"Talking"
'Thinking'
"Master/Servant Link"
Noble Phantasm
Chapter 6: Dreams worth pursuing...
Illya had gotten used to strange dreams as of late, but this one was probably the strangest one she'd had yet.
She saw Shirou again, but this was different. He was older than in her previous dreams, he was as old as he was now.
The dream was more hazy, as if she were having trouble remembering something and multiple memories were combining themselves in front of her.
One moment Shirou was a Seven year old boy.
The next he was in a school being stabbed through the chest by a man wearing a blue outfit with a red spear. Illya recognised the spear however, she'd seen it before.
"Gae...Bolg?" She whispered out in confusion.
The image changed again, a woman stood before Shirou. The colour scheme was different. This woman wore blue instead of black and Illya could see her face this time but there was no mistaking it. This was the Saber Card.
"I ask of you." The woman's voice was regal, it commanded respect "Are you my Master?"
Illya awoke, more confused this time. She also felt horrible, she was definitely burning up. She looked around, blinking as her vision returned.
She was in her room.
She tried to remember what had happened earlier only to pale rapidly, a void forming in her gut.
The Saber Card…
"Archer!" She screamed through the link "Archer are you there!?"
"My, my…" A teasing voice answered back, Illya was never so relieved to be made fun of than right now "How can a small girl make so much noise, so early in the morning?"
"Archer…" Illya began to tear up "You're okay…"
"I feel as though I should be asking you that, Master. Especially after last night."
"Eh?" Illya sounded surprised "What do you mean?"
Archer was silent for a few moments before replying "Do you...not remember?"
Illya scrunched her face up in confusion before gripping her head when she felt a headache while trying to remember what happened after she saw Archer go towards Saber.
"I...can't...did…did we win?" Illya eventually ground out, she sounded pleading.
"We did…you used my Class Card and used my abilities to win."
Illya's eyes went wide, she couldn't contain her sound of surprise "Eh?!"
"...Seems you cannot recall the fight...what's the last thing you remember?"
Illya looked thoughtful "I...saw you going to fight Saber...then I...I felt I had to save you…"
Archer was silent for a long time before he spoke again "You mentioned an 'Old man's dream', what did you mean?"
Illya looked slightly embarrassed before replying "I've been having these…" she stopped in thought before continuing "...at first they were nightmares. I saw...fire, I saw Onii-chan...he was just...walking through that...place…"
Archer remained tellingly silent.
Illya continued "Then I dreamt again...I saw papa in the same city but he was...searching for something…" She paused, a small smile on her face "I saw him save onii-chan from that place...I saw his smile...it was so pretty Archer…"
Illya went on, she'd completely forgotten about Archer at this point "I saw him and onii-chan talking. Papa said that he couldn't become a Hero of Justice...I think that's...sad." she frowned "I saw him save onii-chan...but he still thought he wasn't a hero...he looked so sad he couldn't become one."
She smiled brightly, small tears building up in her eyes "I don't know what these dreams mean...but that smile on Papa's face when he saved onii-chan. The fact he couldn't call himself a Hero of Justice...You once asked me why I should fight, didn't you Archer?"
"...I did...shall I…" He hesitated, he dreaded what would happen when he finished his question "...shall I assume you found your answer?"
"Yep." Illya said this out loud "I'm already a magical girl...but I think if I'm going to be a magical girl I should do something more." She smiled, so very brightly. As if she just had the purest thought in the word "I'm going to be a Hero of Justice, Archer!" she collapsed back into her bed as exhaustion took her, panting slightly.
"Amazing, Illya-chan!" Ruby shouted "Such a lovely wish! A magical girl Hero of Justice! You'll save everyone won't you?"
"Yes, Ruby…" Illya panted out "I'll save people for the Papa in my dreams."
Archer had been a Counter Guardian for…
A long time.
In that he had seen many horrors caused by humanity, he'd been forced to clean up every single one. The wishes he trampled over to save people, who he'd then cull to save even more. His life as a simple killer.
All of that, stemmed from a simple wish. A single desire that made Emiya Shirou into who Archer was.
It all started for him with that smile. It was all starting for Illya with the same one.
Words couldn't even begin to describe the concoction of emotions that Archer was feeling as this girl boasted of the curse she'd just placed upon herself.
He had initially planned to stick around only to remove the class cards. Now though…
Illya had to be stopped, for her own sake as much as Archer's.
This was his mess, that girl's desire came from him.
How ironic, his one desire had been to destroy a certain 'Hero of Justice' and instead he had made one.
He materialised. Illya went wide eyed at him "Archer!" she panicked and looked at the door "What if Sella co-"
"She saw me last night." Archer dismissed her immediately, Illya was left surprised by Archer's nonchalant response. "Illya." his tone was iron. It brook no argument. Illya went silent.
"You shouldn't become a Hero of Justice. It's a foolish and childish wish." Illya made to protest, Archer cut her off with a glare "To be a Hero of Justice. Is to wish for someone, somewhere, to be in danger. Is that what you want Illya? To burden yourself with the desire to save everyone you can?"
Illya didn't say anything. Archer grunted and shook his head "It's fine to help someone." he narrowed his eyes "But if you help them not because you need to but because you want to then you haven't truly saved them." he returned to Spirit form, leaving behind and frowning Illya.
"Don't listen to him, Illya-chan!" Ruby chimed in "You'll make a great Hero! Who wouldn't want a cute magical girl saving them."
Illya smiled at Ruby "Thanks Ruby...didn't Archer seem...really upset though?"
"Really?" Ruby titled her body "I thought he was always like that."
Illya frowned and shook her head "No...he looked really sad just now."
"Maybe he's just jealous of your dream?"
Archer left the house, he re-clothed himself in the casual clothes that Illya had bought him. He needed time alone.
He walked around town for he didn't know how long, all he knew was that he eventually found himself in the area where the Emiya estate was. Or used to be.
It was a small patch of grass, it was unremarkable in every way possible. Archer walked about this clump of dirt he had once called home a lifetime ago.
He scowled, it was so simple.
When he had remembered why he wanted to be summoned in the first place the goal was straight forward, find Emiya Shirou and kill him before he becomes a 'Hero of Justice'.
So why did everything have to be so wrong?
Tohsaka and Luvia running around Fuyuki like a pair of amateurs looking for 'Class Cards', some hash of a Grail War without an actual Grail, his past self being a normal kid and now Illya wanting to become some Magical Hero of Justice because it 'sounds like a good way to make it up to a hollow man who died realising the futility of such and endeavour'.
Things only got weirder with the more recent addition to his growing headache.
Miyu, the already strange girl was a more pressing issue now.
She knew who Archer was. His true name, how? He didn't know.
But he intended to find out.
Elsewhere Emiya Shirou walked down the stairs of his house, he was getting ready to leave for school when he paused slightly. Staring down at something turned face down on the ground.
Curious, he leaned down and picked it up, turning it over he saw the image of a man holding a bow with writing at the bottom.
"Ar...cher?" He said out loud, an eyebrow raised in confusion.
As he held the card he felt something. It was as if some part of him which he didn't know he was missing was found. For some reason this card felt...familiar to him. Like he was meeting an old friend.
He shrugged his shoulders and put the card in his inside pocket, he was going to be late to school. He'd seen Illya with some kind of card occasionally so it must be hers. He couldn't give it to her right now, Sella said she was ill and he didn't want to disturb her. He'd return the card to her when he got back home.
Besides. He could hold onto it for a little bit longer.
Miyu had been troubled since last night.
The use of the Archer card against Saber, Illyasviel had used it in the same way they had been used during the Holy Grail war.
But that wasn't what occupied her mind.
She'd overheard Darius say that the class card her brother used was the Heroic Spirit EMIYA, his future self. She'd never actually seen the card used before. However, when Illyasviel used the card and her appearance changed. She looked like Archer.
Archer had confirmed last night that the Class Card used his power as a Heroic Spirit.
Archer's true name…
Emiya Shirou. Her older brother's future self.
Which is why it hurt looking at him. Those eyes which used to look upon her with love, the brother who wished only for her to find happiness.
Those eyes on Archer looked upon her with indifference. He didn't even know who she was.
She'd done all she could to avoid breaking down and hugging him when he confirmed it last night. The more she thought about it. The more she hated it.
Archer...EMIYA wasn't her older brother. Her older brother was gone, and Archer was now a constant reminder of that.
"Miyu-sama." Sapphire called out to her, Miyu took a break from sweeping the floor to turn to her.
"Yes, Sapphire?" She looked at the Mystic Code.
"Illya-san is calling you."
"Calling...me?" Miyu tilted her head, Sapphire promptly changed into a phone of sorts and she heard Illya's voice through the end.
"M-Miyu-san? Are you there?" She sounded anxious.
"Illyasviel?"
"Sorry for calling out of the blue."
"Did you need something?"
"Uh…" Illya froze, slightly nervous before she continued "No...not really, I was just wondering what you were doing."
"I'm at home. Luvia-san insisted that I take a day off and rest." Said rest included basic housework, Miyu did not feel the need to mention that however.
"Oh, I see." Illya sounded relieved "Just like me then, bored out of your wits with nothing to do."
"Oh…" Miyu simply replied, she didn't know what else to say, they entered an awkward silence for a few moments before Miyu spoke again "How are you feeling?"
"Huh?"
"Do you feel unwell from having used too much mana?"
"Well, I had a slight fever." Illya replied, sounding slightly tired "But I feel okay now."
"I see."
"Yeah."
"Illyasviel?"
"Yes?"
"What...what do you know about Archer?" Miyu's voice sounded on edge, like there was a personal interest in this.
"Not much, really...sometimes he teases me...but today he seemed more...grumpy" was the word Illya went with "than usual."
"Because of the Class Card?" Miyu asked, she would be confused if that was the issue.
"No...I don't think he likes my reason for fighting…" Illya sounded slightly depressed.
"What was your reason?"
"I...I want to be a Hero of Justice...saving everyone I can." Illya sounded slightly ecstatic when she said that.
"Hero...of Justice?" Miyu tilted her head, sure it was a weird thing but why would Archer dislike it?
"AH! You're driving me crazy!" Ruby suddenly shouted "Why is this conversation so awkward!?"
"N-not like I want it to be!" Illya's panicked voice shouted over the Sapphire phone.
"Fine. I'll switch to video chat then." Ruby sounded rather gleeful at the prospect "Seeing each others faces should make it easier to talk!"
Miyu tilted her head in confusion as she repeated the words in her head 'Video chat?' then she looked down at the maid outfit she was wearing.
Illya was going to see her dressed like this.
Miyu's eyes widened in alarm, too late she looked up to see Illyasviel staring at her through a projection. Miyu immediately flushed in embarrassment as Illya gaped at her like a fish.
"She seems to have one heck of a hobby." Ruby chimed in, sounding rather pleased with herself.
"E-eh!?" Miyu stared in alarm, desperate to prevent any misunderstandings "N-no! This isn't a hobby of mine!" she could feel tears begin to build up in her eyes as he hid her face behind her hands "Luvia-san made me wear this…"
"Miyu-san." Illya's voice sounded emotionless "I want to see you right now."
"W-what?"
"I really want to see you! I want to see you in the flesh!" Illya's voice turned begging, almost desperate "Come! Come over here right now! Dressed like that!"
"Wai-"
"You live just across the street! Come over here right now!"
Miyu was on the verge of crying, Illya's begging aside she didn't know what to do "Understood!" so she simply said yes.
Emiya Shirou had been having strange headaches since this morning, they didn't start out as much when he left the house. A gradual buzzing sound in the background but nothing more than that. As his day progressed however, he could feel the pounding in his head getting louder and louder. At this point it was a static noise.
The card in his pocket felt like it was burning him, excusing himself to the school toilets. Shirou took the card from his pocket. The buzzing seemed to die down as he held the 'Archer' card in his hand, it felt natural somehow.
As if he was meeting an old friend he had forgotten. The card completed a missing piece of him he didn't know even existed.
At this point it was freaking him out. It didn't matter though, the static in his head had gone away. That was enough for him at the moment.
He returned to his lessons a short while later, although he found his hand would occasionally hover over the pocket where the card was as the lesson dragged on.
That wasn't the only thing that was troubling him though, his left arm had been feeling weird. Occasionally he'd have mistaken it for being longer than it actually was, he'd just shake that thought of though. Probably just a trick of the brain.
"Emiya!" Shirou turned his head to see Issei walking towards him "The kendo club is complaining about a broken heater again, think you could take a look at it?"
"Sure." Shirou nodded, he felt like he could do with a distraction right now.
A brief journey through the school brought him to the Kendo club's dojo, he'd been surprised the school had even had the budget to have one built. It seems as though Taiga-sensei from the fifth grade had been pestering the school to have one built for a long time.
Shirou sat the heater down in front of him, it'd take him a while to open it up to see what was wrong, once he did that it probably wouldn't take long to-
No.
Shirou stopped himself. He didn't know why but he felt like there was an easier way of doing this than taking apart the entire heater. He held his hand out and placed it on the heater, he close his eyes and imagined something.
He didn't know what was guiding him, but he felt as though there was something he should do.
There was something that could help him, but he couldn't access it yet. It was locked until he did something, but doing it would be painful and extraordinarily so.
"Trace On." He bit back a scream of pain, it felt like he'd just shoved a molten rod of metal directly into his spine it was that painful. He became aware of a tingling sensation shooting through his body, at the same time he was grasping the heater he a saw glowing green pattern shoot across his arm and onto the heater.
He had no idea what compelled him to do that as the tears began rolling down his cheeks, he was used to pain with the amount of times Sella had hit him for accidentality walking into the shower while she was in there but this was unreal.
Why the hell would he possibly do this just to find out that the heater had a faulting wiring system and the transformer was misaligned...
"Eh?" Shirou couldn't help but let out a noise of confusion, the pain was still present in his body but he had a good grasp on it now. He wiped the tears away from his eyes and refocused on the heater.
How did he know about the faulty wiring and the transformer?
He quickly got to work in opening up the heater to check, he was very surprised to discover that the heater did indeed have faulty wiring and a misaligned transformer. A simple fix for the transformer but the wiring would only be a patch job, it would be easier to by a new heater than replace the wiring.
That wasn't important right now.
He knew what was wrong with the heater before he opened it.
Those words, that pain, that light dancing across his skin. It felt...natural somehow.
He looked down at his pocket where the card was. He had a very stupid idea. He took the card out and stared at it. He closed his eyes and tried to picture what he had done before, it worked with the heater.
"Trace…" He pictured going through several steps as he felt that sensation building up again "On."
The pattern spread across his arm, it didn't hurt as much as last time, he felt as though he was doing something right this time around. He pattern reached the card and-
"Senpai."
He almost rocketed his body across the room to get as far away from the card as possible, his breathing was haggard, his eyes slowly travelled to the card lying on the floor. He felt a growing numbness in his left arm, his eyes slowly turned towards it. He was relieved to see it still attached to his body.
But it also brought up the question.
Why wouldn't it be?
He shook his head, allowing his breathing to resume, he almost hesitantly made his way back to the card to pick it up, it felt heavy now.
Some forbidden knowledge that he was desperately searching for, but would ultimately hate himself for obtaining. He shook his head rapidly, the card almost thrust away back into his pocket.
He didn't want to think about it right now. He desperately didn't want to think about it. He'd rather do anything else. He returned to the heater. It needed the little repairs he could do. To him, the day couldn't end soon enough. He just didn't want to hold onto the card anymore.
He'd go home, then he'd immediately give it back to his sist-
"You'd better summon yours soon, Onii-chan..."
He froze, his heartbeat sped up. Why was he so afraid when he thought of his older sister?
'Wait?' He stopped himself 'I'm older than her, she's my younger sister.'
The thoughts were flung from his mind, back to work.
Archer was returning back to the house, the school day was over. He'd spent his morning going for a stroll to clear his head. Instead he'd been harassed by wizards.
The students of Homurahara Academy passed him by as he made his way down the street. He would have ignored them all, were it not for one thing which caught him off guard. His younger self.
Usually the idiot would have some stupid smile on his face.
Not this time though, this time the boy had an expression of determination as he virtually marched down the street back to his own house as fast as he could without breaking into a sprint.
'Odd...' Archer thought 'What's wrong with him?'
He hadn't interacted with his past self that much but he didn't appear to be the type to break off into an almost mad sprint with a serious look on his face.
Archer shrugged 'It's not my problem, anyway.'
He looked around to make sure no one else was present before he returned to Spirit Form. He would need to check up on his Master anyway.
Shirou virtually burst into the house, completely ignoring Sella's startled comment about welcoming him home. He didn't have time for that, the static in his head was back and it had gotten worse since he did...whatever he did to the heater. He just wanted the card gone.
He raced up the stairs to Illya's room and came to a stop in front of it, noticing four people standing outside.
"Eh?" Shirou paused as the four turned to him "You're Illya's friends aren't you?"
The tallest one with short black hair and glasses responded to him "Uhm...yes. We just wanted to check up on her after school."
Shirou smiled, it was good Illya had such nice friends "Same." he nodded, the stepped past them "Hopefully she's gotten bett-" He cut himself off as he opened the door. The other three walked in and paused just as he had.
Their brains restarted several times as they took in the bizarre scene in front of them.
There, on Illya's bed, was a girl with short black hair wearing a maid outfit while Illya, clad only in her underwear, was pinning her down. The two girls froze as the audience made themselves aware, the one in the maid outfit seemed to zero in on Shirou and turned a brilliant shade of red he didn't know was humanly possible.
"You look busy…" Shirou said after a moment, then proceeded to shoo the four girls that came into the room with him outside "We'll come back later…" he closed the door behind him.
The tall girl with glasses coughed "She seems...better."
"Quite lively too…" The short blonde one spoke, a small smirk on her face, only to be slapped in the back of the head.
Shirou simply shook his head in shock.
Archer returned at what he assumed was the wrong moment, while Illya was probably about to die of embarrassment from what she assumed was simply five people walking in on her...doing whatever she was doing. The reality was that it was six.
Archer was in spirit form around the same time as the others when they entered the room. He would have left immediately if one thing hadn't caught his eye.
Miyu, for a split second looked at Shirou in the same way she looked at Archer.
That...didn't sit well with him. He hadn't talked to the girl since last night. He needed answers. She knew who he was. His true name.
This was no longer a case of 'wait and see' he needed answers from her. Preferably when the two of them were alone.
He didn't have to wait long, barely a few minutes went by before a rather red looking pair of girls came out of the bedroom and made their way down stairs.
"Ah, Illya?" Shirou called out to the girl then fished something out of his pocket.
Archer nearly had a heart attack when he saw Shirou fish the class card out of his pocket and hand it to Illya.
"You should be more careful with your...tarot card?" He laughed it off, while Miyu was staring at Illya in shock that she had lost it. Archer didn't miss Shirou's reaction to the card either.
His eye's kept darting to it, and they weren't out of curiosity. He was afraid of it.
Archer scowled in Spirit form 'This had been nothing but a disaster.' some random girl knowing his origins, Sella finding out he existed, Illya becoming a 'Hero of Justice' and now Shirou looking like he'd seen a ghost when interacting with a Class Card. He really couldn't see how this could get much worse.
"We're dealing with Assassin." Archer said immediately, the group turned to him.
"How can you be sure?" Rin stared at Archer with a curious expression.
"Presence concealment." Archer replied, never taking his eyes off of the woods around them "If it were a Berserker I would have detected them by now, hence it is the Assassin class card with presence concealment. If so...you might be in trouble."
"Should we...split up?" Illya titled her head at Archer and provided the suggestion, at this point the Servant turned to her with an incredulous expression.
"I tell you that there is a Servant out there, whom I cannot detect, who is specialised in killing people…" Illya shrunk back slightly "...and you want to go out on your own?"
"N-no?" She gave a nervous smile.
"Yes. No." Archer sighed out "No point in thinking about it though, Miyu and Illya." the two girls gave him their full attention "It's up to you to protect Rin and Luvia, if the Assassin targets them...well." he turned to the two magi and gave them a knowing look.
"What about you?" Luvia put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.
Archer raised an eyebrow at her "Scouting." Then leapt into the tree's above them.
"Show-off." Rin scoffed before turning back to the two magical girls "While Archer is playing monkey in the tree's you'll be helping myself and Luvia find the Class Card."
"Right./Yes." Miyu and Illya responded at the same time, the group making their way through the woods.
Illya sighed to herself as she looked around the woods "Can't find anything."
"This is pretty mind-numbing. Has grumpy found anything?" Ruby replied to the girl, sounding just as bored.
"I'll check." Illya said then activated her mental link "Found anything, Archer?"
"No as of yet no."
"Okay." Illya turned her head back to Ruby "Archer says no."
"Figures." Ruby sighed "This isn't very magical girl of us. We should be using our powers to just level the whole forest."
Illya sweat-dropped "That's destroying, not searching."
"Time's like this call for the killer move 'Lyrical Radical Genocide!'"
Illya sighed "What's th-" she stopped and turned around, narrowing her eyes at the woods behind her.
"What's wrong, Illya?" Rin turned around and asked the girl.
"I might be imagining things…" Illya shrugged "But for a second I thought I say som-" was as far she got before a knife that was heading for her neck was intercepted by an arrow, the implement crashing harmlessly into the ground and causing both Illya and Rin to widen their eyes in alarm.
"Miyu!" Luvia shouted out, the girl in question quickly sent off a mana blast in the direction the knife came from.
Miyu stared down the new whole in the woods she had just created in confusion "There's nobody there?"
"Presence concealment, remember?" Archer shouted out as he dropped down out of the tree's and into the clearing "That's why I said to be careful." he dismissed his bow and projected Kanshou just in time to deflect another knife aimed at him. "Get into a circle!"
The group quickly adhered to Archer's advice, forming a small circle in the clearing with each of them facing a direction.
"Archer, who are we dealing with?" Rin shouted out as she readied several jewels.
"One of the Hassan." He shot back, never taking his eyes off the woods.
"One of?"
"It was a group. Saying 'we're dealing with Hassan' doesn't narrow it down." he shouted back as he deflected yet another dirk, the majority of the projectiles being aimed at him "Tch. Seems I'm their favourite." he muttered to himself.
"Enough hiding!" Illya shouted then let loose another large beam of mana into the woods, it did little more than incinerate a few trees.
From the woods on the opposite end, a malnourished looking figure with black skin and a skull mask slowly emerged into the clearing.
"There!" Miyu pointed at them, instantly the group's attention was on the Servant.
Then another figure stepped out behind that one, then another, then another.
"Hundred Faces." Archer scowled, he doubted the Servant could manifest all one hundred of it's personalities in its current form, but it still had a numbers advantage on him.
"Opponents confirmed." Sapphire's voice broke them out of their stupor as more and more skull faced figures appear all around them "Over fifty in total."
"Archer we...need…." Rin trailed off as she looked up.
"Tohsaka, is now the time...to...be…" Luvia did the same.
Miyu and Illya looked at the pair in confusion, then noticed that all the Assassin's were doing the same. The pair looked up, and promptly widened their eyes.
"Eh?" Illya let out a little gasp of surprise.
Swords. The sky was filled with swords, all of them pointing downwards at the Assassins.
"All projections…" Illya turned to Archer, his impassive face staring at the Assassin's broke out into a small smirk "Release."
The swords fell, in an instant the Assassin's were cut down. It didn't matter if they tried to flee or dodge. More swords simply formed and were launched at them.
The barrage lasted on twelve seconds. The group stared wide eyed at the small field of swords, each of which had skewered one of the Assassin bodies to the ground.
There were a few seconds of tense silence before the bodies and the swords faded away, leaving only the Assassin class card behind.
Archer turned his attention back to the group "I'd say we're done here."
"I...what...eh?" Rin failed at producing sentences.
"Cool." Illya's voice had Archer turn to her with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"Oh? You didn't think I was all bluster, did you Master?" He smirked at her and Illya didn't know how to reply to that.
"Meh. It would have been better if it was lyrical." Ruby replied in a deadpan voice, that earned a scowl from Archer and slightly narrowed eyes.
"Miyu. Collect the card." Luvia's voice had the pair turn to her as she ordered Miyu. Said girl was still staring at Archer before she broke out of her trance and moved off to the Card.
"Assassin card, collected." The girl said as she slipped the card into the little pouch on her leg.
"Ahem." Rin coughed out "Illya. Have Ruby prepare us to leave. Myself and Luvia will work on finding the last card after this."
"Right." Illya shouted out, still not looking at Rin as Ruby prepared the spell.
Shifting back over, the group quickly parted ways, with Archer returning to Spirit form.
"Archer?" Illya eventually got her question out, sounding slightly worried.
"Yes, Master?"
"We're almost done with the Cards, aren't we?"
"Indeed."
"What...what will you do after we're done?" Illya had a slight sad note to her voice, she'd gotten used to having Archer around and wasn't particularly ready for him to leave yet.
"...I'll…" Archer wasn't able to reply as Illya quietly opened the door and entered the house, only to freeze when the living room lightly suddenly flicked on.
"I don't know if I should say good morning or good night." A rather amused voice sounded out, Illya slowly turned her head to a figure sitting in a chair, standing next to him was a woman she was very familiar with.
How could she not be? They virtually looked the same.
"Papa, Mama!" Illya shouted out in surprise.
Kiritsugu chuckled at her as Irisviel rushed forwards and scooped Illya up in a hug.
"Illya-chan!" Irisviel clung to the small girl, a big grin on her face "I've missed you so much!"
"Mama...can't breathe…" Illya managed to get out and Irisviel loosed her hug slightly and set the small girl down.
Illya began to take in large mouthfuls of air before realising her situation. Coming back home at nearly one in the morning "What...um...I mean…"
"Perhaps…" Kiritsugu raised his hand to stop her "You should let us start."
Illya nodded, the small smile of Kiritsugu's face quickly disappeared as his posture became more serious.
"What's this I hear about a Servant?"
Completely oblivious to the rising crisis downstairs Shirou tucked himself into bed. The static in his head had gradually gotten better once he gave Illya her Tarot card back. He could only hope that a good nights rest would have him feeling better in the morning and he could just forget about the days weird events.
That night. Emiya Shirou dreamt of a hill of swords and a promise to his old man.
AN: Oh boy!
We're here…well...not quite but we're getting close.
Shirou interacts with the Archer class card.
But yeah...we're getting there. To be an Emiya is to suffer, that's all there is too it.
Also in case you are wondering about the Servant fights, right now I'm more focused on the character aspect and how Archer interacts with this version of the Fate franchise.
Don't worry, I'll make sure that Berserker isn't skipped over though.
