Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.
Adventures in Canon
Part IX
Azure sparks flickered and arced as Ayame used alteration to break down the blood splattered all over her, followed by those on the floor and walls. Sakura's vomit in the living room was next…and the crest worms should have followed. Only, they proved surprisingly resilient against such a method of destruction.
"Even in death they're a royal pain in the neck." Ayame spat as she swept them into a dustpan and then threw them out onto the yard. And then holding out a hand, she ignited flames in her palm, and with narrowed eyes unleashed a jet of red and orange at the dead worms. This time, whatever resilience they had against alteration was no protection against fire elemental magecraft.
"Thorough," Shirou observed, Ayame not letting up with her flames until the worms were ash.
"Against vampires, you have to be."
"Wait, what?"
Ayame glanced at Shirou, and then taking a deep breath walked over to the table and sat down. "I did say I'd tell you everything dad told me about the Matou." She said. "Where should we begin?"
"Vampire...you mentioned, well, implied that they're…vampires, or something." Shirou said, also sitting down opposite Ayame. "Start there."
"Easy enough to do." Ayame said.
And that's where Ayame started. It wasn't technically something their father had told her, of Zouken Matou being the Zouken Matou – or as he was known at the time, Makiri Zolgen – who had founded the clan centuries ago, and had been something their sister Illya had told her. Still, if Shirou wanted to know, she would tell him. And tell him she did.
Ayame told him of how he had kept himself alive by somehow…merging, himself with the worms he used as his familiars. Those same worms made up his body, and by periodically and literally eating people, was able to attain a form of immortality. Flawed, compared to other vampires, and different enough that the powers-that-be of the moonlit world didn't actually consider him a true vampire – for all that he was technically one as he literally devoured people to keep himself alive – and thus made no effort to put him down.
Furthermore, the same worms that kept him alive, and which he actually was, could be used to infest people. And in so doing, turned them into his puppets.
"I don't know the details of how he does it." Ayame said. "And I don't want to know. I only need to know that those worms being the core of Matou magecraft, meant that his family essentially had to enslave themselves to him to perform magecraft at all."
"…they use those worms, as well?" Shirou asked, his face a mask of mixed rage and disgust.
"Oh yes." Ayame said with a nod. "They are still familiars, after all. In addition to what I've already told you Zouken uses them for, they can do anything any other familiar could. Spy on people and places…remotely cast magecraft…things like that. Dad also said that the Matou Master he fought during the last war had a spell that allowed him to mutate the worms into poisonous, vicious flying insects that could swarm enemies. Not too effective against elemental magecraft…or area-of-effect spells, I imagine though."
"And the other magi think that's alright?" Shirou asked, revolted. "It's disgusting! It's…I don't think there's any word that can really describe it."
Ayame leaned closer to Shirou. "Brother," she said. "You know that magi are prepared to commit mass murder or even Human experimentation to advance their goals, right? I mean…even without the worms, even assuming things had worked out alright, Sakura was still sold like a piece of meat. Don't tell me that's right."
"Of course it isn't!"
"Then there's your answer." Ayame said with a nod. "Magi see morality, ethics, or just plain right and wrong as something inconvenient. If it works for them, then okay. But if not…who cares? What does it matter so long as they make their magic stronger? What does it matter so long as their family can boast some more? And more to the point…so long as the Matou keep those two rules, that magic and the supernatural cannot be publicly known, and that one cannot become an actual Dead Apostle, magi would simply not care how their magic works, and what they do with it."
"That's…that's just…" Shirou whispered, and then looking away, made a sound of disgust. "I…I knew magi were ruthless and amoral…dad told me that much as well…but this…!"
He took a deep breath, and shaking his head, glanced at Ayame, nodded once. "I think I understand," He said. "Why dad was so opposed to me becoming a magus."
That had Ayame's eyebrows rising. "Oh?" she asked, and Shirou nodded.
"He said he wouldn't stop me from trying," he answered. "And if I was really serious I should practice whenever I wanted to…but even so…he…"
Shirou closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "I understand." He repeated. "He didn't want me to lose who I was. And considering what dad went through during the war…I think he realized that no matter what pretty words they used, the price magi have to pay to achieve their goals just isn't worth it at all."
"If you ask them it is." Ayame said, and Shirou snorted.
"From their point of view, maybe." He conceded. "They certainly have the facts to say they're…correct. But just because they're correct, it doesn't mean they're right!"
Ayame chuckled. "What a lovely paradox," she said. "I completely agree, of course."
"…I wonder why he wasn't the same with you, though."
"Well," Ayame said, scratching at her head as she did so. "From what you've told me last night…your magical potential is towards the low end of average…no offense."
"None taken." Shirou reassured her with a smile. "But…?"
"Mine is the opposite." Ayame said. "I tend towards the high end of average. Based on that, dad probably thought you could blend well enough with ordinary people…I couldn't. Like attracts like, after all. The more attuned you are, even passively, to the supernatural…"
"The more likely you'll get drawn into it, whether you like it or not." Shirou finished with a nod. "Yeah, I see where you're going."
Ayame nodded glumly as well. "I needed to be able to keep myself safe." She said. "Though, that's also probably why dad made sure I knew just what sort of shit magi tend to do and get into, and I knew what right and wrong were. To make sure I wouldn't forget the kind of person I was."
Shirou nodded in agreement, and Ayame looked at him seriously. "That said," she began. "You should know that now that we've begun this plan, you can't just fade into the background anymore. Not really."
"Yeah, I know." Shirou said. "I'll need to be there for Sakura. And while I know I'm not really that good in magic, I'll do everything I can."
Ayame raised an eyebrow, and then smirking, tilted her head. "Everything you can, huh?" she asked.
"Is there a problem?" Shirou asked, similarly raising an eyebrow of his own, and causing Ayame to laugh.
"Not really," she said. "Though from the sound of things, and the look of your workshop, you've got a long way to go before you can really give everything you have."
"Oh I know." Shirou said. "Even more reason to start soon. Baby steps, or something like that, right?"
"Oh, I wouldn't call them baby steps." Ayame said with a laugh. "For all that you were using your magic circuits wrong, if you were even using them at all…you've got a good grasp of your basics. Enough to build on at least. I'm not sure if I can teach you everything I know, but I'm pretty sure I can help you out a good deal."
Shirou smiled cheerfully. "Then I'll leave it to you, sensei." He said, and the siblings shared a laugh.
"First lesson then," Ayame said as she got up. "Magecraft is a tool. No matter what 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. But you have to have it, know how to use it, and keep it as sharp as you can, to keep yourself and the people you care for safe. But always remember that magecraft is just a tool. Remember that, and keep your magecraft as harmless as you can, Shirou."
Shirou stared at Ayame with a sad smile, and after a few moments, sighed. "Did dad tell you that?" he asked.
"He did."
Shirou closed his eyes and nodded. "Then I'll take it to heart." He said softly. "Thanks dad, for everything."
Ayame didn't say anything, also just looking away with the same distant expression on her brother's face. "I wonder what he'd say," she finally said, after several long moments. "If he could see us right now."
"He'd say he's very proud of us," Shirou said. "And to keep up the good work."
"Only after scolding us for picking a fight with other magi though." Ayame said with a short laugh.
Shirou laughed again. "And then he'd tell us to just relax," he said. "Stay here where it's safe, keep an eye on Sakura, and leave everything to him."
Ayame nodded. "I miss him." She said, wrapping her arms around herself.
"I miss him too." Shirou said. "And since he isn't here, we have to finish this ourselves. And if I remember right, the next step of the plan is to keep the pressure on the Matou up, isn't it?"
"Yes," Ayame agreed. "Remember what I told you about the rules of fighting magi?"
"I do."
Rule One: never fight fair. Magi never fight fair, so if you do, you'll just guarantee your defeat.
Rule Two: never fight in their workshop. Magi are at their strongest in there.
Rule Three: destroy their workshop as quickly as possible. Preferably from a safe distance, and with the magi inside.
Rule Four: don't let up. The greatest weapon of the magi are their minds, and if they can use them clearly, then you're just setting yourself up for failure. Keep hitting them as quickly and as hard as you can, and don't give them a chance to think of a way to counter you.
Rule Five: don't hesitate. Magi won't hesitate to kill you. It's kill or be killed, when fighting magi.
Rule Six: no such thing as overkill. You can never have too much firepower or its equivalent when fighting magi.
Rule Seven: make sure you've already won before the battle begins. That's the whole point behind strategy or planning. Use it properly. And chances are, magi are too far up their own asses to use proper strategy, so don't discard the potential advantage.
"…um…" Shirou mused. "Rule number three, right? Take out the workshop, from a safe distance, and hopefully with the magi inside?"
"Yup," Ayame said. "Unfortunately, given…our limitations, we can only take out one of two workshops right now, between the Tohsaka and the Matou. Since the Matou are the older of the two families, and are led by an actual fucking vampire, they'd be the obvious pick, wouldn't they?"
"Agreed," Shirou said. "And also, there's still a chance we can get Tohsaka to see reason."
"…I suppose there is." Ayame said with a nod. "And it's only fair to give her a chance. Though if she doesn't…"
"Then we'll just have to make her see reason."
Ayame raised her eyebrows at that. "That was…surprising." She said, and Shirou snorted.
"From what you've told me about the Rin of your world," he said. "She's a good person, deep down. The Rin of my world, without Sakura's death to…soften her up, probably has her goodness even deeper down. If so, then we'll just have to drag it out."
"Hopefully without having to chop an arm off." Ayame said while scratching her cheek, before grinning. "Though in hindsight, smashing her in the face and on the head with a shovel was surprisingly fun. I'm actually hoping to do so again."
"Wait, what?"
Ayame stuck out her tongue before walking towards the veranda. "I'll tell you later, Shirou." She said with a wink. "For now, rule number one. And then there's rules eight, nine, and ten."
"And those are?" Shirou asked.
"Anything can be a weapon." Ayame said. "Keep it simple, and basics kill. Surprising the enemy is worth a bomb, less chance of things getting messed up, and basics are the most reliable of them all, respectively."
"Got it," Shirou said with a sigh and a smile. "Good luck."
"Thanks." Ayame said with a nod, and placing an arm around her waist, Arthur jumped off the ground, Master and Servant heading off to sortie and keep the pressure on the Matou on. "Watch my little sister while I'm gone!"
"Just leave it to me."
A/N
Admittedly filler, to bridge the gap between the past development and what's coming next. And as hoped, Ayame begins to help Shirou shape up his game. Starting with a completely heretical but much more practical lesson on what magecraft is, followed by a series of simple rules on how to fight magi.
Admittedly, I made them up, but I think they're something Kiritsugu would adhere to. Especially rule number six: no kill like overkill. Sounds a lot like Kiritsugu 'I've gotten soft since I let them evacuate the hotel instead of just bombing it out of the blue' Emiya, no?
