Society of Darkness' Main Base

1 hour after the incident...

Diesel was in the medical bay when the three Counts teleported into the room. One look at their battered, bloody forms told him they had been through a pretty rough battle. But what shocked him most of all was that Henry was in Gordon's arms, knocked out cold. He stared, mouth hung open.

"Don't just stand there, you idiot! Make space for Henry and the rest of us!" James yelled.

That got the other Count to react quickly, and he hastily set up three beds for them. Gordon put Henry in the middle, while he and James sat on opposite sides. Diesel shook his head as he walked out the door.

"Wait until Victor sees you three," he muttered, and left to fetch the doctor. Gordon scowled in his direction, and then turned towards the unconscious Henry. The look of irritation on his face faded in seconds.

"You idiot," he growled. There was a lot of emotion in his voice as he recalled seeing his friend in all that pain. "Why would do such a thing? Even it was for the page, you could've died!"

James knew things were bad when Gordon started getting choked up. He looked up at the Sword Count, surprised to see tears run down his face. "Gordon…you're actually crying!"

"I'm terrified, James! Henry's one of my best friends, and just knowing that he could never wake up again…"

"Now don't say all that rubbish, Gordon! Henry's not so weak that he'll just die on us like that. We'll just have to look for the pages of the Book until he wakes up," James replied.

Gordon still looked unsure, but before he could say anything, the doors opened and Victor and Diesel came in. Victor was short, stout and had dark brown hair. The smile on his face turned into an O of surprise before it curled into a frown.

"Gordon…didn't I tell you, James and Henry to not overdo it when it comes to the battles?" he started. "You keep doing this, and you're going to break before you're 40!"

Diesel slipped out of the room, a smirk on his face. "I'll leave you four alone."

(Many people think it'd be awesome to have magical powers. They usually forget the problems associated with them, however…)

Iheartgod175 proudly presents:

Sodor Magic Crusaders

Story Created: July 25th, 2012

Story Written: July 12th, 2013

Published: July 13th, 2013

This Chapter: December 17th, 2013

Rated: T (fight scenes, depressing moments, small romance)

Summary: A humanized fusion fic with Lyrical Nanoha, with a lot of twists from the original. Seven pages of an immensely powerful book called the Book of Transformation are stolen by two mages named Edward and Percy, and in an attempt to escape from a sworn enemy, Percy heads to the Island of Sodor to hide, causing mages- both good and evil- from another dimension to bring their dangerous war there. When university student Thomas gets caught up in the fight, he is soon forced to become a mage to protect himself- and help Edward and Percy prevent the end of the world as we know it.

Author's Note: After taking a month off of this thing, God-given creativity and inspiration has allowed me to finish up this chapter. So, here's another update. I hope you guys enjoy this, and Happy holidays! This is more of a filler chapter, but it does go into the motivations of our heroes and (anti) villains.

Before I start, I just want to give thanks to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the reason that I'm still here and able to create stories like this one. Thank You for giving me this talent, which I will use to glorify Your name. Amen.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Thomas or Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, AT ALL. Thomas belongs to Hit Entertainment, Britt Allcroft and the Awdry family-the late Rev. W. Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry. Nanoha belongs to Masaki Tsuzuki and Seven Arcs. I only own this story, and any original characters I create.

Act 10: Progress

December 6th, 2012

Tidmouth Recreational Park

Thomas groaned as he started to head up the hill with Percy and Toby. It was way too late to begin their training! He and Toby had been held up for about an hour since the professor had gotten their exam papers mixed up, and even then, it hadn't been an easy exam.

Maybe Edward should've sent some official agreement for him to sign, which stated "I may train every day after school, except on the days where I've fried my brain for three hours."

"Come on, Thomas! We don't have much time before it gets dark," Percy called. He and Toby had already up on the hill. Thomas managed to make it up there, but let out a loud groan.

"I am so going to get Edward for this," he said.

As if on cue, a vidscreen appeared in mid-air, and Edward was standing there. He looked partly amused at Thomas' comment.

"Oh, so you want to challenge me to a fight, huh? I'll warn you, I won't go easy on you," he said.

Thomas blushed with embarrassment. "N-No way! That wasn't what I meant at all!" he said.

"Well, I do know that it's going to get dark soon, so we'll have to do basic training for a little while," he said. "I'd like to start right away, so Percy, if you please?"

"Sure thing, Edward!" Percy summoned his magic circle, and raised his left hand into the air. "Come forth and shield us! Magical Field!"

Green beams shout up into the sky, disappearing before falling back down to earth in a pyramidal pattern. In a matter of seconds, a large pyramid-like shield formed over them.

"Wow, this is cool!" Toby said. He then turned to Percy, a question on his mind. "Uh, won't anybody say anything about a massive green shield covering the hill?"

"Don't worry; it's invisible to outsiders. Plus, nobody will see us throwing around magical attacks," Percy explained. "It's quite simple really."

"Now that we have the shield up, I'd like to start on a couple of useful techniques that you'll need later on. These are, of course, your defensive and capture techniques," Edward said.

"Defensive and capture techniques?" Thomas repeated.

"You need to keep in mind that you won't be able to score hits on your opponents all the time. You won't want to be on the receiving end of a blast from Gordon or the others. You know the spell Protection, right? That's actually your Device's auto-guard magic. If you need to protect yourself from further damage, you need to learn how to create more powerful shields," Edward explained. "As Percy had explained, some spells can be brought up by just imagining what actions you want to do. But for shields, you need to think up math equations."

"Great, just what I need: a math lesson," Thomas sighed.

"Now, if I told Percy to attack you with everything he's got, do you really think Protection is going to protect you?"

"Uh, not really. I've seen him slam into Gordon and knock him backwards," Thomas explained.

"Then you'll have to work on creating another shield. It's not going to be easy at first, but soon you'll get the hang of it," Edward explained. "You'll be fighting against these guys for the next few days."

He pressed a button on the keyboard, and in an instant, there were five drones that appeared on the other side. They were about the same size as Toby was, and had five green and yellow circles on the fronts.

"These are training drones, which most basic mages use during their training regimen. I personally don't like them, since they're too easy, but it's better than fighting against an experienced mage," Percy explained.

"Even if they are too easy, I did set these to the hard level, just to issue more of a challenge. Their lasers can pack a punch, Thomas, so be careful," Edward said. His face was set into a stern expression. "Are you ready?"

"You bet I am!" Thomas said proudly.

Edward smiled. "Okay, then. Let's get started!"

Society of Darkness' Cranagan Base

Same time

Emily jumped to the right the moment one of the training drones shot a laser at her back. Somersaulting out of danger, she pointed Bardiche at the drone, a yellow sphere appearing at the head of the Device.

"Photon Lancer," the Device replied. The sphere slammed straight into the drone, blowing it up. As the last few metal pieces fell to the ground, she picked up the sense of another drone behind her. She whirled around, and put up a Defensor to block the incoming shot. The laser crashed against the shield with crushing force, nearly making her legs buckle from the force. This didn't remain there for long, though, for the bolt exploded after a few delayed seconds.

Once the smoke had cleared, she felt her senses telling her that there was another drone coming behind her. Before she could react, it shot out a laser that caught her in the shoulder and sent her flying. She hit the floor hard, and then the other drone who'd hit her earlier appeared. Groaning, she pushed herself to her feet, and pointed her Device at them.

"Scythe Form." Instantly, the head of the Device flipped up at a ninety degree angle, and a golden beam of energy appeared in the gap. Emily rushed forward, and went after the drones. They split up, but she was able to slice the next drone into pieces. Upon hearing a high-pitched whine behind her, she turned and saw that the other drone was about to shoot.

"Slice it into pieces, Arc Saber!" Emily shouted. With one swing, Bardiche's energy beam flew out. The drone attempted to flee, but the attack whirled around like a boomerang. It crashed into the drone, blowing it up and sending the pieces flying everywhere imaginable.

"2 minutes and 40 seconds. Not bad, but there are a couple of things we need to work on." Whiff stepped out from the shadows of the training room, shifting his glasses into place.

"Like what?" Emily asked.

"Well, you're doing well in the field of offense, but your defenses need lots of improvement. That drone was on easy mode, and yet you struggled to hold out under that beam," he said. "Defensor is strong, but it won't be much use in battle unless you can use it effectively."

"So, is there anything else I need to work on?" she asked.

"Well, for the first few sessions, you were somewhat off balance with your attacks. You ended up getting taken out on the first one due to not having enough control of them. Another issue is your speed. Unless you want to get shot in the back, you need to work on sensing your opponents from behind. You did much better on this round, but you still have a long way to go," he said.

"I see," she replied, her hand resting on her chin in thought. "So, control and speed are the two main things that I need to work on?"

"Yes. Other than those areas, I think you're shaping up to be a very effective mage, Emily," he said. He smiled, but it quickly disappeared when he was faced with a sad smile. "What's the matter?"

"Is that all he sees me as, Whiff? An effective mage who's only going to be used as a trump card?" she asked.

Whiff stiffened. He hadn't expected her to ask this question. "Well…that is something that I don't know. But I can assure you that you'll make him proud," he said encouragingly.

Emily brightened a little. "You really think so?"

"I know so. He hasn't stopped talking about you since I got there," he replied.

"Well, I am hard to resist, aren't I?" she asked teasingly, which once again made the professor blush. He hadn't expected for the girl to start teasing him again.

"W-Well, uh, that is the truth," he muttered, and swiftly regained his composure. "Let's take five, and then afterwards, we'll head out to the base to meet Diesel 10."

As they left the training room, Whiff couldn't help but think to himself about how much this girl must be really hurting on the inside. What if she was just playing around with him just to hide her own feelings?

He stopped abruptly, causing Emily to nearly crash into him. The girl looked over his shoulders, curious.

"Hey, what's the matter, Whiff?" she asked.

"Emily…I understand that you're trying to be brave. But since I'm the only one here, let me just tell you this: nobody ever said that you can't show emotion," he said. "I'm more than a little concerned about your feelings on this matter with Diesel 10."

Emily looked down at the floor, her face forlorn. "I…I'm sorry I made you worry, Whiff. The thing is the guards here don't want me to show a speck of emotion, saying that it makes me weak. The first time I underwent training, I cried due to the pain I felt while using my powers for the first time. I got punished…horribly for doing so."

"How were you punished?" Whiff asked.

"You don't want to know," Emily said. She tried to pass it off as a joke, but her green eyes were brimming with tears.

Whiff felt a pang of sadness resound in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to find those guards and give them a few "personal" lessons with Bardiche for hurting Emily. But comforting her quelled his anger…for now, at least.

"Emily, if you ever have any problems, don't hesitate to talk to me about them. I may be a nameless Device scientist to the guards, but I want you to know that you have one friend in this place," he said.

She looked up at him, surprise evident in her eyes. "You really mean that?"

"Yes, I do. I'll be here to support you, no matter what," he replied, offering a small smile. She smiled in return, and Whiff felt much better for helping her cheer up.

Turning on his heel, he led her out of the training room and towards the cafeteria.

He had to admit that they did have some pretty good food there.

Society of Darkness, Medical Ward

Time: 5: 00 PM, Dimensional Time

"Well, that should just about do it, Gordon. Just be sure to keep yourself under control next time," Victor said, standing back to admire his handiwork. Gordon's right arm was covered in white bandages that went all the way up to his shoulder. He opened and closed his hand a few times, grimacing at the pain.

"The Book of Transformation was no joke," he muttered. "I don't think I've ever felt anything that powerful before."

"I hope I never have to deal with something like that again," James added, limping over to Gordon. He had gotten a mild sprain in his ankle after crashing into the train tracks. He sighed as he sat on top of Gordon's bed. "Although, I'm getting the feeling that if we don't get the pages on time, we're going to be dealing with even more power surges like that."

"I got the same feeling…ugh…"

Everyone present snapped to attention to see Henry attempting to push himself to a sitting position. Victor was over there in an instant, making him lay back down.

"Henry! For a moment, we all feared the worst!" he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like my body was hit by a wrecking ball," Henry said.

"What were you thinking, Henry, pulling a stunt like that?" Gordon furiously swiped at his eyes with his good hand. "You had me worried!"

"I was worried, too, but thanks for asking," James retorted sourly.

"Sorry…it's just that I had to do something. If we didn't get that page back, we were going to face another beating from the Punisher. I know that you guys don't want that, right?" Henry said.

Their reactions said it all. James' face lost its color, and Gordon glared at the floor. Victor's eyes darted back and forth nervously, torn on either staying to treat Henry, or run like Diesel 10 was on his heels if Gordon or James tried to carry out their anger on Henry.

After a long moment, Gordon sighed, "I did remember that…but that doesn't excuse your reckless behavior, Henry. A move like that could have gotten you killed."

"I'd rather die at the hands of a magical tome than at the hands of Diesel 10. At least then I wouldn't have to guess how he'd kill me," Henry said.

"As disturbing as that is, I have to agree with Henry. I don't think I'd want to be at Diesel 10's mercy, either," Victor replied. "But, I'm getting this vibe from you, Henry. It's like there was another reason why you did what you did."

Henry's expression turned dark in a matter of seconds. "It's because I couldn't go back on the goal that I had decided on," he said.

Gordon and James stared at the other man in shock. "Are you seriously starting that up again, Henry?" James sputtered, his shout rebounding off the walls.

"Not so loud, James," Victor admonished. "But, really, what is he talking about, Henry?"

"It's kind of a long story, Victor," Henry said. "I would tell you, but I am aware that Diesel is listening right outside the room. I never did trust him…"

"The feeling's more or less mutual," Gordon said. "Diesel doesn't exactly trust us, either. But he's Diesel 10's golden boy from what I've seen."

"I'd like to do nothing more than to bury him halfway into the ground," James said. "I think Gigant Form would be a good choice, right?"

"Yeah, sure. But Diesel has about the same level of endurance that you do, James. It'll be hard to defeat him," Victor replied. This got a growl out of the Iron Count and a look of mild amusement from Gordon.

"I just hope that I can act on my plan before it's too late…" Henry muttered.

"What was that?" Victor looked up from the bandages he was placing on Henry's arm.

"O-Oh, it's nothing," Henry lied. "Now stop sitting around, Victor, and patch me up."

The doctor shook his head as he returned to his work. "Sometimes I wonder if Diesel 10's starting to rub off on you three…" he sighed.

(Eyecatch 1: In a bright blue background, a star flies out of the upper left hand corner of the screen, landing on the lower right hand corner. The Sodor Magic Crusaders logo appears after the star lands in place.)

(Eyecatch 2: Whiff and Emily are seen walking along, with the former blushing slightly and scratching his head in embarrassment and the latter teasing him. The Sodor Magic Crusaders logo appears in lower left hand corner.)

Tidmouth Recreational Park

Time: 5: 45 PM

"And that should be enough training for today. It is getting dark after all," Edward noted on the vidscreen.

In response, Thomas collapsed on the ground, legs spread out in a comical fashion. Raising Heart disabled his Barrier Jacket for him, leaving him in his civilian clothes. His entire body ached and was covered in filth from being literally driven into the ground by not only the practice drones, but by Percy as well. The first time he'd fought against Percy, he'd won thanks to a combination of his newer skills against the drones.

The second time, Edward had told Percy to go all out on Thomas, and the beginner mage found out that Percy was far from weak. The other mage had managed to shatter his shield with a disc, and used one attack that buried him halfway in the hill. After that, Edward put an end to the mock battle, although he did make Thomas practice his binding techniques more, as that was currently his weakest skill.

As Thomas continued to lay there on the grass, trying to recover from such a grueling training regimen, he began to thank God that Edward himself wasn't there. Otherwise, he might not have survived.

"Are you okay over there, Thomas?" Toby extended a hand to help Thomas up. He winced as his hands made contact with Toby's, as they stung from using so much power.

"Sore all over, but other than that, I'm great," he said.

"So, Thomas, do you think you can handle this?" Edward was smirking on the other side of the screen.

"I should be glad you're not here to teach me in person," he said. "If this is how you train students online…"

"Like Percy said, I am called the 'Demon Coach' for a good reason. I, uh…have a small tendency to enjoy fights."

"If that's your idea of small, I'd hate to see your idea of huge," Toby replied.

"Gordon's actually more of a fighting buff than me. Even though I can fight with him on a somewhat equal ground, I don't really revel in fighting. That's something Gordon loves to do, as does James," Edward said. "If you ever have a one on one fight with either of them, you'd understand what I mean."

"Well, I'm glad the first day of training's over. I'm going to go home, take a nice hot bath, and go to sleep," Thomas replied.

"You'll need it, because we'll be working on more of your skills tomorrow," Edward said. "Great job on your first day of training, Thomas. And Percy, those attacks of yours were fantastic."

"Thanks, Edward," Percy replied. "Well, I'd better disengage the shield so we can head home."

Society of Darkness, 5:30 PM Dimensional Time

Diesel 10's Office

"Sir, I've come to let you know that Whiff and Emily are in the building," Diesel announced.

"Excellent." An evil laugh shook Diesel 10's frame. "And what of the Counts?"

"Victor's patched them up, and they should be on their way very soon," he said.

"Good." Diesel 10 got up from his chair. "I was quite surprised to see Henry do what he did in order to grab the page. For the most fearful of the Counts, he shows a lot of strength and courage."

"Eh, Henry only did it in order to save his own hide from your hands," Diesel snorted. "I know him long enough to know he does reckless things out of fear."

"So do Gordon and James, although in the latter's case, it's more when he's angry," he said.

Diesel was about to say more, but just then the doors hissed open and two Dragon Guards walked in. Behind them, Whiff and Emily stood halfway in the door. Emily looked somewhat timid, while Whiff looked like someone trying to suppress their anger.

"Ah, we were just talking about you, Whiff and Emily," Diesel 10 chuckled. "I've been waiting to hear of how she's progressed so far, Whiff."

"Yes, of course," Whiff said stoically, and cleared his throat. "I've found that Emily has the makings to become an extremely powerful mage in her own right, and that she's mastered the beginner's training beautifully. The only issue is her control, as well as her speed."

As Whiff continued to explain, Emily noticed Diesel in the corner of the room, looking at her. The smile on his face was lecherous. She focused on the floor instead, trying to look at anything but him. Already, she didn't like this place.

"I see. Well, once you've finished my work for me, I want you to continue doing what you've been doing for Emily. I want her to be the trump card of my elite Counts; the one who will step in when others fail," Diesel 10 said, snapping Emily out of her thoughts. The man looked her in the eyes. "Do you have anything you want to add, Emily dear?"

The 'dear' part was a bit too much, but Emily forced herself to look him in the face. With full confidence, she said, "I will give nothing less than my all to my performance as a mage."

"Very good. It appears that my guards have taught you well," Diesel 10 said. A cruel smile was graced upon his features. "Whiff, if I remember, you have the job of customizing my Counts' Devices for me. I want you to get started on that right away."

"Yes sir," Whiff replied stiffly, and turned on his heel to leave.

"Diesel, you are to show Emily to her new room, where she will be staying for the night until Whiff is finished with his work," Diesel 10 continued.

A flash of fear went across Emily's face as Diesel came over to her. "Don't worry, baby. I'll take good care of you," he said, emphasizing his point.

"Oh, and Diesel?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Should you even think of taking Emily for yourself, let me remind you that I know more ways to make you feel sorry for even having those thoughts," Diesel 10 growled. "She is mine, and mine alone. Have I made myself clear, or do I need to…teach you another lesson in being obedient?"

His words had a profound effect on the Devious Count. His face went white as paper, and he shook his head furiously. "N-No sir. I understand perfectly."

"Good. I'd hate for you to outlive your usefulness too soon." Diesel 10 turned around and went back to his computer. "Leave. Now."

With a tight grip on her arm, Diesel practically hauled Emily down the hall. Despite her attempts to move away, the man's grip on her was strong enough to nearly break her arm. As they walked, she could only wonder what the rest of the Counts were like. If they were anything like Diesel, she was probably going to pull her hair out.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize they were at their destination until he rudely shoved her into a dark room. Emily barely caught herself from falling on the ground, and she turned to glare at Diesel, who returned the action.

"What was that for, you jerk?" she yelled.

"Better get used to it, sweetheart," he growled. "Just 'cause you're a lady doesn't mean you get treated like one." And then he left. The doors hissed closed behind him, enclosing her in darkness.

Emily's anger gave way to fear and worry. Being in this dark, confined room reminded her of the first time she had woken up, where the only thing she felt were things poking and prodding at her as if she were a specimen on a microscope. She had screamed for it to stop, and had received a blow to the head for her pleas.

Walking over to the other side of the room, she felt the wall for a light switch. Her fingers felt a small pad built into the wall, and she pressed a few buttons. A few seconds later, bright white lights filled her vision, illuminating the room to reveal a few appliances, such as a refrigerator and a computer. In the far corner of the room, there was another door with the words 'Bathroom' written over it. A huge desk was in front of her, and in the far left hand corner, there was a bed.

It appeared to be more comfortable than her room at the base in Cranagan, but not by much. She stumbled over to the bed and collapsed onto it. The mattress was thin, and she could feel the metal frame that held it there underneath.

"I was right…I really am nothing to them but a living weapon," she said. Tears started to spill from her eyes. "What's the point of hoping for anything better? I might as well accept the truth: except for Whiff no one will ever see me as a real person. They never do…"

With that, Emily buried her head in her hands, and let the tears fall.

To be continued...

Next Act:

Whiff (looking like a living zombie): Well, it took me all night, but I finally got the Counts' Devices fitted with the Crystal Dimensional cartridge system, just like Diesel 10 asked.

Diesel: Good thing, too, because the next page has been found.

Whiff: That fast?!

Duke: This page is apparently the fourth one, and from what I've gathered, it's extremely powerful. It's out of Thomas' range of power. Edward, I'll have to give you the job.

Edward: I'll do my best to keep everything under control, sir.

(Later in the fight, Edward accidentally destroys James' brand new hat, which sends the Iron Count into a rage…)

James: That…I JUST BOUGHT THAT!

Edward: Sorry…

James: Oh, you will be! Graf Eisen, load cartridge!

Graf Eisen: Explosion!

Edward (horrified): I-Is that what I think it is?!

Stay tuned for Act 11: The Dangerous Power

Hey there. Sorry it took so long to do the next chapter. Today, though, I prayed that I would have inspiration and creativity, and I put my mind to it to get this thing done.

Okay, so this chapter was a little more melancholy, especially at the end. Let's hope that neither Diesel nor Diesel 10 try to do anything to harm Emily…

Next chapter is when we start to see a few more fights for the pages, and then the big drop in Act 13. I decided to push the 'serious' chapters back a little longer, as I want to throw in some more development. Whiff is more or less like Linith from Nanoha, only in this case he's not a familiar. To learn more about her, go to the Nanoha wiki. That's the best place to go for everything Nanoha.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review!

God bless, iheartgod175