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

Different Fates

Chapter 28

The doors to the church flew open, swinging back quickly to bang loudly against the wall on either side. Baroness Anika von Derfflinger winced at the sound, even if she was Protestant – officially at least – a church was still a church. Sakura however stormed past without a care, her face hard and her eyes flashing.

"Kirei…!" she shouted as the priest appeared from a side door.

"Well this is an unexpected pleasure." The priest said after a moment of surprise at her appearance. "To what do I owe this…?"

"Enough…!" Sakura interrupted, striding up to him. Kirei raised an eyebrow but fell silent nevertheless. "My sister…the Matou…did you know?"

"Did I know that your sister is a host for parasitic worms?" he asked. "Of course I did. Kariya Matou was such an existence during the previous Holy Grail War. Compared to your sister though, he was less stable, and his familiars slowly killed him. Your sister though has acclimatized to her…"

"Bastard…!" Sakura spat, slapping him across the face. "You knew and did nothing!"

"Please keep in mind that I am under no obligation or possess any right to interfere in internal magus family affairs." He said coldly, rubbing at his cheek. "Yes it is an abomination. Such a form of magecraft is obscene and twisted. And yet, it is within – if somewhat borderline – the acceptable limits of magus research, both by the Church and the Association's standards."

"Hardly acceptable…" Anika said with a grimace. "…more like tolerable…such magi would have difficulty finding welcome within the higher circles of the Association or the nobility. We have no desire for one comparable to the Marquis de Sade to stand among us."

"I defer to your knowledge of proper society, baroness." The priest said with a bow, and Anika narrowed her eyes at him.

"Technicality…?" Sakura ground out. "You're using a legal technicality to justify inaction? My father…my sister's father…you were his apprentice, and this is how you repay him? By letting my sister be turned into a…a…a…"

Kirei stayed silent as Sakura fumed into silence, and then he smiled. She wanted to rip it off of his face. "That's what you really wanted to know, isn't it?" he asked. "You want to know whether or not your father knew what fate he would be consigning you or your sister to."

Sakura stayed silent, glaring at the priest, who gestured for them to follow while heading deeper into the church. "To be honest there is no explicit proof as to how much your father was aware of." Kirei said. "He certainly showed no surprise or even concern at Kariya Matou's state of being when they confronted each other ten years ago, and between the fact that the Matou and Tohsaka families are old allies as well as the magi attitude with regards to 'acquiring' knowledge, I wouldn't be surprised if he knew the generalities if not the details."

Sakura opened her mouth to snarl, but a hand on her shoulder pre-empted her. "Continue." The baroness said.

Kirei stopped walking to turn and face them. "How much do you know about the Matou magecraft?" he asked.

"Based on the Association's records…" Anika said after a moment's thought. "…their core concept is 'absorption' coupled with the attributes of the Water Element. They also specialize in the use of familiars, though the fact that those familiars are parasitic worms was not known to me until quite recently. Also, they have a preference for 'engraving' mysteries directly into the body as opposed to traditional training. The specifics are unknown, but apparently it was effective, if quite torturous in nature."

"I see." Kirei said with a nod. "That much Tokiomi Tohsaka knew, along with the use of worms as parasites. As I've said, he showed no surprise at Kariya Matou's state of being."

"Tell me more of this Kariya Matou."

"Very well…" Kirei said with another nod. "…he was the younger son of Zouken Matou. Unlike his older brother Byakuya he had high magical potential, and was set to be the family heir."

"He was also my mother's childhood friend." Sakura cut in, her voice tight with controlled anger. "They confided in each other, and from what my father said he ran away in his youth because he didn't have what it took to walk the path of a magus."

Eyes turned to her, and Sakura continued after a moment. "Mother never said anything, though in hindsight she knew more than what my father said to me." She said. "Uncle Kariya was…fond of me and my sister…he visited a few times before the war…he played with us both…he was…mother's best friend…God damn it…"

"They knew." Anika said with mounting horror. "If your mother and uncle were as close as you say they were, and he truly was fond of you and your sister, then…"

"There's no way he would not have told my mother or my father about what was going to happen!" Sakura spat, punching the wall hard enough to crack it. Blood trickled down from those cracks, and Sakura growled in her throat. "God damn it! They knew and still they sent my sister to hell! And even if they didn't know until after the fact, they still didn't do anything!"

"Wait Sakura…!" Anika said. "All this seems to skip a certain point: if Kariya Matou left his family early on, why was he in the Fourth Holy Grail War?"

"He made a pact with Zouken Matou, that's why." Kirei answered and shrugging as their eyes turned to him. "He would be heir, and Rin would be returned to her family. However he was already a grown man by then and his magical potential had greatly atrophied. So instead he would win the war, and only then would Rin be returned. Obviously things didn't go as he hoped it would."

"Brave…" Sakura hissed, closing her eyes and wiping a few tears away for her uncle. "…he died in the previous war for my sister. May he rest in peace then, he deserves that much. Much more so than either of my parents, damn them…!"

Kirei nodded slowly. "The reasoning is sound." He said.

Sakura punched the wall several more times, spitting out oaths one after another in rage. "I sought to avenge them, but in the end they don't deserve such loyalty!" she roared, blood splattering out across the wall from her battered fist.

I hate Tokiomi Tohsaka, the man who sent me to hell. I hate Aoi Tohsaka, for being a weakling and doing nothing and just watching as the devil took me away. And most of all…I hate that treacherous, backstabbing little girl who faked being weak and timid…just so she could take everything from me…!

Sakura slumped against the bloody wall as her anger spent itself, grinding her teeth as tears trickled their way down her cheeks. "Why?" she asked as Anika approached and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why go this far? What was worth such a betrayal?"

"Actually…" Kirei began. "…you and your sister are worth such a betrayal."

"What?" Anika and Sakura responded in surprise.

"You forget that both you and your sister were born with exceptional magical potential." Kirei said. "The Five Elements and the Imaginary Numbers…your father did not wish for either of you to waste away without a chance to realize such potential. But at the same time he did not wish to sow the seeds for rivalry within the family. Therefore one of you – you originally – was to be given away to the Matou family as their heiress, given the failing potential of their bloodline."

"And in the resulting rivalry…" Anika concluded. "…one would be known as a victor, and the other as a worthy opponent."

"Indeed…" Kirei confirmed. "…this Fifth Holy Grail War was meant to be the confrontation between sisters. Rin, or rather you after you succeeded her as heiress would triumph and go down in history as one who received the Holy Grail, while she would be remembered as your great rival. Such was his intent for you, as explained to myself, my father, and your mother."

Sakura's eyes flashed and narrowed. "Kin-slaying…?" she hissed. "That was my father's plan for my sister and me? And my mother allowed it to happen?"

"Why so incredulous?" Kirei asked. "You already know that they were willing to abandon either you or your sister to Zouken's clutches. Why balk at one of you losing their lives in this contest for an equal chance at glory?"

Sakura's eyes flared, and Anika placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Rest assured…" Kirei said. "…your mother was ill at ease with your father's plan. However she was of the opinion that your father knew best, and as his wife it was her duty to support him and follow his lead no matter what."

"And my father…?" Sakura demanded. "And why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"This was his plan is it not?" Kirei replied. "It should be quite obvious that he had no doubts at all in his purpose. As for why I did not tell you…"

Kirei paused and trailed off, actually looking confused. Anika glanced at Sakura, who continued glaring at Kirei. At length the priest actually looked surprised. "To be honest I do not really know." He finally said.

"What?"

"It could be that I didn't think you needed to know." He said. "Or that by leaving you in the dark about your father's designs, you would walk your own path, follow your nature as it was."

Kirei actually looked thoughtful at that, though after a few moments he shook his head. "My apologies…" he said. "…in the end, it was a lapse on my part."

Sakura scoffed. "I'll believe that…for now." She said darkly. "But if you think I'm just going to follow my father's will and commit kin-slaying you are dead wrong. I'm taking my sister back, and I'm going to exterminate Zouken and his entire thrice-damned family!"

"That is of course your prerogative." Kirei said with a bow. "I would not dare gainsay it."

Sakura scoffed again but said nothing more, and Kirei resumed leading them deeper into the church. Anika and Sakura followed in his wake. "Are you alright?" the former asked telepathically.

"I don't want to talk about it." She replied shortly, and Anika bit her lip. She stayed silent for a while, and then pressed on.

"Really…?"

"I said I don't want to…"

"Yes, yes, I heard you the first time." Anika cut in. "And I won't force you to. Still…don't let it fester, alright?"

Sakura was silent, but at length she nodded. Her eyes flickered slightly to Anika, and then lowered in shame. "Sorry…" she said, and Anika smiled.

"Don't worry, I understand. So what now…?"

"My parents do not deserve to be avenged." She answered darkly. "My sister does. And also…Shirou Emiya saved my life. A life for a life…"

"You noticed that…?"

"Don't underestimate me."

Anika smiled. "Sorry…" she said. "…and I suppose apart from the fact that you, no we owe him our lives, letting your parents' deaths go un-avenged would count as revenge for your sister. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, that's how it is." Sakura said, following Kirei across the inner court and into his private quarters. "Of course Zouken still needs to be dealt with. That one…that one is more difficult."

"Old magi are usually more powerful." Anika agreed. "Don't get reckless."

"I don't intend to. And I have you, don't I?"

"Yes."

For a while the silence fell over their telepathic channel as well, but then Anika posed a question. "Are you still angry over Father Kotomine keeping things from you?" she asked. "Or for that matter, doing nothing?"

"It's not his job to right wrongs." Sakura replied, her thoughts heavy with anger. "As he said, he's not obliged nor has he the right to interfere in magus family affairs. I don't like it, but I understand. As for not telling me…"

Sakura's thoughts trailed off, and Anika took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I've got your back." She said, and Sakura shot her a glance.

"Yes…" she said. "…Emiya's no longer of concern apart from just another enemy. We have bigger fish to fry, or rather a worm to dig up and burn."

Anika laughed at that. "Yes…" she said aloud. "…that works much better."

They shared an agreeing nod, and then followed Kirei into his living room. A young man their age rose from the couch at their arrival, with the remains of his dinner on the table in front of him. He had purple hair and irises, and Sakura's eyes narrowed at the sight of his classic Matou features. "Allow me to introduce you…" Kirei began. "…this is Shinji Matou. And he…"

Sakura lunged forward, ignoring Anika's shout or even the sword sheathed at her side, preferring to swing a bloody fist at the Matou in front of her.

Shirou Emiya silently took the whistling kettle off of the stove, and filling a teapot took it and a pair of cups to the table. He then took a seat opposite Ayako Mitsuzuri. He glanced at her. She glanced back.

Uncomfortable silence consumed them both.

Shirou scratched his head. "Um…let's see…" he began. "…where do I start?"

Ayako sighed. "From the beginning then…" she said. "…I wake up in the kyuudo club alone, the ground shaking like an earthquake, though it quickly stops. There's a sound like thunder though, so I thought there was an explosion."

Shirou silently sat, listening to his girlfriend's story. "Then I hear you shouting for someone to run." She said. "I look out the window, and there I see you with a bow, covered in blood, Matou-san standing nearby…and these…rock and puppet things. Oh a man in a red cloak with black armour carrying…a hammer…a hammer that calls down the lightning like that foreign superhero Dor or whatever his name is."

Shirou sits silent. Ayako stares at him and sighs again. "The man in red vanishes like a ghost, and then Matou-san tackles you." She said, looking away. "You and her babble about getting in the way, revenge, and all that, and then she hits you before leaving."

She then turned to Shirou. "What's going on Shirou?" she asked.

Shirou stays quiet for a while, and Ayako lowers her eyes. "Or…" she began with a small voice. "…you can't tell me?"

Shirou sighs and getting up, walks over to her. "Trace on…" he says as he sits down, materializing a small dagger and gives it to her. Ayako takes it wide-eyed. "…I'm a magus."

"Magus…?" Ayako echoed, staring at the dagger in her hands. "Magic…?"

"Yes, I can do magic." Shirou said with a small smile, one that quickly gives way to a serious expression. "As in real magic, not like those tricks they show on TV or in children's parties. This is dangerous stuff, and well…I'm sorry for keeping things secret from you but…"

"It was…and still is dangerous for me to know isn't it?" Ayako finished for him. He nodded, and she sighed and nodded. And then she hit him on the back of the head.

"Ouch…" Shirou said, rubbing at the back of his head. "…what was that for?"

"That was for hiding things from me." Ayako said in a huff.

"As I said it was…"

"I know!" Ayako snapped. "It was dangerous I know. But still…I don't have to like it."

"No…" Shirou agreed. "…I guess not."

"With that said…" Ayako said, turning back to him with a smile. "…thanks for finally telling and trusting me."

Shirou smiled back, and the two of them embraced each other. "Well…" she said with a blush as they separated. "…can you tell me more about this…world of yours? I'm guessing it's a lot more…complicated than simply saying some magic words and things happening, if earlier was any indication."

Shirou laughed nervously. "Yeah it is." He said.

He started with the Conservation of Mysteries, as it was the underlying reason for the need for secrecy. He then went on to how people could become magi, the basics of magic, followed by a description of the Mages Association, its rivals the Holy Church and the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. He explained the Holy Grail War being fought in the city, and of his own Servant, Saber.

"Saber…?" Ayako echoed once he'd finished speaking. "That blonde chick from before is a 'Servant' and a hero, well heroine from the past…?"

"Yes." Saber said, walking through an open door and surprising them both. She glanced at Shirou and narrowed her eyes. "Welcome home Master. I sensed your arrival earlier, and wished to speak with you but seeing as you're with a guest I decided to wait until after you'd finished entertaining them. However given she is your…consort…I suppose needs must wait."

"Consort…" Ayako echoed with a twitch in an eye and a slight blush.

"We need to speak with a matter of some importance." Saber concluded. "I await your convenience, Master."

Saber bowed and walked away as quickly as she came, and Shirou sighed wearily, rubbing his head. "She didn't look happy." Ayako observed.

"No she didn't." Shirou agreed. "She's probably angry why I didn't call her when Tohsaka-san attacked me, and then there was the little mess with Matou-san afterwards."

"Tohsaka-san…?"

"Oh yeah…I should explain about earlier."

"That would be nice."

Shirou proceeded to explain the battle, introducing Sakura Tohsaka and with her a description of the roles within the Association – lords and ladies, the Supervisors and such – as much as he knew, though he quietly avoided the issue of her father being killed by his father. He then proceeded to Rin's joining the battle, and – despite feeling bad about twisting the truth – played it and Sakura's attack as actions within the greater contest, along with an on-going feud between magi families.

Ayako doesn't need to know about what's happened to Rin.

The thought of Rin's plight sent a jolt of anger through him. "Some hero I am…" he thought bitterly. "…I'm killing crooks and thugs, but in the end I couldn't even see much less help a friend."

Sakura Tohsaka came to mind, and then the anger faded. "Tohsaka-san…" he thought. "…she was trying to kill me, but…if I knew dad had been killed, would I really be so different? And she was so broken at what happened to her sister."

Shirou sighed again. He'd been doing that a lot over the past half hour, and he had a feeling he'd be doing it a whole lot more. "Things have gotten troublesome." He thought. "Tohsaka-san was clearly in the dark at what happened…but once she pulls herself back together…"

Shirou narrowed his eyes. "I don't think I want to stop her from going after her sister's torturer." He said. "In fact it's the opposite: I'd probably help her. The question is: will it really go well? She doesn't like me after all, and there's still what might happen after. And of course, Zouken Matou is an old man, and as with all things supernatural, older is always better. What to do…"

"Shirou…? Shirou…? Hey Shirou…!" Ayako said, waving her hand in front of his face. At the lack of a response, she sighed and looked him over. For a moment she considered poking him in the side but then an amusing thought came to mind.

Should I or should I not?

For another moment she hesitated, but then she shrugged. "He's mine." Ayako thought possessively, gently but firmly taking hold of his face. Comprehension dawned in his eyes…and then they bulged as Ayako pressed her lips to his.

He fumbled for a moment, his arms flailing, and then relaxed into the moment. Eyes closing, he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close and earning a muffled moan of delight. The moment stretched, and then Ayako drew back with a cheeky grin. "Did you like that?" she asked, and Shirou nodded dumbly.

"And if you pay attention to yours truly, then you'll get more."

"Okay."

Ayako drew back with a smile. "So…" she said. "…as I was saying, have you told anyone else other than me?"

"Well…there's Fuji-nee…"

"Fujimura-sensei knows…? Understandable she's family after all but still…it would have been good to know."

"Yeah sorry about that…"

Ayako just smiled and listened as he tried to explain – again – why he'd kept things from her. "Magicians, warrior-priests, vampires and a war in this city for the one and only Holy Grail…" she thought. "…I've gotten myself mixed-up in something dangerous…but I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Alright, alright…" she said, raising her hands to cut off the flow of explanations. "…I'll forgive you."

"Really…?"

"Yes, really…" Ayako said, leaning forward on an elbow. "…so long as you don't keep me in the dark again, alright 'Archer of Winter'…?"

"How did…?" he spluttered in shock, and Ayako laughed at him.

"I saw you once a while back, shooting arrows at a bank robbery or something. It fits in hindsight." She said. "Though I guess…you're not the only one who needs to apologize for keeping things from the other, eh? Sorry…I should have come for the whole truth sooner…you probably think I'm a jerk, letting you go on thinking that…"

"No, you don't need to do that." Shirou interrupted. "You…I'm guessing you wanted to give me time and a chance to come out with it on my own, or am I wrong?"

Ayako didn't answer, looking down with a blush on her face. Shirou chuckled, sitting closer and placing an arm around her shoulders. "We're a pair of fools aren't we?" he asked, and Ayako laughed and placed her head on his shoulder.

"Who's the fool?" she asked. "Me, an honour student and kyuudo club captain, or you who struggle with his academics?"

Shirou laughed and kissed her on the head. "Okay you've got me there." He said, and Ayako relaxed at his side. She shifted to look up at him, and he looked down quizzically at her. Two pairs of golden eyes stared into each other, the moment stretching silently…

…and then the banging of the front door shocked them out of the moment. They turned to the hallway as one, and moments later Fujimura Taiga emerged looking…energetic. "Shirou…!" she demanded. "I just got the call that…eh?"

The 'Tiger' froze in her footsteps, the sound of gears in her head breaking all but audible as her mental processes short-circuited mid-step. "Um…" she fumbled after a moment. "…am I interrupting something? Should I come back later?"

The teenage couple blinked, looked at each other, realized how it must have looked, and then quickly sprang from each other blushing furiously. "Ahem…" Taiga coughed, clearly fighting and failing a grin from showing on her face. "…do I have to give you the Talk?"

"NO!" they both said at once. "I mean…that is…we already…"

Taiga laughed at them. "Alright, alright…" she said. "…I'm sure you're both smart enough and responsible enough with each other. We wouldn't want…accidents to happen would we."

"Fuji-nee, you're going too far."

"No, actually I'm being quite lenient." She said. "Most parental figures would actually be more…strict if they ran into a sight like this."

She paused and grinned. "Actually…" she began with a teasing tone. "…you look like a newlywed couple who recently discovered that they're expecting."

Shirou spluttered his protests, while Ayako squeaked and hid her flaming face behind her arms. "I-I-I-I'm too young to be a mother." She thought in panic.

"Anyway Fuji-nee…" Shirou said after a glance at his girlfriend. "What's the rush? And you got a call about what?"

"Oh yeah…someone blew up the school!"

"What?"

"Well they didn't blow it up completely, but the whole front court's been wrecked."

Shirou laughed nervously. "Well you see about that…" he began, and Ayako peeked out from her arms with one eye. Taiga, contrary to her earlier teasing disposition, was now looming suspiciously over him.

"Shirou…do you know anything about what happened to the school?" she asked, cracking her knuckles.

"I um…you see…funny story…"

"SHIROU…!"

"Idiot…" Ayako thought as Taiga 'pounced', trying to physically drag the truth from her boyfriend. "…still…my idiot…I wouldn't mind giving everything to him…someday…eventually…he's mine after all…mine…"

A/N

This is going to be a long one (sighs).

No, the drama isn't over and Shinji isn't dead. Did you think he was? He did make it to the church before blacking out. And to quote then-Vice Admiral Paul von Oberstein 'I can make him useful to you Your Excellency.'

I'm not going to turn half the chapter into an info dump about the Nasuverse. You want background material about canon go look it up on your own. A summary will do for context with regards to Ayako and Shirou bonding over the truth coming out.

Now then…responses to past comments…Mjolnir: a bit over the top, but I was thinking, if you want to break a rock…

Also, tracing it and EMIYA's specialty with swords…concepts, never forget the concepts. So long as EMIYA/Shirou can apply the concept of 'sword' it doesn't have to be a literal sword for him to trace it. Prana…one sexual encounter with Rin gave Shirou enough prana to power his reality marble for one fight with Gil in UBW. AU Sakura has at least as much prana as canon Rin, and she's been providing Archer a lot of prana for a while now (the normal way, she's still a maiden). He should have enough to trace Rho Aias and Mjolnir and still have plenty left over.

Finally: Sakura blasé over the Counter Force. Actually it's more of indifferent about something she can do nothing about, as it automatically gets invoked once the Root is accessed. Considering that Tokiomi openly seeks to use the Grail to reach the Root and has no concerns over the Counter Force – and he's implied to be an example of a typical ordinary magus and not a genius like canon Rin/AU Sakura/Kayneth – so I imagine most magi have the same indifference about the Counter Force whenever it involves reaching their ultimate goal. In any case if they're absorbed by the Root, then they don't have to worry about it. And that's a more likely possibility apparently than actually coming back. If they come back…well let's get ready to rumble: Sorcery vs. the Counter Force. From Sakura's POV, seeing as Zel and Aoko among others have pulled it off, why not her…?