side of the family). He had the role of Saber's older brother, thus making him Illya's uncle. His cover story was that he had married a Japanese woman named Maeno Tamamo and they lived in Germany for a few years, but because his wife missed her homeland, they decided to move to Japan with their daughter. He was a true knight(no pun intended), and could get along well with his fellow servants.
He could be strict at times, but usually he was a peaceful guy. His entire being exuded calm, and despite the fact that he could be intimidating at times, he was a person sensitive to others' needs and was quite considerate. He seemed to have a soft spot for both animals and children, and would willingly play with the younger family members. Though he seemed aloof, he really cared for the family, especially his wife and daughter and would do anything to keep them happy.
There is a funny story as to how this family came to be. It all started when, actually they had no idea how it all started really. One minute Tamamo was just chatting and enjoying cake, and in the next she is confessing her love to Siegfried and places herself in the role of his wife. To his credit, Siegfried took it rather well. Regardless of the fact that he didn't really know Tamamo that well, actually he had just met her less than an hour ago; but he did what a proper knight would do and thanked her for her feelings.
Even when she hugged him in happiness for his words, he did not try to pull away. When it was time for the meeting, it was already somehow understood that Tamamo and Siegfried would play the part of a married couple, which left the question of whether or not they would have a child. When asked, Tamamo had tilted her head to the side as she contemplated the question. It was as if the idea of being a mother had never really crossed her mind before.
But in an instant her face changed from confused to exuberant as she excitedly answered that she did want to have a child. Though the reason that Nursery Rhyme became their child was because earlier that night the girl had pulled her first and second disappearing acts and the one who found her were Tamamo the first time and Siegfried the second. So following the reasoning that it was best to leave a disappearing child to people who could probably find her, it became a done deal.
Siegfried had unintentionally become a jack of all trades. His real job was that he worked as an editor at a publishing company, but because of his amazing abilities to adapt, learn and to master a new skill, he ended up doing all sorts of work before he finally settled into one job. He could literally enter a job with just a bit of knowledge on it and come out a pro. He had the enviable gift that as long as he put some effort in learning he could easily acquire any knowledge or skill he wished.
After a month of job hopping, he finally settled down as a freelance editor, who checked and approved various types of reading material and printed text, from mangas to novels to academic papers, he did all types. He usually met up with his clients in cafes or family restaurants and he had actually got a lot of repeat customers. But it wasn't uncommon for publishing companies to hire him every once in a while, especially when they were understaffed.
Though sometimes, they hired him not as an editor but as a translator of foreign books, as he had already mastered several different languages during his spare time. Recently though, actually just a month and a half ago he decided to work full time for a publishing company called Schwarz-Bäume Publishing, a German company that had branched out to Japan. Currently, Siegfried is considered to be the much needed employee of the company.
On the company's official records, he was employed as one of their editor. But his real job entailed him to be an all around guy or as Siegfried's boss called him- "the company troubleshooter." He edits written works for publishing on a regular basis and has consultation with the authors, but at times he was asked to translate foreign text to Japanese, or Japanese text to another foreign language. But when the monthly deadline nears, that is when he is at his busiest, and not just because of his own deadline.
But because after he was finished, he was also given jobs to help out other departments which cut it really close to "crunch time." It could be said that he was a hero to the office, because when a department lacked manpower and was far behind their work schedule, he was the one sent to help them out. But right now, the Knight family was heading to one of the company's sit down dinner. It was one of the rare formal events the company held, which explained why they had to dress up tonight.
"There, it looks much better now." Tamamo said as she let go of the tie. Siegfried then said something to the woman, it was too soft for Illya to hear, but judging from how her eyes had lit up, it was probably along the lines of thank you. That was when he noticed her peeking at them from the doorway. "Illya what are you doing?" He asked as Illya became slightly embarrassed at having been caught staring. "Just wanted to see what was going on." She answered as she scratched her cheek with a finger.
"Illya-nee is weiwd." Nursery Rhyme bluntly says which hits the white haired girl where it hurts. "Ryhme-chan, that's mean." Illya whined as a pout made its way on her face. Tamamo giggled at the interaction between the two girls before clapping her hands to get both of their attention. "It's about time for us to go. Illya-chan, we'll be heading out now." She said before holding onto Siegfried's offered arm.
"We'll see you later then, Illya." Siegfried said before the three of them began heading out the door, Rhyme turning to look back at her, waving with her other hand while saying, "Bye, bye, Illya-nee." Illya couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. Not when a feeling of warmth swelled in her chest at the thought of how natural being a family was to them. Illya raised her own hand and began waving back at Rhyme. "Have a safe trip."
Illya walked along the long hallway, only stopping at the open doorway of Gil's bedroom. One look showed her brother playing a new game with a child with long blue hair. The child was one of her new servants, the Heroic Spirit Enkidu. When he had first been summoned, Gil had been beyond ecstatic to see his one and only true friend and the feeling had been mutual with Enkidu. The two have been inseparable ever since and even share a room, despite the fact that he could've had a room for himself.
He was turned into a child just like Gil, and they seem to be around the same age. The child was more than a bit mysterious. He absolutely loved nature and had a beautiful voice. He was also androgynous in appearance, and honestly, no one really knew if he was really a boy or a girl, and he didn't seem interested in telling them. But in order to avoid mass confusion, they say that the child is a boy, following the legal documents that Jubstacheit made; which states that Enkidu's sex is male.
One thing about him though is that even as a child, he was serene, well mannered and very polite. He also seemed to be able to understand the language of animals. Enkidu was currently enrolled in the same school as Gil, and they were even in the same class. He had also joined the school's soccer team after Gil had talked him into it. The child was very popular in his school, almost, if not as popular as Gil. But it wasn't that surprising considering how intriguing the boy was.
"Illya-nee, is there something wrong?" Enkidu asked without turning around. Ah yes, she almost forgot about Enkidu's presence detection skill. "Nope, nothing's wrong. But Caster's asking if you wanted a snack." She answered as Gil paused the game to look back at her. "Sure! It's about time for a break anyways, right En?" He said as he looked at the blue haired boy, who nodded. "What are you two doing anyways?" Illya asked as she took a better look at the screen.
"We're playing Immortal Warriors 4; we're already close to the last boss though." He said as Illya only nodded before she realized something. "But didn't you two just get that game a few days ago? You're already close to clearing the game?" It was Enkidu who answered her this time around. "Yes, but this game is fairly easy to play. As long as you finish all of the required quests, the path to the final boss will open." He answered, before adding. "Though it was a bit tricky to find the last quest."
Illya thought about what her classmates, who were also playing the same game, told her about it. They had said that they were having a hard time with progressing with the game and they were stuck on finding the remaining quests. If Illya remembered correctly, they've already been playing the game for a month and none of them have finished the game yet. None of them have even found a way to the final dungeon, and the farthest any of them got was three bosses before the last boss.
The two boys were different from most people. They could do what was impossible for most humans, and not just because they were heroic spirits. But she loved them just the way they were, and wouldn't change them for the world. As she stared at the two boys who were now chatting animatedly about what they thought the last boss would look like, she couldn't help but fondly think that it was just like them to be in a different league of their own, and to leave the rest in their dusts.
Illya blinked as she watched men and women in suits enter the room and took a seat around the big table in the room. "Alright, since everyone's here let's start the meeting right away. But first I'd like to introduce you to my niece who has come here because it's bring your child/niece/nephew to work day. Everyone this is Illya. Illya meet everyone." A man with red hair boomed as Illya gave a small bow to everyone present in the room and a few bowed while others gave their own greetings to her.
The man in question was Iskandar aka the King of Conquerors. He had been summoned for the fourth Holy Grail war, so he knew some of her other servants. He was loud and boisterous. But he was also a jolly and ambitious man, and Illya liked hanging out with him. He would carry her on his shoulders and tell her stories of his conquests and adventures while he was alive. He loved atlases, videogames, and a good drink every now and then.
Like the other new servants, he was given money by Jubstacheit for emergencies/capital, if ever they wanted to open a business. Iskandar had decided to invest his share of the money on stocks on whim. Fortunately for him, his investment had paid off and had gotten him quite a big amount. Half of which was spent to buy a small game making company that was about to be bankrupt. But under Iskandar's leadership, the company had undergone a complete reformation.
They began to improve or produce better products and sales have been gradually increasing. With the company's unbelievable growth rate, some people have begun to say that the new Okeanos co. was conquering the video game market. This had made Iskandar laugh and comment at how he still found a whole new world to conquer, the video game world, that is. His vice president was surprisingly a mage called Waver Velvet, his previous master for the fourth war.
While they had been a bit worried about this, all it took was a few words of reassurance from Iskandar and surprisingly Gil, to put their minds at ease. They were both good judges of character after all, well, that and because Waver genuinely seemed like a nice guy who didn't wish them harm. Over time, he became something like an honorary member of the family and often stopped by for dinner; sometimes he even brings his family over or invites all of them for a meal at his house.
Illya personally thinks of Waver as her uncle and his family as a part of their extended family. The company's bestseller was a game called the "Ambitions of the King of Conquerors", which was about one man's ambition to conquer the world and unite it. It was a fighting game and the goal was to defeat the other army or countries' leaders to expand your territory until you have successfully dominated the entire world. The first game had been such a hit that AKCII was already being developed.
Illya was his niece because as the story went, he was her father's older brother who came here to Japan from overseas for business related reasons. Right now she was at one of his proposal meetings, where new ideas for new games would be proposed by each group leader. While she had no idea about how business went and all she enjoyed listening to some of the pitches that were being made. After like five game pitches the meeting was dismissed and everyone began filing out.
After a few minutes the only one left in the room were Iskandar, Waver and her. "That was quite a productive meeting if I do say so myself." Iskandar suddenly said and Waver looked up from the stack of papers he was looking at. "Does that mean you have an idea of which ones to pick?" Iskandar grinned wildly before saying. "They were all so interesting, let's do them all." He said and Waver spluttered. "Are you serious?! Do you know how long that would take, or how much money we'd need t-"
"Don't mind the small details. They'll work out somehow. All that's important is that they start working on things right away." Iskandar said as Waver sighed. "They aren't small details…" He muttered before looking at Illya who had been silent throughout their conversation. "Illya-chan, no matter what, please don't grow up to be an adult like him." He said and Iskandar laughed good naturedly. "What are you talking about? I'm one of the finest role models around, and are there even any as ambitious as I?"
Illya looked left and right before sighing. It was official, she had lost sight of her brothers and her cousin. She was currently in the new amusement park that had just opened, she had really gone there with her entire family, but they split off into groups upon entering the park. She went with her Dia-nii, Ber-nii, Gil, and En, but after she got distracted by a group of dancing park mascots, she found herself alone. But what was worse was that her phone had completely run out of power.
"This is the worst." She said, but it seemed that fate wasn't done messing with the small albino girl and as soon as those words left her mouth, her stomach grumbled quite loudly. "Ah… Well there's no helping it. I might as well get some lunch first." She said to herself before looking around for a food stall or eating area in the vicinity. It seemed luck was finally going her way when she spotted what seemed like an open air café where she could get some food.
As she ran towards the café, she stopped when she saw three familiar heads sitting at one table, enjoying their meals. One of them lifted his head when he felt someone's gaze fall on them. He relaxed though when he saw who it was. "Illya, what are you doing by yourself? I thought you went with Diarmuid, Berserker and the others." The man said in a flat tone, but you could see a hint of confusion and curiosity in his eyes.
"I did, but we got separated and I couldn't get into contact with them because my phone's battery died out on me, just now." She said and the woman sitting next to the man paused in her eating to comment. "That's really unlucky for you. But you must be hungry right, so come here and join us." The woman said as the man beside her pulled out his phone and began typing something at rapid speed. "I just texted your brothers that you're going to eat lunch with us and that they can meet up with you here later."
Illya's face brightened at that as she sat down on the last empty seat on their table. "You're as reliable as always, Kar-chan." She said before looking at the child seated beside her. "You're lucky to have such a dependable papa, Jackie." The woman said between bites of her food. "Arcueid, you shouldn't talk while your mouth's full." The man told her before noticing some sauce on the child's, now known as 'Jackie', face and wiped it gently with a napkin.
The child didn't resist and stayed still as the man cleaned all the food smudges on her face. Click, click. "You two are just too cute together, right Illya-chan?" The woman said as Illya nodded, a small smile on her face. It was a really interesting watching these three interact. The normally silent and stoic heroic spirit Karna, being affectionately called Kar-chan by the Berserker, Arcueid Brunestud, and the terror of London, Jack the Ripper, acting as if she were any other child.
Playing the role of a younger brother to her father was one of her new Lancers, Karna. He isn't the most sociable person in the world and can come off as distant and aloof. But once someone got to know him well they'd find him to be quite wise and admirable. He was actually quite loyal and protective, and despite his tendencies to be anti social, he was well liked by children and always made sure to keep a watchful eye over the younger members of their family, even if no one asks him to.
The servant who played Karna's wife was Arcueid Brunestud. She was the complete opposite of her husband in terms of personality. She was outgoing, bubbly and spontaneous. She was also childlike in many aspects and curious as a cat. Sometimes though she had a bit of a temper, and would often throw tantrums when she was very upset. But she was a friendly person, so Illya got along well with her and they would often go to eat candies and snacks together.
Jack, like Nursery Rhyme had gotten younger and was probably no older than three. She was Karna and Arcueid's 'child'. The child's personality was interesting to say the least. While she was childlike, she had a mind as quick as a whip. She seemed to love her 'parents' and enjoyed it when they spent time together or when they doted on her. The girl was especially attached to her 'mother'. She also has a habit of speaking in first person plural, but aside from that she was like any other child.
Karna had become a novelist, and usually stayed at home to work. His work, which was a modern day epic, had been a hit and people were eagerly waiting for the sequel. He stayed mostly at home, as he did his work at home. The only times he left the house were usually if the family was going on a trip, if he wanted to take a walk, or if his wife dragged him to go outside with her. Though, the last option happened most frequently.
Arcuied had become a model under the alias 'Selene Blut', since the name Arcueid Brunestud was famous after all, especially among mages. Her first name, Selene, was named after the moon goddess; and Blut because it seemed fitting. But in actuality, her maiden name had been registered as Selene Arcueid Blut, but her married name was officially Selene Arcueid B. Knight. Arcueid, herself didn't really mind the name change since it was a safety precaution.
But while most members of the family usually called her Selene after that, she was somehow able to convince Karna to continue calling her Arcueid. Back on the topic of the modeling, they were lucky since it has been a long time she awakened/was last seen or interacted with humans prior to now, so no one really remembers what she looks like. Other than her alias she also had an amulet from the Einzbern family that had helped to mask her mana.
She worked as a small time model, but when she was being recruited by a famous modeling agency she declined their offer as a gig here and there wasn't too bad, but being in big magazines and maybe even on TV might attract unwanted attention to their family. She eventually quit modeling altogether when the aforementioned agency didn't seem to understand that no means no and kept pestering her. She then ended up as a museum guide, which was unexpected.
But then again, considering her (real) age, it made sense for her to be knowledgeable about relics and antiques. But at the end of the day, what was most important was what Arcuied wanted, and if she was happy with her job, then no one was going to stop her. Of course there had been that one incident when an employee of the same modeling agency visited her new workplace to try and convince her to sign with them, and let's just say that after Karna heard of that the problem was taken care of.
According to Jack, after Arcuied had mentioned the incident in passing to her and Karna, he apparently visited the modeling agency to have a word with them, and to this day no one knows what he said or did that day(and it's probably for the best that it stay that way). But all they did know was that no employee of that modeling agency dared to bother Arcueid again. Actually, they recently ran into one of that agency's employee, and he had run away as soon as he saw her.
Their cover story was that Karna von Einzbern was the brother of Lancer who used to travel all around Europe for inspiration for his novels when he met the then Ms. Selene Blut in Germany and finally decided to settle down. They then started a family in Germany before deciding that they wanted a more permanent change in scenery and decided to move to Japan because of Lancer's recommendation. But the truth of how this family really came to be was mostly because of Arcueid.
Caster had served up some cake and hot tea for the new servants during the first night and Arcueid had been quick to finish her share and had wanted seconds, but unfortunately for her there wasn't any left. Karna, who had been sitting beside her, had offered his own untouched slice, since according to him, he wasn't fond of anything too sweet. That had been the start of everything, to be more precise, that was the start of Arcuied's fascination/friendship(?) with Karna.
Later on when the family began to ask if anyone wanted to volunteer to become a married couple, Arcuied had raised her hand and had clearly stated that she wanted Karna to be her husband. Karna, on his part had raised an eyebrow, but didn't protest. Actually he didn't say anything, but from then on it was a done deal. While the two were a clear mismatch in personality; they did balance each other out. That and Karna was the only one capable of keeping her from rampaging or doing anything too crazy.
It was hard to believe that before just months ago, these three weren't a family. While the demigod and the True Ancestor did make for a strange pair, and having a legendary serial killer as a child even stranger, they somehow made it work. Who would have thought that it would be possible to make a functioning family with these three odd members? When the Assassin was first summoned, Arcueid was the first one to talk to her, pat her head, and hug her because she was cute, all in that order.
Ever since then, Jack saw her as her mother and during the meeting had very firmly stated that her mother was Arcueid. No one protested, or argued with the serial killer and since both Karna and Arcueid weren't complaining, actually the later seemed to be quite thrilled at the prospect of having such an adorable daughter. It then became official. Their family begun to exist since then on and the rest, is as they say, history.
"So what ride do you want to go on next?" Arcueid asked and was answered with, "Anything will be fine." and "Roller coaster." Arcueid's eyes seemed to sparkle as she heard what her daughter said. "That's a great idea! Let's go on the roller coaster again!" She said as Illya blinked before turning warily to look at Karna. "Again?" Karna didn't even bat an eye as he answered her question in monotone. "We've already gone on it three times."
"Three times? Aren't you sick of it yet?" Illya asked as Jack shook her head telling her no. "Is it even alright for Jack to go on the rollercoaster?" Illya asked as she nervously looked at a beaming Arcueid. "Well, at first they wouldn't let her but I fixed that in a jiff." She answered as she begun to hum. As expected of the True Ancestor, to use her powers of compulsion so that the whole family can get their fill on thrill rides.
She was on her way home from school when she heard someone call out to her. "Illya-chan!" She turned back and was met with gold. To be more specific, gold hair that belonged to one of her new family members. She smiled as she waved back. "Hey there, Kin-chan!" She called back as she began running over to where he was. The man, Kin-chan was really Sakata Kintoki, one of the Beserkers she had summoned. It was only then did she notice the children behind him.
Kintoki was currently playing the role of Lancer's younger brother, and was affectionately called Kin-chan in the family. He could only be described as the ultimate man-child. While his body was an adult, his mind was like a child's. He loved using the word 'gold' or 'golden', and loved anything that was literally made of gold. He could be likened with a crow, because he really liked sparkly, shining and flashy things. He was also popular with children and loved to play with them, Illya included.
Kintoki had used up his share of the money to open up a game arcade, though he hardly ever works there and usually leaves it to his employees. Though he would be there almost every late afternoon to play games for free since the whole place was his, and it was also usually him who dealt with the violent teenage delinquents and troublemakers who would cause problems every now and then to the game arcade. But surprisingly before going there he would usually help out at a daycare for children.
The other family members had been quite surprised when they first learned of this, but then again it made sense. This job entailed playing with children, keeping an eye on them, eating with them and letting them take naps. All of which were the fortes of the golden haired Berserker. Despite his outrageous appearance and his eccentric personality, children absolutely adored him. Not only that, but playing around all morning with the children was probably as much fun for him as it was for them.
What they learned from Kintoki's stories was that in daycare snack time meant he ate with the children, and nap time meant that he would tuck the children in and sometimes even take naps with them. He was also quite observant, though he might not look at it. He kept a close watch on the children and was on the lookout for any of the 'bad people' his coworkers had warned him about. But just his mere presence was usually enough to keep them away.
Kintoki had actually already beat someone up and made an example of them. It had been his third week working at the daycare and one poor perverted soul had actually attempted to enter the gates of the daycare to take pictures of little girls. But before he could, he was found by Kintoki and the end result was that the guy ended up on life support, all of his bones were either broken or fractured and is now unable to eat without a straw.
No one dared to try anything after that, especially in the mornings, and more specifically, during his shift. But that was to be expected, it was already a known fact that if you try to trespass, or wish to bring harm to the children or the daycare workers of Rikaku daycare, you would die. No one tried anything in the afternoon either because the other daycare workers apparently had Kintoki on speed dial and it had already been proven that he will appear in just a matter of minutes.
He became quite famous with the daycare circuit as the golden bodyguard of Natsu-o-machi. Not only that, but the parents of the children seemed to like and trust him as well. Well, at least after they got to know him a bit. Though he may not seem like it, he was actually well loved by the townspeople. He was also quite respected, especially by his employees at the arcade who were all former NEETs, dropouts, or students who worked part time, whom he turned into his loyal underlings.
His only Achilles heel was women, or dealing with women to be more precise. He was hopelessly oblivious to the looks that were sent his way by some of the women in town. The admiration and attraction that shined in the eyes of single and some married women whenever they saw him while they were picking up their children were completely lost on him. The casual offers to eat dinner together given by the younger female teachers at the daycare completely mistaken as an act of friendship.
"You going home Illya-chan?" Kintoki asked as she finally reached the riverbank that he was at with the children, a soccer ball in hand. Panting slightly from her short sprint before running downhill, she merely nodded in response and after another moment to catch her breath asked him. "What about you?" Kintoki hummed for a second before glancing at the children that surrounded him. "Nah, maybe later. Riki still needs some help with his new Hissatsu-shoot for tomorrow's match with other kids."
Illya fidgeted nervously in her seat as she felt eyes burning holes onto the back of her head. "IIlya-chan, is there something wrong?" The auburn haired man asked as he bent down slightly as he turned to look at his companion. Illya felt the eyes seem to turn murderous at that. Really, why on earth were women such jealous and possessive creatures? If that wasn't bad enough, the man they so clearly wanted was already married and had a child for Zelretch's sake.
Her companion was none other than one of the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Gawain. But he was now Saber's brother and could only be described as the perfect gentleman. When he had first seen Saber, he had been overjoyed to see his king again, though the same couldn't be said of when he saw Lancelot. There had been animosity between the two, but this was quickly fixed after Saber led both men outside for a talk. What happened was a complete mystery, but after fifteen minutes all three of them came back inside and both men seemed to be on much better terms.
Gawain had chosen to become a fencing instructor, which was perfect for him. In terms of his personality he was well mannered, polite and he was easy to get along with, so his students were quite fond of him. For his beginners' class, his students were usually children around age eight to twelve, though his advanced class was full of girls who were either in middle, or high school. It was a known fact that his older students either admired his skills with the sword or were actually his admirers.
He was quite successful in his career and was very popular in town, especially amongst the women, despite it being a known fact that he already had a wife and child. Though he never accepted their advances and remained loyal to his 'wife'; that really didn't stop women from trying. It actually seems to spur some of them on, because really, where else would you find a man as chivalric and gallant as him? Though at the very least, most have given up and are content with just staring.
It took her less than a second before she decided what to do. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just thought that it was really starting to get cold this time of year." She said as Gawain's face turned thoughtful. "You're right. It has been getting colder recently…" He muttered before Illya grabbed his hand. "Right? So, let's head home quickly and drink some cocoa or something." She said as made a dash, pulling the man behind her trying to ignore all the glares that were being directed at her.
"Oh, that happened yesterday while the two of you were out on errands?" An amused voice asked and Illya frowned. "It's not funny. I'm pretty sure some of those eyes were wishing for my existence to just disappear from their idol's side." She said as her companion offered her a small understanding smile. "Ah yes, I have experienced that on more than one occasion, and so have Tamamo, Arcueid, Caster and even Saber for that matter… Really, those stares are getting ridiculous and quite frankly irritating."
"But it's a given that they would be pointed at you. You're his wife. I'm his niece." Illya protested and the woman's smile turned into one of amusement. "When it comes to love all women are your enemies, actually anyone who can steal the attention or time of the one you love is already your enemy. It might seem silly to you, but you'll understand when you get older. There is nothing that pleases a woman more than knowing her beloved only has eyes for her. Of course, if that's not the case…"
"Well, nothing else will be able to bring her ire out quite as easily. You know what they say. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." She said in a playful tone as Illya sighed again. "How can you handle them? You know, all the glares and the stares…" The woman was silent for a couple of seconds before her smile turned into a smirk. "Simple, because I know that no matter what they do or say, what they want most will still always be mine." She said as Illya sighed again. "Semiramis, saying that is asking for trouble."
Acting the part of Gawain's wife is her other Assassin, Semiramis. She was a beautiful woman, with flowing raven colored tresses. While she could be quite selfish at times, she was actually very kind and caring, at least to the other members of the family. She also had a regal air about her and was very elegant. She was also well versed in the fields of cosmetics, hairdressing, dancing, clothing, music, and astronomy.
While her husband had been quite dedicated to his work, Semiramis had been nothing but mercurial. She switched jobs every now and then, but not because she had any problems or because her business was failing, but out of a mere passing fancy. Unlike Siegfried who switched when he felt that his job was not something he wanted to do in the long run, Semiramis was quite invested in all of her jobs at the start, but then she'd lose interest and move to the next job.
At first she worked at a planetarium, before deciding that she wanted to be a dance instructor, then after that she worked at a salon as a hair dresser/makeup artist. But she eventually quit and became a designer but after releasing her line, which was very successful, she decided that she wanted to do something else. This led her to her current work as a perfumer, and when asked why she chose that she replied that she wanted a more relaxing job, and making perfume was about as easy as making poison.
Illya didn't know whether she knew how to concoct both poison and perfume because her class was Assassin or it was something she learned during her lifetime, before she became a heroic spirit. Of course she could have learned during her time here, but Illya likes to think that Semiramis didn't spend her free time making deadly poisons in their home. Speaking of home, their basement had also been converted into her new lab/perfumery since Semiramis wanted to do work at home.
As it turns out, the reason Semiramis wanted a more relaxing job was so she could have more time for her new hobby. But who would have thought that a ball of yarn and a pair of knitting needles could tame the restless queen? For now, she seemed quite content with her current occupation and will probably not change it for some time, much to the family's relief. They'd rather she stick to her current job instead of switching on a whim like she's been doing.
But she wasn't just a successful with her work; she was also a good mother to her only 'child', Enkidu. While the cover story of their family was that the family moved here from England for greener pastures and in order to be closer to family. But really, the reason that this family even existed in the first place was Semiramis' selfishness. She wanted it all, she wanted a handsome man to be her husband and when her eyes fell on Gawain, well, she knew what she wanted.
It was just a matter of her attaining it. The same went for Enkidu. Semiramis was a woman who appreciated beauty and when she saw how beautiful he was, she just had to get him as her child. Using both charm and logic, she got her way. Saying such things as- "We look to be around the same age, you wouldn't mind being my husband, do you?" and "He's a child from the same land as I, it must be a sign from the gods that we should be family."
Gawain didn't say no to her, actually nobody said no to her. That was just another thing about her she just had a way with words, that you find yourself saying yes without realizing it. "What if, what if someone actually tries to steal them away from you, your family, I mean." Illya asked and Semiramis actually froze for a second before a flash of something that looked downright murderous passed in her eyes, before it was replaced with the most disarming smile Illya's ever seen on her face.
That smile chilled Illya to the core and sent warning bells ringing in her head. She unconsciously scooted away from the woman who had turned around. "If anyone were to attempt that, well all I can say is fortunately for me I happen to have a few bottles of poison that are ready for them." Illya looked absolutely horrified. But as expected from Semiramis, she went to war for one man, so going to another one for her family was probably as natural as breathing to her.
As Illya began to drift off to sleep, she remembered of a night months ago in which she had fallen into a nightmare, but had awoken to a dream come true, though she didn't realize it at first. As she curled into herself even more she looked at her hand once again. There was nothing on it, but silently, before succumbing completely to the lull of the sandman she whispered. "It's a bit late, but thank you for unexpectedly granting my wish again."
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Full Name List, to avoid any confusion
Saber Arturia von Einzbern, formerly Saber Arturia R. Knight, R stands for Rounds
Lancer Cu Chulainn von Einzbern
Diarmuid Lancer K. von Einzbern (because of the fourth war Saber sometimes calls him Lancer)
Berserker Heracles K. von Einzbern
Illyasviel K. von Einzbern
Gilgamesh Archer K. von Einzbern
Caster Medea von Einzbern
Lancelot Arodnight R. Knight (because of the fourth war Saber sometimes calls him Berserker)
Tamamo Knight, formerly Mae Tamamo
Semiramis Minerva Knight, formerly Semiramis Minerva Simmas
Gawain Galatine R. Knight
Siegfried Balmung F. Knight, F stands for Fanfir
Kintoki S. von Einzbern, S for Sakata
Karna Vasavi Shakti B. von Einzbern, B is for Brahmastra
Enkidu Gaius S. Knight
Iskandar Rider G. von Einzbern, G is for Gordius
Selena Arcueid B. von Einzbern, B stands for Blut
Jack Seria B. von Einzbern, Seria is from the word 'Serial' in "Serial Killer"
Rhyme Caroll M. Knight, named after Lewis Caroll, author of Alice in Wonderland