Providence Chapter 2: New World, a magical girl lyrical nanoha fanfic

A/N: A new update, Yay! Well sorry about taking so long for the posting, between buying the new Harvest Moon for DS, and constantly debating writing format, it took longer than I intended.

As promised, this is a flip side of the coin to the previous chapter, and the second protagonist's turn to have the spotlight. I thinks it's safe to say the readers will have some depth into this world now, and since this chapter is out of the way the rest is plot progression. I miss my N/F time too, but I've learned that anticipation, properly built, makes for a more meaningful future. blah...blah…blah. Who really reads the author notes? Oh, but if you do I would like to thank the readers for their kind reviews(it truly is a writer's drug). One last thing, I checked those pictures mentioned in the reviews and…my head blew up. That was actually my first time seeing them, so you can imagine it was quite an experience. Thanks for the N/F pack in general, BPHaru, fans like me really appreciate it.

Ah! One very very last thing. I found that the language barrier was an important dynamic of the story, so anytime you see (parentheses) it means the other character is speaking a language that the perspective doesn't understand. Hope it doesn't irritate, and or confuse anyone.

Disclaimer: Don't own…happy now corporate lawyers?

Chapter 2: New World

"Where is he?" She couldn't help but tap her feet in agitation. Her husband and son were over an hour late.

"You shouldn't be so surprised, Okaa-san," said a girl's voice from behind her. "The Westerners arrived today before the morning rush."

Now that her daughter had mentioned it, there was a distinct lack of patrons at the local market. Normally people had to edge through shoulder-to-shoulder, but today she could actually walk from one stall to the next without accidentally elbowing someone. That meant the regulars were over at the tower bartering for foreign trade goods. Ever since the Westerners first arrived twenty-eight years ago, the village of Midoriya had become the entire trade hub for the Unimari Province. That was an impressive feat considering it was the third biggest island in the twenty-two island Kusari Archipelago. "How come your tou-san didn't tell me?"

"He probably got dragged off by Kyouya before he could say anything."

"I wouldn't doubt it." She could easily visualize an annoyed Shiro being pulled along by their overexcited son. "That boy thinks it's some kind of holiday every time those traders come." Momoko turned to her eldest daughter in resignation, there wasn't much use hanging around the market without her husband, or more precisely his coin purse.

The middle child sighed. "I'll never understand Kyouya's obsession with that ugly machine,"

"Ara, is that jealousy I detect in your voice, Miyuki?"

"Maybe a little," the girl said reluctantly. Her daughter quickly matched her pace so they were now walking side-by-side through the market. Today the tower was operational, so the patrons in street were almost all women. Males were the only ones allowed in the trade center when the foreigners were here, which was probably why Miyuki was so resentful. Growing up, the elder daughter was forced to listen to countless stories about the flying machine, but because she was a woman, never got the chance to see it in person. "I just want to see it once, maybe then I can understand why Kyouya is so fond of it."

"You might be disappointed. Things are always more grander in stories."

"Still," Miyuki said with a sigh. "All the Tsukimura women are allowed to meet with the foreigners, and nothing bad happens to them." Her daughter gave her a pointed look. "So why is the rest of us barred?"

"Business," Momoko said knowingly. "Tsukimura-sama trained them to act as translators. It's to be expected."

"Che, he'd make a deal with Oni if it meant increasing his profits."

Momoko pinched her daughter's cheek. "Don't talk about the town administrator like that. Tsukimura-sama is a trusted retainer of the Daimyo, not to mention a good friend of your tou-san." Her husband Shiro had known the noble back when Midoriya was nothing but a tiny fishing village.

"Sorry," Miyuki apologized. Like all of Momoko's children, the girl minded her manners.

As they neared the end of the central market there was a subtle shift in the quality of the patrons. Whereas in the beginning of the bazaar, closer to the poorer houses, people wore kimonos that were little better than rags. They were slowly coming into the shop area now, so it was natural they were running into the more wealthy consumers. They were all wearing clothes similar to their own. Looking over at Miyuki, she noted her daughter looked quite elegant in that blue, butterfly patterned kimono. It was a shame the girl's posture didn't match the grace the clothes was intended for. "Must you slouch?" She reached over and brushed away some hair that covered her daughter's eyes.

"Okaa-san!" Miyuki playfully batted her hand away. "That's embarrassing, I'm a grown woman now."

"Try showing it, ne?" Momoko said with a smile. Her middle child had a penchant for acting too boyish, and she blamed her husband for that. Teaching their son the art of the sword was understandable—a common enough thing between father and son—but Shiro shouldn't have done the same for their eldest daughter. A girl had no place learning martial arts; that's why the goddess balanced the world by giving women the gift. "At this rate you'll never find a husband, Miyuki."

"I don't think the shop could afford to lose another worker right now." The eldest daughter rolled her eyes. "Who else would you get to work in the kitchen?"

Miyuki made a valid point, Shiro and Kyouya couldn't make a roll to save their lives. Ironically enough, her daughter used to be the same category before years of practice turned her into a competent baker. "Mou, I'd gladly double my workload if it meant grandchildren."

"Not that again."

"Will I be a crone before I see my family grow?" Momoko retorted in mock sadness. She had all but given up on Kyouya. One fruitless omiai after another was enough. When will that boy get it through his thick head that Shinobu-sama was off-limits?

"I'm just saying that this isn't the time to get rid of me. We have a business to think about."

"This has nothing to do with getting rid of you." Momoko sighed. "Trust me, if I wanted to be selfish I'd never let any of my children leave, but a mother's job is to find happiness for her children regardless."

"And I'm happy just the way things are, Okaa-san." Miyuki gave her a tired smile.

"Ano, if you say so." Just to show she was going to relent for now, Momoko leaned over and ruffled the girl's head one last time. Unlike her own coppery-hued brown hair, Miyuki inherited her husband's darker shaded locks. It suited the twenty-seven year old girl nicely because it brought out those light green eyes. "So did you pick up the sugar like I asked?"

Miyuki nodded and motioned to the basket strapped on her back—it was identical to the one Momoko had on hers. "Let me show you." The younger brunette directed her to the side of the main thoroughfare. When they found a nice spot away from the traffic, she shrugged off her basket and opened it. "See."

"Is this the best you could find?" Momoko leaned in and grabbed a handful of the powdery substance. It was dark brown and rather coarse. "It's not bad for the sponge cake, but it won't do for the pastries."

"It's the best we're going to find," Miyuki said with certainty. "This came all the way from Hiko."

Momoko nodded and placed the sugar back in the basket. After that, she helped put the container back over Miyuki's shoulder. "It's fortunate the Westerners came today. I'll get your tou-san to pick up as much white sugar as he can."

Miyuki nodded and followed her back into the throng of shoppers. "It won't be cheap."

"It never is." Momoko suddenly stopped them both as a town guard walked by. It was custom for women to bow in respect, and so they did. "There is something you don't see everyday," she said after they continued on their way. It was rare to see a soldier in full armor—aside from hunting parties into the woodlands, the last real conflict her people faced was over four generations ago.

Miyuki was still looking over her shoulder. "I wonder what Tou-san looked like in our family's design."

"Nya ha-ha." Momoko couldn't help but smile. "Funny story, but your tou-san was actually wearing it the day you were born…" She trailed off when she noticed her daughter wasn't listening anymore. "Miyuki?" She spotted a glance at the girl, noting the coveted look in her eyes. The girl's fondness for the warrior class was unsettling; she could almost picture Miyuki wearing segmented iron armor embroidered with their family's design, armed with her father's sword, and even proudly bearing the sigil of Unimari on her back. "How much coin do you still have left?" It was best not to think about it, her daughter would grow out it someday.

"Ano…" Miyuki snapped out of her trance and ruffled through a pouch on her waist sash. "Thirteen silvers…err…fourteen."

"Those sugars really were overpriced." Momoko stopped again at one of the stalls housing several rows of dried fish. After inspecting one of the lines, she paid the vender some silvers and placed the purchase into the carrying basket on her back. "Hopefully Tsukimura-sama will give us a discount on the beans this month."

"Not likely. There's talk the Westerners might not come back next month."

"That won't happen. People have been saying that ever since the recession."

"They're just scared it'll happen again."

"Scared is a very strong word…more like weary."

"Che, either way we depend on that trade way too much." Her daughter had a right to be weary. Before the economic expansion, their town was a simple fishing village. There was no way they could go back to that if another recession took place.

"We don't have to worry. The Westerners are bound by a blood contract to continue the trade runs."

"If you say so, Okaa-san."

"I do." Truthfully, speculation alone was enough to raise the price on goods, and her daughter knew that too.

"Maybe Tou-san should ask Tsukimura-sama to keep a set price on the beans, he knows we use them more than anyone else in Unimari."

"Leniency? From a man who makes deals with Oni?" She gave her daughter an indulgent smile.

"Tou-san is his friend, ne?" Miyuki shrugged. "Either way, he should be more inclined to make a deal."

Momoko covered her mouth to stem back the laugh that threatened to burst free. "You've become quite the merchant. Ojii-san would be proud."

"He would have been prouder if I was born a man." Miyuki kicked a rock on the road, almost losing her sandal in the process. "That way I'd have my own shop by now."

"Maa maa, enough of that." She knew it was hard for Miyuki to accept the facts of life. Women were not allowed to own property. Without a husband, the girl's dream of owning her own store was impossible. "Be proud of what you are, and stop thinking about what you can't be."

"Yes, Okaa-san."

Momoko gave Miyuki another proud smile. Her daughter was a little too headstrong, but all Takamachi women were. She thanked the goddess her beloved Shiro was so accepting of their faults. "We've got most of what we came for. Let's go open the shop before our customers get restless."

"Yes, Okaa-san."

That was Momoko's intention anyway, but by the time they finally reached the store district, away from the central bazaar, she was alarmed to see a steady stream of patrons already going in and out her shop. "It's…open."

Miyuki was just as surprised. "Maybe Tou-san and Kyouya are back."

That was stretching it; the two of them never got back before nightfall on a delivery day. On another note, they wouldn't have started the kitchen by themselves. "Let's go." The two of them hurriedly rushed into the shop.

Their store was a sizable building on the main thoroughfare of the shop district, oddly enough, labeled with a sign in the foreigner's language. That was all Kyouya's idea; he told them the strange characters meant 'snack restaurant', and it'd make the place look more exotic. Momoko disagreed, the store was already exotic enough since their specialty was traditional sweets mixed with Westerner styled baked goods, not to mention a brown drink called 'coffee' that the richer citizens enjoyed to drink. Shiro's father, once the owner of a tiny stall in the bazaar, had adamantly dreamed of building a store just like this ever since he tried an imported cake over two decades ago. Sadly, he never lived long enough to see the vision come true, but Shiro decided to carry on in the his father stead when he retired as a guard. That was the birth of the one place in the Isles where people could sample the most exotic of treats.

"Wow." Miyuki stopped and looked around, the look on her face was clearly baffled.

Momoko shared that disbelief. All the rows were lined with their usual goods; sweet buns, cakes, lichee candy, and not to mention several pots of coffee that rested on the mini stove at the back. The store was also packed full of customers, and judging from their finery, they were definitely from the upper-class.

One of them, an aging lady in her late fifties, turned and smiled at Momoko. "Good day to you, Master," she greeted, as was proper when addressing a store owner.

Coming to her senses, Momoko quickly bowed. "Good day to you."

The patron motioned to the rows of food. "I was surprised to see you open already, on a delivery day too."

"You're not the only one," Momoko said more to herself than the lady. "Forgive me for bothering you, but did you happen to see who opened the shop?" She hadn't seen anyone behind the main counter and her curiosity was peeked to say the least.

"Why yes." The old lady paused to grab a sweetened rice cake from the middle shelf. "It was a young lady who looked just like you."

Miyuki shared a surprised look with her. "It can't be…" the elder daughter said.

Momoko had to find out for herself. "Excuse me." She bowed to the patron and turned to Miyuki. "Watch the counter for me." With that said, she hurried over to the sliding door at the back of the room. With a firm, yet gentle pull, she opened it to the main kitchen area. It was a cascade of activity; flour was being mixed, batters were being poured, and pastries were being rolled. It was hard to believe what her eyes were telling her, because all the cooking was being handled by an unseen force. Its origin had to be the glowing rune that floated near the ceiling. All the while, the only visible occupant was currently checking on an item inside one of the three metal ovens—three specialized devices that Shiro bought from the Westerners for a small fortune.

Momoko choked back a sob. She hadn't seen her youngest daughter in almost three years, and it amazed her how much the girl had changed in such a short amount of time. She had grown into a stunning woman, made even more so by the elegant, ivory kimono that signified her as a member of the Temple. "Nanoha!"

The outburst startled the girl, and all the cooking throughout the kitchen clattered to a halt.

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The docking tower was a massive steel structure built on the outskirts of Midoriya, smack dab in the middle of the town administrator's land. It had become a busy center of commerce over the last last three years since the trade had returned, and two warehouses were added right next door to house the goods trafficked in and out. To think it all started with a chance encounter.

Twenty-eight years ago the town of Midoriya was nothing more than a tiny fishing village; modest dwellings, a single noble house, and a militia of no more than forty. It was a picture of tranquility that was the foundation of the Kusari way of life. Every morning the simple townsfolk set out to sea-carefully avoiding the fatal waters of the far ocean-fishing from dusk to dawn for an honest haul they could bring back to their homes and families.

It was no different that rainy summer's day in the year of the serpent; when the wave and winds drove the boats to dock early, and the people huddled in their homes to weather the storm. It was one of those sleepy days where everyone called in early. Even the priestesses of the Temple closed their gates that night, anticipating no visitors to the local shrine.

The only people who couldn't relax were the militiamen. Their job was an endless one, always watching with anticipation. Days like that one, when the humidity and heat were at its worst, Oni and Shinma-demon and spirits-were known to leave the wild lands in search for food. Sadly, that meant large supplies of meat, most often of the human variety. However, the patrols in Midoriya were just a precaution; their town was one of those rare places that trouble seemed to avoid. That's why no one anticipated the loud explosion that shook everyone from their homes.

It was mayhem throughout the village as everyone prepared for a coming hardship. The resident runeweavers-priestesses of the local shrine-were dispatched to safeguard the townsfolk, while the militia gathered to investigate. The explosion had come from the town administrator's land, positioned directly on the forest edge where attack was most likely. It was turning out to be a worst case scenario. The noble Tsukimura family were direct retainers of the Unimari daimyo himself; if anything happened to them, their village would surely pay the price. That's why the militia hastily marched to the mountainside manor the Tsukimuras called home. However, what they found when they arrived was not what they had expected. Oni and Shinma maybe, but not a blazing inferno.

The enflamed object was easily as big as the noble's manor—melon shaped and lined with steel—it rested against the mountainside burning with an acrid smoke. It was an alarming sight, but it was just the beginning. Below the wreckage stood a group of strange humans who were adamantly arguing with one another. Everyone of them had tall builds, light skin, bright hair, and the weirdest clothes ever seen by Islander or Continental; gray uniforms with buttoned coats and leggings, long leather boots instead of sandals, and cloth hats crested with a golden dragon.

The militia's observation came to a sudden end when the strangers realized they weren't alone anymore. In the backdrop of the Tsukimura manor, both peoples abruptly faced off with one another, neither group expecting to see the other. History couldn't pin down what caused the inevitable confrontation that happened next; whether it be the language barrier, a cultural misunderstanding, or even a poorly placed gesture or two. Whatever the cause may be, both sides came to blows. The fighting was quick and fierce, but the strangers were eventually subdued by the larger militia. It was a miracle that no one was actually killed during the clash, but each side was laden with injuries—some minor, but others serious.

In the lull of the after battle, a new problem arose. The Kusari were a xenophobic people by nature, years of invasion from the mainland had made them weary of outsiders. That meant they had no idea what to do with the captured strangers. Some argued they should just kill the lot of them, while others wanted them sent to the capital so their lord could decide. Either way, none of those things happened, not when the town administrator personally stepped in to solve their problem for them. Tsukimura Kieto, resident noble and head of Midoriya, claimed responsibility for the strangers since they incurred on his land. He hastily had his guards take them to his manor where they were kept as guests rather than prisoners, much to the town's dismay.

Things were odd in the weeks that followed the first contact. The Tsukimura manor had become a virtual den of mystery. All contact with the place was severed, except for a request demanding a healer from the shrine. That was about it. This was the single strangest incident in years, and everyone was being kept in the dark about it. Finally, four weeks later, the seclusion ended when a rider came from the manor requesting able bodied men for physical labor. As ever with human curiosity, there was no shortage of willing volunteers.

The scene that met the villagers at the Tsukimura manor was a flurry of activity. The wreckage was already cleared away, and a large scaffolding was built in its place. Inside it rested the melon-shaped construct that was formerly in pieces. Its current condition probably had a lot to do with the foreigners crawling all over it trying their hardest to repair it, but even they didn't do it alone. Guards under the administrator's employ were carrying supplies to them under the instruction of Tsukimura family members. It was shocking to see the Kusari nobles talking to the foreigner in that strange language, then reverting back to their native tongue to speak to the guards. However, their gawking was short-lived. The Tsukimuras immediately pushed them into the labor pool and instructed them how to proceed.

In the months that followed, the workers uncovered some of the mysteries surrounding what happened after first contact; the reason for the administrator's actions, the following seclusion, and even the nature of how the strangers appeared here in the first place. For the most part, it was just an unfortunate accident. That why the administrator separated the townsfolk from the foreigners till they figured out how to communicate first, lest they have repeat of that chaotic beginning. In time, while the strangers stayed at the manor, the noble's painstaking efforts bore fruit, and they learned a few thing about their visitors, mainly how they got there. The Tsukimuras had believed the foreigners right away, since it confirmed what they already suspected, but the townsfolk were a little more skeptical. The strangers said they hadn't traveled from the main continent, like everyone had figured, but instead they'd come from the Western Sea.

Needless to say, it was hard to swallow. The common fisherman instantly scoffed at the idea because no one could travel the far ocean—the underwater mountain ranges made it impossible. The scholarly man rebuffed the notion out of logic—it was common knowledge that all humans originated from the main continent. It was highly unlikely these humans, however strange they appeared, could come from elsewhere. Finally, the staunchest criticism came from the Temple priestess. The scrolls of the ancients were infallible, and never once did they mention a foreign land. To suggest otherwise was an affront to the gods.

The stranger's origins were a cause for controversy and debate, but all that ended in the ninth month since they first arrived. The melon-shaped object, originally a burning wreckage, was completely repaired by a combined effort; Kusari workers, noble translators, and of course the grateful strangers themselves. The latter of which anxiously bid adieu to the Tsukimuras whose kindest wouldn't be forgotten. What happened next wouldn't be forgotten either for years to come. With a spluttering bang, and a plume of smoke, the immense construct lifted into the sky and headed off into the Western Sea. There wasn't a single soul throughout Midoriya that didn't watch in awe, mainly because it was the same day everyone realized the world was much bigger than it seemed.

The fisherman finally understood that, while impossible to cross by ship, the far ocean could be conquered by flight. The scholarly man came to accept that it was possible humans could come from elsewhere. The priestess, on the other hand, remained weary. Their faith was not easily shaken and there was more to the Westerners than met the eye. Whatever the case may be, there were now more questions than answers, and all enlightenment disappeared when the strangers did.

A month quickly passed since the Westerners left, and life started to return to normal in Midoriya. However, that was quickly shattered when a sight appeared on the horizon. Their visitors had unexpectedly returned. This time there were no accidents, explosions, or fights, just a grateful people interested in repaying a dept. Honored, the administrator smiled and said he had only one thing in mind.

Trade, simple enough and something both sides could enjoy with equal measure. The Westerner had things the administrator wanted, and the administrator had thing he offered in return. Skeptical at the first, the foreigners finally agreed, but that was just the start of the something huge. Whatever was bartered that first time must have made an impression, because the foreigners quickly left and returned the next month to do more business. With yet another trade concluded, they left and returned the month after that. Then the month after that and so on for years. Visits from the Westerners had became so common that Midoriya couldn't remember a time without them. That had a lot to do with the changes that swept over their quiet fishing village. Word had spread throughout the Kusari Isles—even as far as the Dynasty—about the travelers turned traders, and people flocked to their town to enjoy the venue. Midoriya went from an obscure trove, to trade hub overnight. Everyone prospered; fishermen became wealthy merchants, a tiny militia turned into a well funded army, but the biggest change occurred in the Tsukimura family. As trade proctors, they quickly rose to be the richest family of Unimari Island, much to the daimyo's dismay.

Twenty-four years of consistent prosperity was amazing, but like all good things it came to an end. One month in late winter, suddenly and without warning, no flying machines came from the West. Most people didn't think anything of it at first, but when the lull carried over into the next month, then the month after that, it became clear there was a serious problem. Many people depended heavily on that trade, including the Tsukimuras. Without it, a panic induced recession quickly fell over their town. In a single year the once busy Midoriya became a barren shell of its former self. The river of traders that sustained it, had all but dried up while debts began to climb. Hardest hit was the Tsukimura family. They sold off tons of their assets to keep the town afloat, but that only led their own family's ruin. It was truly a bad time for everyone.

A year and one month to the day they disappeared, a Westerner flying machine suddenly reappeared in Midoriya. It caused an uproar of resentment throughout the town; everyone had felt betrayed on some level by the foreigners. However, it was misplaced spite. The townsfolk were shocked to learn these new traders weren't the same ones that came before. Gone was the gray uniforms, and organized dealings, these new Westerners were nothing more than a motley crew of opportunist. They had told the Tsukimuras that a war in their homeland forced an end to the trade, but they came as a private enterprise looking to continue it. Not one to live in the past, the town administrator pushed ahead for the sake of Midoriya. Sadly, there was a little snag before that could happen. The new traders demanded an official trade contract—a payment for trading rights up front. It was the worst possible thing to demand from the noble family; the recession had left them with little in terms of wealth.

Pressured by the condition of his people, and his own desperate situation, the Tsukimura Head used one of his only true valuables left, his blood. The noble family was descended from a long line of powerful runeweavers, and Tsukimura blood was highly coveted. His offered daughter was more than a fair payment for a trade contract, but the ignorant foreigners outright refused. It was a blatant insult to Kusari pride that only served to elevate tensions.

Interestingly enough, the deadlock was eventually resolved by the very daughter offered up for the blood payment. No one knew what the girl had said to the Westerner's leader to change his mind, but the man finally agreed to the administrator's terms, and even apologized for offending the noble.

It was a forward step in returning the town to prosperity, but no one felt relieved yet. The foreigners had taken their payment and left, but had yet to return. Sympathies went out to the administrator, but everyone's worries proved premature. A month and a half from they day they left, the shady Westerners returned. They were indeed true to their word, because periodic shipments had continued ever since…

"Kyouya!" It was rude to yell in public, but he couldn't see his son anywhere. Three years had passed since the people of Midoriya enjoyed a return to their former glory, but sometimes Shiro wondered if they weren't better off as a quiet fishing village. The amount of travelers this time of year was ridiculous. "Kyouya!" Shiro pushed his way through the crowd and exited the warehouse. It wasn't any better outside than inside. Carts cluttered the road everywhere, and the smell of the unwashed yamatori—a giant flightless bird used as a beast of burden—clouded the air with stink. "Kyouy…" A man's carrying sack suddenly smacked him on the back of the head.

"Forgive me," said a middle aged merchant, who quickly bowed and moved away. With all this clutter it was hard to avoid bumping into others.

Rubbing the back of his head, Shiro's frustration grew to annoyance. Kyouya only ever wondered off to two places. One was to see Shinobu, Tsukimura-sama's eldest daughter, but she was currently out of town. That only left one other place. "Curse that boy." He stormed off to the large metal structure adjacent to the warehouse, and he soon came upon a wooden gate that blocked the stairway entrance. Two men, acting as guards, stood there chatting with one another. Shiro came to a halt, these two men were definitely not locals. They were both wearing brown coats fastened together with buttons, their legs were clothed in matching leggings, and leather boots completely enchased their feet. On top of that, they spoke in a strange guttural language.

(How long are we stuck on this rock?)

(Couldn't say, don't imagine we're leaving anytime soon with the boss's family visiting.)

(Figures.)

(Personally I hope we stay here indefinably. Chances are Mid-Childa is already flying the black flag.)

(Shut your mouth, you don't know that!)

(You're the new guy so let me fill you in a bit. Captain Jim was sent out to the front lines a month back to help supply the army, let me tell you, we got a glimpse of the Belkans on the way out…)

(Is it as bad as they say it is?)

(Worse, enemy soldiers as far as the eye can see and enough dragons to blot out the sun. If they weren't already punishing the boys we just helped, I doubt you'd be talking to me right now.)

(Truly?)

(Aye, and if I'm lying may the Light burn my eyes.)

"Excuse me," Shiro said with a half bow. He didn't want to interrupt the two foreigners, but they were blocking the tower entrance. "May I pass?"

The two men exchanged befuddled looks.

"May I pass?" Shiro said again, more firmly this time

The Westerner on the right rolled his eyes. (Probably wants to take a peak at the airship like the rest of the locals.) The one that spoke grabbed the man on the left and dragged him to the side. (By all means, Eastlander.)

Shiro didn't understand a single word the foreigner said, but the gesture was plain enough to read. He nodded and stepped by, proceeding up the stairs. When they were out of sight, he let out a sigh. "Foreigners." Normally they were easy enough to ignore, but their recent edginess was starting to get annoying. Shiro prided himself as a well traveled individual. He'd met with the majestic Hanyin of the Yue Dynasty, rode side-by-side the nomadic Doai of the Northern Tundra, and he'd even talked with the peaceful Ookami-jin youkai of Mono Island. In all of his travels, Shiro had never come across a people who looked and talked like Westerners did.

The final floor of the tower was truly a sight to behold. It was bustling with activity—mainly foreigners moving containers—but the amazing sight was object attached to the tower. The melon-shaped flying machine was huge—easily as big as the manor it hovered over—and it contained enough storage space to carry two warehouses full of cargo; that and over a hundred foreign traders who operated the thing. This current flying machine was a much larger version than the first one he ever saw, in fact, they seemed to be getting bigger every year. Shiro might have had his issues with the builders, but he respected their ability to create something so grand. He could understand why his son was so fascinated with them.

"Otou-san!" called out a man near the entrance to the flying machine.

"Don't yell, Kyouya. I fear you're picking up bad manners from these people." His son was as tall as he was, and the similarities didn't end there. The other man also possessed the same dark brown hair and tree colored eyes. Along with a matching kimono—a masculine styled version of their casual robes—it was easy to tell this twenty-nine year old was his blood. "Why did you run off…again?"

The younger man gave him an apologetic smile. "You won't believe who I met," Kyouya said as he made his way over. "It was the captain of the flying machine and get this…" The boy shook his head in remembrance. "He was Kusari, Otou-san."

"Kusari?" Shiro raised an eyebrow. Somehow he doubted a fellow islander would be captain of a flying machine. "You sure he wasn't just a foreigner that resembled a Kusari? They have dark-haired ones too."

"Actually, I'm an islander by blood and birth," said a man with a fluent, Onshu Island Kusari dialect.

Shiro turned to the loading ramp and saw another tall man stranding there. Aside from the foreigner clothing he wore, the man was definitely Kusari. His son wasn't mistaken. "It's been a long time, Nakajima-san."

The white-haired man, who had similar brown eyes, gave Shiro a reserved smile. "Twenty-seven years, Takamachi-san. Way too long."

"Okaa-san." Nanoha shifted in embarrassment. She was hoping to meet her family in the main room before they came back. Not as a surprise or anything, but to prevent them from seeing her little slip. There was one rule that her business savvy parents had always stressed, never leave the counter unattended. "Ano…I can explain."

Her mom's face went through several expressions; surprise, sadness, happiness, but she finally settled on disappointment. "How could you break the golden rule?" Momoko, a woman who had features that mirrored her own, sighed dramatically. "Never leave the customers unattended. It's disgraceful."

Nanoha couldn't hold back a cringe that formed on her face. This was not the first conversation she imagined having after being gone for three years. "Sorry, Okaa-san."

"Be sorry for the customers, I've raised you better than this."

"Sorry," Nanoha said again as she looked down at the floor. How is it that her mother's scowl could always make her feel like a ten year old again?

"Maa maa…" A warm, loving smile lit up Momoko's face. "Goddess how I missed you." The older brunette stepped forward and enveloped her in a warm hug. Showing physical affection was a rare thing even among family members, but the Takamachi were odd in that sense. Skinship was a commonality.

A smile soon lit up her face and Nanoha instantly returned the gesture. She noted her mother still smelled like fresh cake. "I missed you too, Okaa-san."

Momoko pulled back but didn't completely let go. "You've changed." The older brunette reached up and stroked her sideways ponytail. "You grew it out longer, ne?"

"I like it like this." Nanoha had rehearsed a dozen things to say upon her return, but at the moment none of those things came to mind.

Momoko sighed and finally let go. "That's not the only thing that's grown." The older woman motioned to the kitchen around her. "Your powers must have grown considerably if you managed control all these spells at the same time."

Nanoha shook her head. "Maybe just a little, but it mainly comes from focusing more. Learning to use what I have is a basic."

Her mother picked up an already baked piece of sweet bread, sniffed it, and then took a bite. She sampled the flavor noticeably. "Not bad for something you didn't make with your hands."

"The hard part was checking them all after they cooked." She still had a stomach ache from all the sweets she'd eaten. "Magic is a poor substitute for good taste."

"Mou, and hard work too." Momoko tapped her playfully on the head. "I'm impressed you managed to open the store by yourself, but don't use magic for something like baking. It's cheating."

"I wanted to surprise you." Nanoha leaned against a mess covered counter. The entire room was drenched in flour and other baking ingredients, but a not a single smidge marred her person—enchantments for a clean body maintained a clean mind, or so they taught her in the Temple. "So were you?"

"I'll say." Momoko gave her a proud smile. "You're doing well, Nanoha. You have much better control than I ever did."

She smiled back sadly. All women were born with the gift to use magic. Very small amounts in their first ten years, but with the onset of puberty, the gift started to grow exponentially. Trained properly, they could become amazing runeweavers. "You lost your abilities when you were only sixteen, Okaa-san. I'm sure you could of easily surpass my level if you continued training."

"Ara, I don't regret giving it up one bit." Momoko brushed a hand gently over her cheek. "Otherwise I wouldn't have an amazing son and two wonderful daughters. All women must eventually trade one form of magic for another."

Not all women, Nanoha swore she'd never give up the power she possessed. All women were born with ability to use magic, but not without a catch. The first time they mated it was forever lost. "I'm sorry, but for me it wouldn't be worth it." To her, there was no greater wonder in all the world than weaving the planes.

"It's easy, just try it." A lavender-haired girl, who possessed a similar shade of eyes, bent down and scooped up a cupful of water in her ten year old hands. She was wearing a dark purple kimono, pulled up to her knees, and was currently standing at the edge of a mountain stream. It was a wonder she could maintain her footing in the turbulent waters.

"Please get out of there, Suzuka-chan," a ten year old Nanoha said in exasperation. She promised her father that she'd keep an eye out for the other girl, and playing around in the Kayo River was promise breaker for sure. One misplaced step and a person could go tumbling for kilometers without end. If that wasn't bad enough, her sister Miyuki told her that water spirits snatched little girls who wandered into the deep parts.

"It's okay, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka smiled kindly at her. The girl opened her palms and allowed the water inside to slide away. Nanoha watched as the liquid slowed to a stop before it touched the stream. A moment later Suzuka motioned with her fingers and the liquid traveled upward and returned to her palm.

"Suzuka-chan!" she said in bright-eyed wonder.

"I've been practicing this for awhile so I could show you." Her long time friend let go of the water and let it return to the river. "I can even change the current." To emphasize her point, the lavender-haired girl lifted a foot from the rushing river, after holding it up for a short second, she slowly lowered it again. Even before her feet touched the water it began to part and go around her. That explained how she was able to keep from getting washed downstream.

"Amazing!" Nanoha was never a jealous person, or so she liked to think, but at the this very moment she envied the youngest Tsukimura. "Since when?"

"Before winter ended."

That meant her friend's power awoke four weeks ago, and she could already control the water element. Sure it was the easiest of the elements to mold—most girls who never even received training could use it—but Suzuka was only ten. Not only that, but she figured out how to do it on her own. "How does it work!?" She had to yell to be heard over the rushing water.

"Ano, I don't know it just…does."

Nanoha crept closer to the riverbank and kneeled down. After rolling up her sleeves, she bent forward and scooped a handful of water. "You sure there isn't a trick to it, Suzuka-chan?" The other girl shook her head while wading through the water. Now that she was closer, Nanoha could actually see the river flowing around other the girl.

"It may sound strange, but try feeling the water."

That did sound strange, of course she could feel the water. "Eh?"

Suzuka leaned forward and looked at the puddle in her hand. "Don't feel the surface of the water. Try to feel the heart of it."

"Suzuka-chan…" Nanoha groaned. "…that doesn't make any sense."

The lavender-haired girl giggled. "Na-no-ha." She touched the water in Nanoha's palm. "Trust me." With a twirl of a finger, a whirlpool formed. Even when she pulled the finger away the water continued to spin.

"Now you're just showing off." Nanoha splashed the handful of water in Suzuka's face. Not to be outdone, the lavender-haired girl motioned her arms and water shot up from the river to drench Nanoha from head-to-toe. "Mou, cheater!"

"It's what you get, Nanoha-chan," Suzuka said teasingly, still giggling. Both of them enjoyed a good-natured laugh before Suzuka abruptly stopped.

"What is it?" Suzuka started to sway back and forth and she grabbed the girl's arm to steady her. "Are you okay?"

"I feel…dizzy."

"That's because you're still not used to your power." Nanoha began to guide the other girl back onto the shore.

"Ahh!" yelled out Suzuka as she lost her footing. Now that the girl's concentration was broken, the full force of the river slammed into her like a wall.

"No!" Nanoha tried to hold on to Suzuka, but the pull against her was too strong. She watched in horror as her grip slid away.

"Nano…" Suzuka yelled before her head was abruptly pushed underwater by the current. A moment later it resurfaced. "Help!"

With adrenaline pumping, Nanoha was on her feet in a split second running along the shore. "Suzuka, use your power to slow the water!" If Suzuka had heard her, the other girl didn't show it. "Please…I…can't…keep…up." She had never run so fast in her entire life, and it was already making her breath hard. It was at this moment she cursed the fact she wasn't more physically inclined. Miyuki or Kyouya wouldn't have a problem keeping pace with her panicking friend. All thoughts were quickly cut short when she saw the approaching waters. Not only was it speeding up, but there was also jagged rocks poking up from the bend ahead.

"Help!"

"I'm coming!" Nanoha suddenly tripped and slid near the bank, her eyes widening in alarm. She knew a single pause would make her lose too much distance on her friend. "No!" Something inside of her clicked, and in that brief moment, all worry faded from her mind.

Nanoha instantly threw her hands into the water. Like a spreading crystal vein, the water flash froze and shot off down the river, a yamatori at full speed couldn't outrun the rate of the freezing. Soon the vein curved in and stopped on the other side of the rocks. Panting, Nanoha slowly removed her hands. In a different situation she would have marveled at what just happened, but right now she jumped to her feet and ran along the river bank. "Suzuka-chan?" She slid to a stop when she caught sight of her friend.

"What just happened?" The other girl sat up and looked around wearily. Suzuka was currently sitting in a bowl of ice occupying the middle of the river.

"I don't quite understand either." Nanoha looked the girl over from head-to-toe. Fortunately, there didn't appear to be any injuries. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm think I'm fine."

Sighing in relief, Nanoha collapsed to her knees on the riverbank. "Mou, I was so terrified!"

"You weren't the only one." Suzuka's violet eyes met her blue. "Thank you. If you hadn't saved me I'd…" The other girl paused. "Are you alright, Nanoha-chan? You look really pale."

"What do you mean? I feel…" Whatever assurance she was about to give died on her lips. Nanoha's vision rapidly blurred a heartbeat before she passed out.

"I hope you can stay longer this time." Momoko playfully glared at her. "Ara, the last you visited we barely talked."

Temple business had to come first before her personal life. The last time she was here, Nanoha didn't have the luxury of catching up. "I have some time now." She stood away from the counter. "Should we get comfortable?"

"Nanoha!" Her mother made a clicking sound of disappointment. "Did you forget your manners at the Temple?"

"Eh?"

"You," Momoko poked her on the shoulder, "need to clean up this kitchen. I'll be helping your sister with the customers."

"But…"

"Maa maa, I'll come back as soon as the crowd dies down. After that, I want to hear about everything, and don't spare the details." As the older brunette left, her mother added, "And no magic."

"Yes, Okaa-san." Nanoha let out a sigh and went to work. Some things never changed. Her mother was kind, caring, and considerate, but when it came to the shop business was always first. It was the same with her father and siblings. She'd be lying if that hadn't made her feel like the odd one out, but their interests in life lay elsewhere.

"Eh…" She looked around in shock. Nanoha hadn't realized she made such a mess, and no magic meant no easy way out. She shrugged, despite what her mother may think, the Takamachi work ethic was still alive and kicking. "Charge!"

Half an hour later—after a time of relaxed monotony that brought back her childhood memories—she was almost done and her mother still wasn't back yet. Stowing the supplies, cleaning the counters, and washing the ovens was already taken care of. The next task was actually a fun one.

"Mou!" she groaned, closing the box's sliding door. Nanoha wondered what two-bit runeweaver enchanted the cooling box, it was practically lukewarm. Her parents were lucky the perishables hadn't already spoiled.

A three point rune should do nicely.

Nanoha walked around the cart-sized box and examined the pattern etched on the back. Re-enchanting the thing shouldn't take that long, not for a runeweaver of her training. She quickly used both of her hands to form a triangle shape between her fingers. Then, in a heartbeat, her sight shifted to peer into the planes—people with no training found it impossible, new acolytes at the Temple sometimes took hours, but Nanoha, on the hand, had honed her inner-eye on a level that rivaled the high priestesses.

Earth as a foundation should make it last.

A triangle shaped rune appeared directly over the previous one on the wooden box. At each point of the triangle, a symbol formed that almost matched the word for 'tree' in the Kusari language.

Now for the heart.

Water magics were her specialty. Nanoha had yet to achieved the rank of High Priestess—that only came from decades of experience—but no runeweaver at the Temple could match her on this plane. She used her inner-eye to see the blue-colored, crystalline weaves that flowed in the very air.

Drawing from the elements was a simple task. Magic was woven around everything, even living beings like men and women—though females were the only ones born with the ability to bend it. She focused on one those elemental weaves in particular, a blue-colored one that existed on the first plane. After taking hold of it firmly with her inner-eye, she injected her spirit to give the weave structure. It wasn't any different than sowing, take a thread and shape its desired end.

A new rune suddenly formed inside the triangle, and this one was similar to the Kusari word for 'river'.

That should do it.

Nanoha shifted out of the enhanced sight and looked over at her rune. This spell should last well over a year. Walking around to the front, she opened the box to check her handy work. A blast of cold air, practically arctic, immediately rushed out and startled her.

"Eh…I think I overdid it."

She had the talent, the training, and the skill, but it boggled her mind that sometimes her spells would be overly strong for no apparent reason. Her teachers had once said Nanoha's inner-eye had a tendency to wander, in other words, it dug deeper in the weave than it should.

The sound of the drums started to beat again once the clapping and cheering faded. Several actors—some of them professional, but most simple townsfolk—stood and faced each other on the stage. All of them wore extravagant costumes; painfully bright kimonos, garish armors, and heavy, almost comical makeup.

"I feel bad for Nii-chan," said a twelve year old Nanoha. "He looks so silly." She leaned over and stole a sweetened bulb fruit from Miyuki's stick. The other girl noticed too late to stop her.

"Aa, those are mine!" Her twenty year old sister groaned and nudged her playfully. "And Nii-san is supposed to look like that, now hush, this is the best part."

The actors on the stage were divided into two groups, each surrounding a central character. The main actor on the left played the protagonist of the play, the Moon Princess. She—or he since all the actors were men—was dressed in a white kimono standing behind several boys dressed in padded samurai armor.

Over to the right side of the stage stood the antagonists of the play. The central figure there, played by none other than her brother Kyouya, was the Sun Princess. The costume he wore was a ridiculous yellow sheet tied together with a belt. His surrounding guards weren't any better; most of them were wearing black colored sacks with buckets on their heads.

Kyouya began to dance and spin, his face making expressions of rage and disgust. His fellow guards accentuated each gesture by pointing their spears at the Moon Princess. Their acting was so poor that most of the people in the crowd couldn't stop themselves from laughing, Nanoha included. If was perfectly acceptable though, those actors were only chosen a week before the annual Moon Festival. They were supposed to act poorly.

When it was time for the group on the left to respond, Nanoha marveled at how much better they were—not too surprising since they were all from a professional acting troupe. It started with the Moon Princess sadly looking over at the Sun Princess. Bowing, she tried to walk passed her guards, but her loyal men wouldn't let her. They formed a line in front of the princess's path and drew their swords at the other group.

The drums—that provided the pulse for the performance—began to beat faster.

That was when the Moon Princess began to gesture madly, as if pleading for the guards to step aside, but the wall of samurai wouldn't budge.

The drums were finally accompanied by a haunting solo from a samisen—a native Kusari string instrument.

It was Kyouya's turn now. Pushing his guards forward, he stamped his foot and pointed at the Moon Princess. Soon a battle broke out between the samurai and the Sun guards.

The Moon Princess pretended to cry as she turned away while holding a hand in front of her face in horror.

After an entertaining little display of mock fighting, the samurai fell to floor pretending death. Acting triumphant, the Sun guards approached the Moon Princess and restrained her. She attempted to fight them off so she could run to the fallen samurai, but they held her steady. Kyouya—who made a very comical looking princess—mocked the Moon Princess with a sneer.

The drum's tempo began to slow, but each strike became louder.

"I wish I could see their faces better," Miyuki said suddenly, sighing in resigned frustration.

Nanoha felt bad for her sister; the older girl was born with faded sight. It was sad that all the healing magic in the world couldn't fix something a person was born with. "They're not doing much of anything at the moment, just trying to build up the suspense." Her sister normally managed just fine in spite of her ailment—Miyuki's vision wasn't faded enough to impair her—but at times like these it was difficult. Plays were all about the facial expressions and body language. When the characters were relatively still, like they were now, Miyuki was left in the dark.

The actors began to move again. In a display of defiance, the Moon Princess abruptly shook off the captors and kneeled next to her fallen protectors. The Sun guards went forward to restrain her again, but the Moon Princess pulled a knife and pressed it against her chest.

The Sun Princess quickly held out a hand to stop the guards, in turn, she began to act desperate while gesturing at the other. To Kyouya's credit, he made a good show of it.

The Moon Princess quickly shook her head and plunged the fake knife into her chest.

All music, being played at the Midoriya Shrine, came to a halt. Even if the townsfolk saw this play every year it didn't stop them from waiting, with bated breaths, for the next scene to unfold.

Finally the actors on the stage began to wobble back and forth while the Sun guards pulled back to the their princess in surprise.

Looking up one last time, the Moon Princess slid over in pretended death. At the same moment, the fallen Samurai slowly rose from the ground. Each of them appeared confused, like they were surprised to be alive after dieing in battle.

A haunting melody from the samisen began to play again, but this time it wasn't accompanied by the drums.

Recovering from their surprise, the samurai spotted their princess and rushed over to her side. Meanwhile, the Sun guards all tumbled to the floor, leaving their Princess standing alone. Kyouya quickly raised his fist to the sky in defiance before falling to floor as well.

The music finally wrapped up the play as the samurai sadly carried the fallen Moon Princess off the stage. When they were gone, applause instantly erupted throughout the shrine.

"They did a good job this year, especially Nii-san," Nanoha said adamantly to her sister.

"I wuh toke yar werd for it," Miyuki said while chewing a piece of bulb fruit. She eventually swallowed it and smiled. "Aa, it's not over yet. The main event is coming up."

"Thanks for reminding me." Nanoha's earlier nervousness returned with a vengeance. She looked around but couldn't spot the Temple representatives anywhere.

"They'll be here, Nanoha-chan," Suzuka said supportively. The lavender-haired girl was always empathic to her moods.

Nanoha smiled with as much confidence as she could muster. "You're right." She could spot the priestesses easily enough when they arrived. Being in the front row did have its advantage—normally this kind of seating was reserved for nobles, but the Tsukimuras had invited her family to join them this year. Nanoha was currently sitting next to Miyuki and Suzuka, while her mom and dad stood off to the right near Administrator Tsukimura. The only two people missing was her brother and the eldest Tsukimura daughter. Kyouya ran home the moment the play ended to change out of his silly costume, while Shinobu, no doubt, was waiting outside for his return. Nanoha had to smile at that. Those two were definitely acting, what Suzuka called, lovey-dovey.

A woman soon stepped onto the stage, and everyone in the crowd hushed.

"They're finally here," Nanoha whispered in awe.

The lady was wearing the ivory kimono of the Temple, but unlike their normal garbs, this woman had a cowl draped over her face that barred her eyes from the public. She was a seer, the rare priestesses said to inherit the eyes of the gods. Their affinity for the wind element was so great, their eyes physically manifested outside the normal plane. Needless to say, they could see things that no others could; a person's soul, their potential, and even future with just a single glance.

"Today we witnessed a story about how our precious Yue-hime sacrificed her life to save the world." The seer's voice was crisp and clear, drawing everyone's attention immediately. "Though we were saved…"

The seer paused and everyone looked up to the moon in reverence. This was a common part of the festival every year.

"…our beloved night guardian paid the price."

While she faced the sky, Nanoha marveled at the moon's majesty; on clear nights like this it was hard not to. The moon was a series of seven large fragments that stretched across the stars, connected by tiny little pieces that peppered the places in between. It was once said that the moon used to be a single round globe that resembled the sun, but it was hard to imagine.

"Let us never forget Yue-hime's sacrifice, and the sacrifice of her children. Even though Aika mourns her daughter's passing, Yue-hime's light still lives on within us, her chosen, her legacy." The seer spread her arms wide, and a rune suddenly appeared in front of her. Gesturing to the heavens, it shot up into the sky and exploded with a brilliant rain of colors. The seer continued to cast one after another for the crowd's enjoyment.

The light show was impressive, but Nanoha's eyes was still glued on the night guardian. The glow given off by the seven moon fragments—called the seven hearts of Aika—was so bright that most of the time people didn't need lamps to see at night.

The seer continued speaking after the little display was over, "And so we've come to this. Every five years the Temple chooses a single girl from each town to receive the heavenly teachings. If a maiden is determined to remain pure of body…."

"Magic or celibacy?" Miyuki giggled loud enough to draw Nanoha's attention. "Tough choice, ne?"

"Mou, Onee-chan," Nanoha shushed, holding a finger over her lips. The last thing she wanted was to be embarrassed in front of the Temple representatives.

"……then let us commence the tests for the town of Midoriya." The seer bowed humbly as she stepped back. Behind the woman, several more runeweavers appeared onstage carrying items while a group of men set up a table. Those men were all Aicho—eunuchs who pledged their life in the service of the Temple. They wore dark blue tunics, matching cloth masks of the same color that completely covered their face, and were among the rare individuals in the Isles, aside from the foreigners and soldiers, who donned leggings. They made for a somber sight. Aicho were a clear example of how devoted her people were to Aika, believed to be the greatest of the gods by the Kusari.

"Are you nervous, Nanoha-chan?" Suzuka whispered to her.

She was beyond nervous at this point. "Not a bit," Nanoha said jokingly.

"I know both of us are competing, but I still wish you luck." The lavender-haired girl smiled at her softly.

"Thank you." Her friend's sincerity was always heartening. It was hard to believe Suzuka was a noble. Girls that grew up in the richer families tended to treat Nanoha, who grew up in the commons, little better than a servant.

Miyuki plucked another bulb from her fruit stick and threw it into her mouth. "You're really determined to be a runeweaver, ne?"

"Of course." Nanoha was amazed with how much her powers had grown ever since her awakening. She could only imagine how much stronger she could get with official training. "I'll be chosen for sure." The screening to get accepted into the Temple occurred every five years, and when it did, only one girl per town was allowed. Nanoha had a good grasp of the locals, and her only real competition was the girl standing next to her. Her friend was a Tsukimura, and it was blood cultivated from centuries of carefully planned marriages. Consequently, Suzuka's innate abilities were on a whole different level from the rest of them, including Nanoha.

After about ten minutes the crowd was starting to get impatient, but the Temple finally set everything up. "All girl's who wish to be tested, please come up."

Nanoha took a deep breath and joined a handful of girls on the stage. Among them, she and Suzuka were the only ones below the age of fifteen. They stuck out like a bug in a bowl of rice porridge. Nanoha regretted allowing her mother to pick out the kimono she wore—bright pink with yellow flowers was a bad choice for the serious occasion. Her predicament was made even worse when her doting parents let out a cheer of encouragement from the front row. "Mou!"

The seer returned and gathered everyone's attention. "The power of the gods is the ability to wield the four primary elements; earth, wind, water, and even fire. To see if you meet our requirements we shall test you on each one of them." The lady held out an arm to the table beside her. On it was a bowl of water, a pile of sand, a piece of parchment, and a candle.

Nanoha swallowed in nervousness.

"Please," the priestess said, motioning to the first girl in line.

The girl tentatively nodded and stood by the table awaiting instruction. The hopeful appeared even more nervous than Nanoha was, and she could understand why. The girl was clearly from a poorer peasant family. If a daughter was accepted into the Temple, the family would receive a stipend from the daimyo as a reward. It was a game between the Isle rulers to see who had the most runeweavers under their command, but for the indigent families who received the stipend, it was food on the table. This girl probably had a lot riding on her shoulders.

"Listen closely," continued the seer, "this is a test of primal control, so the use of runes is forbidden. Now start with water. I need you to simply turn it into ice."

The girl nodded and put a hand over the bowl. It took a moment or two, but finally the temperature lowered and the liquid solidified.

"Very good." The seer nodded to the other runeweavers. Those women, varying in ages, made markings in the parchments they carried. "Now move on to earth. Simply put, mixed in the sand is traces of iron ore. Use your control over the element to separate the two."

Taking a deep breath, the girl put her hand over the pile of sand. After a minute nothing happened.

"Again."

The girl grimaced and her face scrunched up in concentration. She was trying her best, noticeably shaking from the exertion, but after a time she relented. "I'm sorry," she said sadly, backing away from the table.

The crowd started whispering amongst themselves, while the seer bowed to the girl. "Will you please step down. You're not the one." The hopeful nodded and quickly left the stage in tears.

Nanoha's heart went out the to the girl, but this was just the beginning. The same scene was repeated over and over again for the next hour. All candidates would successfully complete the first test, but they usually washed out in the second and third. Not a single one had made it to the final challenge yet.

"Next," called out the seer.

Finally it was Suzuka's turn. "Good luck," she whispered to her friend, despite what it would mean if the other girl got picked.

The lavender-haired noble gave her a smile. "Thank you, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka walked over and took position in front of the table.

"First," the seer said mechanically. It was as if the test themselves held little interest for the woman "Freeze the water."

Her longtime friend nodded and placed a hand over the bowl. Unlike every girl that came before her, Suzuka didn't appear fazed in the slightest, Everyone soon understood why. "You just need me to freeze it?" The water shot out of the bowl, swirled around in the air, then came to rest in her left palm. Suzuka quickly motioned with her right hand and the water morphed into a flower. Gradually, it solidified into ice to maintain its shape.

"Very good." For the first time since the start of the tests, the seer seemed impressed. "Now for the second challenge. Separate the iron ore."

Suzuka placed her ice flower in the bowl and watched as it melted back into water. The girl then turned to the pile of sand. With another wave of her hand, two piles instantly formed where there used to be one.

Even from her vantage point, Nanoha could tell the shiner pile was pristine.

"Acceptable." Runeweavers went to work adamantly marking in those parchments. Meanwhile, the seer pointed to the third test. "Same as I instructed with the others, use only the power of wind to fold the paper into a crane."

Suzuka impressed everyone again when her hands started to mimic the motions of a fan dance. Each swinging gesture folded the paper until it finally made the perfect origami crane. Seemingly satisfied, Suzuka put down her hands and stepped back.

"Very acceptable." The seer smiled at her friend, shocking the other runeweavers nearby. It must have been a rare sight amongst them. "Now for the last test. Light the candle."

It sounded simple, but in truth it was the hardest of the four tests. Spells couldn't be derived from the fourth plane, and controlling the fire element was impossible. At best, all a runeweaver could do was use their primal control to ignite a small flame.

"Okay." Suzuka actually looked nervous as she stepped up to the table. The girl extended both hands with her index fingers pointed at the candle's wick. A minute passed and sweat began to form on Suzuka's brow. The priestess started to nod in acceptance, but she stopped when the candle abruptly ignited.

The crowd let out a cheer. It probably meant her dreams would be on hold for another five years, but Nanoha happily joined in as well—she was truly proud of her friend. There was no way the other girl wouldn't be chosen now. Suzuka must have realized that too, because she met her eyes and gave her an apologetic expression.

"Failed." The seer's voice cut through the crowd and everyone quieted down.

"I…failed?" Suzuka looked confused, a confusion shared by everyone.

"This isn't your path." The seer didn't even bother explaining. "Next."

Suzuka fidgeted a bit before she abruptly bowed and walked off the stage. The girl avoided everyone's gaze, especially the disappointed look her father gave her on the way down.

"Next."

Everyone looked at Nanoha expectantly. In a daze, she walked over to take the spot her friend just occupied. "I'm ready." She couldn't believe Suzuka had failed. If the other girl couldn't pass the tests, then what prayer did she have?

The Aichos went about preparing the table for a new round of tests; they refilled the bowl, shifted around the sand, exchanged the paper, and put out the candle. "First test," the seer said lazily, as if she already knew the results before they played out.

Nanoha sighed and calmed her mind. She decided to keep it simple. Placing her hand over the bowl, she focused on the water particles and used her energy to shift their form. The liquid instantly flash froze, the temperature dropping so quickly it shattered the bowl. "Ah!" She backed away in alarm. As calm as her mind was, it didn't stop her nervousness from rearing its head at the last second to mess up her concentration. "S-sorry." The seer didn't even flinch. Nanoha could only imagine what was going on behind those veiled eyes.

The seer motioned to the second challenge, and the other runeweavers gave her a strange look. "Next test."

Nanoha didn't question the woman as she quickly moved on to the pile of sand. Her mind opened up to the earth and she looked for the iron particles within it. It took a moment, but her inner-eye could easily distinguish the metal from the common dirt. The hard part was separating the two. With a motion of her hand, she let go with her energy. Misfortune struck twice, because the pile exploded in a plume of dust. "Eh…"

The seer calmly brushed the dirt off herself, and everyone in the crowd waited with bated breath.

Looking down, she could see that the dirt was gone. The iron, on the other hand, formed a solid ball on the table. "Sorry," Nanoha said sadly. Her control had never been this bad before, and it was plain embarrassing.

"Next."

Nanoha looked up. "You want me to continue?"

"Next."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nervously moved to the piece of paper. Nanoha couldn't afford another mistake, so she deiced to focus even harder. The crowd suddenly let out a coo of sympathy; the clear rip of paper was loud enough to be heard by the audience. Again Nanoha had overdid it. Too much energy was funneled into the gust of wind, and it sliced the piece of paper cleanly in half.

"Next."

Nanoha blinked at the seer in disbelief; she couldn't believe the woman wanted her to continue. Never one to give up, or question good fortune, she moved to the candle. Her earlier fears came back and smacked her in the face. One way or another it was over now. The next test was fire. "Here goes nothing." Placing a hand over the candle, she forced her inner-eye to peer into the forth plane.

"Proceed." urged the seer with a note of impatience.

Little did the woman know, Nanoha already was. A minute, then two, finally three minutes would pass and still nothing. Try as she might, her inner-eye was blank. The fourth plane—the plane where the fire weave was said to exist—was like a barren void of darkness.

"Something wrong?" the seer said with an odd tone to her voice, something along the lines of satisfaction.

"I can't." Nanoha backed away from the table slowly. "No matter what I try, I just can't see into the forth plane……I never could." She finally found the courage to look at the woman, and what she saw surprised her. The seer was smiling.

"Very good." The woman turned to the other runeweavers. They didn't speak, but they all nodded their heads in silent agreement. That was when the seer abruptly walked to the edge of the stage and addressed the crowd. "The trials for this cycle are over. We've finally found the girl who meets the requirements." The seer motioned to Nanoha. "Tell them your name."

Nanoha was still rooted to the floor in silence. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Eh?"

"What is your name, Child?"

"T-Takamachi…Takamachi Nanoha."

"So be it, may the blessing of Aika remain strong in you."

Taking a cue from the seer, the crowd began to applaud, none more louder than her parents in the front row. All the attention was making her blush, and the noise almost prevented her from hearing what the seer said next.

"Takamachi……Nanoha." The woman shifted her head slightly and looked to the sky, probably seeing things beyond this world. "That name suits you, but you'll discover your true name in time."

"Tell me everything," her mother said firmly. "As I said, don't hold anything back." Momoko had finally returned after Nanoha finished tidying up the kitchen. It wasn't as busy in the afternoons as it was in the mornings, so Miyuki could handle the store by herself. With some time to spare, they both decided to retire to the adjacent tearoom.

Her mom brought over two cups of tea and placed one on the mat beside her. Nanoha gratefully picked it up while the older brunette joined her on the floor. "I wish I could tell you I'm visiting, Okaa-san," Nanoha said regretfully, "and to a certain extent I am, but it's Temple business."

"Oh." Momoko shook her head. "Is your family not important enough to warrant a visit from time-to-time?"

"Mou, it's not that simple." Nanoha took a slow, drawn out sip of her drink; it gave her a moment to reflect. Why was it the older she got, the more complicated things had to be. "The Temple doesn't just let me leave when I want to."

"I know, I know." Momoko said in understanding. "I was only kidding. It's not like I'd forget what it was like there before I met your tou-san." The older brunette cocked her head and smiled. "Is that old crone still Mistress of the Temple?"

"Kuro-sama?" Nanoha almost spat out her tea with a laugh. "Nya ha-ha, of course she is. I actually have a theory she's really a Shinma of Misfortune, bound for all eternity to terrorize new students and keep the healers in practice."

"The more I think about it, the more sense it makes." Her mom's smile deepened. "Did you know my kaa-san studied under her too?"

Nanoha stopped drinking her tea mid-sip. "Baa-chan studied at the Temple?' All these years no one ever told her that. It was heartening to know her mother and grandmother both got accepted into the Temple.

Momoko let out a small laugh and leaned over. "You would be surprised. Your Baa-chan studied at the Temple, same with her kaa-san and her kaa-san before that."

"Amazing." Nanoha was indeed following an impressive tradition. She had no idea that her family, who recently moved out of the peasant class in a single generation, had that kind of history.

A fourteen year old Nanoha slammed against the wall and slid down slowly. Her temple kimono was in shambles; cuts lined her neck, burn marks stretched around the right shoulder, and a nasty welt began to form under her left eye.

"I didn't say you could take a break."

"Ehh." Nanoha slowly cracked open the uninjured eye to look down at her hands. A series of rings lined each finger that housed enchanted gems, or they used to. Those painstakingly crafted stones were all completely shattered now. They were supposed to protect her from harmful spells during training, but not even instructor made charms could shield Nanoha from the mistress's wrath.

"I expected better from you," said an old woman dressed elegantly in a white kimono—its silver trim signified her as an elder priestess, as if her appearance weren't enough. No one knew the lady's real age, but she looked to be in her late eighties, had dark brown eyes, and possessed rich, ivory white hair tied together in a bun.

Nanoha could barely move, let alone respond. "Err…"

"Che, you're overconfidence is astounding for an acolyte. Just because you can best a novice instructor, doesn't mean you stand a chance against me." The old lady's face scrunched up in a grimace. It was deeply wrinkled like dry leather, and it earned her dozens of nicknames among the priestesses. The one that everyone favored, including Nanoha, was 'crone'.

"This is only my second year, Kuro-sama." Nanoha wasn't one to make excuses, or even to complain, but the old crone was being unfair. Out of all the other girls sent here to train in the arts, the Mistress of the Temple—the head of the school—had singled her out. "I can't form a defense against every attack."

"It shouldn't matter what kind or how many, be prepared for anything."

"Yes, Kuro-sama," she said dejectedly. The nonstop barrage of sparring sessions, pop quizzes, and injuries were beginning to take its toll. The mistress had been right. When Nanoha started her second year she was overconfident, her first year had proven her abilities were levels ahead of the rest. That was until Kuro-sama had taken over her training personally. It caused a big stir among the Temple hierarchy, because the mistress had more important duties than supervising a second year, but in spite of that, Kuro-sama found the time to teach her some humility every chance she got. "I just need to figure out a way to stop that attack."

The mistress raised a wrinkled eyebrow. "That much is obvious."

When it came to defensive spells, Nanoha was unmatched due to her strong affinity with the water element. All women were naturally strong in the first plane, but her attunement was abnormally so. She would win duel after duel just wearing down her opponent with a perfect defense; voiding water attacks, shattering earth spell, and even erecting barriers that wind would fail to penetrate. "Please, Kuro-sama, at least tell me how to fight against something I can't even see."

"How does a monk fight with a blindfold?" the mistress retorted.

Nanoha didn't see the relevance. "Anticipating the attack?"

"No, he learns to see without seeing."

Nanoha was half tempted to sigh at yet another nonsensical response to a serious question. Kuro-sama was well aware of her handicap; most girl's inner-eye could see the fourth plane—the fire plane—enough so to erect a defense against it. Nanoha's one shortcoming as a runeweaver was an inability to see the fourth plane at all. It was a weakness the mistress exploited every time.

"Bah, you're not paying attention. Fire isn't even a complex plane, it's only a primal force."

"But…"

"If you can't even stop my simple attacks, then I pity the poor souls you have to protect in the future," the crone said derisively. "There are Oni and Shinma out there that can wield the fire element as easily as breathing. What good is a perfect defense if it has a hole that big in it?"

"Yes, Kuro-sama." Humbled yet again, Nanoha managed to move off the wall so she could bow before her teacher. "Please instruct me then. I wish to learn how to see…without seeing."

"Aa, so you're finally ready to stop rolling your eyes at the things I say?"

Nanoha had never done anything of the sort to an instructor before, but she doubted the mistress cared. "Yes, Kuro-sama."

"Che, I've heard that before." The old crone narrowed her brown eyes. "Or do you plan to waste my time like the others?"

Nanoha was confused. "Others?"

"Yes, the other you." The mistress sighed, not really looking at Nanoha. "The same you that has wasted my time for decades. Some you's say they won't make it and end up quitting, other you's fall in love with men and destroy the birthright, and some you's, like the current you, end up using the gift recklessly enough to get themselves killed. It happens time and time again, and I'm getting tired of it." The lady sighed, a sadder one this time. "Such a waste."

Nanoha blinked in confusion. Kuro-sama was renown for being strict, unforgiving, and eccentric, but today she wanted to add crazy to that the list. "This is only my second year, Kuro-sama."

"Bah!" The old crone waved her off and stepped out onto the veranda that lined the training dojo. "Takahashi was it?"

She always had to remind the mistress of her identity. At least this time Kuro-sama was relatively close. "Ano, Takamachi, Takamachi Nanoha."

"Un, that name suits you." The old lady turned and met her eyes. It looked more the like gaze of someone who had just met her instead of someone ready to leave. "Ara, you look like the nine hells swallowed you whole."

Nanoha self-consciously adjusted her tattered robes. Fortunately, there was enough still attached to maintain her modesty. "Sorry."

"Feel sorry for the Aicho," the Mistress of the Temple said with a rare snicker. "Go to the shrine and get those wounds looked at."

"But…"

"They need practice too, now go." It was the last thing the crone said before heading off with a surprisingly limber gait.

When Kuro-sama was out of earshot, Nanoha chanced a sigh. "Nine hells huh?" She gathered what dignity she had left and started to make her way to the shrine area.

The Temple was a massive complex built on the top of a mountain isolated from the rest of the world. No roads in, no roads out. The only way to reach it was by way of the Wind Corridors—enchanted gates connecting shrines throughout the Isles. The complex was divided into three sections. The first section was, for acolytes like Nanoha, the main school; fully equipped with dorms, dojo, and demanding teachers. The second sections was a castle-like building that housed and trained Aicho; she imagined it was similar to the martial teachings her father passed on to her siblings. As the for the final section of the Temple, the shrine area, a second school was present for a smaller number of acolytes that were trained in the arts of healing. It was highly selective, and only girl's with strong affinities with the second plane—the plane of earth—were eligible to attend.

"Is anyone around?" she called out to the empty shrine. This was actually the first time her injuries warranted a visit to this place. She didn't know what to expect

Nanoha came to a stop, bowed her head, and issued a silent prayer. Before her was an immense statue of Aika, Goddess of the Moon. The sculpture towered the small courtyard, and it portrayed a woman that was beauty personified. Aika was womanly, tall, graceful, and possessed long ivory hair that swirled around her body like a whirlpool. The image easily captured the majesty normally associated with the Moon, but it didn't stop there. The deity's face was exotic, almost feline; deep eyes of pure white, long tapered ears, and skin colored a supernatural shade of blue.

Nanoha finally finished her prayer. It was rare to actually pray to a deity, but it was a custom followed by the priestesses. For the Kusari, honoring the spirit of their ancestors held precedence over the gods. "Is anyone around?" she called out again.

"In here," said a girl's soft voice. It came from the building behind the statue.

Nanoha slowly crept up the stairs, deposited her sandals on the holding mat, and opened the sliding door. "Pardon my intrusion."

"Over here."

Nanoha turned to the east side of the room. Again there was another dedication to Aika, but that wasn't what she was looking at. Below the shrine, sitting with her legs extended out in front of her, was a girl around the same age as her. She was wearing an identical white kimono, had short brown hair, and her eyes were a matching shade of blue to her own. "Hello. I hope I'm not interrupting." Nanoha noticed the girl was lighting candles for the shrine.

"Oh no, I was just changing these out," the girl said warmly before her blue eyes suddenly widened in alarm. "Goddess! Are you okay?"

Nanoha looked away in embarrassment, subconsciously moving to cover up her more exposed parts. "I was training with the mistress."

"I take it she didn't hold back." A wave from the girl got her attention. "Over here." The other acolyte motioned for her to sit on the mat beside her. "I'm only in training, but I'll see what I can do. The other priestesses are having their evening meals in the main hall."

"I see." Nanoha crept over and sat next to the other girl.

The brunette rotated her torso to meet her. "You must be Takamachi-san then."

"You know of me?"

"You mentioned sparring with Kuro-sama." The brown-haired girl gave her a sympathetic smile. "Everyone has been talking about you."

"Eh?" Nanoha said in surprise.

"I didn't mean it like that." The other girl quickly held up a hand and made a sign of apology. "Just Temple gossip about the girl being favored by Kuro-sama."

"Favored?" Nanoha rubbed her injured shoulder, it was caked with blood and burn marks. "Nya ha-ha, favored isn't the word I'd use."

"Oh my!" The other girl sputtered, as if coming to her senses; she immediately scooted over and began inspecting Nanoha's shoulder. After a minute, the girl started checking the torso and neck. "Forgive my rudeness, please." The girl bowed her head. "I'm Yagami Hayate, a second year at the shrines."

Nanoha smiled gratefully despite the pain. "You probably already know mine, but I'm Takamachi Nanoha."

"Pleasure to meet you, Takamachi-san."

Nanoha grimaced when the welt under her eye was prodded. "Ouch."

"Sorry."

"It's okay." She sat in silence while the other girl did her job. After another minute she blurted, "Nanoha."

Hayate stopped her ministration. "Eh?"

Nanoha didn't know why she was being so forward, but this Hayate seemed a pleasant enough girl. It couldn't hurt to make a friend while staying at the Temple. After topping the first year, whether it was jealously or spite, none of the other girls had anything to do with her. "Just call me Nanoha." She gave the girl her warmest smile and hoped for the best.

A surprised, but ecstatic grin appeared on the healer's face. "Please call me Hayate then."

"Hayate-san?"

The other acolyte smiled at the use of her name. "Yes, Nanoha-san?"

Before Nanoha even opened her mouth, her stomach let out an audible purr. "Eh..."

Hayate started giggling, so much so that she had to stop what she was doing. "S-sorry, that was rude of me."

"Mou, I haven't eaten all day, it can't be helped." she retorted with a pout. Truly, it felt good to be relaxed enough to enjoy a little banter. It was preferable to being on her guard all the time.

"Maa maa," Hayate said with a smile and wave of her hand. "Just get some food after this, I won't be long." The girl snickered one last time before going back to work.

"If you haven't already eaten…" Nanoha decided to test out her new friendship. "Do you want to go together?"

Hayate paused, a sad look passing over her features. "I can't."

"S-sorry, that was rude of me." Nanoha's cheeks started to warm in embarrassment. "You probably have duties, and there I go imposing..."

"No," Hayate said hastily, cutting her off. "That's not it." The girl looked away and mentally debated something before turning back to her. "Ano, if it's not too much trouble…" The girl slowly trailed off, losing confidence in what she was asking.

"Hayate-san?"

"Emm…" Hayate finally met her eyes. "Do you think you can pick up some food for the both of us…and…maybe come back here to eat?"

"Here?" Nanoha looked around at the holy shrine. "Are we even allowed?"

"I have permission," Hayate said nervously. "My room is actually in the backroom behind the scriptures. We can eat there, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Nanoha watched as the other girl self-consciously rubbed her legs. Come to think of it, the whole time the other girl never once moved her lower body. Being a quick thinker, understanding finally dawned on her. "Of course I don't mind." Nanoha abruptly stood and started for the door. "I'll be right back, Hayate-san. Leave it to me."

"Ano, Nanoha-san?"

Hayate's soft voice stopped her. "Yes?" Nanoha asked, turning around.

"Thank you." Hayate gave her a warm and grateful smile, probably understanding her intention. "But let me finish my job first. If you go in there looking like that, you'll end up giving the cook a heart attack." The girl cocked her head sideways in amusement. "You look like a risen corpse."

"Nya ha-ha." Her body chose that exact moment to remind her she was in pain. "Eh, maybe that's for the best."

"I'm glad you were able to make a friend."

"Me too," Nanoha said with a smile. "Hayate-chan has been my best friend ever since. Most days I eat my evening meals or spend my off time with her."

"Yagami." Momoko hummed in thought. "That's from Hiko Island, ne?"

Nanoha agreed with a nod. Hiko Island was the agricultural giant of the Kusari Isles. They grew more produce there in one year, than all the other provinces combined for two years. It was an entire land virtually devoid of woodlands. From one stretch to the other, it was an endless field of farms and rice patties. "She was found there I believe."

"Found?" Her mom paused mid-sip of her tea.

Nanoha hated to speak about her friend without permission, but she didn't have a choice now. Otherwise, her mom would grill her endlessly until she came clean anyway. "Hayate-chan…was born with a serious ailment." Even telling her understanding mother about it made her feel guilty. "She was abandoned as a baby at a local shrine."

"How very cruel," Momoko said sadly, shaking her head in disgust. Rural farmers had a strange superstition that if a child was born with a serious ailment or deformity, it would bring disaster and misfortune for their family. Abandoning Hayate to a shrine was the kinder option to what they usually did. "That poor girl."

Nanoha nodded quietly. "The priestesses took her in and raised her ever since. Later on they found out Hayate-chan had a strong earth affinity, so they eventually sent her to the Temple for training."

"Earth, ne?" Momoko appeared even more saddened, and it was understandable. Earth magic was the primary plane of healing. It was a supreme irony that the one power Hayate excelled at, was powerless to help her own condition. "What kind of ailment does she have?"

"I've been rude enough, Okaa-san." Nanoha looked away. "I would rather we stopped talking about it."

Her mom's eyes widened in alarm. "You're right, that was rude of me. When you see your friend again, please ask for my forgiveness."

"For the both of us," Nanoha said sagely, meeting her mom's eyes. "So what else would you like to know?"

The older brunette didn't waste a second with her next question. "Has it been worth it?"

Nanoha saw this one coming. It was inevitable. "Becoming a runeweaver?"

"Yes."

"To tell you the truth, it's been lonely at times. I probably wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for Hayate-chan." Nanoha smiled and looked to the ceiling. "But I've never regretted my choice for a second."

By devoting oneself to the Temple, Nanoha had achieved what few women could, independence. By law, her family had no control over her anymore—though her kind parents would never make her do anything she didn't want to anyway. "Whatever path I take in life is where I choose to walk; that alone has made it all worth it." Her smiled deepened. "Nya ha-ha, being a practiced runeweaver is just a huge bonus."

"I said the same exact thing to your Baa-chan many years ago," Momoko said with a smirk, reaching over to stroke Nanoha's hair gently. "I wonder if you'll say what I just did to your own daughter someday."

Nanoha sighed. This was the same thing that came up every time her mother asked about the Temple. Just because the older brunette had chosen love over commitment, Momoko assumed it was natural that Nanoha would do the same. "I'm serious about the commitment I made, Okaa-san." Nanoha's smile faded and she looked to the floor. "I won't be having children, you know that."

"Nanoha." Her mom's smile faded as well. "You're still too young to make that choice. Experience what life has to offer you first."

"I am serious."

"And so am I." The older brunette rolled her eyes. "You won't be saying the same thing after you meet a nice man you like."

It was Nanoha's turn to roll her eyes, albeit when the other woman couldn't see it. She might disagree with other people's opinions, but she never mocked them for it. "At least being a runeweaver gives me a choice in the matter."

Momoko looked at her in disappointment. "You know me and your father would never force that old tradition on you." Her mom paused. "Oh I see…you're still upset over what happened to Suzuka."

Nanoha sighed again and met blue eyes with her own. "Maybe a little," she said honestly. "She was forced into that, it wasn't fair."

"In the end she wasn't forced into anything. It might have been Tsukimura-sama's idea, but Suzuka was the one who went forward with it." Momoko broke eye contact. "Suzuka was in a tough position, and she decided to put her family first. We should honor that choice."

"If you say so, Okaa-san."

Her mother shrugged. "It's not like any of us had the power to stop her."

"Un." If only that was true.

"You're not going anywhere," a sixteen year old Nanoha said with as much conviction as she could muster. It weighed heavily on her mind that she was ordered to the stop this girl no matter what. Suzuka was her friend, sure they haven't seen each other in over four years, but even their time apart couldn't erase the strong bonds they forged while growing up.

Suzuka turned and regarded her sadly. The girl was dressed in an elegant, traditional kimono usually worn by a daughter the day she was given away to another family. It was an odd garment to have on when there was no actual wedding taking place, but the Tsukimuras were a proud family that adhered to tradition, despite their criticism for associating with the foreigners. "My mind is made up, Nanoha-chan."

"Even so." Nanoha found it hard to meet the other girl's lavender eyes. "The Temple will not allow it."

"Since when does the Temple have any say in family matters?"

"When it deals with the First Dynasty. Suzuka-chan, you're a direct descendent of the first runeweaver." It wouldn't matter if her friend was leaving with Westerners, Hanyin, Doai, or any other; blood that old was too much of an asset to the Kusari people. "The Temple thinks giving away a powerful bloodline is foolish."

"I understand all of that," Suzuka said sadly. "From their perspective it's a very bad thing." The girl turned and began placing more of her belongings inside the final chest. There were already six of those big containers packed full. "But Nanoha-chan, from my perspective it's an honorable choice."

"Selling yourself isn't honorable," Nanoha said in frustration. She wasn't a noble like her friend, so some of those upper-class values were lost on her. Like this stubborn belief in archaic traditions.

The lavender-haired girl finally let out a tired sigh. "What I'm about to tell you stays between you and me, ne?"

Nanoha nodded even though her friend couldn't see it while facing the other direction. "Okay."

"The townsfolk are suffering right now because of the recession, but my tou-san didn't make this agreement for their sakes." Suzuka stopped packing and turned to her. "If you think he cares about his position as an administrator then you're mistaken. Family always comes first…"

Nanoha could understand that well and clear. It was a basic tenet of society.

"…that's why he has to do this. We haven't just lost a little money, the Tsukimura family is ruined."

"Impossible," Nanoha sputtered in disbelief. The Tsukimura were one of the richest families in the Isles. Everyone knew their power had dwindled with the recession—the whole town was hit hard—but there was no way they could be that bad off.

"I know what you're thinking." Suzuka suddenly looked ashamed. "But if you understand the world of business it's not too hard to believe; overbuying, loans, bad ventures, and just purchasing things we really didn't need." Suzuka motioned to the manor they were standing in. It was remodeled twice in the last four years, and it was five times the size it was before, housing a staff of over a hundred including guards.

"But the house and…"

"What you see is only for show. Tou-san is using the last of our funds just to maintain appearances, lest we embarrass ourselves in front of the town. Our family's dignity and our land is all we have left…" Suzuka paused. "…even that's going to disappear if the daimyo doesn't receive his annual tribute."

Nanoha was shocked. "But the Westerners returned and…"

"They aren't the same traders from before," Suzuka continued. "They have no ties with my family, and Tou-san knows this. If he didn't secure the trade contract they could have easily moved on to someone else."

"But he didn't have anything to trade them..." In a frustrating bout of clarity, it all made sense. "…so he traded you."

Suzuka nodded sadly. "Or he attempted to."

News from Midoriya reached all the way to the Temple. Nanoha was shocked about the marriage proposal itself, but everyone else was just surprised the offer was initially refused. "They weren't interested?"

"No, the Westerners have a different opinion of what they consider valuable. Needless to say, blood isn't one of them."

"If that's the case, how come they eventually agreed?"

Suzuka smiled, somewhat proudly. "Everyone thinks I simply talked them into, but that's not what I did. Our family has worked with Westerners since before I was born, and there was one thing they were always interested in..." Suzuka held out a hand and a mist started to form inside her palm. In the span of no less than ten seconds, it coalesced into an ice figurine that matched Suzuka perfectly.

"Magic?"

Suzuka nodded. "The Westerners are fascinated with it. Maybe not so much with the power itself, but how we use it." The other girl quickly dispelled her ice figurine, watching as the mist disappear into thin air. Suzuka lacked rune knowledge, but her primal control was still excellent. "I showed their leader that little trick, and that was it. The very next day he immediately approached Tou-san about accepting the blood contract. He even apologized for any offense."

Nanoha had heard all about the tension before she arrived back in Midoriya. How the Westerners refused the blood contract, insulted the Tsukimura head, and almost incited a conflict. The part that surprised her the most was how the whole thing was eventually resolved by her friend. "Are you saying they accepted a blood contract because they saw you perform a children's cantrip?"

"Yes." Suzuka sighed and turned back to her packing. "I feel kind of guilty about misleading them a bit. They probably think I'm a powerful runeweaver or something."

Nanoha knew little about the Westerners, so she had to ask, "Do they know what will happen when you…fulfill the blood contract?"

"I don't believe they do," Suzuka said knowingly. "As strange as it sounds, Westerners know absolutely nothing about magic. They probably have no idea I'm eventually going to lose my powers either, but the trade agreement is already signed. Ignorance won't be a valid enough excuse for backing out of it."

It alarmed her to hear Suzuka speaking about this so causally. This was her friend's life they were talking about. "Aren't you worried what will happen when they find out?"

Suzuka shook her head. "I have faith that things will work out. The Westerner leader seemed like an honorable man."

"Suzuka-chan…"

"Don't," the other girl retorted, her voice cracking a bit. It was clear she was trying to maintain her composure. "Please stop, it isn't like I'm not scared."

"Then why do it?"

"It's for my family, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka turned to her. The girl's face was calm, but her lavender eyes were indeed terrified. "They gave life to me, it's only right that I do the same in return."

Nanoha wished she could say something to that, but in truth she couldn't. She was raised to believe the very same things. Any argument on her part would only sound hollow and hypocritical. "When are they making you leave?" she asked quietly.

"Tonight." Suzuka calm composure cracked a little more. "I'll be returning with them to fulfill my obligation. I don't what kind of rituals they have, but I'll be married when they arrive in their homeland."

Nanoha slowly approached her long time friend. "Suzuka-chan." She couldn't imagine being in the other girl's sandals. Suzuka's entire family hinged on this; a father, a sister, four uncles, five aunts, six cousin, and an entire army of pet cats. "You really love your family, ne?"

"I do." Suzuka's shoulders shook with the first sob. "I'm doing…my duty."

"And I'm doing mine," Nanoha said firmly, stepping forward and enveloping the girl in a strong embrace. They stood that way for over five minutes while her long time friend emptied her heart. In time, when the crying stopped completely, she said, "You know, I have orders from the Temple to stop you no matter what."

She couldn't see it, but she could feel Suzuka smile against her. "I bet you could too. Everyone in town has been talking about your graduation to a runeweaver." Suzuka chuckled softly against her. "You did it, Nanoha-chan. I'm so proud of you."

Sighing, Nanoha pulled away. "So nothing I say will stop you?"

Suzuka shook her head. "Short of killing me, no."

"Don't say such things!" Nanoha groaned. "You know I could never do something like that." Temple be dammed, Suzuka was practically family and family always came first.

After recovering her composure, the other girl chanced a glance in her direction. "So what will you do?"

It was putting her in a difficult position. On one hand she could obey her masters and restrain the girl, ultimately offending the Westerners and destroying the trade contract; but that would certainly doom the Tsukimuras and cripple the entire town, her own family included. "Seems I had no choice."

"Had?" Suzuka raised an eyebrow.

Closing her eyes, Nanoha sighed. "Of course." She cracked open an eye to stare at the girl in mock annoyance. "You left long before I arrived." Nanoha immediately felt herself being wrapped in a hug. It was one thing to initiate physical contact, but it was another to be on the receiving end. "Eh?"

"Thank you, Nanoha-chan." Suzuka pulled back in embarrassment. The girl's eyes were no less scared, but now they had a firm resolve in them. She was, after all, Kusari. "I'll miss you."

"And I you."

"Would you like more tea?" Her mom took her empty cup and stood.

"That would be nice, thank you," Nanoha said with a grateful smile. When the older brunette left the room, she reached inside her robe and pulled out a small origami crane. It looked like any other, but upon closer inspection it was easy to spot it strangeness. The paper used for this crane was unlike any found in the Isles; it was heavily pressed, bleached a bright white, and possessed a smoothness not normally associated with parchment.

"Are you still making those?" Momoko asked as she placed a new cup of tea on the mat. "You're a grown woman now, Nanoha."

"I didn't make it."

Momoko gave her a placating look after retaking the seat beside her. "Who then?"

Nanoha smiled and held the bird closer for her mom to inspect. "I bet you could take one look at this and tell me." Her mom had an uncanny talent for solving any mystery in a matter of seconds. Momoko could take a trace of dirt, an errant leaf, or even a stray piece of lint and tell exactly where it came from. Growing up, it made hiding anything from the woman nearly impossible.

"Hmm." Momoko made a show of pondering it.

"Give up?"

"I'm Kusari, giving up isn't an option." The older brunette gave the crane another passing glance before her eyes narrowed. "The edging is too precise to be yours…"

"Mou, Okaa-san!"

"Well it's true." Momoko took a sip of tea before continuing, "Plus the paper is foreign. Tsukimura-sama keeps a supply of those at his manor." Momoko smiled. "Am I getting closer?"

Her mom's skills were as sharp as ever. "Almost there."

"Well then." Momoko actually paused to think it over. "Tsukimura-sama wouldn't give you something so silly, so that rules him out. Shinobu was as bad at origami as Kyouya was. That just leaves one of the branch members?" Her mom met her eyes. "One of those nice boys perhaps."

Nanoha resisted the urge to roll her eyes, some things never change. "You skipped one."

"I don't believe I did." Momoko gasped in sudden realization. "You can't mean…"

Nanoha nodded, unfolding the paper crane and handing it to her mother. There was a note written on the inside.

Nanoha, if you're reading this right now my little birdy has made it to you safely, wherever you may be. I have so much to tell you, but that will come in time. This letter has to brief. I may have been a noble in the Isles, but here I'm expected to do my part for the whole. Needless to say, my responsibilities keep me quite busy, yet at the same time very happy. You needn't have worried the day of my departure from Midoriya; I have since discovered my happiness in this foreign land. Sadly, that brings me to the purpose of this letter. I have to leave my new home and not by choice either. To avoiding confusing you, I'll just say that bad things are happening here that have put my life in danger because of who I am. My new family refuses to see me come to harm, so they have sent me aboard the next flying machine bound for Kusari. We'll be arriving at the beginning of fall, but I hope this letter reaches you before then. It will be good to see the Isles once more, and I'd very much like to see you when I arrive. So until then, My Friend, be well.

The Temple Mistress paused her reading and scanned the bottom of the letter. "It was signed in strange characters. I don't recognize the language, but it's definitely not Hanyin or Doai." The wizened runeweaver sneered, as if she tasted something horrible. "This definitely belongs to that Tsukimura child who left with the foreigners. Bah, I don't like this one bit."

"Ano, Kuro-sama?" A nineteen year old Nanoha narrowed her eyes at the mistress. "This letter was sent by a friend for my eyes only."

The old crone lowered the paper and glared at her. They were all sitting in a private tearoom with several elders nearby. "Under normal circumstances I would agree," Kuro-sama retorted as she shook the letter at her, "but its very presences is a cause for alarm."

"I don't see how…"

"You don't have to see," interrupted the crone, "you have to feel. The Temple is secluded from civilization and no one, but the elders, can find this place without the Wind Corridor. It shouldn't be possible for a letter to arrive by itself, especially without it being detected by the spell wards."

Nanoha silently agreed that her former teacher made a good point.

It all started this afternoon during a sparring session with Kuro-sama. She had managed to best the old crone for the third time this month, much to the mistress's chagrin. Nanoha especially relished the look on the woman's face when she reflected a fireball right back at her—a technique Nanoha developed over the years to compensate for her handicap in the fourth plane. It was a shame her victory euphoria was short lived. Right out of nowhere, while she was kneeling for a breath, a bird landed directly in her lap. It flapped its wings, moved its head, and even shuffled around by itself, but oddly enough, it was an origami paper crane.

Before she had a chance to even touch the thing, Kuro-sama immediately snatched it away and walked off to the tearoom while alerting the elders. In all these years, Nanoha had never seen the mistress so alarmed. When everyone was gathered, the head elder unfolded the paper crane to discover a letter, one that the old crone promptly read aloud.

"I can't explain how it got here, but the crane itself is just a basic enchantment."

Her former teacher rolled her eyes. "On the surface maybe, but take a closer look." The letter left Kuro-sama's hands and floated over to her.

"Yes, Mistress," Nanoha said cautiously, grabbing the letter and scanning the contents.

"Don't read it, scry the thing."

Nanoha fought the urge to sigh, even after all these years as a runeweaver, her former teacher still treated her like an acolyte. "Mou, I was."

"Then get on it with, Child."

She ignored the woman and went straight to work. Activating her inner-eye, she peered beyond the paper to the weave inside it. "Eh!"

"Yes, that's what I detected the moment I saw it," Kuro-sama said knowingly. "There's a tremendous amount of power radiating from the letter's enchantments."

That, in itself, was odd. Suzuka possessed a large amount of power, but lacked the knowledge to properly weave it. "That is…strange," Nanoha conceded. The letter levitated out of her palms and suspended in the air in front of her. Holding out both hands, seven runic circles appeared around the parchment. "There's a water-based shielding spell created to protect the material from damage." Nanoha tore the first enchantment apart, and one of the seven runes—magic ciphering seals—extinguished after it was dispelled.

"Go on."

Nanoha nodded, she was determined to get to the bottom of this. "There is also an earth-based cantrip, most likely the source of the bird mimicry." Another one of the rune circles flashed and faded away, effectively ending the second enchantment.

The mistress nodded in satisfaction. "Dig even deeper. Find the heart."

Nanoha couldn't see anymore, yet there was still a large amount of power residue left. "Ano, I don't…" Suddenly, all five of the remaining seals ignited; the force of the shockwave was strong enough to throw Nanoha back in surprise. With her concentration now broken, the letter floated down to the floor.

"I see you finally found that sneaky little thing." Kuro-sama gave her a smirk. "See why I made such a fuss?"

"Yes," Nanoha said simply. The final enchantment was indeed the heart, and while she couldn't see it with her inner-eye, her runes detected it and dispelled it. "I couldn't see it…but that's not possible."

Three planes existed as the base of the runic language; water, earth, and wind. They were the elemental foundation of literally thousands of spells, and Nanoha adeptly learned to recognize them instantly. For the life of her, she didn't think it was possible to overlook a spell that just consumed a total of five seals.

"You, of all people, couldn't identify the third spell?"

"No." Nanoha knew why the elders looked so shocked. Out of all the runeweavers in the Temple, her magical sight was unparallel.

"So what does that tell you?" The old crone raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for her to come to a conclusion. The other elders were already looking amongst themselves wearily; most of them having already figured out what just happened. None of them looked pleased in the slightest.

"The impossible," Nanoha retorted. If she was blind to it, then it dealt with the fourth and final plane—the plane of fire. "I know what you're hinting at, Kuro-sama, but it makes no sense. There are no fire spells." The runic language was only comprised of the first three planes. Fire, as an elemental source, was too chaotic to be weaved from. "What does this mean?"

"It means, unlikely as it may seem, a fire-based spell was used on that little crane." The old teacher leaned further back on her haunches and sighed. "If I had to wager a guess as to what it does…"

"It was a tracer spell that sought me out." Understanding quickly dawned on her. "That must be why the spell wards didn't detect it, because the heart existed outside the three planes."

"Exactly." The mistress turned to the group of elders who all nodded in assent. Nanoha figured they were all communicating through mindspeak the whole time. "That's why we must contact our sister Temples on the mainland. This is a grave matter of importance, and they all need to be made aware of it.

"But…but…." Nanoha looked pleadingly over at her teacher. "This came from Suzuka-chan, so it can't be anything dangerous."

"Naïve," retorted the mistress. "How can we be so sure?"

"She's a Kusari by blood and birth, same as all of us. Are you saying she miraculously gained the ability to create fire spells?"

"Maybe, maybe not." There was no mistaking the venom laced in the old woman's voice. "If you were the first 'you', you'd understand how serious this is."

It had been awhile since the old crone motioned her in the multiple sense. "Mistress?"

"Bah!" Kuro-sama gestured in irritation. "I'm not entirely convinced the Tsukimura child sent the letter."

"What do you mean?" asked an elder off to the side, speaking up for the first time.

"Ano, I'm positive she wrote the letter." Nanoha walked over and scooped up the parchment from the floor. "This is definitely Suzuka's calligraphy. I'll vouch for it myself."

"Very well, consider the obvious then." Kuro-sama gave her an inpatient look. "She was bartered off to the foreigners as a bride. Do you honestly think after three years your friend can still weave magic?"

All fight quickly left Nanoha. She was determined to defend her friend's innocent intention in contacting her, but that line of reasoning unnerved her. "I guess not." For the life of her, Nanoha hadn't actually considered Suzuka's marriage and the duties required thereafter. "So…there's a second caster then. Suzuka wrote the letter, but someone else sent it."

"Precisely." For the first time, in a very long while, the mistress gave her a proud smile. "These Westerners are a cause for alarm, never mind your friend being involved with them. Have you ever wondered how they can exist in a place that should be nothing but ocean? But more importantly, have you ever questioned why there were never any runeweavers among them?"

Nanoha nodded. Her mind had pondered questions like those many times. "What are you saying, Mistress?"

"I'm simply saying they are more than they let on. The fact we discovered the existence of fire-based magic among them, just goes to show how dangerous they really are."

"That's going a bit far. I grew up in Midoriya, Kuro-sama. Westerners never brought any harm to us before." Nanoha felt a strange need to defend her town's dealings.

"Bah, so says the farmer who trusts a wolf to watch his flock," the mistress said in disappointment. "Don't be blinded by optimism, Child. Enemies can wear many faces." The mistress held out a hand to one of the elders. A woman to the farthest left, the youngest of the group, promptly placed a scroll parchment in their leader's palm. "That brings me to my next point. Since you already know both the town and the subject matter, I'm sending you to Midoriya on behalf of the Temple to investigate this further."

"You want me to be a spy?"

"An 'agent' for the temple." Kuro-sama snorted in derision. "If I wanted a spy I'll send an Aicho. No, your task will be to find the identity of the mystery caster who used the fourth plane. This is the most alarming incident the Temple has faced in a long time, and if it turns out the Westerners were the source, then even more so." The crone met her with a cold stare. "I don't have to tell you how important this is. The fact that it involves your friend is why I'm sending you and not an elder, so please don't make me regret that decision."

"…"

"Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, Mistress."

Nanoha wished she could tell someone about what was going on, but sadly, not even her mother was allowed to know.

"Then the Westerners arrival today…"

"Suzuka-chan should be among them," Nanoha finished for her.

The older brunette nodded happily and folded the paper. "The letter was a little vague, but the important part is Suzuka's homecoming." Momoko turned to her. "To be honest, no one expected her to come back, not even her father. This is surely a good omen."

Or a very bad one. Nanoha thought.

Momoko smiled. "The two of you were so close growing up. Suzuka felt like another one of my children."

"And a sibling to me." Nanoha sighed and stood up from the mat. "I've delayed going to the tower long enough. She might be waiting for me."

Her mom caught the note of regret in her voice. "Aren't you happy to see her again, Nanoha?"

Her mission from the Temple made any joy from such an occasion moot. She was basically spying on a childhood friend for a bunch of old, paranoid women who didn't trust anything they couldn't understand. "I am," she said quickly, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"Ano, Nanoha?"

"I have to go now," Nanoha said suddenly. She could never hold up to her mother's scrutiny for very long. It was best to leave when she had the chance.

"Already?" Momoko looked disappointed. "You're leaving before we had a chance to catch up, just like last time."

"It can't be helped." Regret welled up inside her and Nanoha looked away. "Sorry."

Momoko quickly stood and approached her. "At least come back to the house later to spend some time with everyone." Her mother enveloped her in a warm hug.

"I'll try, Okaa-san."

"Take a seat," the captain of the ship, a Kusari by birth, said amicably.

"On these?" Shiro looked wearily at the two elevated seats facing a large wooden desk.

"Come on, Otou-san," Kyouya said to his father, already claiming the right seat for himself. While the older Takamachi hesitated, he took the chance to look around the room. It was filled with an assortment of trinkets, metal statuettes, and flags of varied design. The most out-of-place objects were the little dragon models resting on the captain's desk. Brown colored ones mostly, but also bronze, gold, and even black ones. The Westerners who made them sure had an imagination.

The captain sat in his own chair on the other side. "Are you going to stand there all day, Takamachi-san?"

Shiro finally relented and awkwardly sat in the empty seat. "I've never been inside a flying machine before."

A smile slowly crept on the captain's face. "Don't let all the metal fool you. It may look sturdy, but airships are extremely fragile."

Kyouya tore his eyes away from a pair of swords resting on the wall—both blades were built with hand guards on the knuckles, a practical enough design. "Airships? So that's what the Westerners call them."

"Translated into Kusari yes. Of course the word sounds a bit different in their language."

Kyouya nodded, still marveling at the airship's complexity. Along the way to the captain's quarters, he got an inside view of just how much metalworking went into building this thing. "How powerful are the runes that make this thing fly?"

The captain chuckled. "Spells have no part in it. Airships are powered with a bunch of gears, gases, and steam. I'm not quite sure how it works myself. I just captain the thing. "

"And how did you manage that, Nakajima-san?" Kyouya asked in wonder. It was hard to believe the foreigners would allow it, they always seemed aloof and distrustful of their people.

Shiro shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'd also like to know."

"Fair enough." The white-haired man leaned back in his chair. "But before you start making assumptions, let me tell you I earned it through hard work."

"This coming from you?" The older Takamachi said in jest. "You never took anything seriously."

"Very true, but all things change with time." The captain smiled, probably remembering his younger years. "Would you like to hear my story then?"

Shiro didn't object. "Please."

Genya Nakajima nodded and opened his desk, inside he pulled out a brown tube that he popped into his mouth. On a tiny bowl sitting on his desk, the captain removed a small stick that ignited when the man flicked it with his thumb. Using it, he lit the tube and inhaled. "I hope you don't mind."

The smoke that filled the room had an acrid smell to it, but out of politeness, Kyouya and Shiro ignored it. "No," said the youngest member of the trio.

"Good. These cigars are a nasty habit, and I didn't want to make you two uncomfortable." The captain took a deep puff before continuing, "Let's start at the beginning shall we. Twenty-eight years ago the Westerners first arrived, or more accurately they crashed. I believe it was engine trouble in their boiler room, or something like that." The man snickered. "Those early models were nothing but flying firecrackers. It's a miracle they didn't end up as flotsam in the Crags."

"Crags?" Shiro interrupted.

Genya nodded. "What the Westerners call the land shelf that sits just under the ocean. It covers the waters to the east and west, with polar shelves to the north and south. You have to travel by air if you want to reach the other side." The captain paused and motioned to Shiro. "But I'm not telling an old sailor anything new."

"So the Westerners made flying machines to cross the…Crags?" Kyouya wondered.

"Heh." The captain chuckled again. "Not even close. The people who created airships intended them for land prospecting and ocean cartography. It was an invention out of necessity. They lacked the other aerial resources of their northern neighbors."

"Other aerial resources?" Shiro asked with surprise. "Are you telling me they have other things that can fly?"

The captain had chuckled before, but now his throat exploded with laughter. "Neither of you would believe me if I told you," he said once his laughter was under control, "never in a million years."

"But if airships weren't invented to cross the far ocean…" Kyouya cut in, his curiosity was in full bloom. "How did one of them end up in Midoriya?"

"How else?" Puffing on his cigar, the captain answered, "by accident."

"Eh?"

"As I learned, they were returning from a mission on the edges of the Eastern Sea—or Western Sea for us—but fate had other plans for them. Their airship got caught up in a storm that knocked them in the opposite direction. They were trapped in the air current for days, and their limited food reserves started to dwindle. It was a bad situation. On one hand they could travel back home the way came, but they would eventually starve to death before they made it. That left them with the final option; keep heading in the opposite direction and hope it would get them home quicker."

Kyouya held out a hand to stop the man. "How would traveling in the opposite direction get them home?" That kind of logic truly baffled him.

Genya leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Che, that's another hard to thing to explain. Just believe me when I tell you, that if you travel in the same direction you eventually come back to where you started."

"Don't tell me you believe in that too?" Shiro spoke up. "It's a crazy myth."

"And I'm telling you it's proven fact." Genya retorted.

"Ano, what are you two talking about?" It was clear that his father understood what the captain was hinting at.

Shiro rolled his eyes and turned to his son. "He talking about the shape of the world."

"What about it?"

"The Westerners, and apparently Nakajima-san, both think the world is shaped like a ball."

Kyouya blinked. "Like the sun?"

"Yes, and it's the truth," the captain cut in.

"Ha, and next thing you'll try tell me is that the moon used to be a ball too."

"Now that you mention it…"

"It makes sense," Kyouya said suddenly, earning a glare from his father. "The part about the world, not the moon."

Shiro groaned and sighed. "Not you too, Kyouya. I thought I raised you better."

"But it explains why they decided to keep going. I'm not saying their theory is right or wrong," Kyouya paused, "but it answers the logic behind their choice."

"Finally a Takamachi with some sense." Nakajima nodded and took a puff from his cigar. "Would you like me to continue?"

Before Shiro could answer, Kyouya beat him to it, "Please."

"Well then, the Westerners were very wrong in the assumption; it turns out the world was bigger than they thought it was. They came to that conclusion when they spotted uncharted land on the horizon."

"The Isles?"

"Yes, Unimari in particular." The captain shrugged. "It was a stroke of luck they found it when they did. Their supply stores were completely dry. Unfortunately, luck ended the moment the airship gave out and crashed in Tsukimura-sama's backyard."

Shiro turned to his son and took the story from there. "Nakajima-san and I were both guards for Tsukimura-sama back then. We were among the first Kusari to meet the foreigners at the crash site."

"Yes, and what a bad first impression we made," Genya said with humor. "We nearly killed the lot of them." The captain took another drag of his cigar. It didn't help the atmosphere any, the small cabin was already filled to the brink with smoke. "None of them were actually killed, but one of them came very close."

"Their leader," Shiro said suddenly. "Harlaown-san."

Kyouya looked over at him in surprise. It was odd that his father addressed a foreigner by name. "You remember him?"

"I was the one who almost killed him."

Genya smirked at the surprised Kyouya. "You're tou-san was the finest swordsman I've ever known. His opponent didn't stand a chance."

"Nakajima-san is being too kind with his praise," Shiro said neutrally. "The Westerner captain put up a good fight, but it dragged on longer than it should of. In the end he came a hair's breadth of death."

"Thankfully he lived, albeit barely," Genya cut in. "Captain Harlaown was the only one with the authority to speak for the Westerners. With him injured like that, the rest refused to cooperate." The white-haired man paused. "If it wasn't for Tsukimura-sama's order to contain them, I imagine the militia would have done away with them."

"And changed history." Shiro took over the story again. "While Tsukimura-sama was working on establishing a dialog, the Temple was contacted to send a healer. We figured if the Westerner captain was saved, the others would become more reasonable."

Genya nodded. "That's when they sent her."

"Her?" Kyouya asked, noting the sober expression on the other men's faces. His dad appeared a little angry, but Nakajima-san seemed saddened.

"Asako Qing," Genya eyed a small metal rectangle facing his side of the desk. "She was a beautiful half Hanyin priestess trained as a healer. The only one in Midoriya at the time that could save the Westerner."

His dad motioned to the captain. "She was also the girl Nakajima-san was obsessed with."

"Otou-san!" Kyouya sputtered in surprise. "That's rude."

Genya shrugged and smiled. "Your father is right. I loved her with all my heart and was helplessly devoted. We had known each other from my hometown before she was sent to work at the Midoriya shrine. I know her being a runeweaver meant we could never be together, I but I followed her anyway."

Shiro grunted. "And you followed her again, ne?"

Genya nodded, but he cleared the air a bit for Kyouya's sake. "The Westerner captain was gravely injured. Even with Qing's help, the chances that he would recover was still slim."

"But that man was a strong one." Shiro had a rare tone of respect laced in his voice. "He pulled through regardless."

"Luckily." The captain leaned back in his chair. "He was still in a critical condition though, but coherent enough to get his men to calm down."

Kyouya knew as much from then on. "And our people started working together, ne?"

"Yes, but it took several chaotic months." Genya leaned forward and extinguished his cigar in a small bowl of ash. "The Westerners only priority was returning home, and Tsukimura-sama was anxious to see them off. Riders had come from the daimyo reprimanding the administrator for not contacting the government about the 'invaders'."

"Invaders?"

"Heh." Genya shrugged. "That's what it looked like from an outside perspective. Anyways, Tsukimura-sama was getting a lot of bad attention, so he wanted to return the village to normalcy as quick as possible. He aided the Westerners as best he could, and sure enough, they were repaired, restocked, and ready to go after nine months. However, there was one little snag."

"The Westerner captain was in no condition to be moved." Shiro spoke up.

"Exactly," the captain said, a glazed look passing his eyes. "Whether he was ready to be moved or not, the Westerners had to go. Word from the capital was that the daimyo had sent soldiers to take them into custody, despite Tsukimura-sama's promise of safe passage."

"I never knew that happened." Kyouya said, looking over at his father.

"It's not a part of the story the townsfolk are aware of out of respect for the daimyo. The Westerners escaped long before his soldiers arrived."

"But their captain…"

"Lived," Genya said firmly. The man's attention was focused on the metal rectangle facing his direction on the desk. "Qing was still charged with taking care of the man, so she volunteered to go with them, if only to make sure his condition didn't worsen."

"And the town let her?"

A grimace suddenly formed on the captain's face and he stared at Kyouya. "Who would care about what happened to a half Hanyin girl?"

It was a sour subject, so Shiro pushed on. "I can see what happened then. You stowed away on the airship to follow her, ne?"

"Of course I did. There was no way in the heavens I was going to leave her in the strangers' care."

"What happened next, Nakajima-san?" Kyouya asked.

"We had a grand adventure." The man grunted with a smile. "The airship made it back to its home, and the two of us suddenly became the foreigners. Trust me, it was a hectic time that followed, but in hindsight, sneaking on the ship was the best decision I ever made."

"That's surprising," Shiro retorted. "You hated the Westerners."

"I was an ignorant youth, but I was talking about my life in general." The captain turned the metal rectangle that was sitting on his desk. On it was an image frozen with perfect clarity. A younger Genya stood there with an arm around a stunning lavender-haired woman with green eyes—both of them were wearing a matching gray-colored uniform. Below them were two children. The older one had hair similar to the mother, but the younger one had a bluer shade that blatantly displayed her Hanyin heritage. "As you can see, I've lived a full life, not once, but twice blessed."

Shiro leaned back in surprise. "I take it she gave up her oath to the Temple."

"Let's just say the Temple didn't hold the same importance as it did before. Giving up her powers was a calculated choice rather than a romantic one. It was either that, or draw attention to herself."

"What do you mean?" Kyouya asked.

"We were human." Genya returned the picture frame back to where it rested before. "You may find this hard to believe, but humans in the West can't use…"

A knock on the cabin door startled the three occupant.

(Enter.) Genya said in the foreign tongue as he stood.

A blonde foreigner entered and stood before the captain. He didn't even acknowledge Kyouya and Shiro's presence. (He got out, Captain Jim.)

Genya sneered and slammed a hand on his desk. (I told Mrs. Bannings to watch him, didn't I?)

(Yes, but he broke through the wards and escaped the tower.) The Westerner sighed. (Mrs. Bannings left the little one with your daughter and chased after him.)

(By the Light!) The captain swore, earning baffled looks from the other two Kusari. (Cray is going to have my head if anything happens to either of them.)

The blonde-haired man twitched nervously, and Kyouya wondered what the two were talking about. "Catch any of this, Otou-san?"

"Not a word."

(I tried to send some men after them,) said the Westerner to his captain, (but the locals wouldn't let them leave the tower. Refused to budge they did.)

(I guess my people are as suspicious as ever.) Genya sighed. (I'll take care of this, have the men finish the rounds and get the ship ready for departure if need be.)

(Aye, Captain.) The man turned to leave, but stopped at the door. (Mrs. Bannings put us all in danger bringing him aboard. We should have never allowed it.)

(I know.)

(What if the Belkans boarded us and found him? You know what they do to people who quarter his kind.)

(I said I know!) Genya snapped irritably. (Dismissed.)

(Aye, Captain.) With that, the man left.

"What was that about?" Shiro asked curiously, a feeling mirrored by the younger Takamachi.

(A stowaway.)

"Eh?"

Genya shook his head. "Sorry." He paused, turning to the other two men. "This is sudden, but I need to ask a favor."

"We have been waiting for you, Ojou-sama." The servants quickly bowed and led her inside the large manor, more a castle than a common home.

"You've been waiting for me?" Nanoha asked, stepping in behind the three girls who led the way. Normally being allowed in the Tsukimura household was an honor reserved for family and the army of servants who maintained the place. Not even her mother, who was considered a close friend of Tsukimura-sama, was allowed beyond the doors. Nanoha, on the other hand, was an exception. Being a runeweaver granted a status that elevated her beyond her gender.

"Tsukimura-ojou-sama has sent word to have your arrival prepared for," the servant on the far left said demurely.

"I see." Nanoha looked to the servant who addressed her. "Has Suzuka-chan…Tsukimura-ojou-sama not arrived yet?"

"I'm afraid not." This time it was the servant on the far right who spoke up. "She requested we attend to your every need while she got her affairs in order."

Nanoha was quickly led to their destination. She watched as the servants opened a sliding door to an opulent waiting room. It was decorated in the Kusari fashion to exemplify natural beauty; potted bonsai, wood carvings that lined the walls, and even sitting mats all furnished with the highest quality Hanyin silks. This room alone probably cost more than her family home.

"Please," said one of the servants as the girl motioned to the sitting mats. "We shall prepare some refreshments for you, Ojou-sama."

"You don't have to address me like that. Takamachi-san is fine." Nanoha was definitely not used to the special treatment. Sure her Temple status put her on par with nobility, but take away her ivory clothes, and she was no different from a common villager.

All the servants bowed, but the one closest to the door addressed Nanoha, "I'm afraid we can't, Ojou-sama. Tsukimura-sama would be cross with us if he found us disrespecting an honorable runeweaver in his own house." Without needing to further explain, each girl spread out to perform their duties.

"This really isn't necessary," Nanoha said in embarrassment as she sat down.

One girl quickly placed a tray in front of her and stood off to the side, obediently awaiting any further command. "We were ordered to see to you needs, Ojou-sama."

Nanoha gave up and let them pamper her. While the other two servants busied with the tea and snack preparation, she turned to the servant by her mat. "Have you worked here long?"

"Yes." The girl bowed her head and avoided eye contact.

Nanoha internally sighed, the girl took her job too seriously. "Have you ever met a Westerner before?" she asked, trying once more to spark a conversation.

"Yes."

"What are they like?" Nanoha had never actually met one face to face before. Tsukimura-sama strictly enforced his male only policy when dealing with foreigners, so all her opinions and perception were shaped by things her father and townsmen would say.

"Same as normal men." The servant paused. "Maybe a little louder than most."

"And Westerner women?"

"I've never met one." The servant shrugged, still not meeting Nanoha's eyes. "The traders were always men."

"I see." Nanoha's questioning wasn't recreational; she was trying to fulfill her assignment. The Temple concluded the caster of the fire spell was somewhere on the docked flying machine. Since the servant said that Westerner traders were usually all men, Nanoha just had to locate one of their females. That would most likely be the culprit.

(Get back here!) came a yell from the hallway, causing all the servants to look over at the door cautiously.

Nanoha, on the other hand, stood in surprise. She recognized the voice immediately, despite the strange language being spoken.

(You're not allowed out of my sight, you made a promise!)

Lacking the grace that was normally expected of her, Nanoha quickly bolted to the door before the servants could and slid it open. It was just in time to see a large object zip passed. Her head poked out of the corridor to watch the object round the corner out of sight.

Was that an animal?

If Nanoha didn't know any better, she could have sworn that was a lion. A sudden movement to her left made a her turn. That was when she saw the object's pursuer.

"Nanoha-chan!" said an older Suzuka who slid to stop, panting. (Which…way…did it go?)

Nanoha blinked. "Eh?"

The lavender-haired girl realized her words weren't registering. "Sorry, it's been awhile since I spoke Kusari." Suzuka held out her arms wide. "Large, brown, running really fast; did you see which way it went?"

Still in a confused daze, Nanoha pointed to the left path at the end of the hall.

"Thank you." Suzuka quickly bowed before taking off without another word.

Not the reunion I was expecting.

"Suzuka-chan?" Her friend had looked so different, but that probably had a lot to do with the clothes the girl wore—a long peach skirt that reached her boot clad ankles, and a matching top that showed far too much skin to be considered decent. Suzuka's hair was also grown out longer than she remembered it.

What's going on?

Shaking her head, Nanoha followed after her friend on a dead run. It wasn't log before she tracked the other girl down; Suzuka was staring at a dead end in the hallway. "Tell me what's going on?" Nanoha asked with a note of irritation. She hated being left in the dark.

(You're not fooling anyone.) Suzuka called out after she caught her breadth.

Nanoha's patience had about run out. "Suzuka-chan!" It didn't help the other girl was speaking in a foreign language she didn't understand either.

"I'm sorry, Nanoha-chan," Suzuka said to her briefly. "But please be quiet."

"Mou!" Nanoha was about to retort, but a flicker in the hallway suddenly caught her eye—not the two blue one's her parents gave her, but her spiritual inner-eye. A wind-based illusion spell was present. "Stand back, Suzuka-chan." Training abruptly kicked in, and Nanoha raised a hand to dispel it. That was her intention anyway, but her long time friend beat her to it.

(Fade!) Suzuka's hand flew out and a blue rune formed in the air. The environment instantly shifted to reveal the true hallway, or more accurately a hole in the side of the manor leading outside.

"Eh." Nanoha quickly turned to her friend, and was startled by the look on Suzuka's face. The girl was pissed. In all their time together, Nanoha had never seen her friend this angry before. "I…" Her eyes widened the moment a crucial piece of information registered in her mind.

She can still use her magic…

(Damn him, he promised.) An angry Suzuka faced Nanoha, but her expression softened considerably. "This wasn't how I wanted to meet again, Nanoha-chan, but that can wait till later. I need your help."