Well, here is the next chapter. There are parts of it that I am not quite happy with, but I am stumped on how to improve them. My inspiration is now officially dead, so don't expect another chapter anytime soon.
The Three T's of Victory
Chapter 4
For years, that letter had been Ilya's only hope. That tattered and yellowed letter, with its faded writing and slight smell of mildew, had been her most precious possession. The day that the letter was snuck into her room by a crow familiar was one that she remembered clearly. It kept her from losing hope, and assured Ilya that her mother still loved her even if she wasn't with her. It reminded Ilya that her mother once said that she would be gone for a long, long time, but would still be by her side as long as she lived. This let her know that momma would never betray her like so many others did.
The present that momma had promised her in that letter, she looked forward to it like nothing else. And if there was anything standing in her way…well, she'd just have to use her new Servant to smash it, wouldn't she?
The Three T's of Victory
…Who are these people? Given Rider's reaction, the large one was probably a Servant. Then again, maybe it was just because he was so big. Even I had the impulse to pull out swords and confront him…even though I have never even touched anything like them before. The giant's presence was so unnerving that I nearly forgot about the girl…which is saying something, since the girl's appearance was pretty striking on its own. With her pretty white hair, her cherubic face, her doll-like outfit, and her fairy-like demeanor, every bit of her was mesmerizing.
Especially the part where she looked quite a bit like my mother.
"Ah, onii-chan, you kept me waiting. I had my maids scout out this place for the past few days, gathering information on this place. And just when I decide on a good time to visit…you go off on your own! I mean, it isn't every day you discover that you have an older brother. I wanted you to answer the door and then I would go 'surprise' and stuff. But I got booooored waiting for you to come back, so I decided that you at least owe me tea."
This little girl has just said something amazing. It wasn't every day that you discover someone discovering that you are her older brother…apparently. I honestly didn't believe that she was lying. Her appearance alone lent credence to what she claimed. Although, if she was indeed telling the truth, I wonder why Iri kept this from me?
Then again, she kept the existence of the War secret from me as well, so I shouldn't be that surprised. This girl, she had to have been quite young when Iri left for the War. It makes sense that they would leave a child behind due to the danger, not expecting to never be able to return. I do remember mother saying that she couldn't return home because she failed her family, and preventing her from ever seeing her daughter was something the Einzberns would do. This must have been hard for her to deal with, so it's no wonder she never talked about it.
This girl…with her father dead, and her mother in a faraway county (and then dead), how lonely must she have been?
"Are you perhaps…Irisviel's daughter? You look just like her, so is that it?" This whole situation stumped me. A younger sister suddenly appearing out of thin air, this was just like a bad anime plot. Even knowing the possible reasons for never meeting her before, I just was not sure how to react. Should I hug her? Should I be afraid that she might hate me for taking away her mother? I didn't know, so I simply sat down at the table across from this enigmatic girl and let out a sigh. The giant Servant, receiving a command from the small girl, passed a third cup over to me. Sipping the steaming contents soothed my frayed nerves.
Rider, on the other hand, was busy poking the giant's cheek with her sword...futilely. The big lug probably didn't even feel it. Her sharp blade failed to even break the skin.
"Yep!" Standing up from her position at the table, the girl curtsied in my direction. Her every move gave off the air of a princess. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, but I insist that you just call me Ilya."
"Ah, the pleasure is mine. I'm Shirou Emiya. And the one that is poking your Servant over there is Rider." I nodded back to her, my bow limited by my sitting position. Even her name is similar to Iri's. Well, mother never did have the best naming sense. She once named that crow familiar of hers 'Karasu' and left it at that. Not that her husband was much better apparently. According to Iri, when it came to matters that did not involve killing people, Kiritsugu had all the creativity of a dead rat.
"Ehehehe, thanks onii-chan. But before we settle down, there are a few problems we need to take care of first." Turning to Rider, who was still prodding Ilya's Servant, the fairy-like girl smiled sweetly. "Now that onii-chan has Ilya, you aren't needed anymore, Rider. My Saber will kill all the other Servants and Masters and win this stupid Grail War."
"W-w-w-w-what! W-who are you t-t-to say that? This Rider will b-best your Saber any day!" Rider was spitting in a nigh incoherent rage. Her poking of Saber picked up in pace, to the point where the blade was nothing but a blur.
"Nu-uh! My Saber is the best Servant ever! He is Heracles, the greatest hero anywhere!" …Heracles? That is a legend that is famous even here in Japan, almost matching names like Date Masamune and Oda Nobunaga in sheer notoriety! This girl has summoned something really amazing. Seeing the look of amazement that was sure to be on my face Rider turned away from me in a huff. She even stopped poking Saber, much to the giant's apparent relief.
Huh, did I insult her or something?
"Master, you're being rude. Rider has her pride as a Heroic Spirit; you shouldn't step on that so casually." Thankfully Saber's deep voice interrupted before the two girls got physical. Even with the situation largely defused, they were both staring antagonistically at the other, as if looking for any weaknesses to exploit. I knew Rider's pride was damaged, but she was a Heroic Spirit. Shouldn't she be above these kinds of things? "And we never know how things will turn out, so any ally we have for this war would be welcomed. As for if and when we are the last two Servants remaining…well, we can cross that bridge when we come to it."
Despite all this mayhem, I am glad that Ilya wanted to ally herself with us…however strangely she showed it. Really, I wouldn't know what to do if she had wanted to fight. While I still was unused to her existence, she was indeed Iri's daughter in every way. Her flightiness, her childish naivety, and her sheer purity were all the same. I couldn't bring myself to fight against that.
"So…Ilya, you are going to help me in this war? I just want to make sure I'm not misunderstanding something. And more importantly, do you have a wish for the Grail?" I needed to ask this because I had a wish of my own. Although mine wasn't all that important, mostly because I felt that I could fulfill it without any miracles if need be. It would be tough to manage it without the Grail, but if Ilya had a wish of her own to ask for, I would give mine to her. Even though I just met her a few minutes ago, I would give her pretty much anything she desired.
The possible conflict between Rider and Heracles, however, made this situation a bit more complicated that I would have liked, they probably had their own wishes that they needed the Grail for. Thankfully Heracles seemed like a nice enough guy, so I probably didn't have to worry about that part for now.
"Of course I want to work with you, onii-chan. If I leave you alone you might go and get squashed by one of the other Servants. As for the wish…hmm…nope! Ilya's got nothing she wants from it." Still standing from when she introduced herself, she began to twirl in place in a practiced manner. "I have no interest in the Grail since I already got what I wanted. Being here with you is enough."
"Well, at least we don't have to worry about a conflict of interest." I was surprised though, was meeting me really that great of a thing to her? I mean why would she feel- grauugh!
All previous thoughts came to a halt. I grasped my chest in pain, my lungs refusing to work properly. Breathing became difficult with my lungs feeling like they were being toasted in an oven. My very skin felt like it was being scalded by boiling mud. That burning feeling was one that I was all too familiar with, even though it had been some time since I last was afflicted with it.
I had started my life with the pain after all.
"D-dammit, I lost track of time." Looking at the clock, I discovered that it was already three in the morning…long past time for me to take my medication. With everything that has been happening in these past few hours, I haven't had a chance to make my daily dose. If I didn't do it soon…well, this War would be over for me before it even started. Ilya may understand some of my plight, as she was at least partly a homunculus, but I'd rather not burden her with this. "Il…Ilya, how about we continue this tomorrow, it…it is already quite early in the morning. We both probably need the rest if…if we want to be at full strength when we enter the War."
"Master, are you all right? Are you hurt...? Your body is trembling something terrible!" Rider was at my side in an instant, her seriousness surprising me. Normally she would be babbling up a storm right about now. It seemed that even she can be serious when she felt like it. Supporting my quickly weakening self by grabbing my shoulder, the petite Servant hoisted me up from my sitting position despite my body's…objections. Ilya had stopped her twirling and turned a worried gaze towards me. Even Saber looked concerned; something that I had no idea was possible with a face like his.
"I'm…fine. You shouldn't worry so much, Rider. It's just that-"
"Onii-chan, you're a terrible liar. You can hardly talk without wheezing. Plus blood is leaking out of your nose, and I haven't even taken off my clothes yet. My Saber would have sensed something if it was an attack, and you seem to not be all that surprised at this sudden affliction. So tell us, just what is wrong? And don't even think of waving this off as if this is nothing, you're not getting off the hook that easily." Despite her joke – it was a joke, right? – Ilya gave off an air of maturity, her face set in a serious scowl. It was in stark contrast to her previous attitude, surprising me with the sudden change. It made it impossible try to lie to her again, even if I had the time or energy to do so.
"Alright, I'll explain…but not here. Rider, could you please take me…take me to the shed where you were summoned?"
The Three T's of Victory
"…of vanadium bromoperoxidase, five grams of calcium powder, three grams of potassium sulfate, ignite a flake of magnesium within, mix contents with a chicken broth base, pour results into…"
Synthesizing the familiar solution was soothing on my frayed nerves, a point of familiarity amongst all the new. Or it would have been if not for the three people – I didn't know how Saber had even fit through the shed's door – staring over my shoulders as I worked. It was hard enough to keep the multitude of beakers needed steady with my body failing, let alone with the distraction of people breathing down my neck. If I messed up a single step, I would have to start all over from the beginning. That was something that I didn't have the time for.
After holding the beaker over a Bunsen-burner for three minutes, the surface of the mixture bubbled with an unsettling popping noise, signifying that the medicine had finished brewing. The concoction that Iri had carelessly named 'Red Potion' – for it was blood-red in color…and smelled like Taiga's old socks – was finished.
"And now, down the hatch!" Putting the still scalding hot beaker up to my lips, I chugged down the contents in a single swallow. The medicine tasted horrible, so no need to prolong my exposure to its foulness by sipping it.
The results were immediate. My lungs stopped burning and I was able to breath freely once again. My skin, which had actually turned a reddish hue and started peeling as if suffering from prolonged sunburn, had healed. Due to the alchemical nature of the medicine, there was no need for it to circulate through my body. Just having it within me was enough, an instant cure if you will.
"Master, are you going to be alright now? Do you have any more mad-scientisting needing to be done?" Mad-scientisting? This was alchemy, a highly respected and ancient art…which my every ill-conceived attempt at it was probably a much larger insult to tradition than calling it the works of a mad scientist would ever be. The only reason that my most recent attempt didn't blow up on me was because I was so used to making it. Since I failed to respond to her questions/demands, Rider began to shake my shoulders. "You aren't going to explode or anything, right? I don't want Master to explode! Or melt, or disintegrate, or combust, or-"
"Rider, that is enough. You're not giving Master Shirou a chance to even breathe, let alone answer." Surprisingly enough, Saber was the one who intervened. Lifting Rider up with one of his huge hands, Saber set her down next to him. With my pretty Servant out of my face, I was finally able to gather my thoughts. No, I was not going to explode. Or melt, or disintegrate, or combust. Sorry to disappoint.
"Tell us, Shirou, just what went on there?" Ilya poked me on the shoulder, looking at me expectantly. She put her hands on her hips, demanding an explanation for what had happened earlier. Looking towards both Saber and Rider for support, I saw that they both were looking at me with similar expressions. This was one of those things that I would rather keep to myself, but it seemed like I had no other choice.
Especially since Ilya had begun pouting, I couldn't say no.
"…All right, this is going to be a long and boring explanation, so get comfortable. Ilya, do you know about the disaster that happened in this city ten years ago?" Ilya merely shook her head. Damn, not that I had expected anything different, but that makes this tougher to explain. "Well, apparently at the end of the previous War someone had damaged the Holy Grail, causing the energy stored within to escape explosively. The resulting conflagration set a third of Fuyuki City on fire. Many people died, including my original family. It was through a stroke of luck that I survived long enough to be found and rescued by Irisviel."
"Mm, I see. Momma found you and then adopted you. But what does this have to do with your 'episode'?" Ilya nodded to herself, trying to connect the dots.
"Everything. You think a child could survive in that fire unscathed? I was in such terrible condition that I wouldn't have even made it to the hospital before succumbing. You see, by the time Iri had found me my lungs had already stopped functioning. The acrid smoke damaged my lungs, burning them from the inside out. When you add that to the other, less serious, wounds that I had accumulated, I was dying. Fast. If Irisviel hadn't appeared when she did, I would have perished right then and there. She saved me using her alchemy and magecraft, making substitute organs for all the ones that were too far gone for her to heal and implanting them into my body." I coughed; my throat was getting dry from all the talking. The horrid concoction I drank wasn't helping in that regard.
"Ooh ooh! Master, did that leave any scars? Scars are sexy." Before Rider could jump my bones – as she looked like she was ready to pounce – Ilya thwacked her on the head, causing her face to hit the floor. Rider, I don't think I will ever understand how you think. "Oww…"
"Onii-chan, I know that momma was the best momma anywhere…but if what you say is true, and it was an absolute wasteland, then how did she make the organs for you? From what little I know of that process, you need organic materials as a base. In the middle of a fire, those would be more than scarce." Ilya brought up something that I had been wondering about for a long time. I had once asked Iri about that, but she just giggled and changed the subject.
She did that quite often.
"Good question; and one I cannot answer. I have no idea how she managed to synthesize complex things like organs the middle of a burning disaster-area…but she did. She was amazing; she replaced my lungs, my eyes, large parts of my skin, and my tongue, all within the span of a few minutes. The whole process of opening me up and replacing my insides hurt like hell, but I got better." And now I could finally get to the point. I really don't like long lectures; neither giving them nor listening to them gives me any pleasure.
Turning my back to them, an attempt to avoid having to look into their eyes, I continued.
"But, there were problems. Obviously. My body simply did not take well to these implants. Probably because they are homunculus parts made of concentrated, high-quality magic circuits while the rest of me…is not. If I don't take measures to 'dumb them down' my body will begin to reject these implants and they would function abnormally. Or, as is more likely, cease to function at all. Possibly even returning to the materials once used to make them. That is what the medicine is for, suppressing my foreign organs and preventing my body from attacking them. I have to take it about every twenty-four hours, otherwise…well, you saw what happened."
"Master Shirou, why don't you have any in reserve?" This time it was Saber who interrupted, raising his hand as if in a classroom. "Surely you could make it in a larger batch."
"I wish. Unfortunately the concoction does not keep, so I have to make it fresh every day. As you can see, that is tough to do when I am in the state where I need it the most. By the time the symptoms set it, it is usually too late. I was lucky this time, simple as that." I sighed. This brought up a problem that would have to be addressed. The War, it was going to take up a lot of my time. Scheduling anything would be a pain with assaults possibly coming at any time. It would be pathetic to collapse in the middle of a fight with an ancient hero just because I didn't have time to take my meds. During this war, it was imperative to keep my supply ready at all times.
Lancer's attack had destroyed a large chunk of my stock, much of it irreplaceable in these circumstances, but still I had enough to live on for a while. Unfortunately I didn't have the means to go travel the world to gather up what I couldn't just buy, that little fact made me miss Iri's 'connections' even more. While she never actually left Fuyuki, she was able to gather all kinds of exotic ingredients through them. All of it sent to our door, with the addition of a few interesting…gifts. The cursed blade Tora-shinai, later bestowed upon Taiga, was one such item.
Her late husband knew quite the interesting assortment of people.
Of course, the fact that my stores have been vastly depleted would be kept from everyone. Wouldn't want to worry my new allies more than I have already, I have enough to last through the War anyway.
Even without glancing back at my audience I felt their stares on me. Both my Servant and my sister were probably worrying over what I had told them. All that less-than-pleasant information dumped on them at once, it was probably a bit overwhelming. Yet another reason why I had hoped to withhold that bit, Taiga was the only other that I had trusted with that secret. Of course I had changed the nature of the story a bit to hide the supernatural parts, but she was the only one who basically knew the whole story.
"How about we call it a day? It's obscenely late, and I just want to sleep after my latest near-death experience." Turning to Ilya, I ruffled her hair. She giggled, seemingly pleased at the attention. "Ilya, do you have a place to stay tonight?"
"Mmm, well I do. But..." Ilya seemed to hesitate, her fingers poking together demurely. Looking up at me with tears in her eyes, she pouted. Just what was she doing that for? It wasn't like I was refusing to let her stay here, I was practically offering it! She didn't need to play up the abandoned puppy factor. That was overkill!
Might as well play along, embarrassing her would only serve to make her angry.
"Fine, you can stay the night. It's probably far too late for you to go back anyway. I'll set up one of the guest rooms for you." I'll go and set up one for Rider while I'm at it, she needed a place to sleep too. Finding a place for Saber to sleep would be a trifle more difficult, I'd have to get a futon out…or three. He'd squish any one of the guest-beds just by looking at it.
"Hooray! I wanna sleep with onii-chan!"
"No! As Master's Servant, I will be the one to sleep with him! I mean, I need to be close to him in case of an enemy attack!"
"Master Shirou, I'll help you set up. It is the least I can do to make up for the trouble my Master has caused."
And so ended my first night in the Holy Grail War…how was I going to explain all this to Taiga?
The Three T's of Victory
Her present was even better than she imagined! She had expected something like a mountain of candy, or a pony, or maybe a giant magical array that when activated by a human sacrifice would kill everyone who had hurt her and trap their souls in eternal torment! She had really hoped for the last one, but this was sooooo much better. A younger older brother, it was more than she could have hoped for!
When she first discovered him a few days ago, she didn't know what to think of him. Who was this strange person living where momma said that she left her gift? It took a while, but after her maids reported seeing some of momma's belongings among the boy's things she learned that he was her gift.
It was the only thing that made sense after all.
After that discovery, Ilya began to wonder what he was like. Would he be kind to her? Would he make her candy? Would he kill anyone that threatened her? (Not that he would be able to, for her Saber would have already reduced them to mush, but it was the thought that counted.) From what she saw then, and later confirmed, he was a good person.
She decided that she needed to meet this Shirou in person, and so she did. Commanding her maids to return to the castle, she had tried to make a grand entrance…but he wasn't around. Sure, the wait for him to return was longer than she would have liked, but she had waited ten years for this. A few hours more was nothing, and it was well worth it in the end. He was kind to her, and would do anything she asked! It was great.
Momma gave onii-chan to her, so she would be sure to take good care of him. He was a bit goofy, and had summoned a strange Servant, but Ilya still liked him. His attitude even reminded her of momma at times. It was unfortunate that his body couldn't hold up without daily maintenance, but that was what the grail was for! All Ilya had to do was win the war – which was something that she was going to do anyway – and wish for his body to get better! What the Einzberns wanted didn't matter, it never did. Grandpapa could go freeze his stupid beard off for refusing to tell her anything about what happened to her mother.
Shirou was hers, and that was all she cared about.
The Three T's of Victory
Ten years. Ten years of waiting and for what? Nothing! While the one that he was waiting for did appear, much to his initial glee, it was all pointless! He was so looking forward to drowning her in despair, defiling her very existence while watching on as it slowly consumed her. Her expressions would have been exquisite. Yet, the very moment when she came into this world, she was corrupted. Her beauty was quickly and carelessly destroyed. There was no pleasure to be taken from that at all! This state of affairs ruined the taste of his wine, making it as if it were ash on his tongue.
That was unforgivable.
She was to be tainted by his hand and his hand alone! She belonged to him. It was his right as king! Yet some ugly insect dared to darken her radiance without his permission! This was not how it should be! The mongrel – no, the worm that was responsible is lower than even that – who has taken away his entertainment will suffer. You do not touch what belongs to the king without his permission, and everything in this world belongs to the king. That is the king's law!
[Arc 1: Terror] Complete
Author's Note: Infodump is infodump.
Nasuverse Alchemy, how u work? The only alchemists we get are 'exceptions' like Sion or Fabro Rowan who do not do orthodox alchemy. I mean, really Nasu? It took us till Fate/Zero to get an example of a orthodox magus such as Kayneth...I don't think we will ever get a regular alchemist. So, lacking any information, I just made it into a super chemistry type thing~
Iri being able to do the organ replacement does not come from nowhere. I read somewhere that the Einzbern's healing magecraft is intended for use during transplants. That was what inspired that idea. Of course, my memory is hazy...so I cannot vouch for authenticity of this information.