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

Purified by Fire, Dancing with Fairies

Chapter 10

Morning at the Emiya property was usually peaceful. Located in a quiet suburb, the Japanese-style mansion was surrounded by high walls that blocked out much of what loud noises could come from the streets and houses nearby, and the simple but lush grounds themselves and the very design of the building were very conducive to calm and ease. Even its sole resident, for all that she was a teenager of the new millennium, and lived alone in a house too big for a single person, somehow managed to maintain an air of homely comfort, and not one of lonely solitude.

Key word in the first sentence there: usually.

"AYAME-CHAN!" Taiga cried loudly and childishly while draped over the dining room table. "THEY CLOSED THE SCHOOL DOWN AND LAID US ALL OFF! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?"

"First of all," Ayame began with an air of exasperation (which hid her awkwardness at actually being the one or one of the ones responsible for the school being closed down in the first place). "What did you expect? Someone…uh, tore the school up, so they have to fix it up. And they can't do that with students and staff all over the place, since for one thing it's a distraction in one way or another to just about everybody, not to mention somewhat dangerous. As for being laid off…Fuji-nee, is it really a problem?"

"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Taiga roared, all of a sudden back to her usual self. "YOU THINK BEING LAID OFF IS SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST GO 'IT CAN'T BE HELPED'? WELL, IF YOU DO, YOU'RE DEAD WRONG, LITTLE LADY! JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE A JOB AND THEN YOU'RE SUDDENLY LAID OFF! LET'S SEE YOU BE SO RELAXED THEN!"

"Calm down." Ayame said with a vein throbbing on her forehead. Taking a bowl of cut fruit from inside the fridge, she brought it to the table so Taiga could munch on something and – hopefully – stop being so loud and hotheaded. "I didn't mean it that way. It's more of the fact that…well, you're not exactly poor, and while Raiga-san and uncle want you to have your own income, I doubt they'll let you starve. Especially when it's not really your fault if you lost your job or got laid off…"

Ayame sighed as Taiga tried to say something only to choke on a piece of fruit and promptly began flailing around and hitting herself. Muttering to herself, Ayame walked over, knelt down behind Taiga, wrapped her arms around the older woman, and gave a firm squeeze.

Taiga spat out the piece of fruit that had gotten stuck in her throat, and coughed ugly coughs as Ayame fetched her some water. "Anyway," Ayame said. "…where were we?"

"I GOT LAID OFF!"

"…WERE YOU EVEN LISTENING?"

"Stupid tigers and their bad habit of getting overexcited over small problems." Ayame muttered as she rode her bike towards the supermarket.

"Well," Saber pointed out. "It's probably just her way of coping with the strain of something so…unexpected, or unfortunate, happening without warning. Besides…can you tell me you wouldn't have expected this of your sister? Or that you'd prefer her to be different?"

"…okay, true enough, it's par the course for Fuji-nee." Ayame said with a mental sigh. "I'm still never going to get used to it though…ever, probably even. That said…while I wouldn't exchange Fuji-nee for anyone or anything else, I wouldn't mind it either if she…matured some more, or something."

Saber laughed at that. "Fair enough," he conceded. "People aren't perfect, one way or another."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You cherish your sister, and you wouldn't want to lose her." Saber said. "And yet there are things about her that you're not particularly fond of. What does that say, I wonder?"

This time it was Ayame's turn to laugh. "Okay, you got me there." Ayame said with a grin. "And it does sound like I'm not all that different from Fuji-nee, does it Saber?"

"Perhaps…"

Ayame laughed again. "Anyway," she thought. "To keep the tiger happy, let's be sure to feed her something good for lunch. I think I have the right idea too, I just need some meat, plenty of vegetables, and mushrooms…lots of mushrooms…"

"…will I be getting any of that?"

"Well, aren't you forward?" Ayame asked before sharing a laugh with her Servant. "I'll sneak some over for you, and add extra helpings of meat and vegetables to make up for not being able to join us for lunch properly."

"It's understandable." Saber admitted. "Though I wouldn't say no to those extra helpings you mentioned."

Ayame laughed and nodded. "Alright then," she said. "I'll even throw in an egg how does that sound?"

"It sounds delicious. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome."

Master and Servant rode the rest of the way in silence, but even as Ayame slowed to a halt and parked her bike outside the supermarket, her phone began to ring in her pocket. "Yes, Fuji-nee?" Ayame said as she answered.

"Ayame-chan, good news!" the older woman happily began. "Maybe I'm not laid off after all!"

"…okay…that's good news…" Ayame slowly said, and stepped out of the way of people passing by. "…so…any other the good news?"

"Oh yes, that's right!" Taiga said. "Ahem…as you know, until repairs to the school are done, all classes are cancelled. That said, the school administration doesn't want the students to fall behind in their studies, so the faculty will be meeting today at the…um…Murasaki Convention Center…to…prepare modules, which we – and the Student Council – will be delivering to individual students."

"Let me guess," Ayame said. "The module is meant to last the expected length of the school repairs, and will include activities that need to be done and submitted once we go back to school?"

"That's right!"

"…okay," Ayame said slowly. "So…no…you won't be having lunch with me?"

"Sadly, no." Taiga said, sounding genuinely regretful. "And probably not dinner…we're probably going to have to do an all-nighter to finish the modules soon…sorry, Ayame-chan. I just thought you should know."

"No, it's fine." Ayame said with a sigh. "Thanks for letting me know, though."

"Okay, take care."

"You too, onee-san."

The line cut, and replacing her phone into her pocket, Ayame took a deep breath. "I assume then, that something has come up?" Saber asked.

"Yes," Ayame said with a small nod. "Fuji-nee has things to work on, so she won't be having lunch and probably dinner with us today."

"I see." Saber said. "So, now what?"

"We'll come back to the grocery later this afternoon." Ayame said, already pulling her bike out of the rack. "We'll buy the ingredients for my planned lunch menu then, and have them for dinner instead. In the meantime…we have the rest of the day to ourselves. Find a deserted alley or corner, and materialize. Let's have lunch out instead, alright?"

"Very well, Ayame."

Ayame nodded as she felt Saber's spiritual presence ghost away, and moved to mount her bike. As she did so however, she felt someone tugging at her clothes. Turning her head, Ayame blinked at the sight of a little girl with platinum-blonde hair dressed in expensive-looking winter clothes smiling up at her. "Good morning, onee-chan." The little girl greeted Ayame.

"…good morning…" Ayame slowly returned with some confusion. "Can I help you, little girl?"

The little girl shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine." She said, much to Ayame's confusion. Before the older girl could reply though, the little girl gave an old-fashioned curtsy. "It's nice to meet you though, onee-chan. I am Illyasviel von Einzbern, though you can just call me Illya."

The name clicked, and with narrowed eyes Ayame leaned closer to examine the newly-introduced Illya. The little girl blinked and reared back a little, and then smiled back curiously. "What are you doing, onee-chan?" she asked.

Ayame raised an eyebrow at Illya's red irises, and taking note of the platinum hair, put two and two together. "Albino…homunculus…?" she asked, and Illya blinked and then nodded. Ayame sighed.

"And?" she asked. "What does your master want to tell me?"

"Master?" Illya echoed. "I don't have a master. I am the Master."

Ayame stared down at Illya. Illya stared back. Ayame sighed. Saber walked over. "Is there a problem?" he asked pleasantly.

"Onee-chan, is he your boyfriend?" Illya asked, and causing Ayame to quickly blush.

"No…No! He's not…he's…he's my Servant! Yes, Servant Saber…!" she spluttered out before running a hand over her face. "Anyway…can I help you, Miss Einzbern?"

"Einzbern?" Saber echoed.

"Yes, she's Einzbern's Master." Ayame said, and Illya curtsied to Saber who politely bowed back. "Don't let the appearance fool you either. That's just a side-effect of the coining process, that is, the process to make homunculi or artificial Humans. She might look like a little girl, but I'd bet she could easily overpower all but the most powerful magi without too much trouble."

"Do you really think so, onee-chan?" Illya asked happily.

"Well…it wouldn't make sense if Einzbern sent a handicapped Master." Ayame argued. "No offense, but I'd assume you're not that…capable, physically. It's just that, in situations like yours, usually physical weakness is balanced out by greater than normal magical power."

Illya giggled and clapped her hands happily. "Thanks, onee-chan!" she said. "I'm glad you think so highly of me! Though, just call me Illya, alright? I told you to do that already before, so please don't me repeat it again."

Ayame frowned, and then shrugged. "Okay…Illya…" she said, and Illya giggled and clapped her hands again. "Why don't we take this someplace else? I think…yes, we've talked too much already, about things that should be kept quiet, out here in the open."

Illya giggled. "Well, that's your fault, onee-chan." She teased as Ayame kept on frowning. "You should know better than to talk so freely in the open. But okay, let's go talk someplace else. If it makes you feel better, just lead the way."

Ayame glanced at Saber, who shrugged at her, and then she sighed. "Let's go then." Ayame said, and then left followed by Saber and Illya.

Ayame handed the ice cream cone to Illya, and then turned to face Saber. "Go keep an eye out." She said, and with a nod Saber went to do that, though he too held an ice cream cone in one hand. As he left, Ayame turned back to Illya, who was happily licking at her sweet. "Like it?"

Illya smiled and nodded. "Yes!" she said happily.

Ayame smiled with still some small amount of confusion, and then took a bite from her own ice cream. "Somehow," she said. "I don't really think you're here to fight, are you?"

"Not right now," Illya said with a shake of her head. "It's no good fighting right now, while the Sun is shining. And besides, I don't want to fight you so soon, that's no good."

"No good?" Ayame echoed.

Illya nodded with a sound indicative of yes. "You defeated Tohsaka and her Servant, and so quickly too." She said. "And you took her prisoner as well…congratulations, and well done, onee-chan."

"Uh…thanks…I think…"

Illya giggled. "There's no need to be so worried." She said. "I really mean it. Tohsaka is, or was supposed to be a genius, with first-class potential backed by…let's see…three, no, two hundred years of research or so. You though…onee-chan, you don't have a crest do you? And your background is…well…"

"It's nothing, I know." Ayame said with a knowing smile and a shrug. "Only had what my dad could teach me."

"Is that so…that's good…"

Ayame blinked and looked back at Illya, who surprisingly sported a veiled expression of sadness on her face. It quickly vanished though, as she took more bites of her ice cream. "Anyway," Illya said. "Since you beat Tohsaka so quickly, and despite her being – or at least supposed to be – a genius, it's no good if I attack and defeat you right away."

"…I still don't get it."

"You don't?" Illya echoed curiously. "Then let me explain it like this: you beat one founding family. So, before I beat you, I want to beat the other founding family left. That way, I can say I was already as good as you when I decide to fight you. And while the Matou heir's no genius, he's got five centuries or more of magical research behind him. That should make up for him being so ordinary."

Ayame silently stared down at Illya, and then briefly closing her eyes ate her ice cream in silence for a few minutes. Illya did likewise, and only once she'd finished her sweet did Ayame speak up. "I think I understand what you're trying to say." She said. "And if that's the case, then it's not like I have any right to stop you from doing what you want, even if I could."

"Do you think you can?" Illya asked suddenly. "Stop me, that is?"

Ayame shrugged and smiled. "Maybe," she said. "We'll never know until we try and find out…but not today."

Illya nodded in agreement. "Yes," she said. "Not today."

"But," Ayame said with a serious tone. "Be careful. If you go up against Matou…well, Shinji Matou could be good, but the really dangerous one is his grandfather, Zouken Matou…"

"Wrong," Illya suddenly interrupted. "That's not his name."

"W-w-what?"

"Zouken Matou is a corruption of his real name, deliberately so just so that disgusting little worm could hide from all the enemies he made centuries ago." Illya said with cold hate. "His real name is Makiri Zolgen, a good for nothing magus from Russia who my family made the mistake of allying with to create the Holy Grail. In the end, it cost us something we could never get back, and gave us nothing but a one in seven chance of getting what we wanted."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Ayame said, holding her hands up. "Are you sure you're talking about the same person here?"

"Yes." Illya said with a nod. "Makiri Zolgen is still alive. He's been alive for over five hundred years…do you how his magic works?"

"Yes." Ayame said with evident disgust. "He uses…worms, of some kind, as familiars, no more than that…he's…one with them, somehow, and when he infests his relatives or…followers or whatever, he turns them into his puppets."

"That's more than most magi know about him." Illya said with a nod. "How'd you know?"

"Dad told me." Ayame said before smiling. "A very…good friend, or lover even, of his told him all about it apparently, if that journal back home is any indication."

"Lover?" Illya echoed.

"Yes…come to think of it…I think she's related to you. Irisviel von Einzbern…huh…that makes sense…she'd know like you and the rest of your family know all about Matou, given you along with Tohsaka are founding families…"

Illya ignored most of that, her eyes downcast and hidden behind her bangs, but at the mention of Tohsaka she gave a snort. "Tohsaka?" she echoed. "Another mistaken ally…they're just a bunch of upstarts who only got lucky…"

"There's nothing wrong with being lucky." Ayame interrupted, her eyes unhappy. "I'd be dead if I wasn't."

Illya opened her mouth and then just as quickly closed it, briefly looking away. "Sorry," she said, and Ayame nodded. "Anyway, going back to Makiri…yes, that's him. It's always been him. The one you and the rest of the world know as Zouken Matou, that's Makiri Zolgen."

"But…how…?"

"Ever heard of vampires?"

Ayame reeled back but Illya waved it off. "He's…technically, a vampire, but not quite." She said. "I'm not really sure myself how it goes but…even though he needs to eat people – literally – every so often to stay alive, he's not considered a vampire by either the Association or the Church. It's probably connected to why his soul is still rotting away from living so unnaturally long, when if he was a real vampire, the rot wouldn't be happening."

Illya paused and sighed. "It'd save us all a lot of trouble if he really was a vampire, though." She said with a small smile. "If he was, then he and his disgusting little family would have been wiped out long ago."

Ayame nodded slowly in agreement. "While I don't agree that his family should share his fate," she said. "Seeing as they're as much his victims as the other people he's turned into puppets or have eaten are, yeah, I agree. That…monster should burn. Should have, a long time ago."

Illya nodded, and then Ayame tilted her head. "Are you sure you're up for it though?" she asked. "Shinji Matou probably won't be too much trouble for you, but behind him is that monster. While…he could count as an arch-magus considering how old and powerful he is…"

"You won't grace him with the title?" Illya asked.

"No." Ayame said before briefly closing her eyes. "I'll be the first to admit I'm not very fond of magi, their culture and society, and would and have gladly admitted that I'm a spell-caster and not a 'proper' magus…but, magi are still Human. They can choose to be good people too. I can respect them, more or less based on that. And dad loved a magus, that Irisviel von Einzbern. And I'm sure she was a good person, otherwise dad wouldn't have loved her. That's why…I won't allow an utter monster to claim the title of 'arch-magus'. He…it, doesn't deserve the title."

"I think we'll get along just fine." Illya said with an approving smile and a light in her eyes. "But…whether you accept his claim on the title or not…he, no, it will still claim the title, and other magi who don't know better would consider it as an arch-magus. Though…"

Illya paused and laughed. "It's a shadow of what it once was." She mocked.

"What?"

"It's soul has rotten through and through," Illya said. "Having lived for so long, too long…and because of that…"

"It's forgotten a lot of things." Ayame said with growing comprehension. "Memories are stored in the soul…and as its soul rots…"

Illya nodded. "Exactly," she said. "It's forgotten so much, of what it once was, of who it once was, and what it once knew…it's a shadow of what it once was. Still powerful…but not as powerful as it could be or once was…and I will be the one to bring an end to its misery, and fix the mistake from nearly two hundred years ago."

"Be careful," Ayame cautioned. "It might not be as strong as it once was, and its heir probably isn't worth much against you, but you never know what might happen on the battlefield. And they have a Servant."

"So do I," Illya said with a smile. "And he's the strongest."

Ayame smiled competitively. "We'll see about that." She said, and after a moment Illya's smile turned equally competitive.

"Oh, we'll definitely get along just fine." She said.

"Maybe," Ayame said with a tilt of her head. "But, if you'd take my, or rather my dad's advice, there's no shame in running. Run today, then live to fight and win tomorrow."

Illya giggled. "That's improper talk for a magus," she said. "But you're not a 'proper' magus, so I'll let it go. And it's not bad advice. Winning and living is better than losing and dying."

"It is, isn't it?" Ayame asked, and the two girls shared a laugh. Afterwards though, Illya hopped off the bench she was sitting on, and stretched her limbs.

"Anyway," she said. "I have to get going now. The next time we meet…it'll probably be as enemies. I…we have to fight, but…I wish we didn't."

Ayame's face turned sad. "I wish we didn't have to either." She said, and Illya tilted her head before smiling weakly.

"Well, we'll see." She said before childishly walking away, and sharing a nod with Saber as he walked past, to rejoin his Master. But almost out of earshot, Illya turned back to Ayame. "Oh, and one more thing. I might look like this, and I call you 'onee-chan', but I'm actually older than you by one year."

"Is that right?" Ayame asked back.

Illya nodded. "Also," she said. "Irisviel von Einzbern…wasn't just my relative. She was my mother."

Ayame's went wide, and her mouth dropped slightly open. Illya smiled sadly. "And my father," she said. "My father is the same as yours…Kiritsugu Emiya…it was nice to finally meet you, little sister."

Smiling wider, Illya waved goodbye and then pranced off. Saber glanced at his stunned Master, and after a few moments placed a hand on her arm. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"A sister…I have a sister…" Ayame muttered. "…that's…I don't…why didn't dad…what…?"

_"Are you alright?"

"No," Ayame said as she and Saber returned to the house. In the end, they'd just bought takeout and come straight home. "A sister…an elder sister…I didn't know…no, that's not the problem…how could I have known when dad didn't tell me…why didn't he tell me…"

"…maybe there was a reason he didn't tell you?"

"What good reason could there possibly be that he wouldn't…tell me…"

Ayame trailed off, as one reason occurred to her. "Ayame?" Saber asked, but Ayame ignored him, instead looking down into her hands. Pressing a thumbnail against a finger, hard enough to eventually draw blood, Ayame narrowed her eyes as she watched the drops of blood trickle out and then drop onto the floor.

"Maybe he had good reason after all…" she whispered.

"Ayame?" Saber asked again.

"Magi clan politics can be nasty business." Ayame said, briefly closing her eyes as Saber narrowed his own in understanding.

"Yes," he admitted. "Perhaps that just might be the case."

Ayame nodded slowly, and then turned to Saber. "Come with me, please." She said. "Let's go check on Tohsaka."

"Is she awake?"

"No…but just in case…"

"Prudent…"

Making their way through the mansion, Ayame and Saber arrived outside of the guestroom where Rin was lying in. Saber cautiously opened the door, and stepping inside first then stepped aside but remained wary as Ayame stepped in as well.

The white-haired girl knelt down beside the slumbering Rin…and then began poking her. On the cheek, then the arms, and then the torso. "Okay, she's still asleep." She said to Saber who nodded at her. And then he sniffed at the air, and made a face.

"Do you smell that?" he asked.

Ayame tilted her head curiously, and then sniffing at the air adopted a horrified expression. "Oh no…" she said, pulling back the sheets covering Rin. "No…no…gods damn it!"

"…yes…yes…that's one large pepperoni pizza, and one garlic and cheese…yes, six pieces' chicken and chips…no…uh…Pepsi Light then. Okay…exact amount…that's fine…thank you."

It had taken the whole afternoon to get the futon and sheets clean, to say nothing of scrubbing the floor and airing out the room…and cleaning Rin herself. At the end of it all, Ayame was seething and was beginning to wonder if she should just toss Rin out on the street, or dump her on the overseer's doorstep, and let that fake priest handle her.

In the end though, she did neither. For one thing, there was Saber and his gentle chiding that she could be a better woman, and of course, there were the warnings about Kirei Kotomine given by Kiritsugu Emiya. Both managed to keep Ayame from simply booting Rin out of her house…

…but it also meant she was in no mood to cook dinner either, and similar to lunch, just ordered a delivery instead.

Putting the phone down, Ayame returned to the dining room/living room, where Saber was again sitting at the table and watching a DVD on her TV. It was the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Fellowship of the Ring.

"…the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master ring," Galadriel narrated as Sauron stood wreathed in fire on the screen, forging gold and raw spiritual power into the Great Ring. "To control all others, and into this ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life: One Ring to Rule Them All."

"Calmed down yet?" Saber asked.

"Somewhat," Ayame said as she sat down next to him, only to yelp and jolt as Saber poked her on a cheek.

"Don't get too angry at Tohsaka." He said. "She was unconscious, and so couldn't stop her body from…well, doing the natural thing."

"Still disgusting…and very humiliating though…"

"True," Saber agreed with a shrug. "But…as her jailer, it comes with keeping her in your house."

"…I don't like it."

Saber poked her on a cheek again. "Stop that." Ayame snapped, and he smiled at her.

"Come on," he prompted her. "Say it."

"Fine," Ayame said with a roll of her eyes. "It's not really her fault…but it was still disgusting and humiliating."

"Well…that much is true as well."

"…who resisted." Galadriel continued to narrate as armies marched on the screen. "A Last Alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor. And on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle Earth."

Saber raised an eyebrow as he watched the battle progress. "Might not be my place to say so," he began. "But…those Elves should have put spearmen, not swordsmen, on the front line, to break up the enemy charge and buy more time for the archers to whittle them down."

"…remind me to show you Braveheart eventually."

"Why?"

"Because I'm sure you'll have some interesting comments on tactics when we see the film."

"I…see…"

"…but the power of the ring…could not be undone…"

A/N

Ayame might not like magi society in general and what it drives plenty of magi to become…but she can respect them on an individual basis.