The earth cracked and trees splintered as master and servant collided. Their training sessions felt like all-out war for the past two days. The backside of the mountain was mostly decimated and several large craters were scattered across what was left of the forest floor. A magic barrier served as the only safeguard shielding them from prying eyes. Lancer was markedly more powerful now and Ashlin found herself struggling to keep up, even with the addition of purgatory armor.

"So is this how powerful you were when you were alive?" She asked, ducking under Gae Bolg as it sliced clean through one of the trees.

"Pretty close," Lancer replied with a grin, flashing behind her. Ashlin dodged another strike from the cursed spear and blocked an incoming kick. She winced as the force of the blow sent her several meters backward. His strength was indeed impressive.

"So you haven't completely reached full strength yet?"

"Almost, but not quite."

"Hmmm, I guess we should have more sex then," Ashlin mused, watching as Lancer stopped in his tracks to fix her with a stunned look. She couldn't help but laugh.

"So you knew about that? I wondered if you did."

"It's a nice perk, huh?"

"The best," he agreed as a devious smirk spread across his face. In an instant, he was immediately in front of Ashlin with Gae Bolg behind her back, holding her in place. She ducked out quickly when he made to kiss her.

"I didn't mean we should have sex right now!" She yelled, a scarlet blush making its way across her cheeks.

"There you go teasing me again."

"I am not a tease!"

"Sure, honey."

"I'm not!" He couldn't help but laugh as she crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at him. Lancer simply smirked before grabbing Ashlin and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Why do you insist on carrying me this way? I swear you do it just to piss me off."

"I have other reasons." SMACK.

"Did you seriously just slap my ass?!"

"Nope, that was someone else."

"Lancer!"

It was near midnight when Archer returned from his reconnaissance mission. The air was still and the courtyard was silent as he passed through the gates to enter Shirou's compound. Only one full day remained until Gilgamesh activated the Grail and while Archer couldn't be sure exactly when it would happen he had a pretty good idea regarding where. Based on his observations, Ryuudou Temple was still blanketed in a thick smog of mana thanks to Caster, making it the perfect summoning grounds.

Electing to tell Rin about it in the morning, Archer leaped up to his usual post on the roof of the main building. He frowned a bit upon detecting Lancer's presence in Ashlin's room. While it was true the blue spearman's power was increasing with each passing day thanks to their "recreational activities", Archer rather doubted power was Cú Chulainn's main objective. Even a blind man could see he was in love with her. You stupid fool. And Saber, you're not much better!

The blonde swordswoman had the misfortune of being summoned by a compete novice who couldn't even supply her with mana and yet she protected him, repeatedly getting injured and nearly killed. Archer scowled as memories of his past self flashed before his eyes. At least when I summoned Saber in my timeline she could function at full capacity. Granted he hated Shirou for many reasons but leaving Saber in such a vulnerable state truly infuriated him. And worse, her mana had been suddenly restored yesterday. Conveniently. When no one was home.

"Am I seriously the only servant who hasn't banged my master?" Archer growled under his breath, scowling at no one in particular. Not that Rin wasn't pretty- Oh shit! I am NOT making excuses for why I haven't fucked anyone yet. She's practically a child for god sakes! However, as much as he hated to admit it, the little spitfire had caught his eye. She was beautiful, intelligent, and incredibly skilled. And young, definitely young! He mentally slapped himself. God Rin, if only you were a few years older.

"Archer?" He visibly froze as Rin's voice drifted up to him. "Have you been back this whole time? Why didn't you tell me? I stayed awake waiting for you!" She sounded angry. Peering down from the roof, he couldn't help but notice how cute she looked in her long nightshirt with messy hair.

"My apologies, Master," he responded, sounding falsely disinterested as he jumped down to stand before her. "I assumed you would be sleeping."

"Well, I'm not." He smirked a bit, earning him an annoyed look from the petite mage. "Whatever," she finally grumbled before grabbing his hand and dragging him in the direction of her room. He cursed under his breath when his pulse sped up. I'm going to burn in a special place in Hell for these thoughts, I just know it.

The soft light of the crescent moon crept silently through bedroom window, illuminating the small space and bathing the occupants in a warm glow. The atmosphere was serene as the pair simply enjoyed each other's presence. Ashlin was curled against her servant with her head on his shoulder and her right arm resting loosely across Lancer's torso. Her eyes fluttered closed and she let out a small sigh of contentment as he began to lightly trace his fingers over her tattoos, first over the Fairy Tail emblem and then down to the Fairy Glitter spell. He tried to imagine her world; the alternate timeline where she took up residence to protect Rin.

It was a well know fact that only the eldest child was raised to wield magic, and the younger siblings were often bartered or sold to other mage families lacking an heir. This would have been Rin's fate had her sister not intervened, and it was a fate the youngest sibling, Sakura, was unable to avoid. Ashlin went to extremes, literally ripping open a dimensional portal and fleeing from her own family, to ensure Rin obtained the Tosaka family crest. It was a crazy, completely insane idea and Lancer still couldn't believe Ashlin did it. It was several years later that Rin finally learned the truth and it took even longer for her to traverse the dimensions to visit. Despite her prowess, Rin only managed to cross over a few times, relying on the solstice to bring the dimensions closer together.

Rin didn't talk about her time in Fiore very often but every now and then Lancer got a glimpse into Ashlin's very amusing life. Per Rin's account, her entire guild was comprised of rowdy, unruly mages who loved to fight and frequently destroyed things. Brawls were a daily occurrence as were drinking contests, and apparently the barmaid was a demon. While Lancer wasn't sure if he believed the bit about the barmaid the rest seemed plausible. And for some reason Ashlin absolutely adored the crew of ruffians. They were her family. They were her brothers and sisters. And maybe much more, Lancer realized, glancing down at the peaceful woman in his arms. He never even considered the possibility that she could have a romantic interest back home. It was stupid of him, really. Her looks alone would be sufficient to score any man she wanted. And it's apparent she has at least some experience in the bedroom… Not that it mattered much. Ashlin clearly chose him and he had no intentions of leaving her, but still he wondered and, against his better judgement, Lancer decided to ask.

"Were there others before me?" He inquired, genuinely curious as he continued to trace along the Fairy Glitter tattoo. He half expected her to get mad and was relieved when she didn't.

"Only one," she replied, nestling up a little closer to him. He couldn't help but feel satisfied with her answer. Deciding to try his luck, he pressed a little further.

"What happened to him?"

"He died." The hand tracing her tattoo stopped suddenly. That was not the answer I was expecting.

"Kayne was his name. We grew up together in Magnolia. Kayne, bless his soul, didn't have a magical bone in his body so while I studied to become a mage he became a knight in the Fiore army. Things were going well for a long time. He would come see me in between missions and I visited him in the capital whenever I could. However…" Ashlin paused for moment, as if debating whether or not to continue. Sighing deeply, she said, "About four years ago, Jackal, a member of the dark guild Tartaros, attacked the magic council. His curse decimated a large portion of the capital, destroying the council and killing over 100 people. Kayne was caught in the blast." Ashlin paused for a moment to keep her voice even. "Fairy Tail retaliated of course and eventually we defeated Tartaros. But the damage had already been done. Kayne was gone."

"I'm sorry," Lancer replied, finding no other words.

"I wasn't strong enough back then," Ashlin continued, sounding a little bitter as she recalled the events. "I couldn't protect anyone, they all ended up protecting me. It was the worst feeling imaginable- to feel useless."

"So you got stronger?" She nodded.

"After that, I travelled to Tenrou Island, the heart of my guild's magic, and knelt at the grave of Fairy Tail's first master. It was there that Mavis bestowed the Fairy Glitter spell on me. And mastering it sure wasn't easy… I damn near blew my arm off the first time I used it. Nearly gave Erza a heart attack," Ashlin spoke with a small chuckle and she recalled the event. Lancer felt an amused smile curving at the corners of his mouth as he tried to picture what a Fairy Glitter spell gone wrong looked like. He decided it was probably much MUCH funnier in hindsight.

"Who's Erza?" He asked suddenly.

"Oh! She's one of Fairy Tail's S-Class wizards. I trained under her for a very long time and actually most of the armor I wear is from her personal collection."

"Does she look as good in the armor as you do?" He inquired with a teasing smirk.

"Better."

"Hmmm, then I definitely want to meet her." Ashlin rolled her eyes and punched him playfully in the arm.

"So who trained you?"

"What?"

"Who taught you how to wield a spear?" She repeated, looking genuinely curious as she sat up to look at him.

"No one, I was born brilliant." Ashlin immediately moved to hit him again. "Fine, fine," he laughed, catching her hand. "But seriously, there was some natural talent involved."

"Yeah, I know. Your father was Lugh, the sun god of Irish mythology. He was well known for his prowess with many types of weapons, particularly the spear. And wasn't he also a magus?"

"Been doing some reading have we?" Lancer asked, an unreadable glint in his eyes.

"What? I was curious. Blame it on all the weird dreams I keep having about your past." Cú Chulainn felt his body unconsciously stiffen at her words.

"You've been having dreams?" He asked, careful to keep his voice even.

"Yeah, almost every night since we became partners. Why?" Lancer could have sworn his blood turned to ice as a wave of cold washed over him. It really shouldn't be surprising. It was common for masters to experience visions recounting important events in the lives of their servants; their greatest triumphs and gravest failures. Lancer felt his stomach churn as a particular memory surfaced.

"What did you see?" He pressed. Ashlin considered him for moment.

"Lots of things," she finally responded. "Most of the visions came in bits and pieces so it was hard to make sense of it all. From what I could tell, you were born in Ireland when it was still split into five nations. Your mother sent you away at a young age to join the army of Ulster, the Northern Kingdom ruled by King Conchobar. You caused all kinds of trouble," she stated pointedly.

"No, I didn't!"

"Oh really? Let me recount the mischief I watched. You killed master blacksmith Culann's guard dog, which is incidentally how you got your name. You smashed a shit ton of the spears in the castle and destroyed the King's chariot when he said you were too young to join the Red Branch. You attempted to kidnap princess Emer-"

"Ok, ok! So I was young and foolish once upon a time. I was still the king's favorite though," Lancer pointed out with a smug smirk. "So what else did you learn?"

"You trained under a powerful woman with long red hair in the Land of Shadows."

"Scáthach," Lancer corrected.

"Right. She bequeathed Gae Bolg to you and taught you rune magic. And then you tricked Queen Aoife into sleeping with you-"

"Hey! She lost that fight fair and square."

"She kicked your ass! The only reason you won was because you told her that her favorite chariot was falling off a cliff. You attacked when she was distracted and agreed to spare her if she would sleep with you. And you left when you found out she was with child…" She trailed off, turning her head away from him. The room seemed to grow colder at the mention of Aoife. Ashlin knew it wasn't fair to judge Lancer based on the past. It all happened nearly a thousand years ago but she couldn't help but feel disappointed with the way her servant handled the situation. However, she felt even worse thinking about how Aoife retaliated. "And then Queen Aoife, she-"

"Sent my own son, Connla, to kill me," Lancer finished, speaking through clenched teeth. "Had I known who the boy was, I would have let him finish me but that bitch cursed Connla so he could not give me his name and he could not back down from a fight. He was so strong. In the end, it was Gae Bolg that ended my son's life." Ashlin didn't know what to say. The legend of Cú Chulainn was tragic and filled with bloodshed, heartache, and pain. He defeated Queen Aoife and her army only to lose his son in a twisted turn of fate. He defeated the legions belonging to Queen Madb to protect Ulster but in exchange he was forced to use Gae Bolg to kill his best friend, Ferdiad. He spared Madb only to fall victim to her schemes and traps, and in the end, he was brutally killed and died after being pierced by his own spear. Ashlin couldn't help but let her eyes wonder over to the demonic weapon propped up against the night stand. It glowed crimson in the moonlight.

"That spear killed everyone I ever loved," Lancer declared bitterly while he reached for it. "It's good that I will disappear tomorrow. At least this way my cursed spear won't pierce your heart as well." He paused when Ashlin suddenly grabbed Gae Bolg out of his hands and placed it across her lap.

"It is just a tool, Sétanta. Nothing more," She stated firmly. "I am not afraid of it and I am not afraid of you." Lancer's eyes widened a fraction at her words. "I don't care about the past, all that matters to me is who you are right now. You are my servant. My partner. And tomorrow you are going to take this cursed spear and together we are going to fight for a new future."

The courtyard was eerily calm before the battle. Few in the compound slept and those that did were haunted with ghastly premonitions of the future. Hell was going to open up and the world was going to burn as a torrent of curses and demon spawn flooded across the Earth.

Rin sat on her bed in silent anticipation, unable to sleep as she awaited the return of her Archer. Once he arrived, the plan would be set into motion. She unconsciously trembled and pulled the blankets tighter around her small frame while unpleasant chills swept up and down her spine. Terror clawed persistently at her mind; she forced it down once more with a deep breath. Glancing out the window Rin noticed all the lights were off in Ashlin's cottage and she couldn't help but laugh a bit under her breath.

"Well, Ashlin doesn't seem too worried," she mumbled, marveling at how her older sister was able to sleep at a time like this. Rin felt a strong, almost childlike urge to go to Ashlin and curl up next to her in bed. She dismissed the thought quickly, electing to let Ashlin spend her last night with Lancer in peace. Dread and regret filled Rin as her thoughts strayed to the unlikely pair of lovers. Her sister had finally allowed another man close to her heart and he too was about to vanish. I'm so sorry, Ash.

Cú Chulainn felt strangely calm as he sat with his back against the headboard of the bed with Ashlin curled against his chest. He ran his fingers absentmindedly through her hair, pondering her words. If you could stay with me, would you? A silly question to be sure. Of course he would choose to stay but the fact that she asked him was intriguing. It felt like she was seeking permission. For what Lancer couldn't be sure but it was evident that his master was plotting something.

"What are you planning?"

"Something crazy."

"Crazy is good," Lancer mused while running his fingers down her bare back. Ashlin let out a sigh of contentment before moving up to let their eyes meet.

"I have no idea if my idea is going to work or not," she began seriously. "But I refuse to give up and let the Grail take you. I am going to fight beside you until I have nothing left to give."

"I know."

"Just stay close to me, alright?" Ashlin instructed, determination burning fiercely in her eyes. Lancer nodded.

"You really are one hell of a master," he declared with a large grin, watching as her cheeks turned a bit pink. Her eyes flitted to the window for a moment when Archer's presence entered the compound. "I guess our time is up," she heard Lancer state before he pulled her in for a searing kiss, his hands quickly roaming over her body. His touch felt urgent, like he was trying to commit every curve to memory. Lancer protested quite a bit when Ashlin broke the kiss.

"We can finish this after we kick Gilgamesh's shiny golden ass," she proclaimed, causing her servant to laugh as he held her tightly against his body. "So are you ready?"

"I'm ready," Cú Chulainn affirmed while releasing her from his grip. He watched as the blanket covering most of Ashlin's body slipped off when she stood, leaving her bare before him. Wordlessly she concealed her soft feminine curves under hard, calloused metal as Flame Empress Armor materialized around her. Following suit Lancer quickly requipped into black armor and together the pair made their way to the courtyard. He could feel Gae Bolg pulse with excitement as the thrill of battle surged through him. Ashlin and Lancer were the last to assemble outside the compound.

"So, everyone ready?" Ashlin asked with a smirk, confidence radiating off her in waves. It was contagious Rin decided as she felt some of her fear dissipate, a reassuring calm settling over the group at Ashlin's appearance. Rin could slightly make out the Fairy Tail crest peeking out from under her sister's armor. An identical emblem was present on Lancer's left shoulder, a result of the connection between master and servant.

"Alright then, let's go save the world!"