Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Purified by Fire, Dancing with Fairies

Chapter 1

I am…a magus.

It was something Ayame's father had told her years ago, while walking together on a warm summer's night, as they left the festival grounds for home. Kiritsugu had said it out of the blue, completely surprising Ayame and leaving her wondering if her father had simply been joking…but his smile as he said it…

…it was…sad, as though the memories that came with the fact brought him only pain and grief.

It was all true.

The memories of what he had once been, brought only grief and pain to what he had finally become, and he truly was a magus. He was a man born to a family who had made it their lives' quest to learn, understand, and apply the rules and secrets of the World, and in so doing make miracles happen.

It was something fantastic and exciting, and not just for Ayame. No doubt, had any child learned of what their parent was capable of doing, they too would have been awed and excited at what their parent could do, and that they too could learn magic, and become a magus themselves.

But the awe and excitement that came with learning about magic was hollow, and the truth a very different and painful thing. It was something Kiritsugu had made sure to teach Ayame first of all, that she truly understood and accepted that truth before she could learn anything else. Indeed, Kiritsugu was quite reluctant to teach her magic and yet…

…it was necessary, for Ayame was surprisingly possessed of exceptional magical potential. She needed to learn how to harness and control her power, for even left untapped, the sheer potential alone would make her a magnet for the supernatural, and that was far from a benign possibility. Indeed, it could be fatal, or even worse.

But even for all that…

Listen, Ayame. Magecraft is a tool. No matter what other magi might say, no matter how much they sneer at you, mock you, and insult you for thinking in such a way, that's the truth. Magecraft is a means to an end, nothing more and nothing less.

But it is a terrible tool, and one that the world might be better off had it not existed. Its very existence breeds jealousy, resentment, hatred, greed, and ambition. And yet you have to have it, know how to use it, and keep it as sharp as you can, if only to keep yourself safe.

But always remember that magecraft is just a tool. Remember that, and keep your magecraft as harmless as you can, Ayame.

"Magecraft really is a terrible thing." Ayame thought as she sat in the room where she kept the materials her father had left for her. After her initial outburst at the appearance of the strange tattoos on her arm, she'd forced herself to calm down, and focus once more on making dinner. But once that was done, and she'd eaten it with her (surrogate) older sister, she'd left the dirty dishes, utensils, pots and pans in the sink under soap and water, while she herself retreated to her father's rooms.

"How much happier would this world be, if magecraft, or indeed, the supernatural did not exist?" Ayame thought while perusing her materials. "I don't think it would be a perfect world, but I think…yes, plenty of evils would not exist."

It had taken what seemed like hours but was in fact barely half an hour to find an answer to her question, and Ayame reviewed what she had found. And as she reached a conclusion, she sighed. "And here's another example of how…twisted, magecraft, really is." She thought. "The Holy Grail War…a war fought between seven magi known as Masters, and seven summoned Heroic Spirits as their Servants, all for the chance to offer a wish to be granted by the Holy Grail…"

Ayame's thoughts trailed off, and she snorted in contempt. "How really stupid," she murmured, resting her head against an elbow with her hand against her forehead. "For something so selfish like a wish…magi would throw themselves and Heroic Spirits of all things against each other in a city of over a million people, with only a minimum of concern for what might happen if things get out of hand…"

Ayame trailed off and sighed, sitting back and looking up at the ceiling. After several moments, she sighed again, and briefly closing her eyes looked back down at her desk. Her eyes fell on her command spells, and she ran a finger over the symbols tattooed on her skin. And in the meantime, her mind wandered, back to that terrible night ten years ago.

Fire…

…just so much fire…

…and pain…

…pain like she'd never known since…

…as though her entire being was being charred through, leaving nothing but a blackened husk behind…

Ayame closed her eyes and took a deep breath, remembering the flames licking at and consuming her flesh, the agony swallowing everything she had been and leaving nothing behind…and just as quickly, the memories sank back to where they belonged, in the past, and Ayame opened her eyes in the present. And as she did so, she unclenched her hands, and held them apart in front of her.

"Glitter," she whispered. "Fairy Lights."

Numbness shot through her body, as though poisoned icicles were being dragged across her skin, but her hands glowed a gentle gold, the air between them seeming to twist, and then with a pop of displaced air, the glow faded, and reality returned to normal. And between her hands, gently bobbing in the air, was a single point of bright, iridescent light.

Ayame smiled.

The following morning was overcast and cloudy, which seemed to fit the mood in the classroom as Ayame walked in. A raised eyebrow was the initial response, even as Ayame homed in on the cluster of girls comforting one of their classmates who was crying into her hands. "Okay," Ayame said, dropping her bag off on her desk and walking closer. "What'd I miss?"

Ayako turned to Ayame. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "Who was Natsumi dating for the past month or so?"

"Matou."

"Matou." Ayako said before kicking a nearby desk with a snarl. "When I get my hands on that bastard…"

"Ayako, no." Ayame said with an alarmed tone. "We've been through this before. He's got too many friends…well, a relative, in a high place, who can just make anything official we try go away without too much trouble. As for…physically, teaching him a lesson…yeah, a relative in a high place…bad idea…"

That, and the Matou were a magus family. And from what her father had told her about them, Ayame knew that the Matou could easily be among the most vicious magi in existence, indeed, viciousness or rather cruelty or even sadism could actually be called a principle of their magecraft. Best not to give them any reason to see you as an enemy, especially when you weren't a magus and didn't have even the smallest chance to defend against the Matou's least.

Oh, Shinji Matou probably wouldn't use magecraft in the open, even to defend himself against a – admittedly well-deserved – butt-kicking from Ayako or any one of the many people he'd offended over the years…but he'd undoubtedly hold a grudge over it, and the first chance he got…

Ayako growled before stomping over to a wall and punching it hard. "Each and every time…" she snarled. "Chie, Mae, Azusa, and now Natsumi…and who knows how many other girls from other schools he's used…"

"Ayako…"

"I know." Ayako said, turning quickly before taking a deep breath and running a hand through her hair. "It can't be helped. As much as I would love to kick that little bastard's ass…as you said, probably not the best idea."

Ayame nodded. "Best to just leave it to Tohsaka." She said before looking away with a skeptical expression. "That said, all it does is make him more discreet for a few months at most…and to target girls from other schools instead…"

"Maybe," Ayako admitted. "But, she's the only one with the social standing to match his."

"Up to a point," Ayame pointed out. "But…it's better than nothing…I guess…"

Rin Tohsaka was about to leave her classroom for lunch when someone called to her from up the corridor. "Hey, Rin!" Ayako said, quickly approaching. "Hey, wait up!"

"Ayako?" Rin asked in surprise. "We're not eating at the…oh. Hello, Emiya."

"Hello, Tohsaka." The white-haired girl who had always seemed strangely…familiar, returned the greeting with a nod. More than that though, was the fact that she was here.

Normally Ayame tended to avoid Rin – according to their mutual friend Ayako it was because Ayame disliked the cold front Rin presented to most of the world around her – though if she were honest, Rin didn't particularly mind. If Ayame wanted to avoid her, then fine. It wasn't like the other girl had anything Rin wanted or needed anyway.

That said, they could be civil with each other if they needed to be. It was rare, given Ayame's evasion and Rin's own lack of interest, but it happened. More often than not though, this was usually thanks to Rin's fellow magus, Shinji Matou.

Rin sighed as she wondered if this would be more of the same. "How many months has it been?" she asked.

"Nearly two." Ayako replied.

"Natsumi?" Rin asked.

"Natsumi." Ayako and Ayame chorused.

Rin sighed and ran a hand down her face. "I'll do what I can." She said. "No promises…even if I…well, my family's name, can match old man Matou's influence so his grandson can't just brush it off, I can only do so much. It's not like I can really force him to do anything."

"It's complicated business, in other words." Ayame said with a sigh. "Well, we've been through this before…still, just do what you can."

Rin nodded. "I will." She said. "Trust me, I will. I wasn't close with any of his…exes, but as a woman myself, or just as a decent person…"

Rin trailed off and shook her head. "Playing with a young woman's heart just so he can sleep with her," she said with a note of disgust. "And when he gets bored he just dumps them without even trying to soften the blow…despicable little bastard…"

Ayako and Ayame nodded, and Rin took a deep breath. "I'd hoped to have a quiet lunch today…guess that'll have to wait." She said.

"Well, if you finish quickly," Ayako said with a smile. "We might still have some time to eat something."

"Well, there is that." Rin admitted with a laugh. Ayako shared the laugh, while Ayame just smiled. Ayako turned to her at that.

"Want to join us?" she asked.

"I don't want to…"

"Nah, it's fine, really." Ayako said. "Isn't it, Rin?"

"Huh? Well, I…sure why not?"

Ayame looked thoughtful at that, but after a couple of moments she nodded. "Sure, why not?" she asked. "I'll just go and get my lunch."

"Great, I'll come with you." Ayako said before turning back to Rin. "The usual spot?"

"Okay, I'll see you two there later."

"Right then."

Rin nodded as the other two girls went back the way they came, and then taking a deep breath turned around with an unhappy expression on her face. "Right," she said softly. "Where is that little piece of shit?"

"There you are!" Rin spat after some twenty minutes of searching, and finally finding the Matou heir making out with a pretty young underclassman in a secluded spot. The girl squealed at the interruption, Shinji Matou growling at Rin.

"What?" he asked belligerently. "Tohsaka? What is it?"

"It's private business." Rin said. "Send the girl away."

Shinji grinned suggestively. "There's no one but the three of us here." He said, snickering along with his newest conquest at the disgusted expression on Rin's face. His amusement came to an end though, in the next moment, as Rin's words were laced with prana.

"Leave us." She commanded the underclassman, whose eyes dulled before silently nodding and leaving without any hint of feeling on her face.

Shinji snorted in disgust. "You're no fun at all, Tohsaka." He said.

"This has got to stop, Matou."

"So you've said in the past." Shinji said with a shrug and leaning against the wall of the school building. Rin narrowed her eyes as she felt a simple bounded field fall into place around them, and cycled prana through her crest just in case. "And I'm telling you again, it's none of your business. Not all of us are blessed with as much magical potential as you are, Miss Perfect Heiress, so we have to find…alternative, sources of prana to be able to do what we have to do."

Rin snarled, clenching her fists, all but exploding about how if they'd treated…her better, then they wouldn't have had to resort to…alternative sources of prana, since their spare had such limited prana reserves of his own. But she didn't…she couldn't…magi walk with death after all. It was the first thing they all learned, one universal lesson shared between all lineages no matter how different other lessons and mysteries afterwards might be. As a magus…Rin could not hold her death against the Matou Clan.

Magecraft was dangerous. Even the simplest spell could result in serious injury in the event it failed to or was improperly actualized, and death was all too real a possibility when it came to magical training and research. Her death during the former while tragic, was ultimately something…normal, by the standards of their kind, and could actually be considered a worthy end. She had died after all, in the line of duty, duty to inherit her family's legacy.

But…but as a…sister…

Damn you…damn you to hell…damn you all to hell…Sakura…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I should have been there for you…I shouldn't have let them take you away…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry…

"Don't you think there's anything…unethical, with using people as though they're nothing more than just…a means to an end?" Rin spat instead.

Shinji rolled his eyes. "That again?" he said. "Please…we are magi, Tohsaka. We should be prepared and willing to do what we have to do to achieve our goals. Whether it's killing or using people, or any other of the countless things ordinary people would consider 'unethical', for us if it offers up a meaningful contribution to our goal of reaching the Root, then we shouldn't hesitate to take it up. In fact, the only limitations to our quest, is the prohibition against research into vampirism, and anything that could potentially expose the existence of the supernatural…"

"Yeah, yeah," Rin interrupted. "I've heard all this before, 'I shame myself and my family as magi by limiting myself' and all that shit…though don't you think you're flouting the second limitation with what you're doing?"

Shinji snorted. "Yeah right," he said. "As if there aren't playboys among mundane males of our age. I at least am not in it purely for empty sexual gratification. I might use girls as means to an end, but there is meaning and purpose in what I do."

"And that makes you right, somehow?"

"I am, though not in the way you think." Shinji said. "I'm not risking exposing things, nor am I looking into vampirism. As far as magi such as ourselves should be concerned, I am in no way in the wrong, especially since the prana I gain by having sex with those girls is then put to use to advance my and my family's research."

"…damn you…"

Shinji sighed and shook his head. "This is the same stuff we've been tossing back and forth between us over the past few years." He said. "Nothing's going to change now…so, let me end with the usual stuff, plus something new…"

"Save it." Rin spat. "I already know what you're going to say. And you know what my response would be."

"Yes, I suppose you do." Shinji said. "And I know what you would say, so let me get to the new stuff."

"Let's hear it then."

Shinji smirked…and Rin found herself breaking out in a cold sweat, unable to move, almost like prey finding itself caught by a predator's eyes. And while she couldn't see or actually feel anything, it was almost like there was a blade at her throat, ready to cut it or even take her head off.

What is this?

Magic?

No…I don't feel any prana at work, either from Shinji or from my surroundings…it can't be…

…a Servant?

"You are the last Tohsaka." Shinji said, lazily running a hand through his hair, the sleeve on his forearm exposing ever so slightly what were undoubtedly command spells. "There's no doubt you're going to be a Master…but that's only if you summon a Servant before they're all summoned by other Masters, and you'd be left with nothing."

Shinji paused and laughed. "No," he said. "I'm not going to kill you here. The war hasn't properly begun yet, and I wouldn't want to get into trouble with the Overseer by starting the action before the proper time. And I don't want to kill you like this…it'd be very unsatisfying, to be honest. Still…"

Shinji trailed off as the deadly aura vanished, and Rin staggered, just catching herself to avoid falling on the ground and thus humiliating herself. "If I have to, I'll kill you." Shinji said coldly. "I'll end the Tohsaka line, and claim its crest for my family. But, if that should happen, I'd prefer it to be in a battle between peers, instead of something…one-sided, as this current situation would be. A glorious last stand of one lineage, and honorable conquest for another…one way or another. As a magus…there can be no greater end and few greater achievements, isn't there?"

Rin didn't answer, just settling for glaring at Shinji who sighed as he dispelled the bounded field. "Summon one soon," he said. "Because while I prefer a battle between peers, once I can, I'll take the opportunity in front of me. I trust you won't disappoint, would you?"

Without waiting for a response, Shinji left, and left Rin all by herself.

"Hey, Ayame-chan?"

"Hmm?" Ayame hummed to indicate she was listening, while stirring a pot of soup over a low flame in the cooking club after classes had ended for the day. "What is it?"

"You ate lunch with Mitsuzuri-san and Tohsaka-san, didn't you?"

"I did."

"So…do you have any idea why she seemed to be in a really bad mood during the whole afternoon?"

"Actually…yeah, I think…I…do…" Ayame said thoughtfully. "You've heard about what happened to Natsumi, haven't you?"

"I have…oh…she went to have a chat with Matou-san, didn't she?"

"That's right." Ayame said with a nod. "I guess things didn't go well."

Though not nearly as bad as arguments between magi can get. Those could get really nasty…and very visible. Though, considering the coming Grail war…ah shit…all that built up tension is probably to be let loose during the war.

Ayame tuned out her friends and classmates' chatter, and thought some more about the war. "What should I do?" she thought. "I don't want to join the war, but hiding it out is going to be a miracle in itself, for all that I've managed to stay out of Tohsaka and Matou's radar all this time. Unless I leave town until it all ends…that's not a completely bad idea, but…it's not the best idea either. And the option of sanctuary with the Overseer is absolutely out of the question, considering that's at Kotomine Church. And dad's always told me to absolutely avoid that place, or the priest who runs it. Huh…bad stuff must have come down between them I guess…though that doesn't really answer my question…"

Ayame sighed and looked up at the clubroom ceiling. "Dad," she thought. "What should I do?"

As might be expected, there was no answer, and Ayame could only sigh again. "Well, what did I expect?" she thought. "Really…what's next, asking the fairies? Yeah right…I'm going to have to make this choice on my own…but, what is the right choice? Is there even one?"

With another sigh, Ayame shook her head clear, and focused back on her cooking. "I'll think about it some more later." She thought. "Right now, I've got cooking to do."

Nodding to herself, Ayame pushed thoughts about magic, fairies, the Holy Grail War, her father and everything else related to those out of her head. Taking a small saucer, Ayame put some of the soup on the saucer, and blowing at it gently to cool it, she tasted the soup only to make a slight face.

"More cream."

The clouds which had shrouded the sky for most of the day had begun to clear late in the afternoon, the gold and orange of sunset streaking through the tattered cloud cover. A cold breeze blew, whipping through Rin's cloak and hair, and causing the heads of the flowers in the bouquet she was holding to bob with the wind.

She walked through the cemetery in silence, past the graves of others to one specific grave. "Hey, did you miss me?" she said softly and with a sad smile, stopping before that grave. "I'm sorry, it's a bad habit I have, always leaving you alone…"

Rin trailed off, and kneeling down placed the flowers before the gravestone. A name was engraved on the white marble, the Chinese characters cut into the stone in flowing calligraphy.

Matou Sakura

Rin sighed, and after a moment's fumbling, managed to sit on her knees on the grass in front of the grave. "School's pretty much the same as it's always been," she said. "Teachers drone on and on, then pile test after test on us to see if we actually learned anything, students like us are selfish and more focused on our personal lives instead of on what's really important…"

Rin trailed off with a laugh. "Not too interesting, isn't it?" she asked. "I'm sorry, I must be boring you on top of making you miss me…I'm such a terrible older sister…"

Rin trailed off again, lowering her head until her eyes were hidden behind her hair. "Yes…" she whispered. "I'm a terrible older sister…I always was, wasn't I?"

There was no answer, just the sound of the wind blowing through the spaces between the gravestones, and the bare branches of the trees nearby. "I saw your brother earlier today." Rin whispered. "He's…the same, despicable excuse for a person that he's always been ever since I knew him…and yet, it's not like he's wrong. As a magus, his actions are…justified? Right? Reasonable? But…but…"

Rin closed her eyes, and her hands clenched into fists. "Does…" she whispered with just a touch of despair. "Does being a magus…does being a magus mean you can't be a decent person anymore?"

Again, there was no answer, but this time the sound of the wind was joined by the sound of sniffling and quiet sobs from the broken-hearted magus kneeling at her sister's grave. There were none who could see or hear her here, and so she allowed her façade of cold perfection to drop in its entirety, and not simply in places like she did with what few friends she had.

"If only…" she sobbed, shakily reaching out for the gravestone, but not daring to touch it. "If only you were still alive…I'm sure…I'm sure that you…you and I…we can…we could have shown…that being brilliant magi…does not mean…we couldn't have been…good people…isn't that right, Sakura? Right? Right?"

Only the wind answered her questions, and Rin allowed her hand to drop, silently letting the tears fall on the grass. Uncaring, the Sun continued to climb down from the sky, dipping down below the horizon, the gold and orange of sunset giving way to the dark velvet of evening. "Goodbye, Sakura." Rin said, raising her head and wiping her eyes. "Until next time…but always…always know…I love you. I always have. We…"

Rin cut herself off, looking away in shame, and getting to her feet took a deep breath. "Goodbye…" she whispered, and turning her back left the grave behind her.

A/N

Different advice from Kiritsugu this time around, if only because Ayame is the opposite of Shirou. If Shirou had barely enough potential to be a magus, Ayame is the opposite, with exceptional potential to be a magus. So he taught her properly, and left her enough to properly work on by herself, since as stated in the chapter, it's too dangerous for her to leave it unharnessed.

Yes, she did summon a fairy. A small one, not like Arc and her brother and sister True Ancestors which are large fairies, or those Human-eating fairies from Grand Order. Yes, I know the appearance of a Phantasmal Being is considered near-magic. But then again…so are reality marbles. If her brother in the canon timeline has near-magic, why not his sister?

Isn't it sad, Rin? Seriously, you guys. Ayame is not Sakura. Just because she has blue eyes and a large plot, it doesn't automatically mean she is. I'll admit it was…unexpectedly logical to point it out, but there are plenty of blonde, big breasted magi/people out there who aren't Sakura despite having blue eyes and large plots.