Oh boy...
This chapter is scary for me. I know there were some complaints about the last chapter having 'nothing happen'. But...
Look, before I say anything else, I just wanna say two things. One, I've planned this out for a LONG time. This isn't a 'reaction' chapter to anything anyone's said to me. I have a plan.
And Two, I just wanted to thank all my readers, reviewers, everyone who's helped me with this story. You guys make it worth while.
So, take a deep breath, and here we go
The hum of the Asura's engines blended in with the electronic beeping of the console. Lindy sighed to herself as her fingers continued to dance across the holographic keyboard. As stressful as today was going to be, she was happier now than she had been in a while. One week ago, she discovered that her next-door neighbor was secretly a mage and that yes, Earth did in fact carry a significant magic population. Now the Asura was preparing to receive Admiral Graham and the Enterprise to aid them in the process of opening diplomatic ties with Earth.
The pneumatic hiss of the bridge's doors caught Lindy's attention. "Admiral, everything is ready." Amy announced.
Lindy finished another line in her monthly status report and turned to face her trusted officer. "Do we have an update on the Enterprise's position?"
Ensin was the one who replied. "Admiral, the Enterprise has just entered the planetary system; estimated arrival time, one Earth hour."
"Good, right on schedule. And has my son reported in yet?"
"Negative Admiral." Lindy scowled; Chrono had a habit of being late with paperwork and reports. She had hopes Yunno could help him learn some punctuality.
"Officer Ensin, can you please re-triangulate Chrono's communicator." Lindy of course knew it was a futile attempt. The city of New York was saturated in every kind of signal imaginable. And unlike Uminari, they lacked the proper shielding that allowed them to transmit without interference. Regardless, Ensin began the procedure. The main screen blinked to life, displaying an aerial view of the island of Manhattan. A red blip began pulsing somewhere in the middle of the island.
"Ma'am, I am unable to establish contact with Enforcer Harlaown. However, we have a confirmation of his location."
"Which is where?"
The warrant officer continued to work at his station. "Ma'am, he is on the corner of Sixth Avenue and east forty-second street."
"What is he doing all the way up there?" Lindy mused. "Thank you Officer Ensin. As soon as my son establishes contact, patch him through to me." He replied with a quick shout and returned to his work.
Amy strode forward and handed Lindy a data tablet. "Scans have come up negative on the creature Fate-chan sealed two days ago." Lindy groaned as she read the results of the tests. The lines on the charts looked more like the eccentric doodles of a five-year-old on a caffeine drip. The only thing such a chart did was confirm Negi's theory that the monsters in Uminari were the same things causing the saturation of dark magic in the city. The readings off the creature were identical to the ones taken from a sample Shamal had obtained nearly a month ago.
The communication link on Lindy's panel chirped. "Admiral, we have a group requesting transport from surface to ship."
Lindy pressed the mic button. "Confirmation of identity?"
"Ma'am, it is Probationary Enforcer TakamachiNanoha, along with several others, plus with one strange bedfellow."
"Sargent, confirm identity." Normally Lindy wouldn't bother with such lengthy protocols for the girls, even for Negi. However with Admiral Graham coming, everything on the ship would be checked in subsequent investigations of today. Therefore, protocol was a required evil.
"Ma'am, we have confirmation of identity. KonoeKonoeko, requesting transport."
"They are confirmed for transport Sargent."
Rising from her chair, Lindy straightened the pleats in her shirt. "I suppose this marks first contact between the TSAB and an Earth government." She mused.
"Could we call the Japan Magical Association a government?" Amy asked as she followed her off the bridge.
"They are in control of an entire country's worth of magic. Even if they are not considered as such on Earth, it is the perfect point of first contact for us." She would be lying if Lindy said she wasn't the least bit excited. There was no greater honor amid the Navy than a first contact. It was rare that any world that had not developed inter-dimensional warp-travel be in contact with the Bureau. While the actual negotiations and talks were going to be handled by Graham, Lindy had been given the honor of first contact.
Maybe that's why she had withdrawn (not hid damnit) to the Asura for two days.
From the other end of the hall, they saw Nanoha and Fate leading the large group of people on what seemed to be a tour of the vessel. It was really quite interesting to see how far they had come in terms of manpower from almost a year ago. Nanoha and Fate led the group, with Hayate and Nodoka chatting enthusiastically about something. Shamal,and Ayaka were likewise engrossed in discussion while Setsuna and Signum seemed to take pride in themselves by walking as stoically as possible down the hall. Arf and Zafira brought up the rear, with the orange familiar leading Negi, Alyssa, and Suzuka, each of whom had their nose buried in what looked like identical copies of the same book. Strangely, Konoeko and Konoka were both on opposite sides of the group, with Konoka seemingly enraptured with the view outside the ship.
Lindy planted herself in the middle of the hallway, every inch the dignified Admiral of the Time-Space Administration Bureau. The group stopped in front of her, relatively surprised.
"Konoe Konoeko-san," Lindy began. "On behalf of the Bureau, I welcome you aboard." She paused while the matriarch approached her. For a moment, the two of them locked eyes; each one the product of their respective societies. Lindy allowed the full impact of this momentous occasion to sink in. Truly this was the start of a new era.
While Lindy was lost in her moment of historic triumph, she did not notice the woman's arms extend around her. Truly if they were on some planets, Lindy would be dead by now. However, her fate was far less merciful. She screeched in surprise as a pair of surprisingly strong arms wrapped around her body and hoisted her in the air.
"Thank you for taking care of Kono-chan and her friends." Konoeko's voice rang loudly in Lindy's ear. Normally that would have been cause for alarm, but the fact that she was having trouble breathing was a bit more important. She felt her face heat up as her feet hit the floor again. "Oh I'm sorry," Konoeko apologized. "Patrick always seems to have much more control over the technique."
"Pay up Sakurazaki." Lindy watched as several yen bills changed hands; specifically from Setsuna's to Signum's.
"So much for self control." Setsuna muttered. Konoeko had the dignity to look embarrassed, but Lindy did not see a reason to press the issue.
"Regardless, I welcome you aboard. It is not often the Asura serves as a dignitary ship."
This time, Konoka's mother bowed. "As the daughter of Konoe Konoemon, I am honored to be here. I hope we might come to an agreement that will serve to better both the TSAB and the Earth."
"So why exactly do we need to learn Latin again?" The moment was again interrupted by Alyssa's question. Alyssa and Suzuka were standing in front of Negi, who appeared to be teaching them out of the books they were reading.
"Language is an important part of magic girls. Different regions have different styles of magic. If you want to channel the right spell, understanding the language it is spoken in is key."
"Different regions have different magic?" Hayate asked, turning her chair to face the impromptu lesson.
"Negi, if you want, we can go down to the main conference room," Lindy suggested. "We still have time before the Enterprise arrives."
"Sounds like a good idea." Negi agreed as he followed Lindy down the hall. She herself was interested in learning more about Earth's magic, but she didn't want to hold such a class right in the middle of the main hallway.
The Asura's conference room was rather Spartan. A long table with over twenty identical rolling chairs stood in the center. The far wall was dominated by a com-screen; controlled by a panel at the head of the table. Lindy sat down in front of the controls and privately logged in. If anything came in from the bridge, it would come here. The rest of her guests filed in and sat down; Negi sitting on Lindy's immediate left.
"As I was saying, different geographical regions have different styles of magic."
"You mean like ki-fighters and western mages?" Suzuka asked.
Negi nodded. "Yes, but that is a bit of an extreme example. What you call 'Western Magic' is referred to globally as 'NATO-Style. It's commonly practiced in Eastern Europe and North America; though the names of these styles aren't exactly unique."
"What do you mean?" Alyssa asked. "Well, for example, Middle Eastern Style is practiced in the region between Egypt and India. It's actually the style of magic Fate uses."
Everyone at the table suddenly looked between the blond girl and Negi. "Sensei, did you get hit in the head recently?" Vita asked.
"OH nonono, not like that," he suddenly exclaimed "Fate Averruncus is a rival of mine."
"Wow, and I thought Pericia couldn't name people." Alyssa muttered to Vita.
"But yes, sometimes the differences between styles can be as simple as languages, or as complicated as the methods of casting."
"Sensei, has there been any attempt at mixing these styles?" Signum asked.
Lindy was actually quite impressed. Most planets she knew of only had one style of magic. It was rare to find such an advanced civilization with multiple main-stream styles.
"I think I can answer that." Konoeko announced. "With some styles, mixing is easy. All you need to do is learn another language. However, some styles, like Onmyōdō, or Japanese style, are much more far-removed. There are techniques for fighters who can use both ki and mana, but a true mixing of these two styles is still in its infancy."
"What do you mean by that?" Lindy asked, suddenly intrigued by this conversation.
"I've spent the last ten years living in America. While New York isn't a hub for magic users, it is a great repository of knowledge. I've been working with a relative of mine on a unison of Onmyōdō and NATO-style."
Setsuna's jaw dropped as the table erupted into conversation. "That, but, I don't believe it. But how could you perfect a mixture of ki and mana? It's impossible!"
Konoeko smirked. "It's a secret. But I'll demonstrate it later." The only person at the table who did not seem interested in her statement was her daughter. Konoka was staring up at the celling, seemingly avoiding her mother's gaze. Lindy could sense something brewing between the mother/daughter pair, but it never got the chance to develop.
The panel on the table in front of Lindy began chirping rapidly, bringing an end to the conversations.
"Admiral, the Enterprise is requesting permission to board."
Lindy's heart lept in her chest. "Permission granted. Tell Graham I am waiting for him in the main conference room."
"So, Graham is coming." Lindy flinched as the cold voice of Signum reached her.
"I'm sorry Signum, there was no one else the TSAB was willing to send."
"Even after what him and his two cats did to us." Vita spat. It had not a pretty sight when Lindy had announced Graham's return to the knights. She was simply glad she had the foresight to do it while Hayate was in school.
The tone in the room dialed down almost immediately. Shamal placed a hand on Hayate's shoulder and Zafira curled himself at her feet. Nanoha and Fate looked at each other, confusion and unease written on their faces. Only Negi's group seemed at all unaffected.
"Excuse me," he asked. "But just who is Admiral Graham?"
"Gil Graham is a Grand Admiral of the TSAB Navy," Lindy explained. "I'm like a one-star admiral, while he is three-star. He was originally from Great Britain, which is why the Council wants him to overlook these talks."
Negi's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really? I wonder what part he's from. Maybe he's been to Wales."
"Sensei sure seems excited." Nodoka pointed out.
"Of course. Why wouldn't he? I'm sure Graham is as much of a true English gentleman as our beloved sensei is!" Ayaka exclaimed, leaping from her chair.
Negi's face slowly turned as red as his hair. "Iincho-san, not that I don't appreciate it, but please don't call me that in front of the admiral."
"Oh, sensei is as modest as he is polite." she cooed.
Negi scratched his cheek. "Well, it's a bit more complicated than that."
Before Negi could embellish, there door to the conference room slid open. There in the doorway stood Admiral Graham. His hair looked a bit thinner than when Lindy had last seen him, but otherwise he was the same, save for a few new medals on his chest. His eyes immediately went to Hayate and her knights who instinctively closed in around her. None of their actions could be interpreted as 'threatening', which was a relief, but Zafira's soft growl made the message clear:
Back off, you are not welcome.
"Lindy, it is good to see you again." Graham broke contact with the knights and zeroed in on Lindy.
"Likewise Admiral, I trust your trip was pleasant."
"Oh yes, Picard was a most gracious host."
"And Graham, a most courteous guest."
For the moment, Lindy allowed her worried about Graham and the knights to leave her. From behind Graham stepped one of her closest friends in the navy. Captain Jean-Luc Picard had not aged well. His hairless head and steep brow were testaments to the stress of his captainship. However behind his heavy face lay a sharp gaze that could light a candle at fifty paces. While Picard lacked the magical prowess to advance any farther up the ladder of leadership; he was regarded as one of the most liked and most trusted captains in the fleet.
He smiled deeply as Lindy walked around the table. In an instant, she was shaking hands with him. "Jean-Luc, I haven't seen you since Chrono's graduation ceremony."
"Three years is a long time in any system," he joked. "Though I am most surprised that Admiral Graham's world, of all worlds, would be such a hotspot of activity."
"It would appear that the Bureau should begin a re-assessment of its scanning techniques for future surveys of unadministered planets."
Lindy blinked in surprise as the third member of the entourage stepped into the room. There was something rather off about him. His skin looked incredibly pale, his head was almost box-shaped, and he seemed to gaze out at a distance, as if unfocused on anything. Even though he wore the standard Navy uniform, Lindy was unsure of what he really was.
"Oh yes, allow me to introduce Lieutenant Data." The man in question shifted his entire body to face Lindy.
"I am Lieutenant Data, Intelligent Cyborg class Victor-Nine-Zero, number Eight-Oh-Oh-Gamma."
"Oh, I didn't realize the new IC's had been cleared for use." Lindy said.
"Yes, Data here has been a welcome member of my crew," Picard announced fondly. "You'd be surprised how human-like he can be."
"Captain I am assuming you are attempting to compliment my ability to, blend in, as you would say, with the rest of the crew by calling me human-like." It was equal parts question and statement.
"Oh wow, a robot?!" Lindy suddenly found Negi, Nanoha, Alyssa, Suzuka and Fate crowding around her, gazing at Data.
The robot in question again turned his body to face the four of them. "I am assuming these are Earthings?" Data asked. Negi nodded enthusiastically
Data straitened his posture and raised his right hand. "Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong."
Lindy's jaw went slack at the random nonsense the Intelligent Cyborg suddenly spoke.
"Umm, hello to you too?" Negi asked.
"Hmm," Data mused. "I have been analyzing Earth's transmissions since we came into range. It appears this universal greeting is not as universal as they say it is. Though perhaps I should complete the ritual." Reaching into the pocket of his uniform, he withdrew a bar of chocolate. "While the transmissions specified a gift of an energy-based substance, I noticed that chocolate is just as effective as a gift." He handed the bar to Negi, who accepted it without question.
"Oye, baka-Negi, what did your mother tell you about accepting candy from strange space-robots!" Asuna shouted.
"Oh right," he turned back to Data. "Thank you for the chocolate strange space-robot. And welcome to Earth." There was a meaty *thunk* as Asuna's head smacked against the wooden tabletop. Lindy sighed with relief as she heard even Vita chuckle. Perhaps this wouldn't end in disaster after all.
"Admiral, Admiral Lindy,"
"I'm here Ensin." She returned to her position at the head of the table.
"Admiral, we're receiving a call from Enforcer Chrono."
"Wonderful, please put it on screen." She was batting a thousand now. Nothing could go wrong.
In the days to come, Lindy would regret thinking those words.
She knew something was wrong the instant the screen flickered to life. Instead of the inside of a hotel room, she was looking at a dingy back-alley. The view was shaking as the sound of someone panting heavily filled the speakers.
"Chrono?" Lindy called. Something was up.
"Mom, oh mom, thank the Kaiser you picked up." Something was very wrong. Chrono never swore like that on a mission.
"Chrono where are you."
The face of her son filled the screen. "Long story. Someone bombed our hotel." An icy dagger stabbed Lindy's heart. "Listen, there are mages on this planet. We were attacked by these weird shadow summons." Her breath came to her in short gasps as he went on. "Ferret-boy, get the lead out!" From behind him, an explosion ripped through the alley. She could see Yunno's body go flying past him, landing in a heap somewhere farther down the dark street. Lindy didn't even hear Nanoha's anguished cry of "Yunno-kun".
"Mom, please listen to me," for the first time since he joined the Enforcers, Lindy saw a tear run down Chrono's cheek. "We'll try to get back, just hold on. Mom, remember, I – "
The transmission was reduced to snow and static.
Around her, Lindy could hear people talking and shouting, though she couldn't discern what they were saying. Her sight began to blur as flashes of memory came up in front of her. Ten years ago. The previous Book of Darkness incident. Her husband. The explosion.
"Chrono." She muttered, before everything went black.
OMAKE: Intrepid Investigators
"Magic."
Washington D.C. was enrobed in twilight. In spite of the late hour, the city was as bright as day; filled with those burning the midnight oil. Inside one of the many lit offices, three men sat in front of a TV. The screen depicted a news report, showing a smoldering building surrounded by firefighters and police. One of the men, surprisingly the only one with hair, was pacing.
"You want me to believe that MAGIC caused that, the first terrorist attack on American soil since the World Trade Center?" He shouted.
"Believe what you want Special Agent Gibbs," his superior told him, leaning back in his office chair. "But those are the facts."
"Besides, magic didn't cause this," the third man, dressed in a black trench coat and red turtleneck sweater, injected. "But we have reason to believe the ones behind this are using magic to carry out other attacks."
"So my entire team is being transferred to New York to play cat-and-mouse with a bunch of wizards?" Gibbs snapped.
"Actually, they prefer being called 'mages'."
"It's a moot point Jethro," Director Leon Vance announced. "Your reputation precedes you. Your team's record speaks for itself. Washington's in an uproar about this attack. That hotel was host to a number of international guests and a lot of people are asking questions."
"So my number's been called in?"
"You, DiNozzo, McGee, David, Sciuto, Ducky, they want the package deal."
"At least they know how we work." Gibbs replied sarcastically.
"I've also got a number of magic experts to add to your dream team Gibbs." The grey-haired man turned.
"And just who are these people, Captain Black?" "It's like a friend of mine always says. MAGIC, must defeat magic."
So...
The shit has hit the fan. Yeah.
To those curious about what NCIS and Captain Black from Jackie Chan Adventures are going to be doing in New York, watch my profile for the parallel story. I haven't come up with a title yet, but you'll know about it. For those who couldn't give two fucks about New York, the content of THAT story won't affect THIS story that much.
So, as a final departing gift, I need to fulfil a dare someone on the forum passed to me
*hem*
ZOMG U GUYZ, PLZ REVIEW OR I NO UPDATE. ALSO, ME WANT FANARTZ, BUT ME NO PAY
Oh god that was awful. I think I lost a few brain cells. But yeah...
So I'll see you guys later.
I hope.