CHAPTER 21:

WHEN TWO BEASTS SPEAK…

It had become something of a common and surprisingly heartwarming sight lately. On the roof of the Chaldean HQ, Tiamat was playing with Alice and Jackie, the two children giggling, while the draconic deity smiled. Looking on, making sure nothing went south, were Harry, Atalanta, and Jeanne d'Arc.

"I must say, I feel a little envious of how readily Tiamat established a rapport with the children," Atalanta said, the Greek huntress nonetheless showing a soft smile on her face.

"Is this because of how things went in your Grail War?" Harry asked.

Atalanta nodded, and Jeanne grimaced. He'd been told about the Great Holy Grail War in Romania, mostly by Mordred, but these two had told him more. Indeed, how these two, plus Jackie, interacted had caused a lot of strife. Jackie had been with a Master who couldn't supply her with mana, and who had a vendetta against Magi due to her nearly being murdered by a Magus during Jackie's summoning. This woman, a prostitute called Reika Rikudou, had effectively adopted Jackie, but also didn't care that her murders drew unnecessary attention to the Grail War. All she cared for was winning the Grail, getting Jackie her wish, and taking her revenge.

Jeanne had led Mordred and other Servants in a hunt against Jackie, only for Atalanta to intervene. At first, Atalanta intended to kill Jackie, albeit reluctantly, as she didn't like harming children. However, Jackie unleashed a Noble Phantasm that brought them into a pocket dimension, showing them her tragic past on the streets of London, and of the children that made up her gestalt. Some never made it out of the womb alive, the vestigial souls of aborted foetuses of Victorian London's many prostitutes. Others lived beyond birth…and suffered for their short lives as urchins and orphans on the streets of London. Jack the Ripper's crimes were not born out of sadism or misogyny, but an alien desire to go back to the womb, to warmth and love. Jeanne resolved to send the children to their rest, but Atalanta, driven insane by Jackie's curse, and falling back on her own protective instincts towards children, opposed her, and when Jeanne exorcised them, albeit with Jackie's assent, Atalanta vowed vengeance, intending to kill the Ruler Servant.

Their relationship had been strained at first when they were summoned by Chaldea, but they cooperated, and now, especially with Jackie now acting like a relatively normal child, they were on cordial, even friendly terms. Jackie even seemed to forgive them both for what they did to her: Atalanta for killing Reika, and Jeanne for exorcising her. Oh, she was still a rather violent little girl, but Jackie was also closer to a normal child than she had been before.

"Even with that, Jack has grown," Jeanne said. "I must confess, it is rather heartening to see how much she has changed. And it's a shame this could not have happened in Romania. This is the second chance she needed."

"That we all needed, Jeanne," Atalanta said. "We both needed to atone for our actions…and Jackie needed to find happiness outside of her desire to regress. In a perverse manner, it is apt that both Jackie and Tiamat have found a rapport. Jackie wished to return to the womb, and Tiamat, if I recall, wished to regress everything back into her womb. And yet…they have found happiness despite that."

Harry nodded. Both Atalanta and Jeanne were friendly with him. He expected Jeanne to be preachy and holier-than-thou, but in truth, she was actually quite humble, quiet, even a little insecure. But her warmth was undeniable. She'd even agreed to a truce with Shirou Amakusa Tokisada, whom she had been an enemy of in Romania. Atalanta, while stern and stoic, was also warm herself, and she had regaled Harry, on request, with tales of the Argonauts, with Medea chipping in.

Suddenly, a small form impacted his legs, and he looked down to find Jackie there. It was weird, looking down at the pre-teen girl with ragged silvery hair and golden eyes. This was the most infamous serial killer of all time, and she was a little girl, and one who wasn't doing it out of malice or sadism, just this weird alien desire for regression. And she acted so much like a normal child outside of combat, aside from a few too-cheerful remarks about dismembering, and a tendency to talk in plurals when she was distracted.

"Oops. Sorry," Jackie said.

"It's fine," Harry said, gently ruffling the former serial killer's hair. "Tia is quite taken with you."

"Mmhmm! I already have a Mummy in Atalanta, but I have a lot of aunts. Aunty Tiamat's great! She loves playing games with us!"

Harry looked up as Tiamat came over, Alice perched on one shoulder. "Well, playing games with her children isn't something she thought of before. She's making up for lost time."

Tiamat rolled her eyes, even as she smiled. "Laaa," she sang pointedly.

"Not in front of the children, Tia," Harry said, not translating the playful expletive. He was glad Tiamat was feeling better after their clash with Kingu. Both Ritsuka and Hinako had sent word. They were using Portkeys to head back to Uruk, and were even now reporting to Gilgamesh. It seemed that things would be coming to a head soon…

Harry and Tiamat looked down at the vaguely poodle-like entity looking up at them. "Fou?" he chirped.

Harry sighed quietly. Ritsuka, Hinako and their respective entourages finally returned. However, Tiamat had asked Mash to give Fou to her, as she wanted to have a talk. Merlin had come up with them briefly, long enough to set up illusions to prevent their conversation from being overheard.

Tiamat looked at Fou, before she sang, We know what each of us are, don't we? Let us drop the pretence for a time…Beast IV.

Harry wasn't that shocked. He remembered Merlin calling Beast IV Cath Pulug, the very title he dubbed Fou when the small critter attacked him. In fact, he was more shocked when Fou actually spoke. He'd expected the voice of a Beast of Calamity, or at least one with a name like Primate Murder, to sound deep and intimidating. Instead, it remained high-pitched, cutesy, but lacking none of the authority of the Beast Fou was. "Beast II," he said. "I was surprised when I came to this time and place, and found that you, like I did, have found someone worthwhile."

Harry frowned. "…So you can speak in full sentences rather than imitating a Pokémon? I mean, I knew you were intelligent, but I just wondered whether you couldn't talk, or wouldn't."

Fou turned his eyes to Harry. "Believe me, conversation palls when all you've had to talk to is with that cambion troll. The Masters of Chaldea and their superiors know I am intelligent, but I'd rather not participate in their inane conversations. Besides, if the wrong person knew I could talk quite eloquently…well, they'd try to vivisect me." A vicious smirk lit up the poodle-like creature's face briefly. "Try being the operative term."

Tiamat sat down, albeit with a little difficulty, given her tail, and Harry did the same. "So you're a Beast of Calamity too. But does that mean you're on the false Solomon's side, or our side?"

"Don't be banal. I am not on Goetia's side, and the cambion's illusion should prevent Goetia from scrying our conversation. I am not exactly on humanity's side either. In other timelines, it is my destiny to grow into the Beast of Gaia, Primate Murder. I do not think much of humans and humanity. But…there are exceptions to the rule."

Mash, Tiamat sang. I noticed you seemed to have adopted her.

Fou nodded. "When that bastard evicted me from the Tower of Avalon, he told me to find something I would find truly beautiful. I found Mash. What she went through…and yet, she remained so pure and beautiful. I will admit, over time, I became affectionate towards others. Your friend Hermione, for one, and the boy, Ritsuka, for another. You worry for her, Harry Potter. Don't, even if it's heartening to see others worried for her. For one, Mash has accepted her fate, even if she will fight for every last second of life. And for another…well…I'd best say no more." The little Beast seemed a little furtive briefly.

"I'm surprised you haven't spoken to her. I mean, properly," Harry said. "I'm sure she'd love to have a conversation with you. So, you're basically on Mash's side, and so on Chaldea's side by default because of her."

Once more, Fou nodded. "We Beasts may be Evils of Humanity, but we are not born of hatred. Rather, out of love. Tiamat loves humanity, and yet, did not wish to see her children leave her. Goetia loves humanity, and yet cannot understand human nature or mortality, hating them out of pity. I love humanity, and yet, I despise how they compare and compete against each other. Beast III, in both of her aspects, embodies truly twisted kinds of love."

"Well, you and Tiamat are certainly loveable," Harry joked weakly. "Can't say the same thing about Goetia, though."

Tiamat smiled at being called loveable. Fou huffed. "I'm glad for both of you. Indeed, I hope you two continue to hold onto the happiness you clearly have."

And you too, Fou. May your song of happiness continue forevermore, Tiamat sang.

"Maybe. But…given what your other fragment is doing, any victory we have will be hard-won, to say nothing of when we face Goetia…"

"Okay, so, to summarise, Quetzlcoatl is going to stage an attack on Uruk soon to allay the suspicions of the other goddesses, but she's ready to have the Axe of Marduk brought to us for an assault on the false Tiamat's lair. And Hinako nearly ended up permanently staying in Kur, only, Ziusudra pulled off a deus ex machina to save her, and then, she learned that Ishtar may actually be taken over by Ereshkigal." Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "…I should take up drinking. Hinako, how exactly do you think Ereshkigal is taking control of Ishtar?"

Hinako closed her eyes in exasperation. The four Masters (five if you counted Tiamat, which they did) were convening, while most of the Servants, having the day off, had gone sight-seeing, even Mash. "As I told you, her demeanour changed. She was more polite, less obnoxiously haughty. This came at sundown, as she seemed to fall asleep when we were discussing things with Ishtar. The thing is, for someone who is supposedly part of the Three Goddess Alliance, I sensed no real malice to her. She also seemed to have no knowledge of stuff we just discussed with Ishtar. Apparently not only are they sisters, but they may have had origins in the same deity. That being said, she may still be behind the mysterious fatal sleeping illness. I think she's drawing people into Kur. I think this calls for Ritsuka's particular talent in turning our enemies into allies." Hinako's eyes flicked over to Harry. "Well, his and Harry's."

Ritsuka nodded. "Still, Quetzlcoatl's warning worries me. Apparently the false Tiamat is looking to make a move against Uruk, according to her spies. Which means we might have to get ready to face her."

"Joy," Harry remarked. "She's probably a Servant of some kind. Did Quetzlcoatl give any description of her, or is she hiding in the shadows like she was the last time I asked?"

"Yeah, sorry," Ritsuka said.

"That probably means that the false Tiamat is deliberately hiding her identity from Quetzlcoatl for one or two reasons," Hermione said. "Quetzlcoatl is a wisdom deity for one thing, and could potentially identify the false Tiamat with ease, assuming she isn't readily identifiable already. And for another…they may suspect her of having joined our side. We'll have to contact her, warn her about Kingu potentially possessing the Grail. Though how could we contact Ereshkigal?"

"Persuade Ishtar to join us, wait until nightfall, if my hypothesis is correct, and let Ritsuka work his particular magic," Hinako said. "And if not…maybe the presence of the real Tiamat might help persuade her. While Kingu despised her, he is not Tiamat's child, just one of the false Solomon's little creations. Ishtar showed Tiamat respect, given what she said when we spoke to her, and if I am correct about Ereshkigal possessing her after sunset, her words seemed to indicate that too."

"Maybe," Tiamat sang. "What sings a song of worry to me is the impostor my other fragment is using as a puppet. What manner of being is she?"

"We've come across some pretty nasty Servants in previous Singularities," Hermione said. "But the fake Tiamat's probably something more overtly monstrous than usual. And in our experience, that usually means one of two Servant classes: Berserker or Avenger. Either one of those is a daunting prospect. Assuming, of course, the fake Tiamat is a Servant, but it's usually a good assumption."

"And if she has even a fragment of my Authority, then we are in for an arduous battle," Tiamat sang.

"Well, at least we'll get to see some of the Servants in action," Ritsuka remarked. "I have to admit, I'm a fan of Ushiwakamaru. Have been since I was a kid. I was a bit surprised to see she was a girl, but by this point, well, I've been numbed to the shock of seeing so many genderbent historical and mythical figures." He chuckled. "Remember when you told me who Arturia was?"

"How could I forget?" Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes. "And then, we met Nero and Altera in the Roman Singularity. Poor Arturia, she didn't know what to make of Nero. Or Okita Souji."

"Who's Okita Souji?" Harry asked, remembering Arturia mentioning the name.

"One of the key members of the 19th Century Japanese special police, the Shinsengumi. She was effectively an assassin working for the Shogunate, but Okita's actually quite sweet and kind when she's not on the job…when she isn't coughing all the time, anyway," Hermione said. "For all the Shinsengumi's actions against foreign influence and enemies of the Bakufu, they're admired in Japan for their swordsmanship and tenacity. Okita and Oda Nobunaga have a sort of perverse friendship and rivalry, even though they come from different time periods."

"Is she anything like Nobunaga?" Harry asked.

"You'd like her," Hermione said with a shrug. "She reminds me a little of Tonks, what with the fiery attitude and clumsiness, though she's more sweet and funny. And in battle…well, she's one of the Shinsengumi's best people for a reason. Unfortunately, we can't bring anymore Servants to this time period. Between the problems of Rayshifting to the Age of the Gods and the fact that we need decent Masters to be anchors…we were lucky to get as many as we did."

"Then it will have to suffice," Tiamat sang. "I will do what I can. I do not possess the full power I did before…but this pretender will not either." She looked down at a clawed hand, and clenched it into a fist, and her next words had all the solemnity of an oath. "And the only song fit for her will be a dirge…"

CHAPTER 21 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you have it. Two Beasts have had a chat, and we've had some more character moments. Of course, it goes without saying that the next chapter will be a while. This is partly because it deals with the first encounter with Gorgon, and I need to figure out what I am going to do with that.

Review-answering time! Sultan Asil Arslan: No, and no. I do not take story suggestions. I have considered a story where Scathach has taught Harry, and he ends up paired with her, but I realised any Grail War she ends up in would have her too OP, as she would not be the Servant version of Scathach.

Skull Flame: I highly recommend Swordomatic's Fate: Sunny Order to you, and to all players of Fate/Grand Order, never mind fans of the Nasuverse in general. If GhostXavier's Fragments of Chaldea is the best Fate/Grand Order fic taken seriously, then Fate: Sunny Order is the best Fate/Grand Order fic done humorously. Many elements are still taken seriously, but it's still hilarious.

Basically, Rin and Shirou's kids are the only remaining Masters in Chaldea. Ritsuka is the serious and competent Master who, unfortunately, is also the butt-monkey with crap luck on the summoning gacha and looks good in drag, much to his chagrin. Kana is more flighty and happy-go-lucky, and has ridiculously good luck on the gacha, and loves to bully her brother. It says a lot about the story when it opens each chapter with a bit of verse, with my personal favourite ending with:

Ever yearning for the world that they lost

And eternally salty that they won't get their waifu

For those of you who haven't read it yet, but want to, the URL is here:

s/12795078/2/Fate-Sunny-Order

Nihatclodra: Actually, Merlin made a joke about how Harry was basically banging everyone's mother, including his own, to which Tiamat mauled Merlin lightly.

Acolyte of the Blood Moon: While you could make an argument for Harry to be compatible with a number of Servants, one of those towards the top of the list is Arturia. The parallels between their stories are noteworthy, even if only in a broad sense. Harry and Arturia would get along pretty well, and they do in my stories. Even in stories where he has argued with her (Knight of Betrayal and Taiga Cub in particular), he can still remain on good terms with each other.

Mandoraekon: True, but so was Cu Chulainn and the other heroes she taught. Scathach was from Scotland specifically, while Cu Chulainn was from Ireland. I viewed Scathach as having strong Scottish pride. Not enough to be a rabid Scottish nationalist, but she's not fond of the English trying to lump their countries together, though she views it with amusement than anything else.

No numbered annotations this time.