Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Four: Chaos in Fuyuki City

There it was…shining before his eyes. A beautiful, golden sword, a blade that glowed with its own

light… a glorious light, as great and powerful as the sun….

It intensified, growing ever brighter, until suddenly the light filled his world, blocking out all else…and then the light was gone, and left standing there was a woman, dressed in silver armor over a royal blue dress, with beautiful blond hair and eyes as blue as the sea. She stood there at the cliff's edge, staring out across the panoramic landscape, a sword in front of her, point in the ground, her armored hands resting on its hilt. That same, beautiful golden sword….

There was an intensity in the scene, a sense of belonging, of rightness, of familiarity. Somehow, that woman, that sword, were familiar to him, although he had never seen them before….

Shirô suddenly awoke. He sat up and stared at nothing. The image lingered in his mind. Suddenly he came to himself, shook his head, and put a hand up to it. "What…was that?" he murmured. Then he glanced at his clock. Almost time to get up anyway…he might as well get his day started.

8-8-8

Shirô was surprised by how normal the day was. He saw Rin at school—he was looking for her—but she seemed to be intentionally avoiding him. Of course, since they had no classes in common, it was difficult for their paths to cross, but….

There was no sign that anything had happened at school, no fight, no broken glass, no bloodstains—it was somewhat eerie, and was one of the reasons Shirô wanted to talk to the girl. Even Issei was surprised when he insisted he had to leave early that day.

However, as normal as the day at school had been, contrary to his expectations, the rest of the day was most unusual. He arrived home and was shocked to find that Rin was already there. There was luggage in the living room and she was bustling about in his kitchen.

"I was going to ask last night, but you really don't have much in the way of teas, do you?" she demanded before he could get a word in. "How disappointing. Darjeeling tea would be the best…I'll have to pick some up tomorrow sometime."

Shirô stared at her. "Tôsaka-san…what are you…?"

"Hmm? What, I did tell you we had to start your training today, didn't I?"

"No…that's not it…what's with the luggage?" Shirô insisted.

"What? That? I'm moving in, of course. You have plenty of room here, after all, and if we're going to be allies in rooting out the dark magic here, we should be in close proximity to maximize our safety. Your place is much nicer than the little apartment they saddled me with; all the holdings the magic society had here were lost in that disaster back then."

"Stay here? But…!"

"I already stated my reasons," Rin interrupted crossly. "What?" Suddenly her face took on a devilish smile. "Or…do I have to fear for my maidenhood, lodging here with you…? I never took you for such a wild animal, Emiya-kun…."

Shirô sighed and threw his hands up in defeat. "No…fine, then. You have made good points, I guess…the truth is, I really know nothing about this situation. I'll be relying on you for this, Tôsaka-san; I'm in your care."

"And I in yours. There; first, some tea, and then we'll see what we can salvage out of your magic training."

8-8-8

Rin set out a kind of wire tray, with a collection of old incandescent light bulbs carefully placed in it in an ordered series. "Reinforcement is a simple magic, but its simplicity serves well in combat," she explained. "It has many uses, for both weapons and yourself. So, let's see how you can do. Flimsy glass like this breaks easily; if you can make these bulbs strong enough to survive impacts from falling and being thrown, that would be a satisfactory starting point."

Shirô nodded as Rin presented his testing materials. He set the tray in front of him and stretched out his hand towards the first bulb, lowered his head, and closed his eyes. ('First, construct the magic circuit within yourself…let the magic flow through the circuit and then be projected into the world….')

Rin narrowed her eyes as Shirô prepared his spell. ('He's an utter novice, but he has no aids…no wand, no magic circle, no words he's reciting, not even subvocalizing; what is he doing?')

Then the magic kicked out into the world…and the light bulb shattered. Shirô stared at it in shock, and Rin made a displeased face. "What was that?" she demanded.

"I-I'm not sure," Shirô said. "I-I just…." He trailed off, confused himself. He usually didn't use Reinforcement on fragile glass objects like this, but it still should not have been a terribly difficult task.

"Well, try again," Rin sighed.

Shirô did so, with the same method of spellcasting, invisible to Rin, and the same result, as the second bulb shattered. Likewise did the third, the fourth, and more, and before too long every light bulb Rin had brought was broken.

Rin sighed deeply and cradled her forehead in the fingertips of her right hand. "I knew you were a novice, but this…it really defies words, Emiya-kun. I really don't know how to begin. Well, I guess there is one thing I can say about your efforts…what method are you using to cast the spell? Are you so confident in that spell you can perform it without word or gesture?"

Shirô looked at Rin, confused. "What do you mean? I'm simply casting the spell like my father taught me—constructing the magic circuit within me, letting it draw the magic in and send it out, and shaping the magic as it comes out of me."

Now Rin seemed utterly confused. "Construct…the magic circuit? What are you talking about? Magic circuits are part of our own personal inner 'mana system'—they carry the mana we draw in from outside and push out the mana we expend as we cast spells. What do you mean, 'construct one'?"

As Shirô thought about his father's instructions and sought for a reply, a short buzz from above distracted them. "Ah…that's the bell from the living room. What time is it? Past five already…that's Fuji-nee, come for dinner, obviously. I haven't even started it yet; I better get over there…if you'll excuse me."

He hurried out, Rin staring after him. Archer materialized with a chuckle. "Well, that was interesting. We're in trouble with this one…whether we try to depend on him, or just to protect him, he may be more harm than help." He glanced over at her. "Is something the matter?"

"Construct the magic circuit," Rin repeated. "Does that make any sense to you, Archer?"

"Hmm. Well, it's a deliberate way to gather mana if you practice it. It's something any novice can do, but not usually taught, because it takes great effort and time to complete; it's simply easier to learn magic through traditional means, wands, circles, gestures, words. But if you draw in the mana and mix it with your own, then turn that mana into a magic circuit to circulate through your body, it creates enough dominion over the mana that it can be shaped as desired when you emit it forth again, just as you would with words or circles. In addition, it's an entirely silent, undetectable means of working magic. You can't even tell he's begun casting until the spell is complete. Of course, from that position it's almost impossible to work towards mastering the magic, if you use that artificial circuit as your crutch to learn."

"I see…I do recall the theory, now, more a novelty than any useful magic technique. But, a father teaching his son to use magic subtly in normal society…it would be useful. Unfortunately, if that's the extent of his magical skills, he really won't be of much help…." She absent-mindedly picked up a shard of glass…and froze in shock. "What…is this…?"

Archer took it from her numb hand. "It's metal…steel," he muttered.

"Impossible," Rin whispered. "From Reinforcement…straight to Transmutation? With his skills? And on accident? Every single one of them…."

"Yes…he obviously wasn't trying to perform Transmutation," Archer agreed. "He's ignorant of the theory, but the magic used, even with his rough technique, was strong enough to break the bulbs from the speed and strength of the enchantment. A magic he's never used before…that he never knew existed…."

Rin turned to stare at the door. "What is he…?"

8-8-8

Rin suddenly strolled in while Shirô was in the middle of trying to placate the hungry and annoyed Taiga, and the older woman immediately began an uproar over finding the girl in Shirô's home. Surprisingly, Rin placated her quickly—going into a sob story about how an accident had befallen her place of residence and that, already a new and transplanted transfer student, she was left homeless in this strange city, with nowhere to go. Until, of course, the valiant gentleman Shirô had learned of her plight and, since his large estate had plenty of room, had offered her a place at his home, at least until she could find a new place for herself.

Shirô was almost sickened by how well Rin acted the part of the weak and helpless female. He was also unsure whether he should be put off or not by the ladies' mutual consent that, while young men and young women of high school age rooming so close together unchaperoned was normally grounds for concern, Shirô himself was distinctly 'harmless' in this scenario. It might be charitably taken as a mark of respect and admiration, but somehow the way the two discussed it made it seem like some kind of insult….

After Taiga had been placated, fed, and sent away, Shirô asked Rin, "You're really…planning on staying here?"

"Of course. I told you before, didn't I? This is most convenient, and for your safety, as well—if that Lancer fellow decided to come back for your life and we weren't around, you'd certainly be killed instantly. Also, we're both going to skip school tomorrow—it's obvious you need a lot more training and education before you'll be of even moderate use to me, so we'll need to start working on smoothing out your…bumps and inconsistencies."

Once again, Rin's authoritative declaration would brook no argument.

8-8-8

Again, the golden sword. Again, the noble-seeming woman. The same images, burning their intensity into his mind.

Again Shirô awoke with those images strongly prevalent. "The same dream…again…and right after…all of this?" He shook his head again. "My father once said…that dreams could be important to a mage…I wonder if there's some meaning behind this? Maybe…perhaps I should ask Tôsaka-san about it…."

8-8-8

Rin slept in and woke up late, revealing a new side to herself—the image she had given off at school in the short time she had been here had been that of a dedicated, intelligent, model student, but now that she was here at Shirô's residence, she showed her real colors. Shirô was soon convinced that she was lazy and negligent by nature, as she insisted Shirô attend to her needs 'as a proper host' and lazed about with little care of her appearance or attitude. Maintaining her façade was important to her at school, but apparently Shirô wasn't someone worth going to the trouble for. As has been noted, he was a dedicated young man who got an almost masochistic pleasure from doing work for others, but for the first time in his life he was tempted to deny his services to this insufferable girl. But in the end, he couldn't…although, at least for now, he decided he wouldn't trust her to interpret his bizarre dream.

Perhaps he was too critical—after breakfast, she went away to dress properly and returned more businesslike and respectable as she declared it time to begin Shirô's training. It was possible she simply wasn't a morning person. In any case, she led him, this time, to the dôjô, where Archer materialized with a pair of bokken—heavy, curved (relatively katana-shaped) wooden sticks, and handed one over to him. "We'll put the regular magic training aside for now," Rin said. "We'll see what you can do with what you have while you train with Archer. He'll teach you something about swordplay and using your body to fight, so that you can at least survive long enough in our future battles to possibly do something useful. Follow his instructions."

"Are you sure we have the leisure to do this?" Shirô demanded. "What about that mysterious sorcerer and his plans for Fuyuki City?"

"Right now, it's better not to pursue him," Rin countered. "Archer and I have set up wards all around the area that will go off if he tries anything nearby; if he does, we'll go out and try to stop him. For now, he's given us space, so we might as well use it."

And so began Archer's training with Shirô. Archer was a 'spirit', something that Shirô had not been taught anything about and therefore had difficulty understanding; in particular, it took him some time to get used to the spirit interacting with him as if he were flesh-and-blood. Archer repelled Shirô with disdain as Shirô attempted to fight with the few lessons of endo he remembered, using his bokken in just one hand. He was snide and cutting, almost vicious in his mocking commentary on Shirô's abilities, and he struck without remorse or mercy, knocking Shirô down hard and leaving him painfully gasping for breath.

In fact, it felt like Archer should be breaking his ribs and bones with the force of his strikes, but each time Shirô recovered with wonder and without any lasting or even noticeable injury; he silently chalked this up to the 'spiritual' nature of Archer, and instead focused his attention on trying to learn what Archer actually was trying to teach him in between his barbs.

"For mages, there are really two types of combat and two types of combatants," he explained. "Rin is a 'wizard', as they are sometimes called, a caster who prefers to sling spells at the enemy from afar. Those who prefer to fight up close and personal are called 'combat mages', usually, and they have to be more flexible with their magic. That spell of 'Reinforcement' you are practiced with can be useful in combat, in a variant more commonly called 'Enhancement'. You can use it on your weapon, making even a small stick or a rolled-up newspaper powerful enough to cripple limbs and snap bones, and you can use it on yourself as well, making your skin hard enough to resist injury, your legs fast enough to propel you out of harm's way, your arms strong enough to tear down walls. If you wish to contribute anything to this current magical crisis, if you wish to be more than a spectator or a victim, your only hope is to use your magic in this way."

It was easier said than done—Shirô's unique method of preparing his magic took a moment's dedicated concentration and was difficult to use in the throes of combat, and he felt frustrated with his lack of success as the beatings continued. Like the lightbulbs, it seemed he just couldn't get a handle on it, and he felt that the day was a waste as it approached later afternoon and Rin finally decided that the training for the day had been sufficient and sent Shirô off to shower. As Rin considered the day's exercise, however, she contemplated the fact that she had seen far more.

"That was awfully vicious, Archer," she chided her spirit as they watched Shirô depart. "I don't think I ever saw you that serious even in our hardest battles in Arcanus Myrror. Do you have something against Emiya-kun?"

"No…I can't really say that there's any reason," Archer said. "It's just instinct…I can't help but loathe him. Perhaps it is simple jealousy." He chuckled.

"Oh, do be serious. But still, did you have to hit him so hard? I was certain you broke his shoulder at least twice there and it looked like you had snapped his arm three times…."

"You did tell me to test his body…and it's just as you surmised. There is some exceptional, almost godlike level of magical regeneration working on him. After all, I was trying to break every bone I could, but the injuries healed almost as fast as I could break them, fast enough that he was healed before he even realized he had been seriously hurt. It certainly can't be your jewel; he has some other magical power inside him. It feels nostalgic, somehow, but I can't really guess what it is. Also, that intense magical power underneath it is starting to stabilize; he was actually working his Enhancement into the combat more cleanly with each passing strike, but he didn't seem to notice that, either."

"Yes, it's a rather uncanny talent," Rin mused. "It's unnatural…and almost unnerving. The only natural talent like that I've seen before is Kain Lockeheart, and he was a certified genius and the legitimate son of two heroes. Emiya-kun is nothing but a dunce by comparison, and his magical power outstrips his pitiful understanding. Somehow, my jewel seems to have awakened some sort of sleeping power within him…he never needed it before, so it lay dormant, but now…."

"I'm not sure we should continue this," Archer protested. "As ignorant as he is, he may prove to be a threat more than a help in the coming conflict."

"You really do have it out for him, don't you? Don't worry about it; it's not Emiya-kun's fault, after all. In any case…."

The chill feeling suddenly went through her, and silent alarms began to ring in her ears. She stiffened. "Archer! T-this is…!"

Archer nodded, curtly, his own levity and aggressive disdain replaced by cool composure and serious resolve. "Yes…a Necromantic, Death Magic-type spell. Someone has activated an enchantment to leech all life from the environs of your school…."

8-8-8

They began to head for the school, with Shirô in tow. Rin at first was unsure of whether she wanted to bring the neophyte mage along, but as she hesitated in the yard, briefly considering the matter, Shirô put the question to rest himself by exiting the building at that moment, a bokken in his hand. The look on his face said it all. "There's something…very wrong going on at the school, isn't there?" he demanded.

('He hasn't put up any wards…what kind of magic sense is that?') Rin shoved the thoughts aside and nodded. "Right. We better hurry there…something bad is happening, for certain."

They soon arrived at the school grounds. To them, a palpable haze drifted over the school, but any passersby seemed to notice nothing amiss. "W-what is this?" Shirô murmured.

"A death spell," Rin muttered back. "Everyone inside is in great danger. I've already contacted the nearest unit of the Magic Council, so they can conduct 'clean up' of this incident, but if we're going to save lives…it's up to us. I don't like rushing into unknown danger on the enemy's turf, but right now we have no choice. Let's go."

Rin ran through the gates onto the school grounds, pursued by Shirô…but she was less than a dozen steps in when a sudden shadow and flash of a blade descended upon her….

Rin dived and rolled aside, and in the instant she did, a new figure appeared to intercept the sudden attacker. Archer repelled the foe and stood staring at him in bemusement. "Well, how audacious…to ambush us as soon as we arrive. How sneaky, to attack a girl like that…."

The tall, thin man in the opulent Japanese robes smiled back. He was a truly handsome man, with long blue hair, including two long strands of bangs that framed his face and fell yet further, dressed in lavender and violet, and wielding a thin sword as long as he was tall. "Ah…skillfully deflected. For what it's worth, I apologize. In truth, I do not like such tactics myself…but I have been conjured into this world as one of Assassin class, so that was how I was commanded to defend this place. To me personally, settling this in a proper manner, between swordsmen, is far superior."

Archer chuckled. "You hear that, Rin? This man seems to have taken an interest in our fight. Leave this to me and head on inside." He dashed forward to match blades with the strange swordsman.

Rin nodded as she rose. "Right. Let's go, Emiya-kun!"

Shirô followed her as they ran for the building.

The blades whirled as the two spirits clashed. As they locked blades, Archer commented, "Well, it's no bother to me if you'd rather play than pursue them…but isn't eliminating threats still your highest priority?"

Assassin chuckled. "Well, it's certainly true…but I am allowed some leeway, since I am not the only servant of my master on these grounds."

"Yes…I thought so. In which case, I should try to finish this up quickly…."

8-8-8

Rin slowed as they entered the school building, hesitating and wary of traps, but Shirô exploded past her, eliciting a start of alarm from the girl, heading straight for his classroom. He hurried on, ignoring Rin's protests, and called out as he threw open the door: "Fuji-nee!"

The students were slumped over and lying still on their desks. Taiga lay face-down on the floor, but she managed to struggle and lift her head as Shirô rushed to her side. "S-Shirô…" she murmured. "A-ah…you're all right…thank goodness…I was worried…when you didn't show up this morning…." Then she closed her eyes and her head fell to the floor.

"Fuji-nee!"

Rin finally joined him. "She's weak," she murmured. "But we've arrived in time…it seems they're all still alive. If we can end this quickly, they'll be in no lasting danger. I can quickly use a spell to help them stabilize and resist this, and then we should…."

Shirô sudden rose, a hand extended…and grunted in pain as the object punctured his palm. Rin glanced up in surprise, her eyes swiftly taking in the pointed cylinder and the thin chain that adorned the end of it and following it up towards the woman in the short one-piece dress that held the other end of the chain. The woman had long magenta-colored hair and, apart from her skimpy outfit, had nothing else remarkable about her—save the visor-like mask that covered her eyes.

The woman yanked the dart free and Shirô gave another gasp of pain. Then, as Rin leapt to her feet, chanting a spell, the woman darted away down the corridor.

Shirô also hurried to his feet and started after her, crying for her to wait, but Rin hissed the same injunction Shirô's way. As Shirô turned to her in surprise, she continued, "We certainly have to chase her…but let her run and see where she goes. After all…if we started this battle right here, we'd be dragging all our schoolmates into it…wouldn't we? So let's not 'catch' her until she makes it to someplace that is more advantageous to us."

Shirô's face turned resolute and he nodded in agreement. As they hurried with a little more restraint and caution after the strange aggressor, Rin said, "Do you think you'll be able to fight?"

"Of course," Shirô agreed. "If I don't…Fuji-nee and Issei and the rest…they'll die, right? Never again…I won't let anyone else die…never again…."

It almost appeared as if the spirit was confederate with their desires to settle the fight in a freer arena—she made her way up to the roof and took up a defensive position there. Shirô and Rin regarded her warily as they came up after her and readied themselves for combat.

"You're inquisitive little mice," the woman murmured. "You should have run away…now I have no choice but to kill you and add your lives to the sacrifice."

"You…you're another magical spirit, aren't you?" Rin demanded. "And you're the fulcrum through which your master is casting this necromantic spell, aren't? All the so-called 'gas leaks' that have been afflicting this city…those, too, were your dirty work, weren't they?"

"You see well, little sorceress," the spirit replied. "You are skilled…but as my master thought, while admirable, you are no appreciable threat to our plans. But as a reward for your insight, I shall tell you plainly before I kill you. The previous incidents of 'gas' were indeed minor experiments, gathering a bit of energy and testing the response the Magic Council might give towards our actions. And now my master has given me the command to use this school as the ground for our first grand undertaking, to be the beginning of our harvests. And, since you have identified my attributes as a magical spirit, I shall give you a clue to my power and even tell you that my class is Rider."

"This…is the beginning of your 'harvests'!?" Shirô roared in anger. "This is you 'just getting started'!? You plan to take all these innocent lives, and you won't even be satisfied with that!? I won't allow it! I'll stop you here, no matter what!"

Rider smiled slightly, then dashed in, one hand holding that spike like a short sword and the other holding the length of chain that connected it. She thrust rapidly with her spike, and Shirô defended himself desperately with his bokken, already enchanted as he could with his magic. After a few seconds of this onslaught, during which Shirô could do nothing but parry, Rin suddenly snapped out a spell, and Rider was forced to jump back and avoid it. Shirô immediately took advantage, rushing forward to start his own offensive.

Rider, however, threw out the chain in her hand, wrapping it around Shirô's bokken just above his hands and even wrapping up around those hands with it. Shirô, shocked, was suddenly pulled in and Rider thrust forward, her spike aiming for his heart. He managed to get his weapon in the way to block, but Rider stretched her might against the oversized stick, pressing it harshly; then, as Rin began to chant again, she suddenly pulled Shirô up again and maneuvered him, leaving him between herself and Rin, all while maintaining her pressure against him. Rin cut off her chant, cursing, and tried to maneuver, but Rider kept her captive between the two women.

Finally, despite the Reinforcement he had used, the bokken shattered in Shirô's hands. As the spike moved in for the kill, he suddenly forced his hands up, bringing the spike into contact with her own chain, then hit her with a surprise shoulder rush, knocking her down and freeing him from the bind. He swiftly began to retreat.

"Not bad," she murmured as she rose. "But what will you do now, boy, without a weapon to face me?"

('That's very true,') Shirô thought. ('I don't have any chance unarmed…not even a chance of survival, let alone defeating her. Maybe…if I had the right weapon…maybe weapons…like those two swords he used….')

Rider dashed in again. Rin was again chanting a spell, readying something strong enough to penetrate the spirit's natural magic resistance, praying that Shirô would survive long enough for her to use it. Instead of fleeing before the charge, however, Shirô set himself to receive it. She nearly cut off her incantation to cry out in anger, fear, and despair….

Shirô met the attack…with a cross parry. There was an explosion of colliding energies. Finally Shirô threw Rider off, forcing her away, and flexed his new weapons that he held in his hands…two short scimitar-like swords, one black and the other white.

Rin stared at them in shock. ('Those are…Kanshô and Bakuya, Archer's swords! How!? Conjuration? No…they have all the magical presence of Archer's swords, something impossible for a mere conjured weapon. Nor is it Requip magic like that used by the Queen of Avalon or Erza Scarlett, or even the simplified version used by mages like Jade Curtis, merely storing one or two important weapons and items. Well, I can't worry about that now…I finally have this chance….')

"What is that?" Rider demanded, as bewildered as Rin herself. "What are those weapons? Where did they come from!? What are you!?" Then she turned in shock and cried out in fear as Rin's jewels scattered at her feet, then exploded into fire that engulfed her.

As the blast obscured the spirit, Rin approached Shirô. "Those swords," she murmured. "Emiya-kun…how did you do that?"

Shirô turned to her in surprise. Then he glanced down at them, examining them curiously himself. "I…I'm not sure. I just felt something…it almost felt like a whisper, telling me how to do it. And they came…just as how I imagined they would." Then the two swords in his hand subtly and completely faded away.

The flame also did as Rin continued examining Shirô, considering the matter. There was no woman left behind as the fire faded, leaving only a charred portion of cement. However, a few moments after this, they looked over in surprise as Rider materialized again, further back. She was charred and looking quite the worse for wear, but she was standing. "You're young. I underestimated you both. I won't make that mistake again. I'll go at you with all my power, to make absolutely certain that I eliminate you."

She raised her spike…and then reverse-gripped it, and plunged it into the side of her neck. As the youths stared in shock, blood sprayed from the wound, then fell swiftly into an inscribed magical circle around her. Power burst forth into light, again obscuring her, and an instant later it was gone…and Rider ascended to the sky astride a glowing white horse with massive feathered wings. No longer did she carry spike or chain, but instead glowing golden reins with which she directed the glorious beast. "I told you at the first," she said airily. "My class is Rider. Come, Bellerophon!"

The egasus gave a sorrowful whinny, then began to emit a stronger, building energy. Rin whirled to Shirô. "Get down!" she hollered.

They dived aside, just before the blast of energy impacted the roof where they had just stood and leaving a smoldering crater. Then the egasus streaked away from the impact, not seeming to have lost any momentum in the meteor-like attack. It banked around, then finally swept back to hover over them again, flapping those great wings. Rin gritted her teeth as she rose. "That's enough…don't think we'll just let you have your way!" She raised a hand and began to chant, and a visible magical circle manifested around her as she spoke.

"Not so fast!" Rider urged her mount onward, and with another cry, the egasus swooped down. There was not as much energy in this charge, but the winged horse would still trample and crush Rin if it collided with her, and Shirô dived in to tackle her out of the way. She lost her spell with a cry, but she was spared the punishment Rider intended; she thanked Shirô shakily as the two rose.

Rider again swept back to hover over the pair. "You are slippery, and I'm running out of time. Your companion is likely to return soon, so I should finish you off. Behold!"

Energy began to build around her and light enveloped rider and steed, obscuring them with its golden-white glow. Rin began to panic. "This…might be it…I can't resist a power of that level!" She fired a few spells at the glowing pair, but the magic scattered away harmlessly.

Shirô also stared, mind racing. Somehow, his thoughts were focusing on the last 'advice' Archer had given him during their training earlier.

["You are a novice in all things," Archer chided him. "Still, you have some potentially powerful, incredible magic within you. I can't guarantee it will do anything, but you might be able to use it if you stop thinking about working the magic. Don't build your magic circuit; don't stir your mana. Simply imagine yourself with power…the strongest power. Focus simply on that, and…perhaps something will happen."]

It was that injunction, plus the instinct he suddenly felt, that prompted him to conjure forth the two swords of Archer himself. Now Shirô thought feverishly about the advice once more. ('But no, even those swords won't do anything about this. I need a stronger power…the strongest power. That would look like…that sword…that golden sword that's been haunting me….')

He screamed as his subconscious focused on his obsession and summoned it forth according to his expectation but not his explicit will; the magic surging through him, traveling through natural, unused magic circuits, caused a brief flash of intense pain, and the sword appeared in his hand, flickering, in all its glowing glory. Those instincts that had been driving him informed him that this power would not last long, and so he submitted entirely to them, and the sword solidified for just a moment as he swept it down in an overhead slash, and a golden light blasted out to meet Rider and her mount. There was a dual scream as the pair were entirely consumed by the attack.

Rin stared at Shirô as he stood there, panting, and the sword cracked, shattered, and then vanished. "Emiya-kun…" Rin began, and then repeated his name, with more force and concern, as he collapsed to his knees and then his face, breathing raggedly and heavily.

Shirô fought desperately to hold himself on his elbows, at least. Rin continued staring at him, trying to support him. "Emiya-kun," she repeated, "that was…incredible. I knew…I've seen some amazing things from you so far…but that…what was that? That sword…how did you conjure it? Do you even know what that is?"

Shirô looked at her in surprise. "You…recognized it?"

"Yes…I've seen it before. But what about you? What do you know about it?"

Shirô looked up, face wistful. "It's…a dream I've been having since the night before. That golden sword…and the kingly woman who wielded it."

Rin's shock increased, if that were possible. "Kingly woman…do you mean you saw…Queen Artoria in your dream? And so you just…conjured her sword, Excalibur?"

"Projection," Archer declared, appearing suddenly. "He isn't Conjuring…he's Projecting. It's a conceptualized weapon that, for some reason, he has authority over. Very interesting…"

Rin's surprise turned to accusation as she looked Archer's way. "You're late. What the hell were you doing?"

"I apologize," Archer replied. "The opponent was difficult; I only just defeated him. Still, it seems you made out all right here. Now, the spell is also broken; this school is safe now, and none of the students or teachers here have yet lost their lives to the magic."

"R-really?" Shirô managed. "Thank goodness…." Then he gasped and collapsed fully to the ground.

8-8-8

Rin sighed as she emerged back into the living room from Shirô's room, where he had been lain to rest, unconscious. "Well…I must admit I never expected he'd be capable of what he did today. I honestly have to admit I owe him my life…but still…I feel ungrateful, but I can't help but wonder: how did he do that?"

"Some answers were revealed today," Archer replied. "As I said, it is the magic of Projection, similar to my own primary magic powers. As a natural ability, it's absurdly powerful, and I'm not sure how he obtained it; it's impossible for normal humans to have that kind of ability, it requires simply too much mana, more than a normal human or mage can hope to hold. But at least we know the reason why he has enough mana to use the ability, and where that power and magical regeneration comes from, don't we?"

Rin hesitated. "I can only think…that somehow, he has in himself…the scabbard of Excalibur. Artoria Pendragon received her family's ultimate, lost sword, Excalibur itself, as the artifact from her contract with Kalan Lockeheart. Over the course of their adventures during the last war, the Red Wings recovered Excalibur's scabbard and made use of it, but the scabbard itself had become a virtual conceptualized weapon. In the final battle, to help him overcome the Obsidian Prince, Kalan Lockeheart reduced it to its mana form and absorbed it, and in this way consumed its physical essence in this world. It would have returned, as a magical conception, to the magical realm from which Merlin originally fashioned it…."

"Yes…and somehow, it has made its way, again in a conceptualized form, into the body of Emiya Shirô, giving him inhuman levels of mana and allowing him to regenerate from almost any injury. That is the force that your gem touched when you tried to save his life, fully awakening its power."

Rin glanced back at the doorway. "Emiya Shirô-kun…how did a novice mage like you obtain such a legendary, magical relic…?"

8-8-8

It was late the next morning when Shirô finally awoke. He wandered into the living room to see Rin already awake, sipping tea and typing on a laptop. She glanced up at Shirô as he entered. "Ah, Emiya-kun…you're finally awake. You're looking well."

"Tôsaka…what happened? What about the school…?"

"It's safe now." She flipped on the television and pointed to the news, which reported on the 'gas explosion' at their school, how all the students and faculty present were hospitalized from exposure to the gas, but were currently stable. "When combat between mages leads to casualties and damage, the Magic Council has to step in and clean up. As I mentioned before, Fuyuki City hasn't had many mages here since the disaster nine years ago; we don't have the resources to sweep something like this away entirely. But at least for now, the threat has stopped…but we're no closer to solving this mystery."

"You mean the sorcerer behind this?" Shirô queried, his eyes tightening.

"That's right," she sighed. "We defeated two magical servants at the school last night—we got Rider, while Archer dealt with the one calling himself Assassin. But the one we fought originally—Lancer—he wasn't there; this sorcerer still has cards left to play."

"I see," Shirô murmured. He glanced at the clock. "Ah, I am late…but I should still do my morning training. If you'll excuse me." He turned and headed out towards the dôjô.

Rin watched him go, then pulled up the Mahônetarticle on Kiritsugu Emiya she had finally managed to dredge up and read the history of the mage. "His father was involved in unholy eternal life experiments, and, on the run, traveled with his son while he was young; eventually an Executioner Squad tracked him to a southern Filipino island about the time he finished turning the island's inhabitants into vampiric monsters. Kiritsugu killed his father himself after making contact with the Executioner Natalya Kaminski; afterwards, she took him in and raised and trained him to follow in her footsteps. He became a famous 'Mage Killer' on this side, as a Freelancer like the Dark Bullet and Aiden Rylack rather than an Executioner….

"His last known location was Eastern Europe, where he came under the employ of the sorceress Analia Chovos, about ten years ago; both vanished, leaving on some off-the-books trip, and neither has been heard from since. So, from there, Kiritsugu somehow ended up here in Fuyuki City…was he, and perhaps Analia Chovos, involved in that disaster nine years ago…? Was it related to this somehow…?"

"The timing is precise," Archer commented as he materialized. "Over the last ten years, the attentions of the Magic Council of the Kanto Region has been focused on the fates of Kalan Lockeheart and his son. Perhaps someone—maybe this Miss Chovos herself—recognized that fact after the incident at Halie, and decided to conduct unholy experiments of their own in this city. I doubt burning down this city was part of that plan, however; but Kiritsugu's sudden retirement after saving the life of Emiya Shirô, without informing anyone of his survival and presence, were related to the disaster."

"And perhaps somehow he recovered the scabbard of Excalibur in the midst of his own traveling," Rin murmured. "That kind of thing wouldn't be made known to official record keepers, after all. And he used it to save Emiya-kun…." Rin sighed again. "That explains, at least in part, Emiya-kun's special attributes, but it does nothing to really tell us who the enemy is. Well, it's a start…."

8-8-8

Shirô did not actually have any martial arts kata that he performed in his early mornings, but his father had taught him that a mage must have both a healthy mind and a healthy body, and Shirô adhered to that counsel as he did everything Kiritsugu had taught him. Besides, it did calm and help focus him, particularly when he was frustrated or emotionally distressed.

The ordeal yesterday had taxed him; after summoning that golden sword—was that really Excalibur?—he had felt as if the magic was tearing his body apart, but now, he felt much better. Rin also seemed not to be too concerned, so apparently he had fully recovered….

As he wiped away the sweat on his face with a damp cloth, he suddenly noticed a presence. He started and turned in surprise to behold a girl, blonde and blue-eyed, about thirteen years old. She smiled at him as Shirô stared at her. ('This girl…who is she?') he thought. ('How did she get in here…?') "E-excuse me…."

"Ah, sorry for intruding," the girl trilled. "You are Emiya Shirô-san, are you not? I simply wanted to meet you, but your place here is so large, I didn't know where I was supposed to announce myself, so I just wandered in and started looking around. You can call me Anya-chan."

Shirô stood there, almost frozen, staring at this chatty and audacious, brazen girl. "…But who am I, really, that you know who I am? How on earth did you learn my name…?"

"Ah, aren't you Emiya Kiritsugu's son? Of course I'd know about you. He was, after all, a dear friend of mine."

"What? But that's not possible," Shirô denied. "No; he died five years ago. You would have been far too young to know him, to have been friends with him, and if you had known him well enough to remember him even now, then there's no way we wouldn't have met."

"Ah, silly Shirô-san!" the girl giggled. "Don't you get it? Despite how I look, you should be well aware…when it comes to magic, appearances can mean very little, indeed. Yes, you understand, Shirô-san," she continued as Shirô's face hardened in realization. "I am a mage myself, and far older than this body would suggest. I'm glad I've found you. You've proven yourself to be very interesting. If you came with me, I could teach you all the mysteries Kiritsugu never could, about magic and its secrets. Everything you've ever wanted or desired…including being a 'Hero of Justice'…could all be in your grasp…."

Shirô stared at her and her enticing, inviting smile. "Who are you, really?" he demanded. "Who are you to make that kind of offer? Tôsaka told me that every competent mage in this area that remained vacated after the fire nine years ago. A team has to be assembled from all around the prefecture just to handle what she calls 'routine housekeeping'. So where have you been all this time? There could be only one mage around here with that kind of knowledge and magic…only one sorcerer. You…are the 'master' of all those spirits, and the one behind this whole 'death magic' plot, aren't you!?"

Anya applauded for him. "Yes, well done. You were at least able to figure out that much, to my relief; it wouldn't be worth having you if you were utterly brainless. Of course I am."

Shirô jumped back and raised his hands slightly, assuming a kind of defensive pose. "You're trying to sacrifice innocent people, including my friends and classmates, for some twisted end of your own, and you think I'd willingly follow you!? Never! I'll do whatever it takes to stop you, first!"

"Oh, don't say never…it's a long time, indeed. I'm sure I can do plenty to convince you to aid me…."

She dodged backward as the spell exploded by her. Shirô glanced over his shoulder in surprise at Rin, who stood in the doorway. "That blond hair and blue eyes," Rin growled. "There's no doubt…you're a member of the Chovos family, aren't you?"

"Not 'member'," Anya replied. "First and only head. I am Analia Chovos, master of the Chovos clan. You should be more gracious to visiting dignitaries, Tôsaka Rin-chan."

Rin's eyes widened. "Analia…impossible! She's at least forty years old…!"

"You're short by an entire digit," Anya purred. "Although I don't like having my age discussed. Come now, are you really so shocked, little mageling? Don't you know what Death Magic is even for? Taking the lives of others, especially lives in bulk, is only useful for a handful of spells, and most that are that powerful attract far too much attention for too little gain. The only worthwhile pursuit of any mage is eternal life, isn't it? Kiritsugu's father thought so, although Kiritsugu himself didn't agree."

"Then you…this city nine years ago!?"

"Naturally. It didn't go as well as I liked, and Kiritsugu figured out what I was up to before I completed it. He interfered; not that he saved any lives by doing so, as the backlash was bad enough to this town, and nearly as bad to me. But that's a tale for another time, isn't it? You two have been interfering with me; that's what I came here to discuss. But, really, I don't mind all that much. In fact, you two could be very useful to me. If you agree to help me out, maybe we'll let bygones be bygones, eh?"

Rin's face hardened into a vicious smile. "Hmm…I don't think so. We're ready. Archer!"

An arrow of light fired from on high blasted through the roof and…exploded around the girl. Her own smile remained as Rin's fled. "Clever, but you really think I didn't expect that? You have some talent, girl, but you're really nothing without that remarkable spirit of yours. Don't press your luck."

Archer appeared much closer now, swords out, and charged in at the unmoving girl, but suddenly he was met by another materialized spirit, wielding two short, straight swords of his own, a handsome man with curly dark hair and a mole under his left eye. "Sorry about this," the newcomer murmured. "But I can't let you harm my master."

Rin began to chant a spell, but then Lancer was suddenly there, in front of her and sending her flying into a wall. She slumped to the floor, unmoving, her head hanging limply and her eyes closed. Shirô roared her name and started towards her, but a mass of black serpents sprang like vines from the floor and coiled about him, rendering him captive, as their summoner, a freakish-looking man in odd clothes with huge bug eyes appeared at Anya/Analia's flank. "Goodness, how pathetic," Anya sighed. "Was that really the best you all could do? Did you really think that you'd been getting the best of me, keeping me at bay? I admit I found you intriguing, that your potential was noteworthy…but if I could control multiple spirits like this, couldn't I have done it at any time? Your wards were sloppy and insufficient, which is how I strolled in here." She glanced at Archer, who was locking swords with the new swordsman and surveying the scene, eyes frantically calculating. "This Heroic Spirit…is certainly possessed of some unique and immense powers, but as your contracted aid, he has severe restrictions…beginning with your own life." Lancer, on cue, swung the blade of his spear to poise by Rin's throat. "Now, I'm sure you care nothing about the boy, but unless you give up and submit to me, your master will die. It is your choice; neither of you mean anything more to me than a bit of idle amusement."

Archer glared daggers at her, but finally he relaxed his stance and let his swords vanish. "Fine. I have no choice; without my master, as you implied, I will cease to exist in this world. I submit. Now let her go."

"Later, when the time is right. You're not the only card here." Anya drew a strange, crooked-bladed dagger from somewhere about her pretty little dress, and approached Archer. "But you're one I'll add to my deck, for insurance." She stabbed Archer's chest with it, and the blade penetrated with a mystic ripple. "Your contract is annulled. You belong to me, now, thanks to Rule Breaker." She withdrew the blade and let it vanish as Archer stared down at her in shock and anger. "Now, all of you, go back. The last is between me and the boy alone."

Spirits and mortals all vanished, leaving only Anya, Shirô, and the snakes that bound him. Anya focused her attention on Shirô and smiled widely. "Now, Shirô-san…you are the most interesting of all. You have a great treasure inside of you…but even that isn't the extent of your wonder. Even so, to have acquired natural abilities like those you've just demonstrated…it's truly remarkable. I'd like that working for me…and the more it's by your will, the more beneficial it will be to me. So, with that…why don't you come work for me? There is much we can accomplish together, if you'll put yourself in my care."

Shirô gritted his teeth and fought against his bonds. "What about Tôsaka!? What have you done with her!?"

"I just sent her on. I won't harm her…probably. If you agree to join me, there will be no need. I'll do what you wish of me with her…I'll let you do what you wish with her, turn her over to you entirely. Doesn't that sound like a fair bargain?"

"But…if I do…are you still planning to sacrifice this city to your black magic?"

"Well, yes. Maintaining my endless life isn't something that is done easily. So? Do you really object that strongly? Are you so naïve you believe that you can save everyone? Learn this lesson well, child—it is impossible to save every life. People die around this world every day, in droves, in thousands, and far more than that. Giving of yourself to save paltry nothings like those in this town will doom and damn your own soul. I've had the evidence right here with me to that. If you really wish to 'save life', then choose which lives are most important to you. I know you care nothing for your own; but what about that girl's? Will you sacrifice Tôsaka Rin in order to vainly try and save this town, simply to spite me when they are in my power? Or will you at least agree, for her sake? Really, her life means nothing to me. The lives of the people of this town mean nothing, and should mean as much to you, because they are already as good as gone, no matter what you do. So, only two lives truly hang in the balance here—yours, and Tôsaka Rin's. How much are they worth to you? Answer truthfully."

Shirô gritted his teeth, his mind racing. There had to be some way out, some solution, some answer other than the doom that seemed assured….

And then the air rent. A yawning maw opened in the air, unseen by Shirô because it appeared behind him, but Anya stared up in shock. Four figures emerged from the hole and spread out around the bound boy. "Well…what an interesting scene we've stumbled into," Kalan murmured as he looked over the pair. "How do we begin to describe it?"

"Let's figure that out after putting an end to it," Aiden replied, drawing a pistol. "This young-seeming girl feels quite dangerous…."

Cursing, Anya turned suddenly to mist and then vanished just as quickly. Her voice remained, however, wafting through the air: "Really…mages like this, popping up out of nowhere…I'm not stupid enough to stick around for this. But you can't stop my ritual, so I suggest you don't interfere. Dear Shirô…think long and hard about my offer…."

Shirô stared after her…then the snakes about him suddenly fell to pieces, cut to ribbons faster than he could perceive, and he turned to stare in wonder at his saviors. "Seems it's just you now, young man," Iria greeted him. "Now, why don't you explain to these responsible adults just what in the blazes is going on?"

F I N

Author's Note: Fate/Stay Pineapple

I'm really bad with random amusements, personal jokes most others don't get. While my younger sister and I were watching Fate/Stay Night, we remarked that the name was rather obtuse and pointless, like many Japanese titles, and that any random collection of English words was just as effective at conveying the theme of the show, and thus my sister started referring to it as 'Fate/Stay Pineapple', or just 'Pineapple' for short. To me, it's funny.

Anyway, I have the trimmed-down Fate story here, and we got to meet the original Assassin (in some ways, originally, a fake hero, summoned by the Caster of this Holy Grail War) and Rider, two more servants of the evil villain, and we met the evil villain himself…herself. Evil villainess herself. Was that expected?

Anya Chovos is an out-of-nowhere character I made up with a few bases, including Ilyasviel, the cute but creepy little girl from Fate/Stay Night. I even played with the idea of having Shirô meet her alone in town and befriend her, then introduce the added drama of her turning out to be an evil enemy, à la Ilyasviel. However, I probably didn't have enough time for that in this minor mini-arc, so I just showed Shirô's growing abilities in super-fast forward and then had the evil villainess drop into declare the end game. Next chapter will wrap this little mini scenario up, and I'll get to Anya a bit more, since she's going to explain a lot herself before it's over. Now some real heroes have shown up to help Shirô take care of this horror…and we'll get to all that next chapter, too, so let's get on with it already.