Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.
Purified by Fire, Dancing with Fairies
Chapter 18
Even as Rider and Saber fought their way up to the sky along a nearby skyscraper's face, another battle was being fought on the ground below. Kept from the eyes and ears of mundane Humans by shimmering fields of magic, Ayame and the first and last of the Matou Clan pitted their mastery over the mysteries of the World against each other.
Orange and red glowed in the night as Ayame shot jet after jet of prana-fueled flame at the Matou, slowly moving step by step to her left as she did so. Zouken stood in place, only turning to keep facing Ayame even as he effortlessly batted her blasts aside, tongues of fire winking out as the ancient vampire absorbed their energies. Behind him, Shinji stood silent and watchful, waiting for the chance to join the battle.
Gritting her teeth in frustration, Ayame pooled the flames between her hands, compressing them and upping the heat and pressure to the limit. And then releasing, she shot a jet of glowing blue flame at Zouken.
Zouken's smile grew wider as he crossed his arms before him, and as Ayame's spell struck, uncrossed them, violently dispersing the flames while simultaneously absorbing their heat and force. And as the blinding flare of the flames died down, Shinji joined the battle, sliding out from behind Zouken and blowing a cluster of frozen shards at Ayame.
Ayame dodged narrowly, the speed of the frozen projectiles fast even for reinforced reflexes to counter. They flew past, cutting deep gashes into a tree behind her, and behind even that bit deep into a concrete wall.
Shinji continued to press the attack, the ground freezing around and beneath his feet at the speed of thought, frozen blades beneath his shoes allowing him to slide forward and around the battlefield as fast as the ground was frozen. Again and again he blew clusters of frozen shards made from the moisture in the atmosphere, keeping Ayame on the back foot as he wove around the battlefield, attacking from a different direction every time.
As for Zouken, he took a few steps back, smiling with indulgent amusement as he allowed his grandson to fight as he pleased. Shinji had proven to be more useful than originally expected, far more so indeed, that Zouken was willing to allow him to deal with this impudent little girl of a magus at his leisure.
Meanwhile Shinji was closing in on Ayame, changing his approach as Ayame heated up the air around her, flash-boiling his ice away before it could strike her. Standing her ground, Ayame shot blast after blast of flame at Shinji, who like Zouken simply absorbed the heat and energy of her blasts on impact…up to a point.
Where Zouken was completely unaffected, Shinji's clothes and hair were singed by the blasts, and enough of the force of impact was left unabsorbed to push him off course. Zouken frowned at the sight, only to smile with satisfaction as he realized what his grandson was going to do.
A swiping gesture with a hand send a molecule-thin blade of frozen moisture cutting all the way through a fire hydrant, water jetting explosively into the air afterward. Laughing in triumph, Shinji lashed out with a foot as he sped past, a wave of water splashing out towards Ayame in response to his spell.
The other magus just managed to avoid getting washed away by the wave, but Shinji wasn't done. Speeding across the pool of water left behind, he gestured again as water splashed in his wake, and spoke an aria.
"Winter's Grasp!" he said triumphantly, as the splashing water struck Ayame up to the knee…and froze in an instant. The girl immediately tried to melt the ice…only for her prana to be absorbed by the ice, to her shock and horror. "I've got you now!"
Grinning in triumph, Shinji encased his right hand and arm up to the elbow in ice, a jagged blade extending outwards for twelve inches from the former. Closing in on Ayame at high speed, Shinji drew back his arm, intending on gutting his enemy and ending the fight in one blow.
Onii-san…
Shinji's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, slipping and losing his footing and focus as a voice suddenly echoed through his thoughts, golden light shining down from above.
Onii-san…that's enough…
Silver light arced high in the night sky, as Rider reached the apex of his flight, and began to turn to strike down at the ground below. And there, atop the skyscraper on which Saber was standing, golden light was flooding out.
"That light…" he said in disbelief. "It can't be…!"
The enemy must be more powerful than one's self.
A clicking sound could be heard as a seal disengaged, the golden light growing stronger as it did so.
The battle must be one on one.
Another clicking sound was heard as another seal disengaged, and once again, the light grew stronger.
The battle must not be inhumane.
Again, another clicking sound was heard as another seal disengaged, and once more, the light grew stronger still.
The battle must be to live.
Another seal was released, and the light continued to grow.
One's comrades-in-arms should be courageous.
A fifth seal was released, and it would not be the last.
The battle must be an honorable one.
A sixth and final seal was released, and Saber opened his eyes, staring up at the night sky, feeling the wind on his face as those of Rider's steed and that of his sword's building release fought against each other. "I WON'T LET YOU!" Rider roared. "BELLEROPHON!"
A thunderous boom erupted as Rider broke the sound barrier, striking down at incredible speed at the building below. However, as fast as he was…
…Saber was faster still.
Bedivere…Palamedes…Gaheris…Kay…Merlin…Gawain…thank you.
"EXCALIBUR!"
Saber swung once, golden light exploding blinding bright, and then lancing up with such force as to blow back the displaced air of Rider's coming, and utterly engulfing the enemy Servant and his steed alike.
Onii-san…that's enough…onii-san…
Shinji grit his teeth, hearing the pity and sadness in the voice of that hateful little shit of a sister he once had. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Shinji roared. "I am the Matou heir! Not you! Never you! You were just someone to make babies for us! To be food for the worms! To give me magic! That's all you ever were!"
Makiri…why? Why?
"Who…just who…WHO ARE YOU?" Zouken roared, enraged beyond all reason that anyone could and would dare to enter and speak in his mind.
Eyes falling on Ayame, the first and last of the Matou erupted with rage. "EMIYA!" they roared, no doubt thinking she was responsible for the voices in their rage. Shinji's frozen blade glowed with prana as he drew it back and charged, no longer sliding on ice as earlier but just charging in on foot, his blade ready to explode upon piercing Ayame's body, and tearing it apart from the inside out.
As for Zouken, he seemed to simply explode, worms and insects ripping out of his body like a wave of flesh, moving with unnatural speed at Ayame to rend and tear, to make her flesh his, to nest and breed in her warmth.
Ayame didn't notice any of this. For her…
…the world had stopped.
Time had somehow stopped. Shinji and Zouken were frozen in place, and even she herself. Not that she herself cared.
All that mattered, was that figure smoking on a nearby bench, wearing a yukata like on that warm summer night years ago.
"Dad…"
Kiritsugu Emiya took out his cigarette and blew out a thin stream of smoke. "Why are you hesitating, Ayame?" he asked.
"Dad…I…"
"Did you forget what I taught you?" Kiritsugu asked with a smile. "Magecraft is a tool. It's a terrible tool, maybe one that shouldn't exist. But, it exists…and it's a tool you have…and tools are meant to be used. And when all is said and done…I don't want you to die, or to get hurt, Ayame."
"But…I…"
"Afraid of what magecraft can turn you into?" Kiritsugu asked before smiling and nodding. "That's good."
Ayame's eyes widened in surprise, even as Kiritsugu took another drag on his cigarette. "Because that way," he said as he blew out some smoke. "I'm sure you'll never take it for granted, or use it irresponsibly. And that's just the thing, isn't it? Magecraft is a tool…and how you choose to use it, is entirely up to you."
Kiritsugu smiled and got to his feet. "Time to choose, Ayame." He said.
Ayame stared at her father, and then raising her hands looked down at them. For a moment she stared at nothing, but then the golden light from above seemed to twist, and then a fairy glowed between her hands. For an instant and an eternity, Ayame stared down at the gently glowing being in her hands, and then nodded slowly.
"Thank you…dad…and everyone…" she said slowly before smiling. "Dancing…with Fairies…"
Golden light erupted from between Ayame's hands as time returned to full speed, Shinji stabbing in at Ayame…
…and then he was flying backwards, crimson blood and black ichor exploding from his mouth as dozens of fairies flew out from between Ayame's hands at high speed, lacerating his chest and torso and throwing him back several feet before they flew up into the air. Not losing any speed, they formed into glowing flower-like formations, spinning rapidly as they fell on Zouken's swarms, turning them to ash as they flew towards the vampire.
Zouken cried out in pain, shock, and disbelief as his body was torn apart, the vampire falling in pieces to the ground. But then, more worms emerged from said pieces, flowing into each other and pulling Zouken back together as his laughter echoed in the air.
Only, the fairies weren't done. Rising into the air, they formed a glowing flower high above, and began raining down droplets of light at an incredible rate. Zouken raised a hand, wordlessly erecting a barrier above himself. Five hundred years of accumulated weight behind the Matou magecraft somehow managed to withstand the onslaught of light…
…but it could only block the light, not absorb their power, and Zouken cried out in pain as the pressure of the impacts was transferred to his body. The fairies were relentless, raining down light without mercy, and Zouken staggered under their wrath, unable to rise from the ground, and as his prana was sapped away his flesh began to visibly rot, great porous rents opening in his flesh which wept not blood or even ichor but stinking pus.
And his eyes fell on Ayame as she moved her hands in a circular motion around her, and then holding them over each other, golden light began to shine from in-between. And as Ayame began to cast a spell, Zouken felt something he had not felt in a long time: fear.
Earth, wind, sea, and sky,
The dreams and wishes of all things that live on this world,
Seek to reach the stars above,
"No, NO, NO!" Zouken shouted and begged, somehow knowing deep down that death was coming for him. "DON'T DO THIS TO ME!"
So shine and show the unseen path,
Light of the Fairies!
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!" Zouken screamed as the light exploded blinding bright.
Saber arrived on the battlefield, Excalibur held guardedly on one hand. He blinked as a fairy flew closer, and raising a hand allowed the fairy to land. For a moment the King of Britain and the fairy stared at each other, and then it flew off, Saber walking slowly across the battlefield, curiously noting the fairies dancing all around.
And then he stopped, watching as his Master stood over her defeated enemy.
Zouken was gone.
The Light of the Fairies had simply blown him away, and though rationally she knew she couldn't be sure without actual proof, deep down…
…Ayame knew, that finally, after centuries of evil, Zouken Matou was gone. And soon, so too would be his clan of evil.
Shinji Matou was still here though. He hadn't been a vampire like his grandfather – if Zouken actually was his grandfather which Ayame now doubted – so he hadn't been blown away by the Light of the Fairies, as he would undoubtedly have been had he been as twisted an abomination as Zouken had been.
Still…the rot and corruption that was Zouken and the Matou Clan's magecraft had sunk in deep, and it was shown at what the Light of the Fairies had left behind.
Shinji lay on the ground, breathing fast and heavy. Lacerated by the fairies' coming, what was revealed of his insides was black and rotting, and yet somehow his heart kept on beating, pushing blood filled with poison through what was left of his body. His tongue was gone, and likewise his eyes were great clots of pus and rotten flesh, the whole abominable ensemble that was Shinji Matou stinking the air like a house of the sick and the dying.
"Now your appearance matches the monster you have always been." Ayame coldly said. "Death by fire is too good for you…but I'm better than you."
Raising a hand, Ayame unleashed a jet of flame, ignoring Shinji's writhing or the foul stink of burning flesh, until there was nothing left by smoking ash and ooze on the ground. Turning her back, Ayame spotted Saber in the distance. Walking closer, Master and Servant stared at each other for a long moment, and then Ayame's eyes fell on Excalibur.
Turning back to Saber's face, Ayame smiled and then bowed, Saber smiling and nodding in acknowledgement. And then he was rushing forward, catching Ayame with one arm as she collapsed from exhaustion.
Dismissing his sword, Saber picked Ayame up bridal style, and then with one last look at the fairies on the battlefield, turned and left.
Victory was theirs.
"I see." Illya said with a nod, staring out from her balcony. "Makiri is dead. Good riddance."
"What will you do now, my lady?" Sella asked.
"Wait," Illya said. "Wait until Berserker has recovered enough, and then…we will see. I'll take what opportunities are available then."
"Very good, my lady."
Illya stared out into the night for several more moments, and then turned back inside her sitting room. Sitting at a couch, Illya looked on as Sella poured her some tea, and then took a drink before munching on some cookies.
"Is everything alright, my lady?" Sella asked.
"Yes, they are." Illya said before sighing. "Well…maybe I'm a bit miffed, that's all, that it was onee-chan who killed Makiri and wiped out his whole disgusting brood. But…she's also my little sister. And I suppose there's nothing wrong with the big sister indulging a little sister, is there?"
"It's as you say, my lady."
Illya smiled and drank some more of her tea. "But," she began after a few moments. "That magic of hers…I've never seen it before. What was that?"
"I wouldn't know, my lady."
"I'm not surprised you don't." Illya said. "You taught me magecraft, so if I don't know, you wouldn't know either. That said…my ancestors' memories…they don't know either…what was that?"
"Perhaps you may ask Miss Emiya in the future."
"I might." Illya agreed. "Assuming she'd answer though."
"We could always make her."
Illya shot a warning glance at Sella, who bowed apologetically. "Sella," Illya began. "Prepare an appropriate gift and message of congratulations to be sent to my little sister. Matou were an old family, withered yes, but still old and powerful for all that. To have destroyed them…it is worthy of recognition."
"Very good, my lady." Sella said. "I will prepare immediately, though I would bring it before you for your approval before sending them to their recipient."
"That should go without saying."
"Yes, my lady." Sella said with another bow. "As you say."
"Rider has fallen. Zouken and Shinji Matou are dead."
"…did Emiya do it?"
"Yes, she did."
"I see."
Kirei silently watched as Rin absorbed the news, and then getting up walked out of the living room. Kirei followed, Rin finally coming to a halt in the atrium, where she stared up at the stars in the sky.
There weren't that many, for they were well within the urban area of Fuyuki, and between the clouds in the sky and the glow of the surrounding city most stars were simply too shrouded to be seen. There was some though, and it was those that Rin focused on.
"That's good." She said softly. "Very good…"
"Do you have any regrets?" Kirei asked.
"Plenty."
Kirei tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Of course," he said. "But that's not what I meant. What I meant was…"
"I know what you meant." Rin interrupted. "And yes…I do regret it. I regret that I couldn't do it with my own hands. Avenge my sister…get justice for her…for my father…for my family…"
"…but?"
Rin nodded. "What matters is that justice and vengeance were obtained in the end." She said.
Kirei and Rin stood silent for a long while. And then Rin sighed, lowering her gaze from the stars, and then crossing the atrium walked over to a bench and sat down. After a moment, Kirei followed, though he didn't sit down, and just stood next to Rin.
"What will you do now?" he asked.
"Wait for my replacement arm for starters." Rin replied.
"And then?"
"And then get my crest back." Rin said. "And one more thing."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
Rin did not reply.
Space twisted and then tore as Caster traversed the distance between her stronghold and her destination in an instant, and then smoothed out as she stepped onto the ground. The Servant of the Spell pulled back her hood, exposing her beautiful features, violet hair glowing in the light of the Moon, as though to arrogantly display her superiority as she stormed her enemies' stronghold.
A grand and theatrical gesture summoned her staff to one hand, and another, similar gesture blew the sealed iron gates of the Matou property from their hinges. Stepping forward with slow, deliberate steps filled with gravity, Caster advanced like a conqueror stepping into a freshly-taken city.
She tapped her staff on the ground once, an invisible wave of force racing out in an instant. Grass crumbled to dust in an instant, the ground turning hard and cracking as all life died and moisture escaped into the atmosphere. Trees wilted, years and decades of death and decay passing in the blink of an eye, leaving them dry and broken carcasses.
The walls surrounding the property cracked and crumbled, as did the façade of the mansion before them, all glass shattering at the touch of Caster's magic. Caster strode down the path to the front doors, and tapped them once with her staff. The doors and much of the surrounding wall exploded inwards, and as the dust cleared the Servant of the Spell advanced unchallenged.
Making her way down to the mansion's workshop, a gesture blew the doors inwards. A thought had all the bounded fields inside reduced to nothing in an instant, and as Caster walked down the steps, blue fire leapt out of a hand.
The remaining worms on the floor went up in flames, hungrily spreading and turning entire mounds of heaving flesh to burning pyres that lit up the dungeon-like space with fiery blue and had shadows dancing. Caster wrinkled her face in distaste, and with a gesture reduced the cage and chains in the room to rust.
And then crossing the fiery floor, she made her way to the object of her curiosity, a large, cocoon-like structure at the back. Standing at a safe distance, Caster probed it with magic and shuddered at the readings she was getting.
It was a cocoon, there was no doubt about that. But what was growing inside of it…
…it made her want to vomit, and she almost did.
She was far from what fools would consider 'white' on the black and white spectrum of morality, and would not deny that she had plenty of blood on her hands. There was a reason for that, not that self-righteous fools would care or even consider it, and just blindly blame her for actions that she had no real control of or for doing as someone who had nothing left to lose would…
…but what she found here…
…this was low, even for her or the gods. Not even they would sink so low…would they?
…
…
…
…
…
They might. But that didn't matter now.
Floating back further, Caster gestured, slitting the cocoon open. Foul, brackish fluid, like an abominable parody of amniotic fluid, spilled out, and then Caster did vomit at the…thing, that spilled out. It looked like a newborn child, but with an oversized head sporting closed, bulbous, and malformed eyes. Its mouth was swollen, stretching from ear to ear, its limbs bony and vestigial, it's body bloated and sporting clearly feminine features that should not be developed to such an extent for a child…if child it was.
Whatever was going on here…whatever the magi in this house were working on…one thing was clear. Caster wanted no part in it. Some things were better left untouched or indeed, simply gone and forgotten.
Wiping at her mouth and coughing at the bitter bile in her mouth, Caster floated up, back to the landing. Sweeping through the mansion, Caster set great fires that would burn until the whole place had been burned to the foundation, and then leaving watched the fires spread and burn for a few minutes before returning to her temple.
Saber tucked Ayame into bed, and then sighing settled into a sitting position beside her. The battle had clearly drained them both, with Saber's prana reserves low and the same going for his Master. They'd need to rest and lie low for a while, preferably until their reserves were back to full capacity, before trying to go on the offensive again.
Two Servants…they'd taken out two Servants. No doubt, they were shaping up into the most formidable pairing in this contest, and Saber suspected the other remaining Masters and Servants would be going for them in light of that fact.
"I can only hope they stay cautious long enough for us to recover at least some of the prana we've spent this night." Saber thought.
Ayame fidgeted in her bed and murmured something, and Saber smiled at the sight. "I wonder what she's dreaming about." He thought to himself, before vanishing into astral form to conserve prana.
King Arthur lay against a tree, morning Sun making the fog all around them glow with surreal light. Blood was splattered all over his armored form, or poured out of a deep wound in his chest.
Another knight knelt by the king, likewise covered in blood, but otherwise unharmed. "Bedivere," Arthur said softly, his breathing burdened as he weakly raised his sword and offered it to the knight. "Take…the sword. Return to that lake…that calm lake…and then throw the sword into the water. Then…return to me."
"My King…?"
"Obey, Bedivere."
Sir Bedivere stared at his king for a moment, and then bowing took the sword and rushed for his horse. Arthur silently lay against the tree, waiting for Bedivere as the knight rode off into the distance, his horse's galloping vanishing into nothing. For a long while the king waited in silence, and then at last galloping could be heard, and Bedivere returned.
"My King," the knight began as he knelt down beside Arthur. "I have done as you commanded."
"What did you see, Bedivere?"
"Nothing…nothing but the wind on the water and the splashing as the sword fell…"
Bedivere trailed off as Arthur chuckled weakly. "Do not dishonor yourself like so, Bedivere." He said. "Your words should be to rally armies and to give hope to the hopeless, not to speak of falsehoods to your king. Now go, and do as I commanded you."
Bedivere opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, and then bowing again rushed to his horse. Once more, Arthur silently lay against the tree as Bedivere rode into the distance, his horse's galloping vanishing into nothing. For a long while the king waited in silence, and then at last galloping could be heard, and Bedivere returned.
"My King," the knight began as he knelt down beside Arthur. "I have done as you commanded."
"Again," Arthur began. "What did you see, Bedivere?"
"As before, nothing but the wind on the water and the splashing as the sword fell…"
Bedivere trailed off as Arthur sadly looked at him. "My King," Bedivere begged. "I couldn't do it. For Excalibur to be lost, I…"
"Do as I command, Bedivere." Arthur interrupted softly but firmly. "One day, the King will return. And when that time comes, Excalibur will rise and return to him, as it should."
Bedivere's eyes widened at Arthur's proclamation, and then bowing once more rushed to his horse. The galloping faded into the distance, Arthur lying on the tree to await Bedivere's return.
But before he could, four women cloaked and veiled in black emerged from the surrounding mists. "King Arthur," one of them spoke. "We have come for you."
"Why have you come?" Arthur whispered. "It is over. The sword…has been returned…to the Lady of the Lake…I am king no longer."
"King you are," a second woman said as they approached.
"And king you always will be." The third woman said as they knelt down around him.
"The Once and Future King." The fourth said as they lifted him.
"And to Avalon you will come." They said as one. "To rest and dream, until the day comes that Britain has need for you once again."
A/N
Those last two seals mentioned above were listed as 'unknown' as to who set them, but for the purposes of this story they were set by Merlin and Gawain.
No, the dead did not come back to life. More like phantoms of the dead shaped by memories of who and how they were like were created by otherworldly intervention.
Finally, I imagine it says a lot when Medea of all people thinks you twisted and wants nothing to do with you.