Blue Mirror
Author's Notes: It makes no sense, but I still ship it. Weird, I know, but... yeah.
Anyway, the PRIMARY ship in this fic, as stated in the description, is Nu x Noel. However, there's also hints at one-sided Nu x Ragna, and if you squint really closely, one-sided Noel x Ragna too. I might write a conclusion to this fic later on, but that's currently undecided.
It's kind of AU, probably some OOCness and definitely story spoilers for both Calamity Trigger and Continuum Shift.
Disclaimer: I do not own BlazBlue, Arc System Works or anything related. If I did, Rachel would never get Ragna- hey, don't look at me like that!
– –
Nu had never ventured beyond the confines of the 13th Hierarchical City. She was 'born' there – as much as an artificially-made human like herself could be born – and she had been restrained at the Sheol Gate for far too long.
The only memories she had were those of the man named Ragna. Those memories were fond, and she wanted nothing more than to settle down somewhere and live her life with him... she knew by now that her feelings were unrequited, as the last time he came to her current domain, he had simply brushed her off and attempted to kill her. At the last moment, he was dragged off by... someone, a user of magic far beyond her level, and she hadn't seen him since.
She kept a silent vigil over the Gate, wishing that she could see him again.
The mechanical side of her detected an intruder; the Nox Nyctores she wielded was as much a part of her as her soul, and it was cold, calculating, suppressing her emotions and lending her an alarming level of strength far beyond that of a normal human. She gazed upon the entrance to her domain with a single eye, the other concealed by an eyepatch containing the Azure Grimoire – the other half of the one Ragna kept in his right arm.
Upon further inspection, she discerned that the individual approaching was not a threat to herself or the Gate, nor were they Ragna. Rather, the signal was startlingly familiar... one she recognized in her own body.
"A Murakumo unit...?"
She was suddenly freed from the confines of the Nox. She wandered aimlessly forward, tripping over seemingly nothing and falling onto the floor; she was too distracted by whatever had come in to notice the contours of the rather uneven surface she was walking upon. The person she detected stepped in, not noticing her at first.
She picked herself up, standing in place. The 'intruder' was a girl with blonde hair and green eyes, wearing a beret atop her head that seemed to be holding something within; she wore a uniform issued by the NOL, and in each of her hands was a long, unwieldy-looking pistol.
Nu analyzed the girl's weapons first, recognizing them as a Nox Nyctores. However, these were different from her own Murakumo... further inspection would be difficult, but they seemed to affect their wielder in a much less harmful way.
"...not a Murakumo unit?"
The two conflicting facts made Nu's head spin. She eventually gave up on trying to work out the specifics... she was free from her weapon's influence, if only temporarily, and she wanted to try to speak with someone.
"Maybe she knows where Ragna is...?"
The hopeful thought died down as the girl pointed her weapons at Nu. She backed off, once again failing to realize that there were changes in the floor's altitude.
"Ow!" Nu had landed flat on her rear; she struggled to stand, finding it a rather difficult task with the guns pointed at her. "I... Nu is sorry!"
She didn't understand what she was apologizing for, but there was obviously some reason this person was trying to attack her. She looked away, preparing for the inevitable... she was not willing to fight her assailant.
The blonde-haired girl lowered her weapons, as well as her head. "...No, I'm sorry... you just startled me is all... who are you?"
"I'm Nu-13," Nu responded quickly, pulling herself up again. "I've been stuck here all this time... Nu can't leave... what's your name?"
"Um..." The blonde hesitated for a moment. "...I'm Noel Vermillion."
"Noel?" Nu tilted her head and walked toward the newcomer; for once, she didn't trip. "That's weird... Nu thought that you were Mu-12."
Noel shifted uneasily. "...Huh? Mu-12? What's..."
"...Um, never mind..." Nu sighed, shaking her head. "Do you know where Ragna is?"
"Ragna the Bloodedge... the SS-class criminal known as the Grim Reaper?" Noel recited the information she knew about Ragna. "...I don't know where he is. If I had found him, I would have apprehended him..."
Nu looked surprised. "Apprehended? Ragna is a criminal?"
"...well, I'm sure he has his own agenda, but..." Noel looked away. "...He's been marked as a criminal by the NOL. He keeps destroying their branches in the Hierarchical Cities..."
"Does Noel know anything else about Ragna?" Nu inquired.
"Only a little," Noel said. "I met him once, but... he's not exactly the nicest of people, and..." She paused. "...There was something I liked about him, though... I can't really... put a finger on it..."
"You're the same as Nu," Nu insisted. "Noel is supposed to be Mu-12. A Murakumo unit. But you don't look anything like Nu..."
Noel stepped back. "...What do you mean by that? I'm... the same as you? And why do you keep saying... 'Mu-12'?"
"Noel is Nu's big sister," Nu replied simply.
"Your sister?" Noel was now even more confused than before. "I... I don't recall having any siblings..."
Nu smiled brightly. "Yep! Noel is Nu's big sister! But you don't have Murakumo... what's that Nox Nyctores you have?"
"...I still don't have any clue what you're talking about..." Noel shook her head. "...But, um... these handguns? They're Bolverk..."
"Okay!" Nu leaped forward and hugged Noel. "Can Nu stay with you for a little while? I really want to leave this place..."
Noel was startled by this expression of affection; she stood still for a moment, blushing profusely, unable to voice her complaints about the situation. Nu let go of Noel, seeing her reaction; the silver-haired girl hung her head apologetically.
"...no, it's... it's okay..." Noel murmured. "I... I'm just... not used to..."
Nu gave Noel an inquisitive glance. "Does Noel like Nu?"
"H-huh?" Noel was taken aback. "What... what do you mean by 'like'? I... I don't think you're a bad person, but..."
"Nu really likes Ragna," Nu said. "That's what I meant!"
Noel stumbled; it was her turn to fall rather unceremoniously to the floor. "W-wait, do you... do you mean... no! I don't like you that way! You're a girl... and... and... well, if what you're saying is true, then... aren't you my sister, too?"
"So?" Nu tilted her head confusedly. "We both like Ragna, right?"
"I don't like him the same way you do!" Noel complained, standing up. "And... wh-why did you even think that anyway!"
"Because Noel got all embarrassed when I hugged her," Nu pointed out.
Noel shook her head violently. "I... I'm not good with people, that's all...!"
"Nu doesn't think it was just that," Nu noted. "I really like you..."
The blonde found herself at a loss for words. This girl's behavior was confusing her to no end... while it did seem there was something drawing them together, romantic love was definitely out of the question, as Noel had never even considered the possibility of being in such a relationship with another girl. Yet, at the same time...
Noel's thoughts were interrupted when she felt something covering her mouth; she snapped back to reality for a moment to realize that there was a single red eye peering at her from the face that was currently pressed up against hers. She flinched, falling over... and then placed a finger to her mouth, wondering why in the world Nu's kiss had felt so pleasant.
"Oh, Nu is sorry..." Nu looked ashamed of herself. "...That was a bit too forward, wasn't it?"
"I... I..." Noel sighed, trying to find a response. After a short time, she finally spoke, her tone quiet. "...It's okay... I'm not upset..."
"...So, do you mind...?" Nu asked hesitantly. "...Nu wants to find Ragna, and... Nu... also really likes Noel... s-so..."
"...I'll help you find him," Noel said, once again pulling herself to her feet. "And... um... I'll be your... girlfriend... too."
"Really?" Nu looked inquisitive. "...Are you sure? One hundred percent? Nu won't go with you if you don't want her to..."
Noel smiled, nodding. "One hundred percent. And... when we find him, I promise not to arrest him."
"Oh, thank you!" Nu exclaimed happily, launching herself toward Noel and pulling her into a hug. "So... Noel doesn't mind that... Nu kissed her...?"
"...It was kind of nice, actually," Noel admitted, blushing.
– –
Author's Note: Nu's speech patterns are a bit... unusual. I noted that in Continuum Shift's true ending, she seemed to alternate between third-person speech and normal speech, so I tried to accommodate that behavior as best I could. Not sure if it turned out right, though.
Also, I'm not entirely certain if Murakumo is really the reason Nu is so crazy in Calamity Trigger, but it seems that way at any rate, so that's what I'm putting. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.