Well, things could be worse I suppose. Reinforce hovered near Hayate, keeping an eye on her as she directed the aerial mages locked in combat with countless gadgets that were escorting the Cradle. They weren't making much progress in cutting down their numbers, but they'd done well enough that the assault team had managed to punch through to the ship. Now it was just a waiting game for Nanoha and Vita to deal with it from the inside.
Alright, not quite a waiting game, she thought as she turned a half dozen gadgets that had broken through the lines into smoking wreckage crashing down towards Cranagan's outskirts. We can't let up on the pressure and let them use these drones inside the ship, or put any more pressure on the city's defenders.
From what she'd overheard of Hayate's communications, the Ground Forces battalions were holding, but only just. The same seemed to be holding true for the mages that Hayate was commanding though. Signs of exhaustion were already showing on most of those nearby, and others seemed to be flying slower and the number of wounded was steadily increasing. "Hayate, I'm going to clear the skies, pull everyone back."
Hayate only nodded as she quickly passed orders, the TSAB forces quickly pulling back from the Aerial melee. Reinforce raised a hand, three blinding white Belkan triangles forming, one in front of her and the others to either side of it as she chanted. "Come forth, the wind of snow, and become the fletching which falls from the heavens." Nacht spent the time she took to make her way through the aria to fire off six cartridges to power the spell.
"Hræsvelgr."
The beams and their resulting detonations came fast, many of them overlapping before the spell exhausted itself and were largely unaimed, but when your enemy was a swarm of drones surrounding a multiple kilometer long vessel... Accuracy wasn't exactly a necessesity.
She turned at the awed whistle from her side. "I'm glad you waited until the ship was far enough away from the city before unleashing that... I can't help but notice that you aren't exactly sparing with cartridges though."
Swinging her gaze back to the ship that was continuing to deploy more gadgets even as the TSAB mages began flying back in to resume the fight with more even numbers. Reinforce only shook her head. "Cartridges are more easily spent than my own reserves. And besides," she broke off with a smile as she reached into the pouch she'd added to her Armor, withdrawing additional cartridges and feeding them into Nacht. "Why not use them when I have plenty?"
Hayate returned the smile before she gasped, clutching at her chest, wide-eyed as she stared at the Cradle. "Vita!"
Reinforce grabbed the Colonel before she lost control of her flight, "What happened, Hayate?"
"Vita," Hayate gasped again, drawing in a hissing breath before she spoke. "Vita's hurt."
"Permission to board the Cradle to go help her?"
A few moments passed as Hayate took note of the situation around this ship, something Reinforce was pleased to note, that she was considering the situation like a commander, not a family member worried for the safety of another. "Go. I'll be able to take care of the drones out here."
The only reply was a black-winged blur darting towards the hole the assault team had breached in the ship's hull.
The assault team seemed to be less of a team, and more of just Nanoha and Vita from the looks of things. She hadn't bothered stopping to ask them why they were all remaining outside of the ship, and her question was largely answered as she dropped into the hole, almost immediately feeling the strain of a powerful AMF.
"Where is Vita, Nacht?"
[One moment, integrating with Cradle systems.] Precisely a moment later, the device continued. [Second Lieutenant Vita is en route to the engines, pulling up map now. Numerous hostiles delaying her.]
"Well then, let's go give her a hand. This AMF is hell on my control though. Schwert und schild."
Reinforce lifted Nacht, grasping the red claw with her right hand, blinding red light flashing as she drew it, feeling it's heft shifting as Nacht used up a cartridge to form a crimson bastard sword. The remains of Nacht's form swept into a blue round shield, with intricate silver etchings decorating its exterior. She gave a few experimental swings with the sword before she glanced down at herself after hearing the metalic clanking that she was now giving off with every motion.
"Is there a reason we've altered my armor to look like a Valkyrie again, Nacht? Although the new blue is a nice touch..."
[It seemed appropriate, Mistress. You are a knight, even more so when you decide to use me in this form. Proper armor is important. And I'm afraid that Lieutenant Colonel Yagami has odd notions of proper armor.]
Reinforce didn't reply until she was speeding down the most direct route to Vita according to the map that Nacht was providing. "Hayate wasn't designing armor for combat... More for appearance you know. But, I will say that on this I agree with you. Let's keep this as my standard Knight-armor appearance whenever you're in sword form."
It wasn't long before gadgets began appearing to try to stop her, but she simply dodged the few shots fired her way before hacking or bashing her way through the enemy with her shield. There wasn't much finesse to her attacks, but when fighting simple-minded machines, skill would only have been wasted.
Progress was swift, but the engine room was still quite a ways away thanks to the sheer distances involved in navigating a massive ship. The wreckage of drones that she was coming across was a pleasant indicator that she was on Vita's trail.
The shift from the type I and type III drones to the scythed reapers of Ancient Belkan make was worrying. Though not as much as the trail of blood that seemed to stagger down the long hall towards the engine's core. An angry cry was proof enough that Vita still lived, the booming explosions that followed only giving evidence beyond all doubt. Knowing the Knight of the Iron Hammer though, hurrying to help her before she pushed herself too far was the course of action to follow.
And follow it she did. She burst into the engine room, taking note of the defense systems sending violet beams at Vita who seemed to be steadily weakening under the onslaught. A few aimed at Reinforce were easily deflected by the heavy shield before she went through three cartridges to summon up hundreds of daggers to send five at every remaining defense cube. "Vita! Destroy the engine. I'll deal with the defenses."
Vita's expression softened as she turned to see Reinforce. She gave no reply beyond a nod as she turned her attention back to the diamond containment shield, running Graf Eisen through what had to be the last of her cartridges before launching attack after attack against the containment shield.
Reinforce darted in to guard her back from more of the defense cubes that were emerging. Vita was making no moves to defend herself as she launched one last attack. Trusting me to guard her, or is she simply that exhausted?
The shattering of Graf Eisen, and Vita's subsequent fall gave weight to the latter as Reinforce gently cradled the little Knight watching as the containment shield slowly began to crack. "Well done. There is nothing that you cannot destroy... You don't make that claim lightly, do you?"
The weak smile that she got in reply was answer enough before she landed, using a cartridge to cast a simple healing spell before picking the crimson knight back up and evacuating the engine room moments before the containment shield finally gave way, the explosion rocking the entire vessel.
"I think that's our cue to get out of here. You need to get to a medic anyways, I'm not very good at healing." The lack of reply was worrying, but the fact that Vita was still breathing calmed her a little, even as she launched back into the air, navigating the ship's corridors at a break-neck pace to reach their entry point.
Aside from a few gadgets that were easily dispatched with a launched dagger each, the journey back was uneventful. Hayate was there to greet them as they emerged, her smile quickly turning to a worried expression as she saw Vita's condition.
Reinforce was quick to soothe her fears. "She'll be fine when I get her to the medics."
The smile returned at that. "Good work, stay with her would you? Nanoha must have taken out the last cyborg, the drones have all ceased functioning. I'm going to head in and see if she needs any help. Fate's captured Scaglietti, and the fleet is going to arrive in time thanks to the Cradle's slowed ascent rate."
Reinforce twitched at the thought of letting Hayate go in on her own, but Rein appearing and unisoning with Hayate made her feel a bit better. "Just be careful you two. The AMF in there isn't at full strength, but if Vivio is disconnected from the ship's systems it will activate at full strength. Not even I'd be able to draw any magic when it does."
"We'll be careful. Now, go get Vita to a medic." Hayate didn't wait for a reply before she leapt down into the ship.
Three months after the JS Incident
Reinforce smiled, giving a little wave to Rein as she left Long Arch Control.
"Reinforce, can I ask you a question?"
Turning to find Hayate standing behind her she nodded, "You never have to ask permission, and you never do unless something is troubling you. What is it, Hayate?"
The newly promoted Colonel looked a little sheepish. "Surely I'm not that predictable, am I?" She gave a little grin at the 'only to those who know you,' before continuing, falling into step with Reinforce as they walked down the hall. "You've heard the whole story of the incident by now... And I can't help but sympathize with General Regius' views. I can't help but feel that if like him, if I ever lost any of you... I might act similarly."
Reinforce thought for a moment before she spoke. "While I know that many in the Bureau are displeased with the general's methods that led to the incident," she gave a little sigh before finishing, "it doesn't mean that what he was trying to accomplish was wrong."
Hayate cocked her head, and motioned for Reinforce to continue as she sensed there was more as yet unsaid. "Think of it from this perspective. If our unit hadn't been there, if the Bureau hadn't had what amounts to a... well, admittedly an over powered Belkan quick reaction force. Where would Mid-Childa be right now? The Bureau is soft." She held up a placating hand at Hayate's coming argument to that.
"I'm not saying that's a bad thing. The system works well until we run up against opposition like Scaglietti and his cyborgs. I would simply be happier seeing the Bureau better prepared to deal with situations like this. Maintain the current patrols, the current soft sort of law enforcement, but back it with units like RF6. Train some to be able to handle the incidents that go beyond law enforcement. Sure, the Navy has handled situations up to this point, enforcers usually stop incidents before they reach catastrophic scale, but what happens when that breaks down? What happens when we hit a foe that we cannot simply overpower as the Navy is prone to doing?"
"We lose, and the whole system crumbles, like it would have had Mid-Childa been held hostage." Hayate spoke in a disheartened tone.
"Yes." Reinforce's expression was grave as she stopped, turning to face Hayate, placing her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders. "The Bureau System is making a similar mistake to what the Empires of old did. Belka had soldiers, and tasked them with solving problems that are better handled by law enforcement officers. The Bureau is trying to deal with all problems with law enforcement officers. What the Bureau needs is a balance, but they've gone too far in reacting against the flaws of the Empire."
"What's to stop the Bureau from falling into the same mistakes as the Belka did though?"
"Officers like you, Hayate. Those with the will to use force when necessary, as you've proven by bringing RF6 into existance and your handling of the JS incident with it, tempered with the sense of responsibility not to the Bureau, but to those under the Bureau's protection."
"You know, while I understand that, and even agree with it... It doesn't make me feel any better than I did before. I never wanted to be a soldier."
"I don't mean to confuse you, or make you feel uncomfortable Hayate. I am a relic of the violent past, doing what I can to fit in with a peaceful present. I just... don't want to see anything happen to you because the Bureau wasn't prepared to deal with something that was out of their league."
The Colonel was quiet a moment before she spoke again. "There's more to it than that."
"There is. But again, not all of my secrets are mine to tell. Just keep an eye out, Hayate. Observe, reason, never get drawn into the idea of doing something just because it's tradition, or because that's what the Bureau approves of. Think independently, and act as you feel is best. The Wolkenritter, Rein, the captains, me, we're with you. If I have one criticism for you, it is your habit of thinking that you are responsible for everything. You aren't. You are young, driven, and dedicated, and I love that about you. But you mustn't burden yourself with the world. Do what you can, where you can."
"You know, it's funny. Nanoha has said similar things over the years, but I find that she isn't very good at following her own advice."
"She is as young as you are, Hayate. But she's wise in recognizing it in others, even if not in herself."
"I might say the same about you..."
Reinforce laughed at that. "I am a Belkan knight, Hayate. We don't necessarily make for good examples to follow. I'm fairly certain that Signum would agree with me on that. Just don't overdo it. Not everything falls on you. If I might make a suggestion though... Do the best you can to keep RF6 running, or at least use it as a proof of concept to add teams like this to the Bureau's roster."
"I'll do what I can."
"Good, and just remember, no matter what, your family and friends are behind you every step of the way."
Hayate gave a more natural smile and nodded. "Thank you, Reinforce. Now then, I need to get up to the Cathedral for a meeting with Chrono and Carim, if I remember right, you're supposed to have the day off! Go out and do something fun."
"Jawohl Herrin Oberst!"
"And people are going to think you're crazy if you keep speaking Belkan!"
Reinforce chuckled as she walked away. Well then, what shall we do today, Nacht?
[You have a message from Chao, Mistress. I would suggest reading it.]
Is that so? When did it arrive?
[While you were speaking with Colonel Yagami, Mistress. I felt it better to let you finish your conversation.]
Fair enough, let's go find a nice cafe and I'll see what she needs.
Knight-Captain Eins,
I hope things are going well with your family. I've begun work on the foundations for my plans, and they are progressing as I expected. This isn't an urgent request, but I would like to try something with the linker cores you mentioned. Nacht's assistance in checking some work done by a fellow scientist would be appreciated as well. She's created something truly magnificent with just a few months and only a few hints and help with funding from me.
I would appreciate it if you could make some time to visit, though as I said, it's by no means urgent. Send me a message as to when we might expect you, or a better time if you're busy.
-Chao Lingshen
Reinforce sipped at her tea as she read through the message once more. I suppose we should see about taking some time off. Send a message back to Chao that I'll be arriving as soon as I can arrange some leave.
[Of course, Mistress.]
She opened a communications window, keeping the audio telepathic only given her public location. Rein appeared on it with a bright smile. "This is Long Arch, how can I help you on your day off, Mommy?"
She had to smother a chuckle at the not so subtle emphasis. "Sergeant Major, this Private humbly requests some leave. A personal issue has arisen and requires my attention."
That caused her daughter to blink, a suspicious look forming as she peered at her mother trying to divine whatever brough this request up. "I see. Well, I can approve up to a week, two if you want me to pass it up to Hayate. Will that be long enough?"
"That should be enough, if not... Well, I'll deal with that when the time comes. If you would, go ahead and give me that week, and get me the second when you see Hayate next. I'm about to go find transport. I'll be sure to bring you back something nice from my trip."
The journey to Earth was much easier than her journey to Mid-Childa had been, regular transports to the nearest administered world, and then just two teleports once she'd made her way out of observable areas. The only real snag was her arrival on Earth.
She'd teleported in unseen, but had been ambushed as she walked through the forest that she was now beginning to think hated her.
She glanced at the cold-eyed teen holding a pistol aimed at her forehead, and if that hadn't been enough to dissuade her from moving, the dagger point pressing against her spine might have done the job. You know, Nacht, next time I decide to teleport here... remind me to have my Knight Armor activated. Being held hostage by two teenagers is a little embarrassing.
[Of course, Mistress.]
The first words came from the one behind her. "And who might you be? That's a uniform that I don't recall having seen before. What about you, Tatsumiya?"
"No."
Reinforce smiled at that. "I doubt that it would be familiar to anyone perhaps a very few individuals from the Uminari area. The uniform is more just what I happened to have when I received word that I was needed."
"I see. And just who needs you?" The gun didn't so much as waver in the slightest as Tatsumiya asked her question.
The arrival of a fourth kept Reinforce from answering. "Ah! Captain, thank you for coming. I see you've met some of my classmates! Tatsumiya, Nagase, meet Captain Reinforce Eins Yagami."
"A friend of Chao-dono? Forgive my rudeness, Captain." Reinforce kept her pleasant smile as the dagger disappeared from her back, and the gun was holstered with practiced ease.
"Not to worry, it wasn't as if I was approaching in anything resembling normal fashion... Now then, what did you call me for, Chao?"
Chao waved for her to follow. "To the Robotics lab!" She paused a moment, turning back to Tatsumiya and Nagase. "Ah, and I'd appreciate if you didn't mention the Captain's presence to anyone. Tatsumiya, you can take that as when I next require your assistance I'll supply a bonus, and Nagase, I've been working on some things that might interest you given your... unique skills."
Kaede, dressed much like one would expect a ninja to be proved her skills as she bowed to Chao's request, only to disappear in a puff of smoke as the gunslinger discharged her weapon into the ninja's back.
"Tch. It had better be a good bonus. I had her until the Captain showed up." She didn't wait for a reply before she darted off into the underbrush.
Reinforce followed with a little smile as Chao led the way out of the forest. "Interesting friends you've made in just a few months."
Chao had a mischevious grin on her face as she nodded. "Friends might be a bit strong, Tatsumiya's a mercenary through and through, but she's performed admirably for the contracts I've hired her for. And Nagase, well, she appreciates the help I give her in maintaining her grades at a passing level so she can devote more time to her training. As for why I've brought you here, one is to see if we can't perfect a magnificent creation by my cohort; and the second is to discover your opinion on my plan."
"Well, you've caught me at a good time. I'm no longer a captain though, I've been sentenced to several more months serving the TSAB, though with the performance of the unit I'm part of, that will likely be lifted and I'll be free to continue on with the Bureau or make my own way."
"Oh? What do you plan on doing then?"
"For now, I'll be sticking with the Bureau. I may only be a private at the moment, but I'm fairly certain I'll be able to pass the enforcer's exam easily, then it's just a short residency as an aide and I'll be an enforcer and have a lot more freedom in coming and going, as well as picking and choosing my assignments."
"Good for you, I take it you found your family then? You do seem to be a bit happier than I recall seeing you."
Reinforce chuckled at that. "Yes, the colonel leading my unit is Hayate, the two captains are her friends, and the lieutenants are my... sisters I suppose would be most appropriate, Signum and Vita."
Chao's expression turned somewhat bittersweet at that, though she quickly waved off Reinforce's apology. "Don't worry. In terms of logic, I'm past it, my emotions are just a little unstable still. Give it another month, or progress on the plan, and I'll not have any problem at all. After all, it hasn't happened. And it won't."
The girl's eyes flashed in steely resolve as the forest turned to civilization. She quickly remembered herself, returning to the same benign grin that she'd had before as they hurried through the streets to Mahora's university robotics lab.
Chao swiped an ID card to get them through several doors, and past a few guards with a simple 'she's with me,' whenever the guards pointed to Reinforce. As they walked down a long hallway, Reinforce couldn't help but ask why they were so willing to take a teenager's word.
"Mostly because I'm the President of the Robotics research club... Though it might also be because of the regular donations I make. I needed some cover to work with advanced technologies, so I simply provided enough funding and direction for the University to outfit their engineering labs with equipment you likely wouldn't see outside of military facilities."
"And you can afford this how?" Reinforce gave the girl a pointed look before continuing. "You haven't been abusing your knowledge and providing the world with things too far ahead of their time have you?"
"Of course not! I might have made a few... investment decisions that paid off uncommonly quick, but before long, all of it will be coming from Chao Bao Zi." She smirked at the unspoken question. "Chao Bao Zi, the most popular food destination on campus. It's surprising how much money can pass through a simple food stand in a place like this."
"Enough to pay for the sort of hardware it sounds like you have?"
Chao pouted cutely at that. "Alright, so I've designed some stuff of my own that works as well as top of the line equipment and forged where it's come from. I remember my promise though, I'm just keeping myself hidden. When we get where we're going though, what's waiting there was all done by my partner. I just provided the tools and materials. She put it together mostly by trial and error and the occasional bit of bouncing ideas off of me for the programming and... how to make her truly sentient."
"You mean you've built a-" She was cut off as Chao stopped, opening up a door and ushering Reinforce inside where she was greeted with the sight of a humanoid frame with long green hair stretching all the way to the table that she was seated on. Wires were running from one of the curious ears and down to a laptop held by a girl looking to be the same age as Chao with two long pigtails and very focused eyes behind thick lenses. Off to the side of the room a blond girl who didn't look much older than ten was lounging in a rather lacy and frilly example of a black goth-loli dress sipping easily at a cup of tea.
Only the blond girl took note of her presence, the glance quickly turning dismissive at the fact that she was in uniform. The girl's eyes weren't the sort of eyes that a girl her age should have though. They reminded her more of Vita's in the moments when she was remembering days gone past.
"Hakase, Eva, allow me to introduce Reinforce Eins Yagami, a personal friend of mine for quite some time. Reinforce, this is Hakase Satomi, and Evangeline A. K. McDowell." She smiled as she pointed first to the girl with the laptop and then the blond girl. "Oh! And of course before I forget, though she's not currently powered up, on the table there is Karakuri Chachamaru. She's the one I was wondering if I might be able to ask you about those linker cores you mentioned."
"How much do they know?" Reinforce kept her eyes on Evangeline though, remembering what Nodoka had said about an Evangeline being the premier dark mage.
"Oh, everything, magic and science were combined to create Chachamaru here. So, don't worry about talking in front of them."
"I see. Before I go into a lecture that may be unnecessary... May I ask what your hopes are for using a linker core?"
Hakase piped in at that. "Chachamaru here runs off of magic. At the moment, that means that she needs someone capable of controlling mana to wind up the spring that serves as her power supply. Chao mentioned that you have knowledge of these so-called linker cores that can supply mana. Could we run Chachamaru on a linker core?"
Reinforce frowned in thought as she moved over to the table, feeling the magic in the robot, no... Chachamaru. "Probably." She couldn't help but chuckle at the unhappy faces at her answer. "You may want something more definite, but my own experience with the creation of linker cores goes beyond simply making the core. I've never stopped just there. I had to provide flesh and blood bodies for my sisters and brother. I wouldn't call it impossible, but I'll have to take a look at the process. Nacht, what do you think?"
[It might be an interesting experiment, but she already has a personality. We would need to ensure that it wasn't overwritten with one of the Wolkenritter templates. It would be a shame to lose what appears to be the first AI born of this planet.]
"You're communicating with her? But she's shut down at the moment..." Hakase seemed more baffled by that fact than the talking bracelet.
[Magic powers her, Creator Hakase, shutting her down without exhausting her supply of mana is not possible. Even if you have cut off links to her control systems, she is still awake for lack of a better term.]
"Oh. I see. Well then, I suppose that brings up the ethical issues, doesn't it?" Reinforce couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the slight grumbling note at that.
"You might say that. I'll be willing to look into modifying the process to make it possible, but I'll require Chachamaru's consent before I attempt to give her a linker core."
"Fair enough!" Chao beamed as Hakase nodded.
"I'm not sure I understand why we need her to have an independent power source. I'm here to charge her, and she's going to be my servant anyways." Evangeline finally spoke as she set her cup down and slipping off the couch she'd been lounging on.
"A linker core is more than just a source of mana. It is what makes the mage. Giving one to Chachamaru would make her able to use magic with training." Evangeline's eyes narrowed at that as she turned her attention to Reinforce.
"Y ou mean to say that you know what makes a mage?" She laughed at that. "Oh Chao, you truly do know the most interesting people. Another dark mage who knows how to manufacture mages? This is going to be an interesting few years."
She chuckled as she meandered out of the room with a wave. "Go ahead and experiment on her if she wants it though, she'll probably say yes though, given that being a mage would help her support her master."
Reinforce frowned as Evangeline left. "I don't like her attitude. Is she to be part of your plan, Chao?"
"No, but I've secured non-interference on her part, and really, that's all I'd expect out of her without... future influence. She'd be quite the addition to the plan, but as you say, her attitude isn't proper for what we need. Nor will it be until she's spent time with my grandfather."
"Very well then, if she proves to be troublesome though, I'll be happy to... remove her from the equation for a while. With that limiter on her linker core, she's hardly a mage at all."
Chao's head whipped around at that. "Never let her hear that you can sense the curse on her. If you can sense it... you could break it, couldn't you?"
"With Nacht's aid, it wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish, yes."
"We need to make sure that only my grandfather breaks that curse. It's pretty crucial to making sure that she doesn't go down the evil path in the future." Chao turned her attention to Hakase who was still tapping away at the keys of her laptop. "And Hakase, I know you know, but I must stress that you never reveal any of what you hear until the plan is complete."
The bespectacled girl only gave an absentminded nod as her attention was devoted to Chachamaru. Reinforce took the opportunity to finally ask the question that had been filtering through her mind whenever she wasn't distracted by her duties.
"What is the plan then?"
"Oh! That's right, I haven't told you yet. I'm going to reveal magic to the world."
"That's it? Just revealing magic to the world? I imagine magic users have counters to that sort of rogue action by their own."
"That's where the ritual comes in. I'm going to cast a spell that's going to cross the entire planet. It's going to make people more susceptible to the idea that magic might be real, and then all I have to do is provide some evidence and then, things will fall into place."
"No longer having to maintain secrecy will allow magic users to help solve conflicts then?"
"That's part of it, yes. I'm not so childish as to think that will solve all the problems though. I know that there's going to be chaos when the existence of magic is revealed. When that settles down though, a few nudges and introducing some technologies early, and then we demolish the hatred between the Empire and the Confederacy... I know it isn't going to be easy, or even bloodless, but we will avoid the destruction of the major wars of the future."
Reinforce frowned in thought, remaining silent for a few moments before responding. "Ambitious. A little vague at points, but I imagine it won't be easy to predict everything, and some things will have to be dealt with as they come up. I might have a recommendation that might make your job a little easier though."
Chao's eyes all but sparkled at that. "That being?"
"At any point when you think things might be getting out of your hands, either on the magical or non-magical sides of the equation, you develop an interdimensional drive. You break the barrier into the dimensional sea, and the Bureau will open communications with Earth, and given the close levels of interaction between Earth and Mundus Magicus and Mundus Diabolus, probably all three. That gives you an external entity to help mend relations here, as well as one that would probably be willing to accept all three worlds into Bureau membership... though how exactly that would work out I'm not sure, given that Earth's status as a majority non-magical world is something the Bureau hasn't run across since the end of the Belkan era, and then it was war, not simple contact."
"That sounds to me like a bad idea, the Bureau might react poorly to Earth reaching inter-dimensional capability."
Reinforce nodded at that. "It's true, some in the Bureau wouldn't like it, but at present, the majority of the upper ranks in Bureau look favorably on Earth for her contributions in the form of powerful mages who've dealt with situations that would affect far more than simply Earth itself. I'll tell you a little secret anyways... Earth is now on regular patrol routes, the population is great enough that Bureau protection would be provided if the situation merited even though it isn't an administered world."
"They're a lot more humanitarian than you would have led me to believe when you weren't one of them. "
A shrug and a sheepish smile were the only response to that. Chao just chuckled before answering for Reinforce. "Realpolitik, then? I don't blame you. You're telling the whole truth this time?"
"Close enough to it. All organizations have their darker sides, but I think you'll find that the Bureau is more benevolent than most. They let me go with just a few months of service since I wasn't entirely in control of my actions. The main issue that the Bureau would have with Earth right now is the fact that it's not a unified world. That makes communication... difficult."
"That's something that both sides will just have to deal with. If that's still the case when communications open. Now then! A few simple questions, how long can you stay, and are you hungry?"
"I have a week, and my daughter is working on getting me a second. And I could use a good meal, if you're offering one. I'm afraid I didn't bring any money though."
"Two weeks, excellent, I'll be able to have you working with me on a few other things than simply Chachamaru. And don't think for a minute that friends pay at Chao Bao Zi. I'll see about getting somewhere for you to sleep as well."
The days passed quietly enough as Reinforce remained hidden away for the most part to avoid scrutiny by the faculty. Chao's request to do so was simple enough, given the fact that the faculty would likely be enemies when the plan was set into motion.
"Reinforce-sama, have you made progress?"
Glancing back, she found Chachamaru standing in the doorway to the lab wearing a rather frilly maid outfit. She raised an eyebrow but left the question unanswered as she waved the gynoid in, summoning up her copy of the Tome of the Night Sky. "I've identified the personality and the body creation. I just need to test the modifications and finish working out how to bind the core to a non-organic body. I'd guess a day before we're ready. Are you certain you want to do this? You can operate just fine as you are now, and whatever testing I do, it'll still be the first time it's been done to my knowledge."
Chachamaru nodded with her usual neutral expression. "I know, but I will be more useful to Master if I could use magic."
That drew a frown from Reinforce. "Is it what you want?" It was hard to keep her voice level. Harder still when the green haired girl didn't respond. "You remind me far too much of myself. Bound to a master, using your life for them. I was weak, and let myself be forced into doing evil. You have a choice in the matter. There is no compulsion on you. I do not like the one you call master, so I can only appeal to you. Take care that you actions, your choices remain your own, and yours alone."
Reinforce's gaze bored into the gynoid's own unnaturally dull eyes. Chachamaru hesitated a moment, clearly mulling over the words. "I... understand. I will keep that in mind in the future. I will not change my decision on this though."
"Fair enough. You know the risks, and if it is you being willing to take them... That's fine with me."
"The day after tomorrow then?"
Reinforce nodded, turning back to the papers she'd been making notes on. "The day after tomorrow if this works out as I believe it will," she confirmed, "And that will leave five days for me to train you. And make sure that the core has integrated properly."
Chachamaru bowed. "Just tell Chao-sama or Hakase-sama when you are ready for me. They will find me. Thank you for your assistance."
Alrighty... So... A confession. The story felt like it was getting bogged down, so this chapter was me trying to wrap up StrikerS so we could move on. Next chapter is liable to be a time skip to some point in Negima, a point that I haven't decided on yet. And I also haven't decided on exactly who's going to be participating how. I'm also liable to be taking a week off from writing since I'm going to be busy this week... Which when thinking about it... might be good since it'll give me time to decide what I'm doing before I get to writing it.
Especially since this chapter felt a little lackluster to me... But I'm not the type to waste time trying to get this chapter which is more of a transition itself to where we're going. As I'm not writing this for money and all that... I think I'll stick to writing the fun bits, and I'm hopeful that the next chapter will be more fun and action packed! (Read: It will be because I'm craving writing a fun and action packed chapter!)
Review replies for chapter 9! (Nice and easy since it's just two! (And no, I'm not guilting y'all into writing reviews, I do greatly appreciate them when left though!... even if I don't respond to them the next chapter like I did last time.))
mega-dark: I'm contemplating a perspective shift, at least for the first half of the next chapter... Maybe doing it from Chachamaru's perspective... That sounds a little fun to me. Exactly when it will be... That's still up in the air, but I imagine it will be fairly close to the festival since I don't want to get bogged down in stuff that will be occurring largely as it did in canon... I think that's what I did wrong here in the StrikerS bit... About the dragon... I'm really kinda flying by the seat of my pants in terms of what Reinforce knows from the Belkan era... She's going to be knowledgeable and powerful... but she can't have seen everything given only a single perspective, even if over what could be hundreds of years put together spent fighting in the Empires various wars or under various masters. So, bear with me on the stuff that I'm having her be surprised.
ZankouHoshizora: Hey! Thank you for reading! Yeah, I've never been terribly good with transitions... It's something that I'm working on. I'll keep that in mind as we go along, no promises for this chapter though. I've tried to put dates and times in... but it's always a pain keeping up with that, but I'll work to put them back in to help with future transitions though. I'm glad that you think I've been doing a good enough job at melding the universes, I've been doing what I can there. The Zazie/Reinforce fight was fun... I've decided that I have a good bit of fun writing magical one on one fights anyways. And all credit for my use of yard dogs goes to David Weber... Grew up reading the Honor Harrington series and first saw it there... and it's just always stuck, and the thought of Admiral Vivio having a "chat" with some just made me giggle so I had to do it.