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

Purified by Fire, Dancing with Fairies

Chapter 21

Kirei returned from having sedated Rin and put her back in bed, but paused in the shadows of the doorway to watch and listen to Ayame and her Servant. She and Saber were poring over maps of the city, Ayame in particular running her finger in a line across one map, and then tapping the endpoint, pointed back at where she'd started.

"Here," she said, tapping the map. "This hilltop should give us a clear line of sight to the ruins of the Matou property. It's a bit far, but as far as I know it should still be within your range."

"It is." Saber said with a nod. "Very much so, in fact. If I needed to, Excalibur can reach up to space."

That came as a surprise to Kirei, the priest blinking and drawing back in shock. Excalibur? It was capable of being an anti-orbital weapon? But…why…? What reason would the ancients…or rather the fairies which were supposed to have made Excalibur, make something so powerful, and give it such range?

"…really?" Ayame asked, clearly just as surprised.

"Excalibur was meant to be more than my sword." Saber explained. "In fact, I think one reason it was entrusted to me was to ensure whoever wields its power is someone who won't abuse it, and has the will to wield it against the true enemy."

"…who, or what is that?"

"The enemy from beyond the world." Saber answered. "Merlin didn't explain in detail, but he said that there were other beings out there, beyond the blue skies, and if they come, seeking to destroy Mankind and remake the world in their image, a weapon would be needed, which could split the heavens if misused, but used properly, could also save both Mankind and the world."

"…he chose wisely."

Kirei smiled, noticing the faint blush on Ayame's cheeks. So…the Emiya girl wasn't quite as heartless as her father had been before…before that had happened. That was good to know. It might be useful, sooner or later. And it seemed she might have something of a crush on her Servant. Foolish girl…but more to the point, it was a chink in her psychology, that might also be useful, sooner or later.

On another note though…an enemy from beyond the world? Which would seek to destroy Mankind and remake the world in its image? That sounded a lot like…

"You don't have any problems with this, do you?"

"Razing the Matou property?"

"Yes."

"Not really," Saber said before thoughtfully crossing his arms over his chest, a hand rising to stroke his chin in thought. "One concern is managing the output enough to simply raze the property to the bedrock, and not level the surrounding community, but it's doable. Everything else…"

Saber paused and sighed, turning to look at the urn standing on one side of the table. Ayame did likewise, her face turning sad. "Yeah," she said. "Everything else is just letting that poor girl rest in peace, and making sure no one else can ever go through what she went through ever again."

Saber nodded before turning back to Ayame. "For someone who doesn't care much for their birth family," he said. "You seem to be taking this personally. No, don't take it the wrong way, I'm just curious."

Ayame chuckled. "Oh I don't." she said. "I could care less if the Tohsaka name just disappeared for good. But, what happened to that girl…it's unforgiveable. Damn magi…just what do they think people are? What do they think Human beings are? What do they think their own families are? Selling and breeding them like cattle…treating them like rats in a lab…they're corrupt. Their entire society is corrupt!"

"…do you think that doing this will change anything?" Saber answered.

"Not in any damn way."

"Then…why?"

"Because I know I am right."

Again, Kirei was surprised, and then recovering, smiled. Kiritsugu Emiya had never said those words, but the determination behind them, the cold ruthlessness, the absolute conviction Ayame had in her own righteousness…

…he would have laughed if he had could. Because in that moment, Kirei saw, standing behind Ayame, Kiritsugu Emiya and Tokiomi Tohsaka both.

"So you'll cut out what you can of the cancer, is it?" Saber asked.

"Yes." Ayame said. "Just because it might be futile in the end, there's nothing wrong in doing what's right. After all, you're not supposed to do the right thing out of what you might or might not get from doing so, but because it's the right thing to do. Or am I wrong?"

Saber smiled and tilted his head. "No," he said. "You're not wrong."

The Servant's face fell and he sighed. "And I completely understand." He said. "The aristocrats of my kingdom were the same. To preserve their wealth, their lands, and power, they sold and bred their own children and families among themselves. It was absolutely disgusting…and I'm not entirely blameless in that regard."

Ayame lowered her face. "Queen Guinevere?" she asked softly.

Saber nodded, his face sad. "I tried to love her, and I think I genuinely did after a while." He said. "But…it seems she couldn't come to reciprocate. No, I don't blame her. It just wasn't meant to be, I suppose, and you can't force someone to love you back."

Saber paused and took a deep breath. "Though I can offer one excuse." He said. "I may not have married Guinevere for love, but I didn't marry her for wealth, land, or power. I married her to help preserve the peace and prosperity of my kingdom…my people. Maybe I'm being selfish, just trying to excuse myself when I'm no different…but I disagree."

"And why is that?"

Saber smiled, and leaning forward poked Ayame on the forehead. "Because I know what I did was right." He said.

Ayame's eyes widened, and then smiling began to laugh. Saber's smile widened, and then he too began to laugh. They laughed for a nearly a full minute, Kirei watching from the shadows in disbelief as the heirs of the Magus Killer and Fifth Tohsaka Magus both and her Servant became as fools in their laughter. The Servant…Saber…Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King…

…such a stark difference, between this gregarious and lively young man, and the stoic and aloof young woman that had been the King of Knights during the previous war.

Alike and yet not alike…I must admit the Kaleidoscope's variety is truly marvelous.

"Eavesdropping is a bad habit." Saber suddenly said. "Come on out, priest."

Ayame turned to look at Kirei as he finally stepped out at Saber's prompting. "My apologies." He said with a small bow as he approached. "I merely wished to avoid interrupting."

"Right," Saber said with just the faintest hint of skepticism. "Very well, let us go with that."

Letting out a breath, Ayame turned, perching herself on the table's edge. "So," she began. "Father Kotomine, what do you think? Of our plans for this evening?"

"What?" Kirei said with a smile, and staring at a nearby wall instead. "It's just a matter of Tohsaka internal affairs. It's no concern of mine."

"I'm not a Tohsaka."

"In the eyes of magi society, you are." Kirei corrected. "Even if you were not raised by them, do not use their mysteries, or have their name, the fact the power your blood gives you comes from them makes you one of them."

"…even if I'm a mistress' child?"

"What?" Kirei asked with mocking surprise. "Did you not hear what I told Rin earlier? It is normal, expected even, for rich and powerful men to keep mistresses. And Tokiomi Tohsaka was a rich and powerful man. And being a mistress' child does not excuse the father of responsibility…one way or another."

"Right…" Ayame said, barely avoiding rolling her eyes. "And the fact we're in the middle of the Holy Grail War doesn't matter?"

Kirei smiled coolly. "I decide what matters in the Holy Grail War." He simply said.

Ayame and Saber both snorted, and Kirei spread his hands. "Very well then," he said with a sigh. "If you must know, I happened to have a personal grudge against Zouken Matou. It wasn't too important, not enough for me to justify going after him myself in the past, but enough for me to look the other way as you wipe every trace of that accursed man's legacy off the face of Earth. Indeed, I would say, may the Lord be with you on your quest."

Ayame snorted again. "Zouken wasn't a man." She sneered. "He was a monster. Something that had to be stamped out and burned. And the same went for his family."

Kirei smiled coolly again. "Indeed," he said.

"And?" Saber asked. "What was the nature of your…disagreement, with that abomination?"

"He offended me." Kirei said coldly, and causing both Ayame and Saber to blink. The tone of voice…Kirei was clearly serious, very much so. "He seemed to be under the impression we were alike. Oh I'll admit my hands are far from clean, and my soul hardly pure white, but I do not pretend to be better than I am, and finally…I am Human. As you say, that walking disease was a monster that should have been cut down and burned long ago."

Ayame and Saber looked at each other, and then back to Kirei. "And why wasn't he burned?" Saber asked.

"Because he was a Tohsaka ally."

Ayame chuckled and looked sideways with a mixed expression of resignation and exasperation. "The disappointment trip never ends." She said with a sigh.

"No, it does not." Kirei agreed.

"Very well," Saber said after a moment. "We'll accept that. And we won't pry into your past. Everyone has past regrets after all."

Kirei didn't say anything, and just bowed in thanks. "So how's Tohsaka?" Ayame asked after another moment.

"How do you think?"

"Sedated?"

Kirei nodded. "She'll wake up in a few hours, and then…we shall see." He said. "I'll do what I can to keep her from hurting herself, though I won't force her to do anything."

"I see."

The three of them stayed silent for a long while, and then with a sigh Ayame got up, took the maps, rolled them up, and moved to replace them. "Allow me." Kirei said, taking the maps from Ayame, the girl nodding in thanks. "I assume you will be leaving then?"

"Yes," Ayame said. "We've got places to be."

Ayame then paused and gestured towards Sakura's urn. "Oh," she said. "We'll be leaving this here. Give it to Tohsaka later, alright?"

"After she wakes, but yes. I will."

Ayame nodded and turned to leave. "Then," she said. "We'll be going."

Kirei nodded back, and just watched as Ayame and Saber left.

It was hours later that Rin awoke, eyes blinking open even as she tried to raise her stiff body from the bed. Emphasis on 'try', as she soon found her wrists and ankles zip-tied to the bed.

Well, at least her legs hadn't been zip-tied apart, but they were still bound to the opposite end of her bed.

"What is this?" Rin snarled while struggling to break free. Attempts to use magic only led to the discovery that the room she was in was protected by a bounded field that prevented magic from being used inside. "What is this? Damn it…damn it…damn it…!"

She didn't know for how long she struggled in vain, but eventually the door opened and Kirei walked in. "Ah," he said with a smile. "You're awake, I see. Angry no doubt, but hopefully clearheaded enough to think rationally."

"Kirei! You sick bastard…!"

"…perhaps I spoke too soon."

"SHUT UP!" Rin roared. "LET ME GO YOU SICK PIECE OF…!"

"I think not." Kirei said. "I have not ensured your welfare all these years just to see you squander it all by taking your own life in the misguided belief that doing so will allow you to redeem yourself of the crimes you have inherited from your father."

"Redeem myself…what the hell are you…"

Rin trailed off, her eyes widening as she remembered what had happened hours ago. Recovering her sister's ashes…desecrating the Matou graves…discovering her half-sister…seeing her half-sister's justified disdain and rejection…the truth about Sakura and the Matou Clan…running away…being restrained by Saber before she could hurt herself…being sedated…

Rin slumped in her bed, her head and face falling. "Ah," Kirei said while nodding slowly. "You've finally calmed down. Excellent, now we can make some progress at last."

"What's there to make progress on?" Rin asked in a dead voice. "Nothing…nothing will ever be right again…nothing will ever make things right…nothing…"

"Giving up, are we now?" Kirei asked. "That's not like you."

"You know what else isn't as it should be?" Rin spat, her spirit returning in a blaze of wrath. "Knowing that everything you once thought to be an example to live up to, everything you could take pride in and look back on with satisfaction, are all lies! LIES!"

Rin took a deep breath, shaking her head while slumping down again. "All…lies…" she whispered. "Our family…just a means to an end…a pretty face to meet expectations with…an heir and a spare…not even that…a bargaining chip…a guinea pig to be sold off for gain of one kind or another…all our nobility and dignity…just gold and jade over rot and decay…"

Kirei was silent, as was Rin for several moments. "Ayame is right." She said softly. "And they say I'm a prodigy, a genius even. Ha! No, I'm nothing of the sort. I'm just a little girl too blinded by her dreams to see I've always been fed dirt by my own father. Someone to be molded to become just like him, a cold and soulless monster."

"…are you finished?" Kirei finally asked.

"Yeah, I'm finished." Rin said. "There's nothing left. Nothing…"

"Good," Kirei said, clapping his hands and nodding. "Then we can begin setting things right."

"What are you talking about Kirei?" Rin snapped turning to face him. "Haven't you been listening to what I've been saying? Nothing will set things right! Nothing can! NOTHING!"

"Oh I have been listening." Kirei said with a nod. "And you have a measure of sense in what you say, but mostly, it's just the ramblings of a child throwing a tantrum at having her dreams smashed in the cruelest way possible."

"WHAT…?" Rin exploded. "YOU SICK, SON OF A…!"

"Enough with such big yet hollow declarations." Kirei interrupted with a dismissive gesture. "You wish to set things right? Then the means are right in front of you. If you had but the will and worth to take it, that is."

"…you want me to use the Holy Grail to set things right?"

"Ah…praise the Lord. She finally gets it."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Rin spat. "The Grail cannot bring the dead back to life! It's…!"

"Bring the dead back to life?" Kirei echoed before giving a long-suffering sigh. "Magi…always so narrow-minded…and likewise so in perspective. No, the Holy Grail cannot bring the dead back to life, nothing can. Only the Lord may, yet He is not here. And for all its name the Holy Grail of this contest and city is not the Lord's artifact…and said artifact may not even have such abilities to begin with. So no, I do not suggest that you wish your sister back to life, that you may have her forgiveness and start over as you so dearly and undoubtedly desire. I have always known the Grail's limitations, so why would I suggest so pointless a measure."

"…what are you saying?"

Rin flinched back as Kirei leaned down to her face. "Stop being so narrow in what you can see." He said. "If you can't bring the dead back to life…then why not stop them from dying in the first place?"

"…no…you can't be suggesting…time travel…"

"Ah, so she finally gets it." Kirei said with a slow clap. "Yes, if you desire to set things right, and wishing to reverse them cannot be done, then simply wish them from happening in the first place."

"Is it possible?" Rin asked, desperation coloring her voice and expression.

"With the power of six fallen Servants," Kirei said. "Then it should be."

Rin chuckled bitterly. "Yeah," she said darkly. "Six fallen Servants…the Holy Grail…won by the victor of the Holy Grail War…which I've already lost…"

"That is not necessarily the case…"

"I have no Servant!" Rin spat. "My command spells are gone! Even if I wanted to rejoin the contest…to use the Grail to set things right…I cannot…I cannot…I…there…is nothing…"

"And that is where you are wrong." Kirei said with a smirk. "Lancer."

Rin's eyes went wide, and she turned her head in time to see a blue-haired man in matching clothes appear out of thin air behind Kirei. He looked down at her with a hard face, though there was a sympathetic light in his eyes.

"Kirei…" Rin whispered. "You…"

"Come, come," Kirei said, raising a hand. "Do not jump to conclusions so easily. Have you forgotten my role? Or a specific responsibility of the Overseer? Specifically, those who come to my church during the contest seeking sanctuary are granted our protection. It does not specify on who may come, only that they come. Whether they be Masters who have lost their Servants…or Servants who have lost their Masters."

Kirei smiled, stepping aside and grandly gesturing at Lancer. "This is the Servant Lancer." Kirei said. "He lost his Master early on, and thus entered my care. And now…it seems that he may yet have a worthy cause to fight for once more."

"But…I don't…"

"You don't have command spells?" Kirei said with veiled mockery, before pulling up a sleeve and exposing numerous command spells tattooed on his arm. "You forget again, as the Overseer I too have command spells, that I might bring recalcitrant Servants to heel. Or indeed, to use and even give them, as I need."

"…why are you doing this?"

"A just question." Kirei said with a nod. "There are two reasons. First, as the Overseer it is my duty to ensure the worth of the Masters who may obtain the Holy Grail. Remember, our role was to prevent such large-scale devastation as occurred during the third and preceding Holy Grail Wars, though sadly my father failed in his role during the fourth war."

"And let me guess," Rin said mockingly. "You don't want to follow in his footsteps in this war, do you?"

"Something like that." Kirei said with a smile, and Rin scoffed.

"And the second reason?" she asked.

"I am a priest of the Holy Church, a servant of the Lord God Almighty." Kirei said. "Part of my responsibility as such, is to assist those who genuinely desire to atone for past sins, and gain redemption at the end. Are you not one such individual, seeking to correct the sins of the past, one way or another?"

Rin didn't answer, and instead looked away, staring at the ceiling. Silence consumed the three of them for several long moments, and then Rin took a deep, shuddering breath. "Please…" she whispered. "Leave me alone for a while. I…I need to think…and don't worry…you've already tied me up so…please…"

"Very well," Kirei said with a nod, and nodding at Lancer had the Servant disappear once more into astral form. "I shall leave you to your reflections. But should you choose to take up the burden of a Master once more, then rejoice, child! It may be that your wish shall be granted."

Rin didn't say anything, and neither did Kirei as he left her alone in her room.

"Did you know?"

"No."

"Merlin once told me, that though the night is darkest before the dawn, it is also in that darkness that the stars shine the brightest."

"I've heard and read others say so before…only not from Merlin."

Saber snorted and then burst out laughing. "I said the same thing to him." He said, and shared a laugh with Ayame.

"And what did he say?" Ayame asked.

"He sulked for the rest of the day." Saber answered, Master and Servant laughing again. Climbing up the hill to its very top, they found themselves looking over the suburbs stretching out below them. Countless lights glittered and shone in the darkness, from the tiny but sharp points of light that were the windows of houses, to the foggy, diffuse glow of streetlamps. And in the distance could be seen the heart of Fuyuki City, a great forest-like collection of tall buildings shrouded in smog and the glow of countless more lights than were present in the suburbs.

"This is the spot, right?" Ayame asked.

"Yes, it is." Saber said, before pointing into the distance. "There it is, the Matou property if the maps can be trusted."

Ayame reinforced her eyes, zooming in on a large property cordoned off with yellow tape around the outer wall, the mansion once inside the grounds reduced to a collapsed husk of charred wood, black and broken stone, and twisted metal. The grounds were dead, no grass or dried leaves present, even the trees reduced to dried cadavers stretching out impotently to the sky.

"I see it." Ayame said with a flinty tone. "The nest of evil…whoever burned that place down deserves a drink at least…though those ruins might still become kindling for the fires of evil in the future."

"Poetic, aren't we?" Saber teased with a smile.

Ayame smiled and shrugged. "No," she said. "Just sentimental."

Saber chuckled, and then holding out a hand summoned Excalibur. The golden blade gleamed in the light of the Moon and the stars, and then to the surprise of both Saber and Ayame, seals unsealed themselves almost immediately.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Ayame asked.

"…Lancelot…Mordred…Galahad…Gaheris…Agravain…Merlin…Gawain…" Saber whispered, and then his eyes hardened. "Seven seals unlocked…the bare minimum needed to unlock the power to split the heavens."

"WHAT?"

"Truly," Saber said, his expression hard, the Once and Future King realizing the weight of judgment that must be passed. "The Matou were a clan of evil. An evil that shall be stricken from the world, by the light of salvation!"

Ayame stepped back, as Saber took his stance, holding out his sword horizontally before him. Golden light built along the blade, and then the Once and Future King raised it, two-handed overhead, and swung down.

He didn't say the name of the sword, for to do so would be to unleash its full power. Even then, at this smallest fraction of the power of the Sword of Promised Victory…

…all was light.

The Matou property was scoured down to the very bedrock. The earth, the walls, the ruins…they were as nothing. Concepts since poisoned and twisted by centuries of evil, pain, blood, death and despair as committed and nurtured by the Matou Clan were burned away, and were restored to their pure, pristine, and original states.

In the future…when word spread of the Matou Clan's downfall during the Fifth Holy Grail War, others would come. Magi…greedy…foolish…foreign magi, seeking to plunder the lore of the fallen family, to take into themselves their evil and incarnate it as part of themselves. They would find nothing, nothing but the lingering echoes of a power they could not understand much less harness, a power that scoured their attempts to even begin learning what it was.

But now…here at the present…as Excalibur's light faded and the darkness of night returned, Ayame blinked away the spots in her eyes, and looking back in the direction of the Matou property, saw only a crumbling crater where it once stood. The broken walls of the adjacent properties crumbled down into the crater, as did the road which passed just before it, water spurting from ruptured pipes. People were emerging from the houses nearby, but as far as she could see…

…none of them were hurt, and while their properties were not unscathed, only the edges had been scarred by the might of the Once and Future King.

"Perfect aim." Ayame said, and Saber laughed weakly while resting his sword against a shoulder, its seals reset. Of course they were: the evil that had unlocked them was no more, a footnote of woe in the pages of history.

"Naturally," Saber said with just the smallest hint of smugness. "Not much point in rooting out evil when innocents are drawn into it needlessly. Sometimes…sacrifices are unavoidable, but when they can be avoided…then avoid them."

"In this case they weren't needed." Ayame said, looking back out again, over the suburbs. "And they weren't made."

"Yes indeed."

Ayame nodded and gestured with her head. "We're done here." She said. "Let's go home."

"Yes, let's."

A/N

I'm ba~ck.

Didn't see that coming, did you? Rin and Lancer possibly pairing up to rejoin the contest, that is.

Ayame and Saber making sure, as Thanos would put it, there are no chances of Matou resurrecting itself, is fairly expected, as they both considered such in a past chapter. Seriously though…seven seals being unlocked isn't that far-fetched, as Zelretch of all people judged the Matou and the Einzbern as being latently evil. Even if their intentions are good, their actions will only redound negatively in the end.

In Matou's case, it's confirmed in Grand Order that Zouken was one of Goethia's Demon Pillars, and that the decay of the family was caused by Zouken – in the FSN timelines – refusing Goethia's call. As for Einzbern…a direct translation of their background material implies their foundation was built with the Rheingold. Yes, that Rheingold, the one from Siegfried's myth, cursed to bring only misfortune and tragedy to whoever possesses it.

They were damned from the very beginning, and they might not even know it.