Okay, so, this is a story concept I have been trying to get off the ground for a while. However, it's only recently that I've finally pegged down a potential plot that feels right.
Specifically, a story pairing Harry with Lostbelt Morgan.
I've been musing on how to do this for a while. It's not helped by Lostbelt Morgan being a pretty irredeemable bitch by the time you meet her. But there were ways and means in canon which I was using to get around that...but it lacked a final spark of inspiration. But then, I had it. Something that, hopefully, will turn this story idea into something good and publishable. It took plundering the concept of one of my earlier Nasuverse crossovers, but it works...I hope.
So, without further ado, let's start the teaser...
We hear the chirruping of crickets, and fade up to see a young man with dark hair and emerald eyes, in pseudo-medieval clothing, sitting on a hillside at night, stars glimmering down. He vaguely resembles an adult Harry, but there's enough difference to show that this is someone else. Then, we hear...
AESC (vo): I loved him.
A familiar form walks up behind him, and sits down next to him. At first, it's the teenaged form of Aesc, resembling Caster Arturia. But in a ripple of light, she changes into a more adult form. Basically, like Lostbelt Morgan, but with the hair and eye colour of Arturia, and clothing not unlike her Caster self's first ascension, only minus the hat.
AESC (vo): But I had to let him go, and wed Queen Mab. And that led to his death by treachery.
We then cut to the adult Aesc on her knees in the darkness, screaming in grief. Then, Aesc, now looking more like Lostbelt Morgan, in the middle of a ritual circle, as Ector and Habetrot look on.
AESC (vo): I was of two minds of what to do next, and so, I made that literal.
In a flare of light, there are now two Aescs, or rather, two Lostbelt Morgans. One is dressed in Rain Clan gear (that is, her Caster self's first ascension), albeit tailored to an adult form, the other in her Lostbelt Queen outfit.
AESC (vo): The part of me who desired to rule would rule this Lostbelt, as I learned from my Proper Human History self's memories. The other...I suspected, in time, my beloved would be reborn, in Proper Human History. My other half agreed to send me any trustworthy Fae to become my Tam Lin, and keep copies for herself. And so, I went to another time, another world...
We see Morgan in her Rain Clan clothing, sleeping in a glass coffin. As we zoom out from on high, we gradually see more coffins appear, holding familiar forms.
AESC (vo): There, I would sleep, on this Proper Human History version of the isle of my birth, until I found my beloved...or someone who could love me as he did.
The image fades to black, and then...
AESC (vo): And then, he came to me.
We then hear fearful panting, before we see Harry fleeing across Orkney, pursued by something in awful weather. With a screech, a Dementor swoops in, and he barely fends it off with a Patronus. But he's flagging, and even as he turns to face the two Dementors, wand at the ready, it's clear he doesn't have much of a chance to survive. However, with a sudden whoosh, one is blasted apart by a small supersonic projectile that has a distinct blue and silver coloration to it. The other Dementor is bemused, until a black spear surrounded by blue flame impales it, as if thrown. Harry staggers, turning around, to confront a small group. A dwarf in armour, a toddler-sized being in pink, a blonde, Amazonian woman in armour, and a red-haired girl in gothic dress. Soon afterwards, what looks like a silver-haired pre-teen girl in blue and silver armour lands, almost like a VTOL jet, and with a similar noise. But then, making her way through the group is Aesc, still clad in her Rain Clan gear, but with the distinctive eyes and hair of Lostbelt Morgan. Yet her attitude is considerably less cold as she approaches Harry, and peers into his eyes. Yet oddly enough, Harry seems to recognise her.
HARRY: ...Morgan?
As we watch Harry, followed by Aesc and the Tam Lin, enter 12 Grimmauld Place, many of those present watching the newcomers warily, we hear...
AESC (vo): It seems you were shoehorned into becoming a chosen hero as well, Uther, in this life at least. I don't envy you.
We see Harry, now an adult (basically, a reincarnation of Lostbelt Uther), talking to Aesc, sitting on a chair.
HARRY: Who would?
We see Aesc and Harry in a teenaged form at the Wizengamot hearing, glaring up at Umbridge.
HERMIONE (vo): The Minister for Magic is trying to exert more control over Hogwarts, and Umbridge is his hatchetwoman.
Then, we see Aesc and Harry looking at a copy of The Daily Prophet.
AESC: A smear campaign against you. How droll, not to mention annoyingly familiar.
Then, we're in the DADA classroom, the teacher's seat empty, before the door opens, and we see shoes walking across the floor.
AESC (vo): Well, we can't have the Ministry weakening the next generation, can we?
We see Aesc sitting down at the desk, giving a cold smile to most present, Umbridge sitting nearby, glowering.
AESC: Good morning, students. I am your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Ashley Tonelico.
UMBRIDGE: Hem, hem...
Aesc frowns, before waving a hand, and Umbridge tries to talk, before realising she can't. Aesc smirks at Umbridge's fury.
AESC (vo): It's good to be the queen.
We see a copy of the Prophet with Aesc's photo on it being read by a post-Unlimited Blade Works Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka...only for it to be snatched from their hands by a shaken Arturia, reading the article.
ARTURIA (vo): If my sister is here in this modern day, she is up to something.
We then see Arturia and Aesc facing each other on the Black Lake, Arturia glaring with hatred, Aesc looking irritated.
AESC: You have no idea of the suffering I faced in my timeline. Allow me to educate you.
Arturia sprints across the water's surface at Aesc, Excalibur at the ready, roaring in fury. We then see Aesc convening with the Tam Lin and Harry/Uther in the Chamber of Secrets, before we see a certain dagger, Erosion, PHH Morgan's Mystic Code, on a desk.
AESC: My Proper Human History counterpart has left a dark legacy, and someone is using that legacy to their own ends.
We then see Nagini slithering towards the Department of Mysteries' entrance.
BAOBHAN SITH (vo): The Department of Mysteries holds something Voldemort desires. What do we do?
AESC (vo): Leave it for now. Whatever it is, it's good bait for this would-be Dark Lord.
Then, a scene of Aesc sitting next to Harry/Uther.
AESC: I feel there is more than one plot around you, my husband.
HARRY: Then we'll stop it...together.
Then, in the Department of Mysteries...
BARGHEST: To arms!
The Tam Lin and Harry's allies are with Harry and Aesc as they confront Lucius Malfoy, Harry holding the Prophecy orb.
HARRY: You want this? Come and get it!
COMING SOON: YOU'RE THE QUEEN OF MY HEART
We then cut to Harry and Aesc in bed together in their adult forms, half-naked, clearly about to have some fun. The door to the bedroom opens, and a certain someone enters.
ARTURIA: Aesc, we need to discuss...
She notices them, and as they look at her irritably for interrupting their fun, she stands there in a mixture of awkwardness, embarrassment, and horrified flashbacks to the time when Merlin gave her male equipment (given that Aesc is basically a parallel version of her half-sister, and what PHH Morgan did to her).
ARTURIA (in a faint tone of voice): We need to discuss the drinking habit I will be developing as of now. But later. Pardon me.
She leaves hurriedly.
HARRY (annoyed and amused): King of Knights? More like the King of Gooseberries.
Aesc nods in agreement.
TEASER ANNOTATIONS:
So, there you have it. I hope that was to your liking.
And yes, the tentative title is a riff on my Harry/Arturia fic You're the King of My Heart, which was the inspiration for the direction of this fic. It's still only a tentative title, though...
Now, to make things clear, Harry will be a reincarnation of Lostbelt Uther, who was said to be Lostbelt Morgan's lover before his political marriage to Mab and his death 2400 years before Chaldea arrives in the Lostbelt. Aesc denies it, but Habetrot and Percival claim so. For this fic, they loved each other, but didn't get any further than a few furtive snogging sessions before Mab's engagement came along (not helped by Aesc/Morgan's mental scars from earlier betrayals). And Harry, much like my Resident Evil crossover Mycoreincarnation, will have the ability to change his forms so he actually looks adult.
Also, as you may have noticed, the Tam Lin are here. But they're less belligerent, especially Baobhan Sith. While still traumatised by her treatment at the hands of the Fae, and still somewhat sadistic, she's also much kinder than the one we see in the Lostbelt. In other words, she'll be actually adorable and endearing instead of a horribly sadistic bitch who needed to die more slowly and painfully than she did in canon.
Another thing you may have noticed was Arturia's appearance. I thought it'd be interesting to have some variant of Lostbelt Morgan meet PHH Arturia, and given that the 'Good Ending' of the Unlimited Blade Works route is the only one with Arturia remaining in the modern day (and personally, my own fanon for how that route ends), well, you can see why I did it. The misunderstandings will be cleared up quickly enough, but there'll be enough time for one grudge match, mostly one-sided. One-sided in terms of animosity, with most of it being on Arturia's end, and one-sided in terms of power...because I reckon Lostbelt Morgan would potentially curbstomp Saber Arturia if she was actually trying. Look at what happens in the Lostbelt. Morgan was only a little weakened, AFAIK, during her clash with Chaldea, and only fell to Baobhan Sith being held hostage, as well as Woodwose being a berserker. In a fair fight, Lostbelt Morgan would win most of the time against Saber Arturia...and she's usually canny enough not to even give opponents a fair fight in the first place.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. I dunno if and when this will become a full story, or even have sample chapters end up in these compilations, but hey.
No numbered annotations this time.