CHAPTER 7:

TALKS

A briefing to cover what FATE hadn't instilled in the Servants' minds followed. Olga-Marie, who helmed the briefing with Da Vinci and Dr Roman, was surprised at the variety of new Servants. Of course, by now, having dealt with Arturia Pendragon in her original and corrupted forms, they were less surprised that no less than three of their new Servants were female when history and myth claimed them to be male.

The Potter family and their Servants gathered in the Expanded Trunk, in the library. Medusa seemed interested in it oddly enough. "You like reading?" Harry asked the Gorgon.

"A taste I acquired in my prior summoning," Medusa said in her soft, sultry tone. "We did not have books as you know them on the Shapeless Isle that was my home, or much reading material. But I was incarnated into a living being after my Holy Grail War, due to various circumstances. My memories last up until five years later. I did not die, but I believe my memories of that time were…uploaded, for want of a better term, to my self on the Throne of Heroes."

"Yeah, ain't it weird that we've got our memories of the Grail Wars we fought in?" Mordred asked, folding her arms underneath her (admittedly almost non-existent) bust. "From what I understand, Servants are…well, to use the term my Master used once while explaining it, Xeroxed copies of the original from the Throne of Heroes. Then again, FATE is pretty different to the standard summoning process. Not that I can understand the details. Nor do I particularly give a shit." Her emerald eyes locked onto her sire's. "Don't get me wrong, I still want to fight you, Father. But saving the world from the dumpster fire it has become is the priority."

"Then I am glad to see that you have your priorities straight, Mordred," Arturia Pendragon said archly. "However, I do have something I need to say to you."

The King of Knights approached her bastard child, her expression mostly unreadable. Harry hoped it wouldn't come to a clash in here. But after standing in front of Mordred, Arturia Pendragon eventually said, "I'm sorry."

"…Wha?" Mordred exclaimed softly, her expression confused.

"Not, I hasten to say, for refusing to name you my heir. Rather, I am sorry for not explaining myself, for not explaining my reasoning. And…" Arturia Pendragon turned to look to one side. "You had just told me that you were born from my own half-sister raping me. That was a profound moment of shock and disgust. Not towards you, not once I had time to process the matter, but…towards Morgan. But I did not reach out to you. I considered the matter closed with my edict, and as you had been a leal and valorous knight before then, I had thought you would accept it once tempers had cooled." She chuckled mirthlessly. "The King does not understand human feelings. That's what Tristain said when he left us, remember? And damn him, he was more right than I cared to admit. My lack of care for human feelings in others led to the collapse of Camelot. But your lineage was something I never truly held you in contempt for. Or have you forgotten Gareth or Gawain or Agravain?"

"…How could I?" Mordred muttered sullenly, even as the half-sister in question smiled at Arturia Pendragon's praise.

"My point is, Mordred…I never truly denied you being my child, just my heir, and even then, that refusal, I fear, may have been born of hubris and stubbornness," Arturia Pendragon said. "Now, the stakes are much higher, and despite our conflict before, we must stand together to fight the destruction of history. What is more, this is an opportunity to deal with our regrets. How I dealt with you was one of the greatest regrets of my reign, Mordred. Perhaps we can bond as parent and child, better than we did in life."

Mordred's expression softened significantly, even if she looked conflicted. "…As family?" the Knight of Betrayal asked softly.

"If you wish."

Mordred seemed pensive, before she finally said, "Y'know what my wish in the Grail War I was in gonna be? Have a guess."

"Taking your father's place?" Gareth asked, only for Mordred to scoff.

"Not quite that."

Arturia Pendragon's eyes widened in sudden realisation after a moment's thought. "Caliburn…you wanted an opportunity to draw Caliburn from the stone."

Mordred chuckled morosely. "Got it in one, Father. I wanted to prove myself worthy of being the king. But…there was something else I realised before I died in that Grail War, taking out a bitch who reminded me too much of Morgan." Her expression became solemn. "I realised I'd seen how badly the burden of being king affected you. I…I think part of me saw that, and wanted to take that burden from you. I didn't realise it until then, not consciously."

After a moment, Arturia Pendragon gently gathered Mordred into a hug. "Mordred…while I cannot forgive you for the lives lost during your rebellion…we should start over. Camelot is fallen, and we are considered to be but stories, legends and myth. All we have left is each other now. The two of us, and Gareth. Maybe others of the Knights of the Round Table may yet answer the call of Chaldea and the FATE system, but we should assume otherwise, lest disappointment eat at our hearts. But perhaps we can be family again."

"…Fuck, I hate this soppy shit," Mordred said, even as her eyes glistened and she returned her sire's hug. "Why did it take us killing each other and a Grail War or two to get us talking?"

As the others looked on, Moriarty remarked, "So curious. It's so strange how many of history and legend's greatest figures turned out to be of the fairer sex."

Mordred broke off the hug, summoning an angry, crimson-edged sword that had to be Clarent and holding it to the old mastermind's throat. "What the fuck did you just say?"

Barghest, however, gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Mordred, it is fine. We do not look down on you as a warrior because you are female. Or are you transsexual?"

Mordred looked to her Master, confused. "What? I…Look, in my time, women couldn't be knights! I was surprised Gareth's gender was known! Pissed me off something fierce!"

"And yet, Melusine, your sire and myself are knights," Barghest said.

Mordred, after a moment's thought, sighed, and put away her sword. "Okay, I'll give you that. If you want to call me a girl or something, I'll give you and the other Masters a pass for now. Gotta have some thoughts about that. And Father, that Fae sister of hers, and Gareth's okay." She then glared at Moriarty. "But you bring up my womanhood again in a hurry, old man, and I'll carve one into your neck."

As the middle-aged mastermind nodded, his expression rather calm despite the threat, Barghest cleared her throat. "Before we continue, I have something I need to explain. Your sire already knows, as does Arturia Fae, as well as Gareth, if she has some of the memories from our timeline, and Arturia Fae mentioned something about it which we discussed, but it is worth reiterating. Melusine and I were former knights under an alternate timeline version of your mother, Morgan le Fay. However, we both renounced fealty to her, and allied ourselves in our own ways with Arturia Fae. I was dubbed by her as Tam Lin Gawain, and Melusine was dubbed Tam Lin Lancelot."

Mordred turned to them, peering at them suspiciously. Eventually, she sighed. "Honestly, if Father seems fine with you, and that bitch isn't anywhere here, then I'm fine. At least you told me that shit promptly. Though you've certainly got the muscles to act as Gawain, Barghest. But why am I sensing a dragon in Melusine?"

"She's an incarnation of Albion, at least from our timeline," Arturia Fae said. "We come from a pruned timeline that, in one reality, was forcibly re-imposed upon the world, known as a Lostbelt. This was a timeline where the Fae ruled Britain. Morgan, under the name of 'Aesc', was meant to be Britain's saviour, but the Fae are capricious as you know, and they often turned on their saviour. She decided to become its tyrant in revenge, albeit after receiving memories from a Servant version of the Morgan you knew, Mordred. I was meant to be her successor as saviour, though I wasn't born until she had reigned for millennia."

"She's telling the truth, Mordred," Gareth said. "The Fae were vicious and cruel backstabbers for the most part, but there were still plenty like Barghest and Melusine. While they're not remotely innocent of wrongdoing, both actually have a moral compass. Baobhan Sith, though, also known as Tam Lin Tristain, was another matter entirely."

"A Baobhan Sith," Moriarty mused. "I know of their legends. I may be an academic by trade, my hobbies aside, but I was born and raised in Ireland, and the Fair Folk's shadow was writ large in that country. The Baobhan Sith, a type of Fae who drank blood like a vampire. Their legend was more Scottish than Irish, admittedly, but I dabbled in reading about the Fae when I was young."

"Yeah, well, I once dressed up as Ibaraki-Douji during my younger years," Oda Nobunaga, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until now, spoke up. She chuckled fondly. "Ah, good times, when I was just known as the Fool of Owari. Still, that begs the question. We're heading over to this France place for the next Singularity, right? I haven't been there, or if I have during a previous Grail War, I ain't remembering it. Anyone here fought in France?"

"We fought there for a time in life," Arturia said. "However, our time is different to that of the Hundred Years War."

Moriarty frowned. "I have been to France on a number of occasions myself, for business and pleasure, but that was during Victorian times. However, I could make a reasonable guess as to the various historical figures and Servants we will encounter. France is rich in history, legend, and culture. In addition, I took the leaders of Chaldea aside briefly and asked where and when, approximately, the Singularities are. When you think about it, they are somewhat odd placements of these anomalies to destroy or disrupt the flow of history. I can understand the Singularities in America and Mesopotamia: those would definitely disrupt history in significant ways. And there's one during my era in London that could potentially disrupt the Industrial Revolution to a degree, to say nothing of Clock Tower's history."

"And yet history has been incinerated," Melusine pointed out snidely.

"Of course. One cannot deny the result. And as my old rival used to say, albeit paraphrased, I need data, for one cannot make bricks without clay," Moriarty said. "It's trying to understand the mindset of the mastermind behind this. Why would one destroy history like this? True, I would consider destroying the world, if only to prove a scientific principle, but the Counter-Force would normally prevent that. Yet the Counter-Force has not in this case, and perhaps the placement of the Singularities is the reason why. Of course, it could be that our foe has an alien mindset, at least to human minds. Da Vinci said your traitorous colleague called himself Lev Lainor Flauros. He may not have been naming himself after a Demon from the Ars Goetia for the hell of it. Demons have alien mindsets to humans, after all."

"He definitely wasn't human," Melusine said. "My strength and speed have waned from my past life, but it is still superhuman, on the level of a Servant. But he still caught me with relative ease. He could have killed me with the ease of a human stepping on an ant. In other words, should we encounter him again, do not underestimate him. As for him being a Demon, I can believe it, in terms of strength and arrogance."

"I concur, though he remained in somewhat human form during our encounter," Arturia said. "But Demons are usually chaotic beings, not known for their planning ability."

Harry frowned, conceding the point. However, there was one source they could consult discreetly. After all, the Ars Goetia was also known as the Lesser Key of Solomon, and they had the man himself here, albeit incognito…

"I'm sorry, but…I can't help you."

Harry, Barghest, and the two Arturias stared at the physician. The two Arturias had been let in on the secret identity of Dr Romani Archiman after a few days, and were astonished to learn that he was King Solomon, the famous Israeli king. The room was one of many shielded from any kind of eavesdropping. "What do you mean?" Arturia Pendragon asked, authority in every syllable, but calmly, from one king to another.

Roman ran a hand through his fluffy, orange hair. This wasn't the frivolous physician they knew and loved, or at least tolerated. This was the man who remembered being a king. "Believe me, I've been wracking my brains ever since Lev outed himself as Flauros, one of the 72 Demon Pillars I once commanded, and the 'whys' elude me. And remember what he said, that 'Our King' has taken his favour away from humanity. 'Our King' is how the Demon Pillars referred to me. Which raises so many possibilities, none of them remotely pleasant. At the bare minimum, one of the Demon Pillars, or perhaps the whole gestalt Goetia, may have taken my own identity. Possessing a corpse is well within their power, as is simply changing their form to look as I did in life."

"And in the process, destroy your reputation," Harry mused.

"It's a crude but effective psychological tactic, though Lev didn't know who I was, so I doubt that Goetia knows, and hopefully, the Fidelius will prevent that," Roman said. "And given Flauros' words, I think they truly despise me."

"For what reason?" Barghest asked. "I can think of many, but we want your opinion."

"Probably the same as you can think of. A wounded pride stands out. After all, Demon Pillars, enslaved by a lowly human, even though I was the King of Israel?" Roman chuckled bitterly and morosely. "They thought me almighty, and raged against my doing not enough to alleviate human suffering, but I was a sockpuppet for God, in the end, a conduit for His will. And even with the wisdom God had given me, I was far from omnipotent or omniscient." A faint, wistful smile touched his lips. "But it wasn't without moments of great joy. I should tell you about Makeda some time, or, as she became known to history, the Queen of Sheba. Maybe we might end up summoning her. But now is not the time for such reminiscence."

"So they may be ruining your reputation out of revenge?" Arturia Fae asked. "That sounds incredibly petty."

"True, but keep in mind, this whole destruction of history may simply just be petty revenge, even if it took them over three thousand years to put those plans into motion," Roman pointed out. "Roped into the service of inferior beings like humans? I am considered the father of what you would consider magecraft these days, hence my title as the King of Magi. Destroying all of human history may simply be their way of spitting on my legacy. And yet…I've got the feeling that is not all there is to it, not by a long shot. Demons may be petty and chaotic, but the Demon Pillars I enslaved are far from stupid. Waiting patiently for three thousand years just to annihilate humanity and taint my legacy isn't quite their style at all. I suspect that Goetia, assuming it is they who are responsible, have another goal in mind, though what it is, I have no idea yet, and destroying history, humanity, and my reputation are beneficial byproducts of their true plan."

"Is there anything you can do?" Arturia Pendragon asked.

"Not as Solomon," Roman said solemnly. "I gave up my magic and my precognition when I was reborn in this era as a human, not as a Servant. And my wisdom no longer comes from God. But…I can help in other ways, as Dr Romani Archiman. And…if push comes to shove, I have one last trump card, but that is an absolute last resort."

Harry nodded, only to notice that Roman's computer was on, and showing a website, with the anime-style cartoon image of a cheerful-looking young woman with fluffy pale lavender hair and pink eyes on it. "Roman…how the actual Hell do you have the internet up and running during the apocalypse?"

"Oh, it's not the internet, it's Magi*Mari!" Roman said. "A net idol. Something of a guilty pleasure of mine, I will admit, but I downloaded the software they offered before everything went pear-shaped. And…"

"She looks familiar," Arturia Pendragon mused, leaning forward and peering at the screen. Her emerald eyes widened in realisation, before she scowled. "Of course it would be you."

"Oh, are you familiar with net idols during your prior summonings, Arturia?"

"A little, but I am far more familiar with that face, even if it is as a woman," Arturia Pendragon said. "In fact…I would not be surprised if your net idol is none other than my mentor, Merlin Ambrosius, the Magus of Flowers."

Roman stiffened in shock, the colour draining from his face as he stared at his computer in horror. "I see," Arturia Fae said, nodding. "I do remember his face from when I went through the trials to become Avalon le Fay in earnest. But…"

"SON OF AN INCUBUS GIGOLO!" Roman suddenly screamed in fury. "I'VE BEEN CATFISHED BY THAT BASTARD! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ANOTHER GRAND CASTER CANDIDATE DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE LICENCE TO TROLL ME, YOU GIRLY-LOOKING CAMBION!"

As he subsided, breathing heavily, Barghest looked to Arturia Pendragon. "Then perhaps that is the real Merlin communicating via this software?"

"He would be imprisoned in Avalon until the end of time, protected from the incineration of the world, but creating a contrivance as this through magecraft would be trivial for him," Arturia Pendragon agreed. "And Dr Roman? If you wish for retribution…well, as much as it is beneath a king, I do have some embarrassing moments that I desire retribution for. Including being changed into a man with little warning. He seemed to think body dysphoria and my trying to get used to having male genitals most amusing."

Roman looked up, and then nodded. "Thank you, Arturia. Ooh, payback's a bitch, Merlin, and she's in heat…"

CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATION:

Arturia and Mordred have begun to reconcile, Moriarty and Roman have discussed Goetia's possible motives, and Roman has been told of the truth behind Magi*Mari early. Seriously, you have Harry, the son of his prankster father, along with Roman and Arturia, who both have their grievances against Merlin. Fun times are ahead…except for Merlin.

Review-answering time! ZLC genesmith: While that was on my mind to some degree when I had her summoned by Waver, there's actually more than one option as far as healing abilities and NPs are concerned. In fact, come Chapter 10, we'll be seeing a couple more from Team A being revived…

Dragon Man 180: True, except it doesn't stop some people from thinking "Meh, I can take her". Also, Asako and her personas won't be fetching reference books all the time. Remember, in many cases, the personas ARE the reference books. And Hermione and Asako probably have a shared love of learning. As for Delphi's threat and Harry's reaction, he was torn between being annoyed at Delphi's vulgarity, and impressed by the sheer venom in the threat.

No numbered annotations this time.