CHAPTER 21:

REVELATIONS

"Something's wrong," Harry muttered. "Sakura's not here yet."

"It's late at night," Kuzuki said. "Master or not, she's probably sleeping."

"During the Holy Grail War, every night is a late night, and it's not even close to midnight," Harry said. "Something is very wrong."

After a moment, Medea walked into the room, followed by Cú Chulainn and the red-haired woman, who was conscious, but looking distinctively shaky, and with a prosthetic arm, presumably conjured by Medea. "Ugh, I dunno what was in that crap you had me drink, but I haven't drunken something so vile since I was a student at Clock Tower," the redhead murmured in an Irish lilt. She looked at Harry. "I have you to thank for this?"

"Archer, Caster and I managed to get Lancer out from Kirei Kotomine's control," Harry said. "Are you Bazett?"

"Yeah, Bazett Fraga McRemitz," the woman said. "Enforcer, Master of Lancer, and pretty bloody annoyed."

On Harry and Rin's looks, Medea said, "I transferred Lancer back to his old Master, in exchange for a vow to cooperate with us to deal with Kirei Kotomine, and to investigate what is wrong with the Grail. It means less of a drain on my mana reserves, of course."

"That's all very well, Caster, but Sakura may be in trouble," Rin said. "Can you pinpoint where she is?"

"I should," Medea said. She brought out her viewing crystal, and frowned. "…Except I can't. Not at this moment. Something's concealing her. Which shouldn't be possible."

"Why is that?" Kuzuki asked.

"I'm a Magus from the Age of Gods. In layman's terms, my power and ability would surpass all but a small handful of Magi alive in this world today," Medea explained as patiently as she could, given the situation. "So whoever's doing this must be either a very powerful Magus…or a Servant. I'd put money on the latter."

"But the only Servant left is Assassin, and wouldn't it take a Caster to be able to conceal someone's whereabouts like that? I mean, an Assassin's Presence Concealment should only apply to their own person, not to anyone else, including their own Masters," Rin pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Bazett said, rubbing at her new arm. "Some Servants, while technically under one class, can show attributes of another. My Lancer, for example, can use some skills like runecraft similar to a Caster. I heard rumours that a few potential Heroic Spirits can, effectively, be a dual class. Zelretch told me of some research he did with Kaleidoscope, and came across a Holy Grail War in Romania where an Assassin Servant had many attributes of the Caster class."

"Which Assassin was that?" Harry asked, out of curiosity.

"The Assyrian empress, Semiramis," Bazett said.

"In other words, we're up a certain creek without an instrument," Harry said, trying a Point Me, and failing. Even sending Fawkes might not work, especially as Assassin might detect and promptly attack Fawkes.

"Maybe the Servant is a weak Assassin primarily, but with strong Caster attributes," Rin mused. "Or there's a Noble Phantasm involved."

"I might be able to find her with a ritual, but I don't think we have the time to spare. By the time I find out where she is, she might be dead, or worse, and…hmmm," Medea said, checking her viewing crystal. "While I can't home in on her, I can manually search the Matou household with this. It'll be tricky, especially as they'll have wards everywhere, but I may be able to do something…wait!"

At the front entrance to the mansion, they saw Sakura walking out. Her image was a little out of focus, but it was her. However, there was a figure standing next to her, and not Rider. In black robes, and with an ornate, skull-like mask. "Is that Assassin?" Rin asked. "One of the Hassan Assassins?"

"No, the mask is too ornate, and…Harry?" Medea asked, realising his eyes were wide with horrified recognition.

"…He's a Death Eater," Harry whispered in horror. "But…how? How can a Death Eater be here?"

Rin pursed her lips, knowing full well what seeing a Death Eater was doing to her twin brother. "The Throne of Heroes draws upon heroic and anti-heroic legends from across time and space. But why is he showing himself so blatantly? His Presence Concealment could make him invisible, even while Deastralized."

"He or she wants me to know who's opposing them," Harry said. Suddenly, Assassin grabbed onto Sakura's shoulder, and vanished in the distinctive method of Apparition. "Or, maybe he can't Apparate with Sakura without being in physical form." He snarled quietly, knowing that he had no way of tracking them, and thus no way of helping Sakura. He hated being so damned impotent to help her. And Assassins were pretty much the most lethal Servants towards Masters, not because of power, but because of subterfuge. The class specialised in targeting Masters. And on top of that, it was a fucking Death Eater! His past had come back to haunt him again!

"That must be Zouken's Servant," Rin said. "That old worm must be keeping in hiding. Caster, how long until that ritual is finished?"

"I don't know. A matter of hours, if we're lucky. Most of it is now automatically run, rather like your computer programs," Medea said. Then, there was a chime. "Ah, speaking of which…"

"Is the ritual ready?!" Harry asked eagerly.

"No. But this is on the analysis I made of the soil samples." Medea made a gesture, and parchment seemed to form itself from the very air, though the writing was the Greek of her time. She frowned, before her jaw dropped in sheer shock. "…Impossible."

"What do you mean, impossible? I can't read that, Caster, it's all Greek to me!" Rin protested.

Medea turned to face them. "…We're in very serious danger. Not just from Kotomine or Zouken Matou, but from the Grail itself, or rather, what contaminates it. According to this…the contaminants from the Grail come from an entity called Angra Mainyu, though according to this, it's also called Avenger. Like a Servant's class."

"Wait…Avenger…the von Einzberns tried to summon an Avenger class Servant," Harry said, looking at Rin. "But who or what is Angra Mainyu?"

"The devil figure in Zoroastrianism," Kuzuki said. "He's sometimes called Ahriman, in opposition to Ahura Mazda."

"But I thought the Grail couldn't summon deities?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"Demigods, cambions and fallen gods can be summoned," Medea mused. "…Then again, perhaps Avenger was once human. Still, the thought of something like Angra Mainyu in the Grail is cause for concern. Then again, Sakura's abduction is the more immediate concern. If she's unable to use the Portkey to escape…"

"She may be under the Imperius, or something similar. That'd explain why Rider didn't attack him. He must've gotten Sakura to use a Command Seal," Harry said, gritting his teeth. "If the Assassin is Zouken's, then that ritual needs to get completed ASAP. Can it purge Zouken's soul entirely, and kill him?"

"Yes. It's part of the reason the ritual was taking so long. Being thorough is part of the problem. However, power charging is part of it." Medea looked to Rin. "Rin, I need every jewel with stored mana in it that you can spare. If you're worried about depleting them, I assure you, if we survive this, I will help you replenish your stock."

"No, I'm fine…if it means a better chance of ensuring Sakura's survival, and putting paid to that old worm," Rin said, before turning to Harry. "Harry, warn Shirou and Saber that Assassin has Sakura, and that Assassin is a Death Eater. Also, make sure Shirou doesn't go charging off after Sakura. We need all the help we can get to stop Assassin and Zouken, especially if they've suborned Rider, and we can't work together if that idiot goes and gets himself killed."

"Got it…"

"No, Shirou! You have to wait until we're ready! We can't go charging off after Assassin to find Sakura if we don't know where they are in the first place!" Harry snapped into the phone. "We can't find either of them via normal magic."

"But we can't just leave her!" Shirou protested. The redhead, on Harry's insistence, had put them on the speakerphone so that Arturia could contribute.

"Of course not!" Harry exclaimed. "Like I said, we need to find them first. However, there's worse news to come. We've figured out the source of contamination on the Holy Grail. Arturia, the von Einzberns summoned an irregular Servant during the Third Holy Grail War: Avenger. Specifically, Angra Mainyu. According to the records, Avenger was a weak Servant who swiftly died…but given the analysis Medea has performed, I think it's fair to assume that Avenger has lingered. I'm sorry."

"…Don't be. While I cannot be certain that this is what Kiritsugu saw in the Grail that compelled him to destroy it, I could feel the foulness in the ground of the park," the Once and Future King said. "However, dealing with the Grail will have to wait. Of immediate concern is Assassin. Harry, given that the Death Eaters were rabid xenophobes, I find it hard to believe that any of them would have truly made it to the Throne of Heroes."

"One man's hero is another's villain," Harry said quietly. "But you're right. I'm not sure who'd qualify for the Throne of Heroes…then again, we have Medea and Medusa, not to mention our Counter Guardian Archer. To many, Voldemort would be considered a hero, for standing against the Muggle menace. And then, there's Regulus Arcturus Black, who was a Death Eater who repented, and turned on Voldemort. And some considered Severus Snape a hero for sacrificing himself to help stop Voldemort, despite what that greasy-haired fucker did to me. Of the three of them…I guess I know about Snape most. Dunno whether Assassin is him…" Then, things started to fall into place, and a horrified look came over his face. "But it makes sense. He was a double agent, working for both Voldemort and Dumbledore. If spies made it to the Throne of Heroes, they'd be Assassins more often than not. Oh, fuck all kinds of duck."

"So, this means we will be facing an Assassin with attributes of a Caster. And one who, if your supposition is correct, holds a strong grudge against you," Arturia said.

"Strong grudge, yes. He had a strong grudge the same way that Berserker has a bad temper," Harry said. "Snape despised me thanks to my being proof that he lost the girl he loved to the man he hated…only, given that I was kidnapped and adopted, he decided to out that little secret. The problem is, he was also a very powerful and inventive wizard…especially in combat, and in potions. In fact, maybe that's how he ensnared Sakura, that he somehow managed to potion her up. Even with your Magic Resistance, it goes without saying that you should avoid any spell he sends your way, particularly the Killing Curse, and Sectumsempra." Harry sighed. "Look, we're trying our best to find Sakura. Once we find out, we'll let you know. But we go together. Arturia, tie Shirou up if you have to. Bye."

He hung up, and nearly crushed the phone in his hand, only to find a soothing, gloved hand come over his own. "Don't," Medea said quietly as she plucked the phone from his hand. "Those things are expensive, and, more importantly, healing your hand will be tricky."

"I know, it's just…my sister, Medea," he said softly. "That bastard has my sister."

"I know. I heard you speculate as to his identity. It does make sense, but we don't know for sure that Snape is Assassin," Medea said. "But there's a problem I realised. Sakura, I theorised, was being turned into the Lesser Grail by Zouken. What if he intends to use Sakura to somehow summon the Grail prematurely? He must know something about Angra Mainyu's presence, someone so intimately linked to the Grail War's creation has to know if he is creating a Lesser Grail, so either he's so arrogant that he thinks he can control Angra Mainyu…or else he doesn't care about that, as long as his own goal is reached."

"We need to warn Illya," Harry decided. "If the von Einzberns sent her here, then she may know where their Lesser Grail is. Zouken may target her for assassination." Summoning another Patronus, he spoke to it. "Illya, Zouken has kidnapped Sakura using Assassin. We believe Sakura may be Zouken's attempt at recreating the Lesser Grail. He may target you in order to prevent the Lesser Grail from being used. If you can call me on the following number, we'll discuss what to do."

The Patronus cantered off, and Medea sighed. "Will she believe us?"

"I don't know. I just have this feeling that her life is in danger, Heracles or not."

"Hmm. For his manifold faults, Heracles was protective of those he deemed worthy." A faint rueful smirk touched her lips. "Actually, if Illya summoned Atalanta, that huntress would defend her to her dying breath. She always had a soft spot for children, particularly those abandoned or disenfranchised. It came from being abandoned by her own parents. Admittedly, I have mixed feelings for her to say the least, along with many who sailed with on the Argo. Of course, you know this, having seen my memories. But Heracles and Atalanta would defend Illya to the death."

"Yeah, speaking of which…why was Atalanta a catgirl?" Harry asked. "I mean, seriously…kitty ears. She must've had to put up with so many pussy jokes."

"Only once per person. She'd make sure they'd not happen a second time," Medea remarked. "Well, unless they liked looking like a hedgehog with arrows instead of spines."

Harry had to admit to laughing at this, but then, the phone trilled. He answered it hurriedly. "Illya, is that you?"

"A Troll for the day as usual, Mr Potter."

That familiar, nasal, resonant voice came from the earpiece, filled with odium and contempt…and triumph. Harry grit his teeth. He could hear something roaring in agony in the background, and realised, with a start, that it sounded like Heracles. "Snivellous…you don't even have the decency to stay dead when you should, you greasy-haired bastard."

"And you, Mr Potter…sorry, not sorry, Mr Tohsaka, have never quite mastered the knack of minding your tongue when speaking to your betters."

"Oh, I have. You never were my better, Snivellous, or else you wouldn't be resorting to taking a hostage."

"Hostages, plural. You see, as it happens, my Master has received a very enticing offer of an alliance. And if it means getting what I want, then I am fine with it."

"And what is that?"

"What I always wanted, from the very beginning, Mr Tohsaka. What Potter stole from me. Lily will be mine, now and forever, as it should be, and the stain of Potter, and of you, will be wiped away in a palimpsest. Of course, should that not eventuate, then I intend to go out savouring the undeniable pleasure of pissing on your corpse."

"I'll deny you that pleasure. I'll deny you taking my mother for your sex toy. And I will make you pay, Snivellous, not only for fucking over my life back home, but trying to do the same thing here! I'm going to get Sakura, Illya, Rider and Berserker back."

"As the Spartans said to the Persians, Molon labe. Or, come and get them, if you can. In fact, I will have to insist. We're at the von Einzbern's castle. You have…let's say half an hour to gather your…friends and Apparate here or use a Portkey. If you don't come…well, while we need either your little sister or the von Einzbern girl, we don't need both. Not as hostages…you do know that the albino brat is the von Einzberns' Lesser Grail? Of course, if you're not here on time, a certain someone will be sent over to annihilate you. Not before taking Saber to be…his wife? Concubine? Sex slave? In any case, I want to see you bring everything you can to bear against us, Mr Tohsaka. I want to see the look in your eyes when you realise that your best is not good enough, and never will be. Tick tock, Mr Tohsaka." Then, the phone hung up, just as a fresh paroxysm of pained bellowing came from Heracles.

"…Do we have a plan of attack?" Medea asked.

"…Yes," Harry said, all but crushing the phone again. "We attack…"

CHAPTER 21 ANNOTATIONS:

Sorry about the wait, but inspiration had run dry. Which, frankly, is a crying shame. Still, Merry Christmas, right? Anyway, the big reveal…to Harry, anyway. And the final battle is just around the corner, and the good guys aren't going to come out of it unscathed…

Anyway, some news relating to this. Firstly, as part of my Christmas Update, I have posted a new story called Knight of Betrayal and Taiga Cub. It was based on two of my challenges, Taiga! Taiga! and Mordred's Second Chance (which itself was inspired by Dis Lexic's Awaken the Dragon challenge, which I am still trying to do, even if in a variation, under the title King of His Heart). Basically, it pairs Mordred (albeit an alive Mordred rather than a Heroic Spirit one, thanks to Merlin) with a Harry who has been raised by Taiga Fujimura, in an AU of Fate/Stay Night's Unlimited Blade Works route.

Secondly, and speaking of challenges, I've posted five different challenges relating to a Potterverse/Fate/Apocrypha crossover, as well as a Hellsing Ultimate Abridged/Fate/Apocrypha crossover challenge. While I intend to do at least one of these when Fate/Apocrypha comes out on Blu-Ray in Australia in February (I am NOT getting Netflix just for one or two series), the challenges are there for anyone to try. As usual, they are on the forums of DZ2 and whitetigerwolf, as well as the forums of Gabriel Herrol.

Akuma-Heika: Snape's sacrifice, even if it was for selfish reasons, was enough to get him into the Throne of Heroes.

kyugan: I might consider doing a story where Taiga is part of a harem, but she'd have to share with at least one Heroic Spirit.

No numbered annotations this time.