CHAPTER 15:

CONSOLIDATION

"What a delightfully improbable story," Da Vinci said as she worked on establishing a workshop. "You and Harry Potter are actually reincarnations of magic users from Arthurian times, and Salazar Slytherin who, I should point out, didn't exist in my neck of the Kaleidoscope, was a childhood friend of Arturia's?"

"Is that any less improbable than you being a woman?" Hermione asked as she watched on, along with Waver and her parents.

"Nope. Thankfully, the Grail in this timeline has filled in the details of this era. I understand the divisions between wizards and Magi."

"But how did you know our identities, Da Vinci?" Waver asked.

"It's a fairly long story, Lord El-Melloi II. I don't remember everything from my previous summoning, but…Marisbury Animusphere…he hasn't founded the Chaldea Security Organisation?"

"No. He's married to a Servant he used to win an Auxiliary Grail War I participated in. Medea of Colchis. They have a child."

"And Lev Lainor?"

"…Committed suicide."

"I see. Sadly, that's a good thing. You may think that coldhearted of me, but Lev Lainor was a sleeper agent for an entity that sought to bring an end to humanity," Da Vinci said. "He caused the deaths of many friends. Hopefully, with him dead, there is no threat to humanity, at least from that particular corner. In any case, Chaldea was an organisation that used Rayshift technology to deal with threats to human history, with Servants being a key part of the process. I was one of the first summoned by Chaldea, albeit through an initially rather unstable system. Before I faded away, I created a puppet body that I basically contracted as my own Master, and designed it after the Mona Lisa, the epitome of beauty. Hence…" She gestured at her body.

"And Jack the Ripper and Cú Chulainn are known to you from Chaldea?"

"Along with yourself and the Pendragons," Da Vinci said. "You became a Pseudo-Servant vessel for Zhuge Liang, the Chinese politician and strategist, though the personality and memories were primarily your own. Arturia and Mordred also were summoned, though other versions of Arturia were our foe on at least three occasions, albeit in three different forms. This Saber you brought up was one of them. The other two were different Lancer versions of her, wielding Rhongomyniad. As for Cú Chulainn…well, he's a battle nut, as you've guessed. Jackie…well, you don't have to worry about her."

"We don't have to worry about our daughter being in the proximity of an infamous serial killer?" Dan asked in a dangerous tone of voice.

"Jack the Ripper was a child who never developed a moral compass. The version I saw, while a little to eager to use her knives, became a fairly normal child under the influence of the surviving Masters of Chaldea, one capable of great affection."

"And Jack is like Madoc, Dad," Hermione said.

"Who's Madoc, darling?" Emma asked.

"The child of a warlock, one enhanced through vile rituals," Hermione said. "He was going to be sent to Arturia's court to assassinate her, but Harry…Salazar managed to assassinate the warlock first. There was a lot of debate amongst the Founders as to what to do to Madoc, but Sal opted to try to rehabilitate Madoc. He was only ten when Sal rescued him, but he was already responsible for the deaths of even more people than Jack the Ripper. And like Jack the Ripper, if what Da Vinci said is correct, Madoc didn't know any better. I should know. Madoc was a classmate of mine, and he actually saved me more than a few times from Blood Purists. But…he died. Supposedly, he had an accident with a spellcrafting ritual. In truth, I'm certain Godric had tortured and killed him. He was only fourteen."

"But why would he do that?" Emma asked, understandably horrified that someone who was supposed to be a paragon of Magical Britain's history was so ruthless.

"…Because Godric Gryffindor hated anything to do with Salazar Slytherin. What's more, Godric had wanted Madoc dead from the beginning. He considered Madoc tainted by the warlock, and a danger to Arturia, and given that Godric had a possessive attitude towards Arturia…"

"He wanted to hurt Salazar Slytherin by proxy," Da Vinci said. "Take away anything that gave him happiness, satisfaction, or fulfilment. Am I wrong?"

Hermione nodded. "Only Helga's patronage saved me when Sal was exiled to France, accused of treason. But Godric…I was lucky to survive when he eventually disappeared, allegedly heading off to deal with another warlock, only to fall in battle. By that time, Sal's reputation had been thoroughly trashed, despite our best efforts. In any case, if there's one person who could rehabilitate someone like Jack the Ripper, it'd be Sal…"

Harry watched, with Arturia and Grey looking on, as Jack dismembered a training dummy, her arm and hand a blur, before the dummy simply fell apart. One thing they did do beforehand was find a way to change her clothing: beneath her cloak, she wore little more than what amounted to a vest and skimpy panties, and Harry, disturbed by the outfit, had tried Transfiguring her clothes. Thankfully, it seemed to work, and she was now dressed in trousers and a hoodie. Jack seemed to enjoy her new outfit.

"She's worse than Madoc," Arturia observed. "Madoc killed mostly on the orders of the man who raised him. But…I can understand why you draw the same conclusion."

"Madoc was my failure…because Godric took him away from me," Harry said bitterly. "And if what Da Vinci said was correct, then Jackie committed those murders simply because she didn't understand how to get warmth. Emotional warmth and contentment, rather than physical warmth, I mean. Hey, Jackie?"

The little Assassin skipped over. "Yes, Daddy?"

"Now, I need to lay down some rules for you. First, and most importantly, don't hurt or kill me, or anyone who is my ally or friend. No innocent bystanders either. Only attack those I direct you to, please."

"But why?" Jack asked. It wasn't anything more than genuine puzzlement fuelling her question.

"Because it will make other people sad or angry. We will try our best to give you the love you want. You don't need to go back to the womb to be warm again. Secondly, don't touch anything unknown in this castle. I don't know whether they can affect Servants, but I have some nasty booby-traps that may affect a Servant. Jack…I know what it's like to be an unwanted child. But I had people who kept me warm, not on the outside, but here, where it counts." He poked her chest gently with a finger, around where her heart was.

She peered at him, before she said, "You're not like the others we called Daddy, those of us who lived long enough to know what a father was. Many weren't there. Others…we wish weren't there. Some beat us, others pimped us out, and others used us themselves."

Arturia walked over to Jack gingerly, Grey following her ancestor. "Jack…I promise you…if kindness is what you desire, then kindness is what you will get. I made my mistakes with Mordred, but I won't with her now, or with you. As long as you do not kill the innocent, I will be glad to give you the warmth you were deprived of in life."

Jack peered up at Arturia. "Caster called you Arturia Pendragon…King Arthur. But you're a woman?"

"It is a long story," Arturia said. "…But let me ask you something, Jack…do you feel remorse for what you did?"

After a moment, Jack nodded, her eyes betraying anxiety. "…We…we didn't want them to die. We only wanted Mummy to let us go back where it was warm, back into Mummy. The world was so dark…the smog, the streets, the river…choking and corroding and cold…we just wanted warmth. We wanted their warmth, but…we didn't want them dead."

"Then…I want you to remember that those unfortunate women didn't deserve it, any more than you deserved your fate. This is your second chance, and perhaps you will have a better life than before, Jack." She then stood, before turning to Harry. "Not just Madoc…she reminds me of you, Sal. You had not dissimilar eyes."

"You're taking the fact that you're allied with a serial killer well," Grey remarked. "I mean, don't get me wrong, she doesn't seem malicious or anything, but you are a paragon of chivalry, Arturia."

"Aye, I am. But I also have Harry and Agravain, spymasters and assassins both, to thank for keeping me on my throne, as much as I detest it. And…I have seen many children who have been rejected by the world. Sal was the first. I don't like having an Assassin on our side, that much is true, but…I recognise her value, not just as a Servant, but as a person."

"Exactly," Harry said, hoisting the Assassin onto his shoulders, to her unexpected delight. "Some people deserve a chance at redemption. The trick is figuring out who deserves them. Now, Ria, Grey, we'd better go check on Little Mordred, and hope she and her Servant haven't been sparring too hard…"

Mordred was having the time of her life, and she knew Cú Chulainn was too. Given the big grin on his features, a grin she knew was mirrored on her own face, he was loving their fight. It was a challenge, and in a good way. While she'd been in more than a couple of fights since waking from stasis, this was truly enjoyable.

Eventually, the Irish spearman called a halt. "I'm guessin' we can do this all day, Master, but time's probably of the essence. So we'll stop there."

Mordred clicked her tongue, but nodded, conceding the point. "Yeah. You're pretty good. Y'know, maybe I should've sought out your teacher for help."

"You'd have liked her," Cú Chulainn said. "She was the Queen of the Land of Shadows, a realm of darkness and death. Very stern and serious, but she's not without a sharp wit." His face fell. "That being said, my teacher…she couldn't die. She became immortal, and hates that. Probably still alive even now, and no doubt wants someone who can put an end to her. Still, you're my kind of Master, Mordred. Nice to see that you're more than what the myths say about you. You're a feisty and strong lass. I could've done with you by my side when Queen Medb attacked Ulster."

Kairi shook his head. "Yeah. I still can't get over how strong Servants are, let alone how strong Mordred and Arturia are."

"Yeah," Mordred said, looking at her hand. "Still weaker than I was at Camlann, though. So's Father. Our recovery in stasis must've done a number on us. To be honest, I'm glad we didn't get any of those others on the Round Table. It would've been awkward to say the least. Gawain was an overzealous musclehead, Agravain was a prick, Gareth…she was okay, nice, just annoying. Lancelot…well, you know about what happened with Guinevere. Tristain…he went on about how Father couldn't understand human feelings, and while he had a point, he was one to talk, given his own affair with Iseult. They wouldn't understand. Hell, I'm lucky Uncle Sal was there when Father and I awoke, to keep us apart long enough to calm down."

"Hey, at least you and your father get a second chance," Cú Chulainn said. "I had to kill my own son in a battle. Very long story there, and frankly, I wish I didn't have to. Had to fight my foster father Fergus as well during Medb's attack."

"Did you kill him?" Mordred asked.

"Nah. Managed to get him to leave. Then again, falling in battle may have been better. He got killed by a blind spearman while he was swimming. I guess that's the lot of a hero. We meet tragic bullshit endings a lot of the time. Take me. Medb tricked me into eating dog meat, breaking the geas I had, a vow to never eat it. But, well, refusing well-meant hospitality was also bad. Between a rock and a hard place, you'd say these days. Medb had me weakened in time for her champion to kill me."

"So, dog meat's your kryptonite?" Kairi asked.

"The hell's kryptonite?" the Lancer Servant asked, confused.

"It's a modern reference, never mind," Kairi said. "I meant it was your biggest weakness."

"Yeah, though for Fergus, it was basically any girl who caught his eye," Cú Chulainn said with a shrug. He looked over at Mordred. "The moment he met you, your pops, that Grey kid, Caster and that Hermione girl, to say nothing of that Granger woman…well…he'd be trying to chat you up."

"If he did, I'd shove Clarent where the sun don't shine," Mordred scoffed.

The door to the training room opened, and Uncle Sal, along with Father, Assassin, and Grey entered. "Who're you planning to give a Clarent colonoscopy to, Little Mordred?" Uncle Sal asked.

"She was just not happy at the thought of my foster father Fergus hitting on her," Cú Chulainn said.

"I would imagine not. I have heard tales of the deeds of Fergus Mac Roich, Cú Chulainn, and his sword, Caladbolg, is a relative to my own Excalibur. But I assure you, neither myself nor my child take kindly to unwanted suitors," Father said.

"Fine by me," Cú Chulainn said. "I like a strong and beautiful woman, but I know where to draw the line. Besides, you two look like you're close. I saw the rings. But I'd love to spar with you too, King of Knights."

"Perhaps later, Cú Chulainn," Father said with a smile. Mordred once more felt a pang in her chest. Why couldn't she smile more like that back during Camelot? "My child has met with your approval?"

"Yep! A spitfire, she is. I never thought I'd have such a Master, one who could give me a good fight when I'm bored. Still, I want to get to the real action before too long."

Mordred found her gaze going over to Assassin, perched on Sal's shoulders, and felt a pang of envy. By the time she first met her uncle, she was already a teenager. The best she could get was a broomstick ride around Hogwarts. Best birthday present ever. But…while Morgan had given her some small semblance of a childhood, even treated her well, Mordred knew she was a tool, meant to usurp King Arthur.

I wish…I wish we could have had a normal life, Mordred thought to herself. Me, Father, and Uncle Sal. Yeah, I mean, I don't want a boring life like so many people these days seem to have, no adventure, but…I want to be family.

Sal must've seen her expression, and he said, "Hey, Grey, Ria, group hug."

And soon, they were drawn into it, even Assassin, who had hopped down from her perch. Only Kairi and Cú Chulainn weren't in it. Sal then said, "…All of us here are family. Don't forget that. We're also a family who can get along, who can stick together, despite everything. I promise you, I will do whatever I can to protect you, and I know that every one of you will fight to protect both yourselves and each other, to the end. Ria, Mordred, you are easily the strongest women I know. Grey, your worthiness in wielding Rhongomyniad proves your strength. And Jack…well, you will fight to keep your family?"

"...Family? You want me to be part of a family?"

"You didn't get the chance to be in one. As long as you don't hurt your family or anyone we don't want you to, you can be part of it."

Jackie nuzzled into the group further, before finally, they broke apart. Arturia then looked at Cú Chulainn. "It will be an honour to fight alongside you, Cú Chulainn. Merlin regaled me with tales of the exploits of you and your fellow Irishmen. Are you up to the challenge?"

"Hey, gimme some good strong foes to fight, and we're good," the Irish Lancer said with a grin. "Besides, my Master is Mordred, of all people, and you're King Arthur. Okay, I didn't know you two were girls, but I ain't complaining one bit. So, where do we go next?"

"We need to find Godric and Morgan's whereabouts first," Harry said. "Same with Voldemort. But I think between myself, Hermione and Da Vinci, we might be able to find a solution to that. That being said, I'm sure I know where Godric will be. Even if he's not there all the time, he already has his own castle, because what is a king without a castle?"

"…Hogwarts," Arturia said. "Godric's fiefdom is at Hogwarts."

"Exactly, Ria. He may not rule overtly, but I'm sure Godric has his base there…"

CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you have it. We've had some discussion with the Servants, and Harry and Arturia have come to the same conclusion. Once more, I should say that I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out.

The character Harry brings up, Madoc, was an OC I created for a previous draft of this done as a Fate/Apocrypha crossover, where Harry and Arturia debate Jackie's resemblance to Madoc. Elements of that draft made it into My Beautiful Huntress, though in the prior draft, it was Arturia, of all people, who ended up becoming Jackie's Master. Because I thought it would be funny. Anyway, Madoc was named because I needed a Welsh-sounding name that also seemed vaguely sinister, and I thought of the late Welsh actor Philip Madoc, who played a number of memorable roles in Doctor Who, including the War Lord from The War Games, and Dr Mehendri Solon from The Brain of Morbius, both iconic villains from the classic series.

Review-answering time! Reishin Amara: Yes, this version of Da Vinci retains some of her memories of Chaldea. Normally, Servants can't, but Da Vinci likes to say 'fuck you' to a lot of preconceptions. Seriously, her female body is one she created herself to remain in the world after an unstable summoning.

Innortal: Godric and Morgan are yet to summon Avenger, but they will…

DZ2: I'm glad you enjoyed it. True, there's a lot from the Nasuverse here, but I'm sure you can pick it up as you go along.

HP-DG-SB-NR-RG-PN: Jackie is a lot less endearing in Fate/Apocrypha than she is in my works. This is, admittedly, due to her Master, Reika Rikudou, being a bad influence, to say nothing of the lack of mana. She's still cute, and she gets some adorable moments (a particularly hilarious, if darkly so, moment happens when she slaughters a bunch of Yggdmillennia Homunculi and even a golem, only to be called on a mobile phone by Reika, and she struggles a little to answer the phone, with the ensuing conversation very like a concerned mother talking to her child…despite the fact that said child is spattered with blood), but she is also scary as hell. But I see the potential in her to grow beyond that, potential done in Fate/Grand Order. I try to also make her more endearing in my Fate/Apocrypha fics. She's still a dangerous little girl, but you can have dangerous and crazy without losing an endearing and cute nature. Look at Tiny Tina from Borderlands 2.

deathgeonous: Morgan is definitely a villain in the Nasuverse, though I am giving her some characterisation. Godric…well, I didn't start the original version of this story with him as a villain, but I decided I wanted another antagonist, and when I thought back to the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry, I had this image of the Dark Ages equivalent of a jock harassing the quiet outcast kid, and how it went from there. Actually, at one point, I was going to have Godric reincarnated as James Potter, but I thought that didn't work out, but a lot of James Potter from my WBWL fics have made it into my characterisation of Godric. Like my bashable James Potter, Godric is basically a bully who never grew out of it, just became more subtle, and who is obsessed with the woman of his dreams, regardless of whether said woman wants his attentions or not. However, he's also dangling on Morgan's strings to a degree, and he does know it, much to his chagrin. Dumbledore is their pawn, to set Godric up as the true messiah of Magical Britain, once everything falls into place.

No numbered annotations this time.