Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While making his way back to his own room, intending to use the mirror within to return to Illya's side, Vahn also took the opportunity to talk to Sis about what she should show Siegfried and Da Vinci. Though she usually had more than enough wherewithal to make such decisions on her own, Vahn felt like he should clarify it so there weren't any issues in the future. The only real change he made was ensuring that Da Vinci got the same treatment as Siegfried, meaning she wouldn't really see too many intimate moments between him and the girls within Danmachi. Vahn would rather have the focus be more on his social interactions with the girls, as that would potentially be good for someone like Da Vinci, instead of giving her excess information on his preferences and stuff. Though he could respect that she was now a female, Vahn didn't really want his s.e.x life to be 'observed' by someone that used to be a man. He already had enough problems with one 'pervert' within the castle so he didn't really need a second person to worry about...

After reaching his room, Vahn stepped through the large mirror at the side of the room, alerting Illya to his presence since this action was always accompanied by a small flash of light. She sat up on the bed and, seeing him alone now, smiled as she explained, "She hasn't shown any signs of waking up yet. Do you know how long it will take for the memory link to finish...?" Since she really wanted to have a long talk with her mother, Illya was feeling a little impatient, even though there was a lot of anxiety in her heart at the same time. Though their physical development was the complete opposite of each other's, she was actually more than three times her own mother's age. Because of this, Illya was a little afraid that their relationship with each other would be 'polluted' by her circ.u.mstances.

Making his way over to the bedside, Vahn reached out his hand and began to gently stroke Illya's head as he answered, "It usually takes around four hours so she should be waking up in the next hours or so." As the information in the memory link could only be processed at a certain speed, regardless of whether or not he was inside the Sub-Space Projection Orb, it always took around the same amount of time. Though it was possible to significantly reduce this, there were a few defining moments in Vahn's life that were 'important' for anyone he summoned to experience. If they could not understand his convictions and what he had experienced to reach this point, it would complicate things in the future if they began questioning his decisions on principle alone...

---

With Illya worrying about her mother, Vahn kept her company by pulling out a chair and taking a seat next to the bed. Though he would have climbed in alongside her under normal circ.u.mstances, that kind of behavior would have to be measured in the future now that Illya had another parental figure in her life. Even if Irisviel had his memories, she might not be so receptive to the idea that he shared the same bed with Illya every few days. He just hoped that Illya didn't give her mom too much trouble if the latter was a little overprotective of her 'little girl' after waking up. Though it was just as likely that Irisviel would 'allow' him to share the same bed as them, Vahn wasn't going to put any pressure on the situation and just watch it develop from the side. Cath Palug would undoubtedly complicate things but Vahn could only play the situation by ear since Sis told him that the memory link this time around only seemed to be one-way due to the conflict of summoning three people so close together...

After a little more than an hour had passed, with Illya now having calmed down a great deal, Irisviel's eyelids began to flutter. The memory link had just ended, leading Sis to mention that a second link with Siegfried had been started, implying that Da Vinci had been either skipped or was still awake back inside the orb. What was more important right now was Irisviel, however, so Vahn inclined his head towards the dazed-looking woman to alert Illya to the fact she was waking up. Prior to this, she had been happily laying against his palm while he stroked the side of her head and face with his other hand. Though this made her seem almost like a puppy, Vahn kept such thoughts to himself since it would cause Illya to fl.u.s.ter a great deal if she were to know what he was thinking...

For several tense seconds, Vahn and Illya just stared at the awakening Irisviel until she lazily turned her head to the side, her ruby red eyes staring directly at them. There was familiarity in her gaze when she looked at Vahn but, the moment her eyes landed on Illya, Irisviel's eyes seemed to light up in an instant as she sat up in the bed like a spring and pounced on her daughter, shouting, "Illya-chaaaaan~!" Following this, Irisviel hugged Illya tightly in her embrace while rocking the latter from side to side as tears began to build up in her eyes. After this went on for nearly thirty seconds straight, Irisviel loosened her hold on the shaken Illya, looking into the latter's face with teary eyes as she asked, "Is this real? I'm not dreaming anymore, am I...?"

Staring into her mother's face, Illya's own turned into a sour pout as a veil of moisture quickly spread across her eyes as she answered, "Kaa-chan..." This time, Illya was the one to hug Irisviel, her tiny arms wrapping around her mother's thin body as she sobbed loudly against her chest. Though this might not have been the answer she was looking for, it was all Irisviel needed to know this wasn't just a happy dream. Like Illya, she began to cry but, instead of sobbing pitifully, she looked towards Vahn before mouthing the words, 'thank you' as she tightly hugged her daughter once again. Vahn just gave a small nod in response before trying to excuse himself from the room to allow the two to speak privately for a while. This was their important reunion so, while there was much to discuss, Vahn knew it could wait until later...

Almost as soon as Vahn stood up from his seat, Irisviel blinked in surprise before saying, "Wait. You do not need to leave." This alerted Illya to the fact he was trying to 'escape', momentarily causing her crying to stop as she looked back at him with a tear-stained face and added, "Please stay. We're all a family now...right?" Since her face looked extremely pitiable, Vahn quickly found himself seated once again as, even during normal circ.u.mstances, he found it difficult to refuse Illya. Three months of looking after her had conditioned him to pamper her quite a bit, so long as she didn't try and take things too far.

Now that she was no longer bawling her eyes out, Illya was quickly regaining her calm as she wiped her nose, sniffling a few times before asking, "Kaa-chan, how much did you see in Vahn's memories?" Though this seemed like a relatively innocent question, Vahn noticed that Illya had referred to him as 'Vahn' instead of Onii-sama. Irisviel didn't seem to catch on to this incongruity as she just gently stroked Illya's hair and answered, "I was able to see and experience many wonderous things. I have always known there were other worlds but seeing one for myself was a very pleasant experience..." As these words left her mouth, Irisviel looked towards Vahn, her smile turning slightly awkward as she added, "There were some things I probably shouldn't have seen though...forgive me...I did not mean to pry into your private life..."

Knowing she was talking about his relationsh.i.p.s with other women, Vahn felt a little awkward but wasn't really upset about it. He was far more lenient towards women in this type of situation and, though Sis did 'filter' quite a bit, it was good for Irisviel to have an understanding of his character. Though there was a fair chance she would pardon herself from getting involved with him in the future, the odds of him and Illya developing a relationship was still extremely high. It was better for her to be aware of his 'nature' earlier so that she would be able to adapt to the rather peculiar reality she had found herself in. Thus, after shaking his head slightly, Vahn produced a casual smile as he said, "The memory link provided by the summoning system prevents a lot of future issues from arising. Though you may not have been summoned for the purpose of participating in the coming battles, it is better for you to be up to speed to prevent conflict and misunderstandings."

Though she was aware the only reason she was summoned was because of Illya, Irisviel wasn't the least bit troubled by what Vahn had said. As the person who had reunited her with her daughter, it was fundamentally impossible for her to hate him. After experiencing the memory link, during which she saw Vahn turn from a troubled boy into a powerful Emperor, Irisviel actually wanted to tell him he had done well. The only thing that prevented her from saying such things was were 'awareness' that they might not even have any meaning to someone as powerful as Vahn. He hadn't performed all his feats to be commended by an inconsequentially small existence like her, a tool that had only existed to serve as the vessel for the Holy Grail. Her greatest achievement, other than fulfilling her purpose, was giving birth to Illya...

While Vahn and her mother had entered a somewhat awkward lull, Illya's mind was sorting through the information she had just obtained. Over the last three months, she had learned quite a bit about Vahn and, from what her mother had said, it seemed like the memory link had shown her his past relationsh.i.p.s. What she really wanted to know was whether or not the memory link had included anything about her and Vahn as, depending on what she already knew, that would drastically change how the interacted with each other in the future. Ultimately, Illya decided it was just best to make her own feelings clear so, as her face began to rapidly gain a ruddy hue, she tugged on her mother's nightgown and stated, "Kaa-chan...I...I like Vahn...he promised to make me happy..."

Hearing Illya's sudden confession, Vahn felt his own face warm up a bit as, seemingly unperturbed by what her daughter had said, Irisviel hugged her tightly and said, "I know. Towards the very end of the memory link, I saw lots of scenes between you and Vahn...don't worry, Illya, I would never separate you from your 'Onii-sama'. Your happiness is my happiness..." Though her final words caused Irisviel to blush slightly, as it was almost like saying that Vahn would be making them both happy, it was only for a brief moment. Kiritsugu might not have treated her as well as he could have, but she never once resented him since, before he entered her life, Irisviel didn't even have an ego. He had become the very core of her existence so, even though it was heartbreaking to separate from her daughter, she had willingly given her life up for his dream. The long dream she had following the Holy Grail's destruction had caused her feelings to mellow a bit, but she still genuinely loved her husband as, if nothing else, he gave her Illya...

Though she was extremely embarrassed by her mother's words, Illya was more focused on Vahn's reaction as she stared back at him while biting her bottom lip. It wasn't a secret that she had feelings for him but, saying them openly like this wasn't an easy feat. There had even been a point in the past where she felt guilty for ever thinking about taking advantage of Vahn's willingness to make her happy. She knew better than anyone how selfish she had been, using Cath Palug as a means to get her way, but Vahn had never shown that it bothered him. He would still treat her well whenever they were together and, though it was extremely embarrassing to see him and Cath Palug 'play', Illya still enjoyed the time they spent together.

Knowing that Illya was looking to him for affirmation, Vahn ignored the awkward feeling of having Irisviel present as he smiled in response, saying, "I like Illya as well...we'll always be together from now on." Though he nearly said they would be 'like family', Vahn felt this wasn't the answer that Illya was looking for. He had already bitten the bullet more than three months ago so he wasn't going to backpedal now that Illya was being forthright with her emotions. His only complaint was that she used the moment just after her mother awoke to 'confess' to him as, from now on, things would be even more awkward. Though he could understand her reasoning for doing so, as it would make Irisviel less inclined to intervene, that didn't make her smile any easier to tolerate. Though there was no blame in her eyes at all, acceptance was actually scarier in this situation...

As if to hammer another nail into the 'coffin', Irisviel used the silence following their exchange to smile even more radiantly as she said, "If you'd like, you can also call me Kaa-chan in the future. Even if you and Illya are going to be married, I'll still be your Mother-in-Law. I've always wanted a son so please don't hold back~." Though she had never had a 'dream', the one whimsical thought Irisviel had humored in the past was having a big family. She never liked how cold and distant everyone in the Einzbern family was so, had the fates been kinder to her, she would have liked to live in a small house with a large family. Even if she might not have any other children of her own, she was rather fond of the idea of being a grandmother...

In response to her mother's words, Illya's face became scarlet as she looked back at Vahn and asked, "Does this mean we're engaged now...?" Though the Heroic Spirits Vahn had summoned might not care about the proper sequence of events, Illya was a girl of the modern era. If she was going to be Vahn's future wife, there would have to be a large reception and a fancy wedding to accompany it. Her current physique was a slight issue but it wasn't that difficult for her to accelerate the aging of her body if she set up a lab. Even if it was a little 'troublesome' for him, Illya knew that Vahn would help her if she really wanted to advance their relationship forward. She knew he was troubled by her current size and, though Cath Palug might complicate things, Illya felt it would be worth it in the end.

Knowing he had been backed into a corner by the unexpected teamwork of the mother-daughter pair, Vahn lightly chuckled before saying, "Now isn't the best time for a wedding but it shouldn't be difficult to arrange one for the future. The Empire is still in its inception so it will probably be a few years before we can move forward with that idea. I want to wait for Mordred to grow up a bit and for Rin and Sakura to move in. If I married someone while she and Sakura were away, I don't think Rin would be too pleased..." Though it was a little 'dangerous' to mention another woman during such discussions, Vahn needed to remind the two ruby-eyed girls that he couldn't arbitrarily shift his focus to 'just' Illya. He would do his best to make her happy but, if they were to officially wed, that would automatically elevate her to the status of Empress, potentially complicating matters in the future.

Somewhat surprisingly, Illya began laughing in response to Vahn's words while Irisviel also had a pleasant smile on her face. Then, even though there was nothing to explain their synergy, Illya adopted a smilar smile to her mother as she stated, "You said it yourself in the past. There is no need to rush anything...so long as we keep striving for it, happiness is something everyone can obtain. I'm already happier now than I've ever been before so I'll wait patiently...no matter how long it takes..." Immediately following this, Irisviel nodded her head, hugging Illya from behind as she added, "We are already a family...everything else is just a formality." Though the thought of seeing her daughter in a wedding dress made Irisviel giddy, she knew there was a time and place for everything. There were a lot of women around Vahn so, if he suddenly decided to marry a girl he wasn't even in a relationship with, it might be a source of resentment for some. Illya would need to get closer to everyone, all while showing her developing relationship with Vahn, so that they wouldn't think she had 'pressured' him into it as a result of her unique situation...

---

In the hours following Irisviel's awakening, the three passed through the mirror to continue their conversation within the Sub-Space Projection. Vahn also used this as an opportunity to get Iris, the name Illya's mother had asked him to call her in lieu of 'Kaa-chan', situated in her own room. She couldn't share the same room with her daughter as, even though they would likely be spending a lot of time together, the fact remained that Cath Palug was sealed within Illya's body. Since she would also want some privacy in order to spend time together with Vahn, it was necessary for Illya to keep her own room while Iris' was located further down the hall. After allowing her to pick some clothes for her wardrobe, Vahn escorted the two girls to the Library which, other than when Vahn went to relax, often went unused.

As books were how she viewed the world, Iris was happy to be given the responsibility of taking care of the Imperial Library, a place which had only been tended by a single golem previously. Vahn told her that he would allow her to travel around the world in the future but, with a kind smile on her face, Iris explained that such consideration was unnecessary. She was more than happy just being reunited with her daughter and, though it wasn't the largest Island in the world, Avalon was a very beautiful place. Being able to wander about the fantastical castle and its grounds was already more than Iris could have ever hoped for when she was merely a Homunculus of the Einzbern family.

To that end, Vahn had carefully explained Iris' current situation to her, including the fact that she might 'vanish' soon. This didn't seem to bother her at all but, knowing Vahn had 'created' her from his own body, she did take the opportunity to tease him by calling him 'Papa' once. Since she had been created, not born, Iris had always wanted to have parents of her own. Even if it was just once, she wanted to say such words and, deciding to humor her, Vahn had called her Iris-chan in response. This had earned him a strange look from Illya but, as if she had received an extreme compliment, Iris reacted by cupping her face with one hand and smiling radiantly in response. Following this, Vahn escorted the two girls around the castle and its grounds, showing Iris all of the interesting sights and introducing her to everyone. With the exception of Circe, everyone had a very positive reception to Iris and, by the time they had returned to her room, the smile on her face had already persisted for several hours...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Two many perverts (o 3 o)...','Illya is quite sneaky...','Irisviel is adorable (^ x ^)')

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