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

Aozaki and Tohsaka – The Serpent's Feathers

Epilogue

The Sun shone wanly through afternoon skies, partly-obscured by clouds high above but still enough to set the ice-capped peaks of the Andes Mountains ablaze. Golden light streamed down the mountainsides and over the hills and lowlands below, the road a winding streak of black around the hills and across the lowlands.

Dust plumed lightly behind a Firebird Trans Am, sunlight glinting off its crimson finish as the driver sped along the road at over a hundred kilometers an hour. It was foolhardy and practically asking for something to go wrong, suicidal even over shorter stretches of road and countryside, but the road and countryside in this part of Argentina wasn't that limited.

And besides, Captain Alba Ruiz of the Devil Dogs was long used to staring at death in the face in his line of work. If he was going to die, then he might as well die as he had lived. Staring at death in the face, instead of just letting it come and take him away at unawares.

As the golden afternoon light streamed out across the land as far as he could see, Alba found his mind going back to that day three months ago, on their return to civilization after an expedition into the untamed wilderness of the Yucatan in Mexico.

The journey back to civilization wasn't quick, but it had been thankfully free of complications.

After a week's travel time, the Devil Dogs and their magi employers were in Mexico City, and a day later were gathered in a warehouse that the latter had rented out. And apparently, they'd set it up so they would neither get interrupted, or spied on while they concluded their arrangement once and for all.

"So," Touko began with a smile, and sitting on a crate. "Now that we're all here, I'd say it's about time we get down to the part we're all waiting for: getting our share of the treasure. Or am I wrong?"

"No, you got it right!" one of the younger Devil Dogs shouted, and laughter burst out. Touko shrugged, and hopped off her crate with a smile.

"Our arrangement was for twenty-five per cent." She said. "Twenty-five per cent divided between all of you…and I'm sure some of you are probably wondering then how much you'll get if that's the case…but you know what? There's no need to worry, because there's plenty to go around. Sakura…?"

"Yes, master." Sakura said, stepping forward. And then holding out her hands, expanded her shadow until the whole floor was pitch-black with it. Then she gestured with a hand, as though motioning for something to rise, and more than one thing rose.

Shadowy pyramids rose up out of the ground, swirling and shifting but slowly and surely settling down into solidity. Then Sakura gestured with both her hands, as though for something to settle down, and then her shadows broke, vanishing and returning to normal.

Old Sergeant Nores slowly got to his feet, transfixed by the promised prize delivered. Alba felt his lit cigarette fall from his mouth, falling into his lap and beginning to burn through his fatigues' trousers, but couldn't bring himself to care.

Jaws fell open one after another among the Devil Dogs. More than a few began pawing and slapping at each other just to make sure they weren't dreaming.

"…we're rich…WE'RE RICH…WE'RE RICH…WE'RE FILTHY FUCKING RICH!" the younger Devil Dog from before started yelling while repeatedly pumping his fists in the air.

Alba grinned at the memory at the big pile of gold he'd gotten, and pulled a cigarette from its pack with his teeth. Putting the pack away and taking his lighter, Alba lit the cigarette and gave a couple of puffs.

"Definitely one of the best jobs I've ever taken." He thought before putting the pedal to the metal. "Why can't more jobs be like that one?"

Whoa, I'm not braggin' on myself, baby

But I'm the one who loves you

And there's no one else! No one else!

Benedek scooped up his cocktail from the bar with a grateful nod at the bartender, and leaving a neatly-folded fifty-dollar bill as a tip on the countertop. Slipping into and through the casino's crowd, Benedek took measured sips of his cocktail while making his way to the roulette table in a relaxed fashion.

He'd only just arrived when a sharply-dressed woman stepped up next to him. "Mister Benedek Zobor," she purred in German. "You are a difficult man to find."

"Dangerous, too." He returned in kind. "And you have me at a disadvantage, Miss…?"

"Elsa," the woman said, holding out her hand and letting Zobor give it a courteous kiss. "Elsa Grunewald…I am here as an agent for Frau Gretchen…"

"I have absolutely no intention of dealing with that whore or her bastard." Benedek interrupted, before pulling out ten gaming chips, each representing ten thousand dollars, and stacked then neatly on the designated spot on the table. That had the other players and their hangers-on making appreciative noises and remarks.

"One hundred thousand on black…" the dealer said with professional stoicism, before prompting for any new bets.

"It would be unwise, Herr Benedek, to so casually discard what I and through me, Frau Gretchen, has to say without hearing it first." Elsa said. "Dangerous, even…"

Elsa trailed off as Benedek shot her a look. "…tell you what," he finally said with an even tone of voice. "Why don't we let chance decide the matter?"

"Chance, Mein Herr?"

"Yes…" Benedek drawled, before lifting a set of gaming chips he'd slipped from Elsa's lady bag. Her eyes went wide as he slowly – languidly – moved it through the air past her eyes, and then set them on the table. "I win, and you fuck off. You win, and I'll hear you out. No promises though."

"…very well then."

Benedek smiled. "Now, that's more like it." He said, and turned back to the table even as the dealer spun the wheel and dropped the ball to bounce around along the wheel as it spun.

Elsa was silent, but also turned to look at the wheel as it slowed and the ball bounced back and forth. Benedek took a drink from his cocktail, narrowing his eyes as the ball bounced along, black, red, black, red, black…

Let me tell you that you're gonna miss my lovin'

Yes you will, baby (you're gonna miss my lovin')

When I'm long gone

Benedek took another drink while Elsa took a long and leisurely drag on her cigarette. "Another round, Mein Herr?" she purred.

The Hungarian magus glanced at her, and then smiled lightly while giving a subtle tilt of his glass in a toast to her. "…I don't see why not." he said. "This is a casino, after all. Same terms?"

"But of course, Mein Herr." Elsa said, returning his smile, and Benedek smiled wider.

I know, I know, I know that you are gonna miss

Luviagelita Edelfelt, also known as 'Luvia' to those close to her, sat languidly in her Rolls-Royce's passenger seat as it turned a corner and entered the rotunda of the Lawrence family's mansion in the English countryside. Nor were they the only ones there, more Rolls-Royces, Aston-Martins, Lamborghinis, Mercedes, BMWs, and other established and respectable European autos in somber black were lined up to the front and back, waiting for their turn to drop their passengers off.

Golden light streamed through the windows of the mansion ahead of them, whether it was the ground or upper floors, the main building, or the wings stretching out to either side. More lights illuminated the sculpture standing in the fountain on the island in the middle of the rotunda, a nymph carved in the Classical style though Luvia didn't recognize the artist.

The minutes ticked by as auto after auto dropped off their passengers before driving off, and then it was Luvia's turn. Men in red frock coats and white trousers opened the door, and Luvia was stepping out, and taking the scene in with a single glance. Guests thronged the front porch and the foyer beyond, chatting with friends, family, and acquaintances before moving on into the interior, dressed in proper and elegant wear. Frock coats and fitted trousers for men, and dresses with crinoline skirts for women.

A bit too formal for Luvia's taste, but if that was what the host demanded…

…well, then she supposed she had to oblige. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and all that.

At least she could choose the color, that is her favored royal blue with white lace trim and embroidery. Climbing up the steps at a slow and even pace, Luvia presented her invitation to another attendant, and was bowed into the interior.

Unfurling her fan to mask the lower half of her face, Luvia passed through the foyer and entered the grand hall. There were unsurprisingly more people here, guests gathered in cliques or wandering around, while others held court in second floor balconies. Staff went to and fro, serving drinks, while other made sure there was always enough finger food at a long table laid out along one wall.

Music played gently in the background, providing a soothing undertone to the chatter caused as countless conversations and voices merged into one. "Hmm…George Frederick Handel…" Luvia identified the piece being played at the moment. "...Water Music Suite No. 1 in F Major…"

Nodding in approval, Luvia took a glass of white wine from a passing server, and took a sip to moisten her lips. Then once again masking her face behind a fan, walked off to sightsee. If nothing else, that should pass the time.

Sakura walked out of the country hotel she and her master were staying at, wearing a heavy greatcoat belted around the waist. She waited at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the foyer for several minutes, then was taking a step back as a silver Skyline GT-R was driving up to the foyer.

"Good evening, ma'am." The valet greeted her as he stepped out of the car. Stepping around, he bowed while handing her the keys, Sakura giving him a polite bow back.

"Thank you, sir." She said, stepping around the car and getting into the driver's seat, the valet holding the door open for her and then closing it once she was inside. Not even bothering to put on her seatbelt, Sakura put the Skyline into gear and drove off.

Once she was on the main road, Sakura turned on the car's CD player, sliding in a disk and turning the volume to maximum.

UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ

Smirking in anticipation, Sakura opened the windows before flipping the safeties and turning the valves on her nitro tanks. At the same time, her thoughts went back to three months ago, to a conversation with her master.

"Take a look at this, kid." Touko said, while waving a folded piece of stiff paper in the air.

Sakura walked over, putting down the half-finished arm Touko had had her working on as she approached. Taking the offered piece of paper, Sakura raised an eyebrow at the gaudy decoration on the paper, and reading it, raised her eyebrows even higher at the content.

"Your sealing designation has been revoked?" she asked.

"Looks like it." Touko said while taking a drag on a cigarette. "Officially it's because of a misunderstanding, the result of a bureaucratic error resulting in an erroneous imposition and enforcement of a sealing designation."

"…smells like bullshit to me, master." Sakura dryly remarked, and Touko burst out laughing.

"I know, right?" she asked with a grin. "No way a simple 'bureaucratic error' could have gone uncorrected for so long, especially with all the corpses that piled up as a result."

"You think it's a trap, then?" Sakura asked.

Touko took another drag, and then blew out a stream of smoke. "…I'll have to check to be really sure." She said. "But if it isn't…hmm…well, this is just a theory for now, but I'm guessing the powers that be got tired of trying to hog my mysteries all for themselves, only to get corpses for their trouble."

"In short," Sakura began in a sing-song voice. "They want you back so they can at least benefit and learn by affiliation. They can't do that with corpses."

"Pretty much…" Touko said with a snicker. "…anyway…like I said, I need to check first…but if we do go back, there's that invitation to consider."

"Will we attend, master?" Sakura asked.

Touko puffed on her cigarette for several moments in thought. "…if it's genuine, then we should." She finally said, before her expression turned evil. "But on our terms."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, but Touko did not elaborate.

"On our terms, right, master?" Sakura thought in the present, while flipping the safety for the nitro boosters. "This is gonna be fun!"

Then she pressed the trigger, blue flames erupting from her exhausts as her gauges redlined and her Skyline accelerated to over three hundred kilometers per hour in a few seconds. And as the g-force pressed her back into her seat, Sakura could only smile wider.

Give a bunch of inbred snobs with too much money a giant middle finger? Let's do this, master!

"…hmm…Water Music Suite in F Major: IV Minuet…" Luvia mused while walking along a painting gallery. "…it seems Lord Lawrence or his wife have a fondness for Handel. I don't mind, it might be old-fashioned, but it's still in good taste for all that."

At that thought, Luvia came to a halt before a gigantic, floor-to-ceiling portrait of a bearded man in a 17[SUP]th[/SUP] Century Royal Navy uniform. Luvia silently regarded the portrait and its subject, noting with certainty its Baroque origins given the larger-than-life proportions, the focus on contrast between light and darkness, while retaining the importance of proportion and dimension inherited from the Renaissance.

"Well now, isn't this a surprise?" a cultured voice came from behind her, and causing Luvia to turn in masked surprise. "I would not dare to think the Edelfelt heiress would be so shy as to hide away in a corner, so you must have an eye for paintings, would you not, my lady?"

"…I would not call myself an expert," Luvia modestly answered. "But I would daresay I am educated in recognizing the established arts."

"Ah…" the young man in a green frock coat and matching trousers said, walking closer and regarding the portrait himself. "Hmm…Baroque…William Dobson's, I believe."

"So it would seem, my lord." Luvia said. "Pardon me, but it seems that you have the advantage of me, Lord…?"

"Ah…apologies…" the young man said with a bow. Then placing a hand theatrically over his chest, gave another, more courtly bow. "I have the honor, my lady, of being Alexander Corey Lawrence, second son to my esteemed parents, the Lord and Lady Lawrence."

"I see…if so, then I am thankful to be received at your home." Luvia said with a curtsy. "It has been nothing but an enjoyable experience thus far."

"I am glad to hear it, my lady." Alexander began. Luvia made to speak, only to break off as her ears caught wind of something. And apparently, so did her host.

"I say…" he began with a frown. "What is that obnoxious noise?"

UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ

Glancing at each other, the two magus-aristocrats hurried out of the gallery and towards the front of the mansion. Nor were they the only ones, guests and staff alike moving to the foyer in confusion, all the while the obnoxious staccato beating grew louder and louder.

UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ

Luvia blinked, as she heard something else join in on the beating. A loud roaring…like…

"…that's an auto engine…" she remarked.

"Yes, I think so too." Alexander agreed.

UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ

"Over there!" the shout went up, and eyes turned to the distance, at the sight of what were clearly an auto's lights zooming up the winding road at breakneck speeds. And as it got closer, the beating continued to grow louder.

UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ

Sakura grit her teeth as she stepped down on the clutch, switching to a lower gear before stepping on the brakes hard while turning the wheel as far as it could go, drifting on inertia around the sharp corner of the country road. Wheels protested sharply with the sound of screeching rubber, and then Sakura was turning the other way, shifting to high gear and stepping down on the accelerator before losing any more speed.

"Three months…three fucking months' worth of practice…" she internally raged. "…and I still need to use reinforcement to get this right…"

Drifting around another corner, Sakura stepped down hard on the accelerator, running down the last stretch of road at over two hundred kilometers per hour, and then smirked as she spotted household staff trying to wave her off. Ignoring them, Sakura just drove straight ahead before banking hard, causing the overdressed fops to scatter as she drifted around the corner and through the gates, before going around the rotunda with a loud roar from her six-cylinder, Eurobeat pumping out in full surround sound through her windows.

Then switching gears to reverse, Sakura neatly backed up and parked at the bottom of the steps, before turning off the CD player.

More household staff were rushing down the steps even as Sakura came out of her Skyline. Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out her master's invitation, and practically tossed it into the face of the closest staff member she could find. That brought them up to a halt, followed by Sakura dropping her keys into the hands of a second staff member.

Then she pulled out a phone, and pressing quick dial, made a call.

"Bring her in."

Rotors rumbled through the air as a Sikorsky S-92 rumbled through the night sky over the English countryside. In her seat, Touko sat languidly while nursing a cigarette stick, and raised it to her lips to take a drag as one of the crew received a call.

"Miss Aozaki," the woman said. "We're about to make our final approach."

"Good…it's time to make an impression." Touko said, putting out the cigarette and fixing her posture. "Take us in."

"Yes, ma'am."

The helicopter turned sharply, making directly for the landing site, an island of light in the distance that grew brighter and bigger the closer they got. Touko looked at it through the windows as the helicopter circled above the mansion after several minutes of flight, and then smiled as she saw her apprentice waiting next to her Skyline in front of the mansion.

Then the helicopter was hovering, before slowly descending to land firmly but gently on the ground. Locks clicked before the door was thrown open, Touko emerging to walk imposingly across the open ground from the helicopter to the mansion.

"Master…" Sakura said with a curt nod as Touko approached.

"…apprentice…" Touko said with a curt nod of her own, and smirking as Sakura discarded her greatcoat to expose the sleeveless and low-cut dress of pearl white she was wearing beneath. In complete defiance of the host's dress code, but what did it matter?

The apprentice followed the master's example, and as far as Touko was concerned, the dress code was offensively misogynist, stupidly old-fashioned, and just plain stuffy to the point of being boring. And modesty was just so dull.

Hence her own royal blue dress, not merely sleeveless and low-cut, but also off-the-shoulders, the skirt cut in an angle that all but completely exposed her left leg in its entirety. Touko smirked as she saw eyes drawn to her and Sakura as they ascended the steps, silently laughing at the equally-appalled, outraged, fascinated, admiring, and even aroused expressions all around.

Then she was before the door, before their hosts. Touko's smirk widened, one hand resting on a hip, before she said one word.

"Greetings."

Aozaki and Tohsaka: The Serpent's Feathers

Fin

A/N

And that's a wrap!

Looks like master and apprentice made quite the intro, eh? The apprentice driving up in a Skyline GT-R with Eurobeat pumping away in the background, before the master arrives via a helicopter. Talk about a giant middle finger to a bunch of inbred aristocrats who think modern technology and innovations to be toys and crutches at best.

Gee, I wonder how Miss Ohohoho will make of her cousin given her arrival next to the infamous Touko Aozaki.