A/N: *cackles in Gilgamesh*

HELLO~! Thought this was dead did you?!

Thought the Fate series was shelved, did ye?! Wrong you would be!

Felt it was appropriate to update this, given the third Heavens Feel movie coming out. Oh, and Babylonia, of course.

Now then, it seems I've gotten some flak for vanishing like that. I've said time and again that this is a HOBBY; as much as I enjoy it, I simply don't get paid to do this. I work two jobs to make ends meet and have far less time now than I did a year ago. There's the hard truth of it. I'll try to keep the updates steady, but daily ones are absolutely impossible for the time being. I simply don't have the time to update daily as much as I'd like. I've only been able to do that the past few days because i've been awfully sick.

You all know why, and no, I don't have that bloody virus.

There, now that we've gotten that happy little disclaimer out of the way, onto the next chapter.

References are references, because this chapter was a blast to write, short as it is.

Credit where credit is due, I own nothing, yadda yadda...

"Why do you trust him?"

"Saber? Hmm...if I had to put it into words...

...he's warm. No matter how he might try to hide it, he's a good person."

"Warm? That's your reason? That man is anything but kind. He is a monster. Like me. Like you."

"Even a monster can have redeeming traits. But if you're so intent on being cruel, perhaps you really should die."

...hoh? You really do have a sharp tongue on you, girl. In another life, I dare say we would have gotten along swimmingly. Such a shame you have to die."

~Gorgon and Sakura.

An Unlikely Alliance (Interlude)

"How are your wounds?"

"Well enough." Medusa huffed as she tucked her head deeper into her hair. "I have no need of your concern, Saber."

"Brute, am I? You say that," wry laughter rose to meet her muted embarrassment, "Yet you're still holding my hand, Avenger."

Had she still possessed the strength to do so, Gorgon would have struck him down on the spot. She was almost attempted to do so anyway."

"Tch!"

Instead, the stray Servant somehow forbore the urge to hiss at Saber's back as he led her up the winding path towards the Matou household, but only just. Without the reassuring weight of her wings and tail-banished to conserve the last dregs of her remaining mana-there to reassure her, her legs felt wooden and stilted by comparison. Servant or no, Medusa wasn't accustomed to walking under her own power in this form, and while the effort of doing so didn't tire her per se, it left her well out of her element. She told herself that was the sole reason she had yet to leave go of Naruto's arm; why she was letting him tug her along. Yes. That was the cause.

It had nothing to do with the faltering memories of some Grail War in which they may-or-may-not have met.

No.

Not at all.

Not in the least.

Perhaps, had she been privy to Naruto's own thoughts on the matter -had she known what he intended for her- she would've been more vocal in her protest. One might even have forgiven her for being...upset. Alas, she knew nothing of his plans or plots, and thus allowed herself to be led down the road like some fumbling maiden. The thought should have galled her. It should have burned. Yet she found her soul as silent as the crickets in the night, her rage tempered by a strange-yet-ethereal calm. Until he spoke again.

"So," Saber began undauntedly as they continued up the path, "Medusa. I'm really glad you came to your senses back there. Looking forward to working with ya."

Had Gorgon retained her tail, she would've slapped him with it. Alas, she had to settled for a scathing glower. "Cease."

His visible eye blinked. "Stop what? I'm afraid I don't understand. What're you on about?"

This time, Gorgon flashed her fangs in a sibilant snarl. "Do not speak that name."

A blond eyebrow waggled at her. "Me~du~sa~?"

She absolutely hissed. "BOY!"

His laughter made Gorgon's heart race again and again she forbore the urge to strike him as he tugged her ahead, hesitation gnawing at her breast all the while. A tiny voice in her heart just wouldn't let her do the deed; the voice of a maiden overpowered her muscles, locked them up when she thought of killing him now. And she knew why. Because she knew his face. Why? Had her Spirit Origin met his in another life? Another war? Had he been human then? Was she his Servant, once? Were they allies? Or something more? He could have been. She might have. They would have. She'd seen Saber's face before, her core told her this, and yet her memory of it wasn't the same. Such a thing should be impossible of course. Servants weren't meant to see such things; they ought to be unable to recall previous encounters. So where had she-

Static snarled through her thoughts as painful grainy image interposed itself over her vision.

All at once she saw his face.

It was younger, without the scars and the eye-patch. A kinder face. Not an adult's face, but that of a younger man. A teenager. That sunny smile flashed out at her in the sunlight, his body framed in the arch of a window well as he gazed out at it, one leg lazily kicked against a wall. He saw her, raised his hand to wave, and her heart took flight. It was like a scene stolen out of time itself. When she looked up at him, he laughed. His was a boy's smile, so simple and pure that it felt as though she were right there with him. It felt safe. Good. Pure.

"Enjoying your book, Rider?"

Just like that, the not-memory shattered in brittle glass, leaving Gorgon with a sense of loss so profound that the serpent nearly shrieked.

No! Something in her raged at it, clawed fingers grasping wildly at the happy scene. Wait! Stop! Come back! GIVE HIM BACK!

"Hey, you stopped moving." A familiar voice plucked at her ears as Saber's hand found her arm. "Are you alright-

Gorgon screamed.

Saber flitted away as scaled hands tore at the space he'd just vacated; all well and good, considering the tree behind him absolutely evaporated. Followed by the tree next it. And the next. Her monstrous hair reacted to her gamut of emotion and lashed out viciously, eviscerating anyone and everything in sight. She didn't feel it. Didn't see it. Didn't care. There was only mindlessly fury and loss there to drive her, spurring her on as if she were some wild feral beast. Perhaps she was. By the time she found herself again, by the time she finally came down off her emotional high, her palms were caked in sap.

She didn't even have the strength to struggle when Saber snatched her hands and began to cleaning them.

All the while, a lone blue eye regarded her.

"Want to tell me what that little outburst was about?"

"Its nothing." the words tasted dead on her tongue. "Nothing at all."

Saber -Naruto!- looked like he wanted to question her, but he held his tongue.

"Fair enough." the swordsman allowed with a shrug. "Now, follow me. We're almost there."

Scowling, she mastered her raging emotions and willed herself to follow him when he turned to depart. In any case, rising to such choice bait now would only leave her at a disadvantage again; in her weakened state, Gorgon knew she wouldn't survive another clash with Saber. No, that was an outcome she had no desire to revisit. She'd tasted the abyss once already. It was enough to deter her from any...reckless decisions. That, and her own irrational heart. Blasted thing. When had she allowed herself to be led astray? She was an Avenger! Wrath incarnate! She was vengeance! She was the night! She was...

"Aha!" Saber declared, jolting her against. "Here we are!"

...not going to let go of his hand, was she?

Nope. She'd doomed herself.

In short order Gorgon found herself dragged before the Matou residence; one recognized quickly thanks in no small part to her former contractor. Her precious Master had been nothing if not efficient; staking out any and all potential magi and their homes, explaining whom they might be, and why they needed to be watch. Which meant Saber's master was likely a Matou. Alright. She had no qualms with this. It couldn't possibly be anyone that she'd known in a previous life or incarnation. No. Surely note.

Naruto knocked bristly against the door. Once. Twice. Thrice.

"Sakura, I'm b-oh, there you are."

Gorgon's heart didn't have time to leap into her throat; because by the time Naruto had finished knocking, the door had already flung itself open; apparently the poor girl had been anxiously awaiting her Servant's return. Her heart lurched traitorously again at the sight of this girl. Argh! There it was again! That strange feeling of familiarity! Pain gnawed at her head, and she clutched at her skull, averting her eyes. She glimpsed the joy in the girl's eyes, saw the happiness at the sight of her Servant.

That joy faded at the sight of her. "Sa~ber. What is that thing doing here?"

"Hey, now." the blond raised his hands in a placating motion. "Calm down, Sakura. I have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this."

"Oh, I'm sure you do." Her smile didn't waver in the least, she only narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "I can't wait to hear it. By all means. Explain."

Funny how such a simple turn of phrase-uttered by a mere mortal no less!-could inspire such dread in one such as Gorgon; indeed, had anyone else dared to refer to her as such, she would have devoured them on the spot. It should have stood as a testament to the Avenger's self-control that she didn't lash out on the spot. Rather, she couldn't. Because that small sentence, a mere series of syllables strung together offhand, instilled complete terror in the very core of her being. Her own caustic retort died on her tongue, withering away into ash as she gazed down at the young woman Saber hailed as his Master and awaited her final fate.

She was utterly terrifying.

Framed in the waning light of the moon, the placid purple gaze of the young woman betrayed absolutely nothing as she gazed up at them. No anger, no relief, no joy, not even the slightest hint of unspoken emotion that anyone might detect. She simply stood there in the doorway of the Matou household, framed in the waning light of the moon and stars as she gazed up at the two of them. Human. Mortal. Harmless. And yet Gorgon felt her hackles rise all the same. Gods above, she wasn't even the recipient of that limpid stare, and something in her soul still quailed when she watched the Master in question stare down her Servant.

Saber could have retorted in kind, could've argued against her in any number of ways, but again, he abstained.

"I told her to come here." He drawled, pausing to glance back at her. "Its complicated...

"Which is why I'm waiting for an explanation." Sakura didn't budge in the least.

Naruto deflected that explanation like a beginner's blade.

"Shinji's dead."

His Master went horribly still.

At the end of the day, Sakura was a kind girl, kinder still when compared to Naruto and herself. Gorgon bristled anew as a pall emanated from her. This girl seemed slow to anger; she did not enjoy the pain of others. She wasn't particularly strong when compared to a Servant-not as she was now. If anything, that made this display all the more imposing. Yes, this mere waif frightened her more than words. She sensed the power within her, quiet and concealed, lurking like a monster beneath the silent surface of a still lake. The night held a bite to it now, a preternatural chill in the air that threatened to stifle all thought.

Tenting her fingers, the poor girl swallowed. "Oh. I see. So you killed him, then?"

"No, it was the gravity that killed him." Saber's retort nearly drew a snort from Gorgon, impeccable as it was. "And my sword."

Sakura still flinched all the same. "Its all my fault...I never should have let him...

Quick as a flash, the blond swooped in. "Don't be. His death was his own; not yours. You're not at fault here."

"Aren't I?"

"No." Feeling awkward, Gorgon glanced away as the man's head settled on his Master's head and began mussing her hair gently. "He died due to his own stupidity; if he'd just listened to me, he would have survived. But he didn't. This was bound to happen sooner or later. And nothing of value was lost."

Violet eyes drifted past his shoulder. "And who is she?"

"Like I said, its complicated. Saber scratched the back of his head. "Can we come in?"

"I don't want anything to do with that thing." Sakura pursed her lips. "I don't know her at all."

Despite the initial spark of rage Medusa experienced at being called "that" she couldn't bring herself to answer.

"She's not going to make trouble." Naruto's soothing voice overrode her snarl. "You have my word. Please, just trust me."

For a fleeting instant, Medusa wondered if the girl would refuse them. She almost hoped she would. It would make everything so much simpler. They would part as enemies and kill one another the next time they saw each other. Enemies she could understand. Enemies were prey, to be slain, food to eat. Allies...she didn't know what to do with allies. And there was something about this girl that felt familiar. Even more so than Naruto and his own indefatigable smile. Looking at him didn't give her a raging migraine. But this girl? Something about her made her soul scream. Saying that she was right...and wrong. So terribly wrong.

Remarkably, the girl stepped aside.

"By all means." she conceded.

Saber deflated. "Thanks."

Sakura's gaze flicked up and down Gorgon's body, lingering on her chest. "Will this creature fit?"

Bitch! Gorgon reared back, a venomous retort leaping to her lips. "Creature? Choose your words with care little ant, lest I devour you."

"I'm not afraid of you, you know." Defiance gleamed in her gaze. "If you're here you must've lost to Saber. Badly." an eerie smile bloomed on her lips. "You're no danger to either of us. Are you?"

"You should be afraid, girl." Gorgon leaned forward to press her forehead to the girl's with a sibilant hiss. "You are prey. I could snuff out your life in an instant, if I so chose. Be grateful that I have chosen not to."

Avenger expected the girl to wilt at that remark. Sakura did not. On the contrary, her chin rose in defiance and something...shifted deep in the depths of her shadow. Medusa bristled, hair drawing protectively around her with a hiss. She'd seen that just now. It made the voices in her head louder. They screamed for her to get away. Now. Run! FLEE! Escape before...before what exactly? Try as she might, she couldn't quantify this nameless dread. Was it her imagination? She'd only felt it for a moment before it vanished. Alas, Saber slammed a palm to his head and unfortunately Sakura mistook that as a cue to raise her voice again.

"Saber? I've changed my mind. Silence this Servant."

Gorgon bared her fangs. "Ha! Not if I kill you first, human."

Just like that negotiations broke down. "This was a waste of time-

"THAT. IS. ENOUGH."

Naruto's voice wasn't a whisper. Nor was it a roar. He didn't waste any time swatting their petty rivalry down; and he swatted hard. To his credit, he never raised a hand to either of them. He didn't have to. His words did the work for him. Gorgon was long accustomed to his killing intent by now - she'd fought him before. Witnessed it firsthand. As such she only flinched in the face of his fury and knew to yield to it immediately, as one would a proper predator. Sakura? Poor girl looked as though he'd slapped her. All the confidence crumbled out of her eyes.

"S-Saber?" the word stumbled out of her mouth as she shrank back. "Why...?"

"I'm disappointed in you. Both of you." it wasn't a shout, wasn't a snap, but it held the weight of both and made his allies cower all the same. His gaze found Sakura first. "Whether you like or not, little bird, this woman is an ally now. You will treat her as such. I won't harm her unless she tries to harm you first. Do you understand?"

Gorgon preened - until his eye found hers.

"I'm sorry, did I say something that you found funny?" A calloused finger stabbed itself at her lips, silencing her. "She's my Master. Don't provoke her, Medusa. I'll kill you if you do."

She wilted, feeling as though she'd been the one to wrong him.

Just like that, the light came back to Sakura's gaze, if Naruto noticed it, he didn't speak of it.

Without another word the whiskered warrior slipped inside, leaving Sakura to trail listlessly after his retreating shoulders.

Gorgon hunched down in return, wincing slightly as she folded the ruined remnants of her wings behind her and tucked her healing tail behind her back. Even then she had to squeeze to fit through the narrow arch; a task that required more than a bit of wriggling on her part, much to her chagrin. Blasted body. She almost wished she were smaller. Almost. Her power made this minor indignity well worth it. For all the indignity she suffered now, she'd pay them back tenfold. Or so she told herself.

There wasn't much to say about the Matou household, nor its interior.

It was...dark.

Worse, it smelled faintly of worms and decay. A lone candle burned in a nearby brazier on a table, casting ghoulish shadows across the walls. An aura of fear and despair seemed to hang in the air, promising only pain to those who dared to dwell within. Compared to the malice Gorgon knew, it was naught but a summer's breeze. Still, a rational What manner of a home was this? Who raised children here? She might find the atmosphere pleasant, but this environment would prove stifling to all but the most warped humans.

She supposed that said a bit for his Master.

"Gods, the things you two have put me through tonight...

Naruto took a seat place in a large chair near the center of the room, propping one foot up on a nearby table.

From her awkward angle to his back/right, Avenger couldn't see her ally's face clearly; only Saber's unsealed eye made itself visible to her. As she looked on his broad shoulders slumped in an exasperated sigh, and for a moment-just a moment-she thought that brilliant blue orb gleamed with something eerily akin to anger. It didn't abate, even as Sakura claimed a seat beside to the blond's right. Without looking he picked his master up and placed her in his lap, heedless of the girl's startled squeak. She resisted for only the merest of moments before he murmurred something into her ear. Whatever it was, it caused her to relax into his chest. She didn't even try to escape when he began to stroke her head.

Gorgon's brow rose.

Well, well, well. Who would've thought?'

"Right." Saber declared, gesturing brazenly to one of the larger couches. "You sit there, Medusa. Then we'll talk about defeating Lancer."

Once again, Avenger bristled at the insinuation as much as her old name. "For the umpteenth time I told you not to call me tha-

His lone eye burned like a bright sapphire in the dim light as it focused upon her.

"Sit. Down." it was a growl. "Now."

She sat.

Say what you would about his skill in battle, Naruto still possessed enough grace to at least appear sheepish when someone called him on his actions. Enough to make peace at least. He wasn't making peace now. His face looked all but thunderous. All the while, Gorgon watched him like a hawk. If he felt any of the fear she was currently experiencing herself in Sakura's presence, he did little to show it. He didn't need to attack anyone at all or even draw his sword. In this state, his mere presence held sway for him. Perhaps another Servant might felt the need to flail or abase themselves. He didn't.

Rather that begin with anger or even sarcasm, he merely cocked his head.

Tiamat herself would be terrified of the rage in his gaze.

Naruto folded both arms before his chest.

"Now then," He growled. "Let's talk."

A/N: Medusa is best snake.

Poor thing's suffered enough, hasn't she?

It really is a blast to write Gorgon and Sakura's interactions, you know? There's just something polarizing about them in this iteration; one acknowledges that she's a monster, the other has the potential to become something WORSE. Theoretically, Sakura could go either way. Who can say? Regardless, this story is here to stay. Even if my health worsens, I'm training up a successor to take the mantle from me. Even if I live to the ripe old age of eighty, I won't be around forever. So I'm teaching whoever I can, wherever I can.

Well, that's enough about me. Hope you liked this chapter.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Revieeeew Would You Kindly?

Yar, Here Be Yer Previews!

Plenty of 'em!

0_0

(Preview)

"Someone's trying to frame you for this mess, Saber."

Naruto frowned. "Why warn me? I'll just smash them when I see them."

...because you remind me of someone dear to me." Archer pinched the brow of her nose, her face darkening. "And like him, you can't solve everything with a sword and a smile."

"Can't I?" his brow rose. "By the way, you're wrong about earlier. I DO know you. You're Tomoe Gozen. You can't possibly be anyone else."

Much to his amusement, that serene-yet-pale face turned seven shades of scarlet. Her hands flew to her cheeks. "I...what...how did you...?!"

He began to count off on the the fingers of his right hand, smiling all the while. "Horns, flames, crazy archery abilities, multiple weapons...

She felt the darkness coming, creeping into her mind.

"No...please...not like this...

"Well. You actually clean up pretty nice when you want to."

Gorgon's pale face turned rosy. "I WILL devour you."

"And I would have a problem with that...why?"

"NOT LIKE THAT YOU LOUT!"

"What do you love? What do you hate? Give me the joy of taking that from you."

"One down."

R&R~!