CHAPTER 16:

NEWCOMERS

As those present in the room tensed, Beni-Enma snapped, "Stand down, chirp! She is not a Beast of Calamity. Her original self was apparently on the verge of becoming one, but if she was actually a Beast or a nascent one, I would not have brought her here willingly, chirp! In addition, I, as the adopted child of Lord Enma, I can sense malign intent to a degree, even if I have been deceived before."

Tiamat-Larva nodded. "If my song was like that of a Servant, then my class would be…hmm…Alter-Ego?" she mused, a finger to her lips in thought.

After a moment, Harry and Delphi relaxed, as did Hinako. Barghest and Melusine, who were the other Masters present, remained tense, as did the Servants. "Is it me, or does something about her remind me of Luna?" Delphi asked.

"It's not just you," Harry said.

Tiamat-Larva approached Barghest, peering at her, and then at Harry, before she snapped her fingers in delighted realisation. "You're the one whose song is in harmony with him in this timeline!" she said cheerfully. "Does that mean you're my stepmother here?"

Barghest simply gaped at the draconic girl in shock. Olga, meanwhile, was rubbing her forehead. "You're causing migraines whatever your timeline is, Potter. Why am I not surprised? But bringing a fragment of a Beast of Calamity here…"

Tiamat-Larva pouted. "Mother was not a Beast…well, she was in danger of becoming Beast II. Only, Father met her, they comforted each other in the Reverse Side of the World, then Beast I came along like a bad note, and split Mother's song in two. One part became Beast II, while Mother was left behind. It is…a long song, and one I only know something of. I manifested in this timeline because within my song exists Independent Manifestation. But I am here to help Chaldea. Umm, is this how you signify you are ready to fight?" She snapped off a salute.

Roman, after some time, sighed. "…Olga, as much as I hate to say it, if she really was a Beast of Calamity, not only would she not be announcing it, but if she was, it'd be as a prelude to destroying us. Besides, alarms would be going off all around Chaldea if she was a threat."

Olga merely massaged her head even more. "…I'm going to regret this…"

Hinako was left with Beni-Enma and the other new arrivals from the Enma-Tei. Harry and his family, along with their Servants, were left to escort Tiamat-Larva around Chaldea. She was looking around with childlike wonder.

"So, why is the name 'Tiamat' so familiar?" Delphi asked. "I've heard of the name in video games and I think Dungeons & Dragons, but…where does the name come from?"

"I think she's meant to be a creator deity in Babylonian myth," Harry said. "And a mother of monsters, so the myth goes. She was overthrown."

"Well, that's the gist of my mother's past song," Tiamat-Larva said. "She wasn't bad, but…she wanted to be with her children forever, she didn't realise their songs needed to grow away from her. Father helped her understand when he found her."

"And you're saying…another me found Tiamat? As in the Babylonian goddess, and a Beast of Calamity to boot?"

"It's a long song, like I said," Tiamat-Larva said with a shrug. "But your songs were intertwined. However, Mother sent me to ensure you were prepared to face her as Beast II during the Grand Order. There is a Singularity focused on…what did you call it? Babylonia? That is where Beast II awaits. I am a fragment of Mother, combined with some of your song, your essence and magic."

Barghest frowned. "And yet, you work willingly with humanity?"

"You are a Fae, and your comrade is a dragon. Why do you work willingly with humanity?" Tiamat-Larva asked in response. "Presumably, because we all found reasons to do so. The song of my mother's love for her children has become a healthier one, and I share it. I do not wish to see humanity or the other sentient beings on this world perish, their song silenced forevermore by Beast I."

In the silence that followed, Delphi asked, "Hey, sis from another timeline, can you show us what your mother looked like?"

Tiamat-Larva, after a moment, nodded, gesturing over herself. Her bust filled out, she grew taller, her hair became longer. The face became more mature and refined, that of a young woman rather than a teenager. "This is but an illusion of what Mother looked like. I could shift my form into this if I wished, but I do not for now. Does this satisfy your song of curiosity, sister?"

After a moment, Delphi whistled. "Hey, Ghesty, do you think Dad's got a fetish for non-human waifus, no matter what the timeline?"

Barghest spluttered in indignation, while Melusine and Tiamat-Larva laughed. Even some of the Servants chuckled, despite themselves. "I hope you will not attempt to get between us," Barghest said archly to Tiamat-Larva.

The draconic being shook her head, even as the illusion faded. "Why would I? I am his child in many ways. And the song you both share is a thing of beauty and strength. I do not wish to introduce notes of discord into it, Stepmother."

"Just so we are clear," Barghest said.

"Still, things are different in this timeline," Tiamat-Larva mused. "I recognise many of the Servants and personnel of Chaldea, and yet…" She shook her head. "Never mind. I should sing to your superiors later, on matters of necessity. How many Singularities have you faced?"

"Two. One in Fuyuki, another in France," Melusine said.

"Good. There is still time to prepare your melodies," Tiamat-Larva said. "The Singularity where you will face Beast II will be your most arduous yet. And if Mother has not been dissuaded from her path…it will be worse than in my timeline…"

Oddly enough, Tiamat-Larva had met Hermione and Hinako in her timeline, along with Ritsuka, but not Kadoc or Ophelia. Thankfully, she was tactful enough not to bring up their fates, though she went around giving them hugs. Which was amusing to watch.

One thing that was bemusing for Harry to think about was that she was the 'child' of an alternate version of himself and a Babylonian deity who was also a nascent Beast of Calamity. Oh, he knew parallel timelines existed beyond theory and fiction: he had been on speaking terms with Zelretch after all, and a number of their Servants held knowledge of no less than three Holy Grail Wars, including two alternate versions of the same Grail War. But he didn't even know about whether any alternates of himself were involved in Chaldea and its mission.

But then, he got side-tracked unexpectedly, when another of their new arrivals learned something from the others…

"So, you two are somewhat accomplished cooks, chirp?"

The gaze coming from the mahogany eyes of Beni-Enma could best be described as 'piercing'. It was unnerving to see that coming from the eyes of a girl who looked like she was just in her early teens at the oldest. Then again, the way Hermione spoke of the girl, Beni-Enma had to be at least centuries old. She also stood about a foot and a half below Harry's height, and two feet below Barghest's. Yet her bearing made her seem taller, much taller. And given that she was the adopted daughter of one of the judges of Buddhist Hell, Harry could understand why. The girl had cornered them in one of the corridors after they had shown Tiamat-Larva to assigned quarters.

After a moment, Harry said, "I'd like to think I'm a decent cook by human standards. I can follow a recipe, and make my own spin on it a little. Barghest is the better cook than me by far, though."

Barghest nodded. "My husband speaks the truth. He is an excellent cook, but he works best with recipes. However, I do have a fault in that I tend to cook large quantities, even when I am cooking for others. Arturia Fae can attest to my cooking ability."

"She was the one who told me," Beni-Enma said. "I also heard from the staff that you two have been preparing meals for the staff here on occasion, though most of it is done by the cooking staff and automatons. And as a being who is partly-divine, I have an existence of sorts present on what you call the Throne of Heroes, chirp-chirp. Tamamo-no-Mae, Kiyohime, and Suzuka Gozen have studied under me there."

"…You taught Kiyohime?" Harry asked with a scowl.

Beni-Enma sighed. "Yes, and I am well-aware of her…proclivities and delusions. Unfortunately, wringing them out of her is nigh-impossible with her Servant self, as her obsession with Anchin is engraved into her very being, and she would view any Master who summons her or she takes a liking to as Anchin. Hermione spoke to me about the incident that occurred just after the France Singularity. But back to the topic at hand. While Chaldea and the Enma-Tei have a link, I have a proposal. I would like to help you bring out your potential as cooks, chirp."

Harry and Barghest shared a look, before Barghest said, "May I ask why?"

"Good cooking helps morale," Beni-Enma said matter-of-factly. "That is a fact of life few truly appreciate. And with the incineration of history, keeping up morale matters more than it did in any prior point in history, chirp. I am not saying you cook for Chaldea all the time by any means, and I do intend to help a couple of the cooks here, as well as cook the occasional feast for Chaldea itself. But I also want to help others reach their full potential, and you not only have it, but you're not lazy, chirp."

Eventually, Harry said, "Okay, but…just so you know, Beni-Enma, I do have mixed feelings about cooking. I'm fine cooking for others if they're appreciative, but…let's just say how I learned wasn't great."

Beni-Enma nodded solemnly. "I see. But I won't hold back even then. I am a hard taskmaster, I readily admit that, chirp. Whether you do this is up to you, of course. Having to save the world is enough pressure already, and I'd rather not make you snap, chirp."

"Thanks. It's just…I've spent a lot of my life with others telling me what to do, how to live my life, Beni-Enma," Harry said. "So, can I take a raincheck on such an offer until at least after the next Singularity?"

Beni-Enma smiled. "Of course, chirp-chirp!"

"I agree, Lady Beni-Enma," Barghest concurred. "At the moment, there is too much going on. Between you and your guests arriving, and the sortie into the next Singularity happening soon, we need time to consider your generous offer."

"I understand. But even if you do refuse my offer, I charge you with improving your skill with cooking regardless, with or without my tutelage!" Beni-Enma declared. "And Barghest, you need not call me Lady Beni-Enma. As long as you speak to me with respect and courtesy, that is all I require, chirp."

Harry rubbed the back of his head. "Look, leaving aside the fact that Hinako described you as Gordon Ramsay with no swearing and as a girl, well, I don't want to piss off the adopted daughter of one of the judges of Buddhist Hell. So courtesy, you'll definitely be getting, and given the way you act, respect as well, from me at least."

"A good attitude to have. Though if it comes to British cooks, I am actually more of a fan of Heston Blumenthal and Nigella Lawson," Beni-Enma confessed. "Lawson knows intimately how food can be warm in more ways than temperature, and Blumenthal is a genius who knows how to marry science with art in his cooking, chirp. Why, when I read his books and watched his shows, I wish I had thought of what he conceived of!"

"Yeah, Barghest and I like his shows," Harry said, before he frowned. "Speaking of which, that Tiamat-Larva girl…how did she end up at the Enma-Tei?"

Beni-Enma sighed. "I've no idea. I was worried that she was some intruder, but she persuaded me otherwise. She only arrived shortly before Hinako contacted me. I think she's harmless. Dangerous, yes, but I'm a dangerous being myself, chirp. The whole 'daughter from another timeline' thing blindsided me though, but honestly? I've dealt with far weirder in my time running the Enma-Tei, chirp…"

For now, what Tiamat-Larva said was on a need-to-know basis. Harry, Barghest, Hermione and Hinako, on the basis of being the senior Masters so far, sat in on Tiamat-Larva's debriefing with Olga, Da Vinci, and Roman. This was in the evening, after dinner, in Olga's office, with the office having its eavesdropping shielding on.

And it was a disturbing tale. Harry's counterpart had somehow, due to an accident involving an experimental Time-Turner he had developed, ended up in the past, and in the Reverse Side of the World to boot. There, he met and befriended Tiamat, who had been imprisoned in the Reverse Side of the World by her divine offspring. After an encounter with Beast I, they were sent to the Singularity in Mesopotamia, about 2650 BC, Tiamat being split off from the part of her that wanted to wipe out humanity, whom Tiamat-Larva dubbed 'Beast II' for convenience's sake.

Tiamat-Larva furnished the names of a number of the Servants they would encounter. A false version of Enkidu, 'Kingu', would be present, and three Servants had formed an alliance of goddesses. One was the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl. Another was a Pseudo-Servant version of the Babylonian underworld deity Ereshkigal. And finally, Medusa as the Gorgon she became, masquerading as Tiamat through part of the divine authority from Beast II.

As for Beast I…Tiamat-Larva had a hell of a bombshell to drop.

By the end of it, Roman was staring into the distance, Da Vinci rubbing his back soothingly. Olga, meanwhile, was rubbing her forehead. "Beast I…the demonic gestalt known as Goetia…and Lev was one of the Demon Pillars that made up that gestalt. Our final enemy will be a Beast of Calamity…and so will our penultimate one. Unless…Tiamat-Larva…is there any way we may be able to persuade this timeline's Tiamat to cease her plans?"

Tiamat-Larva pursed her lips. "I…am not certain. Mother's song was so fixated on this. She wished to experience creation once more, keep her children's song in harmony with her own. It took a long time for Father to persuade her otherwise. And Mother does not have a concept of death as most beings do, which makes it more difficult to fight her."

"At least we have some intel in advance," Hermione said. "How much are we going to tell the others?"

"For now, knowledge about Goetia is on an absolute need-to-know basis," Olga said firmly. "Melusine and any Servants who you feel may be discreet, tell them, and I intend to tell Waver Velvet. For now, though…we don't tell the other Masters. I may tell Wodime and Daybit if and when they are revived. And for God's sake, don't say a damn thing to Lev or anyone else confirmed to be a Demon Pillar. It's best to feign ignorance for now. As for the Babylonia Singularity, we'll begin compiling what information Tiamat-Larva knows about it. However, we can't bank on it either, as there may be differences between timelines."

"…Are you all right, Roman?" Harry asked, looking to the orange-haired doctor in worry.

Roman shook his head. "I…I suspected Goetia might be behind this, but…I never realised he was now a Beast of Calamity. I mean, I should have realised it was possible, but…it's one thing to suspect, and quite another to learn for sure. And yet…the pieces fit together all too well. I…I'll need to discuss how to fight Goetia with Da Vinci later. If we're lucky, we can have strategies ready in time for the confrontation."

Barghest nodded. "Take your time, Dr Roman. Hopefully, we have time to prepare…"

CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you have it. Tiamat-Larva and Beni-Enma have made waves at Chaldea. And Roman is already confronting his mortality. After all, the only way to beat Goetia may be to use Roman's final NP as Solomon…

So, I'm not sure if and when the next chapter will be out. Some of it will be due to burnout on this fic (though the next chapter will probably be the next round of summonings, or at least the aftermath thereof), but some of it is disillusionment with Fate/Grand Order itself, or at least the main story quests. Specifically, the latest Lostbelt, and warning, there's a rant incoming.

I have to admit, I tried to read through the story of Nahui Mictlan, but I gave up towards the end of Part 1 and started skipping. It's nowhere near as engrossing as Avalon le Fae, and can best be described as Daybit deciding to Wake the Spider because he's a fuckwit who can't think of any other solution to stop Marisbury's posthumous plans. Plus, the battles got way too frustrating, even with Leyline Stones. In fact, trying three times to do the final battle against Daybit and I Love War, Aztec Style (I can't be arsed writing out his name) and losing each time because they decide to ban all revival mechanics like the cheating griefers they are…I ragequit. I don't think I'll ever finish Nahui Mictlan, simply because that last battle is too fucking frustrating to try and overcome. Yes, I know you can recharge NP gauges with Command Seals. And? Fuck you very much, you shitty devs, as Eric Idle so nearly sang.

Okay, rant over.

The irony was, I actually found the ORT raid battles much more satisfyingly challenging. True, that was because I looked ahead via Youtube, and decided to simply solo Servants more often than not (save for one or two battles), using Mash judiciously, but mostly using my 1-3 Star Servants, with a few 4 or 5 Star Servants thrown in, especially once the UFO ORT stages began. I actually felt a sense of accomplishment finishing ORT, and it's one of the best, if majorly gruelling, battles in the entire game.

That being said, playing through the Lostbelt gave me an idea. I don't know whether I will ever write it out as a fic, but I am putting serious thought into posting it as a challenge on the usual forums on this website. It'll probably be cracky too, but after you see the pairing, you'll understand why.

Namely, I am considering a Harry/Kukulkan-ORT fic.

Yes, you heard that right. And I have some ideas that might make it interesting. Plus, imagine the titles. At least one would write itself with B-Movie aplomb: My Girlfriend is an Eldritch Spider from Outer Space. XD

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Review-answering time! The Disquieting One: While I think the concept of the Lostbelts is a decent one, in truth, I feel that the morality involved is on dangerous ground, and the Lostbelt stories became all too formulaic.

As for events, most don't happen, as far as I am concerned. I'm taking a similar approach that GhostXavier did with Fragments of Chaldea in more ways than one. Definitely no Valentine's Day, Halloween, or Christmas events will be taking place. Ditto Nero Fest, GUDAGUDA, and Summer events. But I will not rule out EVERY event, and that's not just counting ones that became part of the canon story like SERAPH, Ooku, or Imaginary Scramble. So never say never…

Endergabri: Adopted Servant kids only, and that will probably only amount to Jackie. In fact, I am considering bringing in Jackie from You're the King of My Heart.

I answered Skull Flame's review in correspondence, but yes, Hinako basically stopped the Nue from trying to scam Beni-Enma.

No numbered annotations this time.