A Saga of Tanya the Evil/The Irregular at Magic High School crossover.
I do not in any way, shape, or form lay claim to either of these works.
This is just a work of admiration from one fan, to those others that share the same interest.
The only characters or places I lay claim to are those solely of my own creation
Chapter 37: The Fairy of the Battlefield takes flight once more.
Visha held her breath as the timer ticked down as her eyes remained fixed on the slight figure of her longtime friend and companion. She reached over and took Jane's hand without thinking about it, and pulled the other girl from her stunned silence. At the questioning look that Jane gave Visha, Visha smiled as she looked back to the field and said one thing.
"It's starting." Visha said with a breathless sigh as Jane shook her head and relaxed.
No matter what was happening, and what had happened, Visha was still Visha. That fact alone settled her nerves.
Jane smiled as she relaxed and gave Visha's hand a gentle squeeze as she watched the show that the Beast of Berlin was about to deliver.
On the field, Tanya took a deep breath and let it out as the timer ticked to zero. As she expected, several of the girls leaped blindly, carried away by the rush of the moment. As the first two spheres appeared, Tanya launched herself gracefully into the air, and right towards an empty piece of sky.
While the others rushed to be the first to hit one of the first couple of spheres, Tanya was looking ahead. As expected, two spheres appeared along the route she had taken. Tanya scored them with precise, efficient movements before she landed lightly for a moment before her next pass began with barely a glance at the girls who were on their own trajectories, and the spheres as they winked in and out of existence.
Tanya once again started her leap, hitting another pair of spheres on the peak of her arc, and another on the way down. A slight twist and spin cleared one of the other girls who was on her way up.
Jane blinked as she looked at Visha. "How is she doing that? Is she using magic to foretell where they will appear? And how did she avoid that collision?"
Visha grinned as she wriggled a little in her seat. "She is using a modification of a standard aerial search and destroy protocol, and Tanya is a surprisingly athletic young woman who is adept at gymnastics and martial arts." Visha said proudly.
"Why are you telling me this? You… You know that I can't be trusted…" Jane said softly.
"Actually, it's the exact opposite. You are one of the few who we know their allegiance and motivations. And once we have you working with us, then it's just going to make things work better." Visha said confidently, then smiled as she turned both of their attention back to the field.
Jane smiled as she looked at Visha, then followed her gaze and found her eyes locked for a moment with Tanya's. At that moment, she understood the truth. This offer wasn't about getting an advantage, or turning her against her handlers. It wasn't even about her friendship with Tanya. It was about making Visha happy, and that settled Jane's nerves in an odd sort of way. It was a motivation she could understand completely.
It also spoke of the lengths that Tanya would go just for Visha's happiness. The same person that the country she had been forced to work for had tried to kill. It made Jane wonder just what kind of payback that would earn.
It was a thought she didn't really want an answer to. Why this teenage girl filled her with such dread was something she didn't understand. Why the thought of her being upset filled her gut with icy knives was something she didn't understand at all. There was just some strange presence to Tanya, almost like some ancient goddess of war had come to walk the modern battlefields once more.
Maybe it was just her, it didn't seem to bother anyone else. If anything, it seemed to attract Visha more when Tanya was giving off that vibe. Jane sighed as she focused her attention on the game.
She would never understand those two.
Tanya grinned as she slipped past two more of the other girls. As predicted, her optimized search and sweep protocols had proved successful. As an added bonus, the predictive nature of her movements had thrown the others into disarray, with some of the girls even attempting completely random leaps, in an effort to try to get ahead of Tanya's methodical methodology.
Their actions, and the others reactions, had only managed to make it more of a confused mess. Chaos, fear, uncertainty. These were the bread and butter of the former Devil of the Rhine. Tanya had to admit to herself that as much as she hated chaos and disorder in her own little world, giving it as a gift was satisfying in its own way.
The look of wonder and joy on Visha's face only made it more rewarding, if you asked her.
She was sure that others were watching this, trying to analyze what she was doing and figure out if there was some sort of magical formula involved.
As far as Tanya was concerned, they were more than welcome to work through it just like she had. It would make the game more interesting in her opinion if everyone was on the same level playing field as her.
Much more efficient.
With a quick twist of the hips and a roll of the shoulders she sipped through a narrow gap between two of the ungainly birds that shared her sky with her. It brought back fond memories of her flight training, when they had first started to work on flying in formation and using the tactics that had been taught in the classes.
Good memories from the early days of her training, before they had given her troops of her own to train. She missed those days, if she was going to be honest with herself. It had been a time of certainty for her, as a young aerial mage. But, she had to admit as well when the training of the 203rd had started, had been good as well. Still, of all the training she did during the war she found the times that Visha had been at her side the most memorable and rewarding. Perhaps she was a tad biased. These are the thoughts that passed through her mind as she quickly captured three more orbs while flipping herself over a pair of girls using a quick twist to launch herself to the side.
Tanya sighed as she landed and almost immediately launched once more on a seemingly random vector as she wished for the umpteenth time that they had access to powered flight without using the Type 95. Of course, without her propulsion unit it was nowhere near as efficient or manuevarable. But, one did the best with what they had on hand.
Tanya mentally counted the time down as she scored over and over. She could have taken it easier, but she wanted to make sure Visha enjoyed herself. It was why she was out here, after all. Or that is what she kept telling herself even as she grinned as she slipped between two of the girls to score the sphere before they could.
Tanya touched down gracefully as the timer hit zero and bowed to Visha without thinking, almost like she had said 'This was for you.'. The audience was silent for a minute, before they erupted in mad cheers.
Visha looked over to Jane with a happy, proud look on her face before she stood and started to cheer and applaud with the rest of them. Jane stood as well, and locked eyes with the Beast of Berlin before she gave Visha a gentle push.
"Go see your not a girlfriend, so you can give her a totally platonic hug, you goof." Jane said, well aware that her words would be lost in the roar of the crowd, even if the intent wasn't.
Visha gave Jane a smile and started to work her way down to go give Tanya her congratulations in person, and Jane and Tanya exchanged a silent nod before Jane settled back down to watch the next match, sure that it would be far less interesting than the one that she had witnessed, or the one that would come later that night when Tanya won the competition. Jane was certain that was what the outcome would be. Tanya had perfectly gamed the competition, and already come up with an iron clad solution. Next year they would have solved how she did it, she was sure, but that just meant that whatever strategy she came up with next year would already take that into account, while others would be trying to replicate what Tanya had done, and thus be even farther behind. It was frightening, just how much thought Tanya put into a simple competition for the sake of the amusement of her not a girlfriend.
It made her wonder just how far ahead Tanya had plotted and planned in regards to her. The fact that not only her life but the lives of her friends and family almost certainly depended on keeping Visha happy did little to assuage her concerns, but at the same time she was sure that if it was for the sake of Visha's happiness, Tanya would do anything.
Her former handler was a world-class idiot for not seeing that Tanya was the greater asset, and now she had to make sure that her current handler didn't realize it, as well.
Jane sighed as she settled in with a thoughtful look on her face.
No sooner had Tanya stepped from the field than she was assaulted by a certain hyperactive blue eyed brunette. Tanya had just enough time to brace herself before she was the recipient of a very tight hug from Visha, who clung to her for just a moment before she stepped back and smiled with an embarrassed look on her face.
"Congratulations, Tanya! That was amazing. I never doubted your theory, but to see it in practice… It was spectacular!" Visha said with a bright smile.
Tanya blushed and adjusted her collar for a moment before she reached up and adjusted her cap. "Thank you, Visha. I take it you enjoyed the match?"
"Oh! I quite enjoyed it! It made me hungry for schnitzel." Visha said with a nod.
"Schnitzel, hrm? No borsch?" Tanya replied as they walked towards the back.
"I like borsch, but definitely schnitzel today." Visha said with a nod.
Tanya smiled and nodded as they played out the coded conversation. Visha had delivered her message to Jane, and Jane had seemed to accept it, and the reasoning behind it. Now, they just had to convince the good doctor, who Tanya suspected was already here somewhere. She was certain of that fact, since there was no way the doctor would not have acted on the information she had shared.
The fact that the doctor might have wanted to watch her performance was something she kept firmly locked away at the back of her own mind.
The pair walked into the ready room and Visha almost immediately fell on the snack table like a starving wolf. A fact that Tanya found amusing, as she usually did. When Visha walked over to where Tanya had sat down with two plates that were heaped with food, Tanya chuckled and laughed.
"Two plates, Visha? I knew you were hungry, but you are going to eat everything that they have laid out." Tanya noted with a fond, amused tone of voice.
"Oh, no, Tanya. This one's for you." Visha said proudly as she placed one of the plates on the table next to Tanya and settled in with her own.
Tanya chuckled and shook her head. "You know I can't eat all of this."
Visha grinned and shrugged as she continued to eat.
Tanya laughed and started to pick at her plate, even as she watched the next event playing on the screens provided for them. She had a bit of time until the finals, but she would spend it doing something productive, like studying her next set of opponents.
It was only a matter of time until Tanya was once more on the field. She swept the stands, and easily picked out Visha and Jane, along with the others from her little war council sitting together in the stands. She nodded as she noted that the two girls were flanked by Sierber and Freiber. The two boys seemed to be doing a good job of keeping the boys that the two girls tended to attract at bay, and giving Jane and Visha a chance to talk more in relative private.
That taken care of, Tanya smiled as she observed her opponents and prepared herself to impress Visha even more. After all, it was always best to impress the girl that you were going to ask out, wasn't it? And that would happen tonight. She had already confirmed that their personal security detail would be doing an active sweep, so were less likely to be directly observing them, and the sweep should keep any other countries from trying to rudely shoot them while she was telling the single most important person in three worlds and two lifetimes how she felt about her.
If anyone did think about interrupting them this time, she would personally take the Type 95 and melt their capital to slag.
With a nod and a grim smile on her face, the Beast of Berlin set about destroying another competition.
Jane was left to deal with an even more exuberant Visha as Tanya dominated the finals in a way that was even more overwhelming and demoralizing than what she had done in the previous round. Between thinking about the proposal of two of her best friends, dealing with the rather clingy girl who was going insane next to her and watching the match in a stunned state, Jane had quite a lot to process and deal with. When her phone buzzed, she managed to disengage from Visha long enough to check it. It hadn't been the sequence her handler used, so she was sure it wasn't about that situation, at least. The message on the phone didn't serve to quiet her nerves, though.
'Meet me after the event. Room 31-C. Come alone. We have much to discuss before tomorrow. Dr. S.' was all the message said, but Jane had a feeling she knew who it might be. The question was, why tonight and not tomorrow? Best to do as they had said, and hope that she was still alive tomorrow.
When Tanya took her victory bow, Visha tried to drag Jane with her and looked a bit confused when Jane didn't come along.
"Go on, I have something I have to take care of. I'm sure Tanya is waiting for you. Now, go!" Jane said with a laugh as she gave Visha a little shove.
"Okay, have fun and be careful!" Visha called out before she pushed her way through the people that were making their way down the stairs.
Jane went her own way, and soon found herself at the specified room. She hesitated for a moment, then opened the door and stepped in. She saw an older woman wearing glasses sitting behind the desk that sat in the middle of the room. She smiled at the older woman, then froze as they lifted an object up and pointed it at Jane. There was a click, and a flash of light.
Tanya smiled as Visha practically burst into the students' ready room, and was hardly surprised by the fierce hug that she found herself on the receiving end of. Visha had certainly become more comfortable in her little displays, and Tanya had to admit, she was more acceptive of them, as well.
"I'm glad that you enjoyed the event, Visha." Tanya said after a little bit. "But can you let go? It's getting a little hard to breathe."
Visha let go and stepped back with a laugh before she started to straighten out Tanya's outfit almost compulsively.
"Visha?" Tanya said with an amused tone of voice.
Visha looked up from what she was doing with a nervous smile on her face. "Yes, Tanya?"
"Let's head back to the room, I want to change, and there is something I need to talk to you about, Visha. " Tanya said in a serious tone of voice.
"Yes ma'am!" Visha responded automatically, which drew an amused chuckle from Tanya, who was glad that at least Visha didn't salute.
The walk back to the room was quiet, as Visha observed her companion and former superior officer and Tanya did her best to not panic or over think things. The introspective brooding of Tanya made Visha wonder about the gravity of what she wanted to talk about. Jane, perhaps? Or the investigation into the boys? Or perhaps a retaliatory strike on a hostile country? They hadn't done one of those for a while.
Tanya was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to fully appreciate the speculative look on Visha's face, and so simply brooded more.
Once they were at the room, Tanya almost compulsively checked the room over as Visha laid out her clothes for the night. A fact that drew an amused chuckle from Tanya.
"You are always taking such good care of me." Tanya commented as she stopped at Visha's side.
"Of course. I've been doing it for years, and honestly? I find it comforting now." Visha said, then turned on her heel to regard Tanya. "Can I ask what you wanted to talk about?"
Tanya took a breath and nodded as she reached for Visha's hand and led her out onto the balcony. It wasn't quite as ideal as their last room, and the view wasn't as good, but at least there were less good lines for a sniper.
Tanya turned to look out over the area, and smiled as Visha stepped up to stand beside her. In the past, Visha would have always stood back and never been this close. So much had changed, and it would continue to change. Right now, here, Tanya could do something to shape those changes, to make a path to a different future, and one with Visha standing beside her the whole way.
Tanya steeled her resolve as she turned to face Visha, who had a mildly confused look on her face as Tanya reached out and took her hands in her own.
"Tanya?" Visha asked as Tanya shook her head and smiled.
"Visha, I could never hope to express to you just how much you have done for me over the years. Even if I had survived the war, I am pretty sure that I would have truly become the monster that many thought me to be. You taught me so much about being a woman, and being a person. I learned what little I know about decency from you. I would be lost without you. I want you to stay by my side." Tanya said as she smiled hesitantly.
Visha blinked and nodded. "Of course, Tanya. I will always be by your side, as long as you have need of me. Just like I always have."
Tanya sighed and smiled as she thought over what she had said, and how Visha had obviously taken it. She took a breath, and tried again.
"Your nightly comfort sessions… they have helped a lot, you know. Both of us, I'm sure, but especially me. Now, that said there are things that we… Both of us… Can do to make it better and more acceptable." Tanya said as she continued to hedge.
Visha laughed nervously. "I should have asked before I started to do that. I'm sorry, it was rather presumptuous of me."
Tanya sighed as she looked at Visha and swallowed hard. "No. I'm the one who should have asked you something very important, but instead I waited and delayed, because I was worried about things changing."
"What could you have asked me but didn't?" Visha asked as she felt just a bit lost.
"Visha… I like you." Tanya started once more.
Visha smiled happily. "I like you too, Tanya."
Tanya chuckled and smiled. "I'm glad for that. Bit, what I mean is I really like you. I'm… Rather fond of you, in fact."
"I'm Rather fond of you, as well. We have been serving together for years, after all. And you did save my life." Visha said as she smiled, more than a little lost.
Anya sighed and shook her head, as she got a bit more flustered. "I mean, I really like you. I'm very fond of you, Visha."
"And, so am I? I mean, the same, but towards you?" Visha said as her forehead creased in confusion.
Tanya grit her teeth and finally snapped just a bit. "No! What I mean is… What I mean… Is I.. I…". Tanya could see Visha about to say something and clenched her fists. "I love you, Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov, and I want you to be my girlfriend. Please!" Tanya said as she bowed deeply in a very Japanese manner. The silence hung over the pair of them as Tanya started to wonder if the balcony was, in fact, high enough for an exit strategy when she started to hear sniffles.
She looked up at Visha, and saw the tears that streamed down her longtime partner's face and felt her heart drop. Tanya stood up, as she started to open her mouth when she suddenly found herself with her arms full of a clinging, laughing and crying Visha.
"Of course, Tanya. Of course. If you will have me, I'd happily be yours.". Visha said as she leaned back and wiped her eyes and smiled down at the shorter girl.
"I love you, Tanya Von Degurecheff." Visha said before she moved in closer, and there was nothing else to be said as they shared their first tentative, awkward kiss
*A/N*
Finally! Our useless lesbians are considerably less useless now!
Sorry for the delay on posting, I blame Destiny 2 and the Season of the Splicer.
Way too much fun!