REPETITA IUVANT
CHAPTER 1:
A LIFE REGAINED
Over a year later…
It had been an interesting year, though some of that interesting was in the 'may you live in interesting times' curse sense. Then again, when your entry into Clock Tower was sponsored by no less a personage than Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the infamous Dead Apostle Ancestor (vampire to most normal people), master of the Second True Magic Kaleidoscope, Wizard Marshall and unrepentant prankster…well, that was hardly surprising. In fact, Waver was almost certain that Zelretch was in on some joke or other at his expense and Illya's. Illya was certain that he knew who she really was, though all attempts to winkle the information out of the damned vampire was for nothing.
Zelretch had arrived at their home shortly after Waver had sent an expression of interest to Clock Tower. Thanks to him, they identified Illya as being part-Homunculus, specifically part-von Einzbern Homunculus. He suggested that Illya dye her hair and wear coloured contacts, in order to avoid unnecessary attention: the von Einzberns were even more jealous than most Magi families about their secrets (and that was saying something). She was now Chloe Shelley(1), though soon, she might be Chloe Velvet. But that was a matter for another time.
In any case, Zelretch had sponsored Waver's entry into Clock Tower, and had asked Illya to become his assistant, which basically meant a sounding board for his pranks, a task that Illya surprisingly took to with gusto. Then again, she had something of a childish, impish streak in her. It was partly for the sake of pissing off some of the academics that the pair of them had encouraged Waver's thesis.
A thesis that Kayneth Archibald, Lord El-Melloi and the ninth head of the Archibald family, had humiliated him over. He had derided the thesis, claiming he had only read the abstract(2), and had burned it. The entire class had laughed at him, and Waver had been forced to flee the lecture hall, jeers following him.
All because Waver had dared to suggest that, with hard work and training, even a relative newblood Magus could equal, even surpass one with a longer Magus lineage.
Did Illya and Zelretch set him up? No, he realised. Illya wouldn't have done so, and Zelretch held a soft spot for Waver. But Waver wanted some revenge, which was why, when he encountered a delivery man who wanted to speak to Kayneth, he promptly lied and stole the package.
He was in his quarters examining it, having finally guessed why he needed a scrap of ancient red cloth from Macedonia. He was reading a relevant text when he heard the door open. "I heard Lord Mellow-Yellow didn't like your thesis," Illya said, walking through.
Waver snorted. "Stuck-up bastard didn't even read beyond the abstract, and burned the manuscript in front of the class."
Illya noticed the package on a table, and scowled when she saw the address. "So you stole his parcel? Not a good idea. Once he realises it's gone, he'll be gunning for you."
"I'll just say some idiot stole it from me when I was taking it back to his office," Waver said. "Anyway, you and Zelretch are always trying to rope me into your pranks. Consider this another one."
Illya tutted in annoyance. "Yes, but the best kind of pranks work when they can't wreak revenge on you. Zelretch gets away with it because he's the Wizard Marshall, not to mention an Apostle. I get away with it because I know how to play innocent. You, my dear Waver, have no poker face."
"That's because I don't play such a vulgar game," Waver said. "And I refuse to play strip poker either. I don't know what's worse, my embarrassment, your lack of it, or seeing Zelretch naked!"
"You got to see Arc naked too," Illya said.
"She's also a True Ancestor who looks like she's in her teens despite being centuries if not millennia old, and who would end my life if I stared at her too long, even if she's nice," Waver protested. "Or you would, for that matter."
Illya giggled. "I wouldn't end your life, Waver. You'd wish that was the case, though."
Waver sighed. Illya meant that in jest, well, mostly. Of course, since they became an item, Illya had been…well, jealously protective of her boyfriend and (at least for the past little while) lovers. Waver was surprised that someone as beautiful as Illya would deign to be his lover, given how gawky and awkward Waver was. But Illya had no past, or at least no memory of it, save for magecraft, some of which she taught him. And she was grateful for him giving her a life of sorts, as without her memories, she needed some sort of anchor.
Illya certainly helped hone Waver, polish some of his intellect. But there were times when his pride, when injured, caused him to make impulsive decisions. Like this.
"Anyway, this thing might be more valuable than I originally thought. I'm pretty sure that's a scrap of cloth once belonging to a mantle worn by Alexander the Great," Waver said.
"Why would Lord Gallifrey want that?" Illya asked.
"I think he's going to participate in the Holy Grail War…only I'm going to do it myself. I know what you're going to say, Illya, but I need to do this, to prove myself, and…" Waver blinked as he looked at Illya, who was quaking and quivering. "Illya? What's wrong?"
"I…Grail…remem…ber…" Her eyes rolled up in the back of her head, and she toppled to the floor, convulsing and writhing, as if in the grip of a massive seizure. She began screaming in pain, her voice rapidly hoarsening. Waver was by her side in a flash, holding her, hoping to stop her from hurting herself.
As if by his touch, she calmed, subsiding, her eyes, instead of rolled up, were now staring straight ahead, fixed into the distance, twitching rapidly. What was she seeing?
Illya remembered.
She nearly drowned in a deluge of memory, memory that had been nearly torn away by Angra Mainyu. It wasn't until she felt Waver's touch, the feel of his magic, that she was able to stay afloat in the flood. Part of her managed to calm down. The rest of her still felt all those memories flooding back.
She could have been left a vegetable, but Illyasviel von Einzbern was stronger than that. She had controlled Heracles as a Berserker! She was the daughter of the Magus Killer!
It was hard keeping her head above water, to use a metaphor, but she managed. It was an effort, but she managed. After what seemed like an eternity, the flow of memories slowed, and then ceased. It was still a chaotic swirl, but she now knew she had everything. What's more, she knew that something had to be done about it.
She came back to herself to find her boyfriend staring at her in fear and concern. His words finally came to her, as if through a mist. "…ya?! Illya! Are you all right?"
"Waver…" Illya said quietly, reaching out a hand to touch his face.
"What's the matter, Illya?" he asked. Oh, sweet Waver. He could tell that something was bothering her.
The next three words to come from her lips were amongst the hardest she had ever spoken, surpassed only when she first told Waver "I love you". But speak them, she had to. So much was at stake.
And so, she spoke them.
"I remember everything."
Waver stared at Illya in horror and shock. What she had to say was fantastic, and unbelievable in virtually every sense of the word. But she had allowed him to look into her memories, and he had done so, something she had taught him how to do, beyond basic hypnosis.
Time travel…rumoured to be the Fifth True Magic. But the Holy Grail had achieved it. Illyasviel von Einzbern had fought in a Fifth Holy Grail War, taking place only a decade after this coming one.
Illyasviel's story was a tangled one. Illya was born to Irisviel von Einzbern, a Homunculus created by the von Einzbern family, and Kiritsugu Emiya, a Magus of some infamy as a mercenary and assassin, known as the Magus Killer. Thanks to experiments on her while she was in the womb, as well as when she was a child, her physical development was slow, and ground to a halt before she reached puberty. Until now, she had been stuck in a child's body, despite having lived to the age of 18.
Anyway, her father had been retained as the chosen Master representing the von Einzbern family in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Seven Magi would summon the spirits of heroes from myth and history (dubbed 'Servants') to do battle, each in a specific class, in the Japanese city of Fuyuki. Her father had been the Master of Saber in that Grail War, but had never come back from Fuyuki, having destroyed the Grail and betrayed the von Einzberns.
Illya's 'grandfather', Jubstacheit, along with a dream vision of Illya's mother, had claimed Kiritsugu had abandoned Illya, in favour of adopting a Japanese boy called Shirou. In truth, Illya would later learn from the soul of her true mother within the Grail that Kiritsugu had tried to retrieve Illya, only to be rebuffed by the von Einzberns. And the von Einzberns not only expected Illya to be a Master in the next Grail War, but also become the next Lesser Grail, a vessel designed to become the next Greater Grail, the Holy Grail proper, when charged with the lifeforce of at least six Servants.
Oh, and they wanted her to murder her stepbrother, as her father had by then died from a curse.
Illya became the Master of Berserker, who was actually Heracles. Heading to Fuyuki, she had a number of battles, including with the very Saber Servant her father summoned, and who was now protecting her stepbrother. But during the Grail War, she was attacked by a mysterious Servant with golden hair and red eyes, whom she later identified as Gilgamesh. He tore her heart from her after defeating Berserker, and used it for his own version of the Grail.
It was there that Illya met her mother for the first time in years. Irisviel was still part of the Grail, and part of her had remained untouched by the entity corrupting it, Angra Mainyu, supposedly the devil-figure from ancient Zoroastrianism. And through Irisviel, they had enough power to send Illya's soul, along with a new body (closer to her actual age) back in time.
Waver didn't know what was scarier, assuming this was real, and not some delusion of his girlfriend. That the Grail was contaminated by Angra Mainyu, that his girlfriend was willing to murder an innocent…or that he was sleeping with the daughter of the fucking Magus Killer! A man who would probably neuter him should they meet and he learned of it.
He was so doomed.
Waver knew now, given that he had seen her memories, that his girlfriend was a dangerous young woman, more so than he had before. But he had also seen her heartbreak and her hurt. And she was shaped into a sacrificial weapon by an ancient old man.
In another reality, both Harry Potter and Dumbledore sneezed simultaneously.
Illya, after a moment, said, "I'm sorry. I mean, if you hate me, I…"
"I can't hate you, Illya. I'm a little angry at you for wanting to murder Shirou based on Acht's say-so, but…you know what you did was wrong now. Anyway, you showed me your memories when you regained them." Then, he remarked, "I'm a bit more worried about what your father will do to me when he learns I've slept with you."
"Sex is perfectly natural," Illya said with a pout.
"Yes, but sleeping with the Magus Killer's daughter is another matter!" Waver protested. "Especially as your actual self is…what, eight?"
"My mother's only nine at this point."
"She's a Homunculus! They're born with adult memories and personalities! They're like biological androids!" Waver pointed out, rather vociferously. "Whereas you actually had a childhood!"
"Not much of one after Daddy fought in the Grail War," Illya mused. She gave him a sad smile. "Waver…will you still be my friend?"
After a moment, Waver asked, "What sort of question is that? Of course I will be. I love you, Illya. I just need to get some things straight in my head first." Rubbing at his head, Waver then said, "What are we going to do about the Grail War, then?"
"We're going to destroy the Grail, or at least stall the Grail War until it can be dismantled," Illya said. "We'll need Zelretch on side at least: he was one of those who helped set it up." She looked over at the scrap of cloth. "Hmm…and two Servants are better than one," she mused. "Waver, I need to ask you…I need your help. You know what lurks within the Grail. Angra Mainyu, the Avenger Servant my family tried to summon. I need to find a way to destroy the Grail, or else dismantle it so that it isn't in danger of contaminating Akasha, not to mention destroying humanity. I don't think contacting my family is a good idea: they'd either kill me for being an impostor, or vivisect me. I might be able to persuade my parents once we're in Fuyuki. Zelretch may believe me, but…"
"You want me to go with you, fight in this Grail War, against a group of ruthless Magi, including your own father?"
"Precisely," she said with a smile. "So, let's start making plans…"
CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:
So, Illya remembers who she is. Originally, in Res Nullius, I had her steal Avalon from Cornwall, but I decided that may not be plausible, as this might be around the time that the von Einzberns have obtained it. Which means that Illya is going to summon a Caster. Yes, I know, she'd probably want to summon Heracles as Berserker again, but I think she's also aware of who summoned who in the previous Holy Grail War, and she'd want to take Caster out of play to stop Ryuunosuke from making an appearance.
1. Chloe is a reference to Kuro 'Chloe' von Einzbern from Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya. Shelley is a reference to Mary Shelley, the writer of Frankenstein, who is implied to be a homunculus of some sort in the original novel.
2. An abstract is a summary at the beginning of an academic paper.