Power of Time
Chapter 02
I don't own Nanoha! If I did, the dub wouldn't have been as ghastly! .
I apologize for the time between updates and I hope you like this chapter!
Nanoha quivered like a leaf in a storm as unchecked power flooded through her in a manner reminiscent of electricity.
It's like I'm waking from a dream Nanoha thought to herself as she slowly flexed a glove-covered hand with the other hand grasping Raising Heart firmly. Everything is so much more vibrant. I feel so much more…me she thought and ignored the slightly ridiculous nature of the comment. Given that she was used to reading the cards, Nanoha had accepted the idea of magic from an age when most were mastering reading. But the power that blazed within her now made the faint tingle that infused her with each reading of the cards a mere flicker of a candle in the wind.
Taking a more measuring glance at herself, Nanoha catalogued the things that had escaped her the first time and with each thing noticed, she acted.
Resting on her right hip was a card-holder with no obvious clasp. Reaching into her backpack and opening the tin, Nanoha slid the cards into the holder and they fit perfectly. They weren't squashed at all and yet they were held firmly in the grip of what seemed to be a leather holding case. Closing the flap that would cover the cards, she gave a small start when a spark issued from her fingertip and sealed the cards away safely.
On her left shoulder was a blank spot of white. Typically on a uniform that had white as one of the primary colours it wouldn't be noticed but it was how it was blank that drew attention. A circle made the space blank instead of just another part of her uniform. Ringing that circle were three more. The first was a deep red with flecks of orange through it. Then came a light blue, almost aqua in colour but a bit deeper into the spectrum to be that colour. Then came a grey circle and finally a brown circle. Each ring was barely a millimetre in width with the actual blank space being approximately five centimetres in diameter.
Reaching up and touching it, she felt latent energy within it. But she also felt from it that it would be a while before she divined its purpose.
Hefting the staff and staring at it, she was brought up short in her examination of it by Yuuno's shout of warning.
Snapping her head up, she saw the beast rocketing towards her. It had dug its clawed tentacles into the asphalt and thrown itself forward in an effort to boost its velocity.
Closing her eyes, Nanoha sought inside herself for something…anything to protect herself.
Tutorial initiated.
Nanoha blinked as within her mind, the red crystal hovered before.
Tutorial Program Initiated
Intelligent Device "Raising Heart" is in Mode 1. Further Mode's Unknown
Mode 1 Designation: Energy Shields
Shield 1: Barrier
Rank: C+ Directional Deflection Shield
Special notes: Used in conjunction with Barrier Blast. When all four runes on the Barrier glow blue, Barrier Blast may be activated.
Invocation Method: The user must raise their hand toward the source of the attack and will a shield into being. Those who have studied may raise the shield with no gesture and will alone.
Barrier Blast
Rank: B. Directional Energy Shockwave
Special notes: Designed to act after the Barrier has been overwhelmed, Barrier Blast when used collapses the shield to a zero point before releasing the absorbed kinetic or magical energy in a direction of the invoker's choosing.
Invocation Method: The user makes a fist with the same hand that raised the shield before unclasping her hand, signalling the containment magic to disengage. The absorbed kinetic or magical energy then explodes in the same direction as the shield. Designed as a close-range attack.
Nanoha absorbed all the information like a fresh sponge being immersed in water for the first time. Some of the words she didn't understand like kinetic and zero point. But she understood most of it.
Tutorial Ended. Have a nice day.
The last comment made Nanoha smile a bit since she had often heard the same phrase uttered by convenience store clerks or people in fast-food joints.
Looking at the monster rocketing towards her, Nanoha raised her hand and willed a shield into being.
Yuuno had feared that Nanoha had frozen up when she closed her eyes and not moved an inch in the second that passed before her eyes opened. He had been preparing to give his life to save her when she raised her palm toward the beast.
A moment later and his eyes bugged out as a shield irised into being a few centimetres from Nanoha hand. Such was the power being thrown into it that static electricity arced off the shield and played across the ground like the fingers of a curious child. It was silent and there was no roar of magic as one would expect in this situation.
And that made it all the more impressive to Yuuno. Aside from the light crackling of the static electricity and the smell of ozone, there was no noise from the shield.
That changed a moment later when the monster slammed into it like a small meteor.
Nanoha watched in awe as the monster crunched into her shield. There was no other word to describe it for she could hear the sound of…things being crushed and broken as the monster slammed into it…and couldn't break it.
Nanoha watched two runes glow blue and she recalled the instructions for Barrier Break.
Two more runes and I can see what Barrier Break is she thought to herself. As the monster leapt back with shards of shadow dripping to the ground and evaporating into a mist, Nanoha could see it had learnt from the initial assault. Beginning to prowl around at a distance, Nanoha somehow knew what was going to happen next. It was barely a seconds warning if that yet it was enough for her to act.
Instead of lunging forward again, at least thirty razor-edged tentacles shot out from its body. Each of the appendages was thinner than paper but their sharpness was proven to be greater than that of a knife when one idly touched the cement wall behind the monster…and left a six-inch deep groove in it.
How am I supposed to block all of those? Nanoha thought worriedly. Even that split-second of precognition hadn't prepared her for all those appendages suddenly appearing.
Query accepted
Nanoha blinked as she heard Raising Heart's distinctive female voice in her mind.
To move the Barrier, place your hand at its centre with your palm flat against it. After making contact with the Barrier, will it to stick to your hand. At that point you may move the shield however you wish.
Nanoha reached forward and placed her palm against the centre of the shield, a space conspicuously devoid of any of the strange runic language inscribed on it.
Biting her lower lip as she recalled the vague instructions, she simply commanded the barrier to stick to her palm. No words passed through her mind, merely an undeniable feeling of authority and command.
Moving her hand experimentally, Nanoha watched the shield move with her hand. At first it seemed a little hesitant to move from its current plane and she had to really force her arm to move. But after it began to move it seemed more agreeable to the motion.
And it was not a moment too soon for a bare split-second later, the razor-sharp limbs shot forward with each occupying a different angle of attack.
Nanoha watched the first wave approach although wave was somewhat of a bad word to use. No, the word that would fit the attack was an assault.
Nanoha slid her stance lower like she had seen Kyoya and Miyuki do when they spared. She didn't know why they did it or what it was called but each time they did it, it took a lot more to knock them about. Holding the barrier close to her body, Nanoha knew where the first attack would come from.
Moving the barrier to her side, she was barely fast enough to block the first attack even with the advanced warning. Letting out a breath of relief as she saw four of the tentacles shatter against the barrier, Nanoha whirled almost a full half-circle and blocked the next attack with the shield leaving a smear of power in the air.
Yuuno watched in awe as Nanoha moved to intercept each attack before it was made. She had power to spare and she was throwing it at the barrier like no other mage he had seen.
At first he thought it was instinct that made her turn to counter the first attack but watching her move before the next assault had been launched nixed that theory completely.
Somehow she knows where the attack will come from…before it happens. She doesn't have much warning though he mused to himself as he watched her block again and again.
Could she possibly…have that ability?
She's clearly a defensive mage. That barrier is stronger than a lot of other shields. Stronger than my barriers by far. But her control is sloppy he thought with some clinical detachment.
And it was true.
Nanoha was throwing her magic into the shield and he could feel how much power was coursing through it. He was frankly surprised that the shield hadn't buckled under the power that had infused it as most would.
Must be her nature as a defensive mage. It's the only thing keeping it up he mused.
All magi had a particular speciality. Whilst they could learn spells from other fields, it would always be far more difficult than acquiring the ones that they were magically aligned with.
The first type of magi was an Assault Magi.
They specialized primarily in attacking although the means could differ drastically between each wielder of the art.
The second was a Defensive Magi.
As the name suggested, they excelled at defending themselves although the fields were no less varied than that of an assault magi.
I wonder what Nanoha's speciality is. She's showing aptitude for negating physical strikes but its still far too early to make a judgement.
Nanoha panted a bit as she blocked the last of the tentacles. Glancing at the barrier and placing it before her, she noticed that each of the four runes glowed a soft blue.
Alright…I can use Barrier Blast now. But Raising Heart said it was for close range. So I need to wait for it to attack me.
Whilst most would have balked at such a comment, it suited Nanoha fine. She was no attacker. By attacking, she would leave herself open to a counter-attack. In addition, it would go against her beliefs that related to knowing the future. Without knowing how this would end up, any action beyond that of a defensive one could be potentially disastrous for the future. If she was required to act then she would.
Nanoha concentrated on the images she was receiving in her mind. She knew exactly when the monster would attack.
Images was a poor term to describe what she was seeing, but it seemed the best to use.
It was a melange of sound, sight, hearing, touch and even taste yet somehow she was able to interpret it.
Almost as soon as she processed that, the monster lunged forward with one last attack, clearly intending to end it all. Even from this distance, Nanoha could feel the energy building in the beasts body as it prepared to explode on contact with her shield.
As it neared, a faint smile crossed Nanoha's face as she extended a hand.
And balled her hand into a fist.
The shield seemed to fold in upon itself like a massively complex piece of origami until all that hovered was a burning white sphere.
Even from where she stood, Nanoha could feel the energy rippling from within the singularity.
Had the monster had eyes or any other features which could convey shock, they would undoubtedly be doing so and in every possible variation.
As it drew closer on its parabolic course, Nanoha prepared to open her hand.
As it drew within five feet of the sphere, Nanoha opened her hand.
And the sphere of light erupted towards the monster.
"Barrier…BLAST!"
As the devastating blast erupted from the sphere, it seemed to move at ultrasonic speeds for as it shot towards the monster in the time it takes for the human brain to conceieve one thought, it ripped the winds into a small funnel around it.
Heat washed over Nanoha, reminding her of entering a hot spring. The torrent of luminous power slammed into the monster and ripped it apart as it flung it towards the wall. As it struck, the light seemed to blaze all the harder before it vanished and left the monster implanted in the wall.
Feeling her robes flutter with the wind that had been torn from the area surrounding her, she watched curiously as the strike evaporated.
Slowly, as if reluctant to do so, the monsters flesh began to dissolve in great tracts, revealing nothing underneath. Watching the monster be deconstructed by the forces she had unleashed, Nanoha only then remembered the ferret she had saved. Quickly glancing first to her right then left, she found it watching her curiously.
"Seal it quickly before it escapes" Yuuno urged.
Blinking, Nanoha nodded and stepped forward.
"Uh…Jewel Seed Seal" she stated but given the tone of her voice it sounded more like a question.
Ribbons of magic writhed free of Raising Heart and shot towards the jewel which hovered amidst the destruction. Wrapping around it and binding it tight, the jewel was dragged forcibly towards the large red jewel set into Nanoha's staff. A moment later and it was sucked in with the surface rippling like water the only evidence of it passing into what seemed like solid matter.
Nanoha panted quietly and smiled weakly at Yuuno.
"That was…not what I expected to be doing tonight" she murmured before freezing at the sound of sirens.
"Quick! We have to go before we're caught" Yuuno urged.
Nanoha nodded and scooped him up carefully whilst making sure not to jostle him and as such, reopen his wounds.
====
Nanoha pelted through the streets, ducking through alley-ways that she normally would have avoided for fear of people in them.
But it seemed the thunderous battle she had just engaged in had scared most of them away or they were soundly curled up underneath newspapers.
Bursting into a park that lay close to her home, Nanoha slumped onto the empty bench and continued to pant as she struggled to get her breathing back under control.
"I have to tell my mom about this" Nanoha murmured and blinked as Yuuno savagely shook his head.
"You can't! People aren't used to the concept of magic being real."
Nanoha quirked a lip up in a smile.
"How old are you, Yuuno?"
Struck dumb by the seemingly random question, he paused before answering.
"I'm ten years old."
Nanoha nodded and stayed silent for a moment as she marshalled her thoughts.
"My mother has known about magic since before you were born, Yuuno. She isn't…whatever I am."
"A mage. Whilst some people have a limited degree of talent in the magical arts, those with full command over their power are classified as magi."
Nanoha pondered that.
"I'd prefer being called a sorcerer really. It sounds more impressive."
Yuuno blinked.
"So she isn't a sorcerer like I am. But my entire family line going back centuries have been wielders of magic to some extent from what I can gather. Each female in the Takamachi blood-line has been able to use cards to foretell the future."
Yuuno frowned at her usage of the word sorcerer.
She used that word purposefully to annoy me.
"Alright, fine. You can tell her. But if she freaks out, I'm going to have to take steps."
Nanoha frowned at Yuuno but found his countenance unyielding.
"I've seen what happens when a family member can't accept another wielding such power."
His voice was tinged with pain.
Nodding, Nanoha picked him up as soon as her breathing had evened out.
====
Momoko quirked an eyebrow as Nanoha walked into the lounge-room. She wasn't hunched up as if fearing being yelled at but nor was she striding in.
If anything, she looked nervous.
"I take it you were involved in that battle I felt?"
Nanoha blinked and slowly sat down on the chair opposite Momoko. Setting Yuuno down on her knee, Nanoha nodded warily.
Moke had felt the metaphysical shockwaves from the battle and whilst not a hair on her head had moved, each shockwave had been like a sledge-hammer to her psyche. Terror, fear and an odd sense of excitement had left her drained and shaking.
"Mom…I can use magic."
Had Yuuno possessed hands instead of paws, he would have palmed his face. That said, he still tried to make a valiant effort to do so.
"I know, sweetheart. Remember the cards you drew, specifically Lightning and Shield?"
Nanoha blinked but allowed a smile to cross her face at the seeming acceptance.
"Can I hold it for a second?"
Nanoha blinked but gazed at where her hand was pointing. In her hand lay Raising Heart, cupped gently by the curved of her skin and warm to the touch.
Yuuno stayed silent through his eyes had widened with alarm.
"Um…sure" Nanoha replied and passed it gently to Momoko.
Holding it in her hand and closing her fingers about it, Momoko's eyes slowly closed whilst her eyes darted back and forth under closed lids.
After thirty seconds had passed, Momoko let out a quiet sigh and passed the crystal back.
"Do not lose that, Nanoha. It's a powerful talisman."
Nodding, Nanoha accepted it back and stayed quiet.
Momoko waited until her daughter had closed her eyes before looking directly at the ferret.
Instead of speaking, she mouthed the words.
If any harm comes to her, no force in creation will hide you from me.
Yuuno gulped.
A mage he may have been, but he was also a ten year old boy. And all ten year old boys, no matter what forces they wield, are terrified of older women who threaten them.
"Alright Nanoha. Up to bed. And don't tell anyone about any of this, alright?"
Opening her eyes, Nanoha nodded wearily and picked Yuuno up before departing upstairs.
Momoko sighed quietly and gazed at her hand when Raising Heart had lain.
I could have been a mage had my skill been awoken early. But Nanoha will do me proud. She will face challenges but I know she will overcome them.
My daughter…a sorcerer.
On her hand was a tiny burn mark, no bigger than Raising Heart. Though its size was small, it practically glowed with the energy it had unleashed upon her hand.
Only her own talents in the field of sorcery had kept it from boring a hole through her hand.
Nanoha slipped into her room and blinked in surprise at what lay beside her bed.
A small shoebox, clearly having been saved from her own shoes in the past lay there, filled with blankets and towels to form a lovely-looking nest.
Letting Yuuno slide down into the box, only then did Nanoha feel the bone-crushing tiredness that had been held at bay by the remnants of the power she had utilized.
Collapsing onto the bed and lacking the energy to change into her pyjamas, it took a mountain of effort to slide under the covers and shuck her shoes off.
"Tomorrow I'm going to have to teach you, Nanoha" Yuuno stated as he too curled up for the night.
"I have school tomorrow, Yuuno" Nanoha complained, staring up at the ceiling.
"Then you'll have to wake up early" Yuuno stated before closing his eyes.
Had Nanoha the energy, she would have screamed at the unfairness of it all before a faint smile emerged on her face.
Still, I get to learn magic. At least waking up early will get me something.
====
Nanoha dreamed.
Weird, disjointed dreams that flashed through her slumbering consciousness like an oil slick. Impossible to grasp or even to see properly but still there and tantalizingly so.
Visions of flickering flames and swelling tides duelling and clashing against the other in an apocalyptic fashion engulfed her mind. The earth swallowing tornado's only to be ripped apart by lightning.
The howls of people screamed through her mind as if a death-knell for her formerly normal life.
And for a moment, a flash of swirling blonde hair slashed through her mind, tips soaked with blood and the same-colour eyes.
Then darkness claimed her.
====
Yuuno watched Nanoha shiver and sweat in her sleep as if caught in a truly terrible fever. She thrashed and whimpered quietly as whatever had her in its grip tortured her mercilessly.
Yuuno had seen magi awaken differently. The true awakening came not when they first utilized their intelligent devices but when their body calmed down and the magic left their system.
Their body had to adapt to the new power that could flood it on demand.
And whilst the success rate was well above ninety-five percent, the rest couldn't take the enormous system shock and died.
Or things worse than death claimed then.
I'll need to wake her up early to start on the basics. First I should cover a basic understanding of magic and how to put the right amount of power into a spell. With how she was flinging power around tonight, any half-decent mage could out-last her.
And what was with her using the term sorcerer? That term was dropped from all the TSAB books two centuries ago at least.
A magi is akin to a mechanic when it comes to magic. They treat it like a tool, prizing functionality over anything else. Once they have it down pat, they don't strive or push themselves any further.
But Nanoha…she has the capability to excel. She has power in spades and unlike most in the TSAB, its new to her. She's going to be curious and want to explore it.
Yuuno allowed a tiny smile to form before he too succumbed to sleep.
Nanoha mumbled something and stirred as she felt something soft bat at her cheek. Unconsciously lifting her hand and batting at it, she turned over as it was smacked away to nestle the cheek against her pillow.
"Nanoha! Get up!"
Groggily opening her eyes and looking up, she blinked in shock at the sight of a ferret hovering over her.
"Come on, Nanoha. It's time to study."
Still staring, she pouted and glanced out the uncovered window. No light shone in except from the street lights outside her room though the sky was slowly turning blood red.
"Good morning to you too, Yuuno" Nanoha grumbled and continued staring up at him.
The red sky…bad omen. Blood will be shed this day.
"What are you waiting for? Come on!" Yuuno ordered though he couldn't hide his own enthusiasm.
"Well, unless you want to watch me changing, I'm waiting for you to leave my room" Nanoha stated calmly though her eyes had narrowed somewhat as she stared at Yuuno.
"Fine. But if you're not out of your room in five minutes, I'm coming back in" Yuuno warned before dropping onto the coverlet. Bounding off the bed and slipping through the door, Yuuno shot a suspicious glance at her before ducking around the corner.
Slumping back into her bed, Nanoha couldn't help the grin that overtook her sleep-wracked features. Rubbing her eyes and throwing the coverlet back, she swung her legs out over the edge of the bed.
Quickly standing and moving to the door, she shut it whilst staring at Yuuno as if daring him to come back in.
Shivering at the chill-laden air, Nanoha quickly pulled on a dressing gown. Fluffy-pink with five-petal flowers embossed around the hems and stepped out of her room after checking the time.
Five AM…I'm getting the feeling I'll be getting used to this before long,
Yawning and leading the way down to the dining room, Nanoha sat and stared at Yuuno.
"Well…come on. Teach me."
Yuuno frowned at her lack of enthusiasm but the slight twinkle in her eyes set him at ease.
"Alright. Get comfortable because this is going to take a while."
Nanoha wrapped the gown tightly around herself and shifted so her legs were curled up underneath herself. Nodding at him to show she was ready, Nanoha prepared herself.
"The magic you are using right now is called Mid-Childa style. It's the planet that the TSAB makes their headquarters on."
Nanoha blinked but listened.
"The TSAB is like a police force but they monitor all of time and space. Their full name is the Time Space Administration Bureau. Anyway, Raising Heart is an Intelligent Device, a magical construct designed to act as an intermediary between you and the magic at your command. It handles all the complex equations and runic symbols needed to make magic work."
Nanoha looked down at the jewel which hung around her neck before nodding.
"Each magus abo..."
"I'm a sorcerer, Yuuno. Not a magus" Nanoha interrupted, a teasing smile on her face.
"Fine. Each SORCERER get's an Intelligent Device if they test above a certain level. Those that don't have minor talents."
"Where do I fall, Yuuno? You must have rankings of some sort to know who's the strongest."
Yuuno nodded at her question.
"In terms of power, you rank within the top five percent. In terms of knowledge, most school children on Mid-Childa would know more about magic than you."
Nanoha pouted but didn't dispute the point.
"Now, defensive magic…"
====
Nanoha clambered on to the bus, head buzzing with all the information Yuuno had imparted to her.
There had been so much he had imparted and he had informed her that it was just the start!
Looking for Suzuka and Arisa but finding only empty seats where they usually waited for her, she sat heavily on her own usual seat and sighed.
"I miss them" she whispered quietly, shoulders slumped and eyes downcast.
Leaning back and trying to get her mind off the depressing subject of her missing friends, Nanoha cast her mind back to the morning and the somewhat-gruelling exercise Yuuno had put her though.
Flashback
"A magic circle is perhaps the best place to start. It's the most basic part of magic and learning about it will set you in good stead for the future" Yuuno stated, reciting almost the exact same words his own mentor had imparted to him.
Nanoha nodded quickly and continued to watch him eagerly.
"Now, the magic we use is known as the Mid-Childan style. It's called this because it originated from my home planet of Mid-Childa."
Nanoha blinked at that but accepted it. After all, when you have a talking ferret explaining magic circles, the concept he may not be from this planet didn't sound that far fetched.
"Now, call one up Nanoha. And I will explain it."
Blinking in surprise for the request was odd and certainly not one she expected, Nanoha made to draw Raising Heart out from its haven of inside her jumper.
"No. Do it on your own and without a focus. When you use Raising Heart, you tap into all of your power. Like a dam wall breaching. First you have to sense your power and know it."
Nanoha stared at him for a moment before dropping Raising Heart. Casting her mind back to the night before, of how the power had felt, she sought it within herself and closed her eyes to focus all the better.
It had felt like an ice-cold fire blazing through her. Making her entire body tingle as a new, more potent energy was chanelled through it.
And she found it, slumbering quietly like water at the bottom of a well. Raising Heart acted as a sort of bucket, bringing the power up to her.
"How do I call it up?" she inquired softly, keeping her mind on the power she had found but was out of her reach.
Yuuno would have smiled had the muscles of the ferret been made for smiling so he sufficed with nodding. Most apprentices were rash and stupid and tried to either dive in or rip it all out.
And that never ended well, for them or anyone in close proximity.
"You will it up. Just bring up a small trickle, enough to activate the circle" Yuuno instructed, jumping down onto the carpet with the same amount of noise as a feather falling.
Nanoha nodded and began to will the energy up. It wasn't the same as speaking or even thinking to herself, it was more that she wanted it and it happened.
A soft pink glow suffused her closed eyes and Nanoha opened them nervously to see the magic circle surrounding her and glowing gently.
"Very good, Nanoha. And on your first try too" Yuuno praised before walking to the edge of the circle.
"The two circles that form the perimeter of the circle are to confine the energies you call up. To focus them. If you called up all your magic right now, it would either rip you - and this house apart - or it would just scatter like mist. Magic can't exist in the material world without a focus and containment."
Nanoha paled at the idea of being ripped apart and the collateral damage she would inflict and nodded quickly.
"Next are the runes you see forming a third circle with the four circled runes at equidistant points."
Nanoha glanced down and nodded, easily picking out the two sets of runes Yuuno had mentioned.
"Between the locations of twelve o clock and 3 o clock on the array are the runes representing the laws of magic. They are simple but absolute."
Nanoha glanced up, curious.
"What it boils down to is this. 'You shalt never use magic to subvert anothers will, nor shall you use magic to intentionally cause suffering.' Another persons mind is held sacrosanct. Pain is unavoidable, whether in battle or even in using magic around the house. But it is causing pain and hurt intentionally with magic that is not tolerated."
Nanoha nodded and mentally filed that away.
"Now from three o clock to six o clock are the runes for what type of mage you ar-"
"Sorcerer" Nanoha interrupted, smiling.
Glaring at her, Yuuno continued.
"Yours say that you are a Defensive Sorcerer, A-Class. Not Yet Fully Mature."
Nanoha bristled at that and opened her mouth to retort before Yuuno shook his head.
"It means magically mature. It can often take a decade and a half to fully mature. And then you have to consider knowledge and all that."
Mollified, Nanoha nodded.
"Next comes your current spells. Over time, it will change and become more complex. Right now you know Barrier, Barrier Break, Kinesis Manipulation and a few others."
Nanoha blinked at the last one.
"Kinesis manipulation means you can alter an object in motion. You can slow a bullet or make a rock break the sound barrier for example."
"Cool..." Nanoha breathed, eyes alight.
"And finally...this part is interesting. It tells us what your magical affinities are. What kind of magic you're best that."
Now that drew Nanoha's attention like a fly to a bug-zapper.
Could Yuuno have laughed, he would have.
"It says here that your affinities are...Energy and Elemental" Yuuno stated.
Nanoha grinned from ear to ear at that.
"So I can control air, earth, fire, water and everything else?" she asked, voice fervent with anticipation.
"Now, at twelve o clock, three o clock, six o clock and nine o clock are the four scientific runes. These help to regulate and control the amount of magic you utilize. It basically frees your mind up to take care of more important tasks."
"And that brings us to the squares in the middle. One rotates clockwise and the other counter-clockwise. On the first square, each side represents one of the four main elements. Air, earth, fire and water. The second relates to energy. Each side corresponds to Energy, Matter, Dark Matter and Void."
Nanoha nodded at the last three but paused at the fourth.
"What's Void?" Nanoha asked, capitalising the V as Yuuno had done.
"Void is...the absence of everything. Its the antithesis of everything else. Each of these eight elements are what magi specialize in. The elements can be combined to form lightning, lava, ice...a whole host of things."
Nanoha nodded again, reeling it all in like a dry sponge being dunked for the first time. Glancing at the clock, her eyes flew open wide and she released the magical circle.
Yuuno blinked and was about to speak when Nanoha grabbed him and stuffed him into a fold of her jumper, keeping him silent.
And for that, Yuuno was glad. He hadn't been entirely truthful concerning her affinities. The first two had been true but he had left out the third.
Precognition...that hasn't been seen in Mid-Childa for nearly a millenia. It was a potent gift, the ability to skim the deep currents of time and pluck out the most logical of outcomes.
The moment she had done so, her father walked in and was followed closely by her mother.
"Coffee...need coffee..." Shiro moaned and stumbled towards the kitchen, looking for all the world like a typical zombie sans blood and wounds.
"Have fun?" Momoko asked, a knowing smile on her face.
Flushing, Nanoha nodded weakly.
End Flashback
Nanoha blinked open her eyes and stood up, ringing the bell with her heart thudding in her ears.
"Stop! Please stop!" she begged, running towards the front of the bus. They had just passed her stop and the next one wasn't for a few hundred meters.
"Fine, fine. Damn kids" the bus driver swore and opened the door whilst slowing.
Jumping out the door and stumbling as she hit the pavement, Nanoha pelted towards her school as her mind was filled with new thoughts.
Alrighty! There's chapter 2!
Now, I know a few of you may be a little leery of my usage of the word sorcerer. But you must admit, it sounds far more potent than mage. As the story continues, I may establish the difference between a sorcerer and a mage. Reviews are welcome!