Summary: One homunculus reflects with his last Ascension on his new place and the people he's found himself with. Being a Servant is still a new experience, but with Vy as his Master, he thinks he can get used to it.

Note: This was inspired by the story ending of the Apocrypha: Inheritance of Glory Event (back in May 2020) in FGO and my feelings that came after a certain homunculus reached the limits of his power. Because as much as Apocrypha as an anime was flawed, it portrayed one of my favorite Grail Wars in the Fate franchise to date and the characters are very dear to me.

This takes place a bit after the first chapter/"oneshot" that starred my main front-line Riders in Chaldea, approximately while I was still in the middle of finishing the Babylonia Singularity.

A song I'll recommend as one last note? Kazoku, the first original composition done by YouTuber and pianist Theishter. Feel free to check out his work. :)

Now then. Feel free to enjoy another peek into my Chaldea.

Day 2: A Happy Homunculus

"Master, you don't have to do this…" The tingling in his chest was indicative of embarrassment Sieg was still getting used to as he was slowly pushed into the magic circle. Despite her short stature, Vy was surprisingly adamant, brown hair flopping forward past her shoulders as she continued pushing him. "There are other Servants you can level up first…"

"That doesn't mean neglecting you, Sieg," Vy muttered vehemently, shaking her head enough to tilt her glasses down the bridge of her nose, exposing brown eyes that were staring at no one but him. "With all the work that comes with Singularities, more help would be appreciated. And besides," she beamed up at him from over his shoulder, "We have all the materials and you're worth it!"

Sieg could feel his cheeks start to burn.

Nearby in a corner, Sieg could hear Rider laugh. Achilles was snickering too, and if not for Chiron lightly tapping one of his hooves against the tile of the Enhancement Center as a chiding gesture, the laughter would probably be louder. "Go with it, Sieg!" Astolfo called after them, grinning to expose his fangs. "You'll be great!"

"R-Rider…" Sieg said pitifully.

"You'll be fine," Da Vinci called from over the speakers, humming cheerily. "You've been through this three times already, former Custodian. And besides, this is how Vy works around here." There was a pause before Da Vinci clicked her tongue, just in time for Vy to finish pushing Sieg into the center of the magic circle. "Well, when she's not tired anyways."

"Oh, ha ha, I love you too, Da Vinci," Vy deadpanned loudly, brushing dust off the skirt of her Chaldea Standard uniform as she stepped back. Sieg gave her a single glance, and she merely smiled. "If you don't mind, Sieg-kun." She reached into her back pocket, pulling out a single brown leaf. The bloodstains were faded on the leaf, probably from age, but Sieg could recognize the traces anywhere. "Ready?"

Sieg steeled his heart and nodded. "Go ahead."

Vy gently placed the leaf near the outer rim of the circle before taking a few more steps back, swiveling her head up towards the speakers. "Da Vinci? Dr. Roman? Everything ready?"

"Just about, Vy-chan," Romani called back, the room lights fading in exchange for letting the magic circle take the stage with its blue glow. "We'll begin in 3, 2…"

Vy took the chance to gently throw some recently gathered embers into the circle, doing her best to avoid Sieg's legs.

"And 1. Now beginning Ascension and Enhancement!"

Sieg felt his feet slowly leave the ground as he rose, the power flooding into him as the magic circle glowed with the energy from Chaldea's systems. The bright flash of light flooding his eyes made Sieg look away, but once the humming in his ears faded, he belatedly realized his feet were back on the ground and his Master was inclining her head at him. The other Servants seemed to be waiting in anticipation too, considering no one else was saying anything.

"…Sieg?" Vy said hesitantly, peering up at him with nervous brown eyes past her glasses. "Are you okay?"

For the first time in a while, Sieg felt himself smile. "I'm fine, Master."

Vy lurched back with clear surprise on her face just as Da Vinci happily called over the speakers, "Ascension Complete!"

The lights slowly turned back on in the room just as Astolfo jumped up to cheer. "Woo! Another Fully Ascended Servant! WOO! Less work for me!"

"That's what you cheer for?" Atalante said in astonishment, tail swishing in time with the other Servants starting to appalud. "We haven't finished saving humanity, Rider."

"Eh, I can cheer for something!" Astolfo was still jumping around the room, red cape and all, and if not for the person in front of him right now, Sieg would've been sure he would've been staring after his former Servant. "Let's enjoy this!"

Vy took a step closer, her lips pursued in a thin line as she looked up at him. "Sieg-kun?"

Oh, right. He hadn't said anything since the Ascension process ended.

Sieg gently bowed his head towards Vy with the same smile, being unable to deny the warmth in his chest. Even when his Master started to squeak from the same surprise from before, he opened his mouth and spoke honestly. "I… I never imagined you would go so far for me. I don't know what to do other than to show my appreciation. Anyway, Master… thank you."

Vy went silent at that, a confused noise stuck in her throat.

Sieg raised his head to give her a wider smile. It felt somewhat strange for a homunculus like him to feel so human, but, maybe, maybe, with someone like her as his Master… "Thank you, Vy. My friend. You've made this homunculus the happiest person on Earth."

The last thing Sieg expected was for Vy to start crying.

The tears were slow in forming. But once they were budding in the corners of her eyes and falling to the floor of Chaldea's Enhancement Center, all the Servant banter stopped.

"Master?" Marie Antoinette said softly.

Vy sniffled and covered her eyes with her hands, the motion enough to jostle her glasses and snap everyone out of whatever stupor they were in.

"M-Master?!" Sieg said, feeling the smile drop off his face. "Did I say something—"

"You silly Servant!" Vy cried loudly, and before Sieg knew it, she was ducking her head and barrelling into him, for lack of better words. Sieg barely felt the pain, but the tears starting to soak into the shoulder of his suit was unmistakable. "Th-Thank you… thank you… I-I…I never heard anyone say that b-before, so," a sob cut off Vy's words as she hid herself in Sieg's front. "I really h-hope I-I can keep making you h-h-happy…"

Sieg could barely move his arms as Vy wound hers around his waist. "Master…"

"Oh, senpai," Mash said suddenly, tears in her eyes too as she ran over to join the hug. Her weight was barely noticeable as she draped an arm around Vy's shoulders, shaking her head. "Don't c-cry. You've always made everyone here happy."

"H-Have I, Mash?" Vy squeaked out from Sieg's shirt, and by then, Sieg could feel the other Servants start to move around, whether it was barking out orders to EMIYA for Vy's favorites in the kitchen, others scurrying around for blankets, something. "I-I sleep in a lot, I can't farm materials all the time, my head hurts when we go out into Singularities, and a lot of Servants are still at their first Ascensions…! I-I need to work harder, if just to please the King in Babylonia, to s-save everybody, a-and…"

Before Sieg could say anything, Rider was suddenly there, smiling brighter than anyone else and jumping on his back to add, "Take it easy, Master! We got time! We Servants can wait, so let's enjoy this!"

"A-Astolfo…" Vy then devolved into sniffling.

Sieg meanwhile could barely complain about the weight when it was Rider saying such things. Take it upon his old companion to say things without care.

A pause.

Marie Antoinette nearby nudged someone and it was enough to prompt something. "…I may have asked you to be faster on your feet than me in our first meeting, but that does not mean over-exhausting yourself, Master." Atalante's voice was cool when striding over and joining into the group hug, arms wrapping around Vy's back and brushing past Mash's grip. "It wouldn't help us if we lost you."

Vy looked up at the Huntress and whimpered, eyes watering faster with the sentiment. "A-Atalante-saaaaaan…"

Atalante hummed, closing her eyes and tightening the hug as her tail gently swayed back and forth behind her skirt in a swishing motion.

Soon enough, Achilles of all people was the last one to join in, wrapping his arms around Sieg and with one small, "Oof," he then somehow lifted everyone present into the air.

This was surprising.

"A-Achilles?!" Mash squealed, hanging onto Vy for dear life. Vy let out a noise akin to "Awawawaaaaah," a stark contrast to Astolfo's cheerful "Weeeeee!" Chiron meanwhile crossed his arms in the same corner nearby, still tapping his hoof, this time in tune with Marie's giggling, surprisingly. It would've appeared to Sieg (no thanks to being stuck) that Chiron was somewhat irritated if not for the fond and exasperated smile that was showing on his face towards the Rider in question.

"Trust Ane-san, Master~" Achilles cooed in Vy's direction, a wide grin on his face. Sieg could've sworn it looked teasing with how much Mash was flailing from the shock. Not to mention how everyone's legs were left dangling in the air as Achilles gently swayed them back and forth, his gold armor sparkling in the room's lighting as he did. "We'll be in your care for as long as you need us, and besides! If you can bring us to Full Ascension when you're running on Gold Apples, who says you can't do everyone else!" Achilles puffed his chest out enough to make everyone feel the gesture from the hug. Then his smile turned soft. "We'll be here for you, now and forever."

"A-A-Achilles…" Vy's glasses were getting stained with all the tear drops, barely showing her wide brown eyes as a result, but even when carrying more than five people, the Hero of the Trojan War merely shook his head, wearing that same grin.

"C'mon, Master, quit crying. We can wait. You take what responsibility you can and we'll be with you all the way. You're our Master after all."

To no one's surprise but Mash, Vy started crying harder. Sieg slowly raised a hand to his friend's hair to pat it in sympathy just as Atalante leaned into the group hug, a comforting purr rumbling in her throat. Her lion ears twitched in time with Astolfo's reassuring laughter.

"Oh, senpai," Mash said softly. "It's okay."

"Let us down, Rider," Atalante said after a moment, still hanging onto Vy as Achilles started taking a few steps back in what looked like the beginning of a strength maneuver. "We have to visit the kitchens now."

Sieg just smiled and took the tears with all the strength he could provide as a homunculus.

Maybe this was what Rider called a "family" way back in the Great Holy Grail War. Maybe.