So here comes the next chapter, a bit different this time. I hope You will like it. And it would be nice to know your opinions.

Thank You for reading so far! Special thanks to hyperomegasonic26 for his inspiring ideas!

7: A Mother's Wish

It's a simple mechanism – it's not written, so it doesn't exist.

Where…?

He'd been shot, for sure. Something hit the mark on his back and it hurt as hell, even now. It must have been a poisoned arrow, because the wound burnt like if a glass of boiling water had been poured on his skin.

Saber found himself on his knees in a strange, small room, within the circle of vanishing magical energy. Red eyes, filled with tears, and a beautiful smile of the little girl, were all he could see at the moment.

"Saber! So it worked! I'm so happy!"

Illya clung to him, barely able to embrace his wide neck with her arms of a small child.

I see. So the voice back then… it was a Command Seal.

"Master, please don't cry. Everything's all right. I'm sorry for being careless."

"It's not your fault. You did well."

"Hmm." He did not know what to say. Her hug was so affectionate, her voice full of joy… Siegfried realized, how much he had missed his little Master. He closed his eyes, embraced the girl and said quietly: "Thank you for saving me."

"Um, this is my duty as a Master." After a long while Illyasviel stepped back, wiped away the tears and smiled, standing straight and tall. She was adorable in this adult pose. "And now, if you're already here, don't even think of leaving me again!"

There were many things to say: that they must proceed with the plan, that it's dangerous and her parents will be angry, that there's no time for childish whims during the Holy Grail War... But Saber remained silent. He just didn't want to argue with Illya. Maybe it was reckless or selfish, but he could feel, from the first moment they met, that his place was by his Master's side.

"I will gladly assist my Master in everything she plans," he replied simply.

"Um, this is great! Nights are for fighting, right? So we can do what we want during the day!" Illya smiled; it was obvious, that she had already decided, how to spend time with her Servant.

Saber smiled too, moved by her enthusiasm, but also sighed internally. Knowing his bad luck, it would be a very long day.

"Master, have you ever thought about what sleeps within the Holy Grail?" – Lancer asked him once.

Back then Kiritsugu had no idea, what she was talking about, so Arturia cut off the topic. Strange dreams began to haunt Emiya later. Some were about a cave under the mountain, others about a desperate desire to be born. And the most disturbing one was the nightmare about all the evil in the world.

Today Kiritsugu had another weird dream, about a hole in the sky. It opened suddenly and streams of black mud came from it, covering the streets with fire and death. It spread like a flood, Emiya could do nothing, only watch it and despair.

Servants come from many different timelines, it may be pure fantasy. There's no need to worry about some strange nightmares – the rational, dominant part of his mind said.

But all those illogical events definitely took place in Fuyuki. If this is something, that could be investigated, it would be unwise to ignore it – the paranoiac side did not want to give up so easily.

Kiritsugu slowly opened his eyes and found himself on the floor, with his head on Maiya's lap. The castle, devastated after Kayneth's attack, was not a pleasant place to take a nap. He must have been really tired to sleep so well here.

"Where's Iri?"

"Madam has left with Lancer about an hour ago."

"Why?" Kiritsugu raised an eyebrow, waiting for explanation. Maiya was in a surprisingly good mood today, this smile was totally not like her.

"Just look at the screen." She moved the laptop closer, so he did not have to get up.

Emiya blinked, not believing his own eyes.

"What in the world are they doing?"

"Master, are you sure you're not too young for such video games?"

"You're saying that only because I won!"

"No! You really think so bad of your Servant?"

"Only when you're cheating! And call me Illya."

"I'm not cheating, Ma…"

"It's an order."

"I'm not cheating, Illya."

Irisviel blinked and looked questioningly at Lancer, but she only shrugged, equally surprised. Both women sneaked quietly into the room and froze, stunned by the view.

It was truly hilarious. Saber was sitting on the floor, dressed in colorful traditional Japanese clothes. Illya sat behind him on a pile of pillows, so she could make strange things with Siegfried's hair - it had already been tied in many braids, various styles and lengths, also a pink ribbon was woven into one of them. The young Master and her Servant were playing a video game... and eating a lot of sweets. Empty plates were lying literally everywhere. It was a clear evidence of their crime, but the two had no intention to plead guilty to it.

Iri could not hold back laughter any longer, Arturia gave up a moment later.

"Well, well… We've been worried about you, but you are just having fun together!"

"Mother!" Illyasviel slid off the pillows and rushed to Iri with a happy smile on her face, smeared thoroughly with chocolate cream.

Although his Master did not seem worried at all, Siegfried was not happy about the fact that he'd been caught in the act.

"Lady Irisviel, Lancer." He stood up and bowed slightly, not only to welcome them, but also to hide his embarrassment. "I've thought it's too dangerous for you to come here?"

"Relax, we've been extra cautious." Irisiviel could not stop cuddling her daughter, she was really happy to see her again. "Seems that we're late." She looked at the mess around with a strange expression. "You two really managed to eat the whole cheesecake?"

Illyasviel blushed and glanced at Saber, asking for help.

"Well… I'm the one to blame." He scratched his head, clearly not able to come up with a good alibi. "I'm sorry, but you can't call yourself a hero, if you don't like cheesecake."

He said is so honestly, that Iri chuckled, no longer angry at them. Behind her back Sella sighed heavily.

"This is what happens, when you leave them alone for a while."

"A-do-ra-ble," Leysritt said, sneaking into the room. Sella gave the other maid a very strange look and almost shut the door in her face.

"I guess it can't be helped." Iri gently caressed her daughter's head. "But you can't eat sweets all day, Illya."

"Um. But I'm still hungry. Oh, I know!" The girl clapped her hands, proud of her own idea. "Let's order a pizza!"

Arturia's face brightened at this suggestion, her eyes were shining like two golden stars.

"Irisviel, can I get a hamburger?"

"Are you sure? It's junk food…"

"That's why it's perfect for me. It makes me stronger. You won't regret it, Irisviel."

The way she said it, totally serious and determined, made them all smile. Well, all except Sella, who was frustrated by the evidence of how low the discipline in this house had fallen. Leysritt, on the other hand, found the chaos amusing and was ready to join their little party.

"A-do-ra-ble," she said again and Irisviel instantly agreed.

"Yes, especially Saber. Illya, you know that men here usually don't wear such colorful clothes?"

"But he looks cute!" She grasped her Servant's hand, showing that she was proud of her hard work as a stylist and regreted nothing.

Surprisingly, Siegfried was the one to defend Illya this time.

"I will gladly wear any outfit my Master prepares for me. It's always an honor, I would even go into battle like this."

He bowed slightly, in a knightly manner. It must have reminded Arturia something from her past, because she looked at Saber with respect and gave him a thin, mysterious smile.

"I would feel… uncomfortable, if I had to fight you right now," she admitted. It remained unclear, if she was trying to help or just made fun of him.

"See? You should try it, too, Lancer. If it intimidates an enemy this much, it will be quite effective in battle. You would look incredible in a flower dress. Especially one part of your body is incredible."

"Better not." The smile she gave him in response was like a silent warning. "And I advise you to abandon this topic or even a cheeseburger won't save you from my lance."

Siegfried tilted his head.

"Two cheeseburgers then?"

Arturia rolled her eyes and left the room, but Saber was almost sure, that three cheeseburgers would make her try on every dress, and he decided to check this theory later.

"To think that his Master is a little girl… Unbelievable." Archer did not know what to do with this unexpected discovery.

Sure that the enemy was already dead, Kayneth ordered Robin to find and kill Saber's Master, so he couldn't summon another Servant. The first part of this task was too easy - tracking the big guy, when his skin was constantly burning from the magical poison, did not take much time. Archer observed the house almost all day, waiting for the best moment to launch an attack. He had more than few occasions to do so, but…

"Hell no! I haven't been been summoned here to kill children."

Robin sighed. Lord El-Melloi will probably use another lie-detecting spell on him, so he needed to come up with an explanation for this disobedience in the meantime. But he won't ever sneak like that on an innocent child, it was just wrong.

A barely noticeable movement on the nearest tree alarmed Archer. He spotted a slim figure in black - a spy, who was trying to withdraw to his hideout in a hurry.

"Assassin? Hmm, this one probably won't hesitate and just eliminate the little one." The green bowman glanced at the intruder, then back at the house, not yet sure what to do. "Damn it, you should be more careful, big guy. And curse you for making me so soft and all…"

It was a good feeling - to be trusted, even if this heroic idiot with a great sword was the only person here to show him such trust. But then Archer's insane Master had to ruin everything with his stupid order, making Robin act like a despicable traitor.

Keeping the identity of the little Master secret was the best thing Robin could do for Saber, so he decided to hunt Assassin down. Getting rid of the intruder, before he could share the knowledge about this location with his allies, was the only way to protect the cute girl.

The Servant in black was moving quickly, jumping from branch to branch with agility of a monkey. But Robin followed him with ease, quiet and deadly like a wild cat going after his prey.

"Fool. If you had escaped to the town, you would have had a chance against me. But here, in the woods, you're already dead."

Sure that there were no witnesses nearby, Archer sent one arrow after the spy – it did not reach him, but fell to the ground between his feet. The masked Servant turned around, ready to defend himself...

The ground around him literally exploded. Strong roots of a yew tree caught and crushed Assassin with enormous power. Robin observed this process in silence – after a short while no trace left of the unlucky scout, as if he'd been devoured by the blooming greenery around.

"It's not that I owe you or something, big guy…" Archer sighed, but then smiled, remembering Saber and his Master, doing really stupid things almost all day and enjoying it to the fullest. "Just be more careful and guard her well, ok?"

"Sleep well, Sweetheart." Irisviel kissed Illya goodnight. And goodbye - it was too dangerous to stay here together any longer.

"Um, I will. Since Saber is with me, I no longer have bad dreams." She smiled and hugged her favorite teddy bear. "Remember, Mother? Those dreams about seven lumps inside me. I'm not scared anymore."

"I'm glad to hear it." Iri looked surprised but also happy. She gently caressed Illya's cheek. "What kind of dreams do you have now?"

"Last night there were many people in my dreams. They thanked me and were very happy. I felt like a hero." She yawned, tired after a day full of sweets, laughing and other crazy stuff. "Will you take my Saber to war tonight? He needs to be healed first."

She sounded so sad and worried that Irisviel had no heart to take Siegfried away from her, at least not yet. She took a deep breath, imagining Kiritsugu's reaction. He will be angry, probably, but still…

"I think that nothing bad will happen, if Saber stays with you a little longer."

Kariya Matou could not understand, why nobody was fighting tonight.

He was walking slowly through the town, barely able to move his feet. Berserker kept draining him badly, so the mage had to end the war as soon as possible. Every night was precious for him, but it seemed that other Masters were not this desperate to win.

"I know, they all hide from my Servant, cowards!" He coughed painfully and spat a few worms with blood. "I'll find you and kill you all, I have no time to waste."

In a narrow, stinky back alley Kariya stumbled on something wet and cold. It made a strange, splashy sound, so he instinctively stepped back and took a closer look at the mysterious object.

"S-sakura… Sakura?!"

The girl was around the same age and had almost identical hairstyle, but the resemblance to the younger daughter of Aoi ended there. Her long dead eyes stared empty at the sky, her yellow dress was stained with blood. The corpse had been wrapped in some ugly tentacles, which were still moving, devouring every inch of flesh and soul of their victim.

Not able to control his rage, Kariya ordered the flying insects to attack. They tore the monsters to pieces in an instant.

But more slimy creatures hid in the alley. They were crawling on the sidewalk, searching for another prey. Even an unexperienced magus could tell, that someone had sent them here to feed upon people. Another filthy, corrupted mage was using children to satisfy his sick desires.

Kariya shivered. He did not like it. It needed to be stopped. This girl was just like Sakura. She was Sakura...

Every child, who suffers from magic, is Sakura.

"Berserker! Kill!"

"Do you have a moment to talk with me, Saber?"

Siegfried had not dematerialized yet. He was sitting near the lamp in the corner of the room, totally absorbed by something on his lap.

"Of course, Lady Irisviel." He hid it under the pillow, but Iri pretended to not notice.

"Could you show me the wound? Illya asked me to check it." Siegfried nodded and obediently turned around. "Does it hurt?" It looked like something very painful, but Irisviel wanted to know more details, before preparing the best spell.

"Not really, it's just a scratch." Saber smiled, but then tensed and hissed through his teeth, when Iri pressed the skin around the injury.

"You're a poor liar." As expected, her healing magic could only ease the pain. That curse was truly troublesome. "I'm sorry, I can't help you."

"It's fine, thank you. And it's not affecting my fighting potential in any way, so it's nothing, really."

"You should take better care of yourself. Illya will be sad, if something bad happens to you. And… Oh my, your hair is all tangled!" She chuckled, trying to unravel a crazy strand. "You really like children, do you? It's been said in some stories that you had a son?"

Surprisingly, Siegfried saddened at her question and remained silent for a long while.

"Saber? Did I say something wrong?"

"No. It's me… It's…" He sighed. "I don't know."

"Huh?" That was interesting. "Why?"

"Lady Irisviel, you probably know that there are many versions of my legend." He showed her the object hidden under the pillow. It was a book, 'The Nibelungenlied'. "I hope Miss Sella won't be angry at me for borrowing this. Anyway… I'm confused."

"Why?"

"This story is not even about me, but about two women and their vengeance. It looks like this Sigurd guy from other stories was the real thing. Under this name I'm nothing more than a fictional character, created by people's wishes, mostly to grant more of their wishes. This is probably the reason, why I can't remember anything like family life or even killing a dragon. Because it never happened. It's a simple mechanism – it's not written, so it doesn't exist." He stared at the book, hoping that answers to his questions were hidden somewhere in the text. "It's not that I really care, but… somehow I feel guilty for having fun today. I have no right to enjoy my time here with Illya." Even the sound of his Master's name brought a warm smile to Siegfried's face. "It would be a lot easier for a Servant to be only an emotionless tool, truly. I know my place, please forgive me for forgetting it today."

Irisviel needed a moment to understand his way of thinking. After a short while she took the book from his hand and threw it into a trash can. Siegfried looked at her questioningly.

"Do you always think so much about unnecessary things?" She sighed. "I'm sure that this story was based on a real person. You are here and you are real. We know who you are, we trust you and like to spend our time with you. Because we know what's in your soul." Her smile was stunningly beautiful. "I'm glad that Illya has a friend like you."

"F-friend?"

"Yes, more than just a Servant or an ally. You're her friend already." She smiled again, but her hands were shaking with hidden emotions. "If not this accidental summoning, she would be left in that castle, lonely, scared, treated like a magical experiment. She would probably spend all her life there, if... If we fail, she will…" She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I want her to go outside, make friends, live normal and happy life, like I never could. That's why I support Kiritsugu with all my heart. So Illya could be safe."

"Is that your wish, Lady Irisviel?"

The way he said it, something in his voice and gaze, made Irisviel uncomfortable.

"I have no right to have a wish for the Grail. It's not my role in this war."

"I didn't mean the Grail, but the true desire of your heart."

"Well… Yes, I think you're right, Saber." She looked him in the eye. "This is what every mother wants for her child, I suppose. It's also my wish. But why do you ask?"

He closed his eyes and smiled.

"For no particular reason, really." Again, the tone of his voice did not match the words. "I just think that this is a beautiful wish, Lady Irisviel. The one really worth fighting for."