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

Purified by Fire, Dancing with Fairies

Chapter 9

"Saber," Ayame asked through her link with her Servant. "How are you doing?"

"Not bad," Saber replied. "But Archer's putting up quite a fight."

Swords fell like rain, only Saber was like a streak of blue and silver light in comparison, deftly avoiding the swords sent his way, slipping through the gaps in-between to close with his enemy. Sparks showered Archer and Saber alike as they repeatedly crossed blades, Kansho and Bakuya against Invisible Air, the two Servants making the most of their agility as they leaped back and forth, crisscrossing the ruined quadrangle over and over again, up and down the shattered façade of the school.

"Who has the advantage?" Ayame asked.

"I do." Saber said. "But, Archer's focusing on not losing, after I nearly gutted him early on. So far, it's working."

"Really?"

"Yes," Saber replied. "He's managed to keep me at arm's length for most of the fight, and whenever I get close, he's managed to hold me off long enough to back away, and reopen the distance. It's an annoyance, to be honest."

"…can you beat him without using Excalibur?"

"…I don't think so."

"…"

"Ayame?"

"Tohsaka is defeated, and our prisoner." Ayame asked. Saber's eyes widened in response, even as he dodged yet another volley of swords, with more on the way. "With the Master defeated, there's no reason left for the Servant to continue fighting. If that's the case, and if we're to win without exposing who you are and what you're really capable of this early…a command spell can do it. That said…I don't want to go too far. Saber…do I give the order?"

Saber briefly closed his eyes, skidding to a halt before swinging his sword in a wide arc that turned several incoming blades, and then leaping forward danced through a volley before raising his sword high overhead. Swinging two-handed, Saber hammered at Archer's guard repeatedly, and made his decision as he briefly met Archer's eyes, and saw the iron resolve within.

"Do it." Saber told Ayame.

"…alright then…by the power of a command spell, I command you Saber, defeat Archer without exposing your true power and identity!"

Prana flared bright and strong, a magic circle opening up right in front of Saber…and right next to a horrified Archer, who barely had time to turn and defend himself as Saber leapt out, sword swinging down in a diagonal arc from shoulder to hip. Steel shattered and blood flew as Archer was all but bisected, and as blood erupted from his mouth, Saber raised his sword and swung again.

Archer's head flew, its features frozen with a mix of shock and disbelief, and then his body crumpled to the ground. Saber stared at it for several moments, and as Archer's body dissolved into glittering motes of light, raised his sword in salute.

"Ugh…so heavy…" Ayame complained as she carried an unconscious and exhausted Rin on her back out of the forest. "And I have to carry her all the way home too…this is going to suck…"

"Ayame!"

Ayame looked up and smiled as Saber ran up to her. "We won." She said, and Saber nodded with a smile.

"Yes," he said. "We did."

Rin slid off Ayame's back and fell on the ground as the girl began cheering and jumping around, pumping her fists in the air. "Yes!" Ayame happily yelled. "Alright! We really did it! Woohoo!"

Saber chuckled and clapped his hands a few times. No matter how many centuries may pass, no matter how much the world and people have changed, some things will just never change. The sweet taste of victory, and how those who earned it savored it, were among those. "Alright, calm down," Saber said, stepping closer to Ayame, who looked at him in surprise. "While it's all well and good that we've managed to defeat and even capture Tohsaka, and killed her Archer in battle, remember: there are still five other Servants out there. We've won this battle, and the campaign it belonged to, but the war isn't over just yet."

"Yes!" Ayame agreed, curtly nodding and drawing herself up confidently. "You're right! We haven't won yet, not completely. There are more battles to be fought…"

Ayame trailed off while taking a deep breath, and then ran a hand over her face. "And…I shouldn't be so full of myself just yet." She admitted. "Come to think of it…"

Ayame narrowed her eyes at Rin as she lay on the ground in front of Ayame and Saber. "Did you know," Ayame said. "My dad told me that when I fight against magi, I always have to remember that they're a very tricky bunch. So much so, that they could easily find ways to go around situations where ordinary people would be forced to give up and admit defeat. In fact, they might even prepared for such situations in advance."

"So?"

"That's why dad said," Ayame continued. "That if I'm to really beat magi, I have to take away every conceivable way they could fight against me with. But…that's all but impossible, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Saber agreed. "As an idea it's not bad, but the questions are if you can figure out any and all means they would fight with, and if you can counter all of those."

"Yes," Ayame said with a nod. "But, there's a solution to all that. A final solution in fact, which can guarantee victory against any and all magi, so long as you use the right way to apply it. That is, just kill them."

"…I see. Truly, a final solution."

"I shouldn't hesitate, dad said." Ayame said with a sigh. "Because magi won't, and in fact, the first thing any and all magi learn about magic is that they walk with death. Magic is dangerous, so much so that even the simplest mistake could result in death or worse. And because they're so used to the shadow of death looming over them all the time, they won't be afraid or hesitant to call it down on others."

"Yes, that does make sense." Saber agreed with a nod. "On both counts; if they're trying to kill you, you shouldn't hesitate to respond in kind, especially when there's no reason for you to die."

"Yes, I know." Ayame said. "That said, dad also said that he didn't want me to kill anyone if I didn't have to. And that means more to me than the previously-mentioned lesson does."

Saber smiled. "Mercy is for the weak." He said, causing Ayame to look at him in shock and surprise. "But that is exactly why only the truly strong can afford to be merciful."

Ayame blinked, and then smiled and nodded. "Yes," she said. "I see what you mean."

Saber nodded, and looked on as Ayame kneeled down next to Rin. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Removing her ability to continue fighting in this war." Ayame replied, unbuttoning and pulling up Rin's right sleeve, and exposing her command spells. "You don't disagree?"

"You defeated her." Saber said. "You have every right to claim your spoils of victory."

Ayame smiled slightly before narrowing her eyes, and unbuttoning and pulling up her own right sleeve, exposed four intricately-drawn wings tattooed on her arm, one pair each symbolizing a single command spell. Holding her right hand contorted into a claw over Rin's command spells, magic circuits began to glow as Ayame flooded them with prana.

Saber looked in silence, watching as dark-colored lightning danced between Ayame's fingers and Rin's arm. Sweat trickled down Ayame's face, and then she abruptly broke off. "Alright then," she said, stretching her shoulders briefly. "Tough, aren't we? Glitter, Fairy Lights!"

There was a flash of light, and three fairies began orbiting Ayame. Ayame again held her right hand over Rin's command spells, dark-colored lightning flickering between her fingers and Rin's arm, the three fairies flying to form a triangle around Ayame's arm. Iridescent beams of light lanced from the fairies down to the command spells, one for each.

"Come on, damn it!" Ayame spat, her face all sweaty. "I've beaten you already, and Saber's killed your Servant, so hand…your…command spells…over!"

Abruptly, the command spells shattered…and then flickers of light glimmered in the air as six more wings – three command spells – were drawn on Ayame's arm, as she succeeded in claiming Rin's command spells as her own. "Thanks, guys." Ayame said with a smile at the fairies. They flickered once…and then to Ayame and Saber's surprise, flew towards the latter.

Two settled into orbit around him, while a third hovered before him. The Servant blinked, and then smiling, nodded. The fairies flashed gently before vanishing back to the Other Side of the World. "What was that all about?" Ayame asked.

"I guess they wanted to see Viviane's chosen." Saber said with a smile and a shrug.

"Viviane?"

"The Lady of the Lake," Saber said. "You know, the one who actually made Excalibur and Avalon. One of the more powerful members of the Fair Folk, and a benevolent one at that, albeit in ways most people wouldn't be able to understand."

"…sounds like how a lot of stories describe the Fair Folk."

Saber laughed. "That, coming from someone who consorts with them on a regular basis." He pointed out, and Ayame laughed. "How did that happen?"

"I'll tell you later. For now, let's go home first."

"Very well,"

"By the way," Ayame said before rising and gesturing down at Rin. "Can you please carry her for me? She's…heavy, and I don't think I'm strong enough to carry her all the way home. Please…?"

Saber blinked, and then began laugh. "Alright," he said with a nod. "Ayame."

"I don't believe it." Shinji said in disbelief, pacing back and forth in his mansion's living room. "Tohsaka lost…just like that. And a prisoner to Emiya! No, more than that: Archer is slain, the first Servant to fall, and barely a few days into the contest."

"Her father taught her well." Zouken said. "Though, I imagine Tohsaka's foolishness played a big role in it as well. She undoubtedly overestimated herself, or underestimated Emiya, or worse even both, and attempted to face Emiya on a battlefield that the latter had previously prepared. She got what she deserved."

Zouken paused to glance at Shinji. "Speaking of which," he said. "You are certain none of your familiars could penetrate the battlefield?"

"Emiya and Tohsaka's battlefield, yes. I'm sure." Shinji said with a nod. "Every familiar just…died, the moment they crossed the threshold. They couldn't handle it."

"Hmm," Zouken hummed in concern. "Well this is troubling. We don't know what Emiya did to defeat Tohsaka, and that's just unacceptable. We need to know more if we're going to have a chance against her. It can't be denied after all, that Tohsaka was a born prodigy…and Emiya was able to defeat her with seemingly little trouble. Whether it's magecraft or…unorthodox, methods, we need to know."

"About that, I have an idea."

"Oh? Do tell."

"While we couldn't penetrate the area when the mysteries within were active," Shinji said. "The mysteries seem to no longer be active. My familiars are already scouting out the area, looking for lingering traces of magecraft, and if it's safe for us to work in. If it is then…"

"Then we can investigate further." Zouken concluded. "Very good, Shinji. Alright, once the area is confirmed as safe, then go in, and investigate. See if you can get clues as to what Emiya did, and how you can keep her from doing so again."

Shinji nodded. "I will." He said. "On another note…the familiars which were watching Saber and Archer fight – or what's left of them – managed to catch sight of Emiya taking Rin's command spells after the battle. From the look of things…she seems to summon spirits of some sort. There's one clue to what she's capable of, and how she does it."

"Spirits?" Zouken echoed, and Shinji nodded. The old man hummed to himself again as he thought for several moments. "That's a very useful clue…though until we know for sure what kind of spirits they were, it leaves too many possibilities that need to be narrowed down to figure out what Emiya is capable of."

Shinji nodded. "Unfortunately," he said. "I couldn't get too close. Emiya may not notice, but I'm sure Saber would have, as would Emiya's spirits. Familiars can be replaced easily but…"

Zouken nodded. "Understandable," he said. "While I'm sure Emiya already knows all the Masters are keeping an eye on each other in this war, let's not tip our hand that she has our…undivided attention."

Shinji nodded before turning to Rider. "So," he began. "How about it, Rider? Can you defeat Saber, after seeing what he's capable of?"

"No," Rider replied honestly, and shocking the two Matou. "Not in a fair fight. We need to fight smart, or do so in the open, where I can use my trump card."

"That is too risky." Shinji said at once. "You'd be…!"

"Exposing my true identity?" Rider asked with a mocking tone. "What? With one Servant dead, the war has left the early stage and entered the intermediate one. At this point, clinging to secrecy is pointless, it's better to start preparing plans to abandon secrecy when and where it'll serve us best."

Zouken nodded in agreement. "He has a point, Shinji." He said.

"…fine." Shinji conceded. "As you say, we'll need plans for when and where we can use your ultimate Noble Phantasm most effectively."

Illya was laughing again.

Sella and Leysritt stood silent and attentive along one wall of the living room, looking on as their mistress rolled around on the floor, laughing her heart out. "Oh…oh…" Illya gasped, struggling to breathe as she lay prone on the ground, hammering it weakly with her fists. "To think Tohsaka would be defeated so easily…oh how the mighty have fallen!"

At that Illya began to laugh again, only for her amusement to be cut short by a fit of coughing. Sella immediately approached, filling a glass of water from a jug and a set of glasses on the table, and silently handed it to Illya.

"Thank you," Illya gasped out, taking the glass and drinking it all at once. Holding out the glass, Illya weakly coughed a few more times before drinking the refilled glass, and then climbed back up onto her seat.

"If I may ask, my lady," Sella began. "What do you plan to do now?"

"Hmm…that's right…what should I do now…" Illya said before childishly humming to herself in thought and then clapping her hands together. "I know! Onee-chan's doing very well, kicking Tohsaka's butt and turning her into her prisoner…but, while I call her onee-chan, I'm actually the older sister! So, that's why I can't fall behind her like this!"

"Yes, my lady."

Illya tapped her armrest with a finger. "Matou…" she said thoughtfully with eyes narrowed and glittering with malice. "That's right…I'm going to crush the other founding family left. We'll destroy their Servant, burn their property down, and destroy everything they have. That walking disease that passes for a family patriarch of theirs is going to be cut out and likewise burned, as should have been done a long time ago."

"A most magnificent plan, my lady."

"I'm not finished yet." Illya said with a glare.

Sella bowed low. "Please accept my apologies." She said, and Illya waved her off.

"Their heir though," Illya muttered. "I won't kill him. I'll take his command spells, but I won't kill him. Onee-chan took Tohsaka's heiress as a prisoner…so I'll do the same for Matou's heir. But…"

Illya smiled cruelly. "For someone who's probably used to Makiri's methods," she began. "I wonder how much it's going to take to make him beg. I am going to enjoy finding out."

"Yes, my lady. I shall prepare everything you might need in an underground chamber."

"Yes, do so." Illya said with a nod. "But before any of that I think I'll go and pay onee-chan a visit first. At the very least, I need to congratulate her on her victory."

"As you say, my lady."

"And after that," Illya said before smiling calculatingly. "We'll see if onee-chan will be mine…willingly, that is."

"Okay," Ayame said, joining Saber in the living room. "Tohsaka is in the one of the guest rooms, and I've changed her clothes for her. Well, not her underwear, I'm not sharing any of mine, but we've got some yukata in storage, and they're well-made."

"Is she still asleep?"

"Yes."

"What exactly did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything to her." Ayame said as she wandered over into the kitchen, where she immediately began preparing some tea. "All I did was cast the Phantasmagoria, and…well, the fairies of the Phantasmagoria did the rest. If the screams I heard in the forest were any indication, they…messed her up, real bad."

Saber was silent for several moments. "What exactly does the Phantasmagoria do?" he asked.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure."

"…what?"

"Ever heard of the stories of the Fair Folk?"

"I'm from one of those stories…to an extent." Saber pointed out. "And Lancelot was raised by the Fair Folk, Viviane herself in fact."

"…right, right, sorry about that." Ayame said, taking the hot water from the stove and pouring it into teacups with teabags in them. "Anyway, you know those stories where…random people, or people who've offended the fairies, are played tricks on, scared out of their skins, punished for one reason or another, and the like?"

"Yes…I think I can guess what the Phantasmagoria does."

Ayame nodded. "Yup," she said. "It's a bounded field set by fairies, wherein those who enter it are…subjected, to whatever it is the fairies see appropriate for them to be subjected to. A trial, or trials, or something along those lines."

"I see." Saber said, nodding slowly as Ayame handed him his tea before sitting down opposite him. "That said, I'm surprised you'd use something you're not really sure about on the battlefield."

"I didn't say I wasn't sure about it." Ayame said. "The Phantasmagoria is a sound mystery. In fact, it could even be said it works very well because it's so unpredictable. You never know what the fairies could or would do inside it. It's more…mysterious, than other spells where you know every last detail of what's going to happen."

"If you put it that way…" Saber said before taking a drink of his tea. "Wait…does that mean you've used it before? On who and why?"

"No."

"…what do you mean no?"

"I've never used the Phantasmagoria today." Ayame admitted with a small blush. "In fact, I just came up with the idea this morning, and in fact I spent the whole morning tinkering on how it would work. As for the name…well…"

Saber palmed his forehead, as Ayame's blush deepened. "What about the name?" he asked.

"I kind of…borrowed it, from one of my video games, Phantasmagoria of Dim Dream."

"…so it was touch and go."

"Kind of…"

Saber groaned and shook his head while palming his face. "Sorry," Ayame apologized.

"…gambling is bad, especially when lives are at stake." Saber finally managed to say. "Your life…even more so…"

"Yes, I understand."

Saber took a deep breath, and sighed. "In any case," he said. "It worked, so apart from that, there shouldn't be anything to complain about…I think."

Ayame stayed silent, and Saber took a drink of his tea again. "So," he said. "What now?"

"Huh?"

"What do we do now?"

"Well, we've beaten Tohsaka and Archer," Ayame said. "That leaves five other Servants and Masters. That said, we've probably drawn everyone's attention for being the first to eliminate another team in the contest. We have to be careful."

"That much is true."

"Apart from that…" Ayame continued. "I don't think Tohsaka is behind those gas attacks or killings in the city. So we'll have to keep up the hunt, from here on out."

"That sounds good." Saber said with a nod. "Hopefully, we can focus on that instead of defending against other Masters and Servants focusing on us for our recent victory. Though, if we're lucky, the culprits will be among those focusing on us, and that could give us an opportunity to take them out and put a stop to their actions."

"Yes, I think so too."

"What about Tohsaka though?" Saber asked. "She can't stay here forever, can she?"

"What do you suggest we do about her?"

"Based on the rules of conduct for the contest, it might be best to surrender her to the Overseer…"

"No." Ayame interrupted firmly, and Saber blinked.

"W-what do mean no?" he asked, and Ayame narrowed her eyes.

"That church is no holy place." Kiritsugu told Ayame, as they stood on a hill overlooking Kotomine Church in the distance. Ayame lowered the binoculars he'd lent her, and handed them back. "If it weren't for the fact that it would cause more trouble than its worth, I'd burn the place down, along with the fake priest living in it."

"Fake…priest?" Ayame echoed.

"Yes," Kiritsugu said. "Most people have equal potential for good and evil in them. What they end up being depends on their choices. And in reality, most people's choices lean mostly to the good end, though they will always make a few or more choices to the evil end. But that's not something we can blame them for. There's no such thing as perfection, or absolutes."

"Yes."

"But," Kiritsugu continued, his eyes like flint. "There are some people who, for some strange, inexplicable reason, invert that trend, and choose mostly towards the evil end. But again, you shouldn't hold that too much against them. No one is perfect after all."

"Yes."

"What you should be really worried about though, aren't those people." Kiritsugu said. "No, the ones you should really be worried about, are those who completely give in to the potential for evil inside of them, and just revel in it. History's seen plenty of people like those: Caligula, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Timur the Lame, Ivan the Terrible, the Nazis, the Soviets…each and every time those people gained power, the Human race has paid a heavy toll in blood, death, and suffering for their monstrous appetites and ambitions."

"I…I don't understand…what does this…"

"…have to do with the priest in there?" Kiritsugu finished. "Ayame…the priest in there, Kirei Kotomine, is one of those men. I know. I've seen it. I've seen him fall into All the World's Evil, and I saw how he drank it all in with gusto."

Ayame's eyes widened as Kiritsugu kneeled down and sank to his knees before her. "Promise me, Ayame." He said. "Promise me that you'll avoid that place, and that man, no matter what."

"I…"

"Promise me."

"I…I promise."

"I refuse to break my promise to my father." Ayame said. "So until the war ends, we'll have Rin Tohsaka stay with us, under our protection."

Saber silently regarded his Master, and after a few moments decided not to press too much on her tale about her father. It sounded a bit difficult to take in, including that bit about 'All the World's Evil', but he didn't want to needlessly antagonize his Master either over casting doubt and aspersion against her father.

And in any case, it wasn't as though Ayame was planning to do…anything, dishonorable or the like to their prisoner. "She will be treated with all the rights of a guest?" Saber asked.

"Yes, even to leave if she wants to when she wakes up."

"…she'll be vulnerable if she leaves and without a Servant to protect her." Saber pointed out. "She might not have command spells anymore, but there's no guarantee that the other Masters and Servants know that."

"Then we'll inform her before she makes her choice on that matter."

"That sounds good, so far." Saber conceded. "So for now, she's just in her room."

Ayame nodded. "I've placed bounded fields over the room," she said. "One to keep an eye on her condition, another to detect any intruders and sound an alarm, and another to keep her from using magic inside it, just in case she goes berserk the moment she wakes up. Come to think of it, I'm going to have to expand that last one to cover the whole property, just in case."

Saber nodded. "Prudent," he said. "She might be treated as a guest while in our care, but when all is said and done she is still a prisoner, albeit one who may leave if she so chooses, despite the danger. But until then, as a prisoner, we must be mindful of the potential threat that she poses."

Ayame nodded. "Exactly," she said before drinking her tea. "Now then, would you like something to eat?"

"You will be cooking?" Saber asked as Ayame got to her feet.

"Yes." Ayame said with a nod. "I think I still have some mushroom soup stock left over from the last time, along with some frozen pork and chilled vegetables. Nothing fresh though, sorry."

Saber smiled. "It's alright." He said. "I would not want to impose overmuch. That said, before you start preparing dinner, may I have some more tea, please?"

Ayame laughed, and took Saber's empty teacup. "Of course," he said. "That's no problem at all."

Saber nodded his thanks, and sitting back on his arms relaxed after the evening's earlier exertions. After a few moments, Ayame returned with another cup of the soothing drink. "You might want to let the bag steep for a bit, to get at the taste." She said.

"I'll keep that in mind." Saber assured her, and Ayame nodded before heading back into the kitchen.

"Alright then."

A/N

Didn't see that coming, did you?

Then again, neither did I expect Rider (Medusa) to die like a chump in Unlimited Blade Works. And I was getting bored of EMIYA anyway…so, get going EMIYA, and wait in the Einzbern Consultation Room/Tiger Dojo for your postmortem debrief (?) with Iri and Zecchan/Taiga and Illya.