Summary: Miyu had seen wishes be used in many ways. The Ainsworths were some of those who would sacrifice everything, people and all, to get what they wanted. Her Onii-chan was one of the few who wouldn't wish for anything, merely hoping his loved ones would be happy in his place. When she inadvertently witnessed Palingenesis be done on Robin Hood by the only Chaldean Master for the sake of a wish to do good for him, a Servant, she slowly realized that there were more like her Onii-chan. Even in Chaldea, with the world bleached away, there was someone still around that acted just like Onii-chan and Illya.

Elsewhere, Robin Hood reflects with a certain red-jacketed Assassin around to commentate.

Note: Inspired by something one of my coworkers said when it came to my coming in to help every day with my former supervisor having left the company. "Everyone trusts you," she said.

Well, I wanted to run with that. Even if you're "ordinary" and could be just one blip in the entire world's population of people, that doesn't mean you can't make a difference. That's what I wanted to convey here.

So for this chapter, I'll just drop Yuki Kaijura's Sagitta Luminis from the original Puella Magi Madoka Magica. It's one of the shows that inspired me in a lot of ways, and hey, I still appreciate it in spite of its flaws. It let me believe that kindness does something after everything bad. And I hope it gives you a similar warm and fuzzy feeling.

Please enjoy.

Day 12: Wish to Do Good

Vy was still an enigma to Sakatsuki Miyu even after going through Ascension and regaining her original name. Yes, Vy had put a lot of time in raising her, Illya, and even Kuro, but there was something about her light that had Miyu wonder.

Had Chaldea not called at the time it did, Vy would have stayed a hopeful college schoolgirl. No connections to Magecraft, barely any kind of "tragedy" in her life bordering some of the things Miyu had seen thanks to the Ainsworths' treatment of her as the Holy Grail, and obviously lacking the mana to be anything but mediocre in the Mages' world.

Thus the dissonance between the Chaldean Master that saved the world from the Incineration of Humanity and the girl that hugged Mash almost every single moment they were together was far too stark for Miyu to grasp. As the only Chaldean Master, Vy was to-the-point, sarcastic, and sometimes rivaling Onii-chan with dark looks when enemies were on the horizon. As just "Vy," Vy was warm to every Servant so long as they weren't causing trouble, smiling and calling them by nicknames as if they were old friends.

Right now, that difference was still something Miyu couldn't fully understand.

"Wh-What's going on here? Why are you dragging me, Kuro?"

The Archer-styled girl didn't even turn her head, giggling under her breath as she tugged at Miyu's hand to guide her through the hallways of Novum Chaldea. "Something to see~!" she hummed under her breath, a small skip in her step as they kept walking together. "Illya's already there! So c'mon, Miyu!"

"I-I'm coming, I'm coming!" Miyu insists, trying not to wince at the grip Kuro had while keeping up the pace. "But where are we going?"

"The Enhancement Center!"

"Huh?" was all Miyu could muster. "Why?"

"Someone's getting a Holy Grail!"

The mention of the artifact alone made Miyu stop protesting.

A small crowd of Chaldean Servants had already gathered outside the Enhancement Center doors by the time Kuro and Miyu arrived. From all the bright and contrasting colors, it took a few moments longer than usual for Miyu to spot Illya, currently being held up onto the shoulders of that tall red Archer that looked a lot like Kuro. In spite of the embarrassment she seemed to be feeling, Illya still waved at both of them as they approached, pointing wordlessly at the little opening crack in the sliding doors.

"Someone's getting enhanced!" she mouthed with a curious smile. "Let's watch!"

Kuro rolled her eyes fondly while Miyu did her best to smile back. It was hard to do so with all the uncomfortable churning her stomach was doing at the mention of "a Holy Grail" earlier, but it was Illya. Miyu couldn't bear to see Illya worry.

So all she did was wiggle through the crowd, trying to ignore that red Archer's gaze on her, to approach the crack in the doors to peer in.

"PALINGENESIS STARTING IN 3, 2, 1—" a computerized voice called out.

Miyu could only catch a glimpse of that infamous golden cup before her vision was filled with light, making her lurch back as the other Servants around her started to murmur.

"How much QP does Master have again?"

"This is the third Servant to go through the process to get to Level 100…"

Such mutterings occurred above her head as Miyu did her best to refocus her vision.

Once the light had faded, Miyu could make out the back of a green cloak as her ears registered more voices. "Hey, Master?"

Robin Hood. Was he the one who just had Palingenesis done…?

"Hm?" Vy's voice. So it was her in there, too. Of course. Only by the Master's word could Palingenesis even be initiated. So then— "What is it, big Robin?"

There was a faint chuckle on the Archer's part. It took Miyu a moment too long to realize that "big Robin" was yet another one of Vy's nicknames, this one in particular reserved by the May King. For a rugged legend such as Robin Hood, it was such a… well, childish name, really. But she couldn't really argue against it when Robin Hood made no visible signs of protesting the address. Instead, Miyu could hear the faint tapping of a rugged boot against the tile floor of the Enhancement Center as Robin Hood spoke up. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but I gotta know. Why did you decide to use Holy Grails on a bowman like me?"

Why use a Holy Grail on me and not one of your other Servants?

It was the most important question on everyone's mind at the time. Miyu felt something akin to curiosity and something else ping through her as well with the question, making her bite the inside of her cheek to not let out any noise of recognition. Whether or not Kuro or Illya noticed, they didn't say anything. Indeed, the entirety of the crowd of Servants around the Enhancement Center echoed the silence of the outer hallway, waiting on Vy's response.

What did the Chaldean Master have to say for herself when it came to giving Grails to someone like Robin Hood? A 3-star in terms of strength?

"Hm, how to put it…" Even in that sliver of door opening Miyu had over the other, taller Servants, she could somehow still make out Vy's shy smile past Robin Hood's infamous green cloak as she turned to the Archer Servant with her hands clasped behind her back. "…You were one of my heroes growing up."

Archer EMIYA nearly tripped over himself just as the other Servants caught wind of what Vy said (nearly making Illya squeak in the process), and apparently Robin Hood was feeling the same way since all he said in response to Vy's statement was a baffled, "Huh?"

Vy shrugged her shoulders, the same smile on her face as her confidence grew in time with her voice. "Sure, there's been a lot of Robin Hoods." Vy paced back and forth between the center of the room, making small circles while speaking. "I know that not all of them had a happy ending like the Disney version would like kids to believe, but I grew up with the Disney version and I admired him."

Robin Hood exhaled enough that Miyu and the others could clearly hear him, one arm raised in the air questioningly. "…So then?"

How does that relate to me? It was left unsaid, but every Servant present could feel the question nonetheless.

"You may be one of many Robins, just a 'petty' bowman, but you're still the Robin I got to know as a person." Miyu could hear more footsteps mixed in with Robin Hood's tapping, as if Vy had walked over to Robin Hood's immediate side to smile up at him. "The last thing I ever wanted was to end up not giving something back to you. You're my big Robin, and I wanted to show you I appreciated you!"

Miyu was already starting to get the feeling she wasn't supposed to be hearing this, even if it was such a "Vy" thing to say. Robin Hood's stiffening figure wasn't exactly helping.

"…Is that it, little sparrow?" Robin Hood said softly, the foot tapping on his end having stopped in favor of the silence. "Is that all that went into making this decision?"

Miyu at this point was starting to wish she was a bit taller, just to see what face Vy was making in response to Robin Hood's question. Kuro too gulped, eyes totally focused on the scene at hand.

No one else was saying anything.

Vy paused, taking a breath of her own before her voice came out quieter, more careful in tone. "I mean, for more serious reasons…" Something shifted in the room, as if she had decided to kick up some dust off the floor as she deliberated her answer. "Robin Hood taught me how to be kind to people. When I was lonely and unsure of what to do growing up, Robin Hood showed me how to stand up and be myself again. To not judge things by their cover and just help wherever and whenever you can." Vy nodded to herself, clasping her hands together as she closed her eyes in thought. From her view, Miyu could only see how Robin Hood hadn't moved a single bit since Vy had started talking.

"Oh, Vy," Marie Antoinette whispered from the front of the crowd.

"I guess, how to put this…?" There was a long and tired exhale, as if Vy had let go of a heavy weight on her shoulders to continue. "Robin Hood taught me that small kindnesses matter, even if the world tries to claim that they don't. And considering the Robin Hood I know is still having trouble with how his life ended," Miyu caught only a fragment of the bright smile Vy sent to the green Archer in that very moment, "I wanted to give him the closest thing I could get to a happy ending for his newest incarnation. Since he convinced a little girl that she was worth something in her life once upon a time. Even if others tried to convince her that she wasn't, simply because she was ignorant and too likely to fall into fairy tales than believe reality when there was more bubbling underneath."

…Oh.

You were one of my heroes and even now, still are. No matter the means, you proved that my family's struggles in Vietnam were worth it, Robin. That was all Miyu could read from Vy's expression.

If anyone was fuming about not having a Grail up until now, they had stopped almost immediately to gape at the scene playing out in front of them. Archer EMIYA too had stopped tensing his shoulders, holding Illya up in what almost looked like a prayer kind of stance.

Robin Hood himself had fallen silent, his hands clenching into fists for the smallest moment before falling limp against his sides. "Vy…"

Miyu only then realized that was the first time she had ever heard Robin Hood call their Master by her name.

The call was enough to break whatever soft atmosphere there was, as Vy giggled softly, shyly to herself before evidently backtracking with, "N-Not to sound pretentious or anything, but are my attempts at making a happy ending for you working? B-Because if it isn't, I can try something else."

What did Vy go through before coming to Chaldea to sound like that? What made her start echoing a voice of hesitance and loneliness in life? Hell, how much self-doubt did she still have, after so many Singularities and Lostbelts?

Miyu didn't get the chance to ponder it all before that green cloak moved, and then there was a loud squeal. All she could see through the doors' cracks at that point was Robin Hood lifting Vy up in a warm embrace, supporting her weight so easily to the point she could've been a doll in his arms. Something warm was beginning to spread throughout the air with the gesture, affecting all Servants present, Miyu included, as Robin Hood murmured something unintelligible to all but the only Master present. Vy merely smiled at him, her brown eyes sparkling with unshed tears past her glasses as she whispered something gently back, cupping his cheeks with her hands and bumping his forehead with hers.

They only had centimeters of distance between them. Miyu knew that if either moved, they would be kissing. But they weren't. Instead, the Master and Servant were laughing quietly together, Robin Hood rocking Vy in his arms the entire time as their foreheads remained in contact with each other. Miyu could only guess at what they were saying.

Love you— was on the tip of her tongue.

"Miyu?" She could hear Illya say from what felt like a far away distance. It was hard to tell if it was out of concern or pity.

Feeling something hot sting in the back of her eyes, Miyu turned on her heels and then ran, leaving Kuro behind screaming in shock, "Where are you going, Miyu?!"

Moments later, Miyu felt a lump bubble up in her throat once she entered Vy's My Room area. Why was she doing this again? "…Master?"

Vy looked up almost immediately from the tablet of team compositions she was holding once Miyu spoke up, barely jostling the blankets on her bed with the motion, and she met Miyu's gaze with a kind smile. It almost reminded Miyu of Iri-san. "What is it, Miyu-chan?"

Right, answers. Miyu ducked her head, pondering her words for a moment. She finally got Vy's attention, which was amazing considering the number of Servants Vy was already contracted with, but where was she supposed to go with this?

In front of a girl like Vy, how could Miyu even compare?

In the time it took for Miyu to say a small, "Um…" Vy's kind smile had dropped for a concerned frown as she put her tablet to the side, getting up from her sitting place in her bed to walk over. "What's the matter, Miyu-chan?" Vy asked softly, almost sisterly as she then kneeled to Miyu's height. Her long brown hair billowed past her shoulders and the collar of her Chaldean Winter Uniform with the motion, making for a soft-looking curtain for Miyu to focus on in an attempt to distract herself. "Did something happen?"

"…Something did happen," Miyu said vaguely, but knew it wasn't an immediate out of the situation as Vy was still staring in her direction with a questioning face. "B-But I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead," Vy said patiently, a hand carefully raised in Miyu's direction. From the look in her eyes, it appeared Vy wanted to pat Miyu's head, but that self-doubt was coming in again, making her hesitate and then proceed to retract her hand. "Take your time, Miyu-chan."

"Thank you," Miyu said out of reflex, then shook her head. No no, not what she meant. "Master, if it's okay to ask, what is your wish?"

"Eh?" Vy blinked as soon as Miyu raised her head to look at her. It was obvious the question threw her off guard, as Vy recovered with a tinier, "What brought this on, Miyu-chan?"

"I…" Miyu honestly felt embarrassed enough to the point of rivaling that one time Kuro kissed her, taking a moment too long to admit, "I-I saw you do Palingenesis on Robin Hood earlier. S-So, I was wondering…"

Vy blushed almost immediately, blinking rapidly at Miyu as the statement sunk in. In spite of her slight tan, probably from her father, or so Vy had said once upon a time, the pink was obvious as Vy awkwardly cleared her throat. "Y-You saw that and were wondering what I would want if I could use a Grail for myself?"

"I know you can't use the Holy Grails on yourself or Mash," Miyu elaborated, trying not to wince at the memory. "So then, if you could, what would you—"

"What would I want, out of anything?" Vy fills in, quieter.

"Yes."

Vy blinked slowly at Miyu, her brown irises reflecting Miyu's image past her glasses before softening. Even with that look, Miyu wasn't sure of what Vy was thinking. "To be honest, Miyu-chan?" For some reason, in that very moment, Miyu could see an image of Onii-chan superimposed over Vy's figure. "I'd rather wish for everyone's happiness, if that was possible. But I'm not going to."

"Huh?"

Still, Vy shook her head, reaching over yet again but succeeding in placing a hand on top of Miyu's hair, patting it softly. "Life can be unfair," she continued, a sad undertone bellying her words. "It never turns out like a fairy tale and sometimes, good people just go through bad things. That doesn't mean that I'm going to wish for those bad things to go away. Reality will never let that happen. Sometimes, bad things just won't go away. Proper Human History has already shown those bad things will keep coming back."

Miyu ducked her head. Images of Julius, Onii-chan, the other Ainsworths, Kiritsugu, and Illya all flashed through her mind thanks to Vy's words. "So then—"

What should I—

"So to that, I'll say, 'so what?'"

"…Eh?" Miyu said slowly, raising her head.

Vy smiled once she noticed she had Miyu's attention, the smile reflecting the kind yet hardened visage of the Chaldean Master she was supposed to be. "If bad things are going to keep happening in life, the least I can do is add some good things to balance things out, Miyu-chan. I'm not going to wish for a Grail to do it for me." With the same hand, Vy lowered her fingers so as to gently poke Miyu's nose. In the time it took to recoil, Vy laughed softly, that same warm smile on her face as she said, "What makes dreams so worth the effort comes from the hard work you put into them. And I'd rather take the hard path than let it be handed to me on a silver platter."

The last thing Miyu expected was for Vy to move in close and touch her forehead with Miyu's, one of her gloved hands cupping Miyu's cheek. Brown hair brushed Miyu's shoulders with the gesture, leaving something warm in its place as Vy spoke up again. "Besides," she whispered, closing her eyes and bumping Miyu's forehead gently. "You and the other Servants deserve to have your wishes granted more. Mash, you, everyone. That's all, Miyu-chan."

Miyu took in a shaky breath, trying not to blush at the attention while attempting to process what was just said.

No wonder she used the Grails on Robin Hood and the others. She doesn't see herself as worthy. She doesn't believe in the validity of her own wish.

That's how long she's been…

The thought was sad. Understandable, considering how Chaldea had fallen thanks to Koyanskaya and the Foreign God, but it was still sad. Miyu could already guess through the surge of emotions flowing through their bond as Master and Servant how this was something Vy wouldn't just tell anyone.

This was something just for Miyu. And Miyu didn't know what to do with it.

This conflict against the Crypters wasn't just about Saving Humanity anymore. It was about proving who was more "deserving" to live. The fact that the Chaldean Master didn't seem to even think of herself as such, but instead mentioning Miyu, Mash, and the other Servants—

Is this what a "kindred spirit" is like, Sapphire?

The Kaleido Stick, funnily enough, had no immediate answer. Instead, she said in her soft voice, That is up to you to decide, Miyu-sama.

Miyu outwardly raised one shaky hand to grab the hand Vy was using to cup her cheek, squeezing her Master's fingers. "…Thank you," she whispered back, bumping Vy's head in return. "But I'm still going to offer my power to you, Master." To take back the world. To stop Humanity from falling any further. All of those things. But under her breath, in spite of the tears starting to bud in the corners of her eyes, Miyu finished with, "I still will hope your wish comes true one day, big sis Vy."

Another older sibling. It was time to take from Illya's book once again, after all, more so since Illya insisted on calling their Master "big sister Vy" since coming to Novum Chaldea in the Wandering. Considering the situation all of Chaldea's remains found itself in right now, with so much at stake, Miyu couldn't think of anything but that.

Vy could've made Onii-chan proud with her ambitions. It was a kind thought to have.

Still, Vy merely opened her eyes to stare at Miyu in shock for a moment, blinking rapidly before small tears of her own welled up. "Oh, you, Miyu-chan," she said with one last forehead bump and a single tired laugh, "with Servants like you around, it already has."

Sometimes, Robin Hood couldn't help but stare at the back of his Master. So much shorter than Sir Blackmore back in the days of the Moon Cell Holy Grail War, and yet radiating a light similar to him. Back then, he didn't like how Dan would always go on about chivalry and doing the right thing, but there was something about Vy and how she would let him fight the way he wanted without judgement, an understanding smile on her face every time he went back to her after a battle.

If Sir was a cold old knight unyielding to his ways until the bitter end, Vy was a tiny spark of a budding adult in a world of darkness, illuminating the halls of Chaldea with an empathy not many mages could relate with.

To clear his mind, Robin Hood flicked the cap to his lighter open.

"She really is such a tiny thing, isn't she?" Shiki said suddenly from a nearby table, and Robin Hood blinked to turn to her, a lit cigarette already in his mouth as she spoke. "Doesn't even look like she's on the verge of her 20s."

"You wouldn't think she was the savior of the world before," Robin Hood agreed around the stick of tobacco on his tongue, trying not to betray the surprise on his face at the sight of Ryougi Shiki talking to him. The red-coated Assassin wasn't one to socialize often, usually avoiding the Dining Hall and other gathering places unless Master called for her presence, so to see her initiating a conversation was rare. Still, he added, "But we wouldn't be here without her, right?"

Shiki scoffed under her breath, the sound coming off disbelieving and rude if not for Robin Hood picking up something else in her voice. "Probably," she said, her eyes dark. "She's too nice to be left alone."

Scathing, but true. "Can't argue with that," Robin Hood replied, placing a hand on his hip. After all, it was only with a Master like Vy that he'd be Grailed to Level 100 out of any other Servant in Chaldea's records. Especially after Grailing big names such as King Arthur and Achilles. To Shiki, Robin Hood quipped, "What's your other reason?"

Shiki shrugged as she absently played with a wooden spoon from her most recent helping of Haagen-Dazs strawberry flavored ice cream. "What should I say?" she entertained him dryly, a deadpan lit in her voice if not for the solemn smile on her face. "How did it go? 'Cinnamon rolls must be protected'?"

The saying was enough to make Robin nearly throw himself off balance from his place of leaning against one of the break room's walls, the laughter already bubbling up in his throat from the surprise. "Wh-Where did you — pft — hear that from?"

"My boyfriend's sister," Shiki said with a wave of her hand. "Apparently she found the phrase funny."

Robin did his best to not laugh out loud from the death glare Shiki was pointing at him. Hold it in, hold it in…! "Th-That phrase is true for the little sparrow, but it does not work coming from you!"

Shiki rolled her eyes while leaning back in her chair, wooden spoon left back on the table. "Didn't take you for a literary critic, Robin Hood. I can give you a knife to the back later."

Robin Hood gave her a smirk in return. "If you don't mind a poison arrow in return."

"Try me—"

Both Servants stopped once the door to the break room opened with a sudden Whoosh. Warmth flooded the area almost immediately as Vy, Winter Chaldea Uniform and all, glanced around in the doorway, her eyes lighting up once she focused in on Robin. Just as the smile grew on the young Master's face, the Archer immediately stubbed his cigarette in the nearest ashtray, swallowing the smoke cloud he was about to nearly breathe out. He didn't miss how Assassin had sat up from her chair to open one amused eye in Vy's direction. "Big Robin! Shiki-san!"

"Hello, Master," Shiki said in time with Robin Hood's hurried, "Hey, little sparrow!"

"If you two are free right now, I was hoping if you could come with me to the simulator! There's some things we need to farm before going to India!" Vy beamed. "Plus, we haven't been in a team together in a while! Can we go?"

Oh, great. There were those sparkles again. Even with the bags under her eyes past her glasses, Robin Hood could tell Vy was mustering up the energy just to talk to them. Or was it faking at this point? He wasn't sure. Hell, what was he supposed to do?

In the face of that innocent smile, Robin Hood could already tell he had lost. After all, how could he stay a coward in front of a girl who saw him as a hero?

"I like coexisting together with you," was the whisper that still echoed in his mind once the Holy Grails had settled into his Spirit Origin in that Enhancement Center. "Love you, Robin."

Robin Hood still didn't have a definite answer to Vy's words back then, but he could already guess he had to stop his smoking habit in the near future whenever he needed some time to himself. The last thing he wanted was for his little sparrow to catch cancer of all things.

He may still look at himself like a fool, but in front of a sparrow, it felt okay to be one. For once in his life as a Heroic Spirit.

"Sure, little sparrow," Robin Hood outwardly said, pocketing his lighter and walking over to rest a hand on top of Vy's head. Even when she started pouting up at him from the specific form of attention he was giving her, he couldn't deny the smile on his face. "Let's go." Seeing that little Miyu girl and Lady Mash linger in the hallway past Vy's shoulders proved it was just another day for Chaldea, even in the Wandering Sea. Miyu's curious gaze on him was a change of pace, though, for sure. It had been a long time since children looked up to him. Otherwise, Robin Hood pretended not to hear Assassin Shiki's scathing mumble of, "Simpleton, confess already. This is painful to watch." Instead, he focused on patting Vy's head. His little sparrow who still needed help with rest and farming.

Nothing was going to come of it. Absolutely nothing.

Author's Notes: Illya and Kuro were meant to have more scenes in this, but to be honest, once I played Kuro's Interlude in FGO, my brain just went "NOPE." And since I've recently seen Oath Under Snow with my guys, Miyu took the spotlight instead. The other two may get something later on, we'll have to see. I just don't want to unintentionally go off in a rant over how some elements in Prisma Illya makes me want to vomit.

Robin Hood's been a kind soul to me in the game, meanwhile, since with his being at Level 100 at the time of this writing (3/20/2021), I've been mowing down more enemies lately. It's been great. Shiki's there since I was thinking of a friend who has a Level 100 Assassin Shiki himself, and she hits hard. Thinking of you, Aqui. Hope you enjoyed this.

Well, that's all I can give since I need to go back and finish this Hematology class. I'll see you at the next update.