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

Purified by Fire, Dancing with Fairies

Chapter 16

Rider leapt across the skyline of Fuyuki City, away from the battlefield and back towards the suburbs and his Master's home. Hopefully, there his Master would get the help he needed to recover from his injuries.

As they left the city proper and entered the suburbs, Rider failed to notice two pairs of eyes watching. The people those eyes belonged to also swept down the streets, under cover of darkness, to where they could intercept Rider and his Master en route.

Rider didn't know any of that, continuing to leap from roof to roof…until a glowing beam of energy lanced up in his direction.

Warned by instinct, Rider twisted out of the way, eyes widening as he spotted Saber's Master a good distance away, finger pointed in his direction. "Ambush!" he thought in alarm.

More beams shot up, Rider dodging them all, and forcing him to land in a small park. He'd barely set foot on the ground when he sensed a threat from behind, and turning his head gasped as he spotted Saber charging in, sword raised over his head in a two-handed grip.

Rider leapt away, avoiding a direct hit, but a powerful blast of wind erupted from Saber's sword as he brought it down, blasting Rider further back than he expected…and separating him from his Master. Blown off his Servant's shoulder, the unconscious and bloody boy tumbled over the ground, ruined intestines hanging out of his torn belly.

"Cowards!" Rider roared as he summoned Harpe into his hands, quickly falling into the defensive as Saber fell on him. Hammer-like blows fell like rain, from the front, the flanks, and from above, all seemingly at random, but it soon became clear that it was anything but random.

Oh, there was no pattern to Saber's swordsmanship, but there was finesse to it, a thread of order linking the chaotic blows to each other. Every blow and swing smoothly flowed from the previous one and to the next, no effort wasted as it was focused on breaking Rider's guard and cutting him down.

In hindsight, trying to engage Saber in hand to hand was a mistake: it was clear that Saber deserved the title of 'Knight of the Sword' without question. It would have been better to don the winged sandals and open the distance, and then either attempt to summon another Pegasus or use Medusa's head to petrify Saber much as Berserker had been.

Not that either had been effective at taking down that monster, but still…

However, there was simply no time do so now. Rider had many Noble Phantasms, but he could only use one at any given time. To summon either a Pegasus or to bring out Medusa's head would require that he relinquish Harpe and use Kibisis in its place, but to do so would only give Saber an opportunity.

"I will not fall to Saber like Archer did!" Rider angrily swore in his head as he parried Saber's blows. "I won't!"

The situation wasn't all bad. Harpe's length gave Rider a small advantage in defense, in particular when it came to keeping Saber at a (relatively) safe distance. And it wasn't as though Rider had no experience in weathering poor odds and coming out on top in the past.

No, all he needed to do was hold out, wait until an opportunity presented itself, and reopen the distance between himself and Saber. If he could do that, then he would be able to turn the odds around and win.

Yes, that's all he would have to do.

And then Rider saw Ayame Emiya arrive on the battlefield, spirits flying bright around her, and approach his fallen Master.

Master!

"Wow," Ayame said with a whistle. "Einzbern put you through hell, huh? How on Earth did you manage to come out alive? Though...are you even still alive?"

There was no spoken answer, but the faint, ragged breathing of the exhausted boy was answer enough. Ayame scratched a cheek, shrugged, and held up a hand. Contorting it into a claw, she projected a jet of flame from her palm, like an oven's pilot light.

"To be honest," Ayame confessed. "It's not that I hate you. Okay, I dislike how you treated my fellow girls at school, but I'm not going to kill you for that. I'm going to kill you because you like the rest of your family are a bunch of monsters that need to be put down. Being magi though…it's probably not really your fault. You didn't know better, being born into a family of monsters who raised you to be like them…"

Ayame trailed off and sighed, pinching her nose with her free hand. "Come on, girl." She told herself. "Stop making excuses for being about to commit murder. Walk with death and all that, plus you know, vampire's puppet and all that as well. He might as well be Zouken Matou himself."

Eyes closed shut for a moment, and then reopened filled with resolve. Ayame pointed her hand with its pilot light at Shinji, and was about to unleash an immolating jet of flame…

…when the ground chose that moment to erupt with worms, and for great swarms of locust-like insects to come pouring out of the shadows at her. Ayame gasped in surprise, shock, and horror…

…but then there was a sudden flash of light, as the little monsters came in contact with the shield projected by the fairies orbiting Ayame. Those that came in contact with the shield died in an instant, reduced to ash, while those touched by the light also died, falling to the ground still save for the occasional wing or leg. The worms were no different, those touching the shield reduced to ash, while…something, projected down into the ground, killing the worms beneath down to a certain point.

Ayame didn't notice any of that, however. Apart from lingering shock at the ambush, and the feeling of relief at its spoiling, there was also something more, something that had her staggering and nearly falling.

She didn't know what it was, only that it filled every ounce of her being, something…primal, raw, natural even, a complete and utter feeling of revulsion and hatred at what it focused on. And more than that, it was inhuman, and worst of all it felt absolutely right.

And it terrified Ayame, that she felt in her very bones that she should not feel wrong that she felt such an inhuman degree of emotion, and for the first time since she learned of her power to summon and to an extent, control fairies, feared its deeper meaning.

What am I? There's no way a Human should be able to summon or control fairies, can they?

Am I…am I even Human?

Or maybe…maybe I…maybe I'm a monster…like the Matou…

Those thoughts were quickly swept aside though, at the sound of wings. Ayame turned, and saw Shinji enveloped by what looked like a great swarm of insects. Raising a hand, Ayame fired a blast of fire, hoping to immolate them and Shinji all at once, but another swarm of insects intercepted her attack.

Flaming husks scattered outward from the impact, but they succeeded in their purpose. The swarm surrounding Shinji lifted him into the air and then away, moving with surprising speed, enough to dodge the vengeful blasts of fire that Ayame threw after them.

Undeterred, Ayame switched to her laser, sacrificing power for speed, but the insects still avoided her. Growling in frustration, Ayame fired again, and again, and again, but to no avail.

"That's enough of that." A gravelly voice said firmly, and eyes widening in surprise Ayame turned in its direction. After mere moments, an old man with a cane and wearing a kimono stepped out of the shadows. Opaque and inhuman eyes narrowed at Ayame ever so slightly, and then Zouken continued. "I will not allow you to kill my last living descendant, and with him my…"

Zouken's words were cut off when Ayame pointed her finger at him and fired. The laser struck Zouken in the face, literally blowing his head apart like a ripe melon struck by a mallet. For a moment afterward, Zouken's headless body staggered and tottered, as though it would fall, and then it steadied, and to Ayame's horror worms flowed up from the ragged stump that was Zouken's neck, merging together to remake his head.

Laughter echoed in the night. "Child, I've lived far longer than you could ever possibly know." Zouken gloated. "I've forgotten more about magecraft than you could possibly learn. In fact, I think I shall teach you something important, and which your father seems to have failed to teach you: manners."

Worms erupted from the ground, just as shadows seemed to vomit entire swarms of insects. "I don't know how that shield of yours works," Zouken admitted with a smirk. "But I'll figure it out soon enough…but in the meantime, let's see how long you can keep it up with what prana you have."

The worms and insects surged forward, but Ayame clapped her hands and swept them out, to her sides. Flames exploded all around her, setting the entire park ablaze, from the grass on the ground to the tops of the trees, and turning worms and insects alike into burning husks.

The flames roared hungrily, Ayame gritting her teeth at the memories such large-scale application of the fire element brought with it.

Pain…so much pain…pain like she'd never known before…death…so much death…

It was a bitter irony that a survivor of the Great Fire from ten years ago would have an affinity for fire, and one she did not enjoy. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't use that affinity.

I can't die here, not like this, to an inhuman monster.

Even I have to use what killed so many people in the past, the same thing that took my past from me…

…I owe the others who survived the fire ten years ago…and those who didn't survive…

…I owe them to live…to keep the Grail from falling into the hands of monsters like the Matou…

…and to keep what happened ten years from ever being repeated.

Abruptly the flames began to gutter out, leaving charred trees to smolder and smoke, and the hot ground steaming. "Well," Zouken admitted, not even looking singed. "It was flashy, and effective to an extent, but all in all very average. Surely you can do better."

The taunt struck a nerve, and Ayame spat at the smoking ground. "Oh I can alright." She snapped. "Let's see if you can take the heat, monster."

Zouken smirked tauntingly, as though saying 'come, resist some more, let me show you just how futile it is in the end', but then magic circuits all over Ayame's body began to glow. "Low Flame." She cast, draining a large chunk of her prana reserves all at once, more or less a fifth of it in fact.

The ground before her all the way to the street on the far side of the park hissed and cracked, steam erupting in hot jets before petering out, the ground turning hard as it completely dried out, the air above rippling with heat. A charred bench nearby crumbled into ash, as did the charred remains of trees and bushes. Metal sagged and along with concrete began to melt, and Zouken…

…he didn't even get the chance to look surprised, as he just…melted. His clothes crumbled to ash, while his entire body melted into bubbling ooze in seconds before it steamed away, leaving behind only a discolored stain on the hard ground. Ayame gasped, releasing both the spell and a breath she didn't even realize she was holding, staggering back several steps onto cooler ground and into cooler air.

"I…I won…" she whispered in mixed relief, triumph, and disbelief. The former two were short-lived though, as a disembodied voice spoke up.

"Yes," Zouken began. "You've won…this battle, that is. Don't think this is over just yet, Emiya bitch. Rider, Shinji is safe. Retreat, now!"

Ayame gasped in shock, looking around her to find nothing, but moments later and Saber arrived. "My apologies," he said. "Rider escaped."

Ayame didn't look happy but in the end settled for just nodding in acknowledgement. "So did Shinji and Zouken." He said. "I can't blame you."

"Zouken? The Matou arch-magus?" Saber asked in surprise. "He was here?"

Ayame nodded and sighed. "And from the sound of things, I've really pissed him off." She said before sighing again. "Well, bitching about it isn't going to change anything. I'm tired for tonight. Let's go home, Saber."

"Yes, Ayame."

"Rider and the Matou have caused a lot of trouble." Kirei said the following morning as he watched the morning news over breakfast with Rin. And on the news was the incident from the previous night, about a terrorist attack involving explosions and mass killings at a private park in a high-end district of the city.

"Doesn't Einzbern have some share in the blame?" Rin asked, struggling to eat with just one hand. "They were Matou's opponent, and from you've told me, your sources indicate it was Einzbern and their Berserker which attacked first."

Kirei smirked. "I decide who is at fault." He said before tilting his head. "Does it bother you?"

"Yes and no."

"Oh?"

"Yes…on principle, since you are the Overseer and it's expected that you be impartial and objective in pursuit of your duties."

"I see."

"But also no, because I could care less about the Matou. I wasn't joking when I said I'd give Emiya anything she wanted from me if she could wipe out that accursed family."

"She had a point though," Kirei said. "You should not say such words lightly, as unscrupulous individuals would not hesitate to take advantage of them."

Rin was silent for several moments, and then nodded slowly. "Point, I suppose." She said, before clenching her fist. "But…while I'll admit I allowed my emotions to carry me away last night…what they did to my sister…how they played me, my father, and my whole family for nearly six generations…I will never forgive them. If Emiya fails…yes, I'll place a price on their heads so big they'll never be able to live in anywhere civilized for the risk of getting discovered and hunted down."

"Can you even do that?" Kirei challenged.

"My annual income from the Tohsaka patents at the Clock Tower amounts to tens of millions of Yen." Rin replied. "It'll set my research back by years or even decades, but that's not what's important. Justice is. Justice for my sister, who was raped and tortured to death by…by…by worms…and for my father, and the rest of my family, who've been played for fools by the Matou for nearly two centuries."

"Technically not an incorrect choice…from a moralist perspective, that is." Kirei agreed. "Justice trumps everything else, after all. But, as a magus…wouldn't setting your research back to such an extent, in pursuit of justice that arguably would not benefit your family, something that would be considered…disgraceful?"

"It's exactly that kind of thinking that led to this situation!" Rin spat. She was silent for several moments, reigning in her temper. "That kind of thinking…that magus obligations and expectations trump family values and general decency is what led to Sakura's horrific fate. Maybe…just maybe even, what turned Matou into the monsters they are today, and that they once were a noble and decent family. Nothing starts out as evil, after all."

Kirei tilted his head in respectful acknowledgement, and Rin sat back in her seat. "Once I'm old enough to truly be family head, not that it's worth much seeing as I have no family left anyway," she said. "Things will be changing. If I ever have two children, neither of them would be pimped out, not without ironclad guarantees of good treatment."

"Your father and other magi would disagree on describing the common practice of marrying off or sending spares away for adoption as being pimped out."

"I'll admit it's crude…but it's not inaccurate." Rin said, briefly closing her eyes.

Kirei chuckled. "No," he admitted. "I suppose it isn't. Though, I wonder if any magus family would accept such…demands, on your part."

"If that's the case, then I'll just have to divide the crest between my children, won't I?" Rin replied. "That's how branch families are made after all, and damn my father for not considering the option."

"He did, actually." Kirei said. "But, while dividing the crest and creating a branch family sounds good on paper in practice it's quite risky. It risks the crest's destabilization you see, perhaps even its destruction, thus sabotaging generations of work and research."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Rin snapped. "Better than what happened to Sakura be repeated again. If it ever did…then my sister…she'd look away in shame from the other side. I…I wouldn't be able to bear the thought…"

Kirei chuckled. "I suppose so." He said, privately enjoying the touch of anguish Rin displayed in that moment. "On another note, given the direction this discussion has taken, I assume then that you would take up the Tohsaka Crest once more?"

Rin didn't answer at once, instead looking down at and flexing her left arm. Finally, she nodded. "Yes," she said. "Yes, I will. I can't turn my back on magecraft, as tempting as it is. I owe Sakura…but I also owe my father, and the rest of our ancestors."

"Even though they share some degree of guilt to one extent or another in your sister's fate?"

"They didn't know better." Rin said, but then she raised her hand. "I know what you're going to say. Ignorance isn't an excuse to escape responsibility with…and you're right. It isn't. But it does reduce the degree of guilt to some extent. I need to find a compromise. And I have."

"Oh?"

"I won't turn my back on magecraft." Rin said. "I owe that much to my father and my ancestors. But I won't let what happened to Sakura happen to any of our family ever again. I owe that to her."

Kirei nodded slowly. "It is an acceptable compromise, I suppose." He said. "However, implanting your crest will have to wait until after you receive your puppet arm, and no further complications are left from previous…injuries."

"I understand." Rin said with a nod, and Kirei nodded back.

"I'm glad you do." He said. "In any case, and going back to our original topic, I must go out today and perform some…damage control. I will have to ask that you remain here where it is safe, and to rest. If you wish you may take a walk within the atrium, but please remain inside and refrain from using magic."

"Yes, yes," Rin said with a wave of a hand. "I'll do all that. Don't worry about it."

"As your guardian and as the Overseer, I must."

Rin snorted. "I'm sure you do." She said.

"And I do."

"We need to adjust our plans."

"On what grounds?"

"We originally assumed that if we engaged Rider and Matou on the battlefield, we'd only be facing the younger one." Caster replied. "Considering the confrontation that happened during the previous night between Matou and Emiya, it seems that the clan patriarch will not necessarily confine himself within the supposed safety of his domain."

"Is he that much of a threat?" Kuzuki asked.

"To me, no, not really." Caster said. "To you Master, it is a matter of concern."

"I suppose it is." Kuzuki conceded. "Very well, adjust your preparations accordingly, and simply inform me when we are to begin operations."

"As you command, Master."

Kuzuki nodded. "Speaking of Emiya however," he began. "What do you think of her abilities?"

Caster's face twisted in disgust. "As much as I hate to agree with that…thing, that masquerades as a Human being, that is the patriarch of the Matou Clan," she said. "He does have a point. Her elemental magecraft is crude and inefficient. Too much power and too little control for the assumed amount of prana spent. That said, that beam she fires from her finger isn't too bad I suppose…for an amateur."

Kuzuki stayed silent with no indication of how he felt as Caster smiled with indulgent amusement. "Also," she continued. "Those spirits of hers…I am not quite certain as to what they specifically are, but from what I can see…they are nature spirits of some sort. Powerful ones at that…I find myself wondering where and how she learned to be able to bind them to her will."

"You can find that out later." Kuzuki said. "What of her potential threat on the battlefield?"

"My apologies," Caster said with a small bow. "With some precautions on our part, she should be no match for you on the battlefield. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for her Servant."

"Saber?"

"Saber is overall the strongest of the Servant classes." Caster said. "Also, while I am as of yet uncertain as to who he actually is, or for that matter what his Noble Phantasms are, I have however deduced that sword of…wind, he uses in battle isn't actually a sword."

"What do you mean?"

"I means that the wind is actually just a sheath for a sword hidden beneath the wind, which is actually folded by an incredibly complex mystery around the sword." Caster said with a note of impressed respect in her voice. "Whoever the magus was that did so for Saber was most skilled."

"I see." Kuzuki said before narrowing his eyes. "Can you disrupt the mystery?"

"I can begin seeing if I can." Caster said. "It will take time, however."

"No matter," Kuzuki said. "Our focus at present is Rider and Matou. Nevertheless, prepare to disrupt the wind spell which conceals Saber's sword. I have no doubt that said sword is his true Noble Phantasm, and if we can reveal that…"

"Then we'll know who he is." Caster concluded, and Kuzuki nodded.

"Precisely." He said. "On a note of curiosity, though…"

Caster smiled slightly at her Master's words. For all that he claimed to be curious, there was no indication as to such in his words or on his face, or for that matter, through their link with each other. And yet…

…she knew it was true. She just did.

Master Souichirou…I wish…I only ever wish…to be with you…for so long as possible…

"…if Saber's sword is sheathed beneath the wind, how does it cut?" Kuzuki was asking. "Does the wind cut for the sword, or does the sword's edge bite through the wind?"

"Unfortunately, I do not know…yet." Caster said honestly. "Either works as a hypothesis, however. Though, it could also be something else entirely. I will attempt to find out while attempting to find a way to expose the sword beneath, if you remain curious, my Master?"

"So long as it does not distract from what needs to be done," Kuzuki replied. "Do as you wish, Caster."

Caster smiled wider, and bowed. "As you wish," she said. "My Master."

Shinji woke screaming, a tearing and ugly sound that echoed in the dank darkness of the worm-filled basement that passed for Zouken's workshop. Feeling the squirming of worms over and in him, Shinji bit back his instinctive revulsion, something he did with ease due to being so used to the sensation.

Tugging his arms free of the restraints binding him to the floor – little more than rubber-like, hardened masses of the worms' secretions – Shinji forced himself up to a sitting position only to collapse almost immediately to one side, as his head swam and his body seemed to lurch on the inside. Reinforcing his eyes only to bite back a scream as the reinforcement partly-failed and caused his left eye to burst instead, Shinji reeled for several moments before gasping as he saw how his belly was a writhing mass of worms, crawling all over his innards and in and out of a mysteriously-uninfected hole in his torso.

"Calm yourself," Zouken said as he appeared out of the shadows. "Einzbern did a number on you, as did Emiya's attempt to finish the job."

"Einzbern…" Shinji echoed, the name dripping with hate, but then the rest of what his grandfather said sank in. "Wait…Emiya? Emiya tried to…?"

"Yes, they ambushed you on the way here." Zouken said, hobbling over. "They might have succeeded too, had I not interfered."

Shinji snarled angrily, and then a thought occurred to him and caused him to smirk. He looked around, expecting to find a body, specifically that of Emiya in the basement with him, simultaneously being raped and eaten by the worms.

"Looking for Emiya?" Zouken asked. "You won't find her here. I underestimated her and she managed to fend me off."

"She what?"

"She fended me off." Zouken remarked with amusement. "Interesting girl…then again, hunting rabbits is rather boring. Foxes or other prey which fight back are more satisfying to hunt, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well…I guess…"

Zouken scoffed at Shinji's half-hearted agreement. "In any case," he said. "Just let the worms patch you up for now. They should be done before the morning ends. And while it is tempting to teach Emiya her proper place tonight…there's no need to rush. Take your time, replenish your prana, and prepare."

"I assume Rider is out replenishing his prana?" Shinji asked.

Zouken shrugged. "Perhaps," he said. "I do not know where and how your Servant has gone to amuse himself. That said, once you've fully recovered, go and teach Emiya her place."

"What of Einzbern?" Shinji asked. "That murderous little doll they've sent as a Master seems to have something against me."

"True," Zouken admitted. "That said, we cannot afford to lose the initiative to the enemy. Or risk being forced into the defensive either, as by then we'll be trapped into a corner."

"Let them come." Shinji retorted. "On our territory we are…"

Zouken clenched his fist, and Shinji doubled-over, gasping as his chest suddenly tightened. "Don't be stupid," Zouken chided him. "Saber has the strongest magic resistance among all the Servant classes. If he attacks us here, we can do nothing but count on Rider and hope for the best. And even then, it's likely Rider's Noble Phantasm would level our whole property in the process. That is absolutely unacceptable. Do you understand me?"

Shinji nodded frantically. "As for Berserker," Zouken continued. "His true identity has been revealed, according to Rider. He is Hercules, the greatest hero of Greece."

"Hercules?" Shinji echoed as the blood drained from his face.

"Yes…and his magic resistance is on par with Saber, if not more so thanks to his Noble Phantasm, God Hand." Zouken said. "If we fight him on our territory, it'll be the same as I said earlier with regard to Saber."

"I…I understand…"

Zouken nodded with approval. "Good," he said. "Then you understand that if you fight, you must do so away from where our…assets, may become collateral during the battle, do you not?"

"Yes."

Zouken nodded again, but then his eyes narrowed as something seemed to occur to him. "You should speak to Rider once you've recovered." He said. "I can't quite remember it, but what he told me about Berserker's Noble Phantasm…there was something…alarming, about it. Consult with him, and take it into account for the future, understand?"

Shinji nodded, and without another word Zouken vanished into the shadows. Alone now, or so it seemed as technically the crest worms were Zouken, Shinji lay back on the hard stone floor. His lone functioning eye narrowed as he thought of those which had him in his current predicament.

"Einzbern…Emiya…" Shinji thought with hate coloring his mind, his enemies' faces flashing through his head even as a worm wriggled into his ruined left eye and another tried to enter his mouth. He left the one working to fix his eye alone…the one which entered his mouth though…

Shinji bit down, ignoring the squeal and chewed at the worm's carcass while brooding at his growing hate for the two white-haired females who dared try and lay him low.

I won't let you get away with what you've done, you worthless bitches.

A/N

Somewhere out there I'm sure, Kiritsugu and Shirou are fainting at the fact that Kirei and Rin are actually discussing justice of all things.

Gasp: Ayame defeated Zouken. No, she didn't. She killed his body, but that damn vampire isn't that easy to kill. And she only succeeded in that much because she caught him by surprise. Hence Zouken's reaction to the destruction of his body – which as you can see in the last POV has already been replaced (my condolences to the poor man or woman who got et so Zouken could get a new body) – being mere amusement and to tell Shinji to put Ayame in her place.