Disclaimer: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha belongs to Seven Arcs and all respective license holders. The Persona Series belongs to ATLUS. I only own this fic and nothing else. I also own all the mistakes too.


Chapter 23: Not a Mage, nor a Knight

Nanoha hummed a little tune as she skipped about to and fro under the bright lights of the city night. Though she was letting herself get swept up in the moment, she was still mindful not to outpace her companion. His longer legs did make it easier for him to keep up, however.

"I didn't think telling you would be something to be that happy about," Ren commented with a wry smile, causing Nanoha to slow down and look at him a bit embarrassed.

"O-oh, yeah I guess you're right, but I can't help it. I'm just so happy that you finally trust Fate and me to tell us what you're doing," she said as she put her hands behind her back as she continued to practically glow with delight.

"Well I guess that is something you can be happy about," Ren shrugged, making sure not to do so in a way that would wake his feline partner who slept soundly in the bag straddled on his shoulder.

"So, what's she like though? The master I mean. You told us you knew her and have talked to her, but you didn't tell us what she's like," Nanoha asked, her curiosity making her grab at his coat to goad him for an answer.

"Oh yeah, well… she's really nice, and pretty mature for her age. She's also really strong," he started, causing Nanoha's excitement to rise.

"Oh how strong? I mean as the Master I guess it makes sense," Nanoha mused trying to think of how powerful that person must be.

"No not like that. I should have been clearer. I meant strong as in her will. She's… been through a lot, even before becoming the master. But despite that, she still manages to find a reason to smile. Anyone else in her position might have broken, but she didn't," Ren relayed to her thinking of the short time he spent with the family.

"That sounds a little like you Ren."

"Hm?"

"You've been through a lot too, but I only know that because I've been around you long enough to learn at least that much about you." Nanoha's proud smile received a huff from the young man, followed by a small flick to her forehead. "Ouch!" She cried as she then rubbed the part of her head that stung just the smallest bit.

"It sounds more like you really."

"No, it's more like you!" Nanoha argued back, giving him a light shove and soft giggle in the process.

"Whatever you say," Ren said with a shrug, his nonchalance pulling the rug out from under Nanoha who expected more resistance, only to shake herself of her confusion as she saw Ren start to walk away. With a short gallop, she caught up.

"So what about Vita and the others then? You've met them outside of combat right? So what are they like when they're not in the middle of a fight?" Nanoha asked, now that she and Ren were walking side by side again.

"You seem pretty fixated on Vita," Ren noted, pointing out how she hadn't mentioned the other knights.

"Well…" Nanoha stammered. "That's just cause she's the one I fought first among the knights. But enough of that, how are they when they're not fighting?" she leapt at him, just enough to cause him to put effort into staying upright.

"Alright alright…" He said as he placed a hand on her head to get her to hold still, to which she immediately complied. "Vita's as rough in combat as she is out honestly. However despite that, she's as protective as they come. She'll do anything it takes to protect the people she cares about. Also she's about as childish as she looks, regardless of what she might claim."

"I see… I think I get it then. What about Signum and Zafira, a-and that other one Chrono saw today?" Nanoha asked as she started process what she just heard.

"Let's see… how about I talk about Signum then."

The city seemed to disappear around her as she listened to Ren. It didn't take a deep reading for her to realize just how close he was to them, and if he trusted them this much, they couldn't be bad people at all. With every word he said, she felt her understanding of the knights grow.

Signum, while cold looking, was a caring leader who worked hard to protect those under her. Zafira was fiercely loyal like the others, and always watched things to cover the weaknesses of the others. Shamal was a kind mage who acted like the big sister for the group, though Nanoha did find it funny how she was a bad cook. Even before he finished she wanted more and more to talk to them properly herself. However that would have to wait. Before she knew it, she was already home.

"We're here Nanoha," Ren said as he stopped with only a small warning.

"Oh! So we are." She looked over to see that they were indeed in front of her house. "Aww… I wanted you to tell me just a bit more…"

"We can always do that later. For now though, I better let you go before your family starts to worry about you. I'll see you later then." Ren started to walk off towards his own home, but before he could get much farther away.

"Ren!" He stopped and turned around when he heard Nanoha call his name, of whom was now running up to him. "Just… just one more thing!" she said as she caught her breath.

"Okay, just one more thing. What is it?" Ren said as he waited for Nanoha to tell him whatever it was she felt was so important.

"Um… well. I know that we already sort of talked about it earlier… but I just wanted to say it one more time. I really am happy you decided to tell me and Fate about all of this," she said with a smile that seemed to glow under dark night sky. "You see, it's been bothering me for a while, this feeling that there was this wall between you us; between you and Fate and me. It was like, no matter how hard we tried, you just wouldn't let us in."

"I'm sorry about that," Ren said as he rubbed the back of his head, unsure of what else to reply with.

"No it's okay! At least now it is. I just… I just wanted to say, thank you for letting us in. I know you probably still feel a bit uncomfortable about our feelings, so I understand if that played a role. Even so, I'm just really really happy that the wall is gone now; that you trust us." Nanoha's cheeks blushed and she swayed left and right. "Um… Can you bend down for a moment?"

Ren complied, already predicting what was to come, however the suddenness of Nanoha's embrace still took him by surprise. Her arms around his neck, she hung on tightly. Even though he couldn't see it, he could tell she was smiling.

"Thank you Ren," she said straight into his ear and kept on speaking. "Please just let me have this." He maintained silence as request as he let Nanoha go without interruption. His trust really did mean a lot to her, he realized. Nanoha took her time before letting go, and even then she released him a slowly as she could. Her face was still red and flush when he was finally able to get a good look at it.

"Satisfied?" He asked without further comment.

"For now… but thank you, again. I don't know how many times I've said it now," she laughed to herself over how silly she was being. "Umm… Ren? I… actually no!" She slapped her cheeks and shook her head before she could continue, causing Ren to raise an eyebrow. Once she stopped she started to explain.

"Because we know how it makes you feel, Fate and I promised to each other that we wouldn't say… that… again until we were old enough, but I almost did." It took Ren a moment to think about what Nanoha was referring to. His eyes widened just a bit when he realized what it was, but kept his mouth shut since he didn't want to agitate her. Besides, they were doing it for his comfort anyways.

"Please don't tell Fate okay? I was the one who insisted on it, and she'd be a bit angry with me if she found out I almost broke that promise."

"Alright, it will be our little secret. But if we're trying not to keep secrets between the three of us anymore… "Ren took out his phone, giving Nanoha a fright.

"Ren!" She whined, whilst she started to weakly rap her fists against his stomach.

"I'm joking, Nanoha!" He chuckled as he put his phone away and blocked some of her strikes against his torso. "I'll see you next time then." Standing up he gave a final wave goodbye as he started his walk home.

"Yeah! Be careful!" She waved back, holding in the urge to follow him. "Text me when you're home!"

"Alright alright…" Ren shrugged right before he disappeared passed a corner, leaving Nanoha alone with her still fast beating heart.

-0-0-23-0-0-

"Amy are you sure we'll be fine with most of our command here?" Chrono asked as he, Amy, and Yuuno walked down the halls of TSAB HQ. They'd just arrived after rushing there from Earth. Back on that planet, it would have been the dead of night in Japan.

"We'll be fine. We're just here to drop you and Yuuno off, then the Commander and I will head back right after. Besides, Fate-chan, Nanoha-chan, and Ren-kun are all capable of taking care of things for just a little bit. I've taught Ren a couple things just in case too. Even then, we have staff stationed back on Earth to continue to the monitor the situation. Everything's been covered," Amy dismissed Chrono's concerns with her confident answer.

"I suppose that's the most we can ask for. At the very least Ren-kun is a capable leader when the moment calls for it." Chrono mentally let go of his worries. They'd only get in the way of their objective that was to follow.

"So will these people you're taking us to really give us what we need? I mean access to information about the Book of Darkness is not exactly the most open around," Yuuno said as he still felt worried about the situation. His experience with ancient artifacts had given him a history with classified information, not all of which he could peruse with wild abandon.

"There won't be an issue. The people we're going to have special rights to that information. It will be finding it and parsing it among all the others that will prove the issue. Here we are." Chrono opened the door to their left, and entered with Amy not missing a step, and Yuuno taking a bit of time to reorient himself from the sudden turn.

"Aria, Lotte, it's been a while," Chrono called once he saw the two who were lazing about in the room. Yuuno took stock of the ladies that Chrono had referred to as Aria and Lotte, though he couldn't tell who was who. They both shared features and wore the exact same uniform: a black officer minidress accented with white and orange, their legs covered in white stockings and blacked boots with raised heels. Though a little customized, it was nothing out of the ordinary, so far as Yuuno's experience told him.

Their eyes that turned to look at their group were of a pale blue shade, while their hair was of a muted lavender. Their hair seemed to be the only thing that physically separated them from each other, with one being short and the other stopping at around the mid back. Of course he couldn't miss the cat ears and tails, of which put him on edge. However he sensed something else about them… familiars? Then whose? Before Yuuno could ponder on it some more the short haired girl jumped up and latched onto Chrono.

"Chrono! Look at you! Look at you! How have you been!" The girl excitedly cried as she stuffed Chrono right against herself.

"Lotte! Hold on!" Chrono struggled against the woman now designated as Lotte, trying not to think about the parts that were now being shoved against his face. "Come on! Take it easy!"

"You come on! You haven't seen your teachers in so long, and now you're trying to play the cold stoic type? How about I help you lighten up a bit!" Lotte then resumed her pampering as Chrono reached his hand towards the other girl.

"Aria please! Stop her!" Chrono begged.

"Just let her have some fun. It's been a long time after all, and besides, it's not like you hate it right?" Aria said with a bemused tone.

"Bu- Woah!"

"Nyyaaa!" Amy opted to ignore the scene in front of her and walked over to the still standing Aria.

"It has been quite a while hasn't it Aria?" She said as they gave each other a high five. "Lotte is still the perky one of the famed Leise twins huh?"

"We may be twins, but I still can't predict everything she's going to do." Aria let out a sigh as the noise began to die down.

"Yup, that will do for now!" Aria said with a satisfied look on her face. "Oh hey Amy! You're looking well, and who's this mousey looking boy?" She said as she eyed Yuuno, who tried to contain his nervousness and was failing to do so.

"This is Yunno-kun," Amy answered for the boy. "We're actually here on business."

"Business? H-hold on then!" Aria replied as the two of them gestured for the guests to sit on some of the seats while the duo of cat girls sat on a sofa on the other end of the room. With the atmosphere now completely changed, Aria spoke again. "Am I to presume you're here about the Book of Darkness then?"

"Yes, we are. I'm guessing then that you've read the reports," Chrono said, as he wiped his face a bit to get rid of whatever it was he felt was still on there.

"Yes, and so we'll try to be as much help as we can," Lotte said after.

"Hey who are they exactly?" Yuuno whispered to Amy as the conversation seemed to mainly be between Chrono and the girls.

"They're Chrono's teachers who taught him both magic and hand to hand combat. Aria was in charge of magic while Lotte focuses on hand to hand. As you can probably tell they're twin sisters, and they're also the familiars of Admiral Graham, who I believe you met before when Ren-kun was taken in for care."

"I see…" Yuuno muttered so as not to interrupt Chrono.

"So you see it'd be reassuring if you could join us at the outpost on Earth, However I wouldn't want to impose if you're busy."

"Yeah, we still have a few more armed agents that we're instructing at the moment. The contract still has a bit more time before it's over," Aria explained.

"Even if we go, we'd have to return here too often for it to be of any real help," Lotte added. "Sorry about that."

"That's fine. I expected as such. What I'm really here for is regarding Yuuno over there," Chrono turned towards the boy who upon hearing his name stiffed as nervousness returned.

"So can I eat him then!?" Lotte almost jumped out of her seat as a predatory gleam in her eye turned Yuuno's previous nervousness into instinctual fear.

"Huh!?"

"Oh? Sure, when you're finished, go ahead and do whatever you want," Chrono said with a dismissive gesture.

"Hey! Wait a second!" Yuuno stood up, indignant to being treated as disposable, only for laughter to babble up from the rest of the room and make him realize they were joking. Though still a bit miffed, he sat back down. There were more important things to do than to blow up at a joke, or at least more than he already did.

"So you were saying, Chrono?" Aria rerailed the conversation as best she could. "A request of some sort?"

"Yes, when you have the time between your work, I'd like you to assist Yuuno-kun in his research at the Infinity Library here at TSAB HQ," Chrono finally was able to tell them.

"I see, not only is the library vast, but it does also have restricted areas. You'd need our authorization to access it," Aria mused, her mind already going through the reasons for such a request.

"Alright, follow us then!" Lotte stood up and started towards the door. "There's no time to waste!"

"Already!?" Yuuno said, just unable to acclimate to the pace whatsoever.

"No time like the present, and especially when you don't know if there's a future!" Lotte replied as she opened the exit and gestured for them to go through it. "Now come on! Let's get to it!"

-0-0-23-0-0-

"As for the Book of Darkness, I have complete faith in you. Speaking of, how has that ben going as of late?" Graham asked as he placed his cup of tea back down on the table. On the other side, Lindy lowered her cup as she prepared her reply.

"As you can imagine, it has been a difficult assignment, but we have been making steady progress." Lindy brought the cup back up to her mouth for another sip. The taste and aroma were already helping to alleviate the tension in her body.

"That's promising. I'm sure you won't muck it up like I did." Lindy couldn't tell if Graham's tone was more self-deprecating or apologetic. Either way she shrugged it off, just as she had done before.

"I already told you sir, for the first time at my husband's funeral, what happened wasn't your fault." Lindy placed her cup down on the table before continuing. "No commander could have ever predicted such an outcome, no matter how experienced they are."

"I… you're right. Just forgive me then for being a doddering old man about the subject."

"I'll forgive you, and if need be in the future, I'll do so again." Lindy's expression softened. She couldn't recall how many times this exact same exchange happened. One would think he was the one who'd married her husband instead, with how much of a burden the incident seemed to hang on him.

"Yes of course. On to a different topic then. I'm happy to inform you that the Arc-en-ciel has been properly equipped to the Arthra, and is ready for use in the field," Graham told her, his expression far jollier than before. "Chrono and Aria should be going over the installation now, while that Amy girl has already headed back to your outpost on Earth via a different transport vessel."

"Oh that's wonderful to hear. Though I still must admit I hope we never have to use it," Lindy said while pouring herself some more tea.

"I understand why. Its power is immense, but as it is with immense power it won't just damage the target, but everything else alongside it, including the very fabric of reality. However, as I've advised in the past, it is the only weapon powerful enough to seal the Book of Darkness should it ever become unleashed. The only other way to stop the Book of Darkness would be to defeat the master," Graham warned as he took his turn with the tea kettle.

"However that will only delay the inevitable. Even if we defeat the master, it will simply move on and find a new master in the future," Lindy mused. "Though perhaps dealing with it in the future is the better alternative to a disaster in the present."

"It is as we'd call it back on Earth, a Catch 22. Regardless, I know you'll make the right call, whatever that may be," Graham restated his confidence in her.

"Thank you," Lindy said, as she took the aroma of the tea once more. Hopefully, she would make the right call.

-0-0-23-0-0-

"I think we can call it there then." Yoshizawa let out one last breath while she shook out some of the fatigue in her muscles.

"Thanks as always. Are you holding up okay though?" Ren asked as he tried to stabilize his breathing back down.

"Holding up would be an understatement. I'm actually doing my best to hold back and not do even more," she said, her fists pumping with energy. "I can't even remember the last time I felt so good."

"I thought you were a bit more enthusiastic today compared to the previous sessions," Morgana noted as he popped his head out of the bag that sat on the nearby bench.

"Yeah, awakening to my Persona has done me wonders. I not only slept really well last night, but I also woke up completely energized. It's like a whole new me… well I still have a bit to go until I'm back to where I was with my gymnastics, but now it feels like it will happen much sooner rather than later. And I mean really soon."

"That's great to hear," Ren said now that his heart rate was almost back to normal. "Just don't push yourself. Don't want all that energy to go to waste."

"Yup, which is why we're stopping here, even though I want to keep going. Trust me, I know that proper exercise doesn't just require pushing yourself, but also proper rest. Speaking of rest though, Senpai, did you eat anything this morning?" Ren shook his head.

"Nope, I'm all empty." He didn't have time to eat in the first place. He suddenly received a text before the sun had even come up from her about working out. Because he was worried what might happen, he scrambled to meet up with her.

"Perfect!" She said with delight as she walked over to her bag, bending over to grab whatever was inside. "Because I brought this!" In her hands was a box wrapped in a cloth. "Tadaa! I had time this morning, so I whipped up a little post workout meal. I even made enough for Morgana too."

"Oh? Well thank you," Ren said as they both sat down on the bench while Yoshizawa undid the cloth and separated the layers of the bento box. Ren raised an eyebrow at the amount though, even as he was handed a smaller portion.

"Is some of that your lunch Yoshizawa-san?" Morgana asked as a box of sushi was placed in front of him. He lost himself at that moment and just dug in.

"Oh no that's separate, all of this is my breakfast. I might have a bit of a larger than average appetite…" she said with a blush. Ren was unsure of how to answer, as his appetite could match, but he still didn't know how to react to someone else with a similar stomach size. The last time he saw as such was at that theatre, and even then he didn't participate. Though he wanted to.

"Well I guess that makes sense for an athlete," he was finally able to reply. "You made all of this though?" He said once he opened his box to find a delicious looking traditional Japanese meal. Looking over he saw that Yoshizawa had a similar meal, just of greater proportion while Morgana's was… already halfway gone, but at least he seemed to enjoy the sushi if the moans and stretching was of any indication.

"When I was more active, I used to cook all of my meals. I did so to be more in control of what I ate and to more easily regulate my diet. I stopped at some point because… well… my slump also started to affect my ability to cook. I just didn't have the energy to keep going."

"I'm glad you're feeling better then," Ren said as he picked up the chopsticks.

"Me too… well? Tell me what you think?" Ren looked down to see Morgana halfway into a food coma. Shrugging his shoulders, he dug in.

"Hmm!" He let out as he chewed. It was a bit lightly flavored, but it was actually really good. It wasn't too heavy on the stomach, but it still felt satisfying to eat. Maybe he should ask what she did later.

"I'm guessing based on your reaction that it didn't turn out a disaster then?" She asked, though a bit of tremble could be heard in her voice.

"Yeah. It's pretty good. The light flavor is perfect for an after-workout meal. I can see a lot of high protein low fat stuff in here."

"I'm glad you noticed. I considered your body type and exercise volume when I was making it. The chicken and eggs are to help with fatigue, and there are some beans in there too on brown rice. Um… I hope this isn't too much, is it?" Yoshizawa caught herself, realizing she might have become a bit overbearing.

"No it's great. Thank you," Ren told

"That's a relief. To tell you the truth, this isn't just the first time I've cooked in a long time, this is also the first time I've cooked for someone outside of my family. I initially thought I'd do something like make it curry flavored, but I decided to err on the side of caution, and just go with something normal." Ren was glad. As much as he liked curry, he wouldn't be sure what he'd do with himself if this otherwise normal looking meal were curry flavored.

"If you want, I can make it for you next time," she said with her hands clapped together.

"That's okay. I make a lot of curry at home already, so maybe you can try something else?" Ren stopped her.

"Oh okay, well if you have any requests, feel free to ask, okay?"

"Sure." He made a note to ask for something normal. At least that ends up well.

"Senpai?" He heard Yoshizawa call. "I really did want to thank you for everything you've done for me. I know I keep saying this, but ever since I met you, my whole life's turned around for the better. Every day I feel more and more like myself again. If there's anything I can do to help you, please let me know. And in exchange, I hope you can keep helping me."

"Of course."

"Oh, and don't hold back to ask me if you want help with that." It took him a second to realize she was referring to Phantom Thief stuff.

"If anything happens, sure. Just don't count on it." Yeah the magical girl stuff might be a bit much for now. "As I said business has been slow."

"I know, but hey if that ever changes, I'm free to help. Anyways let's dig in for real now!"

"Let's…" The meal actually was pretty good. Thank god she held off on the curry flavor.

-0-0-23-0-0-

Lotte caried stacks of books above her arms as she floated towards where she last saw Yuuno. The Infinity Library they were in was a vast, unorganized archive, probably the largest in existence, carrying knowledge from every world, as far back as one could conceivably imagine. In such a space, there was no gravity, as it would limit the available area to which records could be stored. As such, one could find themselves turned around and upside down if they weren't careful. Luckily in her case, the stationary ferret boy and his magic circle served good enough as a beacon.

"Are you really reading all of that at once?" she asked as she put the books in an area near the boy. Yuuno had multiple books opened around him, held in place by magic as indicated by the glowing circle beneath him. And those were just the ones that were open, there were several more scattered in the air that he was either already done with or was going to read soon.

"Of course, it's a bit taxing, but the time it saves is worth it," he replied, a bit of struggle in his voice. "Hey if you don't mind me asking, you and Aria-san were part of the previous incident regarding the Book of Darkness correct? According to Chrono, you saw what happened, right?"

"Yeah well, it was eleven years ago. Gosh I can't believe it even when I say that," she said as she wistfully recounted the years, only to receive the same result.

"So is it true that Chrono's father was killed in the incident?" Yuuno asked. He couldn't broach the topic the topic with the young man in question, so this was the next best thing. Perhaps this would help his research in some way.

"Yes… Clyde-san, Chrono's father," Lotte quickly added. "He was transporting the Book of Darkness. We had assumed it was completely sealed so we had our guard down and were treating it more as a day of leisure than anything else. Aria and I were spending the day with Father and didn't expect things to go so wrong." Yuuno assumed that Father referred to their master, but he didn't say anything.

"There was nothing we could do… Before we knew it, Clyde-san was going down with the ship." Yuuno didn't dare say anything more, the girl's expression being enough to tell him that there was nothing he could add. He returned to the books. The answer had to be somewhere in there. He didn't want any of his friends to share that expression.

-0-0-23-0-0-

"Again, thanks so much for stopping by the hospital today, Ren-kun," Maruki said as he and the young man relaxed back into their seats now that the lion's share of the discussion had passed. Ren received a text from him during school that day and decided that since he had nothing better to do, why not help Maruki out.

"No problem, it's always interesting to hear what you have to say. The cookie thing with perception was really interesting too," Ren replied, though he still stood by the idea that a cookie was a cookie.

"Glad to hear that. Though if you'll allow me a bit more of your time, I'd like to hear your opinion on something a little less professional," Maruki pushed his glasses up as he said as such.

"Uh, sure? What is it?" Ren said, unable to think of what Maruki might ask of him.

"What's your opinion about the Phantom Thieves of Heart?" Ren's were about to shoot open, but he did everything he could to keep from any sudden movements. Instead he opted to blink, trying to mimic a look of surprise and intrigue, rather than caution and suspicion. He heard his bag rustle, but he placed a hand on it to placate its resident.

"A bit of a surprise huh? I realize it's a bit late to the party, a whole year in fact, but I still have a bit of an academic interest in their activities."

"I guess I just have to wonder why," Ren started, his attention now squarely placed upon the doctor.

"Well then let's start at just the definition. The Phantom Thieves of Heart were described as the ones who 'steal the desires' of criminals to force them to confess," Maruki clinically explained.

"That sounds about right." Ren held back a much longer reply.

"Yes well, there's this gut feeling I have that my research and the work of the Phantom Thieves' are rooted in the same principle. So to that end I decided to reanalyze them from my own perspective, even though they have disappeared from public view."

"And how has it gone?" Ren goaded, though he was unsure if should have.

"Well, I've come to focus more so on the matter of their methods. They used calling cards if I recall correctly, sending them out to their targets and explicitly using the words 'Steal your desires'. I've spent time trying to think of a way could perform such a feat, but what about you? Do you have any ideas as to how that may be possible?"

"Well…" Maruki has helped him so much but telling him about the thieves was something he was unsure of. Ren wracked his brain but came to a decision within seconds. Maruki wanted to help people, and that alone was worth his trust. "If it's stealing, doesn't that mean removal or something?"

"Hmm, removing them… As if they're something material rather than abstract? Does that mean the desires would have tangible form then? Well in that case, with a physical proxy for human desire it would be possible. Desires have a way of distorting the way we perceive reality." Maruki sat up as he continued.

"Remember when you came to me about that problem you had? It seems to me that the desire of both groups distorted their view of reality, placing them in a position where they then crafted a reality where a compromise was not possible."

"That makes sense. It's also like the cookie experiment you talked about today, where the change in desire changed the way people perceived the taste of cookies."

"You got it! While desires are something not easily perceived, they have a tremendous effect on our cognition. In turn though, if that desire is gone, the cognitive perception of things will revert back to normal. Does that sound like anything?"

"… It sounds like a change of heart," Ren answered once the proverbial lightbulb lit up.

"Exactly. If that's the case then the basis of my theory is that their theft of desire is not metaphorical but something more direct. Of course I still can't place how though. That's the main bottle neck at this point. I'm missing something, but I just can't figure it out. If I could just find it then…"

The place… there was such a place. Ren knew of it of course, the place known as the collective unconscious. The place where Mementos was, where palaces were, and where the Velvet Room was. It was where everyone's hearts were connected. It was the place they changed the world. He just had to tell him, but his aid from before wasn't enough. He had to know why.

"Why all this research?"

"Huh?" Maruki jerked up, his glasses falling a bit as a result.

"Why study all this? What is that you want out from all this?" Ren asked, now placing the entirety of his focus on Maruki.

"Why I'm doing this… well…" Maruki pondered, humming as he did so. Then he sat back into his seat and stared at the ceiling and pondered some more. It had been a long time since he had to articulate it, but time did not dull those feelings. When he felt ready to explain, he huffed and nodded before sitting forward again, facing Ren head on.

"In deepening our understanding of the heart, I want to find a means of helping those who have been hurt by traumas…" Maruki began. "If you don't mind me prying a bit, do you know a Hayate Yagami? She's one of our patients here, and I've worked with her a bit in the past."

"I do. I'm sort of a family friend," Ren said, and he hoped he could say that with more confidence soon.

"If you're wondering, I saw you with Signum-san one time, and so I assumed you might have been acquainted. Any who, if you're familiar with them, then you know of Hayate-chan's circumstances yes?"

"Her life hasn't been easy," Ren affirmed with a nod.

"No it hasn't. Losing her parents at such a young age, and paralysis as well. If not for her guardians, she'd be all alone, and she was for a while before they arrived. Yet you wouldn't hear that from the girl herself. She won't voice that pain, and it's not because she can't, but because it's normal for her. This is a painful, cruel, bitter world, and her being in that state is proof enough of that. No child should ever be placed in that situation or to think that's normal."

"You're right…"

"And then that's not even the end of it. Hayate-chan's situation is just one of possibly billions, of people not even half as strong as her. There are people who can't even voice their pains for others to hear, and no one able to help them. Working as a counselor for as long as I have has only made it even more obvious as time goes on." Ren couldn't say anything, in a way he felt a bit naïve. Yes, they did save the world a year ago, but after that? Things returned to how they were, and what they returned to was not the prettiest thing. Better than the alternative, but even so…

"I just think our current way of doing things… it just isn't enough," Maruki continued. "Deep down, I don't think it's enough to only help the people around me, just these few people out of billions. I want to help as many people as I can to overcome their suffering. That's why I'm working as hard as I can Ren-kun, to find a way to do just that." And perhaps he needed to work hard as well then, he just needed to be careful with his words.

"Even so there's that bottle neck." He needed to steer the conversation.

"Yes, that bottle neck. If only there was a place of such cognitions…" Maruki mused, to Ren's delight. There was his opening.

"What if they were connected though?"

"Huh?"

"Isn't there like a collective unconscious or something?" Ren hoped that was all Maruki needed.

"The… that's it!" Maruki slammed the table and stood from his seat. "Whoops sorry! But you're right! The collective unconscious. If people's hearts are connected in the unconscious, and their senses shared subconsciously…! And if the Phantom Thieves had a means of manifesting it physically like desires… It's so simple! Why didn't I realize it before? Yes this is it! If I can combine this with my current theory then…" Maruki turned around, grabbing his bag, he took out a pencil and notebook and began to jot something down.

"Is everything alright?" Ren asked, looking over to see Maruki furiously writing words at a pace he didn't think possible.

"More than alright! It's just… I don't even know if I can even put it into words. It's like a fog has been finally lifted from my eyes." Maruki wrote for just a couple more seconds before putting it down. "I have to get to this as soon as I can while it's still fresh in my mind."

"No problem, I'll get out of your hair then." Before Ren could even get out of his seat however, Maruki grabbed on to his hands.

"Thank you Ren, and sorry to kick you out so suddenly," Maruki apologized.

"It's alright, I'm used to that sort of thing with one my friends. Once she gets going, she's impossible to stop." Though getting Futaba going on anything she didn't care for though? Good luck with that.

"Thank you for being so understanding. I don't know if I'll ever be able to really tell you just how much you've helped me. Thank you Ren… just… Thank you." Ren saw tears form at the edge of the man's eyes. He froze, unable to come up with anything to say. "When I'm finished with this, let's celebrate, it will be my treat. It's the least I can do for you, for all you've done."

"Alright, sure," Ren answered, not wanting to dampen the mood.

"Then it's a deal! I'll let you know when I've got it all squared away. For now, I hope you'll excuse me. I've got a paper to finally finish."

"Good luck," Ren rooted for him as Maruki fumbled his belongings, causing Ren to wince as the doctor rushed out of the room with poor balance. He could hear a nurse in the distance saying something about running, but it was too distant to make out the details.

"Do you think it was wise to tell him that?" Morgana asked as he popped out of the bag.

"He wants to help people, more than what we could have done with that information," Ren both explained and admitted. "Better it be used by someone who wants to do good, rather than for it to rot away forever."

"That's true… I'll trust your judgment on this Ren. Besides, for all his bumbling about, I think he's a good guy too. Perhaps it was the right call to help him. It will be a much better use of that information than Shido's anyhow."

"Yeah…" Perhaps that research could finally be used for good.

"Ren, can you hear me?" Ren looked around, only to find he and Morgana were still the only ones in the room. Said feline also seemed a tad confused. "It's me Nanoha! We've got an emergency! Please meet us at Fate's apartment!" Looks like he'll have his work cut out for him.

-0-0-23-0-0-

Ren couldn't help but be reminded of the first few times he'd been to Futaba's room. The makeshift command center was dark, save for the monitors which lit up the room with information that he couldn't really parse. Not that he needed to really since the focus was on the main monitor which had most of the Knights on full display. Signum, Vita, and Zafira were in a dessert area of some sort, though Shamal was missing for whatever reason. The three appeared to be fighting beasts. If he had to guess why, then probably for pages. Though it seemed that even with their teamwork, they were still struggling.

He looked over to see Nanoha and Fate watching Amy clack away at the computer, while Arf hung in Fate's arms while being in puppy form. Morgana sat over his shoulder as always. Chrono, Yuuno, and Lindy were still at the TSAB HQ, and all other personnel were elsewhere. Now might be the time.

"Fortunately," Amy started. "It looks deserted, and they haven't noticed us yet so that gives us a bit of time. The bad news though, is that we'll need every bit of that extra time because it will take over forty-five minutes to organize our agents to get over there and set up barriers."

"And you have three powerful agents already here," Ren interjected. "Send Fate, Nanoha, and Arf to the scene. That will at least allow us to engage and distract them in one-to-one confrontations, and probably keep them there for long enough for the rest of our manpower to arrive."

"Well, yes that makes sense," Amy agreed, a little relived she didn't have to make a decision, as the technically highest in power. The girl swung around in her chair to face them. "Is this alright with you three?" Amy asked the three of them.

"Yes, that's fine," Fate was the first to answer.

"No problem. I'd hate to just sit around and do nothing anyway," Arf spoke right after.

"I trust Ren's judgment. And besides, I want to be out there too," Nanoha was last to affirm.

"Then it's settled. Head down to the transporter in five minutes. Ren can you handle it? It's just like I taught you. If you follow my instructions, then it shouldn't be a problem," Amy requested, to which Ren answered with only a nod. "Great! I'll continue to monitor the situation for any changes." She turned back around on the monitors to do god knows what. Ren certainly didn't know.

"Come on!" Nanoha and the others were already almost out of the room. With an amused huff, Ren followed them.

"So this is it then?" Morgana whispered to him.

"Seems like it."

"Ren? What is it?" Fate asked as they walked down the hall towards the transporter room.

"I'll be taking part in the battle today," Ren told them candidly now that Amy was out of earshot. "I'll show up as an ambush during the fight, or if something goes wrong. I'll try to signal you all over comms when we're about to come in if I can."

"I see. That's great to hear, but if possible, please don't interfere when I'm fighting Signum-san, okay?" Fate asked him.

"I'll try to avoid it if I can," Ren replied, though he shrugged to show that there would be no guarantees.

"Wait, hold on! You're going into battle?" Arf yelped in surprise. It seems she hadn't been informed yet.

"What, the little lady doggie was kept out of the loop?" Morgana taunted.

"I just forgot to tell her. That's all," Fate answered in Arf's place as she held a hand over Arf's mouth which was struggling to say something past her master's fingers. "We'll tell you later Arf, so please just settle down for now." That was enough to placate the orange wolf.

"Same thing with me Ren. If you see me fighting Vita, I'd like it if you wouldn't get in my way either," Nanoha added, her excitement clear to see in her eyes. A wry smile invaded his lips.

"Alright, alright you little battle maniacs," Ren said while he waved his hand about. Fate and Nanoha were unsure of how to take his descriptor, but they didn't have time to quibble about it now. "Still though, I really do need to show up for my plans to work, so forgive me for anything that might happen okay?" Afterall, if all goes well, maybe they won't have to fight anymore.

-0-0-23-0-0-

The giant shelled worm fell, crashing into the sands below with a thunder that deafened its surroundings. However even with all the dust that kicked into the air from impact, the worm's massive size still allowed it to be visible. Signum gathered herself, trying to catch her breath as she confirmed the new pages. Only two were added. A pitiful amount, but that was to be expected.

"Vita, Zafira, how are you both holding up?" She asked after putting the book away.

"We're fine, just give me a second and we can start looking for another," Vita answered, panting with her hands on her knees. Zafira for his part only opted to grunt his response, but Signum knew it to mean that he was also fine. He had minor wounds on his body, but a bit of healing magic would do the trick. Taking just one more deep breath, Signum began preparations for another search. "Behind you!"

"Huh?" Signum turned to see another worm, different from the one they defeated barreling towards her, its maw wide and poised to devour her. "Dammit!" Signum raised her sword, but she wasn't sure if she could stop it. The others were behind her, and if she moved out of the way, then they'd be the ones eaten. She'd have to at least divert it. However she didn't have to go through her decision.

"Thunder Blade" At the sound of a voice from somewhere, lightning in the form of giant swords fell from the sky, piercing the worm every which way. It let out a death cry as it followed its brethren to the ground. The coloration and voice already informed Signum as to who had arrived, but even so, she looked up just to be sure. Indeed, above them were the TSAB agents, three young ladies who hovered proudly.

"If you're waiting for a thank you, don't waste your time," Signum told the blonde girl who was collecting herself after her spell.

"Here to get in our way again?" Vita practically growled, her vitriol targeted mainly at Nanoha, though it was strong enough to be felt by the others.

"I mean that is our jobs," Arf jumped in, instead of Nanoha. The wolf familiar's smile grew when she saw the diminutive knight's scowl worsen. "Isn't that right Fate?"

"Yup, stopping villains is a job we take very seriously," Fate agreed, as Bardiche's blade flared out.

"Villain? I guess that is what we are…" Signum said, resigned to the designation. She had nothing to refute after all. History was clear as to what they were, and what they had done. She carefully loaded her device, making sure it was out of view as she did so. Once it was replenished, she brandished her blade.

"Wait! We don't have to fight!" Nanoha shouted, but a second later someone else shouted right back.

"Oh Shut up! Nano-something or whatever!" Vita yelled back, her tone dismissive and annoyed.

"Wha-? It's Nanoha! Na-no-ha!" The girl complained right back again but took a deep breath before she continued. She at least had their attention. "We may have come here to stop you, but it doesn't have to be that way. Signum-san, Zafira-san, Vita-chan…" Their eyes each glowered upon hearing their names so suddenly.

"Hmm?" Signum hummed low while Zafira remained silent.

"Instead, you can tell us what's wrong. There's always a chance that we can help you. You just have to tell us," Nanoha pleaded to them, in as soft and gentle a tone she could muster.

"I thought I told you to shut it! Like I'd ever believe anything a TSAB crony would have to say!" Vita fired back again, her anger only growing as each second passed.

"But I'm not part of the TSAB. I'm a civilian helper," Nanoha continued undeterred. "Please, it doesn't have to be this way." Not even Ren knew why they needed to fill the Book of Darkness. However he didn't believe it was for no reason, and Nanoha believed in that. All she needed was a chance. "We might be able to help you, you just have to trust us."

"Enough!" Signum interjected, her voice cutting clear across the desert. "That's quite enough…" she said again, this time with more calm in her voice. "We have a mission to fulfill, and we will not stop until it is done. There is nothing more to discuss."

"But- Kya!" Something exploded right next to Nanoha, knocking her off balance for just a bit before she reoriented herself and erected a barrier to prevent further attacks.

"You heard Signum! The time for talk is over!" Vita continued her onslaught, using her hammer to knock more and more magic towards the brunette.

"Nanoha! Huh? Hngh!" Fate was only barely able to block the attack in time, but Signum's blade was heavy, grinding against Bardiche's shaft.

"You haven't slowed a single bit. Every time we clash, I wish we could have been able to fight with more leisure, but alas…" Signum kicked Fate away, and as her opponent went flight, her blade separated into segments, that flew towards the Blonde agent. Seeing this, Fate redirected her trajectory towards the ground, rolling and tumbling as she hit the sand.

"Haken Saber!" She threw a crescent of energy between the ever-growing chain of blades that surrounded her straight towards their master. "Blitz Rush!" She continued as she seemed to disappear from sight. Signum flew to the ground to follow as well as dodge the oncoming attack, but upon reaching the ground-

"Hya!" Fate reappeared above her, her device poised to strike.

"Won't be enough!" Signum created a barrier in front of her and caught Fate's strike. "You'll have to try harder!" She yelled as she threw Fate back. Even as she flew Fate prepared another spell. The battle was far from over.

Elsewhere, Arf clashed with Zafira, where fist met fist, and blows were parried one after the other.

"Guardian beasts don't just blindly follow orders. If their masters stray, it is their duty to put them back on the right path. Yet here you are, not only allowing your master's errors to fester, but making your own as well!" Arf said as she sent another right hook at her opponent. Zafira blocked it with his forearm, only to send a kick right back that was blocked just as easily.

"The purpose of the knights is to fully empower the Book of Darkness, and then protect the master. However our master has no knowledge of our activities."

"What? The hell is that? How does the master of the Book of Darkness not know what's going on?" Arf asked as she broke off and redoubled with another strike.

"That is not something we are obligated to answer!" Zafira yelled back as he charged his fist and met the Arf's attack head on, and explosion erupting and covering them in smoke.

"Zafira!" Vita yelled as she saw the explosion, whilst dodging fire from her own opponent.

"I'm alright," Vita heard Zafira send her over comms. "But this situation is slowly turning for the worse. We're not in prime condition, while they're just getting started. We need to make a retreat now."

"I've contacted Shamal already. She's coming over as we speak and should be here soon to get us out of here," Signum followed up as she parried another strike, her muscles were beginning to ache from each clash.

"I hope she gets here soon. This Nano-something girl's a bit of an issue…" Vita growled as she tried to find the girl again. Nanoha flew high up into the sky when they weren't looking, and was now bombarding them from high above, way farther than most conventional magic was capable of. In way she was lucky that she was her only target, but how long that luck would last was unclear. Then she heard something like chains rustle.

"Huh? Kya!" Nanoha screamed as a binding magic grabbed her even from so high up in the sky, causing her to plummet towards the ground.

"Nanoha!" Fate called as she saw the scene play out, only for chains to suddenly wrap around her as well. "AAHHH!"

"Master! Hey! Woah!" Then Arf was ensnared, and the three of them were pulled together in a single place, chained by the same magic. The three knights were left dumbfounded by the display, however any speculation they could have had was preemptively cut as a man in a white suit and mask stood upon the ground, chains clasped in his hand.

"It's you…" Signum scowled at the new addition to the battlefield.

"Who's that…" Nanoha asked as she looked at the masked man. That wasn't Ren. The hair, the build, even the posture was nothing like Ren's.

"I don't know. I think that might be the one who attacked Chrono last time," Fate offered her tentative explanation. Even while doing so, she still made sure to keep an eye on the rest of the knights for any movements.

"These chains are tough… what the hell? I can't break through this…" Arf said as she struggled against the chains both physically and magically. She was making headway, but it was too slow for her liking.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" The masked man asked the knights, finally getting rid of any final doubts Nanoha had that this person wasn't Ren, as the voices sounded nothing alike. "Go ahead. You need the pages don't you?"

"What is that you have to gain from helping us?" Signum asked, not even bothering to look at the now chained TSAB Agents and Civilian help. She waited to hear an answer, as she held her hand out to signal to Vita and Zafira to stand by. But as the seconds passed and the stranger remained silent, it became clear that no such answer would come to them. Instead when he finally spoke, it was as vague as she thought it would be.

"If you're not going to, then allow me to do the honors then," The masked man began to float up towards the chained girls. The knights were stuck, unsure if they should stop him, or let him be. They watched as he slowly made his way up. Even as he approached though, Nanoha, Fate, and Arf didn't lose their temperament. They maintained vigilance even as magic began to form in his hand. It wasn't enough to affect them. What followed however, was.

"OUT OF THE WAAAAAAAAY!" They all heard from above, and as if on cue, something black appeared to be falling from out of the sky. "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"What?" Was all the masked man could let out as a… bus… dropped down from out of nowhere, ramming through his chains that hung in the air as it unceremoniously plummeted by at terminal velocity. He dived out of the way, dismissing his magic so as not to be dragged by the chains that caught on to the vehicle. In turn, Nanoha and the others were freed while they saw the bus finally plant itself into the ground with an almost comical thud. Nanoha though wondered why the voice sounded so familiar... also is that a cat tail on the back end of the bus? It also looked familiar.

"Oooww…" the bus moaned? It rolled around as if it were a sentient being before finally popping out of the sand and ending right side up. "That is the last time I'm going in the air like that! Do you hear me! Last time we are ever doing that!" Nanoha, Fate, and Arf all looked at each other in confusion. That was Morgana's voice, they all realized. But why was it coming out of that bus?

The knights looked on with just as much confusion. Why did an Earth bus suddenly fall from out of the sky? Why was it talking? Why did it have cat ears and a tail? Just what was going on? Questions flooded their heads, but they maintained vigilance as they waited to see what was going on and hopefully gain answers in the process.

"Come on, no more complaining we got a job to do," A different voice echoed out of the bus. One that sent delight through one side, and a painful omen to the other.

"Fine, but we're going to have a talk after this…" was the last the bus muttered as the door finally swung open.

"My apologies, ladies and gentlemen, but I hope you'll forgive us for being late," Joker announced as he strode out of the bus with his arms spread out in a showman like fashion to capture everyone's attention.

"Joker!" Nanoha cried excitedly, forcing herself to keep from saying his real name. An equally as excited gasp escaped from Fate's lips as she also looked just as ecstatic to see the young man.

"You're late! Where's Mona?" Arf asked with a joking tone, her voice almost breaking out into a small bit of laughter.

"I'm right here. Can't you see me?" The bus hopped into the air and with an almost cartoonish poof, became replaced with a mascot looking cat thing. "There! Now do you recognize me?"

"Wait since when could you do that?" Arf cried out when she saw something she couldn't even begin to explain by herself. There was no magic she knew of that could turn a cat into a bus.

"Later! We have a job to do. Isn't that right Joker?" Mona waved Arf's complaints away as he turned towards his partner in crime. Joker nodded as he turned his attention towards the knights. It was go time… but he was a bit unsure of how to start. He eyed the knights one by one, though the distance made it difficult to see any details. As he did so, someone else took the initiative to speak.

"Joker… is that some sort of codename?" Signum was the first to speak up among her allies. There was much more that she wanted to ask, but she held her tongue. She had a mission to complete. If was going to get in her way, then so be it.

"So you really are part of the TSAB too…" Vita's throat became scratchy as her eyes watered. She wiped her face before anything could truly come of it. She knew in her heart that this was probably the case, but it still hurt to really see it. Zafira stayed silent, but his palms tightened enough that he had to consciously hold back so as not to injure them.

"Not exactly Vita. I'm not really big on being part of something like the TSAB, so I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't associate me with them entirely," Joker corrected her, but it only added to the girl's confusion. She did feel a measure of relief though with his denial of being with the TSAB, but she shook it away when she remembered everything else.

"So you don't identify as a mage of the TSAB then? Your signature is rather unique. Are you instead some sort of modern knight?" Signum probed as she looked up and down what appeared to be his barrier jacket, though it didn't feel like one.

The all-black ensemble was certainly stylish, and the red gloves and mask drew her eye. What was the point of the mask though? It barely covered his face. Below that, on his neck seemed to be the device, a black jewel in the shape of a wing. None of his clothes looked anything like what a knight would wear, nor a mage for that matter. However his magic signature felt unusual, and unlike any she'd felt before. She didn't know a way to describe it other than existent.

"I'm not some knight in shining armor either, sorry to say. No I'm something else entirely." Signum's patience began to wear thin, not that the circumstances allowed for much to begin with. She held on only because it was someone she once cared for.

"Fine then. If you're not a Mage or a Knight, then what are you?" Signum asked, wanting a single definitive answer. She just wanted to know from now on how she was to treat him.

"That's simple. I'm a Phantom Thief!"


Author's Note:

Half the chapter for building stuff for later, the other half for progressing what's now. I hope I struck a decent balance. Now it's time for Ren to get his plan into action and confront the knights. What his plan is? Well that's left for next time. By my calculations, I should have A's done before chapter 28 at the very latest. With Scramble coming out soon, I can play that for myself and see what I can do with it.

Anyways, I had to rearrange some scenes because visual mediums do cuts very differently from text, so a one-to-one transfer of anime to writing is not advised. However I think I stitched together something that's generally still a good read as an adaptation of those scenes for the pacing of a written story. Expect things to get a bit crazier and perhaps a bit weirder soon. I've already got everything planned out for what to do for the rest of A's and how I plan to play with some things too. Look forward to it.

As always, I hope you had a good time. Let me know what you thought, and hopefully I'll see you guys again soon. Have a great rest of your day and take care.