CHAPTER 9:

FRIENDS AND REVELATIONS

After dropping Jeanne off where she wanted to go, the now enlarged band of Servants and Masters made their way to another town to spend the night. Probably just as well, as the wards Sirius and Kairi set up pinged: the crypt was being watched. Thankfully, Kairi had pegged a couple of cheap hotels as possible places to stay. Each Servant and Master pair got a room each at one of them, though they also set up, at least for now, a watch system, so that each pair could get some sleep (well, the Masters would). Plus, they still didn't quite trust Reika, so she wasn't part of the rotation. Neither was Harry, though Eve was going to help out.

Harry, thankfully, got some sleep. He'd hadn't had as much as he should have since summoning Eve anyway, if only due to the schedule Masters and Servants had to keep. However, some time before dawn, he woke. And when he couldn't get back to sleep, he got up, having a quick shower to freshen up, before he opened the window, and looked out at the night sky.

To his confusion, he heard a pair of voices humming a tune. Namely, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. He looked up at the roof nearby, to see Eve and Jack sitting on the edge of the roof, humming together. The two of them noticed his scrutiny, and Eve smiled shyly, while Jack waved. "Hi! I was keeping Eve company!" the child Assassin chirped.

"Oh?" Harry asked. He noticed that, whenever Jack wasn't in his presence, he forgot about her appearance. He had the vaguest notion that she was a young girl, but that was it. No specifics about her appearance remained in his mind. When he asked Reika earlier, Reika clarified that Jack had the skill of Information Erasure.

"Yep. Mind if I come in?" Without waiting for an answer, Jack, being nimble and quick, scurried over to the roof edge just above Harry's window, and swung in, forcing Harry to move out of the way. Eve wasn't quite as alacritous, but she clambered inside, allowing Harry to help her in.

"…Your mana is warm," Jack said. "You're like one of Mummy's hugs, like the Hamburg steak she cooked me. So…why are you still scared of me?"

"…You're one of the most infamous serial killers in history," Harry said, squatting down in front of her, meeting her gaze with his own. "Plus, you're an Assassin. You're pretty much meant to kill Masters. You can't blame me for being scared."

"We wouldn't kill you. Otherwise, we wouldn't have this warm mana," Jack said, and he couldn't deny that logic. "You aren't like that bad man, Hyouma Sagara. His mana was like the river, like the smog, freezing, choking, burning. Like the fathers that beat us, or worse, when we lived long enough to know what a father was. Our world was dark, dreary, and cold. Eve knows. We've talked. She talks funny, but she knows what a dark place the world is. And yet…she likes you. Because you see past her being called a monster. You gave her a name. Our name was one given to us by others. Not that we mind being called Jack."

"…Then why not kill Reika? Reika…was like those you killed in life, Jack."

"…Because we wanted a mother," Jack explained, in a tone as if it were blatantly obvious. As if he was the child, and she the adult. "We want love and warmth. She gave us that."

Was it really as simple as that? Harry wasn't sure. And yet, she seemed so guileless. Jack the Ripper, the serial killer feared in London, was ridiculously frank and earnest. Then again, considering she was a child, and an amalgamation of children in Victorian London, it made a perverse kind of sense.

And he'd been there before. Curled up in the cupboard under the stairs, or locked out by the Dursleys. Craving warmth and comfort and love, but never receiving any. Praying for parents, particularly a loving mother.

Eventually, a touch unsure of himself, he gave the little serial killer a hug. "I hope you find more people to keep you warm, Jack. You shouldn't be a killer. You should be trying to enjoy your new life."

"…But we are."

"I meant the way normal kids do. I…never mind."

She cocked her head, peering at him, searching his expression. "Hmm…you care for us, despite yourself. Maybe you could be our big brother, and Eve our big sister. Well, I'd better go and see if Mummy's awake. Bye-bye, Big Brother Harry." And with that, she leapt out of the window.

Harry sighed, before turning to Eve. "Sorry."

"Hnn." Eve's grunt seemed to hold a 'that's fine' in its tone. So he sat down on the bed next to her. He found her notebook on the bedside table, and handed it to her. Eventually, she wrote, It's hard to believe that she is one of the world's most infamous serial killers. Though it's easier to believe that we have a rapport, of sorts. Monsters get along well together, after all.

"Eve, we've been through this. You at least want to repent for what you did, to atone. You're not a monster." He gently used his hands to push away the hair from her eyes, revealing the gold and blue mismatched orbs. "Anyway, I really have been neglecting you since our escape, haven't I?"

She shook her head. We had other things to deal with. You were reunited with your godfather, we had to deal with Assassin…I don't blame you.

"Okay…so, is your mana supply still all right? I mean, with Jack feeding off me…"

I have to use Galvanism a bit more actively than I was, but that's about it. I'm more worried about when combat comes. I can use Galvanism to pick up the slack, but if you need to use magic at the same time, you run the risk of exhausting yourself if it's a protracted battle. And given that we are caught between two different Factions…well, the other members of the Red Faction may be our enemy, and Yggdmillennia certainly are. She paused, her expression becoming pensive briefly, before she wrote, I'm beginning to wonder whether I would get my wish.

"…Well, what do you want in a mate?" Harry asked. "I mean, does it have to be a being like you? Or…can it be just someone who'd love you for being you?" She looked at him suddenly, and he realised how it sounded. "Hey, I'm not saying I love you. I don't think falling in love with someone happens this quickly. But I already consider you a friend, Eve."

A smile touched the Berserker Servant's lips. "…Frrriennnd," she laboured out. Then, she hugged him, carefully angling her head so that her horn didn't hurt him. "Friend…" she murmured, a little less laboured. "…One…day…maybe…you have…my heart…one…day…maybe…you will be…my mate."

"Maybe. That's assuming we can survive this mess," Harry said, trying to distract himself from what Eve just said. She was cute and endearing, and intelligent, her Madness Enhancement aside.

"Mmmm," she hummed, nuzzling into him. "Jack…right. Warm…so warm…do I…deserve…you?"

"…Maybe you just deserve someone who cares about you, Eve."

"Mmm…"

The morning went fairly fine, with the various Servants and Masters taking in the sights of the city. Mordred and Jack in particular enjoyed seeing the sights, with Eve being more subdued and shy. Still, despite the enjoyment they had, there was an undeniable tension in the air, with either Yggdmillennia intending to attack them, or else Ruler making her investigations and finding something.

However, the peace wasn't to last. As they gathered at a restaurant to have lunch, Sirius' phone rang, and he put it on speakerphone once he greeted the caller, who was Ruler. A Privacy Charm was put up for good measure. "My apologies for interrupting your meal," Jeanne said. "But I have bad news. I went to the church you directed me to, but nobody was present. I made my investigations, and was nearly entrapped by a magical trap left behind by either Caster, or else Semiramis. In addition, in a side room, I detected traces of a potion used for mind control. It may be that you are correct, that the Masters of the Red Faction, barring yourselves, have been suborned by Shirou Kotomine."

"He's trying to stack the deck in his favour," Kairi growled. "But why? Is the Church trying to get a hold of the Greater Grail for themselves?"

"It's a possibility, but I know that Shirou Kotomine is the linchpin to this," Jeanne said. "Kairi, Sirius, Saber and Rider, did you notice anything about him at all?"

"He seemed rather too calm and confident for my liking," Mordred muttered. "Nothing definite, though. I was more concerned about that hag of an Assassin he had. Smelled like my mother."

"I can't really add much," Sirius said. "He seemed a bit like Dumbledore, like he knew what was best for everyone, despite all evidence to the contrary. Only, I think Dumbledore would at least acknowledge his mistakes."

"I haven't got much more. I've seen photos of his father and brother, and he looks nothing like them. He's probably adopted." Kairi frowned as something seemed to occur to him. "Risei Kotomine was the Church Overseer for the Third Holy Grail War in Fuyuki, actually. Is it me, or does that reek of something more than coincidence?"

"Perhaps," Jeanne said.

Drake scoffed. "I'm surprised. Back when I was sailing around the world on the Golden Hind, Portuguese sailors and Jesuit missionaries were beginning to bring Catholicism to Japan. But is it widespread there these days?"

"Not by much," Kairi said. "There were quite a few Japanese martyrs, persecutions happened for quite a while, especially during the 17th Century. Hell, the priest shares his name with one of the most famous: Shirou Amakusa Tokisada. He's a folk saint amongst the Japanese Christians. Still…"

"Kairi," Jeanne said quietly, but her tone of voice suggested something. "Did you just say…Shirou Amakusa Tokisada?"

"Uhh, yeah. Why? What's the matter?"

"…One of the requirements, albeit not a strict one, of being qualified to be a Ruler Servant is to be a saint of some sort, someone who can be objective. Now…while the previous Grail War was not like this one, perhaps one of the Founding Families of the Grail War, one of those who know the mechanics of the ritual better than anyone else, decided to try and summon a Ruler Servant, choosing one of the best known martyrs and folk saints in Japan."

Harry caught on immediately. "This priest is a Ruler Servant?"

"I cannot say for sure, as this is merely speculation, but if he is, things make a lot more sense. Even if he did not actively interfere with my summoning, his very presence may have blocked it. However, he clearly sees me as a threat to my plans, hence Karna's attack on me."

"But how could a Servant have survived from the previous Grail War?" Mordred asked.

"He must have made a wish on the Grail to be born anew, prior to it being stolen. I presume remaining in an unaging body was part of it," Jeanne explained. "Perhaps he was adopted by the Overseer. Again, this is speculation, but it fits. And the thing is, given his atypical summoning…we may all be in danger. A Ruler Servant should not have any desire for the Holy Grail whatsoever. And yet, given his actions, he clearly covets the Grail."

"Do you think he wants revenge?" Reika asked. "Darnic may have killed his Master."

"Perhaps, but why target me if his goal was simply revenge? There's also an additional factor. Semiramis' ultimate Noble Phantasm is the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. While it takes a considerable amount of time, money, and resources both magical and mundane to create, Shirou may very well have prepared for that. I'm doubtful that we can find them soon enough to stop them. Even if your magic had a spell that could track them, Shirou Kotomine has four Servants with him, five if you include the man himself. And Semiramis would make the Hanging Gardens her own territory. Despite being an Assassin, she also has aspects of a Caster, including Territory Creation, to say nothing of the actual Caster of the Red Faction. We also don't know the identities of the other Servants of the Red Faction."

"I fought alongside Archer," Drake remarked. "The lass was a killjoy with blonde and green hair, and the ears and tail of a cat, of all things. Wielded a damned fine bow that looked like gold. We didn't talk much, but she did bring up Artemis. Guessing the lass is Greek."

"…Then she may be Atalanta. Atalanta was one of the few Greek heroines who would qualify as an Archer, and the feline features may be a remnant of her legend, where she ended her days transformed into a lion. Again, this is but speculation, as with Shirou Kotomine's true nature."

"What do we do about it, then?" Kairi asked.

"As much as I hate to say this, we warn Yggdmillennia," Sirius said. As the others looked at him in shock, he explained, "Look, if what Harry said is correct, then the Forvedges at least aren't bad people, and the same goes for the Archer and Rider on that side. And if Darnic participated in the Third Holy Grail War, he may be able to confirm whether Ruler was summoned then, as well as his identity. Also…I have an idea. It's a pretty vague one, but I think it'll work. It'll mean using Drake's Noble Phantasm."

"Ahh, looking to pillage some booty?" Drake asked.

"You could say that. Shirou must have a plan for getting the Greater Grail onto these Hanging Gardens of Babylon. I think we'll swoop in at the right time. And, if need be…as much as I'd want a wish on it, if we need to to deny Darnic or Shirou their prizes…we may need to destroy the damn thing. Letting either of them get their hands on the Grail seems like a bad idea, and believe me, I've both thought of them and seen them in action. Don't get me wrong, it's a last resort, obviously. But if Darnic or Shirou look like they're getting their hands on it…"

Sirius was the subject of a number of uncomfortable looks and glares. However, Jeanne said, "While it should be a last resort, I do agree with that course of action if Shirou's wish is a destructive one."

"Better make it THE last resort," Mordred growled mutinously.

CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you have it. The stage is set for one massive clusterfuck. Next chapter, Darnic stews in resentment, and Sieg reunites with Harry and Eve.

Okay, so I said the last chapter would be the last I would post for a little while. But…well, I finished the next one, so, here is another one. Enjoy.

Review-answering time! ZLC genesmith: I actually seriously considered that while considering the pairings for the story, but I decided to restrict it to Sirius/Drake without adding Reika to the mix.

framfrit: Let's see…you forgot Zouken Matou. For all the fact that he has a purpose, he's also even worse than Celenike. He's a vicious sadist, pretty much a paedophile by proxy (or not, given the Crest Worms are effectively what he's made of), and he'd bring about the end of the world if he got something out of it. And Ryuunosuke is another.

MWkillkenny84: Eaten alive? More like sliced and diced. And I think Jackie would even reject Bellatrix's womb. Though Bella's definitely going to get the wrong end of Maria the Ripper…though a certain sadistic golden-eyed Nasuverse bitch is going to get that first. Maybe two.

No numbered annotations this time.