The Red Crown Around Your Door is the first story written in a huge universe of Wild Mass Guessing by Riti Troll on Fanfiction.Net. Currently, three of the stories have started posting, with many more in the work.
Its intention is to be a whole universe which includes, among other fandoms, Fullmetal Alchemist, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy IV, Dissidia Final Fantasy, Farscape, Doctor Who, and Good Omens.
Stories in the universe so far written include:
- The Red Crown Around Your Door
: Zidane gets thrown into Amestris, and Kuja's in his head. He learns he can do Alchemy, and accidentally pens the blame of a series of thefts on one Edward Elric. Can he and Kuja learn about Zidane's new powers, get back home, and figure out why he and Ed are so alike? - The Messenger: One of two possible sequels to Red Crown. After learning of a link between Amestris and Gaia, Zidane returns to Amestris to prevent Father from winning his godhood. Originally written around the time of chapter 103 or 104, so a few screw-ups on later canon.
- The Avenger: Not yet written, but Zidane makes a different choice when he returns to Gaia, losing his memory of Amestris. It returns, causing Kuja to break loose, or so it seems. Ed and Al are called forth from some time prior to going to Lior by Garnet. Can Ed and Al save the Gaia and return back to Amestris?
This Work Contains Examples of:
- Arc Words: Dreams in general, and more specifically, "I can't dream." (Although it is yet to appear elsewhere) Also, the Zidane-Centric "You're Not Alone."
- Barrier Maiden: Freya, for Kain's return home.
- Deadpan Snarker: Kuja, or so he thinks he is. Zidane probably disagrees.
- Doppelgänger Crossover: With the Doppleganger part lampshaded early on and later deconstructed It will turn out that Ed, Al, and the others failed against Father and he went on to take over, and semi-accidentally destroy, the world that Amestris is in. Zidane was conciously modeled by Father/Garland to resemble Ed as a cruel joke, and has the same soul, whether accidental or by design.
- Fantastic Racism: In one AU where Zidane dreams up a situation where Genomes were either natural or the events of FFIX took place by a different set of heroes centuries before, most other races treat Genomes like scum, being called "Monkeys." The author attempts to make it like Fantastic Anti-Semitism (For example, Zidane's imaginary family owns a jewelry shop in Treno, and when he complains to his friends about the racism, Squall gives the answer that Genomes have no central homeland) There's also some predjudice against Burmecians/Cleyrans, but for the most part, it's more bothersome to everyone than it is to make fun of the Monkeys. (One of his first hints that this world was the dream was the fact that Garnet needs to occasionally be corrected on this point.)
- Flanderization:
- Zidane goes from merely bisexual to anything with dark hair.
- He also goes from being relatively internally annoyed when his androgynous figure and face are brought up to full on Berserk Button that makes Ed look well-adapted.
- Garnet goes from mildly Tsundere to full on Yandere.
- Freya goes from Defrosting Ice Queen to Tsundere.
- Al starts acting half his age.
- Flanderized!Ed becomes a vigilante hero with a short (oops) fuse.
- Kuja doesn't even know what trousers are
- All of this? Ends up being a plot point in an otherwise serious story as well As an alternate ending to Messenger, Zidane was caught, force-fed a "Periphery" Philosopher's stone, and the scene given is a battlefield-in-the-mind of him fighting it.
- Gecko Ending: Zidane is given a choice on what his price will be to return to Gaia. While there's a scene afterwards, it is not revealed which one it is, to leave it open to interpretation
- Heroic Sacrifice: Freya again. Also Kuja, twice in the main universe, and dies in most alternate endings to Messenger.
- I Call It "Vera": Zidane calls his pistol "Dagger" and not just because he transmutes it into one from time to time.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Fratley, of course. He was a companion of the Doctor. And saved Moya, and the rest of the galaxy, from the Nebari.
- Like Brother and Sister: Zidane often "adopts" various characters as brothers or sisters, both older and younger. Currently, he has Riza and Freya as big sisters, Kuja as the annoying layabout of an older brother, Melissa Travers as a younger sister (Who also adopts him as a Replacement Goldfish for her dead big brother Alexander Travers), and Ed, Al, and Vivi as little brothers. (The last of which being of the "dead" variety)
- Meaningful Echo: Several.
- "Hey Zidane, if I win, you give Garnet an answer!"
- The Anger Born of Worry ending of FFIX is used again once and subverted later on.
- While too far in to be Book Ends, a late scene, and one of the few scenes between Kuja and Zidane that get illustrated, is shown as very similar to the first scene in the story (Which also was Kuja's Alas, Poor Villain scene from FFIX)
- Meaningful Name: Both the title of the story and in one of the sequels Zidane's fake name, Alexander "Zander" Travers. Travers think about it for a second, maybe adding an "E". While Alexander wasn't orignally planned as one, it does get notice once or twice by the Gaians.
- Memento MacGuffin: Kain's hood in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is the hood Freya used to hide her inhuman figures.
- Musical Nod: Shows up occasionally, as the author loves listening to music, and the song "The Messenger" has been a huge help when the author writes.
- In one story, Garnet tells Zidane "Let it all out. You don't have to be so strong in front of us." (It Makes Sense in Context) Which is... the first two lines of the second ending theme
- Occasionally Zidane, Freya, or Garnet will mention how they can't return home, a rough translation of the line "Kaeru bashou mo nai no" from the song "Again" by YUI (the first opening of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
- Later chapter titles of "The Messenger" come from the lyrics of a fandub of the same song.
- And of course, there are several references to "The Messenger" by Your Favorite Enemies (Including the names of four stories, and early chapter titles for the one called the Messenger, and several other bits)
- Freya's Story is called "Eternity - Memories of Lightbeams" which in addition to describing exactly what happened to Fratley, also musically reminds the reader of her journey.
- Or Was It a Dream?: Dissidia, while the characters were dreaming at the time, the Champions had their dreams and ability to dream pulled into the torn world. If one were to die in the torn world, one lost one's capability to dream
- Reincarnation: And lots of it in many ways. Zidane is Ed's next life in a world that split at around chapter 104 and Father takes over the world. The appearance is proven to be intentional, but it's never clear if Father/Garland meant to give the "Perfect Angel of Death" Ed's soul.
- Also, it's hinted that at least one of the characters from Full Metal Alchemist other than Ed was reincarnated and escaped from father.
- Self-Insert Fic: The author is one of the companions of the Doctor seen in these stories.
- Shout-Out: To the two blond teens being more similar than just appearance, and an old Coca-Cola commercial starring the FFIX crew.
- Shipper on Deck: Would Zidane be allowed back in Amestris if he didn't ship at least one of the pairings and have one of his own? Would Freya and Kain be allowed to stay after showing up in Devil's Nest without many characters pointing out their Belligerent Sexual Tension? Riza ships both Zidane/Garnet and
Kain/Freya. The latter because she and Freya have a decent relationship, and the former because it means that he'd stop flirting with the Colonel... hopefully.- Zidane and Freya ship Roy/Riza
- Took a Level in Badass: Garnet learns martial arts.
- Translation Convention /Translator Microbes: Averted at first. Zidane has to teach himself the language of Amestris, although it does seem convenient that Garland had some books in the language so Kuja can read some of it. Granted, other characters in the series end up using various kinds.
