AN: Well, this took longer than expected. Fun to write, but this one was a pain. Hopefully it at least turned out well!

I should note that we don't have any of the main cast in this chapter. The biggest characters we have are Yuuno and Arf. Just a heads up.

Chapter 10: Investigation

"You sure about this?"

"Absolutely. Our information on the Incubators is Belkan, so our best bet at finding more..."

"Is the Saint Church."

Yuuno Scrya nodded, pushing his glasses slightly up his nose, "Exactly. If there is anything Belkan that isn't in the Infinity Library, they probably have it."

"Makes sense," Arf shrugged slightly, "But wouldn't the TSAB be annoyed we brought in outside help? I mean, they are a bit pushy with their investigations."

"No, it won't be a problem," the younger-appearing teen laughed, "The Saint Church is almost an offshoot of the TSAB, at least when it comes to investigations. They're independent of the hierarchy, but they're allies at the same time. It's really interesting actually..."

"Yo, I think I've got it."

"Heh," Yuuno had the grace to blush slightly, before he squared his shoulders as they reached the bridge leading into the large church. Allies of the TSAB or not, the Saint Church was still a religious organization.

Which would explain to the casual observer why the pair was dressed in heavy robes, covering their more normal clothing. Arf had been picking at that robe the entire time, finding it very constricting on her tail and ears. But while the Church was friendly, they did draw a line at bringing obvious TSAB business into their property. If a member of the Bureau visited, they had to do it in the guise of a pilgrim, at least until they met the Knight in charge of the specific congregation. Luckily for the Mage and Familiar, this particular one was held by a friend of Hayate.

Almost an adoptive sister actually...which made meeting with her a lot easier than it might otherwise have been. It certainly made it easier to get past the more junior Knights guarding the entrance, who just nodded at the pair before waving them forward. A Sister of the Church took over once they had actually entered the building, directing them through the winding halls. It was only when they reached a large, windowed room that they were left alone.

Or, as alone as they could be with another woman sitting at a table, calmly sipping tea.

"Welcome to the Saint Church," the blonde looked up from her tea, smiling softly, "You requested a meeting, Librarian Scrya?"

"Yes I did Knight Carim," Yuuno replied, taking off the heavy robe as he moved to sit next to the older woman.

Well, 'older' insofar as being around Chrono's age.

"Hmm," Carim nodded slightly, setting her cup down, "What about? I'm not aware of any ongoing investigations that need our support."

In response, Arf pulled out the book she had been carrying. Carim raised an elegant eyebrow, gently taking the book from the Familiar. She recognized how old it was, and knew better than to risk damaging a priceless artifact. After all, the Head Librarian of the Infinity Library wouldn't bring her a normal book. If he brought this, it had some level of historical- probably Belkan -importance. The Saint Church did hold more strictly Belkan records than the Library, if only because it was a particular mission of their's to gather these records.

"A Belkan journal?" the Knight whispered softly, as she opened the book and starting scanning it, "Ancient Belkan, predating the Unification Wars. Librarian Scrya, where did you come across this?"

"In the Library," Yuuno answered, "I couldn't find much more on the subject there though, which is why we came to you Knight Carim. Turn to page fifty."

The elegant eyebrow climbed higher, "Is this something I should know of?"

"I'm hoping you do."

Carim hummed softly, but did as asked. Only for her hands to go white, her pretty blue eyes widening ever so slightly. The Knight's composure was gone, as she set the book down. She turned those blue eyes back on Yuuno, searching for something in his own eyes. He stared right back, a suspicion confirmed. The Saint Church did know of the Incubators. Why they hadn't told the TSAB was the question...and hopefully, he could get an answer. Nanoha might be in danger, and he didn't want to see his oldest friend hurt.

"I'm guessing you know something?" of course, it was Arf who broke the silence.

"Yes," the Knight slowly nodded, regaining some measure of composure, "Every Knight is required to know of the Incubators, should they ever infiltrate a world with a Saint Church. I never anticipated having to use that knowledge, though. Why did you bring me this?"

"Because we've found Incubators," Yuuno replied, "I found that book, and assume that if anyone would know anything about them...it would be the experts of Belkan history."

The Knight nodded again, "You would be right. We don't have a lot of information I'm afraid, as the records that survived the Unification Wars are scarce at best, especially in regards to dimensional exploration. What we do have..."

She trailed off, a worried look taking over her face.

"You have to understand, while every Knight must know of the Incubators, it's considered a myth. The knowledge that the Book of Darkness turned out to not be a myth is the primary reason we are still taught this knowledge, though none of us ever believed it would be needed. Are you certain that you have found Incubators?"

Yuuno nodded himself, though he wished he didn't have to, "Yes. The data sent matches that book exactly."

A sigh answered that statement, as Carim got to her feet. She walked over to her desk, tapping the communication systems. Yunno couldn't see the face of the person she was talking to, but on the other hand, he could clearly hear her talking.

"Sister, please bring all the information we have on the Incubators to my office."

"Of course Knight Carim. May I ask why?"

"We may have a problem."

"I...see. I'll have it to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

Sighing softly again, the Knight returned to the table. She didn't continue the conversation though, seemingly lost in thought. That, perhaps more than anything, worried Yuuno more. Clearly, there was more here than he had thought. Which was worrying in its own way, as what they had seen so far- unconfirmed though it may have been -wasn't exactly cheery. An unknown system of magic, used by an unknown race, to entrap young girls. Turning them into monsters, that they were tricked into fighting to continue the cycle. A cycle that may not even need to continue.

It was true that the only information the TSAB had was conjecture at this point. Homura Akemi may, or may not, be telling the truth. Though Nanoha and Fate were quite convinced that she was. That journal was scarce, and couldn't be used to confirm the situation all on its own. Hence, the reason he was here.

But even so...

I hadn't expected this kind of reaction. Just what type of information does the Saint Church have?

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

As it would turn out, more than Yuuno could have expected. Several datapads were laid out in front of him, getting a raised eyebrow from Arf. Yuuno shrugged in return, as Carim picked up one of the 'pads, seemingly at random. However, when she transferred the data to a more convenient holo-projector, it became rather clear she had not picked one at random. In point of fact, the one she had picked held the image of an Incubator, just as the one in the book.

"Incubators," Carim spoke softly, "what we know of them is all from before the Unification Wars, and unfortunately, unconfirmed as we don't know the exact universe the records talk about."

The image changed to a...

"Soul Gem," Yuuno blinked slowly.

Carim nodded, "Yes. I see you're familiar with them?"

"Not personally, but what I've seen of the data from Earth..."

"Ah, Earth. I shouldn't be surprised it is there that you found Incubators, considering that planet seems to be quite a magnet for strange occurrences," the Knight smiled wanly, "Hayate will need to be informed of this, you understand that correct?"

"Of course."

Bringing in Hayate Yagami wasn't a question of if but when. Her and the Wolkenritter were far too useful to not bring in, even if it weren't for the fact her homeworld was the one merged with another dimension, full of dangerous monsters. The only reason they hadn't been brought in yet, was because they were on a different mission at the moment. And that not one of them was...helpful...in the current situation. The group on Earth didn't need massive firepower, and while Hayate herself was friendly and good at working with others, the same couldn't be said of her Knights outside maybe Shamal.

"In any case, yes this is a Soul Gem. More specifically, one of a Belkan Noble who chronicled her experiences as a 'Magical Girl'. I believe she may be related to, or the subject of, the journal you found," Carim continued, "However, the chronicle changes to a different handwriting style, one I believe to be her brother."

"Why would it..." Arf began, before wincing softly, "Oh no..."

The Knight sighed softly, "So you know that as well? Yes, it changed to the different author because the girl herself succumbed to her despair and became a Witch. Whoever took over had to kill her, and that is where the warning to watch the Incubators originates."

"The warning that you still enforce?" Yuuno clarified.

"Exactly that," the blonde nodded back, "it is the main reason that we consider the Incubators a threat, despite their mythical status. A status that it appears is no longer valid."

Yuuno frowned, "This does confirm the data I was sent. Is there anything else you can show me?"

"Plenty," Carim nodded, "However, I have a request. Please, allow the Saint Church to coordinate in this investigation. If the Incubators are truly real...it is our duty to help."

That was a simple request to make, and one that Yuuno could agree with. He had experience in wanting to do something himself, because he considered it his fault. The Jewel Seed Case was something he would not easily forget, after all. And if the Saint Church had really been putting this much effort into preserving information about the Incubators, they were probably the best option to help deal with them. That being said...

"I can ask Admiral Lindy," the librarian replied, "But how would you help?"

Carim smiled slightly, "I would personally suggest a Knight join the investigation at Earth. Beyond that, I would contact Hayate and send Sisters to her vessel. If we have found the Incubators home dimension, it stands to reason we can find their homeworld."

"Homeworld..."

"Yes. I am not a member of the TSAB, so I can't claim to understand military matters in the same way they do. However, if Hayate can find their homeworld, it would be possible to contact them directly."

"And figure out their reasoning?"

"Exactly."

Well, it does make sense. We don't know exactly why they're doing what they are, aside from what Homura Akemi explained. Maybe if we can find their homeworld, we can talk with their leadership? It's possible that Kyubey is operating alone.

Not likely that was the case, of course. But it was also a distinct possibility that couldn't be overlooked. And finding the Incubators homeworld had more uses than just that. Though Yuuno didn't like to think about it, it would also give the TSAB an edge in any potential conflict. A conflict that was quite likely, if the Incubators refused to change their actions. Farming sentient beings like they evidently were...that was bad enough. Doing it on a world with no defense against magical attacks like Earth...that would get the attention of the TSAB leadership like nothing else would.

Which was not a good thing, for many reasons.

"I'll contact Fate," Arf finally spoke up with a small smile, "She can ask Admiral Lindy about working together. You two look over that stuff, I'd just get in the way."

"Thank you," Carim nodded thankfully.

"Yeah, thanks Arf."

The Familiar just grinned back, before moving into the hallway to contact her master. For their parts, Yuuno and Carim began to look through the archives of the Saint Church. Anything and everything on the Incubators had a potential use...

And if it came to a conflict, the TSAB needed any edge they could get, no matter how out of date.

Earth

In that regard, a similar investigation was taking place on Earth itself. Two TSAB mages were moving silently through dark streets, in a city called London. Britain had been the second target for investigation after Japan, if only because- former -Admiral Gil Graham was from that nation. Operating on the assumption that this was similar to the old Earth, and by extension, would have similar magical spread...meant that it was a forgone conclusion that this nation would be second. However, most of the Arthra's resources were still focused in Japan. The two mages in London were the only ones in Britain.

Cruiser or no, the Arthra was still a relatively small ship, and did not carry many mages.

"Anything?"

"Nothing yet sir."

The elder mage, a man named Erid, sighed softly, "Understood. Keep looking."

Twenty years in the Bureau, and he had never been involved in something quite like this. Searching a planet that shouldn't have any mages, and searching for girls young enough to be his daughter on top of that. The situation was surreal, even by the Bureau's standards. But he was loyal to Admiral Lindy, and would follow her orders to the letter, no matter what they were. As only a C-rank mage, he considered it the highest honor that she trusted him enough for this mission anyway. Experience could only carry one so far, when they were as weak as he was.

Either way, it had little bearing on his current problem.

"Finding these Magical Girls is not easy," Erid muttered under his breath, "We don't know what to look for, and they don't like being found either."

"You say something?"

"No."

I don't like this. We know next to nothing, going in blind like this...

Veteran or no, Erid was far from comfortable going into a situation with so little intel. They only knew to look for young girls, nothing more. Because apparently their powers were so wildly variable that trying to predict it would be pointless. Nothing like Midchildan magic.

"We haven't even seen a Witch yet," his gossipy partner continued.

"We wouldn't, not outside a barrier."

"I know that, but still. There's nothing here but normal humans."

Erid sighed heavily, "And that isn't unexpected. Have some patience, no investigation goes quickly."

"I'm plenty patient. But this is a waste of time."

It was hard to disagree with that, it really was. Erid knew that scans from the Arthra said there were Magical Girls in London. Somewhere. The problem was, for Earth, this was a very large city. Mitakihara was hardly small by any definition, but London was quite a good deal larger. It made it difficult to track down anyone in that city, even with the sensor readings as guide posts. Chrono's experience with Kyoko made it clear how hard it could be to find a Magical Girl if she didn't want to be found.

It was even possible that the Mages were the ones being stalked. After all, they were on the turf of the girls who considered London home. It would be surprising if at least one of them hadn't found them yet.

"Arthra," as such, the veteran Mage contacted his mothership, "Are there any magical signatures near to my position?"

"Checking..." Amy's voice replied, "One Familiar-level barrier within 100 meters."

"Roger."

Cutting the line, Erid nodded to his partner. The younger man nodded back, hand already clutching the standby form of his Storage Device. Erid did the same, though the wear and tear on his spoke to long use. Both men had similar weaponry though, standard-issue to an extreme. It would be more than sufficient for a single Familiar, if their intelligence on those creatures from Chrono and Kyoko Sakura was accurate. They were only as dangerous as a small-scale criminal, and in some cases, even less so.

Not all Witches were created equal, nor were their familiars.

Though on the other hand...the idea that a Familiar could become a copy of a Witch made the Incubators system even more terrifying, if the intel was accurate. Because instead of relying entirely on fallen Magical Girls, it could self-sustain itself on 'grown up' Familiars. Or even worse...grow horribly out of control, if enough of them got loose and ate enough humans. Not a fun prospect.

Then, that's why our standing orders are to deal with any Familiars we come across as well. We can't let them run free like this.

"Another alley?" his partner broke into the Mage's train of thought, looking down a dark alleyway.

Erid hummed softly, "According to our intelligence, Familiars and Witches use places like this. They prefer to hide in out of the way areas, and use that to their advantage."

"Makes them harder to find, that's for sure."

"Exactly the point."

The other man rolled his eyes, "Understood sir."

"..." Erid just sighed in response, before moving into the alley. His Device now in its ready form, the veteran cast a small spell to provide more lighting, revealing a...fairly standard alley.

Trash and other objects littered the area, but there wasn't any sign of magic.

"Are we sure it's here?" the younger Mage asked.

"It should be. Stay close to me."

Erid and his partner moved forward slowly, carefully stepping over things in their way. Both men were on guard, ready for anything that could possibly attack them. However...what they were not ready for, was the nature of a Familiar's Labyrinth. For there was no warning pulse of magic. No complex sigil covering a tear in reality. All there was...was a sudden change in scenery.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"What just happened?!"

"Labyrinth. Just like Captain Harlaown reported..."

"I thought there was supposed to be some sort of barrier first?"

The veteran Mage shook his head, "Witches yes, but the report said that there was no indication of entering the Familiar's Labyrinth, beyond it happening."

"Right..."

Both Mages closed in, walking back to back. Sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, watching for any sign of the Familiar. If past experience- from Homura Akemi, Kyoko Sakura, and Chrono Harlaown -was any indication, it would attack them directly. There would be no stealth or tricks, just the Familiar attacking directly. Not that there was much room for stealth in this environment. A child's playroom, toys stacked up to the roofs. Crude drawings plastered into the wall. A dripping liquid, sickly like blood. Whatever else was true about these monsters that used to be young girls...

Their despair took on forms that would make even the most veteran of Mages wince. Erid was clutching his staff tightly, fighting down emotions of pure disgust. No matter what he may personally feel about Kyubey, this was...wrong. Knowing that this was the mental creation of a ruined girl, just made it all the more worse. And even then, it was a Familiar...even more childish than the Witch itself.

This is unnatural. We have to figure out how to end it.

Unfortunately, the Familiar was the least of the Mage's issues.

"Damn it, I was hoping I'd get some stupid kids or something. Not a pair of idiots walking with fancy staffs."

That voice was one of a young girl, not a mindless monster. Which could only mean...

"A Magical Girl?" Erid muttered, "What is she doing in..."

"Sir!"

The Labyrinth began collapsing, without any sign of the Familiar. Instead, the form of a teenage girl walked forward. Older than any other Magical Girl that the Artha crew had encountered, the brown haired girl was probably sixteen at the youngest. Grey eyes watched the Mages, undisguised annoyance clear on her otherwise pretty face. The girl held a rapier at her side, short green skirt doing little to cover the weapon. Her equally green shirt only covered her torso, leaving toned arms exposed for maximum agility.

This was clearly a fighter, just like the other Magical Girls.

"Alright, who the bloody hell are you two?" the girl asked, her London accent thick, "You weren't kissed, so how did you even find that Labyrinth? And do you know how much trouble it is to use a Familiar as bait?!"

Perhaps more hotheaded than his senior, the younger Mage jumped forward at that, "Bait?!"

"Oh, did I say that out loud?" the girl taunted back, "Look, it's a damn sight more efficient to use Familiars as bait. It's a win-win! Either it eats people and I get the Grief Seed from the Witch, or one of those bleeding heart idiots shows up, and I steal her Seeds. And kill her, because it's just rude to hunt on my turf."

"So you deliberately feed Familiars?" Erid asked calmly.

"Give the man a medal. What, you going to do something about it old man? I don't even know how you can bloody see that Familiar's maze or know about the things, since you're not staring at me like I'm crazy. But I don't give a damn either."

As she said that, the girl brought her rapier up, pointing directly at the Mages.

"Because I'm going to kill both of you, since I can't have you spreading the word about me. I haven't lived this long being stupid!"

Nothing more was said, as the girl flashed forward faster than any human body should have been capable of. Erid's hand came up, a purple Round Shield springing to life in front of him. The screech of metal on magic hit his ears, as sparks flew from the point of impact. Gritting his teeth, the veteran Mage pushed his power into strengthening his shield, even as he felt it cracking under the strain of the Magical Girl's attack.

"Sir!" his partner shouted out, "Move! Shoot Barret!"

Deep blue bolts of light shot from the staff of the younger man, forcing the Magical Girl to break off her attack, and roll to the ground to dodge them. Erid took in a breath of air, jumping back slightly to put more distance between himself and the girl. She was fast...and his experience meant nothing when Midchildan magic was not designed for close quarters combat.

"Lightning Flash," Erid whispered, purple light shooting from the tip of his Device.

Crackling through the air, the purple electricity narrowly missed the Magical Girl, who backflipped away from it.

"Bloody hell," she grunted upon landing, "Never seen this before...Magical Boys..."

Muttering what sounded like obscenities under her breath, the rapier came back up. Except this time, it was aimed at the younger Mage, who had been trying to set up another angle for a Barret.

"Try this!"

A whip of light flew out from the tip of the weapon, wrapping around the Mage's Device. Shocked eyes followed the whip to its source, the smugly grinning Magical Girl. She tugged on the Device, very nearly pulling it right out of the shocked rookie's hands. Only instincts earned through years of training kept him from losing his grip, and even then the Mage fell tumbling to the ground. Dismissing the whip, the girl turned back to Erid, ducking beneath a magical bullet.

The purple attack hit the wall behind her, creating a decently large dent, but nothing on what a more powerful Mage could have done. Erid didn't note that, as he slowly circled the girl, thankful that this alleyway was surprisingly large. His eyes followed her every movement, while his partner struggled to get back to his feet. For her part, the Magical Girl just smirked at him, looking like she was enjoying the fight.

She's fast. And that whip...if I'm not careful, she can tie us up. Is that how she uses Familiars as bait? Tie them up and wait for someone to come by?

Shaking those thoughts from his head, the Mage brought his Device up again, already prepared to use another spell.

"Ring Bind!"

Purple light sprung up around the girl's wrists and legs, rapidly shrinking down to capture her. But this girl was not Kyoko Sakura. She had far more experience...and had fought Magical Girls who relied on traps.

"Nice try old man!"

She flashed into motion again, shattering the bonds before they could fully form.

"Watch out!" Erid shouted, as the girl shot at his partner who had finally returned to his feet.

"Ri...right!" the younger man rolled to the side, grunting in pain as a spray of blood shot from his torso.

"Hmph...lucky."

The Magical Girl flicked her blade slightly, crimson blood flying off. Her sharp grey eyes looked on as the younger Mage groaned in pain, not a hint of pity in them. Those eyes were the eyes of a hardened hunter...examining her prey, without any remorse. Erid felt a chill run down his spine at that expression...no teenage girl should have eyes like that. No teenage girl should so casually pull back her arm, lunging forward again.

"Round Shield!" Erid screamed, putting up a barrier between the Magical Girl and his partner.

The younger Mage smiled weakly at his senior, bringing up a hand with a Barret at his fingertip, "Thank...thanks..."

Turning to his foe, the young man forced a pain-filled grin on his face, as she frowned at the barrier holding her Rapier in place.

"Nice try girly. Shoot Barret!"

Erid's barrier dropped for a split-second, to allow the bullet through. If it had been his own magic, there would have been no need. But to let foreign magic through, the barrier had to fall. And fall it did...as a predatory grin crossed the Magical Girl's face.

No!

"Nice try dead man."

Even the veteran Mage had underestimated the girl's raw speed. In the second the barrier was down, her head had twisted almost unnaturally, the blue bullet flying right past her without doing anymore than rustling her hair. Her rapier had continued moving forward even as she twisted, stabbing clean through the shocked Mage's device. With nothing more than a gurgle of pain, the weapon had buried itself to the hilt in the young man's chest. His eyes widened in mixed shock and pain...before fading, as his arms slumped to the ground. The shattered staff fell from limp hands, as the Magical Girl pulled her weapon free.

A look of glee was on her face, as she turned to Erid. The veteran was cursing himself...cursing his stupid failure. He should have known better! He should have done better!

"You're next old man. Shouldn't have underestimated me, bloody fool. Guess you'll not regret it at least."

Erid reacted entirely on instinct. A third barrier was up before his mind caught up to his body, even as he rolled away. He couldn't win this fight. Not alone. He had to get back to the Arthra...report on this.

Transportation...destination Arthra...focus...focus...focus...

Sweat gathered on his brow, as the Mage split his mind between holding the Magical Girl back, and forming a teleportation spell. His shield started to crack, even as he felt the familiar magic gathering around his body.

"Almost...th..."

Even as he felt the teleport, sharp pain blossomed from his side. The last thing Erid saw before the flash of purple light took him away was a feral grin on a pretty teenage face...

AN: As above...this was a hard one. I hope I did well!

And, as we can see, TSAB has discovered why talking with Magical Girls outside our main cast is not the greatest idea. Not all of them are so nice...and they'll see the results of that naivety now. Needless to say, things are starting to pick up.

I should note that, moving forward, this story is going to be two concurrent plots...Yuuno and Co. on one end, and the main Nanoha/Madoka casts on the other. Just a heads up.

Reviews:

Drinkie: Yeah, Chrono isn't bad but Homura's in for a surprise.

Nobody Smurf: Yeah, Walpurgis is not going to have a fun time.

pokemon-35055: Thanks!

Aceina: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too.

Kita Nakeshi: Homura's going to make more and more slip ups as we move forward. She's getting complacent, and it's going to make it harder to hide things.

As far as Kyoko/Mami go, she'll give them an idea of what to expect at least.

Nyamu: To be totally fair, I remember the original series having Nanoha already be AAA rank in raw power. But yeah, her real power comes from Starlight Breaker.

...and yes, if say Madoka/Hayate donated magic, that would be terrifying.

Guest1: Here's the update.

chaosrin: ...I don't intend to have Fate do something like that. Not much of a grimdark author really.

Seeker of Light: Well, she lost her chance to warn them. Poor nameless Mage, we hardly knew ye.

(literally)

Seeker of Truth: Kazumi...I'm not likely to use that manga, at least at the moment. Not as familiar with it as I am the main series and Oriko, and some of the stuff in there is just funky.

Guest2: Glad you like it!

And yeah, I'm trying to go a different route with this. It'll still get a bit dark at times, though as above, I...can't really do grimdark well.

dongaro: One of my things when writing a crossover is to try and have the worlds complement each other. From a reading perspective, curbstomps can be fun. From a writing perspective...not so much, at least to me.

Nintendoman58: Mami and Sayaka are certainly going to be in for fun times.

I'm still debating Oriko really. Call it 50/50 at this point.

AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I hope everyone liked this chapter, despite the difference. We'll be back to Nanoha/Homura and friends next chapter.