I do not own the Fate series. It belongs to Type Moon.

"You said an older brother protects his younger sister, right? . . . Yeah. I'm the older sister. So I have to protect my younger brother."

Illyasviel's final words to her beloved, dying brother, who had given her kindness after she had experienced a lifetime of misery. Illya smiled using the power of the Dress of Heaven, the remnant of her beloved maid Leysritt, to utilize the Third Magic, Heaven's Feel. She briefly materialized Shirou's soul and placed himself into a vessel. The vessel for his soul wasn't much. Cheap was the best word for it, but hopefully it was enough to save him. The half-homunculus girl walked to the center, to close the gate that is the Holy Grail. To finally stop this damn ritual caused so much sadness. The ritual that caused her so much pain. That slaughter so many of her kind in order to create Lesser Grails. That took her parents away from her. That almost took her brother from this world.

The girl hears her brother crying her name, begging her no to sacrifice herself. She ignores them, knowing that a world where she lives happily with her brother is nothing but a fantasy. Utilizing the Dress of Heaven, the girl smiles as she shuts the gate of the Great Holy Grail. She smiles as she fades away, closing her eyes.

She feels herself fade away into the void, her soul moving towards Akasha to be recycled. The homunculus finds the experience peaceful, as if all her worries, all her sins, were being stripped away.

Then it all went wrong. Illya felt her soul had stopped moving, as if everything everywhere had stopped. She opened her eyes to see everything was a blank white, like the void. Feeling a presence behind her, she turned to see him, the Master of the Second True Magic, Kaleidoscope. The man who helped orchestrate the Holy Grail War.

"Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg," she mutters.

"Hello, Justeaze, it certainly has been a long time," the Dead Apostle Ancestor greets. "Or should I say, hello, Illyasviel von Einzbern."

Getting over her shock, Illya regained her composure. She relaxed her body, no soul is the better word for it. Illya looked at the True Magician. "What do you want, Wizard Marshall?"

He smiled, revealing his fangs. "Oh, just visiting an old friend."

Illya stared at Zelretch. "My ancestor has never been your friend, Zelretch. At best, you two were acquaintances, but that was all."

"So cruel," Zelretch pouts. "Just like your ancestor, a total ice queen."

Suddenly, two wands, one pink, the other blue, flew out from behind the True Magician.

"Hello, Illya-san!" the pink one cheers out happily.

"Good day, Illya-sama," the blue one said without emotion.

Zelretch shakes his head, sadly. "Ruby. Sapphire. You should no better. You know this isn't your Illya. She is from a world where she was constantly in pain. That world had no Miyu and no Kuro. In her world, she was alone."

Ruby glared at Zelretch, though Illya couldn't really tell because the wand had no eyes. Meanwhile, Sapphire bowed her head at Illya and apologized. Seeing Illya's confused expression, Zelretch explained that Ruby and Sapphire were powerful Mystic Codes who had met an alternate version of her. That Illya. It thought of her burned her very soul. Figuratively, of course. That Illya's family didn't abandon her for the Holy Grail War, they chose her over the world's salvation. She lived a happy life, never alone. Though she did experience danger, that Illya always had friends by her side. She was jealous. That was the only thing she felt for the other her. The girl desperately wished for that life, a life with friends and family. Learning of that world, a fantasy that she had always dreamed of but could never have, brought the girl to the brink of tears.

Noticing the little girl's sobbing, Zelretch patted her head. "Now, now. No need to cry. I've got a proposition for you."

Lifting her head, she looked at the True Magician. "Proposition?"

Zelretch gave a kind smile. "Yes. I'm going to give you a chance to live, a chance to have a family."

"What?" Illya asked, not knowing how to act with this new information. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Zelretch starts. "I'm in a little debt to your brother. You see, multiple versions of Alaya, Gaia, and myself got together to protect us from multiple other threats. So we took Alaya's most fiecest guard dog, your brother, who you've no doubt guessed was the Archer in your fifth Holy Grail War. We augmented him so that he could easily remove any multidimensional threat, in exchange that that version of himself be removed from his role of counter guardian. We sent him to each of the threat, where he can deal with the threat in his own way. He doesn't have to slaughter or massacre anybody.

I plan to do something similar to you. Combine your alternate selves. The reason I helped out with buffing up your brother is because Alaya and Gaia offered to restore my powers. As you know, most of my power was used up after my battle with Type Moon. Now, I've regained my powers and with help from your brother, I've even developed a Reality Marble. Now, Gaia and Alaya can't stop me and can fulfill my debt to your brother. Now I can save you."

"Save me?" Illya repeated, not being able to believe it. She could live. She could live her life. It was unbelievable.

"Yes," Zelretch said. "Though, if you wish to just reincarnate in Akasha, just say no. If you want this new life, grab hold of Ruby and Sapphire."

Crying tears of joy, the homunculus girl reached out Taking Ruby in her right hand and Sapphire in her left, she felt as her very being was expanding. Alternate selves and the minds of past Einzbern homunculi were transferred into her.

"That's a good girl," Zelretch smiled. "Now, I'll try to send you to worlds where your brother now exists. Goodbye and good luck, my dear girl."

Filled to the brim with happiness, the girl cried out in joy as she disappeared. "I'm coming to see you, Onii-chan!"

If anyone wants to know, the sequels of this will be posted as crossover fanfictions. Like the visual novels, this and 'A New Fate' will split, throwing both Illya and Shirou into different worlds.