This is one that me and my beta have been working on since the middle of last year, and we've more or less agreed its about time to publish it. If you couldn't tell from the title, this is StrikerS x Fate/Kaleid.
So, here we go with another new story! Starts immediately after the final battle of 2wei (Herz for the anime), and during the extremely early days of Riot Force Six (before the Forwards join).
Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Kalied Linear Prisma Illya or Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS (That was a mouthful)
Miyu's entire world was darkness. Maybe she was fool to believe it could ever have ended any other way. This was always her fate. She wasn't supposed to have friends, or family, or happiness. She was only ever a cup that granted wishes. Her own wish could never be granted.
But, at least for three months, she was allowed to live out that dream. Now she just had to wake up and return to her previous existence. During these three months of happiness, she'd fulfilled the dream her brother had for her. She'd made such a wonderful friend.
The darkness lit up with an intense light that blinded her. All around her, the beast that captured her dissolved at its touch until she was completely free. Opening her eyes, she saw her.
"Illya?" She asked herself, staring at her best friend floating down to the ground. On her back, she had two pairs of dark purple wings made entirely of pure energy. The staff in her hand was neither Ruby nor Sapphire, but something else entirely.
"You're just the same." Illya smiled at her, "You've been crying since the first time I saw you."
Miyu reached up to her face, and found that she was indeed crying without even being aware of it.
"Miyu, Illya!" Kuro, Rin, and Luvia shouted as they slid down the side of the crater, "Are you all okay!?"
Just behind her, Miyu heard a soft laughter. Laying in the puddle of black mud that remained of the eighth card was the boy who was the incarnation of the card.
"To think that Ea could be defeated… Well, I was only able to half incarnate, so I'm sure that's the reason. And my Black half was sealed back into the card. Still, I'm tired…"
The staff in Ilya's hand split apart, and a familiar blue staff flew towards her.
"Lady Miyu!" Sapphire cried, "Don't ever leave me behind like that again!"
As soon as the staff returned to just being Ruby, Illya staggered and would've fallen if Rin hadn't caught her.
"You okay?" Rin asked, and Illya smiled.
"Just a bit dizzy." She said, but the glare from Kuro told her that it was serious. As if she could feel Kuro's eyes on her, Illya turned and apologized, though Kuro brushed it off.
Now, for the first time since the others arrived, Illya looked Miyu in the eyes.
"Illya-" Miyu started, but she was cut off.
"Miyu…" Illya sighed, "I knew you were hiding something. Something important. But I couldn't talk to you about it. I didn't want our friendship to change, but now… It's because I'm your friend that I can't let this go anymore." Extending her hand, despite being unable to stand on her own, she still managed to smile, "So let us in, Miyu. You're not alone anymore."
Rin and Luvia were both smiling and nodding at Illya's words, while Bazett and Kuro looked on with apparent indifference, though not without slight smiles.
Ruby giggled from Illya's hand, "Didn't you say were absolutely going to slap the living daylights out of her?"
Illya winced slightly, "I was, but… I couldn't after I saw her face…"
"I'm sorry, Illya." Miyu said, wiping away her tears and reaching for Illya's hand.
The sky above them was torn open with a flash of white light, and something knocked her backwards. At the same times, lightning struck all of the others, driving them screaming onto the ground.
"D-Don't tell me-!" The blond child replied, gritting his teeth to bare the pain, "You scum used the hole I tore with Ea-!"
Two hooded figures descended from the tear in the world, and one of them landed beside him.
"Greeting, King of Heroes." She said in a mocking voice, stooping and picking up the eighth card, "I'll be taking this with me, but you're free to go. We've no orders regarding you."
"You trash dare-!" He started, but the lightning attacking him was intensified,
"Tools should sit back and be silent." She scoffed, walking over to her companion who had landed beside Miyu, "You're the only one we're interested in, Lady Miyu. We've come to take you back."
"No!" She replied, much to their surprise.
"So, you can actually speak now." She said before stomping on Miyu's back, "IT doesn't matter. Your vacation is over."
While Miyu cried out, her companion sighed, "What happened to being careful with it? What would you do if the contents spilled?"
"It doesn't matter. The Grail's sturdier than that." She replied, grabbing Miyu by the back of the shirt, "But let's get back. We don't exactly have much time."
"Miyu!" Illya cried out, reaching for her friend, but she'd already lost consciousness in their attacker's arm. Still, she reached and reached until her hand wrapped around something cylindrical.
"Ruby, Sapphire…" She said to the two staves she held in her hands again, "Just one more time…."
"Illya, your body can't take much more!" Ruby shouted back.
"She's correct!" Sapphire replied, "You can't take anything more! You'd be putting your life in-!"
"I DON'T CARE!" She roared, "Kalied Linear Zwei form!"
The two staves fused together for a second time, and the blast propelled her into the sky. The two attackers' eyes shot up at the exact moment the rip in the sky started glowing again.
"Dammit, not now!" The first girl hissed, holding the Archer card, "Inst-" A spear shot out of nowhere, knocking the card from her hand.
"I would sooner die then allow a cretin like you to wield my treasures." Gilgamesh smirked, from the ground nearby, "I'd kill you myself, but I'm rather tired. So I'll leave you to her."
"Damn you, King of Heroes!" She roared, but there simply wasn't the time. Above their heads, the girl, now with wings of pure energy on her back, was charging an insanely strong blast, and lightning, even from Thor in the Berserker Class, was proving ineffective in stopping her. The white light continued to intensify above them.
"Just one more time…" Illya panted as the pain wracked her body. It was taking everything she had to not faint, and her eyesight was already starting to go, "Ruby… Sapphire… Just let me save her one more time!"
With a single burst of energy, the attack was finally, fully charged. "I… made… it..." She said, "Quintet Fire!"
The single overwhelming blast completely engulfed the mountain, but it was nearly invisible in the blinding white light that accompanied it.
"It's been a while, Hayate." Chrono smiled, returning her salute with one of his own, "I trust everything's been going alright?"
"There haven't been any real problems yet." She replied, taking a seat across from him in the Arthra's captain's office, "Though General Gaiz has made getting our supplies difficult to say the least."
"Yes, I can imagine." He chuckled, reaching into his desk and pulling out a stack of papers, "Scarcely a day's gone by where he hasn't put in a request to have you removed from command, or else the entire unit disbanded."
"I'm sorry to cause you the trouble." She bowed apologetically, but he waved her off.
"We both knew it was just a matter of time. Despite that fact that you've paid your debt to society, there will always be those who can't look past the fact that you were the mistress of the book of darkness. For that, I am sorry." He said honestly, before adding with a slight smile, "It's only fair that I handle a few of them for you. It's no trouble at all. I'll talk with him later today. If you're still having problems, let me know. We'll supply you through the Navy rather than the army."
"I appreciate it, Chrono." She smiled.
"Where are the others, then?" He asked, "Vita came here as your escort, but what about the rest? Still setting up the base?"
"Signum and Fate are setting up Long Arch, yes. But Nanoha and Reinforce are observing two prospective recruits in a rank promotion." She answered, "I was a little surprised, but actually one of them was the girl Nanoha rescued dur-"
The alarm sounded, and both of them cut off their conversation. Chrono opened a communication window, "Report." He ordered.
"A dimensional tremor has occurred in Midchilda." His subordinate responded, "The threat level isn't very severe, but it would be prudent to investigate just to be sure. If there's a source, we can't risk further tremors."
"Agreed. Contact headquarters. I need an enforcer on the ground as soon as possible." Chrono responded.
"Yes sir! We should be able to have an enforcer there in fifteen minutes."
"That won't be needed." Hayate responded, opening her own window, "Vita, you heard?"
"Dimensional tremor? Yeah, I heard. I can be at the transporter in five minutes. Get me as close to the scene as possible." Vita, one of Hayate's knights responded, and Hayate looked to Chrono for permission.
Nodding his head, he told the crew, "Set the transporter location for as close to the scene as possible. Have the crew on standby as a precaution. Second Lieutenant Vita is deploying to the scene. Inform headquarters that she'll be investigating the situation."
"Roger!"
When Kuro finally opened her eyes again, the hole in the sky was closed. Still, she couldn't exactly breathe a sigh of relief just yet since the overwhelming pain was still coming through the curse. If anything, the pain was even greater than before.
Sitting up, she looked around, but she wasn't ready for what she'd would see. The area showed absolutely no sign of the battle they'd had, but that wasn't at all surprising. This definitely wasn't anything like the mountain where'd they'd fought the last class card. She was in the center of a forest clearing. All around her, she could see that the others were lying unconscious on the ground without any sign of waking.
Quickly, she got to her feet and counted everyone. Rin and Luvia were laying side by side, and Bazett was a little further away. It took her a moment, but she was able to find Miyu by a tree. Finally, she saw Illya.
She was lying just a few feet behind her, her skin incredibly pale. For just a moment, she was able to fool herself into believing that it was just a trick of the light. But she couldn't ignore the fact that Illya wasn't breathing.
"Illya!" She shouted, trying to shaking her awake, but she didn't respond. Her skin was cold to the touch, and though it was barely possible to feel a pulse, she still wasn't breathing. "Illya, wake up!" She shouted louder, shaking her even harder, but there will still no response.
Around her, the others were starting to stir, but she wasn't even aware of it. She was more concerned with Illya, who lay dying in her arms.
"Illya!" Rin said, running to help, along with Luvia and Miyu, but even with the four of them, Illya wouldn't respond.
"Let me see her, Chloe." A gentle voice said, from behind them, and Kuro's heart started racing.
"Momma…" She said tearfully, "Illya is…"
"I know." Irisviel said, holding her tightly while her hands started to glow green, "But I'm not about to let my little Illya die in a place like this."
The healing magic soothed the pain in Kuro's chest, but only a bit, and Illya still had no reaction to anything that was happening. Thanks to CPR from Bazett, combined with Irisviel's healing magic, her heartbeat was up, but she still wasn't able to breath on her own.
"This is a nice change of pace…" A cold voice sighed behind them, "It's a bit of pity only one of you is suffering though."
"Caren, would you mind giving me a hand?" Irisviel asked before any of them could even react to her sudden appearance, and Iri's voice was even colder than Caren's.
"Sure, I guess." She responded, sitting opposite Irisviel. Placing a hand on her, she sighed again, "Your little girl's a reckless fool. It's a small wonder that she's alive at all."
"I'm well aware, Caren." Irisviel said sharply, but the nurse didn't even react.
"I'll take over." She said, placing a hand on Illya's chest, "You'd better go get help. At this point, it's all we can do to keep her stable. There's no chance she'll recover lying on the forest floor like this."
"You're right…" Iri nodded, "I'll be back as quickly as I possibly can. Stay safe."
"I'll go with you." Rin said, but she shook her head.
"We still don't know what's going on. Stay here and look after them. I'll be just fine on my own." Irisviel told them before seemingly picking a direction at random and walking into the forest.
"So, does anyone have any idea where we are?" Bazett asked in between breathing for Illya.
"Is this the world you came from, Miyu?" Luvia asked, but Miyu shook her head.
"That world wasn't very different from yours." Miyu answered, "But this place is entirely foreign to me."
"IN any case, we can't afford to get careless." Rin said, looking around the clearing, "Where are Ruby and Sapphire? It would probably be for the best if Luvia and I use them while you and Illya recover."
"I don't know where they are." Miyu said, getting to her feet to search the area.
"They're over there." Caren said, pointing behind them, "But don't get your hopes up."
Miyu walked in the direction that she was pointing, and she found them lying on the ground. Both had returned to their standby forms, but the stars were cracked, and the frames were crumbling away. Neither one was moving at all.
"I suppose that even the grandmaster's tools can't sustain that kind of power repeatedly." Bazett sighed, "They likely absorbed as much of the damage as they could to try and save her life."
"Yes, probably." Caren shrugged.
"Ruby… Sapphire…" Miyu whispered, holding the destroyed pieces in her hands, "You both saved her…"
"Don't blame yourself, Miyu. "Luvia said, wrapping her arms around her, "No one here blames you for any of this."
"Ruby and Sapphire wouldn't blame you either." Rin said angrily, "Those two were just so-!"
A large explosion rocked the clearing, and all of them jumped to their feet. Everyone except Bazett, who fell to the ground in ball of flames.
"We're under-!" Rin tried to shout, but she was sent flying backwards by something large and hard ramming her from the front. With the last of her strength, she looked up and saw what almost looked like three small planes.
Across the clearing, Luvia threw herself in front of Miyu just in time to block a laser blast from one, collapsing on top of Miyu. Caren reached into her bag, but she was rammed from behind and fell to the ground bleeding.
"Trace on!" Kuro shouted, summoning her sword and leaping at the large silver drone. Just a few inches away from it, the swords started to disintegrate. Summoning her swords again, she tried an attack from behind, but it didn't change the result.
"Kuro!" She heard Miyu shout, and she saw one of the drones wrap her up in cables.
"Don't move, Miyu!" She said, cursing under her breath and dropping her swords in favor of a bow. "I really don't have the magic to do this again!" Jumping into the air, she landed on top of the nearest drone, created an arrow and drew it back. Pouring her magic power into it, she took careful aim at the drone preparing to flee and aimed it two inches from Miyu.
The arrow started to disintegrate as well, but it punched straight through anyway, bringing it crashing to the ground. Kuro didn't get to breathe a sigh of relief, though. The loss of magic left her dizzy, and she wasn't able to dodge the cables that wrapped around her this time.
"Kuro!" Miyu yelled as loudly as she could, running to help, but the drone had already taken off before she got there. The second was still nearby, but to her horror, it was collecting Illya. Jumping onto it, she tried punching it and tearing at the cables holding her, but it was no use. Nothing she did made any difference. Ignoring her pleas and screams, it took off carrying Illya's limp body with it.
"This is really as close as they could get me?" Vita grumbled as she flew across the landscape, "It's a mile away, and in the forest no less! It could take me a week to search the whole area!"
"I can't be helped, Vita." Hayate replied, "We'll send Reinforce to help you once she's finished. Don't feel too bad. Even if we can't find anything, as long as it doesn't continue to happen, there shouldn't be any problems."
"Still pissed though." Vita sighed, before glancing to the side. "I take that back, Hayate. I found someone in the area. A woman with long silver hair."
"Be careful, Vita." Hayate warned her, but she brushed it off.
"Nothing me and Eisen can't handle." She said, grabbing the weapon's standby form.
Silently, she flew through the forest until she was just behind her.
"Who are you?" She ordered, making her jump, "State your name and citizen ID!"
"Thank god! My name is Irisviel von Einzbern" She sighed, "Please, my daughter needs help!" She pleaded.
"Your daughter?" Vita asked, not sure if she was telling the truth.
"We were attacked, and then we suddenly woke up here, but my daughter-!" Irisviel said tearfully.
"What do you think, Vita?" Hayate asked her, clearing listening in on the encounter.
"Lead the way." Vita said, making sure to stay a few feet behind her to watch her every move. Irisviel's expression changed to one of hope. Reaching out her hand, she grabbed something. Instantly, Vita became aware of a long silver thread that was running along the forest floor behind them.
It seemed to be linked to Irisviel's head.
'Not a thread.' she realized, as they both took off running, 'She used her hair to ensure she could find her way back.'
It took over twenty minutes of continuous running, though they were slowed considerably by the terrain and Irisviel's own waning stamina. Finally, just when she looked like she was about to collapse, the two ran into a small clearing.
Immediately, Vita saw three people unconscious and another only just starting to stir.
"Bazett!" Irisviel said, running over to the one who was conscious, "What happened?"
"We were ambushed." The red haired woman growled, punching the dirt, "I was so concerned with Illya that I dropped my guard!"
"Where's Illya!?" Iri shouted, "And Cloe? And Miyu?!"
"Ambushed?" Vita asked immediately, then she noticed the wreck partially hidden behind the tree. Closer inspection confirmed her suspicions.
"I'm sorry…" Bazett shook her head, "They weren't here when I woke up. The only thing I can think of is…"
Immediately, she opened a channel not only to Hayate, but the entire crew of the Claudia. "Second Lieutenant Vita Yagami reporting! I have found a gadget drone in the course of my investigation. Five civilians were caught up, and up to three more may have been kidnapped! Requesting immediate backup!"
"Understood." The communications officer responded, "Claudia is now in level 2 battle stations. TSAB is mobilizing all forces in the area. Long Arch is being notified."
"Given the kidnappings, I can't afford to wait around." She replied, picking up the two girls and placing them beside the other three. "Wait here. Help is on its way. I've got to go find your friends. Can you describe them?"
"They're all girls." the red haired woman, Bazett, responded first, "Two of them are twins, Illya and Chloe have long white hair and red eyes. Chloe's skin is slightly darker though. Miyu is about the same age, with long black hair and red eyes"
"Please, my Illya, she needs help!" Irisviel pleaded, "She could die...!"
"I promise; we'll do all that we can." Vita assured her, drawing her hammer, "Eisen, Barrier!"
The hammer roared to life, and at the same time, a transparent magical barrier surrounded the five of them.
"Take care of your friends." Vita ordered, "Help will be here soon, and we'll save them. For now, your part is over."
Without waiting for a response, Vita took off into the sky.
"This is a real pain…" Caren yawned herself awake, "So, I take it we were defeated then?"
"I would've thought you could have defeated them, given your reputation, Hortensia." Bazett replied.
"I don't fight with my hands." Caren retorted, "And like you, I was caught off guard with a sneak attack. Still, I would've thought that a single explosion would've been nothing to the famed enforcer of the association."
Bazett opened her mouth to counter, but Iri cut her off.
"This isn't the time!" She shouted, breathing heavily, "I'm going after them." She said calmly, getting to her feet and walking through the barrier.
"I'll go too. "Bazett replied following her.
"I should stay here and treat these two." Caren sighed, turning her attention to Rin and Luvia, "Besides, if they come back, someone should be here to protect them."
"Let's go, Bazett." Iri said, her voice ice cold, "Hold nothing back."
With a wave of her hand, the forest was sliced clean in two, and she walked menacingly through the wasteland.
"Goodness, we really need to rewrite the auto retrieval programs on these things." Jail Scaglietti sighed after examining the two girls who had been retrieved with the Gadget Drones.
"Both of them are showing very unusual readings, however." Quattro said, staring at the nearby monitor scanning both of them.
"True, and It certainly would be quite interesting to examine them at length, but neither of them is the signature we were interested in." He replied casually, "Moreover, neither of them will last that long. This one's already a lost cause, and the other's an abnormality. Her magic power's been depleted, and it seems like her body itself is going to fade away. Even if I wanted to see if there was anything worthwhile to discover, they simply wouldn't last. What I wouldn't give for the other one…"
"Shall I dispatch more drones to retrieve her?" Quattro asked, but he shook his head.
"Sadly, I don't think we'll be able to. The TSAB would have received a report of the tremor, and they'd have sent someone to investigate. It's not worth risking this place being compromised, or worse, compromising the Cradle." He shrugged, shifting through the nearby supplies, "But in the end, we'll have to salvage the situation as best we can. Which means keeping at least one of these two alive."
"Understood." Quattro smiled, "I'll prepare to operate immediately."
I'm working on the next couple chapters, so I hope to have it uploaded soon, but as always, I'm making no promises. I could be next week, or two months from now. Anyway, any reviews you guys want to leave would be greatly appreciated.