My first fanfic...please support!

*Special thanks to my beta: Phantom puppeteer*

Note: This story happens right after "Mahou Senki Lyrical Nanoha Force Vol.02 Ch.007: Reactor".

Disclaimer: I do not own Mahou Senki Lyrical Nanoha and any of its characters.

Chapter 1: The silent attack

The dark. That is the first thing she noticed. Darkness all around her. A void of total darkness. She could see nothing. Everything around her is nothingness. Signum closed her tired eyes, her body willing her to sleep once again. But what is this? A crack of light appeared, a faint glow. It slowly grew, penetrating the emptiness around her drawing her in. Signum resisted a little. The light...it is starting to get too bright. Signum startled a little, when she heard a child-like voice drifting from the crack of light that seemed to be right in front of her now.

"Ugh...where am I?", Signum muttered to no one in particular, dimly aware that her voice was hoarse. How long has it been since she last spoke? For all she can remember, it has been a very long time...

"Ah! Shamal, Signum is awake!", the same voice exclaimed. This voice...it is so familiar...

An approaching footstep. Another voice. "...ignum? Signum? How are you feeling?", the kind voice asked, the concern in it evident. Familiar...

The darkness around Signum slowly evaporated, the voices calling out to her for the light. Signum reached out towards to voice, as the brightness of the light enfolded her.

Light. Even through her eyelids it dazzled her. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding light of the room she was in, her tired green eyes darting around to access the situation. She tried sitting up, realizing that it was a mistake to do so almost instantly.

Pain shot up her spine, and her abdomen seemed to have hot metal craving into her flesh. She felt strangely lethargic, all her muscles weighing her down, as if she had been in a battle that had gone on for ages. But like the trained warrior that she was, the only sign that she show of her excruciating pain, was a mere flinch. Though, that was more that enough for Shamal and Vita, who had been around their leader long enough to notice the signs.

In a blink of an eye, Vita and Shamal was beside Signum, helping her up. With some effort, Signum sat up, resting her head against the headboard of the bed she was in.

"How can you be so reckless! You knew that your weapon was not ready yet you still went into battle! You know that you could have got yourself killed and..." Signum's attention on Vita's scolding drifted off. She closed her eyes, supporting her head in her hand, in an effort to ignore the throbbing pain in her head. Then, something struck her.

"Were we summoned again?", Signum sent a telepathy contact to Shamal.

Shamal's eyes widened, as she stared at Signum, unable to believe her ears. What did her leader just ask her? A sense of dread filled her, but Shamal shook off the feeling. This is too absurd, it cannot possibly happen.

Just then, the door banged open, and a brunette rushed in. "Signum! You are awake!"

The brunette ran towards Signum. "Levantine!", Signum shouted, expecting her trusty sword to appear and protect her from the possible threat in the form in form of this young woman. Nothing happened, and the brunette, who had disregarded Signum's exclamation to be that she was just shocked, held Signum in an unrelenting hug.

To say that Signum is surprised, would be an understatement. She was bewildered. "Who is this kid?" Shamal, get her off me this instant!" Signum shouted as she tried to pry herself out of the steel hug.

Vita, Shamal and Zafira gaped at their leader. "...Shamal? Did you hit Signum on the head just now when you were treating her?" Vita asked, unable to believe the ludicrous situation.

Shamal, ignored Vita, as her brows furrowed. The same feeling of dread from earlier gnawed at her. It can't be...can it? But perhaps, she should just try to verify if Signum is really suffering from that...

Reaching for the person nearest to her, she dragged that unfortunate person right in front of Signum. "Signum, do you recognize this person?" Shamal asked, her voice filled with urgency.

Signum arched a fine eyebrow, wondering what her comrade was playing at. "Vita." She answered, giving a short and accurate answer.

Shamal dragged Zafira over. "And this?"

Signum gave a sigh of irritation. "It's Zafira, isn't it."

But Shamal was far from done with her. Looking at Signum, her eyes showing seriousness, for something that Signum was not aware of. "Then, who am I?"
Everybody in the room looked at Shamal, as if she is possessed. Why is she asking such ridiculous questions? Of course Signum would know her teammates. How could she not?

Fighting off an uncharacteristic urge to roll her eyes, she sighed and said, even as she still tried to get away from the brunette, "I called you by your name just now didn't I?"

Not to be defeated so quickly, Shamal pulled Hayate off Signum, and pointed at her. "What about her?"

Clearly relived that she was free from that monstrous hug, Signum regained a little of her calm composure. "That is what I am asking you, in case you failed to notice."

The entire room fell silent. Even Vita and Zafira had stopped their debate on whether Shamal had fell and knocked her head, or that she just simply forgot to take her medicine that day.

The door swung open again, Shamal quickly grabbed the long-haired blonde who just stepped in, asking Signum, "Don't tell me you don't know who this is either?" The fear and desperation in her voice was escalating with every word she spoke.

"If that were to be true, will I then have the honor to be told, by you, who this lady is?" Signum asked wearily.

The whole room fell silent once again. They did not need to ask Shamal to know that Signum had lost her memory.

It took them quite a while to sort things out, and also to explain to Signum about her memory lost.

(But, unknown to them was the real reason that resulted in Signum's memory lost.)

Signum frowned as she watch herself training with Fate and Nanoha on the screen. Shamal,Vita and Zafira had insisted that she watch past videos to refresh her memories. So...the brunette that had her in a death hug just now is actually her master, Hayate. The blonde that walked through the door just now was Fate. And then there is the girl with brown hair whom she now know as Nanoha is currently on a mission.

How on earth did she managed to forget about them? Signum closed her eyes, trying to reach into the depth of her memories, to find the scenes that were playing out in front of her. But she could not. There were no memories at all. How can this be? Is she not Signum? Why can't she remember everything that has happened? Signum tried harder. All she need is a small glimmer of memory, to reassure her. Anything would do.

A sharp piercing pain. Signum held her head in one hand, while the other gripped at the armrest of the couch she was sitting on. Unbearable pain assaulted her head. It was as if someone was hammering at her skull repeatedly, mercilessly. The pain increased with intensity. It was all she could do not to shout. She gritted her teeth as she tried to withstand the agony.

"Signum!", Vita cried out as she rushed over, followed closely by the others.

Signum heard something, but she could not make out what was said. The sounds around her drowned out. She could hear nothing. Her vision blurred, and her world spun around. Faces above her meshed into a sea of colors. Signum was dimly aware that the others were standing over here but she could not tell one from the other.

"Quick! Bring her to the medical lab!" Shamal said, her voice full of worry. What is happening to their leader?

Signum felt herself being carried. With her deteriorating vision, she made out a concerned face looking down at her. Brown hair. A pair of eyes, the color a shade of blue of the deepest ocean. It was her master. Signum's vision started to darken all around. Her master's face was fading away.

To the master who I just knew, please do not look so sad for me... For you, I will be fine if only to protect you.

And then, Signum allowed the darkness to claim her.

Signum was floating. All around her were digits and data on screens that surrounded her. Slowly, they faded away, replaced by scenes.

She was fighting with Fate. "You have pretty good senses for a mage... but when challenging a Velka-type knight, it's not enough!"

"We the guardian knights have decided that we'd even throw away our honor to save our mistress' smile."

And then, everything fell apart. The screens, bit by bit began to blank out. Slowly, they blinked a few times, before turning black. She was left again, to total darkness. But that was not for long.
A command screen appeared in front of her.

PROTECT THE MASTER OF THE BOOK OF DARKNESS_

PROTECT THE MAS_

ELIMINATE_

ELIMINATE THE MASTER OF THE BOOK OF DARKNESS_

"This is really bad...i can't feel any heartbeat!" Shamal said, as she tried desperately to pull Signum out of her comatose state.

Suddenly, Signum's eyes opened.

"Ohmygosh! Signum! Are you okay?" Everybody started to say something to her, but Signum did not register it. They were all useless chatter to her ears. She looked around, and saw the one she was looking for.

TARGET AQUIRED_

Without hesitation, she rushed over, her hand reaching out, grabbing Hayate by the neck, and strangled her.

OMAKE: First she almost got killed, and now she is harassed by a fangirl?

Just then, the door banged open, and a brunette rushed in. "Signum! You are awake!"

The brunette ran towards Signum.

Signum backed away, her hands held in front of her in a defensive position. But that did not deter the idiotic brunette from hugging Signum as if her life depended on it.

"Hey! Who is this kid?" Signum shouted, trying to pry the offending person off her body. "Get this fangirl off me!"

Okay...this is the end of the first chapter? How is it? Very good, good, okay, or...hm...bad?

I would like to know how you think of this first chapter so...PLEASE REVIEW!

(Oh yea...everyone THOUGHT Signum lost her memory due to impact/damage to her head from the last battle but how sure are they that that is the cause?) If you want to find out more, please continue to read...and REVIEW!