The lure of forbidden knowledge is too great.

The taste is too intoxicating.

The smell of lost, dark secrets is too much.

I dared to read further. I needed more, I wanted more even if it cost me everything. I would find the surface from my darkness. I would show my lady the depths of my understanding, my compassion by learning the past.

It would take three days or so for the fleet to reach the fortress world of Nox Solaris where she was waiting. Plenty of time, in my mind, to learn everything I needed to know, wanted to know.

So I turned the page…

Far from the watchful eyes of the TSAB, on the frontier world of Riv Prime a man walked the frozen hallways of the ancient fortress. Ice coated the walls and snow drifts routinely blocked entire areas off. A winter wonderland by any other, but this man cared not for the snow or ice or the beauty of nature.

Frozen hallways and silent rooms met him as he traveled deeper into the bowels of the old fortress. It was a ruin of an earlier age. A fortress the locals had crafted to be their last stand before the legions of Mid-Childa overran them. Here nearly three hundred years ago, hundreds of thousands of Riv Prime natives made their final stand. For three days they held back the Mid-Childa army, navy and mage force. Then they were betrayed by one of their own. The wall came down in the night and by dawn every native was dead. Some said they lingered on as ice spirits that roamed the corridors at night, but he knew the truth.

He had seen and spoken with one soon after he arrived. They were spirits bound by the power of their shamans who sided with the Mid-Childa legions. Forever bound to the fortress, bitter from betrayal, they were his first allies. A legion of spirits to guard his creations and keep watch all for a simple promise.

He would destroy Mid-Childa.

That had fit nicely with his plan after all. He would get to test his creations out and his new toys. The spirits would get what they wanted and be forever bound to him. Everyone won, but it wasn't the point of blasting Mid-Childa or seeing how his creations performed. No, his goal was far, far, far simpler...

In the deepest dungeons of the fortress, were the ice and snow couldn't grip, he hide his creations. Dozens of large, clear containers filled with a green liquid nurtured what would be his grandest creation yet. In each container floated young girls and a few had older girls.

"Cyborgs…the grandest fighting machines ever known. This will be fun. Too bad it will be a while longer before the rest of my children can play," he muttered. "Oh well, it can't be helped. You can't rush perfection. The zero's will be enough for now."

He walked past the containers inspecting one here and there with the same care a father might check on his child after putting them to bed. His goal was simple and his children would help him reach it. They would also be his backup plan. So long as one lived he would never die, with death he would become stronger, and smarter.

His goal was power; to have power, pure power for the sake of having it. Then he would gather more. Power across time and space merely for the sake of it was his objective, not to rule over, but merely to have.

Golden eyes twinkled in the half light from the lanterns. He let out a manic laugh that resounded though the hallowed halls. "More data is needed first. After all we can't have ourselves missing data for this experiment. It will be a splendid little test though, once I have an army and the Cradle. I do so look forward to that day!"

"What's wrong with him?" Nanoha asked Shamal as she tended to the two.

Shortly after Harry had collapsed they had retreated to the piers once more. Hayate and Harry were laid out near the wall. The party was scattered around the pier, some sitting, other pacing, and some quietly talking. Chrono was talking with Lindy, the captain of the Asura, and by his gestures it was a very vehement conversation.

The situation looked grim even by Nanoha's standards. Two of their friends, she had to come to think of older boy as a friend, were down and they had no idea when they would wake. The defense programing would start moving again and would never stop once it did.

"I have no idea. It not injuries or magical exhaustion, but a mental problem of sort I think. It makes me wonder what Harry did to Hayate and if that caused some sort of feedback that affected him," the healer postulated.

"Come on Hayate! You have to pull though," Vita pleaded as she knelt at her mistress's side, Hayate's hand held tightly in her own. "I don't wanna lose you."

"Can you do something for them? Anything?" Nanoha pleaded with Shamal.

Shamal gave a heavy sigh and shook her head. "No, the best we can do now is wait and hope for the best."

"My master will be okay" Harry device suddenly said.

"Er, what was your name again? I don't think I ever heard Harry say it." Nanoha rubbed the back of neck, "but, I as distracted by events so I could have missed it."

"Azriel," the Device informed the girl. "The Master of Death will survive his ordeal. It is not life threatening."

"Nice to meet you Azriel, but who's this master of death person?"

"My master. He is the Master of Death, Master of the Hollows, Deathwalker, Vision of Death, Pathwalker. He is and was and shall be my master."

Nanoha reeled back, Shamal looked vaguely ill and the rest of the party was in various stages of shock. The Device's tone was like none they had heard before; ancient, and powerful, filled with malice yet laced with tenderness, brimming with ancient rage yet lonely, fearful yet proud. It was like all the emotions of man were poured into one spot yet it was older. It sounded older than mankind, older than the stars themselves as if it had seen the days before intelligent thought entered the minds of mortals, old as the days when the first star burned and ancient beings, that now wandered the black spaces far from mortals eyes, sat in their ancient thrones, long since passed into dust.

"W-W-Wh-" Fate stammered, her mind unknowingly following Nanoha's thoughts on the voice.

"I am Death Stick, Elder Wand, Death's Hand, Soultaker, Reaper, Wailing Doom. I am eternal and never, here nor there. I have seen the birth of universe and dimension and I shall watch them die with my master. I shall extinguish all life at the end of days, at the appointed hour my will shall fulfill the ancient prophecies and I and my master will walk the void until we are called upon once more. My name is Death, my name is Azriel."

"But the hour has not yet come, nor will it come anytime soon!" The deep voice was strong, majestic, and powerful. Nanoha felt the chill from Azriel's words vanish, replaced by comforting warmth. "She has not been completely honest either." The voice returned to one that they came to know recently, that of Harrison "Harry" James Potter.

"Wizard," Chrono muttered. His thoughts were black and bleak after the speech. Duty said to destroy the Device by any means. Common sense said to leave it alone and run the other way, overlook it and forget it.

"Harry!" Nanoha cried as the wizard rose from were he lay. "You're alive!"

"Harrison…" Signum muttered to herself. "What are you?"

"What happened to you?" Vita asked the wizard.

"I went on a…soul searching journey you could say. I learned the answers to question I've had and the answers to questions I don't yet know. It was…insightful as to my role in the cosmic game, but I refused the path Azriel claims to walk. I refuse the path of destruction she told you of. That path is but one of many and I walk a different road now." He picked up Azriel, who was in scythe form, and gazed into the Resurrection Stone. A grin formed on his face as he seemed to be talking with his Device. "I am not as I once was, and my path is my own. A path created by me, not some long absent being. What you have heard from me and Azriel this day, I pray you keep to yourself. The fiery lashes of the Archangels would less painful than the wrath of Azriel," he said with a cold smile.

"I'll be taking that Logia once the Book is taken care of Wizard," Chrono declared. "if you resist you will be treated a enemy and jailed without bail."

"Chrono!" Fate snapped, surprised he could bring up such a topic at the time.

"You can't do that!" Nanoha vehemently declared. "You heard him clear. He's not walking the path that Azriel was talking about. He controls Azriel even if she's a Lost Logia. He's no threat!"

"Anyone who stands with him will be treated as accomplice to unlawful possession, use and plans to use Lost Logia for the purposes of destruction, chaos and or death," Chrono informed them coldly. "Services rendered will be voided as will any possible family ties." The last part was aimed at Fate in particular.

"Ou! That's a low blow Chrono! Don't hurt Fate like that, she just wants a family. If you do I'll have to hurt you," Nanoha came to her best friend's defense.

"Is that a threat?" Chrono asked coldly.

"Nanoha…"

"Depends, I think of it more as a promise to protect one of my precious friends!" Nanoha raised Raging Heart, but didn't point it at the TSAB mage.

"Nanoha…"

Chrono sighed. "If that's the case you will end before a TSAB tribunal. You are still a temporary mage and Fate is a contact mage. The same punishments will apply you both of you and the punishment for insubordination and threatening a known TSAB officer is twenty years in maximum security or removal of your Linker core then having all memories erased. A new identity is then issued and you will live a new life the way we tell you."

"Nanoha…"

Harry snorted and gave the boy an insolent smirk. "Do you tell that to all your potential recruits? And what kind of organization do you work for? Sounds like some kind of fascists state that surpasses any who speak against-"

"Shut up!" Chrono yelled. He refused the meet anyone eyes as a dark look crossed his face "Order must be maintained. The TSAB brought order and stability to the dimensions. That order must be maintained or else all the sacrifices…"

"Oh please! Cut the crap! You and I both know the sacrifice card is trash. Men always die and will always die for their cause and if you agree with them then it's a sacrifice, but to the other guy it one less enemy to deal with later. Unless…" A sly smirk crossed Harry's face, "unless the sacrifices were on a personal level."

"Shut up wizard! You know nothing! Nothing!" Chrono angrily snapped.

"Why can't you two just get along? Chrono apologize to Fate too!" Nanoha implored.

"Nanoha…"

"Oh did I hit a nerve? I guess you really are just a child underneath that pup skin you wear. What would that make you though? I wonder…maybe…" Harry trailed off thoughtfully.

"I'll have you arrested you for, for, for… a bunch of stuff. I'll see you wither away in wretched agony in jail as your magic is slowly drained away with your will to live!" the boy said, trebling as he spoke.

"Maybe… Oh! I got it know! No, no, that doesn't work either." Harry once more tried to come up with an animal to equate the former dog to.

"Vita, can't you do something? Shamal?" Nanoha turned to Hayate's Knights.

"Let 'em go I say. High stress situations bring the best and worst in people." Vita said before hoisting her hammer shaped Device. "That said I'm getting annoyed by those two. Let's smash some skulls Graf Eisen!"

"Yes!" her Device said all too cheerily.

The girl dressed in gothic lolita smashed both Harry and Chrono with lighting speed. The two went down in a heap. Her lighting assault caught them off guard and their Devices had decided to betray them temporarily.

"Nanoha…" Fate called out finally getting Nanoha's attention.

"Yes Fate?" she replied.

"T-thank you," Fate said with a small blush. "Thank you for…what you said."

"No problem, you're my precious friend. That's what friends do for each other," Nanoha said happily.

"…I owe you more than I could ever repay Nanoha." Fate's words were too quiet for Nanoha to hear and passed unnoticed by the group at large.

"Bloody hell! Did somebody get the number of that bus?" Harry said woozily has he staggered to his feet. "Gah! My bloody ribs ache. Useless Barrier Jacket! Oh wait I don't have that equipped. What the hell hit me? Signum?"

The swordswoman gave him a negative nod and pointed behind him. He turned already figuring who he would see. Vita, the girl with the hammer, was glaring at him, her eyes and posture daring him to come back for seconds.

"Are you two done arguing? Or do I need to let some air into those skulls of yours?" Vita's tone was one of anticipation and spoke volumes of the sadistic glee she would take in fulfilling her words.

"Ow, what hit me?" Chrono said behind them.

"A bus, long gone though," Harry offered. He shot Vita a hard glare and mouthed the words lose the hammer.

The girl dropped her Graf Eisen to her side as Chrono regained his clear vision. "Yeah, it was a bus. Want us to hunt it down or deal with that?" Vita asked, her voice thick with sarcasm as she pointed out to sea.

"With wha… Oh that!" Chrono started to ask before he saw what Vita was pointing to. The whirling vortex of tentacles was slowing and something large was forcing the tentacles near the middle to bulge outwards. "Yeah, this is going to be a problem. Not one that hyper violent lolis or stinking wizards can solve."

Harry glanced at Vita and asked, "Would you like to do the honors or should I?"

"I'll do it. Seems like I'll have to smash things back into order!" She hefted Graf Eisen and rushed the boy.

"Er," Harry was tempted to say the pup had taken enough damage by the fourth hammer strike, but he couldn't bring himself to. Note to self: Vita attacks can cause temporary personality changes. Must consider for a possible solution to personality problems in others.

"Vita enough!"

"Hayate!'' Vita screamed in joy and rushed to her mistress's side.

Harry turned back to the pier and saw Hayate was awake. She had made her choice and stepped though one of the doors. The question remained which door had she taken? He used a Flash Move and appeared next to Hayate. "Step away from her," he commanded.

"Wa-" Vita started to say before Shamal pulled her away from Hayate.

"Which path, which door did you take?" Harry questioned the girl as he knelt beside her.

Hayate met his eyes and he saw steel in her. Her eyes were unwavering as met his, fear was gone. "I chose my own path," she whispered so only he could hear. "I choose the path of man."

Harry pulled away, a small smile on his face. "So be it. It seems out paths are intertwined for the time being Hayate Yagami. Stand up then, take up you staff and book, cast down your enemies."

"Yes, yes." She rose and took her weapons. "It's time to end this defense program. Er…what happened to Chrono?" she asked pointing to the black blob that was being pulled to his feet by Yunno and healed by Shamal.

"A bus," Signum deadpanned.

What emerged from that slowing wall of tentacles defied even the worst abominations Harry had seen. The defense program had taken on a form unique in all creation. The primary body was a blob from which the withering tentacles grew. Some of the tentacles seemed organic and others seemed to of metal. Many thicker tentacles held the monster up. Whip like extremities burst from the central blob, but the worst was what lay on those whips. Screaming faces forever locked in agony bubbled to the surface and randomly faded. A hollow scream like sound issued form from silent mouths each time the whips thrashed.

From the primary body he could see a thousand bodies like things rising and pushing against the gray blob, so much that he could make out details, then bubbling away. Random bubbles rose to the surface and burst, releasing a pungent odor that smelled of decaying bodies. On the top of the gray blob was the defense program first form now perverted and enlarged. The body worn bones, skulls and flesh like clothes. Thousands of bones covered its torso. The legs were hidden having merged with the blob. The dead of the sea had risen up in this unholy resurrection. Skulls by the hundreds covered concealed the breast and shoulders, their empty eyes leering at the living. Strips of flesh from sources unknown made a hair of sorts that hung down low. The face was a mishmash of fleshy bits, some dark and some lighter than others, sewn together with magic in a cruel mockery of the human form.

More appendages burst form the blob with a sickening pop. Arms that ended in beaks, in claws, in metal like robs, and blades the size of a small car. There it stood summoning forth all its power to fulfill the dark wish that powered it. The earth would fall to this monster, Harry was sure of it. It would rampage. Growing in cruelty and malice until all life was extinguished.

Shortly after coming to and the bus episode, Harry met more dogs. These Enforcers had been teleported down from the ship to join the battle. They were useless in his eyes. When he looked at their power levels he saw they were barely above the common wizard, wizard of the brown at the best. They would make good cannon fodder, but would have preferred a smaller, powerful strike team, like what they had before.

"Listen up people! I'll go over the plan once more," the pup stated taking charge. "My Enforces will keep the defense program busy. Fate, Signum, Vita, and the wizard will attempt to reach the main body. Nanoha, Hayate and the rest will stay back and prepare their most powerful spells. Yunno, Arf, and Zafira will be standing by to cast the teleportation spell once they have a lock. Stay alive everyone! If your injured retreat for healing, otherwise keep on attacking. The countdown clock to destruction of this world has already been started and in less than five hours a dreadnought will arrive to wipe out this planet. I plan to be gone by then, I hope you do too."

The mood was somber as grim faces looked towards the massive monster that was the defense program. Fear, trepidation, excitement, and anger were visible on many faces. The four Knights were silent and blank faced, but the same couldn't be said of their mistress. Hayate was trembling, but wore a determined expression. She knew that this mess was partially her fault and she seemed ready to make amends. He didn't have a chance to look at the rest of his temporary allies as the defense program stole the initiative.

Hundreds of tentacles lashed out. Lashing this way and that, the company was quickly scattered. For a moment Harry wondered why the pup wanted to hold the strategy meeting so close to enemy, but he chalked it up to inexperience. Dodging and weaving though tentacles he charged the main body.

He briefly spotted Fate tearing her way though tentacles, before she vanished from sight. Swinging Azriel in an arc he severed two tentacles. Black blood poured out as the severed arms fell to the sea below. Onwards he battled as Azriel feasted on eldritch blood.

~Magic level: 62.3 percent, master. ~

~Thank you Azriel. Prepare Nova Blaster. ~

He grinned and felt his blood pumping. Every thing in a moment, these were the moments he enjoyed and remembered in nightmares. The smells, the feelings, the sights, all proved to justify his existence. He had reason, purpose for existing. He created an impact in the massive universe even if he was such a small and insignificant force in the g rand scheme of all things.

Those thoughts in mind he raged onwards. Heedless of bodily harm, spilling blood proved he was human after all, he slashed, hacked and blasted his way towards that central mass. His allies might be elsewhere and doing other things, but he could only hope they would do their jobs. All he could do was hit the damn thing with every thing he had.

There it was! The damnable gray mass of screaming and contorting bodies was before him! "NOVA BLASTER!" he roared, purposefully overcharging his spell.

The jade spell ripped though the tentacles that sought to protect the main body like a not knife thought butter. They were vaporized and torn to shreds by his spell. A sudden crash against his Aegis Shield tore his sight away from the beautiful beam of death. With a mighty swing he made to sever the offending tentacle overhead.

Azriel was halted by the tentacle of metal and he frowned. Pumping more magical power into his Device she penetrated the metal shell. Black blood poured over him. The blood ran over his clothes and Azriel. Some rolled down his face and he licked his lips. There was no metallic tang to it. The blood had the tang of old meat and he realized the horrible truth.

The bodies, the faces, the bones, the blood, the fleshy tentacles that wouldn't be out of place on a live octopus or squid, and the metal parts…it all made sense to him. The dead had returned drawn by the dark will of the defense program. Blood long since dissipated in the ocean flowed together once more. Creatures the sea, fish and mammals that died in the ocean returned to life to deliver punishment upon man. The defense program once liens of code had taken physical form by reusing the dead who had fallen into the sea.

That knowledge sickened him. He suddenly wished he hadn't let the blood cover him. All of this was processed in a moment. At the same moment his Nova Blaster collided with the gray mass in a spectacular explosion of light…then, as if it had never existed to begin with, his overcharged spell, which should have hit with the power of a small sun, vanished.

Two great roars of fire and thunder flared near his location. A barrage of various magic shots soared overhead and a massive pink beam tore a gaping hole in the tentacles. He was not alone, not like the last time he had fought a being so powerful. Abruptly he found himself staring, wide eyed, down the pointy ended of a dozen bloody daggers.

"They're faster!" he muttered, as a hasty Flash Move saved him. "Aegis Shield!"

The daggers crashed into his shield, but didn't stop.

They pushed onwards, powered by more magic than many wizards had in their whole bodies. He poured more power into shield and transfer Azriel to his left hand. One hand raised channeling magic, scythe in the other, drenched in blood, illuminated by a storm and jade green light he figured it would be an awesome sight to behold.

The daggers begin to slow, then ceased al movement. A second later they burst into a shower of black sparks. He released the shield and swung Azriel at the withering tentacles. Two fell in showers of the blood of the dead, yet more rose up to take their place. He was now in a sea of withering tentacles seeking flesh of the living and the hollow scream droned even louder than before.

With snarl on his face he raised Azriel and smashed her directly into the gray mass. For a moment a purple barrier halt her, then shattered. Amidst the sparks of broken magic Harry's eyes widened. Azriel passed though the gray mass like it wasn't even there. It was like he had just cut a mist bank and he felt his anger rise.

This creature had to be stopped now. Once the barrier fell hell would come to earth and every thing he had fought and those had died for in the last war would be for nothing. If he were to preserve the Wizard's Legacy, as he had been charged, then this beast would fall.

Anger burned in his veins. Hatred rose and painted the world red. Emotions long suppressed broke free as he mind traveled dark paths. Eldritch symbols floated in vision, incorporeal yet he knew they existed, and they glowed. He shattered the dam that held back his power; the power of the Master of Hollows flooded him as he intoned two words. Two words that even non magical humans knew, two words that would save and damn him, two simple words he roared at this creature that dared to oppose him.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Hurt, hate, fear, anger, rage, love, passion, hope, depression, and more he poured into that sickly green light that gathered in his left hand. For a second he almost reconsidered using the death spell, but it was too late. That green blot left his hand and hurtled like a vengeful star towards his enemy. He resisted the urge to fall in exhaustion and watched his handiwork, his penance for using so dark a spell.

The spell crashed in to the barrier and shattered it with ease.

For a moment he held to the hope that this might be it.

Then it vanished. Winked out of existence, never to return or fulfill its duty.

The gray mass responded. Thousands of bodies and faces rose to the surface and let out a screech, more powerful than the banshee's wail. He was drive to his knees and nearly dropped Azriel as he clutched his ears. His eyes were nearly shut in pain, but he refused to let them shut; do so would be a death sentence. Kneeling in the air he was a vulnerable target and the monster took the opening. Two tentacles lashed towards him, metal glinting in the eternally grayness that was within the barrier.

~Master! Below!~ Azriel's cry came too late.

The tentacles smashed into Harry. His shield flared to life, sparing him the worst, but he was sent flying. After a minute he began to regain his hearing and opened his eyes. Standing shaking he faced the two oncoming tentacles. "Wraith Shot!" Jade orbs ripped flesh and metal to bits.

His ears were ringing from the incessant din and he felt a headache coming on. Slashing and hacking his way he charged the central mass once more. "Nova Blaster!" The spell was less powerful than before, but ripped though the tentacles, be them metal or flesh with ease. He growled in anger when the beam vanished.

~Azriel, is their any telepathic chatter? Any open line?~

~No master, the defense programming is generating an anti-telepathy barrier. The make range for commutations within this field is five feet~

"Bloody hell!' he snapped lashing out ands severing a few more tentacles that dared to approach him. "This thing's not even taking us seriously." He saw two more flashes of fire and the crackle of lighting as he turned on heel and tried to leave the forest of tentacles. The flashes of fire and lighting had stopped, leading him to assume their casters were either dead or retreating. Retreating sounded like a good idea, nothing he threw at the beast was hitting and cutting off tentacles was having no effect. More would just spawn from the main body.

With agility born from years on the Quidditch pitch and experience he evaded, dodged and otherwise cut his way free of the tentacles forest. Flying a short a distance away from the main body of tentacles he saw on of the Enforcers, a young, blonde haired boy.

"Where the hell is the pup?" he growled at the man.

The boy yelped in fear and hastily turned to look at him. "W-Who?"

"The pup, the dog…Chrono. Your boss, where is he?"

"Oh! H-he's w-with the wounded. Down there," the boy pointed to the pier were Shamal was tended to the wounded in a makeshift hospital, that was a large tent. "H-he issued the order to fall back, but nobody listened."

"Useless," Harry snapped. "That boy is useless. I'd assume he sent you…Enforcers out to gather us up or is he trying to pull some other gambit and get us killed?"

"N-no way! He would never do something like that!" the boy fervently defended his commander. "I'm sure of it! He's a good-"

"Whatever…" Harry ignored the boy's claims and headed for the impromptu medical station. Touching down outside, he hoisted Azriel over his shoulder and entered the large tent. Inside he saw at least half of the Enforcers laid out with various levels of injuries.

Some had broken limbs other gashes and cuts and some appeared to be out cold. If any had died then the bodies weren't being kept in this place. Shamal hurried about tending to the wounded. Amongst the moans of pain he saw the pup near the back sitting up, most likely having been recently healed. The pup appeared uninjured at the time and Harry felt a small sense of relief. He hated beating up wounded men.

Harry talked towards the fool of a boy, forgetting he was still coated in blood. "What the hell are you thinking?" he roared at the pup.

To his credit, Chrono barely battered an eye. "What do you mean?"

"We charge in and what minutes later, you deiced to have every one pull back? You don't do that. Not against this type of creature!" Harry berated the boy.

"I sent out a message, but no one picked up. I did send out my men to gather you up," the pup answered.

"That beastie is emitting a jamming field of some kind. And your men, those Enforcers, the one near me wouldn't even try to break into the forest of tentacles. The reason I'm here is because was getting too hot. What happened to your illustrious the plan or are you trying to off us?"

"We went into battle with an unknown enemy within relatively unknown capabilities. What did you expect?" was the pup's icy answer.

"Your men are useless, you're useless. When you fall back you tell everybody! EVERYBODY!" Harry roared, grabbing the pup by his jacket and hefting him it to the air. "It's idiots like you that get people killed needlessly!"

"Potter!" Shamal's sharp call kept him form throttling the pup.

He let the pup down hard. "Yes?" he answered sweetly. He had dealt with medical types before and he knew he was in deep trouble. They seemed to have more power in a few words than the greatest orators the world had ever seen.

"Leave him alone! Signum left a message some time ago: The operation has failed. Regroup for next strike." Shamal said, glaring at the wizard. "This people are injured if you wish to deal with Chrono then take it out side. I wouldn't have that sort of behavior around my paitents."

"As you wish," Harry replied and retreated. He wasn't stupid; the quiet ones and the healers always were the most dangerous.

Leaving the tent he looked up and swore. The gray barrier the TSAB dogs had put up was showing signs of breaking; spider silk cracks were letting sunlight in. Once that barrier fell…the defense program would be unstoppable. If what he theorized was true and the program had assimilated the objects from the sea then it would have various plant parts that would fully come to life with direct sunlight.

~Signum, where are you?~ He sent his message far and wide, seeking his temporary allies.

~Head south of the pier, then a hundred yards out to sea.~ Signum's response was curt.

~Azriel, what's the mana level?~ He asked as he headed for the group.

~55 percent. Master I have an idea. One of my abilities allows me to strike across dimensions. You must unlock it.~

~No! I will not set foot on that path…yet. Only when all hope is lost, never before that time comes. Why would you have such an ability any way?~

~My creators faced many enemies. One such enemy existed out of phase, in another dimension, and I was given the ability to counter this race. The main body of the program is similar, it exist as a mere image in this dimension while hiding in another.~

Harry was silent. The rest of the group was in sight. They looked worse for wear, covered in sweat and small traces of blood. Vita and Fate's Barrier Jackets were ripped and torn, but they seemed uninjured. Nanoha had minor lacerations across her arm, and her white jacket had blood stains on it. Hayate, Arf, and Yunno looked remarkably unscratched, and only gave signs of being slightly winded. Signum had a small bruise on her face, but appeared be in good shape.

He still didn't answer Azriel and was thankful when Nanoha went wide eyed at the blood he was covered in. "Before you ask, the blood is not mine. You should have seen the other guy!" he joked, but it did little to ramie the party's morale. "On a more serious note, don't let those tentacles bleed on you."

"Why?" Fate asked.

"Just trust me. It's a very, very bad idea." He saw no reason to scare them further by explaining just what made up the monster they were fighting. "So what's the word?"

"We fight of course." Vita snapped. 'What kind of question is that?"

"No, that's a good question. You haven't said a word about the new plan Signum," Nanoha questioned the swordswoman, who had her eyes close and arms folded beneath her breasts.

"Mistress Hayate?" Signum looked to her mistress, who nodded. "Very well. The main body of the defense program is beyond our reach. In fact I have personally confirmed that close quarters combat and ranged attacks have no effect. For this reason I believe the main body is in another dimension parallel to this one."

"Seconded, Azriel and I came to a similar conclusion," Harry interjected.

"As I expected," Signum opened her eyes and gave Harry a small nod. "We can't harm the main body were it is and crossing into another dimension without using a ship is impossible. Therefore we need to drag it into this dimension so we can destroy the main body."

"That's good, but how do we drag it in?" Arf asked the obvious question.

"I don't know." Signum response was curt.

"What we need is a massive gun," Hayate said suddenly. "A massive magical gun we could fire and not destroy the world with or some kind of power up."

"That's ridiculous. What do you think this is some kind of manga?" Fate shot down the idea quickly. Harry saw that the stress of extended combat was getting to her. She was less composed than when they had first clashed on the rooftop and her gently demeanor was slipping, not that Chrono had helped at all.

"I don't see any other ideas," Hayate retorted.

"What is with you Japanese and tentacle monsters? Seriously, why can't we get a three foot lizard? Bloody Japanese fetishes!" Harry swore. He felt a bit guilty about using stereotypes, but he didn't care. The day had been too damn long, too busy, and too over the top. And it was rapidly reaching the point of too insane even for him. After all what sane person would fight a giant snake with a sharp piece of metal and a magic hat?

"Let's take stock and figure out what we do know. Maybe that can tell us what to do next," Yunno suggested.

"Good idea Yunno!" Nanoha cheered, causing the boy to blush slightly.

"I agree, so what do we know about the defense program?" Vita said.

"It's big, ugly and-"

"Has a tentacles fetish," Harry cut off Arf, much to the familiar's annoyance.

"Moving on, what else?" Yunno asked.

"The main body can't be touched by our physical or magical attacks and it likes tentacles," Fate said.

"Ok, what else?" Yunno went on, ever the voice of reason.

"It moves slowly for some reason. We have a good amount of time before it makes landfall, but not forever. If the barrier falls then I fear it will speed up greatly," Signum added. "The tentacles can be destroyed, but regenerate. Quickly."

"Its made of bones, metal and flesh. It really likes tentacles too." Vita stated with a look of disgust on her face. "Oh yeah and it bleeds." She looked at Harry, who gave her a roguish grin.

"What can I say? It likes to bleed. Must be a tentacle thing. Did you...you know." He was relived and somewhat scared when Vita nodded in agreement. At least one of the Knights had a theory similar to his own.

"How does that help us? All we know is that it's big, ugly, has tentacles, resistant to our attacks, and slow moving. Anything else?" Yunno said, exasperation in his voice. "What's with this tentacle thing anyway?"

The older member of their party and Nanoha blushed. Harry swore softly, wondering how the hell a nine-ten year old knew about that? Then he remembered she was Japanese, it probably in her blood. Surprisingly, Hayate was blushing too. Some girls had been very, very naughty…then he remembered the summer spent with cousin before the war got bad. Dudley had taken Harry under his wing and introduced him to a whole new world, the world of mundanes, as payment for having saved Dudley's life for the second time. His cousin had shown him all the aspects of culture of the modern age, including the darker and perverted sides. Of course he had been fifteen, almost sixteen, at the time, but still he wondered what kind of world he was in were nine-ten years olds knew about the tentacles thing. How Vita and Signum knew, he no clue; they were blanks to him. He knew too little about them to make a call.

Silence had fallen over the party. Most of the group looked away leaving the innocent ones confused, was deafening. They refused to make eye contact with any one else much to Yunno's displeasure.

"Ahem!" Yunno coughed. "Since I won't be getting an answer let us move on. What else do we know?"

'Too much…Harry muttered earning him a strange look from the Nanoha. "Er…not enough, but I have a…theory of sorts."

"Okay, at this point I'll think we'll accept just about anything." Yunno urged the wizard on.

"This might sound crazy, but what if we poured a ton of raw magical energy into large metal drum packed with shrapnel. We layer it with barriers and shields, place a delay cross dimension spell on it and fire away." Harry was acutely aware of the silence that followed. Even the stormy sea seemed to quiet itself. The looks on the faces of his temporary allies varied. Some held new respect, others looked at him like he was crazy, and some just stared.

"That's…that's crazy enough…it just might work!" Yunno cried.

"Yeah, just one question though, why don't we use the Asura's tow beam and drag the program into this dimension, then we smack it with the bomb?" Nanoha suggested. She might hide behind a dumb mask, but underneath she was steel and as sharp as a razor.

"The Asura has a tow beam?" Yunno exclaimed.

"Yeah, I found out about it when Amy gave me a tour. They sue to drag in bad guy ships," Nanoha explained.

"There are a few problems. Wouldn't the Asura be detected descending form orbit? And can it use the beam this close to the planet?" Fate brought Nanoha's plan to screeching halt. "And we have to talk to Chrono."

That fact sank the plan instantly. None of them were exactly in his good graces. Harry figured a majority of the blame could laid on him, but wasn't about to go around parading the idea. If he hadn't been there then the whole incident might have been resolved in a much different way or end up with the whole world burning the fires of hell, darkness and tyranny for the next thousand years as the Book brought the earth down one person at a time.

"Eh, that might be a problem. Okay! The new plan is…" Nanoha trailed off. The rest of the group began to throw around plans, ideas, and in Harry's case, sharp criticism. He really wasn't feeling like being nice and the headache was getting worse.

"Hey Fate," Arf said quietly. She had moved to her mistress's side and began to whisper something in her ear.

Fate face lit up and she vigorously nodded. "Everyone!" she called out. The group ceased their planning and looked at the girl. "Ah…um, Arf and I have an idea."

"Really? Tell us!" Nanoha pushed her friend onwards.

"Yeah, it's probably better than anything this lot could up with," Vita snapped, looking at Harry who just looked at Fate.

'The monster is defense program right? So, Arf er, I mean we, Arf and I, figured that the defense program was created before Hayate took control. Hayate is the master of the Book of Darkness,"

'Tome of the Night Sky, not Book of Darkness. I also gave her a name, Reinforce." Hayate corrected Fate.

"Okay, Reinforce then. So when the corrupt defense program was released Hayate was still the master. Can you harm Hayate?" Fate asked Signum.

"No, it's prohibited by the programming…that's it." Signum's eyes were light with the realization. "Of course, it was right in front of me the whole time."

"I get it!" Nanoha cried. "We use the fact that the book can't hurt Hayate, cross dimensions and defeat it form the inside, in that other dimension."

"Yeah, that was the idea," Fate said before she was tackled by a flying Nanoha hug.

Harry enjoyed watched the blonde's face turn red as the embarrassing scene. He dearly wished he had a camera as Nanoha cooed over her friend, praising Fate.

~Master, I have a record image function~ Azriel supplied out of the blue.

~Do it~ He loved blackmail and he figured it would make for a good laugh when everything was over. There was a small snap sound from Azriel and he knew the deed was done.

"How do we even get into that other dimension? How do we even know this will work?" Hayate worriedly asked.

"We have no idea," Harry answered, turning his attention back to the matter at hand. "We charge in guns blazing and hope we kill it before the lack of essential things, like air, run out. Otherwise we die knowing that this planet will soon be consumed by darkness. Either way we lose nothing or come out of in an insanely heroic manner."

"Sounds good to me. Let's do it!" Vita cheered.

"I concur. That is the best plan we have at the present," Signum said. "However, if mistress refuses this plan I will follow her will." Signum gave Vita a withering look, causing the little Knight to suddenly jump to Signum's side.

"I don't have a problem with the plan, but how do we get in?" Fate asked, having freed herself from the Nanoha hug.

"I don't know, maybe with Reinforce," Hayate said with a frown.

"In these cases the best way is always the most obvious. I suggest we step into the looking glass," Harry groaned as the reference breezed right past the group. "Ug, we have Hayate touch the main body. The rest of us jump in. Then boom!"

"I like it. Let's do that!" Arf said.

There were nods of agreement from the rest and other expressions of agreement.

"I'm not sure…" Hayate began, "it seems…too easy."

Harry let out a bark of laughter. "Trust me these things always have the most ridiculous weaknesses. Did you know dragons have a weakness to tickling? Neither did I, until I was desperate."

"Dragons," Yunno scoffed.

"Yeah, remind me to introduce to one female Hungarian Horntail. She'd love to meet you," Harry said darkly.

"You will not be going to the other side. I will not allow it," Signum declared. "I will not let my mistress put her life on the line where it can be avoided. You will stay in contact with the program until I return or you can no longer maintain the link."

"Signum… No, I refuse. I created this monster, I'll see it through to the end whatever it may be," Hayate declared taking Signum's free hand. "As you mistress I command you take me with you."

"As much as I hate heroics, you're going to need my raw power," Harry said as he rolled his shoulder. "Everyone can't be in the attack squad though. Some people are going to have to keep those tentacles busy and the door open."

"I'll take the door. When you all are down I can blast it with Starlight Breaker." Nanoha offered. "Just to be sure."

"I'll join the attack force and Arf will assist Nanoha," Fate said and Arf was more than happy to comply with her mistress's wishes.

In short order the teams were decided. Signum, Harry, Fate, Hayate and Zafira would attack from the inside. Nanoha and Arf would maintain the doorway while the rest defended against the tentacles.

In the wake of one of Nanoha's pink beams of death, as Harry had taken to calling her Divine Buster spell, the party stormed forward. Lighting, fire, ice, and cursed flame left a bloody trail of broken tentacles that dared to oppose their mission. In was an odd experience for Harry. Wizard's waged battle in a different form and preferred to duel with as few people around as possible. The Knights knew how to fight as a unit, but preferred to fight alone. Nanoha, Hayate and Fate knew no other combat style that the lone fighter style, what Harry called the warrior style. People jostled for the best angle and got in each others way, but they made it to the central mass was all members in one piece.

"This is the last time I fight with this group," Harry muttered as he hacked a tentacle in two. The constant droning sound of hollow screams only made his headache worse. Hacking another tentacle in two helped relive the anger, but did nothing for his head. The constant droning was beyond annoying.

They cleared a small area and the defensive team began their job. Hayate tentatively reached out and placed her hand on the churning gray mass. For a moment he expected her hand to pass right though, but it was not so. The barrier flared into existence for a moment and vanished. Her hand connected with the gray matter and she made a sickly face. She was feeling the flesh of the dead after all. It was probably filled with bits of bone, blood, and rotten meat.

Seconds later the barrier flared into existence and took the shape of a six foot door way. Hayate turned to them and beckoned Arf to join her. Taking the familiar's hand she guided Arf's arm to where hers had been. The doorway flickered for a moment as, he assumed, Arf gained control.

"It's open. And safe. I'm sure." Hayate was winded. The magical output needed to reach the threshold of a stably doorway was much higher than she had originally thought.

"Zanber Form," Fate intoned. Her Device, Bardiche, began to change from the forked scythe into that of a massive sword with a yellow blade. Oversized didn't even begin to describe it, yet this young girl managed to carry her oversized weapon with ease. Lighting burst from the blade at irregular intervals.

He turned away and saw Signum's sword was engulfed in flames. Hayate was preparing a spell and judging by her glowing staff it was a powerful one. ~Azriel, shift to Havoc Reaper~

~With pleasure, Master of Death~

Azriel's scythe form began to glow and break down. His Device finished her transformation into a lance. Nearly eight feet of magical weapon and a near ultimate shooting capacity, it was his ultimate shooting weapon. The Resurrection Stone was set in the hand guard and black cloth was wrapped around the grips that trailed off into three long tassels.

"Zafira and I will take point. On my mark then…" Signum began the count down.

~This is insane~ he thought to Azriel.

"Three…"

~I agree master. A rash plan, but at times like this… You could have…~

"Two…"

~No~

"One…"

~You will see my way someday~

"MARK!"

Signum and Zafira vanished into the gray mass. Harry refused to think about what he was stepping into and he dove in, Fate and Hayate on his heels.

For good or ill, he had stepped into the mirror.

"Yes, yes, that's right. Into the fire my pretties. More, more, more! Give me a show worthy of remembrance! Show me a desperate battle, show my how far you will go. Unleashed everything! Bring the hellfire woman of fire! Bring the icy touch of Raganrok girl of darkness! Bring the wrath of Zeus child of lighting! Bring the cursed fire wizard of death! Hahahahahhahahhahahahaha!

More, more, more, more power! More anger! Feed me! Fuel me! Feed me! Give me more! More passion! Hate! Anger! Fear! What's this? I must have a balanced diet. I need love. Lust. Betrayal. Yeeesssss! More love! More lust! Oh, what's this…lust. I guess I'll have to feul the fire!

Hahahahhahahahah! Soon! Soon! Soon I will return. You little ones will be mine, my food supply. Live! Grow! Expand! We will stand and rise as one! I can't wait! War, flames, blood, destruction, I love it! More, I must have more! An endless supply! Never ending and then…

Yes… then I will have my revenge! The fools will fall before me! They will fear my name once more! I will free my wives from their damning clutches! Never again will be separated! Come child of ice and lighting, death's wizard and darkness's child! Let us remake the world, nay… the galaxy, nay… the universe, nay…all of creation! Let all things follow us into a new age! Our age! Your age! My age! Yes this is my will…

Space and time will kneel before us. The Elder Ones will fall, the Outcast will be destroyed! Everything will change again! By the Tri-Headed God everything must change! This is the future! This is destiny! This is fate! This is my will!"

"My lord, my god, what is your bidding?"

"Ah, my loyal servant, my Laurana, gather my legions. Call forth all whom still know their true master. Our time is near, the return is soon! We must feast! Gather our strength for the war to come! Do you look forward to it?"

"Yes, my lord, we will have our revenge for the fallen. It will be…a time of great joy!"

"Yes, but I need more. You need more. They need more! Power! Lust! Passion! Desire! Hate! Anger! When is there too much? Never I say. Food for all time!"

"Pardon me great one, will you make them like us?"

"Perhaps… once their task is done I think I will. After all by then it won't matter. Space, time, life, death, none of it will matter! None!"

Hertic! Flase god! Enemy!

How dare another being claim to be controlling my mistress! It was heresy to even think that. This god want to be would have to be hunted down and punished, if it still lived. I would lead the hunt and bring its head to my lady.

I nearly left room when a thought struck me. The book was old. Perhaps my lady had already beaten this fake god. I needed to find out! Returning to my bed I sat down and pulled the book into my bare lap. I hadn't bothered dressing, yet I nearly left my room in my underwear alone! A hundred years ago I might have been blushing, but know I cared little.

The only women would see my body as it was at the moment was my lady. Even my loyal crew was unworthy of laying eyes upon my form!

Those thoughts in mind I turned the page. I had to know more. Would this fake die in a most painful way?

AN: CUT!

Didn't get everything I wanted in this chapter, but the end of the Book of Darkness Incident is near.

FYI, Harry doesn't know the difference between Barrier Jackets and Knights Armor yet.