92Hello guys! I'm back with the new chapter.
Sorry for the delay, I've had a lot commitments in my private life to keep me busy.
It had been ready for a couple of weeks, but I have a habit of checking back often for new chapters to make sure they're in line with the plot. lol
Now let's get back to the story, directly from the protagonist's point of view. Kiristugu has put a brake on his studies on thaumaturgy, but will that stop him? Probably not, Homura is too stubborn and motivated to stop.
The magus killer will have to deal with a rather rebellious son this time.
Happy reading everyone.
Disclaimer: the To aru majutsu no index series is owned by Kamachi Kazuma and the Fate series is owned by Type-Moon.
Echoes of the past
"What a nuisance."
Homura's morning had a bad start.
While it wasn't just that morning that was the problem, this annoying situation had been going on for over a week.
Since he had discovered that he had these "mystic eyes" the attitude of his parents and especially of his father had changed. They weren't rude or anything but they started to get a little more guarded about his education in magic, with his father being mildly paranoid, denying him learning the tomes that interested him and shifting the study to simpler things of the non-magical world.
This was partly annoying as Homura already knew a lot about the normal world and the academic sciences, although in his old life he had not attended any normal school, he was privately educated by scientists up to the age of twelve. And while they tried to develop and study his ability they gave him supplementary lessons in general academic subjects. And considering Accelerator was a genius among geniuses, he memorized almost everything perfectly.
On the other hand, the study of the mundane and the outside world was also useful to him as being in a new world, he could not be sure that there were no major differences with the previous one except for the nature of the magical system. In this way he discovered new details such as the geography of the world and the year in which he was.
Most of the geography of the world and its nations was the same with small discrepancies from each other, he hadn't delved into global historiography yet, but he could see the differences. Evidently the non-existence of factions such as the magic and scientific side, as well as of the treaty that divided the world between the two sides had its impact on a geopolitical level by rewriting some national borders.
In regards to the timeline he was right at the beginning of the 90's. This meant that outside the Einzbern estate it would be like being 20 years in the past having lived in Japan in 2010, or even 50 years of technological gap, as the Academy City had technologies 30 years ahead of the rest of the world. So Homura would be in an annoying situation if he got out of here, as he would have to adapt to outdated technologies compared to the standards he was used to.
But it was better to smile at fate anyway and appreciate what he would get once he got out of here with his family, after all it was better to accept living with somewhat obsolete technology than in a castle full of idiots who seem to want to live in the fucking Renaissance! Besides Homura had always been a person of simple tastes in his old life he never demanded great luxuries, although as a level 5 he had a disproportionate amount of money, he didn't ridiculously show off his wealth like his other high level colleagues.
He could fully argue that that was one of the few qualities he could be moderately proud of.
"Hey onii-chan!"
Homura turned his gaze to his sister.
Illya had an illustration book in her hand.
"Look! This is England where King Arthur's kingdom stood!" she said smiling.
While he was barely interested in studies of the countries of the outside world, his sister showed pure and genuine interest. And it was one of the few occassion Illya enjoyed reading a book.
He was currently looking at a book that depicted modern Europe, in particular the pages that concerned the United Kingdom, the lands from which the Arthurian legends took their origins.
Homura already knew them to some extent, but his sister heard them for the first time when their mother told them about them when they were younger.
An unusual trait of his mother was that instead of telling them typical bedtime stories, more often than not, Irisviel told stories about ancient legends, myths, and heroes. This ranged from older characters such as Greek heroes to more recent ones such as medieval knights.
He didn't know the exact reason why Irisviel did this, perhaps because she was unfamiliar with modern fairy tales due to her narrow upbringing (caused by the Einzbern) or because she was simply traditionalist, she had no idea. In any case, it was surprisingly inspiring for Homura to hear real adventure stories rather than what he expected for children.
There was a kind of mysticism and historical fascination when hearing such stories. Her mother told them as if they really happened, which led Homura to wonder if such legends were actually real, considering the new perspective he had gained on the magical world in this life he didn't rule out the possibility.
"That is London, the capital of what is now Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Camelot was the capital of England more than a thousand years ago, now that city no longer exists." he explained.
Illya pouted. "I think Camelot still exists somewhere and maybe so does King Arthur!"
Homura rolled his eyes at his sister's childish fantasies.
"Maybe there are knights too! Maybe I could meet one!" she said smiling with a light blush on her face.
Like all little girls, Illya dreamed of some handsome prince or knight who courted her, and surely in the future she would do the same thing when she looked for a boyfriend.
The mere thought of a boy near his sister made Homura internally scream in bloody murder!
The idea of some little prick daring to flirt with his sister had briefly awakened his Accelerator side with lust for blood and destruction. But then he calmed down, there was no point in giving in to emotions at that moment.
Illya was just a child and it was impossible for her to meet a real knight.
However, Illya remained a pretty enough little girl with a strong resemblance to their mother, considering the genes she had inherited, in her adolescence she would no doubt turn into a beauty and many boys would set their eyes on her. Homura would make sure that no worm would come near his little sister without his explicit consent.
Perhaps it was best to turn his head away from such thoughts.
"There are so many cities in the world, I wish I could see them one day!" Illya said.
Homura looked at her knowing that her wish would not come true easily while they were trapped in this castle.
"Hey onii-chan, do you think we will ever be able to see London or other countries like Japan where dad was born? I wish I could see the cherry blossoms."
Illya looked at her brother full of hope and desire, Homura had a stoic look unsure how to respond. Part of him wanted to tell the honest truth that it would be difficult, but another stronger part of him didn't want to disappoint his sister's dreams. He wanted that innocent smile to never fade.
"It will take a few years, but I promise you that one day I will take you to see the cherry blossoms in Japan, not only that but all the countries you want to see."
Homura made his decision, he would protect that smile until the end. He would take her to the outside world, away from the Einzbern, away from the moonlit world, away from everything; where Homura, Illya, and the rest of their family would be safe and lead long, happy lives.
"Thank you onii-chan! I want to do many things when I grow up, travel the world, have fun, eat delicious foods, make many friends and..."
He chuckled at his sister's cheerfulness, her personality was almost contagious.
"Do you think I could become a good magician like you?" she asked in a slightly unsure tone.
"Huh?" the boy was taken aback.
"I mean, you're so skilled at magic, everyone compliments you and I would like to become good at magic too."
Homura thought for a moment.
"Why do you want to learn magic? What would you do with it?" He asked her.
He wasn't against teaching his sister magic if it would make her happy, but he wanted to understand her motivations. He had his own reasons and interests in learning magic, but he had a specific goal in mind without any grand plans or ambitions.
While many children in this type of world were attracted by incredible powers such as magic, they were fascinated by it and wanted to learn it at any cost and it is not known what path they would take to have the power. In typical magus families the children grew up to become amoral and cold in their constant search for knowledge to hone their arts, he did not want Illya to be manipulated by the Einzbern to become that kind of magus, or similar to the espers of his old world by competing with each other to gain strength and be above others as you unwittingly became a slave to Academy City's corrupt system.
He, more than anyone, knew where his quest for power could lead.
"Because magic is a beautiful thing, with it you can play many fun games and also help people, like in mother's legends and fairy tales."
Huh?
"Do you want to help people?" asked the amazed brother.
"Yes! I would like to do many good deeds, like you did."
"Me? When?"
"When you healed that little bird that time. It was amazing, I wish I could do the same."
Had she been inspired by what he had done that day? He didn't expect it, it's not like he had done anything.
"It wasn't anything special, with a little practice it's something anyone with magic circuits can do."
"But you did it much better than the others, mom and dad say you have a natural talent for it, maybe you yourself were born with that power to bring happiness to people."
Homura's eyes widened at that statement. Him who brings happiness to people?
For a moment, Homura considered the idea. Throughout his old life, he was endowed with immense power, with which however he could destroy more than create, even when he tried to help the people around him he could only do so much there was a limit to the versatility power of he.
But now he was different, he literally had the power to create and heal. He could use these new abilities for good to help others, perhaps his sister was right. What if he was reborn with a greater purpose? If this was not simply a second chance, but the opportunity for him to make a different choice than he had made in the past, the world was gray and sometimes people lost their way but this time, he was aware of his choices and possibilities. He had the opportunity to make the right choice, to follow a more heroic path, to save others, he could completely renounce his past as a villain by taking a path of justice and...
Don't lie to yourself.
A voice similar to his but older spoke to his mind, interrupting his train of thought.
No matter how you behave, you remain a monster in the guise of a child.
Who are you? The mind expert asked.
You already know. Don't ask questions you already know the answer to.
An image appeared before him, in the form of a teenage boy with white hair and red eyes.
Homura knew him, saw him every time for years when he looked in the mirror. The only difference is that right now he wasn't watching Homura von Einzbern, he was watching Accelerator.
How is it possible?
I am part of you, you can't deny me and erase the real you. After all that's what you are a villain, not a hero. Accelerator said with a cruel smile.
"Shut up!"
"Huh? Did I say something that offended you onii-chan?"
Homura's eyes widened as he realized he had just yelled at Illya. And now she seemed almost ready to cry.
"Sorry Homura, I know I was pushy. I'm sorry for asking you, I can study magic on my own or ask mom, I won't bother you anymore."
For the first time in a long time Homura felt deeply guilty. Illya was still a child who was easy to influence and scare, and in his outburst, he had made one of the few people he truly loved cry.
I'm really an asshole.
"Sorry little sister, I didn't mean to yell at you or reject you. I was just a little distracted by my thoughts."
She looked at him with a more relaxed expression.
"So, would you teach me?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.
It was time to make amends.
"Certainly." he said with a smile.
"Yay!" the little girl cheered.
The little homunculus' smile was very similar to that of a certain little clone.
The young reincarnated wizard smiled bittersweetly as he remembered a past he had turned his back on.
Homura promised himself to be a good big brother to Illya. He would teach her magic and take her to great heights, he would show her the way to use magic wisely, without making the mistakes he himself had made in the past in the name of power.
For the first time in a long time Homura felt optimistic, Illya already had a kind heart, under the right guidance and protection she would avoid any dark paths the life of a magus usually led to. And he could finally do something good.
But before that...
His crimson magic circuits activated.
... I have to become stronger myself.
Later, outside the castle.
Poof!
A spray of water and steam enveloped him.
Relearning a skill was a rather long process and required constant practice. Especially when your new skill differed from the original one.
Originally, he had a single ability based on vector control that he could use in a multitude of ways while always starting from the same input, but now he relied on magic which worked according to a different system of laws. Each spell could have completely different input points from the others, and while it wasn't impossible for him to learn, years of being used to it as an esper made it a little difficult to adapt to the new methodology.
There were many magic systems, with many subcategories, variations, and spells with sometimes unique traits. This was one of the reasons why, after having learned the basics of each discipline, every magus was prepared from a young age to learn mainly only the branch of thaumaturgy in which his family specialized.
At the moment, he concentrated on studying simpler spells such as alchemy or other magic whose characteristics did not differ too much from the scientific concepts he was already familiar with.
"Shit!" The child cursed.
While manipulating solid objects was simple, fluids and gases were quite difficult.
"What the hell did I do wrong?"
He had followed all the steps, stabilized all the chemical and physical reactions, and yet he couldn't control a little water!
Because it does not work? I can usually do it, but the fluids seem too unstable and I can't control them.
Homura had gone out of the castle alone that afternoon to train away from the prying eyes and strict surveillance of his parents. What he wanted to do was simple, manipulate the water molecules inside the snow to make it go from one state of aggregation to another. Needless to say, he wasn't having much success.
I have to do it. I faced unspeakable challenges in my old life and done far more complex things with my powers in both, I can't let a few drops of water slow me down.
The young magician held out his hand and concentrated again.
Analyse.
The snow was made up of millions of H2O crystals that he just had to alter to give it the shape he wanted.
Manipulation of the molecular structure of water.
Control of molecular cohesion.
Thermal agitation control.
The snow melted into liquid in his palm, as Homura tried to shape it to his desire the water began to change shape. He wanted to give it a spherical shape while maintaining the liquid state, this was his goal, in an attempt to replicate an ability similar to hydrokinesis.
However...
The sphere of water fell in thousands of drops to the ground under the astonished eyes of the little magician.
What had he done wrong?!
The boy didn't understand, until now basic spells and the alchemical manipulation of substances were good for him. Why? He was sure he had followed all the right processes as he had done the other times.
Was it because he was applying this concept to fluids? No, that couldn't be the dead animal he had healed some time ago was an example of that, thinking about it over and over again it was scientifically impossible that-
Homura's eyes widened when he realized his mistake.
Scientific.
He was still looking at things from a scientific perspective rather than a magical one. He thought like a man of science instead of one of magic. Now he was a young magician not an esper, and he had to start thinking like one, the flow of power he wielded was fundamentally different from the AIM field he possessed when he was an esper and he had to learn to understand and properly control magic.
He didn't have to follow rigid logic, he had to think more abstract, to apply a spell he had to focus on the sources of magic energy to use, Od, the magical energy of living organisms and mana, the environmental magic energy.
He had to visualize that concept in his mind just as he had healed that animal once. And to do it...
Homura closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again his irises shone with a multitude of colours. He channeled the magic circuits through his eyes and activated his mystic eyes.
He was born with a rare ability, the ability to perceive mana in all its forms through his eyes.
He could sense his own circuits with much more clarity than before, the magic in them interacting with that of the environmental, all the flow of mana around him and how it interacted with physical matter. It was a curious phenomenon to study the lines, shapes and colours that magic took, but what was most fascinating was the way it overlapped with reality that already existed as a dimension of its own. A dimension to which his soul and circuits served as a connection.
With this thought in mind, Homura resumed the process from before, but this time he would also focus on the magical energy used.
To cast a spell, you must first learn how it works and to do so magus do it through a long series of trials and errors to get it right, in the same way as espers learned to control their ability.
The main difficulty everyone faces at the beginning is understanding the type of energy used to activate the supernatural phenomenon, and how to control it.
Homura could overcome this handicap and achieve results in a short time, thanks to his high intellect and enormous experience as a level 5 esper and partly thanks to his eyes with which he perceived the magical essence naturally.
The mana began to circulate and he pushes his intent to give it a stable shape, so that he could in turn a shape physical matter .
Furthermore, he had to impose not only his own will but his own desire in what he did.
Wish and it will be your magic. An echo of magical wisdom from his past guided him to his ultimate goal.
And he succeeded.
He created a perfectly spherical water bubble the size of his hand that rose into the air in complete opposition to gravity.
The child smiled. He had done it!
It may have been a trivial spell in the eyes of some, but the fact that he learned it quickly through this method was proof that no magic was out of reach for him to learn. And one day he would become a wizard powerful enough to be independent of anything and anyone who tried to bind him.
Einzbern, your days are numbered.
He moved on to the next phase.
To manipulate the sphere of water to make it take on all the shapes he wanted while remaining in a liquid state.
A cube, a pyramid, a star... and finally the shape of a bird.
With a similar spell I could also make a toy for Illya, in fact, I will directly teach her how to do it when she learns magic. Homura thought with a smile.
The water dissolved in the air, passing into a gaseous state and then reformed into a liquid state in the young magus' hand.
Now he had confirmation, he could transmute anything into any form he wanted, taking advantage of the spells he had memorized and his scientific knowledge in every way possible.
It was time for the final test.
Analyse.
Alteration.
Reinforcement.
He began to alter the physical properties of water, giving it greater durability by adding more magical energy.
Compression.
The sphere began to compress, increasing its pressure and density. It was probably the hardest part, Homura had to concentrate so that there wasn't a single miscalculation. He was still new to using magic, so he had to be careful not to make any mistakes, he knew how dangerous high-pressure water could become.
Done!
He pointed the compressed sphere in one direction and focused on a specific target, using it like a projectile.
Release!
Moments later, a compressed water projectile shot out of Homura's hands... accompanied by a sonic boom that was heard throughout the castle.
"Kiritsugu, did you hear that?"
"It came from outside the castle. Let's go check it out!"
The recoil knocked the boy backwards.
"Looks like I'll have to refine some details." he sighed.
He stood up and glanced at the result.
Some trees were destroyed.
I'll have to redo some calculations. He thought.
"Homura!" her mother's alarmed voice interrupted her thoughts.
The boy turned and saw both his parents running towards him.
"My little one, are you okay?!" she asked worriedly as she checked him up and down.
"It's okay mom. I'm fine. Just experiencing a little magic." he replied, there was no point in hiding it.
"We told you it was dangerous! That you had to do it in the presence of an adult! That you had to be careful! That..!"
Homura expected more complaints and scolding, but instead he suddenly found himself in a tight embrace.
"The important thing is that you're okay. Don't scare me anymore." Irisviel said with tremor in her voice.
Homura began to feel guilty, if it had been anyone else who was worried about him he would have ignored them like he always had, but when it came to his mother, emotions he didn't know how to have surfaced every time.
"Sorry mom, I'm sorry." he said as he sank into the embrace.
Damn. He had really gone soft. No matter how much he tried to be cold and indifferent, his mother always managed to bring out the softer side of him.
Even more than his old life, he definitely showed more emotions now. Living as Homura von Einzbern was definitely changing him.
Instead, things remain the same.
A dark voice emerged from his mind again.
Once again you are learning to use your power as a weapon, and the people around you end up suffering and crying.
No! It was not like this! He didn't want to make anyone cry, least of all his mother! He only wanted to improve his skills for-
"Homura."
The boy came out of his thoughts the moment his father spoke.
"How did you do this?" he asked.
His father's solemn voice was that of someone who wanted answers immediately. He was clearly annoyed that his son had gone against his demands by practicing magic without supervision, and there was no point in angering him further.
"Um, well, I was practicing some spells on water control and..." so he explained in detail the little experiments he was conducting, obviously trying hard to appear as innocent as possible. He had to make sure they thought it was just his naive childish curiosity that made him do it and nothing else. The last thing he wanted was to make his parents believe that their son had violent tendencies.
"I see." his father said at the end of the explanation.
He knew his father wasn't naive enough to fully believe it, but him being a child made Kiritsugu give him the benefit of the doubt about his intentions.
Kiritsugu was dissatisfied, Homura's latent potential gradually proved to be greater than his expectations. Not only had he developed skills in using high-level healing spells with a minor variant of Third Magic, but he was also developing powerful destructive spells from simple basic magic in other types of thaumaturgy.
His son was proving himself mighty. And he was only 4 years old!
Growing at this rate, how strong would he become once he reached 18?
It was a terrifying thought.
The man could only look at the felled trees with annoyance.
He would have made an excuse to old Acht if he had asked questions.
Fortunately, a few broken trees were not on the old man's priority list.
"In any case, it's time to return to the castle. You won't be leaving for the next three days."
Homura snorted.
"And to make sure you don't sneak off to do new experiments one of us will always keep an eye on you." you had to be strict with your children sometimes.
"But..." the child protested.
And finally, the final nail in the coffin.
"Even when you go to the bathroom, mom or I will supervise you."
Kiritsugu took slight pleasure in seeing his son's usually stoic face wear a shocked expression.
What a stressful day.
Homura had seen a lot today.
Now he was experiencing his first version of punishment in this new life. Although his father hadn't specifically called it a punishment, it basically was.
For the next few days he would remain locked in the castle without being able to leave or even go from room to room without adult supervision. Being a kid really sucked.
If he had been a teenager, he imagined two possible scenarios, either they would have let him do it considering him a responsible adult or they would have punished him even more harshly.
It could have been worse. Homura thought, lying on the bed in his room.
At least in his room he still had some privacy to do what he wanted without being disturbed. He held out his hand in the air and activated the magical circuits, causing the Od in his body to react with the mana from the air around him.
He created a tiny tornado that shook all the objects in the room.
It wasn't much. But of all the spells he had learned, aerokinesis was currently the one that most reminded him of his old power. Vector control often used it to manipulate the air after all and if what he did now was nothing compared to the original, feeling this breeze blow through his hair served to exhume the memory of his lost power in the hope of being able to make up for a day.
He remembered.
The ability to unleash storms. Earthquakes. To repel any attack, whether physical or supernatural.
The ability to repel thunder itself-
The image of injured girls using electricity towards him.
Bloody corpses.
What happens if I use my power to reverse blood flow?
Homura stopped, his eyes widening and breathing heavily.
"Tch. I worked too hard today, better get some rest now." he said to himself.
He relaxed on the bed and he began to fall asleep trying not to think about unpleasant things.
He thought back to the fairy tales his mother used to tell him and Illya when they were younger before going to sleep, now she mostly told them to Illya. The stories of heroic deeds and great epics in the history of humanity. Fairy tales that were a little unusual and funny, but which helped him sleep.
For a teenager in a child's body, using such a method to relax and sleep might seem stupid, but it worked.
After just half an hour the child fell asleep peacefully.
Or at least that's what he wanted.
Homura found himself dreaming of a dark place.
He was confused about where he found himself until he recognized it.
A laboratory.
To be precise, the laboratory where he spent his childhood in Academy City.
He remembered walking along those long corridors, from one room to another, in each an episode of his life was presented.
In one there were scientists with machines ready to analyze him and stimulate his neural centers.
Enhanced, altered and stripped of your identity.
In another room were the victims of the Dark May Project and the Special Skills Institute.
All the pawns sacrificed for your ascension to the throne of number one.
And in another room the victims of that experiment.
And finally, the pawns sacrificed for your rise to absolute power. The latter you willingly sacrificed.
No.
He wasn't like that. He never wanted this! He didn't want them to die, just the thought disgusted him!
Yet you did it anyway, face it Accelerator, you are a monster and always will be. You are a selfish monster who only thought about himself and his desires.
The esper wanted to deny it.
I changed my path.
Have you tried to improve yourself, and what have you achieved? Nothing! The first time you tried to do a good deed, you became a cripple. You tried to break out of the darkness and destroy it and yet the darkness of academy city remained, no one ever truly thanked you or supported you for your "good deeds". Sure, Yomikawa and Last Order may have done it but everyone else? You were still a villain in the eyes of the world. Do you want to know why?
Why? he asked unconsciously.
Because you were never able to take the decisive step to become one of the good guys. Not only did you accumulate a large number of crimes but for every good deed you performed, you always committed a bad one. Taking the easy route every time. You are what you are. You are Accelerator.
Deep down, you already know this, that's why you wouldn't reveal to anyone in your current family who you were, because you already know they won't accept you for the monster you really are.
The words of his other self, hurt like a knife in the heart. It was true, he had injured and killed countless people. And the mere thought of his new family finding out about his past terrified him.
He had never been able to truly change in his old life, but circumstances had now changed and in this new life he could.
He would have changed, he could have done it. Homura could deny what Accelerator claimed.
Do you still deny me? Well, then let me ask you, if you are willing to stay this way, how do you think you can save them?
Homura's eyes widened.
Irisviel, Kiritsugu and Illya, those people you want to protect. How do you plan to save them? You're learning some magic tricks but we both know it won't be enough.
You need me! You need to be Accelerator to defeat the darkness of this world and protect the people you care about. You're not a hero, you never have been, but when it comes to protecting those around you from the darkness, Accelerator has never failed.
Anger rose within him. Should he have accepted it? Should he have gone back to being that?! No, he would have made it on his own strength! Without his help!
I understand. So good luck and have fun with the dolls.
Countless female corpses surrounded him, similar to the Misaka sisters, but unlike them these corpses all had long white hair and red eyes.
"Ahhh!" Homura woke up sweaty on her bed. His hands trembled, the nightmare was disturbing, yet it seemed so realistic.
His past self didn't seem to want to let him go. That dark part of him tried to emerge whenever he saw the opportunity, regardless of his struggle to become better.
He was the embodiment of all his doubts and insecurities, of the anger and hatred that pervaded his heart.
And the worst part is that Accelerator was probably telling the truth, could he really change in this new life despite the atrocities he had done in his previous one? Could he save his family from the Einzbern and the darkness of the moonlit world?
He thought back to that vision of dead Homunculi in the dream. His mother and Illya were in danger, he didn't know how exactly but he knew they were, there were still many questions he didn't have answers to. What did the magus clan plan? What had they enlisted his father for?
More questions floated through his head until the door burst open.
"Homura, are you okay?!" his mother asked.
"Yes, I'm fine mom." he replied.
He wondered what his mother was doing near his room at that moment, but then he remembered that he had recently been grounded by his parents and now they kept an eye on him almost all the time with practically zero privacy. Even when he went to sleep.
"I heard you scream, did something happen?"
"Nothing, I just had a bad dream." without specifying the dream he had had.
"I see." she said sadly.
Irisviel felt worried, evidently the fact that her son was alone in these gloomy rooms must have made him uncomfortable, as much as Homura pretended to be mature, he was still a child. And as a mother she could say that her child needed her.
So, she came up with an idea.
"How about I sleep with you for a while?" she asked with a bright smile.
"Huh?"
"So you won't have to worry about nightmares or being alone tonight. Because mommy will sleep with you for a while."
"Ehhh?!" Homura was mortified. He may be physically a child, but he was still a teenager mentally and had his own dignity to maintain.
"N-no thanks, I don't need it." he said quickly.
"But yes, you need your mother to keep you company." she insisted.
"But no! I don't need it, I'm old enough to sleep alone!" he said crossing his arms as he looked away in annoyance. If he had done it as a teenager or an adult, he might have been convincing and intimidating, but such gestures with a child's body seemed simply adorable.
Irisviel giggled at her son's attempt to act tough and hide his emotions, there was a Japanese word Kiritsugu had taught her to describe these people.
Which one was it? Oh, now I remember!
Homura was truly an adorable tsundere.
"In any case, I'll keep you company, my little one." she said, chuckling.
Irisviel walked over to the bed and lay down on it next to her son.
Homura distanced himself but the woman pulled him closer, much to the child's embarrassment.
Homura was so shy and cute, especially in the way he tried to pretend to be a mature boy, she had read a book about the behavior of children as they grew up, she said that over time some children tried to seem mature and independent as time went by especially starting from adolescence.
In some cases, it became problematic, but in Iri's eyes, this behavior was simply adorable. She was sure that her son would be adorable and cute even during adolescence.
"Tell me Homura, what were you dreaming about?" she asked.
Homura didn't answer.
"You don't want to talk about it?" she said in the gentle, comfortable tone that only a mother could give.
"It was nothing, it was just a bad dream like the others." he replied.
"Homura, you shouldn't tell lies. And anyway, you should open up more to your parents." she said, stroking his head gently.
"We are your family and you can always count on us. Always. If there is something that worries you or makes you uncomfortable, don't hesitate to let us know because we will always be here for you."
Family. It was a word that after all this time he still didn't fully understand.
In his past life he had had for only a few months what was a semblance of a family consisting of two guardians who acted as parents and two clones who acted as annoying little sisters. At the time he was Accelerator, and Accelerator never put effort into deepening bonds with those people, settling for the indispensable belief that his power could solve everything else.
He was wrong. Now he was in a new body without his old power and weaker than ever, physically and emotionally.
If he had been in Academy City, countless people would have taken the opportunity to destroy him, but here next to his mother he felt safe. Free to express himself, free to show his weaknesses, there were no ulterior motives in his mother's intentions, she really wanted to help him. Every word she said was sincere and genuine, and with those words she slowly reached his heart.
"I had some bad dreams, me, I dreamed that I was alone, without you and Illya, that you were no longer here."
It was a half-truth, he wouldn't reveal that those dreams were based on dark memories, but he had confessed what his underlying fears were. He would not have revealed it under different circumstances, but with his mother no longer had the absolute privilege of privacy that he enjoyed in his previous life.
He feel a soft hand gently caressing his face.
"Whatever you fear my little one, know that one way or another I will always be there for you. Don't be afraid of anything because your family will make sure you are never alone."
She kisses his forehead softly while with one hand she brought him closer in a tender embrace.
It was the same hug that Irisviel sometimes gave her husband at night or at other times when they were alone, a hug made to comfort Kiritsugu from the demons of his past that haunted him and how he now fought so hard to be different. Not just a hitman, but someone who could contribute to a heroic act for once.
Maybe it was her maternal instincts telling her, but she heard the same kind of pain in her son's voice, and it broke her heart.
Homura had taken a lot from his father, including the way he reacts to moments of happiness and pain.
But Homura was still a child, he didn't have the sad experience of his father, so Irisviel made sure to give him the best childhood possible so that she could see a smile on her child's face.
Irisviel gripped him tighter, bringing him to the crook of her shoulder just below her chin.
"I love you Homura, you and Illya are the most precious things to me, that's why I will always be there for you."
"Even if I did something bad? Would you forgive me?"
"If you did something bad I would get angry and scold you, but I would still forgive you and be there for you."
"Even when I grow up and do something wrong, will you be there for me?"
Homura couldn't see it, but his mother's smile cracked slightly, as she thought about the future mission she and her husband would be on.
"I will always stay with you, no matter what happens, know that your mother will love you for life."
Homura's eyes began to close as peace found its place in his heart again.
His last thought before falling asleep was the wish that these moments would last forever.
A/N: Homura is truly a protective brother. lol
The young magus continues to train, I invite you to guess what power he will have in the future.
Illya will also begin to discover her abilities, under the wise guidance of her brother.
Here we can see Homura struggling with his past and his Accelerator side that constantly tries to resurface. Homura's wishes to change are sincere, but the past will not vanish easily and he will have to fight to become a new person. He is already able to achieve results, also because in this new life he has loved ones from the beginning like Irisviel and Illya who act as a moral anchor for him, making him more emphatic little by little.
In this internal struggle between good and evil, who will emerge victorious?
Irisviel's love for her children will greatly influence their fate.
Thanks for following.