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Chapter Nine: The Homunculus' Funeral
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She looked kind, Kouji decided as he approached the gate. There was a reposed, gentle cast to her face, like a nun in meditation. Not everyone could look so natural and graceful simply looking off into space.
"Excuse me – Arturia-san? Is that right?"
"Hm? Yes, that's right...do I know you?"
"No, I'm Illya's classmate. Pleased to meet you."
"The same," Arturia-san said, bowing perfectly. Kouji blinked. She'd studied Japanese much more carefully than most foreigners. They hardly ever bothered with all the gestures.
"Did you want to ask me something?"
"Not quite, not personally. Illya asked me to tell you that she wants another minute, and could you wait."
"I see." She looked sad. "I suppose she would. Please tell her that she may take as long as she needs."
Kouji nodded. But he didn't leave. He wasn't sure how this one would take to him asking about Illya – but he couldn't leave without trying.
"Do you want something?"
Kouji nodded. "Please don't be offended by my asking this," he said. "But I've been worried about Illya. She's been very – very wrong lately. And she's been too quiet all day. If you can't tell me it's fine, but please, do you know what's the matter with her?"
Arturia-san sighed very slightly. "She has – an emotional matter – to sort out. It's not something any of us can solve for her."
Kouji nodded. "Is that all you can tell me?"
She looked startled, but Kouji wouldn't budge. "I've watched her for a long time," he said. "She's never been quite right. Even though she smiles so much, there's always been this hollow in her. And now she can't hide it anymore. Even if I can't do anything, if you possibly can, please tell me what is bothering her!"
First she stared, then she looked. After a moment she said softly, "I'm sorry, but yes, that is all I can tell. The rest is too private for me to decide."
Kouji nodded. He'd known it might be that way. "Thank you. I will go tell her."
She nodded. "Thank you. For caring to ask."
...
"Let...go..."
It was a mist of smothering terror – just his presence, and she lost all senses, all her ability to think and move. He'd been the center, the one who'd decided everything she did – now the conditioning he'd put into her clashed with her years with Shirou, and locked: she couldn't do anything at all. Her two halves paralyzed her.
"Let..."
"I don't choose to give you that. You've forgotten your place, homunculus."
"My...name is...Illya..."
"And I say again, you have forgotten your place. You are not human: you are my tool, made by me for the family glory. You have no person, place, or name save as I see fit. I will remind you of that, before I have you fill your purpose."
"I...don't...want..."
"That does not matter. You do not have a choice in things. That is for humans. You are a false puppet made to disappear when your task is through."
"I...have..."
"You have nothing."
Strangled and helpless, she grasped for anything, anything to silence the homunculus in her. "I have...a soul..."
"Even if you believed in such things, you surely do not."
"You...don't...?"
"Naturally. I have dealt in the magical use of what they naively call a soul for too long. We have life energy, nothing more."
Illya's head slumped back. She smiled slightly, a mocking, sickly smile. "Of course...not..."
"What?"
His grip loosened slightly: shakily, Illya raised her head. "Of course you don't...believe in souls, grandfather. After all, what have you been doing with your life? Making homunculus to sacrifice? Using the lives of magicians and heroes to fuel your wishes? Trapping thousands of life forces for years on end? Which is it really grandfather? That you don't believe in souls? Or that you can't?"
For one satisfying moment, he could only stare in shock. Then his face twisted into a snarl and his fingers closed even more tightly; Illya's head fell back with a muffled choking sound. "Impertinent fool! Don't spew me the useless philosophies that moon dreamer taught you now! You are going to come with me and fill the purpose you failed at five years ago!"
"Let her go!"
Her grandfather froze: his head snapped around. "Who are you?"
Illya's eyes rolled in the direction of the voice.
"...Kouji...?"
...
Kouji's eyes were grim. He knew that whoever this man was, he didn't stand a chance against him alone. But he also knew that if he went back for Arturia, they'd arrive too late.
"Let her go!"
"Who are you!"
Kouji's face set: his feet braced and his hands blurred. "That is not what you should be concerned about! Oh Ancient Land Of Eternal Memory, Remember Those Who Came Before, I Am One Who Follows They, You Know Me, By That I Ask To Bestow On Me, Your Strength My Sword and Shield, Oh All Revealing Light!"
The world whispered; the trees roared and light blurred past in streams to gather in front of him; a great form made of shifting sunlight shifted into being.
It has been long since your blood has called, Heir of Ryuudou. Your summoning lacks strength; I cannot draw power fully.
"Forgive me. I can only just manage to summon you at all. This is the best I can do."
You wish to protect that girl?
"Yes."
Very well.
The man stared at him, eyes intense with thought. Then they widened. "Ryuudou," the man whispered. "Of course. I was careless."
Kouji stared. "You know me?"
"I know of you. I know of your family's role. Curse the Tohsakan line for their treachery."
"Tohsaka! What do they have to do with it? What do you know about our gift fading?"
The man laughed harshly. "You were our sacrifice, boy. This lands power is the third greatest on earth, but your family's bond with it was too strong: so long as you were its guardians we couldn't take it. But then the Tohsakans sealed your connection and offered this land as a tribute to be a part of the creation of the Grail. We could not refuse: no better place was in our reach. Young as they were, they were allowed to join the effort. But now," he laughed again. "Now their heir has renounced the Grail, and it itself is destroyed. Naturally the seal has faded. It seems the land wishes back its old defenders. Three hundred years is a short time to the earth, and you served it well for seven hundred. It figures."
"I see. Thank you. We've been wondering, these five years."
"Don't thank me for informing the dead. Your ancestors could have driven me away, but you cannot: that manifestation does not have a fifth the power it should. As I will finish what my family began, I will correct the Tohsakan's softness on your body! Oh Hark The Call Of Darkness, The Night Is A Luring Tone, The Depths of Hades Are Singing, Behold The Death Bell Tolls!"
It grew from the air like a cancer; a thick cloud of darkness that rushed forward with a hollow roar to engulf the Fuyuki Golem. It placed out giant hands in an attempt to hold it back as the sides streamed past to lick towards Kouji like ephemeral tongues; inside the cloud, dark rivulets began to run through the Golem's shining form.
Ryuudou! Change my aspect!
"Withstand A Thousand Ceaseless Seasons, Oh All Enduring Stone!"
The ground seemed to rise through the Golem's feet and on over it's body: when it finished, it had the solid weight of mountains, and the rough gray texture of granite. The dark cloud licked but could not touch, until it faded.
Ryuudou!
"What You Eat Shall Bloom Again, The Forest Is Born From Flame!"
The Golem roared: it's hard edges glowed and softened, the rough textures on its skin flowing into flickering red streams of fire as it rushed at Einzbern.
Einzbern crossed his forearms and met it, bright flows of mana feeding into his protections: the two forces met and shook the very air. Einzbern gritted his teeth and pushed, with his arms and mind, pierced through the Golem's insubstantial form and charged straight for Kouji, outstretched hand conjuring dark destruction.
Kouji's eyes widened; instinctively he crossed his arms as he gasped desperately, "Goddess Of Hearth And Home, I Am In Need, Preserve Thy Precious Children, Oh Kami Avalon!"
Under his shirt, an amulet sparked; a brief showering of white points of light bathed his frame and faded as the spell hit. Kouji gritted his teeth, grunting through them as he strained to stand – and then with a faint sound like glass shattering, the sparks scattered to the winds and the spell threw Kouji back.
And then he was looking into Einzbern's furious eyes.
"Don't keep trying to fight me with incomplete techniques, you stupid fool!" He screamed. He said that, but his hands shook: the invocation of Avalon had frightened him. "I don't know where or how you learned to channel that power, but it's even less potent than your Golem! If you don't know enough to tell when you are outmatched, your family will be well rid of you!"
Ryuudo!
"Stay with Illya Fuyuki!"
Don't be a fool! I cannot hold my form if you are lost!
"But...gaaah!"
Ryuudou!
"You have no form that can safely attack me this close to your wielder Fuyuki," Einzbern said without looking: once again in control, he moved with deliberate, terrible calm, his eyes fixed on Kouji's, lying on his back in front of him. Deliberately, Einzbern splayed his right hand and knelt, placing the hand on Kouji's chest. Kouji could feel the latent energy building; already it was hard to breathe.
"You were a fool to attack me boy," Eiznbern said softly. "And now I will make you pay the price. I do not appreciate people who – WHAT!"
His head snapped up; he stared at Kouji with sheer disbelief. "You...the whole time you were...?" Kouji managed a cracked smile.
"When did I say I was trying to win?"
The sensation was unmistakable, the magical equivalent of the high pitched whine of an incoming missile.
Arturia had arrived.
...
"EINZBERNNN!"
Arturia didn't even try to form blades; they wouldn't hurt him through those shields. Instead she simply packed mana into her right fist and slammed him with it in a blinding blast of yellow. Einzbern flew ten feet back and up – and Arturia wasn't done. Her left hand swept back; power formed in the air around it in rapidly whirling patterns, gathering into a torpedo of corkscrewing lines of power.
It flew like a torpedo too.
It caught Einzbern at the highest point of his flight and flung him higher yet, falling into a sickening series of mid air flip flops that would have broken several limbs on landing if he had been any less protected. Even as it was it took him two and half wild loose limbed somersaults before he got his feet under him, glaring.
"You – damn you! Why are there always more? Don't you have anything better to do than run about and defend worthless things?"
"If this is how you define worthless, Einzbern, I would gladly fight you over a dead dog," Arturia told him. "How dare you try and take her from under my nose! And what did this boy have to do with it?"
Einzbern snorted. "If it weren't for 'that boy', I'd have gotten her away without your ever knowing."
Arturia's eyes narrowed. "I see. Then I am doubly glad I arrived when I did. It would have been truly shameful if he had died for that. After I have scattered your ashes to the winds, I will have to think of some suitable thanks."
"Hah! Thanks! For what? For a girl you don't know? You only just got here! Why should you put so much store by her? Just go away!"
"If I did not know it would be a waste of breath, I would explain to you that I would gladly fight over a complete stranger. However, I have had many reasons for wanting you dead, Einzbern, for quite some time now. Four hundred forty two, in fact."
"What?"
"Four hundred forty two. The number of victims your beasts took in England. There are also six hundred thirty four orphans, widows, and riven fiances, not to mention the myriad of other relatives. Would you like to know their names, Einzbern? I can tell you every one."
"You can't possibly know all their names!"
"But I do, Einzbern. Because I never forget names, you see. I remember every victim, both direct and indirect. It is a long list, Einzbern; it has been growing a long time. I am sick of sharing this earth with you." Arturia set her feet, mana glowing lightly all over her – and charged.
"I will erase your existence tonight!"
The situation was similar to Shirou's battle:Arturia was also strongest in close combat, and found closing with Einzbern no easy task. But unlike Shirou, Arturia could use ranged attacks – and she seemed to improve by the second. The methods themselves were simple, once you got past the imaging process. At this point, all she'd been lacking was practice.
Apparently, she didn't need very much.
Snow flew from the ground and fell from the trees; Arturia was an intense focus of movement, every gesture taut as she threw magic and strove to close the distance between them. Einzbern, a mage born and bred, was less physical, backing and gesturing as he used everything he had to keep her where she was – too far away to hit him again. A shower of lances converged on her: a burst of speed left them buried in her wake as she narrowed her own eyes and swept her own hands forward – the paths of her hands left shining trails that scythed toward Einzbern; he knocked them aside and snarled.
"I only want the girl; it's not too late to take yourself out of this."
Arturia bared her teeth and thrust her hands towards the ground; a lance of power shot into it and then erupted from between Einzbern's feet, tracing a smoking trail up his chest and snapping his head back under the chin.
"Don't sully my ears with your words. The only sound I wish to hear from you is your dying breath!"
"You think you can take it?"
"I will take it if it kills me!"
"Be careful what you ask for!"
Arturia's movements were too fast for any large attack to hit; again and again Einzbern sent all the wide area spells he could call: clouds of fire, swarms of darts, licking clumps of lightning that only needed to brush you. Arturia dodged or blocked them all, but she could not close, and Einzbern could handle any ranged attack she possessed.
"The advantage is mine; leave it alone and go!"
"I acknowledge no such advantage, and stop telling me to flee!"
"What is in this for you? Just the satisfaction of a passing feeling of obligation? If you knew what it was to strive centuries for a goal—"
"I do not want to know the reason that took all their lives!"
"How dare you judge something you do not understand?"
"How dare you destroy something you do not know the worth of?"
"How dare you judge me? Do you know how old I am? I am well over two hundred. I made the decision to create the Grail Wars in concert with the Japanese mage families. I overrode all my family's protests, gave up our greatest task to others, all so that it might be done! Do you have any understanding of that? Don't seek to compete with me! I have seen a thousand like you; all are dead, and still lives are lost. Our goal would have outlived it all – and it was destroyed by more people like you, people who lacked the strength to make a legacy that would outlive them, people who placed their petty morals against five hundred years of striving. You, all of you, you are all just like Kiritsuga, and you'll fail the same! He died and accomplished nothing, nothing, and so will you! Just as he...as he...Kiritsuga..." Inexplicably, his diatribe stopped, trailing into silence as he stared.
And then he went mad.
"You! You! What are you doing here? That's not possible!"
"What are you—"
"Are you mocking me Kiritsuga!" Einzbern didn't even seem to see her: his eyes were wild and shaking, his face was towards the sky and spittle flew from his mouth as he screamed. "Are you haunting me from the grave? Don't you give up? You're a fool, you're all fools, none of you are superior to me, none of you can look me in the eye: I have achieved more than all of you! Do you hear me Kiritsuga? I am going to make the Grail anyway! I am going to prove the weakness of your teachings on your son's body! And I am going to use the daughter you tried so hard to save to make it happen! It's all for nothing Kiritsuga! They are all going to die!"
"What..."
It was almost unintelligible, the faintest gasped whisper, but somehow it fell perfectly into the gasp of Einzbern's tirade, and they all heard it.
"What did...you say...?"
It was Illya, shakily raising her head from where she'd slumped to the ground at the base of the tree, unmoving till now. "Say it again...say what you said again..."
"Say which of what I said?" Eiznbern snarled.
"You said... that Father...tried to save me..."
"Again and again, like a stupid goat! Three months couldn't go by he didn't try – I should have known he was dead when he stopped, the stubborn fool!"
"I...see..." Illya said softly. "Thank you, Grandfather. You've managed to make me happy just once after all."
"Now...say the other part again."
"What?"
Illya braced her hands: slowly, deliberately, she got up. "The part about Father being a fool. The part about how he was stupid for trying. The part where you said they were all fools. You used me as a tool, you treat me as a doll, but Father loved me without ever really knowing me. Shirou took care of me after I tried to kill him. Rin calls me names but she never lets me get hurt. Sakura feeds me, Arturia would die for me. All of them – all of them are my family – you're just a relative! So don't you dare – don't you dare talk about them that way!"
Power exploded outward to surround her in a surreal column of raging blue light; her body flared into swirling lines of brightly burning power and her hair blew out around her as she became the center of so much latent destruction the world itself seemed to be trying to escape.
"Say it again Grandfather – say it, just one more time!"
"I'll kill you!"
Illya's body had been designed to be able to contain more magic than half the world's magicians put together. Now Einzbern found all that power threatening him. Without meaning to – despite himself – he found himself stepping back, once, twice, again. There was no longer any question of taking Illya now. She might have only a vague idea of how to use that power, but with so much available it didn't matter. If he simply touched that light, he'd die. It was no longer possible to take her when she was aware. He was going to have to do it by rendering her unconscious quickly – and if he tried now, with her like this and Arturia – Saber – here, he'd lose. Despite all his perfect watching and timing, he was going to have to flee is what he decided – carefully and correctly,.
The thing about magicians is, they are trained to exclude everything outside of what they have focused on, whereas a warrior is taught to maintain a constant awareness of his surroundings. Which is why that short moment of thought was one short moment he wasn't watching Arturia.
Mistake.
The distance he had so successfully held for so long disappeared in a yellow blur – by the time he realized what he had done, her fist was already en route, containing all her momentum and all the power she could muster.
It was a complete turnaround, the very opposite of what had gone before. Now Arturia had control, and it was he who could not get it back: he couldn't even get his feet under him for more than a second at a time. Arturia pounded after him mercilessly, hitting him with blow after bone rattling blow, driving him round after tumbling round. She had him and they both knew it. Even the best mage needs that one critical second or three: without it, they are dead. Arturia had him by the throat, and she wasn't letting go. Without the means to counterattack, the outcome was but a matter of time.
Einzbern was desperate. In a single moment of carelessness he'd lost all the advantage he'd had, and now he was struggling for his life. Tumbling across the snow, bringing careening somersaults to a stop only to find her fist heading for his rising face, he knew he didn't have long. Desperately, he tried the only thing he could think of to buy enough time: he flung himself back with the next blow, deliberately allowing himself to go out of control. When he finally put his feet under him, there was just a moments extra time before she struck.
It was enough – barely. A counterstrike was a dream, but he was able to get his arms up and brace himself. They met with a blast of conflicting mana: Arturia, knowing her own force, gritted her teeth and leaned in, pouring power down both her arms, grinding at his shields as he strained to hold her, to get enough time to turn things around.
To be perfectly fair to Einzbern, Arturia had forgotten Illya too.
A few moments when they both held still were all she'd needed. Arturia leaped back just in time – the ground under Einzbern geysered up in a vicious blue fountain that flung him back with his hands over his face, clothes sizzling under badly strained protections. The column reached almost to the treetops; for a moment, it's towering light dominated everything. Illya cried out in rage.
"Don't you dare! Don't you dare run away!"
But of course he already had. Illya's attack faded away to reveal a line of displaced snow – but no magician. Illya screamed, furious tears pouring down her face.
"Come back! Damn you, come back. I'm not done yet! I have things I have to tell you! I have – five years – I'm not done yet! Come back, come back here. Damn you...damn you...I was finally winning...I was finally fighting..."
Quietly, Arturia walked over to her. "Illya—"
"He ran away. I was finally fighting – I didn't even think I could. I thought he'd have power over me forever. I was finally fighting, and he ran."
"Ran from you. Don't forget that."
"Wasn't he running from you?"
"You were looking right at him – didn't you see his face when you called power? You frightened him badly, and he won't take assaulting you so casually again. He had already decided to run before I attacked."
"Arturia – I didn't mess up did I? If I hadn't..."
"To be honest, I don't know. But right then there was a chance he would have found a way to turn things around. Besides, wasn't it important? For you to strike him, just once."
Illya looked down. "I – I'm not really sure why, but – I think I can move forward now. Attacking him to his face – that wasn't something the Einzbern homunculus could do. I killed it. Right then I killed it. There is no homunculus anymore."
She looked up. Her tears were slower now, and different – but they were still there.
"It's going to take a while, probably, but - somehow – I'm going to be okay."
Arturia gently kissed the top of her head. "I never doubted it."
Illya nodded.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"Huh? I'm not—" Then she realized Arturia was looking away.
"Yes, you. What do you think your doing, sneaking off like a mysterious savior in a novel? You could at least introduce yourself."
Kouji turned around. "Heh. You caught me."
"I seem to recall declaring in your hearing that I would have to find some suitable thanks. It's rather rude of you to try and make it difficult."
"Well, it seemed like a private moment – and besides, it's really not necessary."
"On the contrary, you more or less saved her life. If I recall correctly, Japanese take debts and honor much more seriously than the English, at least today – which means that I can insist. At the very least, I don't believe you told me your name."
"Ah, I didn't, did I? I'm—"
"Ryuudou Kouji," Illya interrupted. "His older brother was really close with Shirou in high school, and," she said, turning a meaningful glare on her savior. "They are not supposed to be magic users. According to Shirou."
"Well, we actually weren't at the time—"
"Illya," Arturia said sharply. "That would have been quite rude enough without considering what he just did for you."
Illya opened her mouth...and shut it. Started to open it again...and then she looked at Kouji, and she stopped. And then, finally – she bowed.
"I'm sorry. And...thank you. It was...very brave and...and I was frightened. Kouji-san."
It seemed to take Kouji a moment to regain mouth control. "Well, you seem to know my name now, so..."
Illya giggled. "You're the only one in the class."
"That's what I thought," Kouji said wryly. "I'm honored."
"Well, I really do want to know what was with that magic. I've never heard of anything quite like that spell."
"Well, like he said, our family used to be the land's guardians, but something happened about three hundred years ago and after two fifty there isn't anything written at all anymore. It's been taking Nii-san forever to try and figure out how to use Fuyuki again – that was actually my first successful summons."
Illya stared. "Your first? And you...that's...that's pretty good, actually. All things considered. But what about when you..." her voice trailed off. Suddenly she was glaring at him again. "You," she said, very slowly. "Invoked Avalon. As a kami. And got a result that looked exactly like Avalon's Noble Phantasm – besides for being so weak."
Kouji winced. "We still haven't really figured out how to call on her outside the shrine. Still, she did say that—"
"She is a scabbard!" Illya half screamed. "An inanimate object of legend with the power to enclose its user in an alternate dimension untouchable by any outside force. It belonged to Shirou's Servant in the War, and Saber had it when she disappeared, so what the hell are you doing with it?"
"Wait, so you know about her? She doesn't really have any memories before she hatched, we've all been wondering."
"Hatched?"
"Well, figuratively anyway."
"Explain. From the beginning. Now."
"Well, I don't mind telling of course, but – here? It's a long story, it's all tied up with Nii-san waking up, and then it's really only fair for you to tell me things too. I mean, what is all that about the grail? It sounds important."
"Oh, that," Illya said dismissively. "The wars are over already. Shirou destroyed it five years ago and Rin is tying up the last of it."
"So he was involved in something then? Nii-sans' been sure that something that happened then is what caused our power to wake up again."
"Well sure, it's like he said, your power was sealed because of it, so—"
"Ahem." Arturia said. Most people can't really say that, of course, but commander types master all kinds of ways of getting attention. "It seems that you all have a lot to share, and Shirou will want to hear this too, won't he? Why don't you come home with us? Sakura can treat your wounds and feed you as thanks, and everyone can hear all this at once."
"Hey, hold on a second, Sakura always makes exactly enough, so if he comes – well – I mean – not to sound –" she paused, a little thrown by her new found urge to not be rude, ungrateful, or offend Kouji. "I – never mind."
Kouji shook his head and smiled. "It's quite all right. I'm sure it will be too much trouble for me to show up so suddenly, and I can get treated at the temple. Avalon can cure these scratches easily enough."
"Oh no you can't," Illya said sharply. "That was a nasty curse type spell he was setting on you. He didn't finish it, so it hasn't killed you yet, but the seed is in there all right. It'll kill you over the course of a week or two if you don't get something done about it. Even if Sakura can't remove it, Rin will know how. It won't be hard – if it's done tonight."
Kouji instinctively cast an incredulous glance at his chest, even though he wasn't going to see anything. "Really? Well – ummm – actually, Avalon might still be able to do something..."
Illya folded her arms. "But you don't know, do you? And neither do I. And it will get worse fast. Which means you're coming with us, even if it does mean there isn't enough food and – I mean – ohhhh – even if it's troublesome, we can't let you go untreated. It has to be as soon as possible."
Kouji sighed, still looking thoughtfully at his chest. "It really can't be helped, huh? Well then, I'll gratefully accept the invitation – but I'll have to stop at the shrine first anyway. Nii-san always knows when anything magical happens in Fuyuki, and he'll know I was involved in this one. I can't go until I've explained to him."
"So, bring him along," Illya said carelessly. "Shirou will want to meet him anyway, we can make a reunion of it. Besides, if you're really the lands guardians and all now, he should be talking with us anyway. Shirou's been fighting things like that for years. And Rin can help Issei with figuring spells out."
"I – don't really know anything about it," she added quietly. "But it sounds like Rin owes you a favor already. She'll honor it."
"Really? Issei talks very strange when he mentions her."
"What, still?"
"Well, it's not the same strange, really. Sort of like a very weird private joke."
"Maybe we shouldn'tinvite him after all."
"I'm sure they have both long since outgrown whatever made them squabble in high school," Arturia said firmly. "And his brother is not the only one who will be worrying – Shirou is almost here already. We should both of us be going."
Arturia started to walk away; stopped; looked back at Illya. "What is it?"
"Arturia – how do you know Shirou is almost here?"
Arturia looked startled. "You don't? I thought it was normal sensing, or a property of the rings."
"Not really, not the way you're doing it."
Arturia looked mildly puzzled. "So just what am I doing then? You look quite strange."
Illya suddenly realized that she had broached an unbroachable subject. "Well...it's probably just a quirk, actually. From doing a lot of fighting together, using magic. I think."
Arturia shrugged. "Well, he is almost here, so we should hurry. He seems very worried."
"I'll bet," Illya said feelingly. "I'm coming, lets go."
"Oi, Illya."
"Huh?"
"Well – I don't really know anything about it, so if I'm being insensitive somehow, you'll have to forgive me. But – whatever it is that's bothering you...you should come to the shrine sometime. I think Avalon can help. It's her sort of thing."
"...Okay. Thanks."
"Illya, hurry! He's really very worried."
"I know I know, I'm coming."
It was so natural and logical that Shirou would feel that way that it wasn't until practically the next day that Illya realized Arturia had not been talking in probabilities at all.
She'd known.
...
And she'd been right. Half a block out of the gate poor Kouji almost got bowled over as Shirou ran past, hands flexing like he was resisting the urge to start calling weapons right there.
"Illya!" He stopped, panting. Seeing that it was over, he let himself half kneel as he caught his breath. Then he looked up. "Illya...are you all right? You look terrible..."
Which was true – her face was streaked and dirty from lying on the ground and then crying, and her clothes were even worse off. But she took one look at Shirou – her nii-chan, tired from having run across half the town with concern written all over his face – and smiled.
"Yes. I'm fine."
And Shirou understood.
He was good at that, was Shirou.
.
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Authors Notes:
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One: Don't or won't believe in souls?' You have no idea how long I've been waiting for Illya to spit this one in his face. Almost as long as I've been planning– not writing – the story. As I said, that sort of thing is very satisfying when finally successfully put to paper.
Two: Guardians of Fuyuki. Boom! There it is! This one went through several evolutions. Right from the beginning, there was something suspicious about the Ryuudou temple, as I saw it. If his family had no magic, then how come their shrine was such a magical center? It had a barrier, a mana store, and was the place of choice for both attempts to summon the grail. A place doesn't just become that magically significant by accident. There must have been a reason. And hey, doing something with Issei like that would be great material. Just what they were and why, took time to understand. At first I just thought of them as a once powerful family of mage priests whose gift went latent for whatever reason. This went on for some time, and then several absolutely enormous magical events occured right in their backyard, and the younger generation's gift was revived. That was how it used to be. But then several things came together. One: I realized that the timing was too pat, and the explanation too vague. Their gift just faded? Two: I watched Mushishi and Kekkaishi and became familiar with the Japanese concept of land having power, and powerful land having guardians. I thought this worked quite well – I'd been trying to figure out exactly what they did and how. If they were the guardians, that explained why the land was special. Which leads into the final train of thought that made the theory you see. Why, exactly, should either the Einzberns or the Matou's cared about the 'gift' of land? The Einzberns were nobles, the Matous were rich. If it were a mere matter of real estate, neither should have considered it any issue to produce some themselves. And remember how jealous and competitive these guys were. Each family had it's place in the proceedings because of what they had to offer to it. Without a significant contribution, the Tohsakans would have been kept out for sure: rivarly aside, my impression is that they were a young but talented mage family at the time, without a great deal of history, starkly opposed to the other two. So why Fuyuki? Because it was a powerfully magical land. So then, why didn't the Matou's, who also lived there, just say use it? Because there was a powerful family of guardians who could channel its power into elemental golems to protect it, who knew the Matous quite well, were strong enough to tell them 'forget about it, you power crazy loons', and were guaranteed to do just that. But the Tohsakans were new, not to mention innovative…and in one of those dizzyingly euphoric flashes of inspiration, the rest of the details fell into place. The Tohsakans' found a way to seal the Ryuudous – and with that, gained a juicy enough gift to become a part of what was unquestionably one of the biggest and most significant magical attempts ever. Which makes some lovely present day character echoes – I have this recurring fascination with the relationship between Rin and Issei. Yes I know there wasn't one, but I keep feeling like maybe there should be. I can't seem to let go of the idea…and now my story is practically arranging it all by itself. And all this while I was writing chapter eight. I love writing.
Three: What you eat shall bloom again…this, for those of you who were asleep for it or whose education was lax enough to skip it, refers to the role that forest fires play in a forests life cycle. It seems like pure destruction, but the fire clears the mast (collective layer of decomposing leaves and such) that would othewise suffocate seedlings, triggers many types of tree seeds into growth, and leaves behind a rich layer of fertilizer. In other words, the fire helps the forest grow. It's a necessary part of the life cycle, and a healthy forest will have one at regular intervals. Instead of naming it by its destructive aspect, as is classical, the Ryuudou's call it by its greater role, the role it plays in the life cycle. I like this. Actually, when I tried it for destruction it sounded lame every time – once I took the hint though, I was pleased. It's a nice change from the usual approach. In fact, Japanese culture is much more aware of this interdependency and balance than wester cultures, one more good reason to do it this way.
Four: Oh Kami Avalon! No, I'm not going to explain it here. Wait till chapter ten. I promise it'll be there (it never rains but it pours – it's original twist time!)
Five: The whole time you were…? That's right – brave though he was, he managed to also be smart about it. He knew that if he could force Einzbern to use magic, it would alert Arturia, who would come as fast as she could. This cut the time for rescue to arrive in half – but meant that he might die before it did. He knew it – and decided to take the risk. He seriously earned that thank you – actually he earned more than that, but I'll get to it.
Six: She seems to have mastered ranged attacks ^_^
Seven: I never forget a name, you see.' I had considered a fight scene where Arturia shouted the names of victims, and the relatives left behind, as she fought, as a kind of focus. It didn't work out somehow. Oh well.
Eight: I am over two hundred. Game canon – one of only two bits of game canon in this chapter. All the rest is original, which is why I am much more proud of this one than chapter four, which drew heavily on scenes from alternate game tellings. Einzbern is indeed, according to the game, as old or older than Zoken was, and the Einzbern family were trying to get the grail for generations before they realized that they couldn't do it alone. The other game canon bit is that Kiritsugu tried to rescue Illya many times before he died, but that Illya never knew. In the game I believe she never finds out, in any of the storylines. Well, I saw no reason why that should stop me.
Nine: You! What are you doing here? Kiritsuga actually summoned her some time before the war. Einzbern saw her and knew what she looked like. Because he had so much less contact though, he didn't make the connection until he happened to be talking about Kiritsuga and fighting her at the same time. As for how he reacted…his hate for Kiritsuga is not as simple as he thinks. We'll learn the true nature of his obsession in time.
Ten: Say it – one more time! Illya learns that one part of her life as a homunculus was family after all – and finally finds the strength to stand. The Einzbern Homunculus is dead – long live Emiya Illya. And good luck…
Eleven: And where do you think you're going? Nice try Kouji ^_^
Twelve: She's a scabbard! Like I said, you'll have to wait for chapter ten.
Thirteen: Shirou is almost here. Out goes Illya's arc, in comes the star player. That's right – it's finally starting…
Fourteen: Shirou sees that for whatever reason, she's finally gotten past the mental blocks that held her back. So, for now, the happy ending is complete.