Somewhere in Germany...
Forest. A forest covered in so much snow that the trees resembled white statues of themselves. A forest where it's hard to find anything besides snow, and where beasts seeking sustenance appear only occasionally. The entire surroundings were a direct manifestation of winter nature's cold beauty.
Suddenly, a small creature emerged from the untouched snowdrifts. It had white fur, and its scarlet bead-like eyes clearly gleamed with intelligence. Quickly looking around, the creature burrowed back into the snow and began swiftly tunneling in its desired direction.
This repeated many times over several hours. The little rodent paused now and then to rest but soon resumed its purposeful path.
At one point, the intelligent animal stopped again and fully emerged from the snow, revealing its small form. The creature resembled a simple squirrel, save for its pure white fur and red bead-eyes. But the most unusual thing was its clothing, which no forest beast should have. A small black vest embroidered with gold thread, with a tiny pouch strapped to its back that could barely hold more than a handful of sand. Its fluffy chest formed a sort of collar, and together with small glasses, it gave the little animal a somewhat aristocratic air.
The creature shook off the snow and peered through the forest into the distance. After several minutes of surveying its surroundings, the squirrel circled the spot in a wide arc and continued onward, almost in the same direction as before.
This went on for a long time. Several days passed before the creature finally reached its destination. Fully emerging from the snow, the animal shook itself off with almost human paw gestures, perked its tufted ears, and began thoroughly scanning and listening to its surroundings.
There was plenty to study, for before it loomed a castle as if carved from a massive block of marble. It seemed the Owner had designed his "fortress" to inspire respect and simultaneously terrify guests with the sight of its cold, snow-white walls. But it meant nothing to the creature—it had come here for a specific purpose.
The sharp eyes of the small intelligent animal soon spotted a way inside, and shortly after, its distinctive outfit went into the backpack now slung across its belly. Then it began moving, trying to stay hidden in the snow cover, peeking out only occasionally.
Meanwhile, red-eyed women with snow-white hair patrolled around the castle. They were beautiful and, strangely, incredibly alike. Like sisters or even twins, it was hard to spot differences, but close inspection revealed unique traits like sharper cheekbones or height variations. Besides that, the Castle's servants—all dressed in medieval German maid outfits—differed only in whether they carried weapons or what kind.
Wisely deciding not to show itself to their surely magic-enhanced eyes, the little beast burrowed deeper under the snow, creeping toward the castle as close as possible from memory. At this pace, moving beneath the snow, the creature—thanks to its small size—slipped past the vigilant sentries without trouble and, reaching the building's wall, nimbly climbed to a fourth-floor balcony.
Soon the small creature, now back in its clothes, was sneaking through the mansion's wide corridors. Countless paintings and frescoes adorned the walls, and only rare maids maintained perfect cleanliness everywhere, letting the little "spy" move freely through the white castle's halls.
Appreciating the softness of the red carpet that stretched along all visible corridors of the mansion, the creature darted from corner to corner, occasionally peeking into rooms through doors or keyholes.
At one point, the creature heard a voice farther down the corridor, around the corner, and immediately ran that way to catch the details. Peeking out, it saw two girls: a maid like all the others in the mansion and a little girl in a light home white dress. Perking its tufted ears, it could make out everything they said.
"...Milady, you should go to your room..." The stern-looking maid said to the girl standing before her with a displeased expression on her pretty face.
"But it's boring there! All I do is study or learn, Sella!" The girl grumbled discontentedly, waving her arms, trying to get through to her "overseer."
"My lady, you mustn't behave like that. The daughter of the Einzbern family must be an example of refinement and composure. Besides, you haven't finished your lessons." The Homunculus named Sella was unwavering in her duty and held her ground.
"I'll do them as soon as I unwind a bit..." The little lady tried justifying her shirking of studies.
"No 'unwinding' until lessons are done. My lady, I'm tasked with overseeing your education and well-being. How can I let you neglect your duties?" Sella concluded firmly.
"I understand, Sella... Can you at least bring me some hot cocoa?" Realizing she'd lost, the girl asked for at least some compensation for her efforts.
"...I think that won't be a problem." The little lady's teacher replied after a brief pause.
"Thank you, thank you, Sella! You're the best!.." With a happy smile, the girl quickly hugged the maid, drawing a fleeting smile from her, and ran farther down the corridor.
Homunculus Sella watched her fleeing lady for a couple more seconds and shuffled in the same direction but turned into another corridor to fulfill her request.
The creature immediately followed the girl's direction and soon reached the room where the little "princess" presumably lived. Hiding behind yet another half-column—the main cover for the small animal in the mostly empty castle corridors—it waited. Soon the maid emerged from the room, handing over the steaming drink to her lady, and the little beast, waiting until she left, finally approached the presumed target safely.
Pressing close to the richly decorated door, the creature knocked as hard as its tiny claws allowed. Fortunately, the wooden surface produced enough noise to attract the needed attention.
"Sella?.. Is that you?.. The door's open..." The girl's uncertain voice came from inside.
Deciding it could manage the door, the creature leaped onto the handle and twisted it using its full small weight. The door began slowly opening, and the girl slightly furrowed her brows, peering at the widening gap from her desk where she was doing her assignment.
"Who's there? Sella? This isn't funny!" the girl said loudly, peering into the doorway as a little face... of a squirrel? A cute white little squirrel in a vest and glasses? poked out from behind the edge.
"Tsa-tsah!" the little creature chirped, pulling a small top hat out of nowhere and tipping it to his fluffy chest in an elegant sort of bow.
"You... What?" The girl's brain refused to process what she was seeing; she couldn't believe it was possible, even as her crimson eyes had been studying her tiny guest for several seconds already.
"Tsah-tsah! Tsa-ah!" Seeing the girl's state, the creature stepped fully inside and strained to close the door behind him, hooking a claw over the edge. Turning back to face the girl, he slowly approached her on his hind legs, donning his top hat once more.
"What are you? Who?" the girl asked again, her red eyes wide open, unable to tear her gaze from the cute creature that had invaded her room.
"Tsa-ah!" The squirrel twitched his tufted ears in a purely human gesture meaning "just a sec." Suddenly, the little backpack on his back opened as if by itself, and in the next instant, a small pencil appeared in the creature's paws. Without wasting time, he nimbly clambered onto the writing desk and pointed at the scattered sheets of paper the girl had been using for her studies.
"...You can write?" the girl exclaimed, slapping her palms on the desk and scooting closer to her uninvited guest, grabbing a random sheet of paper. "Ahh! Here! Take this, write on it! What's your name? Where did your pencil come from? H-how can you..." As the girl bombarded the white creature with questions, he amusingly adjusted the top hat on his head, stood on the offered "parchment," and quickly scribbled a few words in German before holding it out to the stunned girl with a "Tsa-ah..."
"Hello, my name is Percival?" the girl read aloud, already wanting to ask a question but stopping as her newly introduced guest took up the pencil again.
"Tsah! "Just call me Percy! And you must be Illya?""
"Percy? Uh... How do you know my name?" Illya said in surprise, trying to remember when she might have met such a creature. Her Grandfather definitely wouldn't have created something like this, so it was obvious to Illya that Percival had come from outside.
"Tsa-ah tsa-ah! "I've come here to deliver a message!"" Percy wrote quickly and handed the sheet back to the girl.
"A message? From who? Who would write to me?" the girl wondered aloud after reading the new note. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea that someone needed to contact her, since no one outside the Castle walls should know about her except for one person.
And as that thought flashed through her little head, Illya's crimson eyes flew wide open, and she immediately turned to her guest:
"Please! Tell me who sent you! Please!" Illya hurriedly returned the sheet to the little creature, who didn't keep her waiting and quickly wrote a reply.
"Tsah-tsah! "From your father. Kiritsugu asked me to pass something on to you."" Shocked by what she'd read, the girl stared in wide-eyed surprise. She had no idea what to say and just kept rereading the note, as if she couldn't believe it was happening.
After all, the long-smoldering hope in her chest had reignited...
Seeing the girl's state, Percy didn't wait and pulled something out of his bag, placing it in front of Illya.
"Tsa-ah!" The girl started to say something, but the intelligent squirrel quickly approached the item he'd taken from the backpack earlier. It was a simple button phone. Illya had seen one just like it with her father, so she couldn't fail to recognize it.
"This... a phone? From Daddy?" The girl didn't even notice how she'd stood up from her chair and leaned over the mobile device in anticipation. She wasn't stupid and understood what the phone was for. And if it came from Kiritsugu, then...
"Tsa-tsa-tsa-TSA-Tsa-TSA-tsa... Tsa-ah!" Percy rapidly pressed the phone's buttons, and soon both the girl and the little animal could hear the dial tone coming straight from the device...
For Illya, every moment of waiting stretched out agonizingly. It felt like each ring lasted several minutes, so slowly drawing her toward the moment she desired...
She'd waited so many years. She'd hoped. And now, even if in such a strange way, she...
"...Hello? Illya?! Is that you? I-I..." A voice came from the phone. A voice she would recognize anytime, anywhere. It was her father's voice. Slightly distorted by the transmission and cracking with emotion, but it was definitely him.
The girl silently parted her lips, trying to say something, but the overwhelming feelings wouldn't let her.
She'd waited so long, hoped to learn and hear so much from him. Why had he betrayed the Einzberns? Why... Why had he abandoned her for some boy? Her Grandfather had told her so much about her father, and none of it was good. Traitor, murderer, turncoat—whatever the Einzbern elder called him... And now she could finally hear his answers to her questions...
"Daddy?" the girl finally said timidly in a trembling voice, still unable to believe what was happening.
"Illya!" her father's voice rang out immediately. "It's me, your daddy! I finally managed to reach you. S-sorry I couldn't talk to you sooner. I-I just can't get through the Einzbern bounded field anymore; they won't let me inside..." Kiritsugu's voice came from the phone, and with every word, more unwanted tears adorned the girl's face.
"...Daddy?" Still unable to believe it was possible, the girl quietly repeated.
"Illya?"
"Daddy? Is that really you?" Illya gazed pleadingly at the communication device, like the only thread leading to light from the pitch-black abyss of sorrow she'd been sinking into since both her parents left her...
"Yes, Illya, it's me! I... I-I missed you so much, Illya, my daughter..." Kiritsugu said haltingly, relief clear in his voice. And even without seeing her father, his daughter could plainly hear him crying.
For so long she'd wondered why her father had abandoned her. And now he'd managed to contact her. He said he couldn't get through the restrictive field? Hadn't her Grandfather said Kiritsugu had abandoned her for some other boy? So it had all been a lie?
My father never abandoned me!.
"Daddy! I..." Illya cried even harder than before, quickly grabbing the phone and pressing it to her ear, as if afraid it would vanish and she'd lose the voice she'd waited so long to hear...
That day, for the first time in a long while, Illya felt like she still had hope.
Her father hadn't abandoned her. Her father still loved her. And at that moment, that was all that mattered to her...
Some time later. Emiya Residence.
For several hours, Father and Daughter talked about everything that came to mind, drowning in tears of joy. Illya got angry at Kiritsugu many times during the conversation. She rejoiced even more that her father hadn't abandoned her after all. Kiritsugu himself was sincerely happy just to hear his daughter's voice and learn how she was doing. To tell her he loved her. Russell was present for the whole thing, listening to their conversation through the transmitters on both ends.
According to the Mentor, in his own world, breeding, developing, and training magical animals was widespread. So, with significant skills in the field, Russell had bred several intelligent animals with various magical abilities for specific tasks. One of them was infiltration, and Percival had been created specifically for that purpose. Each creature, besides impressive physical characteristics compared to their normal counterparts, possessed some unique abilities that helped accomplish their missions. For example, the little "spy" to Germany had been transported by Julius—a condor large and strong enough to fly for days even in completely unflyable weather.
They had all been created and raised in Shirou's Inner World, and infiltrating the Einzbern Castle was their first real mission. Russell oversaw the operation without leaving his spot, watching everything through their eyes thanks to the tuned "link." Fortunately, the mission went off without a hitch, and Percy slipped through the Einzbern defenses unnoticed. Otherwise, there was a high chance they'd have strengthened protections against creatures like him. And we couldn't let that happen.
Unfortunately, breaching the bounded field wasn't easy at all. Magi, especially reclusive ones like the Einzberns, were always extremely cautious, and only Kiritsugu's knowledge of the field's weak points, combined with Russell's superior skills, allowed Percival to go undetected. Otherwise, he'd have been spotted seconds after crossing the boundary, just like any familiars or magical beasts.
In the end, Kiritsugu finally got to talk to his daughter. He told Illya why he couldn't reach her, about the Grail War, her mother, me, and that she now had a little brother in my person. For now, the man withheld just one truly important piece of news—his impending death. He simply couldn't bring himself to broach the topic yet. After all, it was the first time in over four years he'd connected with his daughter, and he didn't want to ruin the moment with such sad news.
Their conversation was interrupted several times as maids periodically checked on the girl, but they soon resumed whenever Illya was alone again. Kiritsugu also promised he'd find a way to prevent her from being turned into the Grail, as the Einzbern elder planned. And Illya cried again.
She'd always thought she was doomed. Nothing, not even the Holy Grail War, held much meaning for her. Why bother? No matter the outcome, death awaited her—whether at the hands of an enemy Master, Servant, or her Grandfather's wish fulfillment. But her suddenly appearing father promised her a future life, salvation, family... And she yearned to live with all her heart once more.
She had a family and hope again, however small...
During the conversation, Russell asked for a few strands of Illya's hair or nails to start work on her "treatment," so they could fulfill Kiritsugu's promise in the future. Illya was doubtful at first, but soon watched as a few of her hairs vanished into the little intelligent squirrel's pouch.
According to the plan, Percy would stay with Illya for communication. Thanks to his small size and certain abilities, he could hide anywhere without issue. Even in the girl's room if needed, to always keep her company and maintain the link with her father. I was "sleeping" on an "expedition" at the time, so I hadn't met my "older" sister yet, and everything I know about their reunion was relayed by Russell. He even edited a video from both sides so I could see it myself... It was amusing that Kiritsugu's daughter was quite upset about not getting to meet her stepbrother, but she relented when her father explained I was busy training precisely to save her someday.
In any case, the father-daughter talk lasted until late at night, and they would've gone longer, but the late hour and emotional exhaustion forced them to end it—with a promise to connect the next day.
That day, for the first time in ages, Kiritsugu wore a truly calm and even happy expression, his faint smile fully genuine.
Illya happily played with Percy too, who periodically showed her tricks and pulled candies from his hat, delighting her to no end.
Russell could only smile at the father-daughter reunion. He even promised to set up quality video for next time.
That day was definitely special for the entire Emiya family, and I could only smile thinking of my father and newfound older sister's faces.
It was just the beginning of their salvation, but it was definitely a good start. And all thanks to Russell.
I hope someday I can do the same as him...
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: patreon.com/Granulan