Okay, so, earlier this year, I finished a Nasuverse/Potterverse crossover, Out of the Strong Came Forth Sweetness. It was meant as the first book of the story, though there were no guarantees of any sequel eventuating. However, I have at least written the first couple of chapters of a potential sequel, which should give you an idea of what I intend, if and when it comes out. If I do write enough chapters, I will hold it back until my December mass-update at the very least.

The title, Unnatural History, comes from one of my favourite Doctor Who novels, which, while not dealing with Singularities or Lostbelts, do deal with beings that are like Nasuverse Phantasmals (Fitz Kreiner and Sam Jones get mugged by a unicorn on the streets of San Francisco), but also deal with a man called Griffin who likes to tinker with fantastic beings, as well as try to pin down definitive histories for characters like the Doctor, whose own history is notoriously hard to pin down. I thought the title would apply to Barghest and her fellow Fae being refugees from a defunct timeline, as well as the Singularities put into place by Goetia.

Oh, and for those of you reading this in Zelretch's Collection of Alternates, I received a number of reviews claiming that, as I have no pure Nasuverse stories in that compilation, that I should not have it tagged as pure Nasuverse. To which I say, you didn't bother looking hard enough, did you? The first three story chapters in this compilation, Repitita Iuvant, is a pure Nasuverse Peggy Sue story, albeit derived originally from a Potterverse crossover I considered.

UNNATURAL HISTORY (BOOK 2 OF OUT OF THE STRONG CAME FORTH SWEETNESS)

CHAPTER 1:

SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT…

The lives of people are never as neat as stories. While they have clear beginnings and ends, each and every person in the world has influence on others that go beyond the time of their deaths. What is called history is the effect of many lives flowing on from one to another, consequences of one generation flowing onto the next. And different timelines show how different even the most seemingly innocuous decisions can end up being.

In this timeline, a wizard met a Fae. Said Fae had come from an alternate timeline where her people ruled, yet her original life ended tragically. Only the grace of a deity gave her a second chance to be the person she wanted to be, and sent her to someone she could love, and be loved by in her turn. The wizard was a hero, but a jaded one, yet his compassion was still great enough to accept the Fae.

Their intermingling lives led them and their loved ones to an organisation dedicated to safeguarding history, in theory. But the masterminds behind a malignant new history sabotaged this organisation, leaving it crippled and wounded while the rest of history and the world burned. Yet not all hope was lost. The organisation survived, and their foe had played their hand, winning the battle, but not yet the war.

In this organisation, heroes from history and myth would be brought back from the dead to save the world. Already, four had been summoned, and more would be. But time would tell if they'd be up to saving the world…

"Yeesh, I thought a Magus' workshop would be like some dingy cave or dungeon, but all this? Yeah, it's damaged, and the décor's a bit soulless, but honestly, I'm pleasantly surprised!"

Harry Potter chuckled at the toddler-sized figure chattering away as they walked down the corridor. 'They' being himself, his lover, and no less than three Servants, figures from myth and history revived as, theoretically, familiars. However, Harry, at least, tried to treat the so-called 'Servants' as the people they once were…even if they weren't technically human.

Take the speaker, a Rider Servant. She looked like a toddler-sized pink-haired girl in a pink onesie with pointed ears, but she was actually a Fae called Habetrot, a figure from folklore who was known as a spinster (in both senses of the word, as in unmarried and spinning thread) who created wondrous dresses for brides. Yet she was also one of the few Fae in her original timeline who was also a moral being.

And then there were the other two Servants, who looked physically identical, and yet were a study in contrasts. Both were different versions of the same person, a girl seemingly in their mid to late teens, with golden hair, beautiful if androgynous features, and emerald eyes so much like his own. And both had been, like him, forced to become the messiahs of Britain due to prophecy.

His own Servant, a Saber Servant, was dressed in a blue armoured dress, though for now, the armoured elements were removed. Her bearing and demeanour was stoic and stern, yet calm, gentle and authoritative. She had the bearing of a monarch, and was in fact none other than King Arthur, or rather, Arturia Pendragon, whose gender had been obfuscated thanks in part to Merlin. Her teenaged appearance was due to her ageing being halted, first by her original sword Caliburn, and then by the sheathe to Excalibur, Avalon.

Her doppelganger was a contrast, dressed in an outfit that looked vaguely like a school uniform. Her hair was not in the severe bun of her Saber version, but loose. And rather than being a human with some dragon heritage, she was actually a Fae. He'd started to call her 'Arturia Fae' to differentiate her from his Servant.

And then, there was Harry's lover. Towering over most people, her body was the epitome of the adjective Amazonian, muscled and imposing, something her casual outfit couldn't hope to conceal. Yet her face was a picture of proud, regal beauty, framed by a long, messy mane of blonde hair. Her eyes were pale blue, though one, her right eye, had a faint tinge of red to it. Finally, she seemed to wear a tiara, though this was actually horns. And despite her obvious strength, she also had an air of gentleness.

She had a storied past to say the least, and a bloodstained one at that, working as an enforcer for an alternate version of Morgan le Fay. Yet Harry knew that Barghest was a good and kind soul, someone who yearned to be a true knight, to protect others. It was that that eventually drew him to her.

Barghest's comrade in the Lostbelt they came from, Melusine, had stayed behind in the summoning chamber at Chaldea. Although technically Habetrot's Master, the incarnation of Albion opted to stay at the summoning chamber while the next summons were performed, in case the new Servants turned out belligerent. So too did Harry's adopted daughter, Delphi, and her Servant, the Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga. Between them, the Demi-Servant Mash Kyrielight, and Leonardo da Vinci being present, they had three Servants and a being on a par with them ready just in case.

It was Barghest who suggested that she take Habetrot on a tour of Chaldea, to stop their reunion from holding up the summons. Harry was sure that this was partly to avoid Habetrot from slipping up and revealing that she, like Barghest, Melusine, and Arturia Fae, came from the future of an alternate timeline to this one, and from an alternate timeline forcibly superimposed on said alternate timeline to boot.

Even now, the concept of a Lostbelt disturbed him. How, somehow, the surface of the world in a different timeline was rendered blank, and timelines once removed by the Counter-Force were forcibly reimposed in set locations around the world. Barghest, Melusine, Arturia Fae and Habetrot all came from one Lostbelt in particular, one centred on Britain, where Fae ruled for millennia. This was by no means a good thing: the quartet in Chaldea were perhaps the few truly moral Fae in that Lostbelt, with most Fae being capricious and treacherous. Arturia Fae's predecessor as the saviour of Fae Britain was a version of Morgan le Fay, who became a tyrannical ruler instead of a saviour after one betrayal too many.

Habetrot then looked to Barghest. "So, Barghest…why did you tell me to be quiet in Old Fae back in the summonin' room? Was it Mash and Ritsuka?"

Barghest nodded. "Mash is somewhat aware of what she did in the Lostbelt, as we spoke to her in general terms, to help bolster her self-esteem, as well as to explain our familiarity with her. We have not done the same to Ritsuka, partly because we only met him yesterday, and partly because we want to be sure such knowledge won't have adverse effects, on his ego if nothing else."

"Got it. So, this is basically Chaldea before the Lostbelts happened, huh?" Habetrot nodded to herself. "Glad this is an alternate timeline, so the World ain't tryin' to erase my presence. That was not fun. But…who did this?" She indicated a damaged wall that some technicians were currently fixing electronics in the hole.

"The culprit was a Magus by the name of Lev Lynor, though he claimed to be Flauros," Arturia Pendragon said. "A Demon Pillar. He was certainly not human. Such a sensation of inhumanity…I hadn't felt such a thing so overwhelmingly since I fought my uncle, Vortigern."

"Yes…Vortigern," Barghest said, scowling. "My Arturia and I encountered a variant of him in our timeline, masquerading as Oberon."

Arturia Fae nodded. "From what I know, our Vortigern was basically a self-destruct mechanism for our Britain. That's what I learned when I was summoned by Ritsuka during the final battle against him. It was a hard-won battle."

"I am sure it was," Arturia Pendragon said, shooting her counterpart a smile. "And I am sorry you had to go through such hardships, my counterpart."

"Ehh…counterpart sounds so formal," Arturia Fae said. "Can we call each other sister or something? I mean, you'd want a better sister than Morgan, right?"

After a moment of bemusement, Arturia Pendragon smiled again. "Yes…that is agreeable, sister…"

At the end of it, the quintet decided to stop by the canteen. It was still too early for lunch, but Harry had decided to have some morning tea, and Barghest and the Servants agreed. Tea had existed in the Lostbelt thanks to spacetime jetsam and flotsam washing up there, and Arturia Pendragon had acquired a taste for tea during her previous two summonings. Harry and Barghest 'played mother' for the three Servants, serving up the tea. Only Arturia Pendragon put up a token protest, given that Servants, technically, didn't need to eat or drink, given their nature. But she then asked politely for some chocolate cake when she learned it was available. Not much, but enough that the three Servants and Barghest wanted a slice.

Harry would have wanted some himself, but he wasn't that hungry. The past day's events had hobbled his appetite somewhat, though he ensured he had a decent dinner last night and breakfast this morning. But the fact that he helped Barghest serve tea and cake to the Servants, nominally familiars who were meant to serve Masters, endeared them to the Servants further, especially his own Servant.

As they ate, Arturia Fae said to her honorary sister, "You should try one of Barghest's own meals these days. When she received the pair of us in Fae Manchester, the meal…oh, it was exquisite, sister!"

Barghest cleared her throat, her expression a mixture of gratitude at the praise, pride, and embarrassment. "I was being a good host, insomuch as I could then, Arturia Fae. And if you recall, we battled shortly beforehand."

"Hey, you only battled Ritsuka and Da Vinci, her Rider version. Habbycat was taking Redra Bit out of the room for a bit, and you told me to stand aside while you tested their resolve." Arturia Fae rubbed her head. "I'm still surprised at seeing Da Vinci as an adult woman, I just didn't bring it up because of time travel stuff and being polite. And I wasn't so polite during that feast you served up either. But honestly, Barghest, your food was great!"

Barghest nodded in gratitude. "I remember how much you enjoyed my meat pies. Da Vinci enjoyed my…gnocchi, I believed she called it, and Muramasa was enjoying my oysters. My cuisine is still nothing compared to what was served in Camelot, but I have gained confidence in my ability as a cook."

"I daresay you underestimate your own culinary skill, Barghest," Arturia Pendragon said. "Hunger is the enemy. I believe a modern idiom is that an army marches on its stomach. If my sister's praise is any indication, I would have been happy to have you cook at Camelot if and when you wished. The sad thing is, your skill may be the polar opposite of your counterpart, Sir Gawain. His cooking skill…led much to be desired."

"Thank you, Arturia Pendragon, for your kind praise. I was taught to cook as any noble lady, even a scion of the Fang Clan, should learn, but while many domestic skills are not my forte, cooking and gardening, I found to be enjoyable. Harry has similar skills…even if where he acquired them from was far from good."

The two Arturias looked to Harry, who shrugged. "I dunno enough about your childhood, Arturia Fae, but Arturia Pendragon, Ector and Kay cared for you?" On her nod, he said, "Let's just say my relatives treated me like a servant with a lower-case 's' and leave it at that."

As his Servant grimaced in disgust, her honorary sister said, quietly, "You too, huh? Ector, my Ector, was the first to treat me with any genuine kindness when I ended up in Fae Tintagel. Gruff and irritable, but…he was the first Fae to be genuinely kind to me."

"A good man, who deserved better," Barghest said solemnly.

Before they could continue, the three Servants tensed. "There's two Servants approaching, along with Nobunaga and Mash," Arturia Pendragon said, her emerald eyes narrowing. "And one feels familiar to me."

"If they weren't friendly, we'd know about it by now, right?" Harry asked.

"Not necessarily, I fought an insidious Caster who was actually Medea of Colchis, who tried to control me to murder my former Master," Arturia Pendragon said. "Remain cautious for now."

Harry nearly mimicked Moody's bellow of 'Constant Vigilance', but if his Servant was worried, he'd pay attention. The door to the cafeteria soon opened, and a hulking form burst through with a roar of laughter. "Ah! So it was indeed you, Saber!"

"…Rider," Arturia Pendragon responded with an icy tone that suggested perfect courtesy, and yet mixed in with an unspoken "Fuck you".

The man in question was massive and burly, his skin tanned, dressed in Grecian-looking armour with a red mantle over it. His hair was red, and he had a beard of the same colour. He had a jovial smile on his face, a joie de vivre in his expression. Waver and Grey were following close behind, the former looking like he had a headache coming on. Arturia Pendragon, Harry was sure, seemed to feel the same way.

"I'm guessing you know him?" Harry asked his Servant.

"For better or for worse. Harry Potter, Barghest, my sister, Habetrot, allow me to introduce the Rider from my first Holy Grail War, the Servant of Waver Velvet in that timeline, which would explain why he is here. This is Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, or, as you may better know him as, Alexander of Macedon, or Alexander the Great."

"Now, now, Saber, why so cold?" Iskandar asked jovially.

Arturia's emerald eyes bore coldly into his crimson ones. "I still haven't forgotten the way you tore down my ideals as a king, even denouncing me as no king at all, contributing to the destruction of my wish, and leading me to choose an even greater folly of a wish than simply redoing my rein in its stead. Thankfully, I rediscovered my ideals, King of Conquerors, and accepted them anew, in spite of what you and others have done to me." She calmed herself with an effort. "Still, despite our vehement disagreements, you were a valiant warrior, and a powerful one at that. I will overlook our differences in light of what needs to be done."

After a moment, far from being offended, Iskandar roared with laughter. "So cold, and yet…I daresay you've grown, Saber. I look forward to seeing the mettle behind your words. I'm so surprised to be summoned by a version of my Master who hasn't met me yet! And yet the boy became a fine man without no help from me at all!"

"And what of the other Servant?" Arturia Pendragon asked. "I presume this is Hermione's Servant?"

The woman in question entered, followed shortly thereafter by Delphi, Nobunaga, Melusine, Mash, and Ritsuka. But they were followed by a most extraordinary figure, who peered at them. "Hmm…I see what you mean," she said, her voice having a Scottish burr to the soft contralto. "Quite a motley collection, it seems."

The woman was tall and young-looking, seemingly only in her twenties, maybe her thirties at the oldest. Yet when Harry looked at her crimson eyes, he saw a weariness that belonged to someone much older, ancient even. She had dark hair that had a faint mahogany taint to it, and oddly enough, was dressed in a figure-hugging black bodysuit that left little to the imagination of her rather gorgeous body. Her face was regally beautiful.

"May I ask who you are?" Barghest asked.

"Of course you may, Lady Fae," the woman said. "My class is Lancer…as to my name, I am Scathach, Queen of Dun Scaith, the Land of Shadows."

At this, Arturia Pendragon stood, and bowed slightly. "It is an honour to meet you, Lady Scathach. I am honoured to meet the teacher of Cú Chulainn, even if he had been an enemy when I first met him."

Scathach chuckled softly. "The honour is mine, Your Majesty, or rather, Arturia Pendragon. I was told of your identity and that of the others on the way over here. I'd apologise for Sétanta giving you trouble, but if he didn't give the King of Knights a challenging fight, I would have failed as his teacher. As it is, I am glad to be fighting by the side of yourself and your counterpart, along with your other allies." She then looked at them. "In addition, I will endeavour to ensure both Servants and Masters are trained to an…acceptable standard. From what FATE has told me, you will be in considerable danger. Masters act to anchor their Servants, and if they die, it's over."

There was something in the dark-haired woman's gaze that had Harry worried for himself and his allies in the near future. That gaze held a strange predatory nature, something like a cat, sizing up its prey. He just hoped they wouldn't regret this…

CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you have it. Minutes after the previous story ended, this one begins.

Now, I didn't decide on the next two Servants to be summoned until writing this. Admittedly, Waver's is a no-brainer. Even when he never summoned Iskandar, why wouldn't he summon Iskandar?

Now, Iskandar and Arturia are going to be, if not at odds, then not being friends any time soon. I genuinely think that Iskandar's attitude towards Arturia was wholly out of proportion to her alleged faults. Iskandar may have meant as well as he could with such nasty comments, but he basically opened the cracks in her psychological armour that Kiritsugu, Gilgamesh, and Lancelot widened into a gaping wound. He could have suggested another wish, or else asked whether Arturia's reasoning for redoing her reign was out of pride, or to prevent her comrades and friends from succumbing to infighting (I personally suspect the latter, even if only subconsciously, more than the former, which a lot of people assume is the case). That, and his blasé attitude to not only his empire being torn apart by his subordinates, as well as not acknowledging the raping and pillaging his army undertook, means that I refuse to lionise Iskandar.

It helps that, unlike the Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night timeline, this version of Waver hasn't had a traumatising experience with Arturia (and seriously, what the fuck, Waver? Surely Gilgamesh or Kiritsugu would be better targets of your fear and ire, you bloody coward!), so he's more reserved in his judgement towards either of them. If anything, he now has a more favourable impression of both Arturias than he does with Iskandar. I may like Iskandar, but I prefer Arturia as a character and a ruler to him.

And Hermione has summoned Scathach! Now, I wanted her to summon a Servant who is bookish and intelligent. I considered a number of the Casters, before dismissing them. I actually considered Rider Medusa, but I wanted a somewhat balanced class setup, and we have two Riders already, even if Habetrot is going to be a support Servant who remains in Chaldea for now. Besides, I wanted to save the best waifu (yes, Arturia is best girl in terms of character, but Rider Medusa is actually legal and, unlike Medea, not malevolent) in Fate/Stay Night for Harry and/or Delphi to summon.

I then remembered Scathach, and then remembered she was one of Hermione's Servants in Primordial Song. Hermione would yearn for a good teacher, someone she could learn from. True, we also have Scathach's sadistic teaching methods, but despite the ominous tone I left the chapter on, she's not going to be truly sadistic. She wants the Masters (and Mash) to be fit, not keeling over of exhaustion from training meant for demigods.

No numbered annotations this time.