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

Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi

Chapter 15: L'Imperatore (Part I)

Rain fell from the sky in great sheets, lightning flashing across the night every once in a while, each bolt punctuated by a crack of thunder. It was rotten weather for spring, and made digging a more arduous task than it ought to be. Still, a little bit of bad weather wasn't going to stop Sakura from getting what she wanted, even if it did seem a little ominous. Almost like the gods were showing their disapproval of her actions…

…bah! What did she – or anyone, for that matter – care about the gods' opinions? The Age of Gods ended long ago, and this was the Age of Man, when the gods were dead and gone. No matter what the magi of the Wandering Sea said, that was a good thing when all was said and done.

Man was finally master of their destinies, instead of being cheap entertainment and slave labor for those uncaring abominations called Divine Spirits.

Anyway…

…Sakura worked the shovel carefully, her breath coming out in foggy puffs, from the contrast between the hot and humid air under the hood of her raincoat, and the cold and wet outside. Scraping the mud and detritus off the top of crypt, she tossed the shovel back up outside, before kneeling down and placing a hand on the crypt.

Then clenching it into a fist, she struck the crypt hard once, prana pulsing out to crumble the concrete into rubble. Sifting through the rubble with reinforced hands, Sakura's eyes lit up as she found what she was looking for. It was heavier than expected too, but it wasn't long before she was holding Tokiomi Tohsaka's urn in her hands.

No rest in peace for this son of a bitch.

Not after he'd played them all for sport, to say nothing of plotting to have his children kill each for some deranged vision of sororicidal glory.

No, she had something else – something special – in mind for this treacherous cur's remains.

Hefting the urn closer to herself, Sakura bent her knees, and then leapt the six-feet between her and the surface in a single jump. Landing in a crouch, she instantly became aware of a petite figure standing just a couple of steps in front of her, holding an umbrella to shield themselves from the rain.

Sakura raised her head, even as a bolt of lightning tore across the sky. It cast dark shadows and actinic light with a terrifying contrast across the face of a woman with white hair and golden eyes, staring at Sakura in silence. She couldn't help it: she screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!" Sakura screamed, the muddy ground betraying her and causing her to fall back down, into her father's grave. "…ow…that…that hurts…"

The white-haired and golden-eyed woman bent over to look into the open grave. Then closing her eyes, she tutted and shook her head in disapproval. "Graverobbing is very disrespectful, you know." She remarked.

A moment later and Sakura was back on the surface, looking annoyed and embarrassed. She'd seen plenty of action, thank you very much. Getting surprised and left screaming like a girl by a mere priestess – what else could she be, considering what she was wearing – was something that shouldn't happen to her.

"It's none of your business, sister." Sakura snapped, making it clear with the emphasis on a priestess' usual style of address that she was making extra effort to be polite.

"Oh, but I believe it is." The priestess serenely said. "You see, this cemetery is under my care, and thus I have the responsibility of watching over the graves of the dead."

The priestess paused and tilted her head. "Graverobbing and trespassing are most serious crimes." She finally said.

Sakura's eye twitched a few times, and then adjusting her hold on Tokiomi's urn, waved a hand in the priestess' direction. "This never happened," she said, lacing prana into her voice. "And I was never here."

"Ah, you are a magus, I see." The priestess said in realization, and leaving Sakura open-mouthed at her apparent ease in countering her mental interference. "That changes things…the Second Owner would be most displeased to hear about this incident, though I am not unwilling to leave it unreported, provided you are similarly willing to show…"

"I am the Second Owner!" Sakura yelled. "I am Sakura Edelfelt, you little…"

Sakura reigned herself in with visible effort, while the priestess blinked in surprise. "I see…" she said after a long moment. "…it seems you are not lying, so I must ask: why are you desecrating your predecessor's grave, Miss Edelfelt?"

"That is none of your business." Sakura snapped.

"I do not think we need to return to this line of discussion, Miss Edelfelt." The priestess serenely replied, and Sakura couldn't help but palm her face. "Perhaps we should come inside…this is no time or place for such a conversation."

Without any further words, the priestess turned and headed back to the church, leaving Sakura gaping after her in her wake.

"Allow me to introduce myself." The priestess began once they were dry and comfortable in the Kotomine Church's living room, with a tea set gently steaming on the coffee table between them. "My name is Caren Ortensia, former exorcist and now parish priestess of this parish. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Edelfelt."

"…charmed…" Sakura managed to say.

"…hmm…then shall we proceed to the topic at hand?" Caren asked. "Your earlier attempt to use mental inference on yours truly could result in a complicated incident, but I am prepared to overlook it. Or rather, I am willing to offer an arrangement wherein I overlook your act of discourtesy, in return for a commensurate courtesy from you here and now."

"…you want to know what I'm going to do with Tokiomi's Tohsaka's ashes, aren't you?" Sakura asked after a moment.

"Yes." Caren said with a nod. "As I previously said, I have the responsibility for the cemetery, and the graves therein, one of which you have desecrated this evening. At the very least, I would have an explanation."

"…it would depend on what my relatives in Finland decide to do." Sakura admitted after another moment. "Personally, I'd love nothing more than to stuff Tokiomi Tohsaka's ashes inside a pig, before using a cannon to blow them both out over the sea."

"…I would be unsurprised if your family were in possession of a cannon large enough to do so." Caren dryly remarked. "And what exactly has Tokiomi Tohsaka done to your family to warrant such…ignoble, treatment of his remains?"

Sakura stared at Caren. Caren stared back. Sakura's gaze was hard and harsh. Caren's gaze was cool, unconcerned, and completely at ease. Sakura gave way first, and activating her crest, pulled up a memory and repeated Tokiomi Tohsaka's parting message for Caren.

My daughters, if you are hearing this, I am dead, but you both stand within our home as magi.

Yes Rin, you have a sister.

Sakura was kidnapped when you were an infant. Sakura, I am proud that you could achieve your potential despite my decision to discard you. Indeed, my one mistake was reporting your disappearance instead of realizing the boon I had been granted. Although it was a disgrace, I was saved from having to care about both of my daughters. As a magus I am sure you can understand this.

Rin, I expected you to die as an infant and had believed a replacement to be necessary, but had Sakura remained your survival would have created complications. Only one child can inherit magecraft while the other must fall to mediocrity.

The fact remains that you were both born with far too much power to be given the chance for a normal life. Yet if I had cared about both of my daughters, I would have to decide whose potential would go to waste and who would have the protection of their heritage.

I did not expect this message to be heard, but felt it necessary in the event that Sakura had returned alive and with a crest of her own. That Sakura is alive means she wasn't taken merely to be experimented on. Sakura, if your return is because you escaped or were rescued that is good.

The chances of the Tohsaka line reaching Akasha has increased. More so if you or your descendants are chosen by the Holy Grail along with Rin.

However, I must consider the possibility that Sakura returned as a tool and that she is here to kill Rin. Sakura, if this is why you are here, then I see no reason to talk you out of it. For even if that occurs the result is still happiness to the remnants of my family. Rin, if you defeat Sakura glory shall remain in our hands. Sakura, even if your sister fails glory shall belong to our ancestral name.

Either way you two shall bring glory to the Tohsaka name…

"…oh my."

Simo Edelfelt-Hautala pounded his fist against the table, as the recording of Tokiomi Tohsaka's parting message was played before the whole of the council. "This is outrageous!" he exploded. "Who did that man think he was, making sport of like so? And to use his own children as tools? What color was his blood?"

"I doubt he was making sport of us, at least, us specifically." Aleksis Edelfelt-Niemelä chimed in. "How could he have? He was much too incompetent to ever discover we had taken our due."

"I am in agreement, for the most part." Einari Edelfelt-Lehtola said with a nod. "I wouldn't say he was an incompetent, as much as he was uncaring."

"On that there is no disagreement." Kylli Edelfelt-Kujala growled while massaging one of her temples with a hand. "No offense to your mother, Kaleva, but her sister must have been off in the head. First betraying our – her – family as she did, and then again by raising her son as a madman. How on Earth he thought that sororicide would glorify his children and ancestors' alike is beyond me."

"It's beyond me as well." Kaleva sighed. "Our ancestors are turning in their graves."

"Let's not be too harsh on late Aunt Fiona now." Sigrid Edelfelt-Lindahl- cautioned. "For all we know, the blame could lie on that man she married. What was his name? Akito Tohsaka? He may have seduced her, and then bound her by geis before she could come to her senses. In such a scenario, there is little she could have done to prevent her son from turning into a madman."

"That much is true." Valerian Vladislavovich Edelfelt-Martyushev agreed with a sigh of his own. "Tohsaka does seem to have a streak of madness to them. Or have you all forgotten the trouble their heiress got into earlier this year?"

"Tokiomi Tohsaka's death during the fourth iteration of Heaven's Feel seems fortuitous in hindsight." Sigrid sympathetically said. "He died before he could pass on his – or rather, his family's – madness to his daughter."

"What do you mean by that, Sigrid?" Kaleva asked.

"We know that Rin Tohsaka's magical training among others has gaps in them owed to a…lack, of appropriate instruction and adult guidance owing to her father's death in Heaven's Feel." Sigrid explained. "But that may also have led her to make the sane and intelligent decision in the fifth and final iteration of that same ritual. Had things been otherwise…I wouldn't be surprised if she'd cooperated with Makiri Zolgen to finish the ritual, and opened a path to the Root."

"And stepping through it," Valerian groaned while also massaging a temple. "Invoked a Counter Force intervention. What a disaster that would have been…"

A murmur of unhappy and resigned agreement went up around the table. "This might sound strange coming from me, considering I've been a Devil's Advocate when it comes to the Edelfelt-Tohsaka branch line," Gunnar Edelfelt-Hägg spoke up. "But in hindsight, it was a good thing we took Sakura in over a decade ago."

"Yes…how very strange coming from you…" Kylli chimed in. "…why the change of heart, Gunnar?"

"Oh, my opinions are largely unchanged." Gunnar quickly said. "So long as Sakura knows her place, I've got no problems with her. But…"

Kylli snorted. "…the idea that had things gone otherwise," she began. "She and her sister would have been forced into sororicidal conflict against each other sits wrong with you, doesn't it?"

"Shouldn't it?" Gunnar asked.

"No, it shouldn't." Kylli agreed.

"That said," Valerian added. "Things would probably haven taken a very…unacceptable turn long before that point is reached."

"What do you mean?" Kaleva asked.

"You heard what Tokiomi Tohsaka said." Valerian pointed out. "In particular, that piece of idiocy at the start that only one child can inherit a family's mysteries. Oh, he'd have been correct had he and his children been purely Tohsaka, upstarts with less than six generations to their name. But they had Edelfelt blood by then, and then crest is primarily Aunt Fiona's."

"Given his ambitions," Simo said with a nod, catching onto the train of thought and following it. "As well as his idiocy in forgetting that fact, he'd probably have sold Sakura to another family, just so to prepare her for the sororicide to come in his plans."

"And the closest one would be Matou," Kaleva groaned in realization. "Not just in literal proximity, but also the alliance between them, their conspiring to reach the Root without supervision, and Matou's own withering away."

"An Edelfelt scion, the child of a bastard she might have been, handed over to a vampire to do as it pleases?" Valerian asked rhetorically. "Like I said: unacceptable."

"More to the point," Aleksis said while tapping his fingers rhythmically against the tabletop. "What do we do now?"

"On that note," Kaleva began. "My daughter is of the opinion that Tohsaka – at least in the Moonlit World – should be subjected to damnatio memoriae. Naturally, this is impractical and much more complicated to do in the mundane world, but in the Moonlit World, less so."

"And the details?" Sigrid asked.

Kaleva smiled. "Our family has seen plenty of branch families come and go over the centuries." He said. "Luvia thinks that we should find a suitable one, and have Sakura drop the Edelfelt-Tohsaka name in favor of reviving a more…dignified name from times past."

That got a murmur of agreement going around the table. "And…Rin?" Aleksis asked. "What about her?"

Kaleva shrugged. "As we all know Rin needs remedials when it comes to knowledge about magic, the Moonlit World, indeed, the supernatural in general," he said. "Among other things. To that end, Luvia is of the opinion that we should have her placed under the care of a branch family in good standing, who will see to her academic requirements, and when that is done, to marry her into said or another branch family, dropping the Tohsaka name in the process."

Kaleva paused, and then shrugged again. "Luvia leaves the selection of candidates to the council," he said. "Though she reserves veto authority and the right to make the final decision."

"Understandable." Simo said, and another chorus of agreement went up around the table.

"Indeed," Kaleva agreed. "As for the individuals in question, Luvia personally informed Sakura of her opinions, and Sakura has largely agreed to defer to the council."

"She has reservations?" Gunnar asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just one," Kaleva said with a nod. "She wishes to keep her first name, as it is the one she grew up with, and thus she has a certain attachment to it."

Gunnar snorted. "Is that all?" he asked with a dismissive wave of a hand. "Let her keep it then. It is but a trifle, when all is said and done."

"Has the Rin girl been informed?" Valerian asked.

"No," Kaleva said with a shake of his head. "Luvia thinks we ought to finish all the necessary considerations and decisions before informing Rin."

"Hmm…I see no reason to go against Lady Luvia in this matter." Valerian said, the other councilors responding in the affirmative.

"What of their parents then?" Sigrid asked.

"The Aoi woman is of no concern." Anneli Edelfelt contemptuously said. "She is weak-willed and of shallow character…the only thing of value she has, her womb and its ability to enhance the magical potential of her children, is already in our possession. Over 7000 eggs, all in cryogenic stasis, to be used at our leisure."

"And what of her children?" Sigrid pressed. "Surely they have their own opinions about this."

"Sakura is unconcerned about her birth mother, from what I've been told." Anneli said with a glance at her husband, who just nodded.

"It seems that if she has any maternal attachment," Kaleva said. "It would be to her chief retainer, Elisa Rodriguez. Unsurprising, as Rodriguez has taken care of Sakura since she was a child. It'd be more surprising if this outcome had not developed."

Gunnar sighed. "To think I find myself approving of such an attachment," he muttered to himself. "Despite Rodriguez not having any magical potential…what's this world come to?"

"Blame the elder Tohsakas for being such incompetents," Valerian said. "That Sakura would have no incentive to direct her maternal needs to her birth mother."

"As with Luvia's proposal," Kaleva said with a cough. "Rin's opinion with regard to Aoi Tohsaka's final fate will be deferred until all the details have been worked out."

Then he paused, and gave an amused smile. "With regard to Tokiomi Tohsaka, though," he began. "Sakura has quite the interesting proposal."

"Oh?" Simo asked.

"Oh yes." Kaleva said with a nod. "Apparently, she's taken custody of his ashes, and now wants to stuff it into a pig, to be launched into the sea from a cannon on her return here to Finland."

That got more than a few laughs from around the table. "Well," Simo said while wiping a tear from his eye. "She's quite imaginative, if nothing else."

"I can't think of a more ignominious fate for a pestilent dog like Tokiomi." Aleksis agreed.

"I can, but not nearly as original." Kylli said before shrugging as eyes turned to her. "Do as the Ancient Egyptians did, and just scatter his ashes on a dirt road, before stampeding a herd of donkeys over it. It was a punishment that they reserved for the most evil of blasphemers."

"That," Simo concurred. "And striking their names from all records."

"As before," Kaleva began. "Sakura agrees to defer to the council on this matter."

"For now," Valerian proposed. "Let us table that matter, and focus on the final answer to Rin and Sakura's futures."

"I second that." Sigrid said.

"As do I." Aleksis said.

"Very well then," Kaleva said with a nod. "I propose we adjourn for the next hour, so our staff may have ample time to comb the archives and genealogical tables, for the appropriate names and families."

There was a chorus of agreement at that, and Kaleva nodded. "If there is nothing more," he said. "Then we are adjourned."

The Bodrov family estate in the Ukraine was in ruins.

Whether it was the sprawling country villa, the many cabins and other buildings dotting the property, or even underground spaces accessible only by formerly-secret doors and tunnels…

…smoke poured from their shattered remains, wrought iron framework and collapsed masonry blackened with soot.

Banners not flown openly in centuries fluttered in the wind, the Einzbern Crest flying triumphantly high over their conquered enemies. Zakhar Timofeyevich Bodrov, seventh head of the Bodrov lineage of magi, and maternal descendant of Makiri Zolgen was dead, his blackened skeleton lying amidst a pile of ashes from where he'd been burned at the stake.

The rest of his family was not so lucky, all his wives, concubines, and adult male children impaled on stakes much like Vlad Tepes III had once impaled his enemies whether they be Turks or rebellious boyars. A few of them were still alive, writhing in agony on stakes forged from thrice-blessed star-metal, the limited immortality of the ancient Zolgen lineage turned against them by the even older mysteries of the Einzbern lineage of magi.

As for the children, they were all in irons, lined up in chains before their family's conqueror. Einzbern homunculi kept watch, rhenium alloy spears able to shear through modern tank armor held at the ready, waiting for their mistress' orders.

"These boots are too tight." Illyasviel 'Illya' von Einzbern mentally complained, and not for the first time. Languidly pacing back and forth, she sighed and turned to the children.

"Right," she began. "You're all wondering what's going to happen to you. I won't mince words: you're all Makiri Zolgen's get, and he owes us a lot of blood and gold. We have the gold, or what of it that you can give us…but you can still give us more blood."

A cruel smirk made its way across Illya's face as the Bodrov children quailed and started crying, especially when she ran a thumb over her throat.

"But!" Illya continued. "I'm not without mercy. If you want to live, come forward, and lick the dirt off my boot."

For emphasis, Illya scraped a booted foot against the ground, and held it out at an angle, heel pressed against the ground. "Well…?" she prompted.

There was a long moment of uncertainty, and then one of the Bodrov children stepped forward. "I'll do it." He said. "I don't want to die, so I'll do it."

Illya gestured him forward, and he approached…

…and then his head was flying, blood gushing into the air, as her falchion easily parted it from his body.

"OKAY!" Illya said with a sadistic smile. "I forgot! I don't like sycophants, or for little brats like you whose worm brains are too small to understand proper Human language, that means boot-lickers! You want to live, prove to me that you'll be useful instead. Well, get to it!"

The children quailed and looked at each other in confusion, and Illya sighed in annoyance. "Well, so much for that." She said, before gesturing sharply and leaving. She tuned out the screaming and the sound of flesh getting chopped up, to say nothing of blood splattering onto the ground. "Sella, these boots are too tight. The same goes for this jacket. I don't think I'm a large B at all, more like a small C…"

Illya broke off at the sounds of battle behind her, and together with Sella and Leysritt, turned to see what was happening. There was a woman there, with the characteristic violet hair and irises of the Zolgen lineage of magi. And she was utterly decimating the homunculi who'd just killed the children.

As the Einzbern watched, the woman's mouth unfolded, plates of chitin and bio-plastic meant to appear like Human skin and flesh shifting, splitting and extending to allow a massive white worm to stretch out of its throat. Then its tip similarly unfolded, allowing a stinger-like mouth to stab into a homunculus' forehead, and punching through skin and bone with ease. The homunculus convulsed violently as the worm drank her brain out of its head.

"That is totally disgusting." Illya hissed.

The worm turned in their direction…

…and then vomited out a torrent of caustic prana their way, rotting stone, metal, and flesh its path. Illya blocked it with ease, a single hand casually holding the tide back…

…and in the next instant, the worm was dead, ripped in half by Leysritt's Zweihander. "Wait." Illya said, before Leysritt could leave. Approaching the dead Bodrov magus, she sank down to a crouch, and stabbing her hand into the corpse, wiggled around for a bit before finding what she expected.

Getting to her feet, Illya ripped out an even larger worm from the corpse, the thing thrashing in her grip and hissing with sucker-fangs. Fleshy tendrils snapped in the air…

…and then the ether shook with anguished screams, as Illya ignited the worm on both physical and metaphysical levels, immolating not just its body but its soul. Illya didn't let up, though. She kept the fire burning until there were only ashes running through her hands, and there was nothing left to be recycled back through the Root.

"Well," Illya said while dusting her hands of ash. "That's that. Now then, where was I?"

A/N

L'Imperatore: The Emperor, the fourth card of the Major Arcana. It's traditionally depicted as an older man seated on a throne bearing the symbols of Mars, and holding a scepter and a globe in his hands. The throne itself usually stands on top of a mountain, all symbolizing the Emperor's supreme power and might.

Traditional associations include authority, father figures, law, leadership, order, power, and even promotion or advancement. All of which can be seen in this chapter to one degree or another, from Sakura exercising her power to desecrate Tokiomi's grave, to a grown-up Illya slaughtering some of Zouken's other descendants in Russia.