3: The Last Moments of Peace

"If the true role of a hero is to be detested and shunned, then, as my duty, I shall take on that role. Just like my Master."

"Illya, look who is here."

"My Saber!" The little girl smiled and rushed to the door, but suddenly stopped halfway. She crossed her arms and gave Saber a strange, scolding look. "You weren't here, when I woke up, like you promised! I will not tolerate cheating!"

Having no good excuse, Saber only sighed.

"I'm sorry, Master, I…"

"Saber was helping me with a very important task." Irisviel decided to help them a little. "So don't be angry at him."

"Really?" Illya was still suspicious, but clearly wanted to believe in this explanation.

"Really," both her mother and Servant confirmed without hesitation.

"Fine. I can forgive you this time." The girl smiled. She tried to behave like a true princess right now. "Now sit with me."

They sat together on the bed to talk about their plans and general rules of the war. Mostly Irisviel was speaking, with Illya rarely asking questions and Saber confirming some details.

"Master, please save your Command Seals for important tasks," he requested, gently but firmly. "But never hesitate to use them in danger."

"And if I feel lonely?"

"Then just think about me." Irisviel smiled to Illya and kissed her forehead. "I've told you that I will always be with you, no matter what, right?"

"Um." The girl closed her eyes and clung to Irisviel. Saber felt extremely uncomfortable, like intruding into their private moment. He intended to leave, but Illya grasped his hand. Or rather a finger, her hand was just too small, compared with his.

"No, you were late, so now you have to stay longer with me."

"As you wish, Master." Warmness and affection in his voice made Iri smile. "I haven't told you my name yet. I'm Sie…"

"I know, the Dragon Slayer!" Illyasviel smiled. Actually, she already was a better and smarter Master than anyone could expect. "You smell like a dragon! And you're strong. A hero, who's never lost!"

Irisviel could not resist and laughed at loud, seeing Saber's embarrassment. He looked like he was about to beg the ground to open up and swallow him whole. What an unusual sight - a legendary warrior had just been defeated by a little girl.

Well, at least it was clear, who was the Master in their team.

"Saber?"

"Yes, Lady Irisviel?"

"You're blushing." She had no mercy for him.

"It's because my Master praises me too much. I don't deserve it."

"No, it's true!" Illya crossed her arms again. "You have never been defeated, even once. And you're not allowed to lose or die, got it?" She pointed a finger towards him. "My Servant is the strongest and won't lose. This is my first order for you, Saber."

She was extremely serious at the moment, so Siegfried had no choice, but to bow before her, accepting this command.

"Understood, Master."

Thus their true contract was made, filling them both with new energy and – what was even more important – new hope.

Arturia used her free time in the Einzbern's domain differently - she went outside and summoned her horse to train for a while. Her amazing weapon could pierce through literally everything in sight with terrifying ease. Some fallen, awfully damaged trees around were enough for a proof of her might; it looked like they'd been destroyed by a division of battle tanks, not a single rider.

Now Lancer was standing in the middle of this mess, similar to a landscape after a hurricane, petting her demonic mount. Her black armor seemed somehow out of place in the snow, so she dispelled some parts of this outfit, including her scary helmet. Now she was just a very attractive woman, not a dark knight from the worst nightmares. Stunningly beautiful, to be honest.

"What a wonderful creature," Saber said, approaching her through the snowdrifts.

Lancer turned around and stared at him, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Your mare. Too." He winked and slowly reached out his hand to the mount. The horse sniffed several times, with her ears pinned back in anger, but did not bite and even let Siegfried touch her neck.

"Llamrei," Lancer said suddenly, not even looking at Saber.

"Hmm?"

"Her name. Llamrei." With a thin smile, she caressed the mare's nose, steaming into the cold air. "You must have some experience in taming horses. She usually isn't this nice."

"Well, I befriended a magnificent beast once." Saber smiled but there was an obvious sadness in his voice. "Never mind."

They were standing like this, inhaling the smells of the mountain forest and completely ignoring the falling snow. It could be their last moment of peace before the upcoming storm.

"What do you think about Kiritsugu's wish?" - Arturia spoke up suddenly. "I ask you as our ally."

"About saving the world, like Lady Irisviel said? Hmm… I find small wishes much more captivating." He smiled. "They may be egoistic, but it's only a part of human nature."

"If they are so small, why people need help to grant them?"

"Sometimes the smallest thing is impossible to achieve, if you're alone and desperate. That's why people entrust their wishes to someone, who's recognized as powerful. It's almost like a prayer."

"I see. So you acted like a hero only when it's been asked of you?"

It was a quick and accurate conclusion. Arturia had figured him out easily – a clear sign, that she must have had some similar experiences in the past. Or at least that she kept thinking about such things a lot.

"During my life? Yes. I got a chance to fix my mistake later and I'm going to follow this new, better path." A strange light appeared in his eyes, when he remembered something.

"Be careful, I know what it means to constantly save people. It's not really making them happy."

"I know. It's impossible for one person to bear the whole world on his shoulders. But isn't it exactly what your Master is trying to do?"

Arturia lowered her head, thinking.

"So you think it's pointless?"

"Probably. But maybe your Master is much wiser than me and knows the way to actually save the world, who knows?"

Lancer stared at him, her piercing gaze reached his very soul. Then she closed her beautiful golden eyes and smiled.

"So it's worth trying, right? That's why I will assist my Master. I'll do what I can to help him fulfill this dream. I will crush every obstacle in our way. His goal is worth the sacrifice."

"Even if you feel, that it's just wrong, like killing innocents, will you still follow his orders?"

"We all left piles of corpses behind us, we wouldn't have become Heroic Spirits otherwise."

Saber didn't even try to deny it.

"Yes, I did many things I'm not proud of. I suppose we all did." And he swore to never be like this again. "After all, a hero continues to fight, like a madman, to the bitter end. This is who we are."

"Ah, we can't just stop, no matter what."

"For all the people, who believe in us," Siegfried whispered.

"For all the lives that perished because of us," Arturia added quietly, speaking more to herself than him. "We must go forward, no matter what awaits at the end. If the true role of a hero is to be detested and shunned, then, as my duty, I shall take on that role. Just like my Master."

"I see."

He couldn't say that she was wrong, at least not completely. Moreover, he was not the one to decide. A certain Heroic Spirit had taught him once, that a wish of every single soul summoned to participate in the Holy Grail War is equally important. They must fight for those dreams, it's the only way.

Siegfried was good at fulfilling wishes, even if they were not really worth granting. This time a really important one had been entrusted to him, so...

"Let us be allies as long as possible," he said after a moment of silence.

Lancer nodded.

"But I suppose that none of us will be able to abandon their ideals in the end."

"So it seems. When the time comes, I will entrust my life to my blade, like my Master ordered me to."

"Keep in mind that my spear has already pierced the heart of a dragon." Even if it was a warning or threat, Arturia remained calm, and Saber only nodded, accepting this simple truth.

They both cared for humans and hated unnecessary cruelty. They understood and respected each other, which let them form a wonderful alliance, but the aspirations of their Masters were mutually exclusive.

It was only a matter of time before their ideals collide. And neither of them will give their ground, for sure.

"I'm so high up!" - Illya shouted, excited and happy, clapping her hands above her head.

Kiritsugu had just picked her up from the ground and gave her a piggyback ride through the forest around the Einzbern castle. They went for a walk and, as usual, kept counting walnut buds on the way. This time Illyasviel seemed determined to win this little contest.

"Illya." Despite all the fun they had, Kiritsugu soon became serious again. "You won't mind, if I borrow your Saber for a while?"

"Um." The girl nodded eagerly. "Mother told me already. But you will return him to me?"

"Of course." Her father chuckled. "He's yours, after all."

"And he's so strong!"

"Speaking of which… what can he truly do? Please, tell me."

Surprisingly, she hesitated. Kiritsugu did not understand the true meaning behind her sudden silence.

"What's wrong, Illya?"

"You're a Master, I can't tell you," the girl explained, pouting. She must have realized that his request was somehow against the rules of the Holy Grail War.

"But he won't be of any help, if I don't know how to use his skills."

"Saber is not a machine to be used. He will help you." The little girl smiled widely, like if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You need to ask him, that's all."

Kiritsugu sighed.

"Illya, it's not that simple…"

"It is!" She was so sure about it, that Emiya started to suspect it was another weird skill of this problematic Servant. "Saber can't refuse, if you ask him for help. But you must really need it."

"Why?"

"I don't know. But he can't. Oh, I found one, there!" She showed Kiritsugu the bud and chuckled, playing with his hair.

Emiya stopped, not sure what to think about it. If this skill, or whatever it was, worked exactly like Illyasviel had said, it could mean troubles. It looked like another curse, similar to the weak point on his back. Maybe the old Acht was right about the limited usefulness of this Servant?

"Kiritsugu?" Illya poked her father in the head, alarmed by the prolonged pause.

"Yes, yes, we'll keep going…" The snow creaked under his shoes, when he resumed the walk. "Tell me, what are the Noble Phantasms of your Servant?"

"Noble Phan…?" She bit her fingernail, thinking. "The scary things only he can use?"

"Exactly."

"Hmm…" Illyasviel started counting on her fingers while speaking, to not forget anything important. "His armor, his sword and cloak."

"The cloak too?" That was something new for Kiritsugu. He thought about local legends, but couldn't remember anything useful enough and decided to do some research later.

"Um. There should be also gold and his horse, but they are blocked. I don't know why." She pouted again, sad and frustrated. "Is this because I'm a weak magus?"

"No, Illya, you are a powerful magus. Already much stronger than me."

"But grandfather said that, if we do another surgery…"

"I don't care what grandfather said," Kiritsugu interrupted, louder and much more fiercely than he intended to. "You're strong enough, Illya. No more surgery."

"Yay!" She smiled with relief. "I don't like being cut. It hurts."

"You won't be, don't worry." Kiritsugu was so angry, that he decided to remain silent until his breathing steadied again. It might be their last stroll together, so it was better for Illya to remember it as a positive experience, not spoiled by his bitter expression and rude behavior.

They kept walking through the winter forest until they lost sight of the castle. Then Kiritsugu chose a narrow path on the left, which should lead them to the side entrance of the fortress.

"We're going back already?" Illya had nothing against this idea, it was cold enough and the snow started falling again, making their game impossible to continue. "How many walnut buds have you spotted?"

"Four."

"Ha, ha! I won this time!" She clapped her hands, truly happy. "I found six! I'm the Champion of the Walnut Game!"

"Of course you are, my princess. The Champion Princess Illyasviel!" Kiritsugu laughed. He grabbed his daughter and twirled her around in the air, but quickly became serious again, like if he was ashamed of such rare and short moment of happiness. He put the girl back on the ground. "One more thing. Illya, try not to waste your Command Seals, ok? They're very precious."

"I know. I won't need them anyway."

"Good." Emiya nodded, although he knew it wasn't true. Her spells were essential for his new plan. At least one needed to remain, so they could order Saber to commit suicide.

If everything goes as planned and their team reaches the final stage of the War, Kiritsugu will not risk losing or damaging his Lancer at the very end of this dangerous, bloody path.

"We should proceed imediately with our plan."

Tokiomi's voice was coming through the magical communicator in the church. Although the sound was distorted, the person on the other side noticed with ease, how upset the red magus really was.

"It's pointless now," Kirei Kotomine explained flatly. "Some Masters have not yet arrived, others did not make any move. Starting the show, when there's no audience, makes no sense to me."

"Who's late? The Einzberns?"

"Yes. And one more, we have no idea, who exactly."

"I see." Tokiomi was silent for a long while, then sighed. "Let's give them two more nights then."

It was unusual for incredibly patient Tokiomi to act in such haste, but he had summoned a special Servant. Gilgamesh was now running around the town, 'seeking entertainment', like he himself announced. While other teams were making plans in hiding, trying to uncover the secrets of their enemies, Tohsaka's Servant was just recklessly wandering through Fuyuki, not even bothering to hide his presence.

Tokiomi tried to discuss his tactics with Gilgamesh, but their opinions differed significantly. The King of Heroes found the reasoning of his Master ridiculous, claiming that he has nothing to fear. He said, that the only good thing about the Holy Grail War is the last, open battle between the most powerful adversaries, and Tohsaka, who can only hide in the shadows, is nothing more than a scared rat or a worthless mongrel.

This Servant was extremely hard to control; Tokiomi was not even sure anymore, that he will participate in the fake attack on Assassin without the use of a Command Seal. Maybe he will manage to convince him somehow before the arrival of the Einzbern Master?

It might not be visible at the first glance, but Kotomine was even more nervous and impatient than Tohsaka. Knowing neither joy nor excitement until now, he could hardly control those new feelings.

After listening to the daily reports of his Assassin, Kirei left the church and stared at the night sky, at the waning moon on the ideal black, cloudless background. It was just like he felt inside – he had found a single light in absolute darkness. For the first time in his life he actually yearned for something.

"Where are you, Kiritsugu Emiya? Come, I'm waiting."

"So this is where Kiritsugu was born" - those were the first words of Irisviel after getting off the plane.

She stood still for a while, curiously looking around and letting the wind play freely with her long hair. When she turned around, she couldn't stop herself from laughing at the view of the two Servants, who had joined her outside.

"Is something wrong?" – Lancer asked and automatically checked her disobedient hair.

"No, you just look fantastic together. Like a beautiful couple."

Lancer and Saber stared at each other, then shrugged simultaneously. Arturia wore a simple yet elegant black suit. Siegfried looked slightly less formal, with his outfit in the color of steel, matched to his hair. They really could be mistaken for a couple of foreigners on a business trip.

Irisviel insisted on dressing them like this and had a lot of fun shopping. Their journey together was also enjoyable, much better than with invisible Servants. Arturia could not shift into spirit form at all and Siegfried still had some problems, which were to be solved soon - after a proper training with Illya's new maid, Sella - so it was inevitable. But no one regretted the long hours spent together on the plane.

Illyasviel had a great time during the flight and now was exhausted. She slowly proceeded down the stairs, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Iri hugged her daughter tightly, not yet ready to say goodbye.

Both Servants waited, watching them from afar, to not interrupt this family moment. Finally, the already half-asleep girl waved to them and left the airport with her maids.

Irisviel wiped away the tears and took a deep breath, while turning to Saber.

"This is for you." She gave him a piece of paper with an address written on it and a strange, small key. "Find this hotel, you have a room booked there. And your motorcycle is parked outside."

"Oh..." Siegfried did not expect to have such things prepared for him. "Really, so much troubles…"

"Not at all." Iri smiled, so honestly, that Saber could only give up and smile back to her. He was surprisingly defenseless against her subtle charm. "The fact, that we're going to act separately, doesn't mean you must be homeless, right? It would be as inconvenient as dangerous."

"B…"

"Stop it, no apologizing." Irisviel laughed. "This is just an investment in our safety. We won't be using a Command Seal every time to transport you quickly to the battlefield."

"I see. Thank you." He hesitated, but decided to hug her eventually. "Please be careful."

Lancer did not burn with enthusiasm for such effusive farewells. She just bowed slightly and followed Irisviel through the corridor, leaving Siegfried alone in a strange, foreign country.

He made it somehow to the exit and whistled with admiration, when he found his new motorcycle. To say that he liked it was not enough. This thing was just perfect!

"So it begins?"

With a wide smile on his face, Saber fired up the engine and headed out on the open road to test the limits of the machine.

Thank You for comments and support. Again: no answers = no spoilers, forgive me. But yes, this Gilgamesh seems to be more like the one from Fate/Prototype.

Thank You for reading and don't hesitate to leave a comment!