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

Purified by Fire, Dancing with Fairies

Chapter 19

The puppet arm felt right and wrong at the same time.

The last was probably just a natural reaction to its appearance, no doubt. Certainly, it was among the better ones available, and it was accepted by her body without issue. It performed all the functions a normal arm was expected to quite well, and even offered potential for improved functionality beyond that of a normal arm.

Rin would have her crest implanted on her left arm regardless, though.

Back to her puppet arm though…it was simply put, obviously artificial. It was largely made from something that resembled plastic, and protected on top with metal plates made from some kind of black-colored alloy.

Perhaps with the best models of puppetry available, an arm that was completely natural in appearance could have been used instead. Those were expensive however, extremely so. And even the model that Rin had obtained was quite expensive already in itself, worth a large chunk of her budget for the year, and unless she wanted to start cutting into her food budget and other necessities and utilities, she'd have to cut back on the gemstone purchases for the rest of the year.

It wasn't as though the Tohsaka Clan was impoverished, which it wasn't by any stretch of the imagination. Rin or rather her family's annual income was still worth tens of millions of Yen…it's just that much of that was spent on necessities and utilities, with what was left barely enough for the expensive material requirements of her magecraft.

On reflection though, Rin admitted that while it was natural to be uneasy at her new arm, she ought to be more…philosophical, about the whole matter. On one hand, it was a reminder that she'd lost to a mere spell-caster, and in the most complete way possible. Had Emiya been more…ruthless, Rin would probably be dead, and her entire family's legacy with her.

But on the other hand…that was entirely the point. That reminder could serve her well, reminding her not just of her defeat, but also that she was neither all-powerful nor all-knowing, and thus keep her pride from leading her to make assumptions and mistakes that could lead to similar situations to that where she'd lost her arm in.

And with one other thing, which with her new arm she would now be able to get, Rin was, if not guaranteed, confident that she could avoid the mistakes of the past, and be a complete different, and better person than her father had been. And with that, ensure that her sister's shade would never have reason to look away in shame from the other side.

Rin flexed her new arm, and repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fist. "Well?" Kirei asked.

"It's perfect." Rin answered, smiling gratefully at Kirei. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." Kirei said with a small bow. "Let it not be said, that I neglect my responsibilities, nor do I adulterate my skills when there is need for them."

Rin scoffed good-naturedly, and then turned back to her fingers, which she clenched repeatedly as though to test their flexibility. And then bringing them to a halt, Rin's smile faded, and briefly closing her eyes she sighed.

"Is there a problem?" Kirei asked.

"No," Rin said before getting to her feet. "Not really. It's just that…yes, I have to go and do something. Something that I should have done a long time ago…and which by this point, is really just symbolic, one way or another."

"And what might that be?"

Rin did not reply, Kirei following her with his eyes as she walked past and out the living room. "Will you return?" he asked instead, as Rin vanished into the hallway leading out to the atrium.

"Probably…" Rin answered, halting briefly. "Again…thank you, Kirei."

Kirei smiled and nodded. "Well…see you later." Rin said over a shoulder, and resuming on her way, vanished from his sight.

Several days had passed since Matou and Rider's defeat. In that time, Ayame and Saber had stayed inside the former's property, lying low even after Ayame had recovered her expended prana (largely by absorbing the mana she'd collected inside the heavy water and coal she'd charged a couple of days before the decisive battle against Matou and Rider).

Ayame had decided that doing so would give things a chance to settle down, keeping the remaining Masters and Servants from developing a sense of desperation and urgency to move against Ayame and Saber, who by this point were undoubtedly the most formidable Master and Servant pairing in the war. Or so it seemed: in fact, they were a glass cannon of a team, capable of striking hard but quite fragile for all that.

Saber's skill with the sword and Excalibur's power made him a powerful combatant, while Ayame having finally completed Light of the Fairies gave her quite the trump card against older, more powerful magi, but they both still had a critical weakness: prana. Light of the Fairies and Excalibur were prana-intensive to use, and while they both had ample reserves (Saber more so than Ayame) they weren't limitless. And once they ran out…

…they would be in trouble.

And in any case, there was also the old and perfectly valid reasoning that a disparity in quality could be made up by quantity.

If enough of – or worse, all – the remaining Masters and Servants decided to focus on Ayame and Saber at the same time, they'd be overwhelmed and destroyed. Even Ayame's trump card, the Light of the Fairies, was unlikely to have as great an effect on most other magi as it did on the Matou. It'd dispel their mysteries, but unless they were as physically-corrupt as the Matou were, it was unlikely it'd cause quite as much damage, if at all.

Hence the necessity to allow fears and tempers to cool, and not drive the remaining Masters and Servants to form a united front against them.

For his part, Saber largely agreed with Ayame's course of action. He did however, realistically point out there was no denying that they'd defeated two Master and Servants, and in the case of one of the former, had wiped out the Master's entire family. Granted, the family was a bunch of monsters that ought to have been torn out and burned centuries ago, but that was beside the point.

Even if they went to ground to reduce the psychological impact, they were still the most active, and the most successful Master and Servant pairing in the contest. Even if lacking desperation and urgency to reduce their reservations about making common cause, it was likely other Masters and Servants were already testing the waters on a united front against Ayame and Saber.

And to counter that, Saber proposed that they themselves form an alliance with another Master and Servant. By doing so, they'd reduce the available strength of any front formed against them, while adding to their own.

Ayame acknowledged Saber's reasoning, and while she hadn't acted on it, was already considering forming an alliance with her older sister and her Berserker. Not necessarily Saber's preferred choice when it came to an allied Servant, but the raw power of a Berserker – especially one which had survived not one but two encounters with Rider who had used his Noble Phantasm in both encounters – was certainly not something that could easily be dismissed.

For now, though…

…Ayame and Saber were comfortably wiling the days away inside the former's house.

The doorbell rang across the house, rousing Ayame from her nap on the veranda and catching Saber's attention where he was watching a documentary on lions in Africa. "I'll get it." Ayame said, struggling to her feet and stretching her arms before heading inside and towards the door.

The doorbell rang a second time just as she reached the door, which Ayame quickly slid open. "Yes, sorry for the wait," she began. "How can…oh, it's you."

Rin bowed once as Ayame crossed her yard and opened the gate. "Good morning," Rin greeted. "May I come in?"

Ayame set the cup of tea before Rin, and then acknowledging the other girl's nod of thanks took her place on the other side of the table. "So," Ayame began. "What can I do for you, Tohsaka?"

Rin took a sip of her tea, and smiled and nodded at the taste. "This tea is very good." She remarked, and Ayame smiled and nodded. "Anyway…first of all, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for destroying the Matou Clan. It was something that needed doing…for a very long time now…if only we hadn't been so blind…so foolish…"

Rin trailed off, looking down at her reflection on the tea, while Ayame and Saber shared glances. "And," Rin said after a sigh. "Not just for killing the Matou Clan, but for avenging my sister, and indeed, my whole family, I am both eternally and profoundly grateful."

Ayame's eyes widened in surprise. "Your sister?" she echoed in surprise. "Avenge her? When did I do that?"

Rin paused and briefly closed her eyes. "As promised," she said. "You may stay within our territory as long as you please. Furthermore, should you ever need for anything, then you are welcome to come and ask, within reason."

Ayame and Saber again traded glances. "However," Rin said after a long moment. "I need to ask for your help for something else. And before that…I need to tell you something. And before even that: I need to ask you not to judge, or to hold it against me, at least until I finish. Afterwards…well, I won't oblige you to help."

Again, Ayame and Saber traded glances, and then turning back to Rin, Ayame nodded encouragingly. "Okay," she said. "What do you need to tell us?"

"I had a sister once." Rin said. "Her name was Sakura. She was a sweet and gentle girl, barely a year younger than I was."

"…I have a bad feeling about this."

Rin laughed bitterly. "And you'd be right." She half-sobbed, wiping at her eyes. "Tell me, what do you know about magi family and younger children?"

"Depends, really." Ayame said with a shrug. She paused, as a thought came to mind, but she pushed that aside. "Many don't bother, and simply have one child to be their heir or heiress, to carry on their legacy for another generation. Most go for the 'heir and a spare' situation, but few ever go for having more than two."

"And?"

Ayame shrugged. "Most are left in dark about magecraft." She said. "Assuming the heir or heiress doesn't bite the dirt before they reach adulthood, they're usually allowed to leave the family and live their own lives, or are kept at hand, providing support and such for the family."

"Is that all?"

"No," Ayame said, her eyes narrow and expression disgusted. "In more prestigious families, and even among lesser ones with ambition, it's not unknown for younger children to be traded if not outright sold off for political or financial or whatever gain."

Ayame paused, and looked as though she wanted to spit. Eventually though, she just took a deep breath and focused on Rin. "What did you do to your sister?" she asked.

"Nothing!" Rin shouted, slamming her fists against the table. "I did nothing! I did nothing but watch and parrot my father's words as she was sold off, like a piece of meat, smile and wave! I…I…"

Rin broke off, sobbing uncontrollably as Ayame hurried over to sit next to Rin, patting her on the back while Saber rushed off to get a glass of water. "Sakura…I'm so sorry…big sister's so sorry…" Rin sobbed as Ayame and Saber tried to comfort her.

Eventually though, Rin managed to calm down. "I…I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…" she babbled, but Ayame shook her head.

"It's alright," she said, pushing the glass of water towards Rin encouragingly. "I can see it's a sensitive topic, so we'll go at your own pace."

Rin hiccupped, forced herself to drink some water, and then shook her head. "I was only six years old at the time." She said with a sniff. "I couldn't have done anything that would have changed anything…but…but…I could have said something at least. Something that showed I cared! That I loved her! That I didn't want her to go! But in end…I…I…I just stood there…smiling and waving…just like our father…damn it!"

Rin slammed her fists against the table again, and wiping at her eyes shook her head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't do that," she said.

"…if you want to take your sister back…" Ayame cautiously began, but Rin shook her head.

"I can't." she said bitterly. "It's already too late for that. You can't bring the dead back to life. You see, she died six years ago…alone…in pain…unloved…in the dark…no thanks to the Matou Clan."

This time it was Ayame's turn to slam her hands against the table. "Are you crazy?" she shouted only think better. "No…it's not you…I mean you were six years old…your father though…was he insane? Handing over a child to the Matou Clan? Then again…they were your allies weren't they, and let me guess, he didn't know about their methods, did he? How about you though? Do you…"

"YES I KNOW ABOUT THE WORMS!" Rin shouted back, tears trickling down her cheeks. "I know about them…Kirei told me. He told how that was the Matou magecraft, and how worms were infested into their magi's bodies, that it would force their bodies to learn their mysteries even as they were eaten from the inside out! I know! I know it all! I know that's how my sister died!"

"Then why?" Ayame demanded. "I can see you love your sister, but…"

"Why didn't I save her?" Rin demanded. "How could I? I was a child…I still am…without something like a Servant…without magecraft of the level you have…how could I possibly save my sister from the Matou? How could I hope to defeat them on their home territory? Keep them away from my sister if I took her outside of it? I'm not like you…I'm no match for Zouken Matou. And I didn't know…not until recently…"

"But your father…did he…?"

"Yes, he knew." Rin said, closing her eyes and clenching her teeth and fists alike. "He knew…he knew what he was sending her into…all because it was supposed to be a 'tragedy' if neither of us could live up to our potential…only the price…everything dear…damn him…damn him to hell…"

Ayame and Saber watched as Rin cried again. "What will you do now?" Ayame eventually asked.

"What little I can do to set things right." Rin said, wiping at her face. "In hindsight…only Sakura among us deserved justice and vengeance. The rest of us…me…father…our ancestors…the pride and dignity we've always held so dear…that same pride that led us to ally ourselves to the Matou for centuries…to lead my father to sell my sister…his own daughter…to the worms…that same pride that led me to let go of my last chance to show my sister I loved her…we're just as guilty as the Matou. We weren't deceived…we never were! We were their accomplices…we always have been…that's why…I…"

Rin trailed off, and taking her glass of water drank it all at once. Ayame glanced at Saber who nodded, and taking the glass went and refilled it. "And how will you set things right?" Ayame asked.

"I need to get my sister back first of all."

"But…I thought she…"

Rin nodded. "She lies with the rest of the Matou." She said before her face twisted with hatred and self-loathing. "But they don't deserve her! They never did! And they never will! She deserves to rest in peace with other, more decent people!"

"…is that what you want my help with?" Ayame said. "To recover your sister's remains, and bring them back to your family's graves?"

Rin laughed harshly and shook her head. "Yes and no." she said. "My family doesn't deserve my sister. We never did. Someone as kind and gentle as her….she should have been born to an ordinary family, who would have shown her the love and care we couldn't, since at heart we're as much monsters as the Matou were…"

"That's going a bit far." Ayame interrupted. "Or rather…I think you're letting your guilt and shame get the better of you. I seriously doubt your sister would agree with what you're thinking right now."

Rin briefly glared at Ayame but then taking the glass of water took a drink. "Maybe," she said, shaking her head. "But I need to get my sister away from the Matou…even in death. She deserves better."

"And then what?"

"…I don't know." Rin said with a sigh. "I…I suppose…I could keep her ashes with me…that way…she'll always be a reminder to me…never to make the same mistakes my father did…then maybe…just maybe…someday…we'll just be a little more deserving of her resting in peace with us…"

Ayame and Saber traded glances, and then sighing Ayame scratched at her head. "So…" she began. "Why exactly do you need me? I mean…digging up a grave is fairly simple isn't it? Especially if you're a magus…"

"There's a chance the Matou graves are protected with magic." Rin said. "If they are…I'm not sure if I can handle it on my own."

"And you think I can?"

"You defeated and killed Zouken Matou, didn't you?"

"That…that was different."

Rin lowered her head. "I won't force you if you don't want to help." She said. "I'll just have to manage on my own, I guess. Well then, I…"

"Hold up," Ayame said with a sigh and pinching her nose. "I didn't say I wouldn't help."

Ayame paused and sighed again. "Saber, what do you think?" he asked.

"At the very least," Saber began. "The poor girl does deserve to rest in better company. And, while I can't say the same for Miss Tohsaka's family, Miss Tohsaka herself seems properly regretful. I'd say she deserves a chance to redeem herself, and perhaps in time, her family as well. So if she succeeds…"

Saber trailed off but Ayame nodded slowly. "If she succeeds," she concluded. "Then the late Sakura should rest with her family."

"Exactly," Saber said with a nod before smiling at Ayame. "In that light, we're not so much as desecrating a grave, as we are putting things to rights. There is no shame in that."

"You're right, I guess."

Ayame sighed and nodded, and then got up. "Wait here," she said. "I'm going to go and get changed."

Rin looked up at Ayame, and then shuffling over to the side bowed low, her forehead touching the ground to Ayame's discomfort. "I am grateful." She said.

"Did you know?"

"No."

"Someone apparently burned down the Matou mansion." Rin said. "Was it you?"

"No." Ayame said. "Though now that you mention it…yeah, I should have done that. Even if the magi are dead, their legacy's still around. Kind of like embers left from a fire drying to becoming kindling. If someone picked up their legacy…then the Matou might as well rise from the grave."

Rin nodded in agreement. "Well put." She said.

Ayame glanced at Rin as they walked down the street. "Was it you?" she asked.

"What?"

"Were you the one who burned down the Matou mansion?"

"I wish I was." Rin admitted. "But no. I heard it burned down on the same night you fought and defeated them. At the time, I was still at Kotomine Church."

"I see." Ayame said, nodding slowly. "But if it wasn't you, then who?"

Rin shrugged. "I don't know." She said. "Neither does Kirei. Then again, it doesn't necessarily have to have been done deliberately."

"What?"

"It could have been an accident."

Ayame frowned. "Somehow that seems unlikely," she said. "Though considering how much common sense seems to be so…lacking, among magi, yeah, maybe an iron or a stove left on could have burned their mansion down while they were out."

Rin snorted and laughed. "No common sense, huh?" she asked. "In the past, I'd have been insulted. Now though…well put."

Ayame shrugged. "That said though," she said, glancing in Saber's direction, the Servant materializing next to her. "Somehow I get the feeling even if the rest of the mansion burned down, the workshop's still probably intact."

"What do you plan to do?" Saber asked.

"From how I understand your Noble Phantasm works…"

"…you want me to use Excalibur to raze the ruins down to the very foundation, don't you?"

"To the bedrock, preferably. Though, I won't force the issue…

"No," Saber interrupted. "It's fine. Besides, as you said we don't want kindling to renew that clan of monsters at any time in the future, would we now?"

"No, we definitely do not."

Saber nodded before looking around. "Tonight then," he said. "Higher ground where we'll have an unobstructed line of fire. The rest…just leave it all to me."

"Alright then."

"Hey, you fake priest."

"What is it, Lancer?"

Kirei glanced at the blue-clad Servant with veiled displeasure. "That Tohsaka girl is on the move." He said. "They went to see Saber and his Master, and while I couldn't get close enough to hear…well, I simply followed to wherever they were going."

"And?"

"They went to a graveyard." Lancer said. "And from the sound of things they're planning on digging somebody up. Bloody disrespectful, if you ask me."

"Dogs have been known to dig up corpses buried too close to the ground, and feed on dead flesh, you know."

"You bastard…"

Kirei smirked with amusement at Lancer's indignation. "I assume then that Tohsaka was accompanied by Emiya and Saber?" he asked.

"She was."

"Ah…I see." Kirei said in understanding before nodding slowly. "No doubt they've gone to retrieve Sakura Matou's remains. If so…then what? Will Rin bury it with the rest of her family? Or will she keep her sister's remains with her? Or something else?"

Lancer shrugged. "Don't know," he said. "Didn't hear anything about that from what I could hear."

"I suppose not." Kirei said before tilting his head and narrowing his eyes at Lancer. "Come to think of it though, could you not have reported this telepathically? Was there any real need to report to me in person?"

"I could have."

Kirei frowned unhappily but Lancer just smirked. "Yes, you could have." Kirei eventually sighed.

"What do you plan to do now, you fake priest?"

"Hmm…I do not know, at least not right now." Kirei admitted. "In any case, I suspect they will pass by this church once they are done with their business. When they do, I will confront them on the matter."

"And if they don't pass by?"

"Then I will simply have to bring up the matter to Rin in some way."

Lancer snorted. "You just have an answer for everything, don't you, you damn fake?" he asked.

Kirei smiled, though there was a marked bitterness to it. "Not everything," he said. "Not even close."

"…so you don't want me to stop them?"

"Why should I?" Kirei asked, spreading his arms. "The Matou graves are not sanctified by the Church, and so I am under no obligation to protect and preserve their peace. Furthermore, I suspect they are protected – assuming there is even anything in those graves – by their own mysteries."

"And that last doesn't worry you?"

"Should it?" Kirei asked. "If they wish to desecrate the Matou graves, then the consequences of doing so are theirs to face, not mine. If they succeed, all well and good, if not…well, they have only themselves to blame."

Lancer snorted again. "Yeah, whatever." He said, turning to leave. "Well, I'm off. I still have to keep an eye out for you, don't I?"

"Not that you're doing as well you could," Kirei remarked. "But yes."

Lancer just sneered at Kirei before vanishing into astral form. Alone now, Kirei stroked his chin in thought.

Kuchinashi…Rin…and Sakura…the three children of Tokiomi Tohsaka. In a way, all three finally meet…

A/N

Feels a bit like filler to be honest, but it's a necessity when bridging arcs. At least Lancer finally gets to show himself, trading burns with Kirei.