thehometree | —I ask of you. Are you my Master?

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—I ask of you. Are you my Master?

| characters | Illyasviel von Einzbern and Saber
| date/time | 07/21. Afternoon.
| location | First their house, later outside, near the mist barrier.
| rating | G?? PG??
| summary | After a lot of consideration, Saber has finally chosen who her new Master would be.

Saber waited until after lunch to speak with Illyasviel about this matter, during the time Shirou would be concerned about the dishes to face her alone. It was a topic she had tried to brush off, ranking low in her priorities until her realization of her potential weakness during the last quest. She did not want to rely on the King of Heroes to protect anyone or to complete her tasks. No, she had never taken kindly to depend on other people, whether allies or enemies, over anything. Nonetheless, now she was going to admit she needed to borrow someone's power because of her existence as a Servant who could not cancel her materialization, as much she had tried to deny this, demanded a contract. Her summon had not been exceptional, thus her dragon core was not optimal as it had been in her real body.

But her obstinacy had a justification. One besides thinking what could a Servant offer to a magus in circumstances they were no Grails to be obtained. In the first place, she did not know if a regular magus could tolerate the strain to maintain and replenish her prana at the speed her powerful attacks demanded. There was no Holy Grail in this land to help them in supplying that sort of energy. The other concern was more emotional. Her loyalties were with Shirou Emiya, first, and the boy had not ceased to be her Master, even if their contract no longer existed. Her pledge remained intact. She had sworn to protect him. That was why both of her concerns were dispelled when she realized she could trust Illya as her Master.

The girl was born from an Einzbern homunculus, at least, she assumed that Irisviel had not changed in her dimension. If she could fire her copy of Excalibur (she knew she had it, she saw her holy sword the day of her arrival), she could safely provide her with prana. She was Irisviel's daughter and sworn she would protect her too, and together they had decided to look after her brother, Shirou. Their priorities and goals aligned. She was not the ruthless Berserker Master who had tried to kill them, but a justice-seeking and innocent young girl. Admittedly, Rin had been her first choice, but she understood that a third familiar (because doubtlessly, she kept Shirou and Archer strong, at least Arturia assumed she did) could be too much even for a genius magus. Her goal was to not become a burden, she wanted to protect them. She could not cripple her companions because she wanted to rely on them.

That was why, she had finally decided... Her gaze calmly focused on Illyasviel at the opposite side of their rounded, kitchen table. She abruptly rose after she finished her goblet of water and addressed her with a grave voice:

"Please come with me, Illyasviel. If you permit it, I want to have a word with you privately."

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The Class Cards were not from her world to begin with, but instead, were from another Holy Grail War system altogether, one that belonged to the Ainsworths. Illya didn't exactly understand the system, but she knew what they wanted and what they wanted to achieve. Of course, that was completely irrelevant in this world, wasn't it? There was no need to talk about her worries, here.

Even though she'd saved Miyu - however only temporarily - it was not enough. Well, she didn't mind using a Class Card for something this important. If it would get her to understand the concept, then so be it.

"Ruby!" Illya called out to the Mystic Code easily, who soon appeared with a twirl from Illya's hair, transforming into its staff state as she grabbed it with ferocity, invoking the Prism Trance and quickly transforming into a Kaleid Liner; a magical girl. Taking out the card from the pocket near her thigh, she placed it in the center before calling out the word that was now ever too familiar to her now.

"Install!" And soon enough, her appearance transformed yet again into something akin to Medea, a staff in hand. Of course, doing this transformation also gave her knowledge that she didn't have before, knowledge that she was absolutely certain that Kuro would have already known, if she was here. But she wasn't.

Shaking her head of any extraneous thoughts, she looked directly into Saber's eyes with a serious look in her eyes, nodding as she understood. "Okay, I think I get it now. I think I can establish the contract like this."

She's pretty sure she knows the words, too. Maybe it's because of Caster, or maybe it's because of old memories that didn't belong to her that slowly trickled through her mind, who knows? She readied her staff, pouring as much magical energy as she could. She needed this to work. If it backfired on them now, it wouldn't do either of them any good. After all, the Holy Grail was not the one who anchored Saber to this world, but still-- she was certain that nobody wanted to see Saber like this. Especially not Shirou-san, whom Illya was certain that the knight of knights cared about more than anything in this world.

Use all of me, she spoke to herself mentally, reminding herself that it didn't matter how much she had to use for this, as the small girl's Magic Circuits began to glow all over her body as she closed her eyes, pointing the staff at Saber as she spoke the words that easily slipped out of her lips.

"I announce." She would not allow this pact to fail under any circumstances. "Thy body shall be under my command, my fate shall be determined by thy sword. Follow the call of the Holy Grail. If thou wouldst obey this mind and this reason—"

Her eyelids opened wide as dark red eyes stared into Saber's emerald green pair, bright with determination, as she finished the incantation.

"Obey me! Then I shall entrust my fate to your sword…!"

Work. Work, work, please work, her mind begged with all of its might. They were in a parallel world, so she couldn't be certain that this would do the trick. But it had to.

It was somewhat irritating to ask this child for aid, to honor her in becoming her Master, when she was not aware of the potential consequences of their contract. She hoped her choice was the correct one and this would not drain of damage her, she would not forgive herself is her plea would affect her health or cause her pain. For the moment, she let those fears dissipate and focus on the task at hand. She watched the girl call out for her magical, talking stick and recognized the transformation sequence, she witnessed it in the past, when she installed ‘Lancer’ to spar with Saber.

Caster…

The appearance Illya took on was not unexpected, but it was still unpleasant to watch that familiar witch’s cloak and that witchcraft staff. It was not an appearance that suited the girl, but she did not object, her face was schooled into neutrality while she obtained the knowledge she would need to form a spiritual path between them. Finally, it seemed she understood what must be done.

"I see. It gladdens me to hear that." Whether was the reason, she did not care, as long as this succeeded and she returned to normal from that unsettling costume she had to wear. Against those unpleasant reminders of the one who took her as Servant by force, she did not steer her gaze away. She could not begrudge Illasyviel when she had requested this.

No not let that child be harmed by this, Arturia breath hitched when she began the incantation and how she began to ready her Magic Circuits to receive the strenuous effort of sustaining a Servant. Suppressing all her doubts, she stared right into her determinate eyes with the same unflinching certainty.

"On my honor as a Saber, I accept your oath," she announced and her voice raised to finish her declaration, "I accept you as my new Master, Illyasviel!" As soon as those words left her lips, a violent tempest began to rage between them. Prana-infused rising swirls of wind emerged while Arturia felt her magical energy flown toward the link that had been recently forged. It was like her body glistened with a power she had not since Rin had become her Master, since her days as the King of Knights in Britain. Any weakness and ephemeral look she could have had were gone, leaving only a presence that exuded overwhelming power.

Once the contract was completed, she could feel the prana that flowed from inside her also flow into Saber. Illya herself didn't feel any different, but that was probably because Ruby was constantly retrieving a near infinite supply of prana to sustain her. But now that prana was being split evenly between the two of them, it seemed that Saber was doing a little, no, a lot better than before.

But now that was over and done with, she knew that she was overworking herself a little, regardless of the fact that she tries to put on a brave face. She couldn't deal with using the power of the Caster card's Install for much longer, so she immediately uninstalled it, returning to her normal form, Ruby popping out the card as she took it and placed into her hands and placed it back to where it properly belonged.

"Saber-san, you're okay now, right?" She had to ask to make sure. Just in case there as any sort of hitch or problem. Although she was rather certain that there wasn't any.

Saber studied Illya's face and posture, finding not a single outward sign of fatigue or pain. As relieving as that was, it also made her wonder how her magic circuits were like to withstand her without breaking a sweat. She opted to not ask for now, wondering if her condition as magical girl helped to reduce the strain. There was not subset of magus as 'magical girl' in her experience to compare her attributes.

"I am," she told her, with a slight nod, "I feel closer to how I am like thanks to you." Just like happened with Rin, she had the fortune of choose a good Master. “What about you?” she asked immediately, glancing her up and down again to discern what she could have missed. "Was this experience strenuous for you, Illyasviel?"

She did not truly expect a fully sincere answer. The girl was too kind and would probably reassured her by claiming that nothing was wrong even if she felt a little exhausted. In the end, she was truly Shirou's sister and Irisviel's daughter.

"No, I'm fine," she answered with a stern tone. This wasn't as bad as the last time she used Zwei Form, definitely, and that took out a streneous amount of prana that she could barely take. It even took out a lot of her homunculi body - though she knew nothing of that fact.

But now that she knew for certain that Saber was fine, all Illya could do was smile brightly up at her. At least she was doing fine, and that's all that she could really ask for. There were no problems here.

"I'm just glad you're doing alright, Saber-san."

She really was Emiya Shirou's sister, wasn't she?

She didn't seem to be lying. She looked fine too, without signs of fatigue or weariness. This relieved Saber and made her question just how much prana she could access with her Circuits.

She assented, folding a hand to her chest, while she admitted with deep gratitude. "I am and I owe this to you, Illyasviel."

That was why she would repay this favor somehow, to Shirou as well. He had also given her so much without being able to reward him in kind. She could at least make Rin victorious, thus she felt that as a small accomplishment.

"You don't need to owe me anything, Saber-san, it's fine."

No, seriously; she didn't need anything but Saber's safety, or everyone else's for that matter. If they could all be happy and find a way back home, that would be the best, wouldn't it? After all, Illya has a battle to go back to and finish.

"What are you saying? You are supplying me with grand quantity of prana, Illyasviel," she informed her in case she was not aware of the implications. "I cannot simply overlook the potential strain this would bring you."

It was a debt and she had to repay it. She could not be ungrateful when a young girl was staking so much.

"I should be okay. Ruby automatically refills my prana when it gets too low, and I've shared my prana before with other people," Well, primarily Kuro, but she didn't necessarily need to tell Saber that. She probably wouldn't understand to begin with.

"Ruby does this for you?" she asked, quite surprised that staff had so many uses. The leylines of this place had been pretty difficult for her to use, after all. How did she do it? "You have? Then you had a contract with someone before?"

"Yeah. I don't know how Ruby does it, but it has something to do with the Second Magic or something like that." Illya shrugs her shoulders at that, Ruby doesn't seem interested in explaining, though. "I didn't have a contract with someone, but I had to give her my prana so she wouldn't disappear."

"Second Magic?" Saber sounds surprised, although the Magics are not lost in her time, she knows they were for modern magi. Didn't the funder of the Clock Tower master it? He must be still alive, he is not human. "Hm. That is complicated. Is this a Servant or a Card?"

"Neither. It was for my..." How does she say it? It's complicated. She just swallows hard and then, answers, "My sister."

It's not a lie, but it's not the entire truth, either. She wasn't a Servant, though she did embody a card within her, the Archer Class Card. That was the card that represented the Heroic Spirit EMIYA, now she knew that.

"Your sister requires prana?" she asks, brows furrowing, finding this bizarre. If they are Einzbern homunculus doesn't that mean they have surplus of magical energy? At least from what she knows of them.

She waits until she explains herself if she wishes to elaborate further.

"Yeah. It's kind of... complicated," Illya states, trailing off as her gaze wanders, shifting away from Saber uncomfortably. She definitely doesn't want to explain it at all in the slightest, considering that it was definitely just embarrassing! She didn't want to even think about it!

"If it is uncomfortable to explain, I would not pry," Saber assures her. Because she knows that family matters are to be handled delicately at best. "I hope you have a good relationship with your sister too."

Because stating that she and Morgan did not get along is an understatement.

"Well, it's a little awkward, but me and Kuro get along," Illya tries to smile. There were some exceptions to that rule as it usually were, but all the same, the two of them cared for each other rather deeply. Then again, even if Kuro was now a separate entity, she was still a part of her, wasn't she?

"Your sister's name is Kuro? Hm. It sounds Japanese," Saber contemplates this information. Is she adopted too?

"Well, we needed a way to distinguish her," Illya states uneasily, the unstated 'from me' left unspoken as she takes a glance away from her.

"I do not understand what do you mean by that."

She's now watching her intently, trying to grasp the implication, but without meeting this Kuro is hard to have a confirmation. "I am your Servant, Illyasviel. I will guard your secrets."

"..."

Illya is quiet at first, swallowing hard. Does she dare tell Saber about Kuro? Well, it wouldn't hurt to try. "The truth is, Kuro is a part of me that Mama sealed when they decided to stop the Holy Grail War. One day, Kuro just... manifested."

Saber stares without saying a word, trying to understand what she means by that. How can anyone 'seal' someone within their own body. "Then, she is Illyasviel's original soul?" she asks. Otherwise, how could anyone manifest physically? That would explain why this girl shares nothing in common with Berserker's Master.

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—I ask of you. Are you my Master?

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