CHAPTER 16:

FAMILY

"I should think that you should avoid trying to woo Aoi."

Kariya met Morgan's gaze, a flash of anger in his eyes, before he sighed. They were seated in her study in Dozmary after the confrontation with Tokiomi. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes, at least to someone who isn't oblivious. Aoi didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she ignored it. I believe it is the former. Do not misunderstand me, I understand your attraction to her. She is quite beautiful, and despite willingly giving up her daughter to another family, she has enough empathy to be horrified at what was done to Sakura. You were clearly friends with her for a long time, and you treat her daughters with great care. But I suggest finding someone else."

"…You think it's that easy?" Kariya asked bitterly.

"Of course not," Morgan retorted. "Most Fae think little of betraying friendships, but I am more human in many regards, and my Tam Lin have more empathy than most Fae. I am not saying it is wrong to be friends with her, but…even after learning about Tokiomi, do you think she will fall into your embrace? She strikes me as someone who will do her duty, for her children if nothing else. And you told us she was wed to Tokiomi in an arranged marriage, and grew to love him. Do you think such feelings of duty so easy to shake off? And if you actually killed Tokiomi…would she or Rin thank you for it?" She leaned back. "I say this for your sake if nothing else, Kariya. You have a lot of bitterness and anger, a lot of it rightly so, but you're also a good man. You're better than Zouken or Tokiomi, even if they set the bar low. I know evil and Magi who are evil, but I also know that there is good in Magi too, just as there are in all people, human, Fae or otherwise."

"…And what of Tokiomi?" Kariya asked. "It feels like he hasn't been punished enough."

"That's because he hasn't been, but I did slip in an interesting little gift into his psyche while he was asleep," Morgan said. "A modification of a curse Beryl Gut knew in that timeline, one that inflicts nightmares on the user, horrible ones. I modified the randomisation so that he is guaranteed to have at least one a fortnight, but no more than one a week."

"How horrible are we talking?" Kariya asked.

"If I didn't modify the spell, there's a risk he would die of a heart attack. I just wanted him feeling stressed and ill at ease, to erode away his deportment and elegance that he values over empathy and morality. I don't want him to die yet, and not too quickly, either. I may be better morally than him or Zouken Matou, but I am still very much a cruel woman, influenced by my Standard History's counterpart."

"You'll get little complaint from me, Morgan," Kariya said. "You rescued Sakura, killed Zouken, and put Tokiomi in his place, with Zelretch's help. I count that as a win…"

Outside, Arturia Fae was showing off her magecraft to Sakura, in a manner designed to try and acclimate the girl into understanding that not all magecraft or magic was foul. And judging by the way the girl was smiling, clapping, and cheering quietly, the Avalon le Fae was succeeding. Harry had to admit, Arturia Fae seemed to be good with kids. Shinji was also looking on with a smile, albeit a somewhat bittersweet one for a young kid.

Still, one thing was nagging at him. He and the other Tam Lin, aside from Ector, were in the yard, watching the display. "Arturia," he asked, getting the teenaged Fae's attention. "Did you say Merlin taught you these spells?"

"Umm…kinda?" Arturia Fae said sheepishly. "Actually, I learned the truth. It was Vortigern posing as Merlin. I'm not sure why he bothered to teach me this magic, but judging by his personality…well, I think he took pity on me."

"Yeesh, Vortigern?" Baobhan Sith asked. "I thought Mother kicked his rear long ago. Didn't know he came back until she told me about your memories."

Arturia Fae nodded grimly. "In any case, Sakura, while there's spells and techniques one should never learn, magecraft is usually a tool. What determines whether it is good or evil is how it is used."

"What kind of magecraft shouldn't you learn?" Sakura asked. "I mean, aside from…" She shuddered at the memory of what Zouken did to her.

"I'll handle this one, Arturia," Baobhan Sith said, walking over to Sakura. "You know how we still had other selves in another timeline, right?" On Sakura's hesitant nod, Baobhan Sith said, "Mother told me my other self, Tam Lin Tristain, learned some vile curse magic from a man called Beryl Gut. Those curses were bad enough, but using them rots the soul of the wielder." She shivered. "So, let's put it this way: a lot of magecraft harms the user to some extent, that's how magecraft works. But we're never going to teach you anything that isn't safe to use if done properly."

"We?" Arturia Fae asked.

"Mother taught me a lot of magecraft," Baobhan Sith said. "Between the three of us, we can educate Sakura well, I reckon. But we also want her to have fun and enjoy her childhood."

"Agreed," Barghest said, folding her arms under her sizeable bust. "Education and play go hand in hand, though more than a few Fae forgot this. Now that I come to think of it, what do you like, Sakura?"

"…Scary stories," the five year old admitted.

After a moment's consternation, Harry looked to the others. "What do you reckon, something like Roald Dahl?" he asked.

Totorot scratched her head. "Yeah. Actually, I heard of some Australian author who did spooky stuff for kids, Paul Jennings(1)? Next time we're in town, maybe we should get a bunch of books for Sakura. And sorry, Sakura, but they'll be in English. We'll use the Translation Charm on you, but eventually, you'll be learnin' the language. Hey, if nothin' else, you'll be bilingual."

"We should see if Hermione is willing to tutor you as well, Sakura," Harry said. "She's an old friend of mine."

Sakura looked up at him. "…Mr Potter," she said quietly, "why did you help me? I know you're meant to be a hero of the wizards here, but…I'm a Magus, and from Japan, and…"

Harry gently led her over to a wall, and sat down next to her. "It was only because of your Uncle Kariya that we learned about you, Sakura, and we did so purely to save you from Zouken. But…in a way, I was like you. Nowhere near as bad as what happened to you, but…until I went to Hogwarts, my bedroom was a boot cupboard. That's nearly ten years. My parents died when I was very young, and my uncle and aunt weren't nice people at all. Anyway, helping people is the right thing to do."

Sakura looked at him, and then the gathered Fae. Their reassuring nods and smiles helped. Shinji frowned. "You're kidding, right? The Boy Who Lived was forced to sleep in a cupboard by his relatives?"

"Unfortunately, yes, Shinji," Harry said. "And keep in mind, I got that name because a psychotic warlock murdered my parents, and I survived only because of something they set up. Incidentally, how are you holding up?"

"…Okay, I guess," the blue-haired boy said. "I'm just…trying to get used to this." He indicated the gathered Fae, as well as the Dozmary manor and its grounds. "I'm in Scotland, on the other side of the world from Japan. I'm living with Fae, and I'm apprenticed to Morgan le Fay, only she's from another timeline."

"And I expect you to put in hard work, Shinji," Morgan said as she and Kariya emerged from the house. "Even if you cannot use magic of any kind, you still have a keen intellect for one so young, and it shouldn't be wasted."

"On a related note, I've got some news for you all, something I've been mulling over since Zouken was dealt with," Kariya said. "I'm probably heading back to Fuyuki soon, to take over as head of the Matou household. As much as I loathe the thought of doing so, Byakuya probably needs help, and someone's got to take care of the family business. I'll still be doing journalism work, but mostly from that estate. Plus, someone's got to sort through all of that stuff Zouken left behind. I'll come back to visit, both of you, I promise." This last was said to Sakura and Shinji.

"What if Tokiomi tries to interrogate you about Morgan?" Arturia Fae asked.

Morgan, however, nodded thoughtfully. "Barghest…Melusine…would you be willing to help Kariya as his guards and assistants?"

The two named Fae shared a glance, before they nodded. "But why us, Morgan?" Melusine asked.

"Barghest is somewhat obvious: her stature would make Tokiomi think twice about attacking. In addition, if Tokiomi senses the power of Albion within you, Melusine, again, it would prevent him from attacking. Also, you both were searching for something new and novel, Melusine more than Barghest. I will give you Mystic Codes for flying if you wish, Melusine, but take care not to hit any aircraft. They'd probably be more frequent over an urban area, and while there are plenty of planes used to travel between the islands here in Orkney(2), they do not fly as high as you usually do. In built-up areas, it's another matter, so take care."

"Got it," Melusine said with a nod. She'd been for some flights with said Mystic Codes around Scotland and the North Sea. They made her invisible to both visible light and radar, and she often used them when bored.

"Understood, Morgan," Barghest said.

"I'm not dismissing you from my service, and we will visit on a regular basis," Morgan pointed out. "However, remember to avoid exposing the Moonlit World. Both of you can pass for human with very little alteration, but you need to take care."

The two Fae nodded, though Melusine seemed a little irritated by Morgan's cautions. Morgan then looked at Harry and Sakura. "Harry, Sakura, please come along. I have something to discuss with you both…"

Brought into her study, Harry sat down next to Sakura, Morgan facing them. "Sakura," Morgan began, "how do you like it here? And be honest, please."

The young girl pursed her lips. "I'm happy," she said. "I'm happy with the Tam Lin, with Harry, with Shinji and Uncle Kariya…but…I feel like this is some sort of dream in Fairyland. And I'm worried I will wake up. Fa…Tokiomi won't be able to take me back, will he?"

"Only with the utmost difficulty, Sakura," Morgan said. "He may be a powerful Magus, but he is eclipsed by even just one of my Tam Lin, never mind myself. I will try to make sure you can see Aoi and Rin without his interference. And this is not a dream, Sakura. Hopefully, it is something you can enjoy. But I wished to ask you something that I want you to consider. You're young, Sakura, but you are intelligent for your age. So I wished to run this by you. Firstly, are you at all familiar with Adoption Potions?"

Sakura shook her head, while Harry frowned. "I think Hermione told me about them once. Sometimes, Pureblood couples adopt an orphan with magical ability, and use a special potion to basically change their DNA to basically make them their child, using hair, blood and the like in the potion. Not all of the child's DNA is changed, but…" Noticing Sakura's confused and apprehensive look and realising he was talking around a five year old, even though Sakura was smart for her age, he said, "It changes your blood somewhat to be like your new parents."

"…Like the Crest Worms?" Sakura asked, instantly apprehensive.

"Nowhere near as nasty or as painful, though from my research, the process is still somewhat unpleasant, like having a cold or flu," Morgan said. "However, it is not really that dangerous. I bring this up because I wished to make a proposal to you both. I wish to use such a potion on you…with Harry and I as your new parents."

Harry did a bit of a double-take at that, as did Sakura. However, they both waited for Morgan to speak further. She continued, "The process won't rewrite your Element as the Crest Worms tried to, it will still be Imaginary Numbers. It should also be safe: Fae hybrids were not uncommon in my timeline, and my counterpart in this timeline was part-Fae, to say nothing of a friend of Harry's. However, if you wish to remain as you are, that is fine. Indeed, it may be safer. Certain members of the Magus Association may target you as a hybrid. You know what the worst Magi are like."

Sakura nodded mutely. "But…does that mean I can be part of your family?"

"You would be so anyway, Sakura," Morgan said. "I haven't done so with Baobhan Sith because it is unnecessary. Her power and potential are already great, and besides, her revival has left her very being a touch on the fragile side. I'll still bring it up with her if you do accept, for fairness' sake."

"And you want me to be her father?" Harry asked, still trying to come to terms with this offer.

"Why not? You are my partner, and you are good with children and those who resemble children," Morgan said. "You'd certainly be better than Tokiomi."

But could he be? Harry had his doubts. Oh, he'd be better than Tokiomi morally, of that he had little doubt. But he was damaged goods. The Dursleys hadn't been good role models for parenting.

Hell, Remus and Nymphadora's offer to make him Teddy's godfather still threw him for six, and he wasn't sure what to do, beyond visiting them and letting Teddy get to know him. He wasn't sure he had it in him to be a godfather, let alone a father. And that was to a normal child, never mind a traumatised five year old.

Yes, one could argue that his relationship with Baobhan Sith was paternal, but it wasn't quite like that. He'd only recently become intimate with Morgan, after all, and Baobhan Sith calling him a stepfather was like a gentle in-joke, albeit one that she seemed to hope would become reality. Morgan considered Baobhan Sith to be her daughter in everything but blood, after all.

"You need not decide right now, Sakura," Morgan said. "Indeed, as I have adopted you, it matters little whether we take this further step. And Harry?" He looked up to meet her eyes. "Do not sell yourself short. I would have more cause to fear my shortcomings as a parent than you do. And there are many people who are unfit to be parents who nonetheless become them."

To punctuate her point, she smiled gently, that beautiful, beautiful smile that betrayed the scarred but warm heart beneath, a major part of what made her attractive to him. She was a great beauty, yes, wonderfully intelligent, yes…but her heart and her experiences coupled together attracted him to her. Because she understood him, because he understood her. True, he hadn't gone through as much as her, but he had gone through enough to know something of what she had.

And in the end, he would give being a parent a shot. If nothing else, then for Sakura's sake. She needed a better childhood, and he intended to give it to her, by hook or by crook…

CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:

So, here it is. Kariya's been given some food for thought, Sakura and Shinji are getting used to their new lives, and Morgan has a proposal for Sakura and Harry.

Having brought up Aoi's culpability in driving Kariya over the edge in the previous chapter, let's take a moment to discuss Kariya's own faults. They're not as clear in the anime, but Kariya has a LOT of resentment towards Magi as a whole. Not without reason, but once he gets infested, he becomes even more twisted out of shape, and he doesn't even try to communicate with Kariya. And there's his infatuation with Aoi, which he seems to think, to at least some degree, that bringing Sakura back to them will have Aoi jump into his arms, not knowing (or even caring, at least unconsciously) that Aoi is too dutiful a wife to Tokiomi, and that she does not realise how much he loves her.

Admittedly, a lot of this can be chalked down to the pain caused by his infestation, and the desperation knowing that he is dying, worsening his negative character traits, amplifying them, until he throttles Aoi due to her unthinkingly cruel remarks driving him into despair. Hence why Morgan called him out bluntly about it at the start of the chapter.

Review-answering time! AxlrexKingu: I think an argument could be made either way for Caster Arturia to be Lostbelt Morgan's sister or daughter, but for this fic, they identify as sisters.

ZLC genesmith: Zouken hasn't taken on a female form AFAIK, though he HAS eaten female characters canonically (including the mothers of Kariya, Byakuya, and Shinji, as well as an unfortunate bystander in the Heaven's Feel route). But given that Zouken later has his main soul fragment in a Crest Worm nestled next to Sakura's heart, I wouldn't be surprised if he eventually decided to take her over.

Reishin Amara: No, Britomart won't make an appearance. I have too many characters in this as it is. And while you are right about the Lilim Harlot event having a lot of potential, that may only come into play for Unnatural History, my Fate/Grand Order crossover.

TheManiacalMadman: Admittedly, the different attitudes was only because I didn't know better. But after getting that guest review in Separated at Birth, the one that claimed Tokiomi knew about the Crest Worms from the very beginning, I've written him as villainous, albeit in an obliviously evil manner. While he knows what he is doing is wrong from a moral point of view, he believes that what he is doing is right from a Magus' point of view, and, as I added as a wrinkle in this story, his Christian faith means he believes he will be absolved when he dies. He will remain as a villain in all future fics I write involving him in Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night timelines. I have to admit to being influenced by Jaenera Targaryen in this regard. And to be fair to him, if he got a better offer than Zouken Matou, he might take it.

1. Paul Jennings was one of my favourite authors growing up, and many of his short story collections were adapted into a TV show, Round the Twist. He also collaborated with another Australian children's author, Morris Gleitzman, on two serial books, Wicked! and Deadly!

2. This is a bit of trivia that I first learned on an episode of QI. I can't remember which one exactly, but I suspect it was International, and it was Bill Bailey who knew this. This was also the episode where David Mitchell got into a pedantic argument with the forfeit klaxon people over when the First World War was declared as such, and exasperatedly demanded "Why don't you write 'MITCHELL IS A COCK'?!" To which Stephen Fry, after laughing, warned him, "I wouldn't put it past them…"