"It is your own fault they're all gone" he told the golem.
"My fault?" was the reply.
"You decided that deception was better than honor, and you care even less for the consequences than most of the mages I killed" he pointed his gun at the reason for his distress.
"But you killed them, Emiya, not I" the golem chuckled despite his inevitable demise "I gave them all life. In fact, the doll you became infatuated with was my best creation"
"The only good you have done-and one that wasn't even your work in the end" he retorted "You would have me sacrifice her to the end of all things-your selfishness that wouldn't even help you in the end"
"And you would have pulled that trigger happily a few months ago" more chuckling "Tell me Mage Killer; is it the world you are truly saving? Or is it a more personal goal?"
"My daughter won't be responsible for bringing darkness to the world" the Mage Killer shot the golem "And my wife won't need to either-your goal is over, Elder"
Gurgled laughter.
"I…wonder…" the golem rasped "If…Irisviel…won't…do…you…in…in…the…end"
The way you betrayed me he seemed to say.
The Mage Killer put his gun away and felt her, them both, by his side. His family-his world.
"If it comes to that…I have no regrets" he finally said.
Chapter 25
"Remind me to never get into a vehicle with her at the wheel" Luvia looked scandalized.
"Ditto" Sebastian replied.
"Ah, it seems Illya really packs a punch" his grandmother's smile got wider and turned back to the group watching the fight "You didn't help my girls break curfew over this, did you?"
"No, actually Sebastian broke curfew first" Rin said quickly.
"Yeah, and apparently I'm grounded" he replied, suddenly irked.
"Oh, it's not so bad" his grandmother said happily "If it was me, your punishment would be worse"
"Let me guess, a mana punch right on the head" Sebastian said sarcastically "I'm not a little kid anymore"
"Y-you mean that's a punishment?" it was Rin's turn to look scandalized.
"We're able to handle it" Iri told her "Part of being artificial, dear"
"And I thought it was normal" Sebastian's head drooped.
"How could you think that's normal?" they both said at once.
He shook his head, and watched the battle play out.
The Fullmetal Alchemist had the elemental bound within itself while his wife constructed a spell to cage it temporarily.
"See, that didn't take long" he told her, as she fixed the blindfold over her eyes.
"My body is tiring" she said "There is something wrong with me, and it's not just my deterioration"
Sebastian already knew what the problem was; at least, he thought it was the pregnancy his sister spoke of. He had almost forgotten about that.
Was it possible that they still didn't know?
"What would happen if you ended your install?" Ed asked her.
"That thing would escape, and we'd be back at square one" she turned to Sebastian "I think I can hold it for a few more minutes, so we'd better figure out how to go about destroying that resting place"
"Mom" he mourned.
"I am still upset with you" she said "Didn't you learn your lesson about working as a team?"
"But-"
"I won't have it" she was stern "When we get back to Fuyuki; you will learn about what it means to be in a team-it's what kept me alive for as long as I've been, and I swear it'll be second nature to you when I finally die"
"Yes, ma'am" he answered.
"Now, Rin" she looked at them (she knew where they were despite the blindfold) "Luvia, I know what'll easily work. Can you both grab Ruby and Sapphire, and blast this pool. It sort of worked the first time-but I think a little oomph is necessary this time"
"Not entirely Magecraft accurate, but the girls are already here" Luvia said "Oh Miyu, Illya!"
There was a small rustle in some bushes and a muffled yell, but the three girls eventually walked out of the woods and into the clearing, embarrassed and guilty.
"Oh Kuro, Illya!" Iri smiled and waved "Momma's gonna punish you later for being out of bed at a time like this-but could you look cute and blow up this guy over here for me?"
"That is seriously not the way I'd have said that" Rin sighed "But we have a small time limit guys so-"
She gestured to the barrier cage that the Ryder class magic created.
Little Illya and Miyu transformed.
"Oh that's precious" the elemental said "Let the little kids finish me off, how noble of you"
"You started this" Rin said "It's only fair that we finish it"
"To be honest" it said "I was really only after fighting that guy"
It pointed at Sebastian.
"That and the Prana, of course" it's eyes gleamed.
"Yeah, about that" Luvia said "You almost made Kuro disappear"
"It wasn't my fault she's such a fragile construction" it replied "I didn't even know"
"I don't know what I was expecting" Rin said "Okay, girls. You know what to do"
"Right" they said, and rose from the ground.
"Charged and ready to go" Annoying code said energetically.
"One hundred percent, Lady Miyu" Sapphire said coolly.
The girls pointed the wands at the pool and fired.
It was over in a few minutes.
"Well, that went better than I expected" Ed said sheepishly "But I kind of pity the poor guy; except for Illya, he was rather harmless"
"Says the guy who was beaten by him before" his wife nudged him before ending her install. She took a step before crying out.
"Mom!" Sebastian ran to her, as his dad slid her to the ground and on top of him.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
"I'll be fine" she told them as the others joined them "I-I just used too much mana at once. Sorry for making everyone worry"
"Dad, what's she saying?" Sebastian looked worried.
"It's your mother's condition" he said "She's deteriorating; this is actually normal-or so I'm told"
Would it be a good time to tell them?
Sebastian turned away, hiding his guilt ridden face.
Kimblee did this…but…but.
He could not make things worse by telling them about Kori-his sister. Sebastian wondered if the one inside his mother was the exact same as Kimblee's experiment. It didn't matter.
She would be suffering either way.
"No, Sebastian" she tugged at his hand "Don't blame yourself for this; I could have as easily been hurt by casting a mediocre spell"
It hurt so much.
"Irisviel" Ed picked up his wife "Could you sit back with her while I take us back to the Resort living area"
"Of course I will" she said sweetly "We can't fit everyone in the car, though"
"Oh that's no trouble, Miss Irisviel" Luvia said "Rin and I can walk"
"Sebastian and I can make it back as well" Mash spoke up "Take the little ones"
"Mom" he managed, sadly.
"This isn't serious, Sebastian" she said comfortingly "Just don't worry about it, really. Remember teamwork"
"I will" he said.
What a teammate he was already-leaving out important information.
Kimblee will pay.
He watched them leave in the car, before he was beset by Rin and Luvia.
"You're hiding something, I can tell" Rin said.
"You know me so well" he responded sarcastically.
"It's written all over your face" Luvia agreed.
Sebastian started walking back.
"You're not going to tell us?" Rin called back and caught up to him.
"It's nothing" he said.
'Forgive me guys'
"It didn't look like nothing back there" Luvia intoned "It looked a lot worse"
"I'm allowed a few secrets here and there" he said dejectedly.
"Yes, but generally when children keep secrets, entire neighborhoods aren't wiped out by apocalyptic, inhuman freaks" Luvia responded.
"Can you just let this go?" he turned to them.
"What do you think, Mash?" Rin asked her "Should we force him to give up the dirt?"
"If it was life threatening, I would think he would share it with us" she said "I don't sense that from him"
"It isn't" he huffed "At least it won't affect the outcome"
"What outcome?"
"You know" he looked at Rin "Don't you dare tell me you don't"
"I…well-" she fell silent "Will this affect your helping us with that last card?"
"It won't" Sebastian turned, and started walking "And I don't understand why you need me when you've done just fine before"
"We're not going to use the girls" Luvia said.
Sebastian paused again.
"And why not?" he turned back to them.
"Miss Irisviel and her husband know about them, and us, and fighting the class cards" Luvia said "It wouldn't be right to use them under their noses, and with the mess we were just in, and we barely survived that by the way, well…"
"It's just one card" Rin said "And besides, we have a Heroic Spirit to help us. Between the four of us, it should be no problem"
"With the way you and your mother have used the previous cards, without using a Kaleidostick as a medium for the summons" Luvia said "You might actually be better than they would anyway. Miyu and Illya don't know enough about Magecraft to help without the wands and cards"
"You're underestimating them" Sebastian retorted "Plus we have Kuro as well"
"That is true, at least the part about Kuro" Rin nodded "But then there is still the fact that their parents have returned, and Mr. Elric too. And with big Illya around to tell everyone what happened already, they may put two and two together and ban them from helping anyway"
"But you still have Miyu; she isn't their child, strictly speaking we could still take her along?"
"Which will provoke Illya and Kuro to help as well" Rin said "You are fighting us on this; are you chickening out?"
"No" Sebastian said curtly "It's just-well, I'm only six years older than them at the moment, I'm trying to understand your reasoning"
"Um, incase you haven't noticed" Luvia said "We're about the same age right now. Besides, with your mother wanting you to use teamwork, and your father being so carefree about everything-"
"He is not carefree" Sebastian interrupted.
"-you would essentially have permission to step up" she finished.
"Sebastian, I think this is the best outcome" Mash said "No doubt the others would have learned of their original intentions, and will voice their concerns"
"I know this" he said "I just really didn't want to change too much, you know"
"And we're back to Mr. Future" Rin held her head like she acquired a headache "We were doing so well before"
Sebastian sighed and continued walking back to the Hot Springs. This was a long night.
The rest of the weekend actually passed normally; Illya recovered enough to participate along with everyone else, and even orchestrated some of the friendly banter Sebastian came to love so much with his family. He actually had some fun, and well deserved rest. The only ones that weren't having fun strictly speaking was Maiya and Bazett; who didn't even show up at the Resort (Kiritsugu had them digging up dirt on Yggdmillennia, while keeping an eye out for Kimblee).
True to her word, his mother resolved to 'teach' him teamwork, and when they returned to the skyscraper in Fuyuki that Luvia requisitioned partially as a home (while the Einzbern home and Edelfelt Manor was rebuilt), she put her threat to work.
"It was nice of Luvia and her company to set this up" she remarked, when they entered the 'training' floor.
"Mom, shouldn't I be with Shirou and Kiritsugu?" Sebastian wondered "He is teaching my uncle Magecraft"
"Not a chance" she said "You aren't getting out of this"
"Okay, what is 'this'?" Sebastian asked, a little worried.
"We're here Illya" Rin said, yawning "It didn't have to be so early, you know"
"You kept me up very late a few times" his mother chimed "I consider this payback"
"So what is this about, big sis?" Kuro asked, interested.
"I am curious as well" Luvia said "I had Auguste clear this whole floor for your son's lessons but never dreamed you would have me help you"
"Where is Miyu and my younger self?" she asked them.
"Still getting ready…well, Illya is anyway" Kuro snickered "She doesn't like getting up early, to which I'm sure you're familiar with"
"I almost miss that cheekiness" his mom muttered, before the last two girls appeared.
"We're here" little Illya intoned.
"Excellent" his mother put her hands together maliciously "Now Sebastian"
"Yes?" he looked at her.
"Since you just love to do things all by yourself and you love almost killing yourself as well" she grinned "You will have to defeat all of them by yourself-and no, Mash can't help you"
"WHAT?!" they all exclaimed as the older woman left "If you lose, it'll be harder on you"
The doors were locked and Sebastian had an inkling as to what those big mirrors high above them were for.
"And girls" Iri chimed through the floor intercom. "You can't leave until you show him what it means to be teammates, so no fighting with yourselves"
This wasn't what Sebastian had in mind…
He looked at them and they looked at him, and the shock and surprise finally washed off their faces…
He spun a one eighty and ran for his life.