Chapter 15: A Ghost's Pumpkin Soup

As he stalked the streets of Fuyuki, Shinji felt…hollow. Empty. And still dirty. No matter how many times he washed himself, even going far as to nearly draw blood when he scrubbed too hard, the sheer sense of disgust would not leave. He recalled the story of Oedipus and understood what the title character had gone through when he learned the true identity of his wife. And in Shinji's case, it was given the added "bonus" of several hundred vile worms… If he had even an inkling of what went on in those underground chambers, he would never have…approached Sakura the way he did. At the time, it seemed perfectly natural. After all, he was a healthy young man, she was a beautiful young lady, they weren't really related, and she did steal his inheritance… the excuses and justifications Shinji told himself every time felt even the slightest guilt for his actions crumbled in the face of what he had gotten into.

And none of them warned me! Shinji thought, determinedly trying to blame others for his own mistake. At the very least, he now understood why his father hated Magecraft so much, or why that Kariya guy always seemed sick after each "lesson." If Shinji had known, he wouldn't have coveted the Matou Clan's Magecraft so much.

A great hatred welled up as Shinji thought about how everyone in the Matou Clan isolated him from the truth. Again. He focused on that rage. It gave him the strength to keep the bile from coming up. Shinji reached into his pocket and pulled out the jump drive Cubort stored the footage of Sakura's…training. At first, he wanted to throw it into a furnace and lock the door, but thought better of it. After all, if he didn't want to watch the video file…what would Sakura want?

Shinji's fist closed over the drive. A smile like poisoned honey grew on his face.

Not long after the battle ended, the military showed up. They probably wouldn't have shown up at all, but Shirou convinced Illya to weaken her Boundary Field. There was no chance that Eggman's automated invasion force had gotten into Japan unnoticed. And it would have raised more suspicion if they didn't find any trace of Eggman's actions. Eggman did not cotton to being unnoticed.

The head of the task force dispersed to intercept Eggman was a woman called Topaz. She questioned everyone, even the maids, while soldiers went around, either gathering the remains of the robots or searching the Castle and grounds for Badniks that had been left behind. (Shirou suspected they were looking for something else, but Illya later assured him that anything that could expose Magecraft was safely hidden behind smaller Boundary Fields.)

Answering Com. Topaz ' s questions was a little trickier. Even before the special forces squad arrived, everyone had decided that a proper cover story was needed. Gone were the days where they could just blame unusual events on mundane hazards, such as gas leaks or escaped zoo animals. Rather than lie outright, Tails suggested that they go with the truth- Dr. Eggman attacked, but he had been fended off by his archnemesis, Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic decided that he would be unavailable to comment, as he and Tails needed to hide the Tornado and salvage before the military took everything. They left just enough so the soldiers wouldn't be suspicious. With the resignation that comes from the noose tightening, the Mages agreed.

And now Shirou sat on a stone bench, waiting for the others to be finished. He didn't have to wait long before Illya came out of the government van where one of Topaz ' s lieutenants did the interviews. She didn't look at him, but she walked right up to the bench where he sat. She then sat on his left, laid her head on his lap, and suddenly seemed far older than she looked.

"Onii-chan…" The Einzbern Master murmured he mouth partially muffled by Shirou's thigh.

Shirou felt a twinge. Because now he knew it was true.

Somewhere in the forest was a shack. Next to it was the Tornado, covered in cameoflage. And inside the shack were Sonic and Tails. Sonic was lying in the corner trying to see through the ceiling at the sky, while Tails sat on the floor, a portable soldering gun aimed and firing at something that used to be a Buzzbomber's eyes. The hissing noise was the only sound that could be heard.

And then Sonic said, "This universe….is a soap opera."

Tails stopped soldering and gave Sonic a passive look. "I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, we've really fallen into some heavy baggage this time," He resumed his work. "So, what should we do about it?"

"Nothin'," Sonic stood up, took a Caterkiller head, and began to juggle it. "Unless it looks like Illya's going to make good on her earlier threats, we stay outta this. Whether or not she and Shirou are long-lost twins, or whatever-"

"Step-siblings, through the dad." Tails put in helpfully.

"-It's not our business," Sonic continued undeterred, "Let's just focus on getting our friends back. Whatcha working on?"

"These?" Tails held up the modified eyes up. "I'm making more Magic Ghost-detecting goggles. They were a huge help when Asassin attacked Rin's place."

Sonic nodded, and smirked. "Good going. Got a pair that go with my eyes?"

Tails laughed. "We'll see. But, y'know…"

"What?"

Tails put his tool and invention down. "Eggman's base is probably out in the sea, and Knuckles is Caster's prisoner."

"too bad we can't have them switch." Sonic cracked.

Tails allowed a smile to flicker, before replacing it with a more thoughtful expression. "Yeah, but… Where's Amy?"

"What do you think, Bazett?" Amy asked.

It was night when she and Bazett arrived at the meeting point they and Rider decided on. It was the top of a office building well after closing time. As the ladies waited for the Servant to show up, Bazett considered Amy's question.

"Are you asking if Rider is trustworthy?" Bazett clarified.

Amy nodded. "Yeah, there's definitely something shifty about her. She's got this 'seductive woman of mystery' motif going on. And what's with that mask? What has she got to hide?"

Bazett understood what Amy was talking about. While there have been Servants who might act outlandish during the War (According to Professor Velvet), Rider did not seem like the kind of person who would open herself up to others. If she was offering to cooperate with them, it was either because she couldn't risk working with the other Master teams, or that she the two of them would be easier to cut ties with.

And there was Rider's claim of knowing about Sonic the Hedgehog. She must have been

But before Bazett could relate this to her friend, there was a rustle of wind. Rider landed down from the air. Amy and Bazett tensed up, but made no other moves.

"Thank you for coming." Rider said.

"What exactly do you need us for?" Bazett asked.

"And do you really know where Sonic is?" Amy added.

Rider smiled faintly. "I know all about your little friend's sleeping arrangements."

Amy's eyes widened, narrowed, and she whipped out her hammer. "You what?! You brazen hussy! You better not have made a move on my Sonic!"

Bazett resisted the urge to palm her forehead. Rider didn't.

"That's not what I meant," Rider sighed. With her enhanced hearing, Amy's shrill accusation sounded three times as bad as it would have normally. "I just know which Master he's staying with."

"So Sonic is with a Master," Bazett remarked, "Which one?"

"I'll tell you- After we destroy the Shadow." Rider replied.

Amy, now a little calmer, asked, "Do you know where the Shadow is?"

"Yes, but we can't approach it, yet," Rider said, "First, we need to separate it from my Master."

"Well, how do we do that?"

"The Servant Caster has the way," Rider explained, "Her Noble Phantasm can break magical contracts. We can use that to sever the Shadow's bond to my Master."

The eyebrows of Amy and Bazett shot up at the same time. They were both thinking about what other contractsthis Noble Phantasm can break. Namely, the kind that bound Lancer to Kotomine.

"If Caster has the power to save your Master from the Shadow, what do you need us for?" Amy asked, "Why not go see her?"

"I may need her for now, but she's still my rival in the War," Rider explained, "I'll need some help when she decides to double-cross me."

Not "If", "When", Bazett noted mentally, and said, "If you're hoping that my Magecraft is sufficient to counter Caster's, then you're giving me too much credit."

"No, I'm not," Rider said, "You're not the one I really need."

"What?"

Rider turned her towards Amy. "If we are to negotiate with Caster, we'll need a way to equal her power. We'll need a Chaos Emerald."

So that was it! Rider wanted a Chaos Emerald to bolster her own power when they confronted Caster. And she thought Amy Rose was the key to finding one. While it was true that Amy and her friends knew the most about the Chaos Emeralds, there was just one problem.

Amy clenched her fists, clearly tense. "I don't have a Chaos Emerald. And I don't know where to find one. Tails can a Radar, though. Tell us where Sonic is, and we…"

"That's out of the question," Rider interrupted, "Sonic is working with a Master, and contacting him might endanger my own Master."

While she was aware that Emiya Shirou was the last person who would allow Sakura to be hurt, the same couldn't be said about Tohsaka Rin, the Master of Archer. From what she could from her own glimpses into Sakura's past, the Tohsaka heiress was raised to be the standard Mage. She and Emiya had become close due to their alliance in the War, and leading Amy to Sonic now would bring Rin into the fold. She would take direct- and terminal -actions on how to deal with the Shadow, at Sakura's expense.

Amy growled, putting her fists on her hips. "Okay, smarty-pants, then how do you think we should get an Emerald?"

"From what I've been able while scouting the city, the Emeralds create these Reality Marbles for people to enter, do they not?" Rider asked, "I think I've found one, and I'll need your help navigating it."

Amy looked up at Bazett, who nodded. Amy looked back at Rider and said, "Fine. Show us where it is."

"Follow me." Rider said.

Rider turned and left off of the roof top, and the two mortal girls followed after her. Rider had been initially worried that she would have to stop now and again so they could keep up, she soon realized that they could match her pace. Bazett was a Mage specializing in physical abilities, and Amy Rose was well-versed in chasing after high-speed targets. (Or, more specifically, one target with red sneakers and blue quills). Using flag poles and power lines as stepping stones, the three ladies sped across the city. They had to be careful, however, as Dr. Eggman's repeated assaults on Fuyuki meant there were now cars of armored soldiers stationed at almost every corner, clearly waiting for something unusual to shoot at. Whenever there was a risk of someone spotting them, Bazett would use her own Magecraft to hypnotize them into ignoring or forgetting seeing the trio.

Along the way, the girls spotted random Badniks that were wandering around the city, either looking for Chaos Emeralds or more animals to capture. Whenever they did, Amy would insist on destroying the robot. Both Rider and Bazett would have preferred to move on, but had no choice but to acquiesce.

"Every second we spend on these nuisances gives someone else a chance to retrieve the Emerald," Rider muttered after wreaking an Egg-Robo, "Why is she so determined to waist our time?"

But having spent more time with Amy, Bazett was familiar with the Hedgehog's reasons. "Dr. Eggman's robots work by imprisoning animals within the metal shells. By destroying them, we free the trapped animal."

Imprisonment…that was something Rider was all too familiar with. And it was after that that Rider stopped complaining. However, she still wasn't too convinced that the welfare of little critters was worth risking a Chaos Emerald for, and would have left both women behind if she didn't need help navigating the Special Zone.

After a bit of zig-zagging due to military squads and robot patrols, the trio of ladies finally reached their destination. It was an abandoned warehouse, typically used for raves. Amid some discard glitter, plastic cups, and the cockroaches, was the giant gold ring that led to the Special Zone.

"This is it," Rider said, "You two go in and retrieve the Chaos Emerald. I'll remain here and watch the area in case someone comes."

"Not happening," Bazett replied, frowning. "That would make it too easy for you to ambush us if we get the Emerald. You're coming in with us."

"I…can't do that," Rider said hesitantly, "The last time I went in, several of the Shadow's creations were waiting for me. I think the Shadow was planning to steal the Emerald if I was successful."

Which was only part of the reason why Rider was hesitant to re-enter the Special Zone. Things inside the Special Zone were…different. With her heightened senses, Rider had a more in-depth taste of those differences. Sounds came from different directions, wind blew in ways that were not possible, and gravity became less of a rule and more of a polite suggestion. Furthermore, her connection to the Grail and her Master had been disrupted each time she entered. Even a Reality Marble wouldn't have that kind of effect…

"Ughhh, fine," Amy sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Listen, I'll go in by myself, all right? You two just wait out here and keep guard in case Eggman's robots or the Shadow's monsters show up."

Bazett and Rider glared at each other, although it was the glare was only implied in Rider's case. After a moment, they nodded. Sighing in relief, Amy turned and leapt into the Special Zone. As the giant ring vanished, the Bazett turned her gaze towards Rider, whose expression was blank. Her own eyes narrowed.

Unlike the first Special Zone Amy entered in Fuyuki, this one was a lot less colorful. In fact, it was a total void, nothing but white from here to there. The only contrast seemed to be a series of buildings painted in a dull grey. A maze made from solid clouds. As Amy stepped forward, she felt a strange sinking sensation in her gut. She realized that if she didn't find the Chaos Emerald soon, the Special Zone would force her out. Breaking into a run, Amy dashed towards the labyrinth.

The place was both a maze and amazing at the same time. Not only were there the requisite loop-de-loops that seemed to dot her own world, but other effects and pitfalls as well, such as spring pads and pitfalls. Some of the larger gaps had floating platforms acting as stepping stones in the sky to help her get across.

Amy ran into her first obstacle in the form of a spring pad pointed back. She had just come through a loop-de-loop when her momentum carried her right into a wall that had a spring pad attached. The BOING rattled in her ears as Amy was bounced back, and she nearly hit her head on the loop-de-loop ramp.

"Gah!" She used her hammer to steady herself. "I hate those things!"

Resuming her trek and ducking around the spring pad wall, Amy found a dead-end. However, along the walls were more spring pads, each set at an angle. Using them as stepping boards, Amy bounced up the walls, eventually reaching the top. As she stood up, the pink hedgehog saw a glint in the distance, and knew that it was the Chaos Emerald.

Running forward, Amy felt the floor fall out beneath her and jumped just in time to avoid going into the trap door. While she could feel time running out, Amy knew she couldn't make a rash decision that would cost her the Emerald. Taking out her hammer, Amy used it like a blind man's cane, tapping the floor to feel out more trap doors. While she hurried as fast as she could, Amy was forced to zig-zag as her method found quite a few hidden pitfalls. Soon enough she found herself at a wall. Looking about frantically, she couldn't see any footholds or things to grip onto. Looking down for a hidden spring pad, Amy saw an incline connecting the floor to the wall. Knowing that she didn't have time to really ponder, Amy stepped onto the incline, and found herself going up the wall!

This was the home stretch, Amy could feel it. Running faster and faster, Amy found herself being pulled up by something more than her own speed. It was if she was falling, just in the wrong direction. As she ran/fell, Amy could see spring pads popping up on the wall. If she hit one, she would lose time and the Special Zone would collapse before she got the Emerald. Since it was impossible to slow down, Amy tried to steer herself by kicking the wall at an angle, pushing off in directions away from the springs. It wasn't easy, as her momentum seemed to increase with each passing pad. Nonetheless, Amy managed to reach the top…er, bottom…well, she managed to reach the next floor with only a minor headache from trying to figure out which direction she had gone in.

And there it was. The Chaos Emerald, floating atop a pedestal, glowing with a light-blue aura. Taking a deep breath, Amy stepped forward, and then stopped. She looked around suspiciously. So far, she didn't see any monsters akin born of a mutant aquarium. The dark-purple things would stand out in the white environment. Still cautious, Amy reached forward and took the Emerald. She tensed, preparing for some inevitable disaster or attack.

But it never came. The Special Zone vanished.

Several hours before Amy entered the Special Zone, the military had left Einzbern Castle. Commander Topaz offered to transport Shirou, Kin, Illya, and the maids back to Fuyuki, as the Castle was clearly in no condition to live in. Some hypnosis from Illya changed her opinion, and after the various trucks and jeeps were well away from the Boundary Field did the Masters stop holding their breath.

"God, that was terrible," Rin sighed, sitting down on a broken chair. "I thought they would never leave."

Shirou looked up at the Castle, damaged and cracked from the battle. "Maybe we should have accepted Topaz-san's offer. I'm worried that this place will fall apart any moment."

Illya laughed, "Don't worry about it, Onii-Chan! With my power, restoring this Castle will be easy, not to mention that Sella and Leysritt are already hard at work with the repairs."

"Besides, Shirou, this is still an ideal place to make our preparations," Rin said, straightening up. "If we go back to Fuyuki now, we won't be able to face Caster."

Shirou nodded. With all the excitement caused by Eggman, he had almost forgotten why they had come to Illya's Castle. "So, I guess you two are still going to help Tails make his…Anti-matter Emerald? What should Sonic and I do?"

"Did someone mention me?" Sonic asked as he ran into the courtyard. He had a sack full of robot parts held by both arms. Next to him was Berserker, who was carrying the Tornado over his head. The giant Servant was looking off to the side at Sonic, who was trying to direct Berserker on letting the plane down gently. "Trying" being the key term.

"…Okay, just put it down slowly." Tails said holding out his hands. He mimed the intended action, hoping that would be understood by the brute. "Slow-ly. Don't squeeze it! We just got the dents out…"

"The big guy stopped by and told us that the Military was moving out," Sonic explained, "Actually, he didn't really say anything, he just picked up the Tornado and took it back here."

Illya nodded. "When Commander Topaz began moving her troops out of my castle, I sent Berserker to fetch you. He's not very eloquent, so the only way he can communicate is by action."

"Maybe next time you should just give him a note," Sonic commented, and looked around. "Man, if I didn't know better, I'd swear this place looked better before the MIBs played housekeeper."

"The military searched the castle for more Badniks," Shirou explained, "I think they may have been a bit excessive."

"'Excessive' is how armies roll," Sonic said, "If they don't spend their budgets, they'd have to take a paycut."

Shirou couldn't help but laugh a little bit. Sonic's logic was an amusing mix of cynicism and biting humor.

"I'm gonna give this place another quick runaround, just to see if there are any more surprises left over," Sonic said, "As soon as night falls, I'll go back to Fuyuki and search for Amy again. Maybe I'll catch her before Caster does."

"Hold it," Rin said, getting up. "If you go running around Fuyuki, Caster might get ahold of you. If that happens, our chances of beating her will go from 'hard' to 'impossible.'"

"Relax, I've got a trump-card," Sonic fished into one of the bags and pulled out some kind of rod. It looked like a pendant. "Tails said this can make me immune to magic, right?"

Rin pursed her lips in thought. "I wouldn't go that far. At the very least, it should heighten your natural resistance to mental assaults."

Illya blinked. "Hmm? What is that?"

Rin smirked. "Oh, just a special talisman I invented using the Power Rings. It's supposed to shield the wearer from offensive Magecraft."

"Is that so?" Illya took the pendant from Sonic's hand and examined it. Curious, she put it around her own neck.

"...Oh, and that protection comes at the cost of inhibiting the wearer's Magecraft aptitude," Rin continued smugly, "As they say, a door swings-"

Rin was cut off by the soft thud of a body hitting the floor. Everyone stared in shock at Illya's prone form. Berserker let out a roar of rage, charged off, and rammed headlong into a nearby wall. The rubble was only halfway to the ground when Sonic pulled the pendent off of Illya. Shirou went over and helped his 'little sister' up, holding her in his arms. He shook her gently, trying to get a reaction.

"Illya? Illya, are you all right?" Shirou asked, concerned. "Illya!?"

Illya stirred, and slowly opened her eyes. "O...Onii-chan?"

Shirou sighed, relief flooding into him. Sonic had walked over to Rin and gave her the pendant, who looked at it in confusion.

"What happened to you?" Rin asked Illya. "When Archer tried it on, all it did was make his body heavy."

"Erm... I don't know..." Illya said, "I began to feel weak, and then..." Her eyes began to sparkle. "You were there, Onii-chan..."

Rin felt a vein appear on her forehead. Why, that little-! She was faking it!

Shirou would have thought the same, yet his close proximity to Illya meant he could check her heartbeat. It was getting faster, but still rather faint. Had Illya been feigning her fall...?

"The point of the pendants are to disrupt the flow of magic power," Tails said, walking over. "Maybe you're health was augmented by a spell. Were you ever real sick once?"

Illya frowned, deep in thought. Then, she pushed herself out of Shirou's arms and stood up.

"It's nothing to worry about," She said, sounding less like a child than she normally did. "We should focus more on preparing for our attack on Caster's workshop."

"But..."

"I said, let's get to work!" Illya shouted, almost desperately.

"O...okay," Tails agreed hesitantly, "Um, I've got some designs for tools we'll need..."

As Tails continued to talk, Rin looked back and forth from the pendant to Illya. There was something more to the little Master, something the Einzbern child didn't want anyone else to know about.

Well, at the very least, we have a way of bringing down Illya when our alliance ends. Rin thought. After all, there was still the rest of the War to think about. Just because Illya agreed to work with them now, it didn't mean she would keep it up after Caster was beaten. Until one of their Servants were dead, they were still enemies, just currently operating under a truce. When the time came, they would betray each other.

She would not abandon the goal of the Tohsaka Clan simply because of a soap opera plot twist. Sister to Shirou or not, Rin would not forget that.

Zouken had experienced a fair share of twists in his life as a mage, but right now the situation with the Shadow was by far the most exasperating. Sakura's session in the worm pit was ultimately pointless. While the Crest Worms had attached themselves to Sakura's body, they had become completely consumed by the Shadow the minute they entered her. In trying to instill a control over Sakura, Zouken had inadvertently gave the Shadow more Prana to absorb!

"Just give it a rest, Grandpa."

Zouken slowly turned around. He had to move slowly, as it his age a sudden movement might snap his brittle frame in two. There, standing against the wall of his study was Avenger, still in the form it had taken during the attack Eggman led on the high school. Zouken cursed whatever cruel fate had deigned to grant the Shadow with the power of the Assassin-class' True Concealment.

"I mean, I let you put on a little show for our audience, but I'm afraid that you're going to put my dear, sweet Master into an early grave," Avenger continued, examining his nails. "So, I think it's time to be shuffling off."

Avenger began to rise, and Zouken realized that his life was now in danger. While he had technically died numerous times over the centuries, that was merely the breaking down of a physical body. Every time his own body failed, his Crest Worms would consume another human, allowing Zouken to resume his life by making their body his own. Unfortunately, the Shadow had been designed to consume Prana itself. He would literally

But Zouken had not gotten this far by using his abilities like a crude club. He knew how to negotiate. And how to put on a good poker face.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand my intentions, Avenger," Zouken said, "I am only trying to ensure that the Holy Grail forms without fail."

"And just what do you mean by that?" Avenger asked, raising an eyebrow. He actually rose it too high, making it look like his face was stretching.

"I have noticed that you have been sending your...familiars around to consume the Mana of the townspeople," Zouken said cautiously, knowing he was on thin ice. "This may expidite the process, but your actions are drawing too much attention. If the Mage's Association gets wind of what is happening in this city, they will send their Enforcers to put a stop to everything. You need to be more...subtle...if you are to create the Holy Grail."

Avenger didn't react. His expression was unreadable...because the face had completely faded away. There was only a black surface under the hairline.

But then, a blood-red crescent appeared where the mouth should be. A strange, distorted laugh could be heard.

"Heh heh heh...Is that what you're worried about, Zolgen?" Avenger asked, "And poor, naive me, thinking you were just trying to put the two of us back under your leash!" The normal face returned, and he said, "You really haven't been paying attention, have you? I'm not feeding on the humans, I'm attacking them. There's a difference."

Now it was Zouken's turn to raise his eyebrow. "You... you're only attacking people? You aren't draining their Mana?"

Avenger chuckled, and held out his hand. A bulge appeared in his armpit, traveled along his arm, and out from his palm was a purple gem. Zouken could feel the power emitting from it like the heat from a giant bonfire. It was all he could do not to drool.

"This little baubel is alllll the power I need," Avenger taunted, fully aware of the Emerald's allure to the old Mage. "Everything else is just a little...sport. Something to keep the others preoccupied while I set up the final stage."

Avenger let the Emerald dangle by a tendril of flesh protruding from his palm. It swung slowly through the air, only a mere foot off of the ground. Despite his best efforts to control himself, Zouken couldn't help but find his eyes drawn to the gem. Its presence called to his Mage senses like a siren's song. Being around it was like spending your entire life in the cold, and then finding a single bonfire. Or taking a deep breath after nearly drowning. Zouken could have come up with more analogies, but the sheer toxicity of Avenger's presence stifle the Mage's thought processes.

The Shadow pulled the Emerald back into his body. "I think I've established how things are going to go from here," Avenger said, sinking into the floor like a melting snowman. "Just take a nap, old man…the next generation are going to finish what you could never complete."

And just like that, Avenger was gone. But Zouken knew the Shadow was still lurking close by, hiding with Assassin's Presence Concealment. However, he now had other matters to attend to. He had to obtain a Chaos Emerald. He didn't care how. If he could only find just one…

And then Zouken's mind caught up with him. "What did he mean by 'audience'?"

Outside the Matou Manor, Avenger looked up at the sky. The wild blue yonder was far too clear for his liking. But he knew that dark clouds would be on the horizon.

Go find another Chaos Emerald for me, Zolgen. Having two at a time would be too much for Sakura to handle, but maybe if the flow of power came from multiple directions...

And far, far away, Sakura clutched her heart.

At the Einzbern Castle, things were picking up. Once they had gotten their instinctive urge to one-up and belittle each other out of their system, Rin and Illya were dilligent Mages. With help from Tails, they worked together to create an oppositely-charged Chaos Emerald replica, a process that turned out to be more explosive than they hoped. While Tails had the mathmatical formula ready, it was a method meant for a technological aparatus than a Magecraft ceremony. The energies of the Chaos Emerald were difficult to master, and while both girls managed to avoid hurting themselves (again, in Rin's case), trying to reverse and contain the power put a few more craters in the Einzbern's land.

While Tails, Illya, and Rin tried to find a way to invert the energy of the Chaos Emerald, Shirou and the maids were hard at work with construction. With the left over robot parts and designs loaned by Tails, the three of them built tools and weapons that would be needed for their assault on Salem. Shirou was currently helping with some sort of energy cannon that was supposed to be fitted around the arm. While Sella and Leysritt refined the scrap and circuitry into parts, Shirou assembled everything together. It was a different experience, building something new. Before, Shirou had only repaired things. It was just a matter of making sure the fixed product was identical to how they were scanned with Structural Analysis. Creating, on the other hand, meant he had no scanned image to complete. It was like walking in the dark, where each step only created a small light. It was almost exhilarating, entering new territory.

"You're really enjoying yourself playing with that, aren't you, Emiya-kun?"

Shirou looked up and saw Rin walking up to him. His classmate looked tired, and her hair, although still tied in pigtails, was frazzled. She was accompanied by Illya, who's appearence also held a similar effect. Upon seeing Illya, both of the maids ceased their two-man assembly and stood at attention.

"We're taking a break before trying to make the Fake Emerald again," Illya declared, and ordered her maids, "Please prepare some snacks."

"Yes, Lady Illya," Both ladies replied, and left the room.

"They've been working hard themselves," Shirou pointed out, "Shouldn't they have a break as well?"

Illya shrugged, and sat down on a pillow. She gestured for Shirou to do likewise on an adjacent pillow. "Don't worry, Sella and Leysritt have more than enough energy to do their regular chores and make...whatever it is you have."

"It's an energy cannon," Shirou explained, looking at the incomplete weapon. "According to Tails, it's supposed to shoot balls of condensed kinetic force at the target."

Rin harrumphed, and sat down on the pillow Illya had been saving for Shirou. Illya gave Rin a glare that could have melted stone, but the high school girl just ignored her.

"Only a Mage of your caliber would get excited playing around with a piece of metal." Rin said shortly.

Shirou looked at his fellow ex-Master. "Actually, that's something I wanted to ask you about. You said seemed pretty upset when I first started helping with the Tornado. What's wrong with a Mage using advanced technology?"

"Emiya-kun, didn't your father tell you anything about proper Magecraft values?" Rin asked, exasperated.

"No," Shirou replied simply, "All he taught me was a few spells. That's all."

Rin sighed, and said, "A true Mage is supposed to be beyond normal technology. Our goal is to seek and understand the arcane power that flows through the world and ourselves. Whatever convience modern machinery has will never surpass the tools our Magecraft has already made," She drew herself up proudly, "Amoung the Tohsaka Clan's possesions is a special apparatus that allows flawless communication between two points, all without electricity and regardless of distance!"

To Shirou, that sounded remarkably useful. However, he had one concern. "What if you want to call someone else?"

Rin frowned, making a noise like rocks being put through a blender. She looked away, clearly unable to come up with an answer.

"I'm not saying a Mage's tools are inferior," Shirou went on, "But I think we shouldn't disregard mechanical devices out of hand if they can help us even the odds."

As they were talking, Shirou fitted the last component onto the cannon. Fitting the device around his arm, Shirou took aim. The barrel began to glow, and a burst of light shot out, striking a piece of wall with a loud bang.

"Wow…" Shirou murmured, and looked back at his new weapon in wonder.

Behind him, Rin and Illya's eyes widened. While they had seen Eggman's weapons in action, seeing a similar device wielded by one of their own was…unsettling. The eager expression in his eyes did nothing to alluviate their unease.

"Just like Papa…" Illya sighed, lying back. "He preferred to use weapons instead of Magecraft, too."

Rin glanced at Illy. This was the first she had mentioned Kiritsugu since the confrontation over the photo album. She wondered what kind of Mage the Einzberns would trust with winning the Holy Grail's wish in their name. She found it a bit incredulous that someone involved with such an ancient line would be so...unorthodox.

Illya looked up wistfully. "They even summoned the very same Servant..."

Shirou looked at Illya suddenly. The buster cannon slowly slid off of his arm. Around the corner, Sella and Leysritt wheeled in a cart of various snacks and drinks. Under the cart, Tails had a cookie in his mouth as his tails flicked casually.

Sonic was right...this place is a soap opera!

Sonic raced through the streets of Fuyuki, stopping only when it seemed like a military patrol might spot him. There were more and more armed squads in every section of the city. Sonic privately hoped that Eggman's presence wouldn't provoke the creation of a parallel to G.U.N in this universe. It was bad enough Shirou and Rin had to worry about a bad bunch like the Mages Association.

Unless the Association is the local G.U.N… Sonic thought as he held out his arm.

The Blue Blur's caught hold of a street lamp pole, and after five spins at the corner, shot off down the right. Sonic checked his GPS and took another left after a bit. It wasn't long before he arrived at the bridge where he first met Shirou, Rin, and Saber.

Hope Saber's doing okay. From what Shirou told me, she was able to resist a little when Caster tried using the Command Seals…maybe she can hold out until we rescue her.

Sonic raced up one of the bridge's suspension suspenders. Once he was at the top, Sonic took stock of his surroundings. His GPS had a map of Fuyuki, and he could have easily just checked it, but Sonic liked getting a lay of the land with his own eyes. Squinting, he looked in the direction of the Ryuudou Temple. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw a faint glowing light surrounding it. Shaking his head, Sonic turned his attention towards his intended direction; Fuyuki Church. Although it was faint, he couldn't see anything dangerous between him and the Church.

With a nod, Sonic began to roll down the bridge, and used the momentum to flung himself onto the rooftops. Landing on his feet, Sonic began to run, jumping from one building to another. As he moved, Sonic heard the faint sound of small turbines and narrowly darted aside. The spot he had been running in exploded shot by an unseen gun. Sonic looked up and saw a small Buzzbomber flying after him. With a roll of his eyes, Sonic spun on his heels and destroyed the Badniks with a Homing Shot. As a pigeon flew away, Sonic resumed his journey.

It was funny that there were Eggman's robots still crawling around the city. You'd think the military would be focused on destroying any Badniks they could find. Sonic saw a Crabmeat carrying what looked like a stray cat in one of its pincers down at the street level. Hopping down, Sonic smashed the robot crustacean and then used a traffic light as a way to return to the rooftops. As much fun it had been to zip between alleys, life in the city tended to be a bit too constricting for his liking. While Sonic had no problem bouncing off of walls and other structures, and sometimes went out of his way to do it, some people always got annoyed when he was careening around a metropolis. On the roofs, at least, he had the open sky to feel free in.

Sonic ducked as a spiked ball flew at his head. An Orbinaut! There were still three more balls flying his way, but Sonic easily maneuvered around them and turned the smooth metal sphere into jagged scrap. A raccoon critter scampered free.

Sonic kept encountering Badniks as he sped across the city, but they didn't slow him down. In short order he arrived at the Fuyuki Church. Sonic a slight ripple across his fur that told him he had entered the Boundary Field, and braced himself. He expected that Kotomine would show up for a fight.

What he didn't expect was a smoldering shell of building. Windows had been shattered. Gashes had been made in the grounds around the building. In the cemetery behind, several tombstones and grave markers had been knocked over, smashed, with bits of skeletons hanging over the place.

Sonic went inside the building to find the interior was of a similar condition. The pews had been completely demolished, the various ornaments were knocked over, and only the podium were the Bible was laying on remained undisturbed.

What happened here? Sonic thought. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he called out, "Sanctuary!"

At first, nothing, then something.

The floor beneath Sonic lit up as letters from a bygone era appeared in a circle around him. Sonic zipped out of the circle just in time to avoid a great , skeletal hand bursting from the ground. The hand was followed by the rest of the skeleton, a massive collection of bones that as roughly the size and girth of Berserker, minus the chiseled flesh. In the eye sockets, purple fire burned.

Sonic instantly recognized what was happening. Looks like Caster was here before me!

Chaos Magecraft Familiar: "Dragon Tooth King"

The Dragon Tooth King lunged at Sonic, sweeping its claw-like hand across the room. Sonic hopped over the attack, and began to run up its boney arm. He launched a Homing Shot that rattled the skull, but aparently did no damage. Landing on the floor, Sonic zipped around as the Dragon Tooth King tried to retaliate by slamming both fists on the ground. While the impact caused a sizable tremor, Sonic easily avoided it by jumping at just the right moment and launched another Homing Shot! Apparently angry at missing, (it was hard to tell what a creature without a face was thinking), the Dragon Tooth King began to spin around, becoming a whirling tornado of bones and evil. The force of the Dragon Tooth King's rotation began to pull everything in- including Sonic! The Hedgehog immediately turned and began to run as fast as he could from the Dragon Tooth King's spinning. He had to duck and weave around debries being sucked in. Soon the Dragon Tooth King stopped spinning, and Sonic nearly ran head-on into one of the knocked-over pews. Curving around to avoid a collision, Sonic used his redirected momentum to slam himself into the Dragon Tooth King's side. The huge skeleton stumbled for a bit, then straightened and glared at Sonic. Sonic could tell it was glaring because the fire in its eye sockets had turned from purple to red.

"Hey, come on, now, don't be like that," Sonic said holding his hands defensively, "You attacked me first!"

Sonic ducked to the side to avoid a pair of giant boney fists coming down on his head. The Dragon Tooth King grabbed the pews and began to throw them at Sonic haphazardly. Sonic raced around the room to avoid being struck, as each thrown pew once the Dragon Tooth King ran out of the ammunition, he began to spin around again. Rather than run away like he did before, Sonic ran to the skeleton before its revolution speed became unbearable. Leaping up towards the neck, Sonic grabbed the Dragon Tooth King's head and used his momentum to spin it around in the opposite direction. This caused the skull to unscrew and it actually flew off and crashed onto the floor! The rest of the Dragon Tooth King lost its balance and fell down with a clatter. Sonic landed a few feet away, ready for whatever trick was next. Because a magical skeleton didn't just fall to pieces and not do anything to retaliate.

He didn't have long to wait. The skull floated up into the air, and bones from the remaining skeleton began to orbit around it, like an atom made of calcium and evil. The skull flew at Sonic, sending its orbiting bones out in offense. Sonic slide under the bones and then rolled to the side to avoid a femur that had been shot at him. More bones began to fly at him, so Sonic raced around the room to avoid being struck. Once enough bones had been thrown, Sonic landed several Homing Shot on the less-protected skull. Once he finished, the skull began to fumble throughout the air...before reassembling it's entire skeleton. A skeleton that once more began to throw pews at Sonic.

This thing is never going to stay down! Sonic thought as he dodged wood, There's gotta be something else I can do!

Sonic absent-mindedly reached into his left glove with his other hand and tugged at the Ring Pendent Rin made. He had stuffed into his glove because it felt on dangling around his neck as he ran. An idea then came to him. As the Dragon Tooth King lunged, Sonic zipped around its arms shot at its ribcage. Taking out the pendant out of his glove, Sonic jammed the artifact into the animated spine. Leaping away, the Hedgehog waited for a reaction.

Tails said the charm should disrupt magical energy, He thought, Hope it works on dem dry bones here!

However, the Dragon Tooth King didn't seem to feel any harsh effects from having the pendant jammed into its spine. It lashed out at Sonic, swinging its phlanges around in an arc. Sonic jumped up to avoid the strike, and slammed down onto the forearm. There was a horrible snapping sound as the bone broke in two. There was a pregnant pause as both Sonic and the Dragon Tooth King stared at the fractured limb, both expecting the pieces to reassemble. They didn't. Sonic felt a grin begin to form, and turned his eager expression at the Dragon Tooth King.

And it was clear that the skeleton didn't share Sonic new enthusiasm. It began to spin violently again, only this time the whirling tornado of bones began to move around the church! Sonic found himself being pulled left and right as he struggled to run away from the Dragon Tooth King's fierce revolutions. Inspiration struck and Sonic stopped running and curled into a Spin Dash. As he built up his own speed, Sonic's curled up form was slowly pulled towards the Dragon Tooth King. Before he could get too close to the cyclone of bones, Sonic released the Spin Dash. The speed enhancement from both the tornado and the Spin Dash shot Sonic directly past the Dragon Tooth King's spinning form and at the wall. Running up towards the ceiling, Sonic pushed off and leapt back. Having reached a height further than the spinning Dragon Tooth King, Sonic was directly above the skeleton…and then slammed down onto it! The impact shattered the Dragon Tooth King instantly. The bones that weren't scattered by Sonic's attack began to writhe, as if made of living rubber. But, they too began to decay and turn to ash. The creature dissolved, becoming the nothing it sprang from.

Sonic stayed tense, ready for anything. When nothing happened, he let himself relax. Going over to where the Dragon Tooth King had been, he retrieved his pendent. Seeing an open door (Well, it was technically open. A more accurate description would be "Barely hanging by its hinges), Sonic went to check it out. The Church's inner sanctum had more hidden rooms than he reckoned with. Most were empty and unlocked, built from stone. They looked far older than the main church above. The overall effect of the underground sections reminded Sonic of a Castlevania game he once played. There was even a wine cellar, but the casks had been empty for years, apparently.

"Hello?" Sonic called out, "Kirie Kotomine? Yo, Mr. Preacher!" No response. Sonic rubbed his the bottom of his nose in thought. Hmm, no answer, but no trace. Did Caster take him prisoner, or…

Caster moaned softly. With her head lying in his lap, Souichiru gently stroked the witch's forehead. Although his expression was without emotion, his touch was gentle. However, there was a bead of sweat running down his face. Caster tapping into the Chaos Emerald's power enhanced her Magecraft considerably, but using so much of it proved to be incredibly taxing. So much that he had felt a bit of the pressure and heat himself through their connection as Master and Servant. After transforming her lair underneath the Shrine and then attackingthe church, the Witch of Betrayal had hit her limit. All she could do was rest and recover through the Ryuudou mountain leylines.

Souichiru wished he could do more to help Caster. After he had left the organization, his life had been completely empty. It was only after finding Caster- A Servant who had killed her original Master -on the verge of death making a contract that he began to feel a sense of meaning in his existence. And he would see it through to the end.

Kuzuki looked up. While he could neither hear, see, smell, or even feel a disturbance in the flow of air, some sixth sense, born from his training as an assassin, told him he wasn't alone anymore. And he knew exactly who it was.

"Go back to your patrol, Archer." The school teacher said firmly.

In his astral form, the bowman shuddered, turned around, and left the chamber. Back in his own time period, Kuzuki Souichiru had always been intimidating, but that moment was truly unnerving. And he needed his nerves to be calm as ever if he was to go forward.

Archer began to march around Caster's lair, preparing himself mentally for the battle to come. Tomorrow night she would invoke the ritual that would create the Holy Grail from the Chaos Emerald and Saber. And that was also when Sonic and Shirou's group would attack, to retake Saber and the Emerald. It would be a battle to remember. Unfortunately, it would be a losing one. Unless someone broke the rules…

I am the bone of my sword.

The minute Amy jumped into the Special Zone, the tension in the air- already at the viscosity of pea soup -developed a thickness akin to wet cement in the July sun. Bazett and Rider did their best to keep eaxh other in their sights without actually looking, an act Rider, thanks to her blindfold, excelled at. The world of professional Magecraft was rife with treachery, where alliances were made and broken depending on the flow of power, both actual and political. With Amy's presence came a reminder that life was not all double-crosses and feigned alliances. She embodied a purer, more wholesome way of life. And her absence was akin to dosing a lantern in a dark celler.

And so the two women stood in stoic silence, both on-guard for an outside attack or internal strife turned deadly. Luckily, they didn't gave to wait long. Amy reappeared in a flash of light, holding the Chaos Emerald.

"That was a weird Special Zone," She declared, and held up her prize. "But nothing this cute Hedgehog couldn't handle!"

Even with her blind fold on, Rider could see the Chaos Emerald ' s brilliant light. The raw, untapped energy wasn't a mere candle in the darkness, but a strobe light piercing through the fog. And from she could sense was happening at Caster's lair in the Ryuudou Temple, the gem in Amy's hand was just the beginning. Channeling its power without harming Sakura would be tricky. However, she need to do so in order to gain Caster's help without risk of betrayal.

"Now that we have the Emerald, we should- Amy get away!" Bazett yelled in alarm. A shadowy form was appearing behind the pink Hedgehog.

Amy began to move, but Rider was already in action. She threw one of her chains at the newcomer, impaling it instantly with the spiked end. Rather than exploding like wanted, the Shadow just melted out of the weapon and onto the floor. It shot over to Amy and reformed, taking both the Emerald and the form of Avenger.

"Thank you very much, ladies," Avenger chortled, "I was wondering when another one of these world turn up."

That was as far as Avenger got when the head of a very large mallet collided into his. The Chaos Emerald fell from his grip and Bazett scooped it up instantly. She used her momentum to deliver a rune-powered kick into Avenger's chest, sending the Shadow flying into a wall.

"You're not getting this Emerald without a fight!" Amy declared, holding her hammer out like a sword.

Where did she pull that from? Rider thought as she rushed at Avenger. She gripped her Nameless Dagger and thrust it at the Shadow, intending to stab his heart…or where his heart should be. However, before she could connect, Avenger swept his arm at her leg, and something burst out of his hand. Rider felt a sudden pain in her thigh and leapt away.

"Is…is that coming out of his hand?" Amy asked, gaping.

There was indeed something coming out of Avenger's palm; The head of a spear. Avenger waved it around, a deranged smile on his face. Rider frowned, and focused some of her Prana to regenerate her leg. There was plenty of Mana to absorb, from her connection to Sakura and the "background radiation" of the Chaos Emerald.

Avenger held up his hand and tapped the tip of the spear coming from the palm with his finger. "I remember this. Can't believe Lancer destroyed it himself..."

That made Bazett freeze. Lancer destroyed his own spear? But that was impossible! No Lancer, in fact, no Heroic Spirit would intentionally break their own Noble Phantasm. Unless compelled to do so by their Master. Did Kotomine force Lancer to weaken himself?

As Bazett tried to figure this out, a small figure leapt from the shadows. It was one of Avenger's twisted mutant summons! The creature, which looked more like a slug with an eye sticking out of its back, jumped at the Mage and snatched the Chaos Emerald from her hand. Then, as its single eye began to glow, the slug-thing raced out of the building, going far faster than a gastropod had right to.

"No!" Amy shrieked, "Come back, you slimy sneak! That's our ticket home!"

Amy took off after the demon-slug, with Bazett right behind. Rider was tempted to follow them both, but she knew she had to deal with Avenger. The corrupting Servant leered at her nastily, his entire body becoming like the shadow he posed as. Only his eyes remained as a red aura enveloped his form.

Looks like I'll have to just trust those two to get by on their own, Rider thought as she prepared herself. She suddenly felt a sharp pain through her leg...the same leg that Avenger stabbed before. Wh-what...!? I thought I healed this! What's going on?!

Seeing Rider's shock and discomfort made Avenger chuckle. It sounded like it came from the bottom of the sea. There was also a squelching sound as the spear was pulled further from his hand.

"Oh yes," Avenger sneered, "Can't believe ol' Diarmuid would do it..."

Avenger took hold of the spear, and broke the head off of the handle that was growing from his palm. He twirled it a bit, intending to use the weapon as a dagger. Rider instantly threw her actually Dagger at Avenger, aiming for his head. Avenger melted back into a puddle, ducking under the weapon. The puddle slithered over to Rider and reformed into Avenger, who attacked. Rider used the chain of her weapon to block the attack, then wrapped it around the spear and pulled, hoping to disarm her enemy. Instead, Avenger's arm just stretched like silly-putty! Rider sensed Avenger's hand beginning to disolve and melt around her own fingers, and quickly released him to get the gunk off. Splattering on the ground, the bits returned to Avenger.

"You know, I've been thinking," Avenger murmured, "All of this otherworldly energy is giving the Master a headache. Maybe she'll get better with a little local flavor."

I can't take him...it...lightly anymore... Rider realized, and reached for her blindfold. Hopefully the Mystic Eyes of Death would help win the battle. But just as she undid the blind, Avenger vanished from the area. Wha-? Where did he go!?

Rider looked about furiously, extending her senses to their utmost in hopes of catching her quarry. Had it been teleportation? He had come onto the scene unnoticed just as quickly...

Rider suddenly felt Avenger's presence behind. Whirling about (Sending making her leg hurt again), she slashed at Avenger, causing his body to splatter like a being made of liquid. However, her leg's condition meant Rider couldn't move properly, and so her spin sent her tumbling away as Avenger reformed. As she righted herself (Ow, ow, this leg, that spear) Rider shot a glare at Avenger, only to find that he had vanished again.

This...this fight's going to go back and forth until one of us slips up. I'm a better fighter, but Avenger seems to gain new abilities the longer he lives. I'll need to bring out that...forgive me, Sakura.

Rider stabbed herself, and blood began to pour out of her body. The drops of blood, instead of falling to the ground, swirled into the air, forming a Magecraft circle. Using the blood as a nexus, she called forth a beast from the Age of the Gods. As a member of the Rider-class, taming it would be simple. But that alone wouldn't be enough to crush Avenger.

"Bellerophon!"

Outside, Amy and Bazett were involved in probably the most frantic game of cat and mouse ever. One would think that catching the demon-slug that stole the Chaos Emerald would be a simple matter, but there were several complications. The slime trail it left as it slithered all around the pavement was heated, to the point where it could probably fry an egg. This meant that the two ladies had to be very careful while chasing after the slug. Furthermore, the slug seemed to be attracting more demonic monsters around, and whenever one met the other, they merged, becoming bigger, more violent, less willing to just retreat.

"No, no, no!" Amy yelled, bringing her hammer down on another starfish that wandered onto the battlefield. "Stay away, you little freaks!"

Bazett, meanwhile, dove once more at the slug, only to miss and burn herself on the trail it left. Hissing curses of pain under her breath, the Enforcer flipped back up just in time for another miniature demon to merge with the slug. The abominable thing was now half of her own size. It then began to spin around like a tornado made from pulsing flesh. It whirled towards Amy, who darted to the side to avoid it. Jumping into the air, the pink Hedgehog slammed her hammer onto the top of the creature, only to be rebuffed by the rotations. However, when the slug began to slow to a stop, she threw herself at the beast and whacked it with the force of a hockey player's slap shot. The creature went flying…right in the direction of yet another starfish, that was consumed instantly. The thing was now equal to Bazett in height.

"Darn it!" Amy cried, slapping her forehead in frustration.

With a weary sigh, Bazett activated her runes and charged at the creature. Thankfully, every time it grew, the thing seemed to lose its maneuverability. And now it was a bigger target. Sweeping her leg out, she landed a powerful kick, enhanced by her runes, and struck the thing right where it's stomach should be. Or more specifically, the glowing spot on it's faux-stomach. The force of Bazett's blow caused the creature's opposite to explode open…and a certain glowing jewel to tumble out from the hole.

"I got it!" Amy yelled, diving at the Chaos Emerald. She held it up in victory! "Success!"

The warehouse exploded. A brilliant light shot into the sky. Amy and Bazett gaze upward at the figure soaring from the air.

"Is…is that a pegasus?!" Amy gasped, clutching the Emerald in shock.

And riding the pegasus, holding a set of reins that looked like they were forged by the Gods themselves, was Rider herself. With her blindfold off, displaying her piercing gaze for all to see, she looked every bit like one of the Four Horsemen.

Bazett was just as amazed as Amy was, but for a different reason. While the pegasus was a fantastic beast, to be sure, she knew that no ordinary Servant could bring forth such a creature. And only a Servant from the Age of the Gods would have the strength of will to put the beast under her control.

Rider tugged at the reins, and her steed dove down at the warehouse. The flying horse was like a shooting star, moving at speeds on par with Sonic. Rider knew that maybe, just maybe, she was overdoing it. The fantastic beast wasn't something to be thrown at a single enemy. On it's own, it was just a docile animal. But when its spirit was egged on by the bridle, It had the kind of power that could decimate armies. But Avenger wasn't an ordinary opponent. With her own agility hindered by the Shadow's curse, she would have to settle for overwhelming strength.

The pegasus colided with the warehouse, and tore through the building as if it was made of paper. Rider directed her steed back into the air and surveyed the damage. She knew that Avenger could probaly use its Assassin-like powers to escape. But he wouldn't. The Shadow was, at its core, hungry. Hungry for Prana. It had expressed an interest in consuming life force native to this world. The jewels from Sonic's world were potent, but also damaging. They were like steroids. In order to maintain a health existence, the Shadow would need to devour energy native to its world of origin. Avenger would never let the chance at the pegasus slip from his fingers. She dove the pegasus down again, this time obliterating the merged demon completely.

"Holy cow!" Amy gasped, "They don't do that on My Little Pony!"

"Something's wrong," Bazett cried, grabbing Amy by the arm. "Rider's totally lost control!"

It would certainly appear so. Rider swooped her pegasus around the area, destroying much of the scenery whenever she caught a glimpse of a dark shape wriggling. Whatever plan she had concocted was gone- only a desire to destroy the enemy that appeared before her.

The pegasus dove down at the area again, like a self-aware comet. This time they made a fissure in the street as the flying horse swooped upward. Debries and litter were tossed about

"Rider!" Amy yelled at the top of her lungs, "Calm! Down!"

But Rider didn't hear her. All she heard was a storm of pain, anguish, and sin brewing within her mind. She shot her gaze everywhere, hoping to catch sight of her prey. Amy tossed the Emerald to Bazett and ran out into the open, waving her arms in a hopeless bid to get her attention. Briefly, the Hedgehog's eyes met the Servant's- and so the pink one did freeze solid, becoming like stone.

"Arg-!" Amy's cries were silenced instantly.

"Amy!" Bazett yelled in alarm. She looked at Rider, her mind racing.

But Rider didn't notice either girls. She was suddenly aware that somehow, without her realizing, another presence had appeared on the pegasus. A horrible mass of warm, moving sludge threw itself on her back. As it began to pull Rider inside of it, Avenger's voice whispered, "Got...you..."

Rider screamed as she found herself being consumed. A tendril of goop stretched out and wrapped around her arms. When it reached the bridle, the entire set suddenly changed color, becoming a horrifying mix of red, purple, and black. The pegasus let out an unearthly shriek, and swooped back down again. Bazett realized that Amy was directly in the line of fire, and quickly reviewed her options;

1) Grab Amy pull her out harms way? Impossible, the pegasus was moving too fast to outrun.

2) Force Rider to redirect herself? Also impossible. There was no way a human could force a Servant to do anything without Command Seals. Even if she could keep up with the pegasus' speed.

Ultimately, it came down to how Bazett could beat pegasus to the punch. No matter what she decided, she wouldn't make it until Rider unwillingly ground Amy into Hedgehog-gravel. She realized that there was only one way to save her friend. Reaching into her suit, she pulled out a metal tube. Opening it up, she pulled out a metal blade, with a crystal ball at the end. On the section connecting the two, a metal ring with runes carved on the inside spun around. It was a special tool passed down through the Fraga clan, awarded to them for their faithful devotion to the Celtic Gods. It was a Noble Phantasm unconnected to a Heroic Spirit, one of the few left in the entire world. It was the ultimate trump card, the perfect counter.

As Bazett prepared launch the blade with her good arm, the Chaos Emerald in her other arm began to glow. Bazett felt a powerful heat surge within her, coursing through her Mage Circuits and into her weapon. Almost against her will, she punched the sphere and let the blade fly. A shockwave rippled through the area, the surroundings, the pegasus...

"Fragarach!"

Amy Rose was already dead. Bazett was too late. But when she fired her weapon, it was if the the univese went into the reverse. Time flowed backwards, and when it resumed, the one dying...was Rider.

Amy fell to the ground, her body returning to flesh. Confused, she looked around and saw Bazett on her knees, clutching her arm in pain. She still held the Chaos Emerald. The pink Hedgehog looked up and saw Rider's form dissolving into millions of tiny lights. Spark by spark, bit by bit, until she was gone.

However, she didn't see the half-form puddle of a man slinking off, melting into a storm drain.

That stings! Avenger thought as he crawled away. But at least I was able to get rid of Rider. Now that she's gone, this will go much, much, easier...

"All right, better luck next time."

Back at Shinji's motel room, Orbot shut off the communicator. The report he had gotten from Eggman was that the attack on the Einzberns Castle was unsuccessful. At least, that was what Orbot gleaned from the bad doctor's infuriated tirades, excuses, and many "I hate that Hedgehog"s. With a simulated sigh, Orbot tossed the Eggman Electric onto Shinji's bed. After Shinji staggered out of the room to clear his head after thirty-seven consecutive showers, he and Cubot were left to their own devices, which mostly consisted of watching daytime television and hiding when maid service came by to tidy up.

"You know, I think I like doing undercover work," Orbot commented, "At the very least, we- What are you doing?"

Cubot was currently pressing the side of his head against one of the walls adjacent you the door. It was an entirely aesthetic gesture, seeing as he didn't have proper ears. Nonetheless, Cubot held up a free hand while he cupped his other hand around his "ear".

"Quiet, I'm trying to eavesdrop." Cubot shushed.

Orbot stared at his counterpart. Then, with a shrug, he joined and mimicked Cubot. This was what they heard.

"…so I believed we fooled her. For now. I guess installing that secret passageway wasn't a silly idea after all."

"Of course. Nothing the King decides is incorrect."

The first voice had a reply to this, but it was so low that even the robots' finely designed sound receptors couldn't make it out. The only recognizable word was "Suction".

The second voice spoke again. "So? What word do you have from Lancer?"

Orbot and Cubot exchanged looks. "Lancer" was the name of one of the Servants in the Grail War.

"From what he's discovered, it seems there's been activity Near The Einzbern Forest. Eggman launched an attack on the Castle. From what he could observe, Eggman was forced to retreat."

"Repulsed by my dear Saber, and that silly little tanuki, no doubt."

"Actually, now that you mention it, there was mention that Shirou and Rin were there as well. You don't suppose they formed an alliance with Berserker?"

"Hmmm…"

There was a pause. The robots could vaguely hear the sound design of footsteps. One of the two men, or perhaps a third party that had not spoken yet.

The second voice spoke again. "If they think allying themselves with that unthinking brute and doll will do them any good, it will not hurt to let them try. But perhaps I should be prepared to make my own move..."

Cubot and Orbot looked at each other again.

"He sounds familiar." Cubot murmured.

To be continued

Einzbern Consultation Room

Taiga: Uhh...What? Where am I?

Irisviel: It's the Einzbern Consulation Room!

Taiga: Whaaaaat?! Shisho?!

Irisviel: That's riiight! Wow, Zecchan, you've grown so much! You're almost like an adult, now!

Taiga: Thank you, I- Wait! What do you mean, "Almost"! And what is this place!?

Irisviel: You mean you don't remember? This is the place where we help Servants that have fallen pass on to the Holy Grail. The last time we did this was ten years ago!

Taiga: Hmm, now that you mention it... Eh? Someone's coming!

Irisviel: Please welcome our first guest, the Servant Rider, Medusa!

Rider: ...Hello...

Irisviel: Rider, you are the first casualty to die in the Holy Grail War, just like in the Fate Route! How do you feel?

Rider: Terrible... I let that demon manipulate me, and I failed to help Sakura.

Taiga: You know, I wonder why you didn't go to Sonic and Shirou for help. They would have gladly supported you.

Rider: Shirou, maybe...but Sonic...he's too much like Perseus. Too arrogant for my liking.

Irisviel: Oh, so you were constrained by an ancient grudge? That's silly. Sonic may act selfish, but he's one of the greatest heroes in the universe. You should have given him a chance.

Rider: But why did I lash out like that? When Avenger cut me, I just got angrier, and angrier...

Irisviel: Zouken created the Shadow from the sludge of the Fourth War's Grail. That sludge contains all of the world's evil. As a monster-class Servant, you were far more vulnerable to its taint, especially since the two of you were connected via your bind to Sakura.

Rider: I'm not sure I like being reminded of how monstrous I am. Did Avenger get the Chaos Emerald?

Taiga: No, Bazett and Amy still have it. Which means that Caster has one, Sonic's group has one, Avenger has one, and now Amy and Bazett have one! Four down, three to go!

Rider: I should probably go myself. I'm not sure I want to stay here.

Irisviel: All right, have fun! And remember All will come to an end.

Taiga: Ehhh!?

Irisviel: Good bye, see you at the next session!