Daemonguard.

That name sent shivers down my spine, shivers of familiarity. Once I had been a member before I was given the honor bodyguard duty and personal hand of my lady. Watching these men and women march boldly into the dropships brought back many memories from my early days.

Once I had wore the sleek red and black armor of the daemonguard. Once those red cloaks, dyed by blood, had hung from my shoulders. Once I had carried the daemon great sword into battle. Once I brought the Devil's Breath to my lady's enemies. Once I had fought as one of them.

Now I walked alone. My path was a lonely one, but my heart has not been troubled. My lady bade me walk this path wherever it may lead. I hope it will lead to her arms, but fist I must smash this fortress world.

Millions would die by my command and that was before we even set foot on the ground. Once we broke the orbital defenses billions more would die. Then I had to crack the capital. That would cost another billion lives at best. If other Warlords or worse the Dark Angel came then trillions would die.

It was going to be a pretty little war all things considered, nothing like the quad-trillions that had died in the X89VC Incident. That had been nasty!

It was said that once the smoke of war clears one can see things all clearer, yet for one Head Enforcer Chrono Harlaown no clarity was found. Dawn had come, yet brought him no peace of mind. The healing light had chased away the darkness, yet his mind was as bleak as an overcast sky.

He sat on the couch of the home that served as the base of TSAB operations during the Book of Darkness investigation. Arms folded, he frowned at the coffee table. The events of the previous night replayed over and over in his mind. The failure of his plan and the rouge operation undertaken by Nanoha and Fate, the accursed wizard… everything had been fine until the wizard showed up.

He had read Fate's report several times. The Book of Darkness had reacted to the wizard's Device and turned even more violent. Something other than him wanted to end that Device, but out of primordial fear or hate he didn't know. The Device that called itself Azriel was dangerous, that he knew, far too dangerous to be left in the hands of a wizard of all people.

They were an untrustworthy bunch, the wizards, hiding behind spells and old stories. They had broken the treaty and refused to surrender the Lost Logia they found during Second World War. They had killed the TSAB agent assigned to watch the Ministry of Magic then had the gall to cover it up by claiming it was a Death Eater raid. Blatantly they cast there heretical magic, heedless of the consequences, the normal humans of Earth. With their strange style of ancient and new, the wizards remade themselves. They had the gall to violate dozens of TSAB laws regarding magical experimentation in order to breed a new race with magic inside them, the Purebloods.

The TSAB could do nothing to stop them and that was the worst part. To do so would require them to violate every moral value they had. Rights would be suspended, the ability to live as they wanted would have to be taken away, sealed camps as they were rounded up like cattle, wands and heirlooms destroyed, artifacts and tomes of great value lost to prevent the wizards from ever rising again. And then…

Then…they would die. Every last one of them. A little less than a million globally would die. Every age, the elderly, men, women, children would be exterminated without mercy. Even the babes in the crib, if they had magic, would have to die. Then…then the TSAB would be free of them forever…at too great a cost…

A cost of everything single shred of respect any living being would have for them. Goodwill would dry up faster than funding for the super dreadnoughts of the Navy. Suddenly they would find themselves the bad guys, not the heroes. The worst part was the wizards…they would be seen as martyrs, victims of the tyrannical and evil TSAB.

He shook his head at the thought. "That would never happen. We're not the monsters here. We save people…sometimes," he muttered to himself. "How to explain the wizard though… Maybe I should omit him completely? No, the Asura has the footage. I wonder what the official response is going to be? He does have a Lost Logia after all and technically they're property of the TSAB… Ug! That's one battle I don't want to fight. The wizard is a monster, yet he's way too powerful for a normal wizard."

"Oh Chrono!" a familiar voice said from the doorway. "I'm back."

"Amy, did you bring the footage and the reports I asked for?" he addressed his sixteen year old underling. Amy Limietta was a close friend and had been his primary source of intelligence for the last year. Her blue uniform was fresh as ever and in her hands were several disks.

"I found the footage and got lucky too. Apparently High Command sealed the recording shortly after I got it. They aren't letting it leak out beyond the crew I guess."

"Odd...what do they have to fear from that footage? Is there something important in it? Or is it just the presence of the wizard? The Book?" Chrono idly speculated as Amy took a seat beside him. "What about the other files?"

"Those were…harder to come by. Beyond the old propaganda tapes I could only find a little bit on the wizards of Earth. Though I always thought Earth was non magical planet with a few rare persons popping up here and there. To think a whole magical world was lurking in the shadows of this world this whole time…"

"They're good at covering their tracks and hiding. Paranoid doesn't even begin to describe them. They are a dying race, obsessed with maintaining the 'purity' of their 'magic'. Heretics…"

"Another question, why do you call them heretics?" Amy asked innocently enough.

Chrono folded his arms and closed his eyes before he spoke. "They are called heretics because they are heretics. They have done unspeakable acts to transform their linker Cores into…into something else. Then they take a noble style of magic, Mid-Childa style, and have the audacity to blend it with that accursed Belka style, the same style that killed countless millions two hundred years ago. It goes beyond magic though. They've done...crossbreeding experiments with the magical creatures of Earth. They created things that should have never existed, things that go against nature and reason. That's only the start of it though, the rest is beyond your clearance level."

"That doesn't explain your treatment of Harrison. You can't blame him for events of the long past." She looked somewhat miffed that he wasn't telling her everything he knew.

Chrono sighed, "You're right. I can't hold him responsible for the perversion that the first wizard performed, or the fusion of styles. No, but… They are arrogant, ignorant fools who want the world to bend to them. We offered them help and each time they refused, they even attacked the messenger by some accounts. The world cannot bend to them, the puppet masters who make thrones and nations dance on their whims. It makes me sick to think less than a million wizards have this world of six billion in their hands. That much power in a single group that been proven to breed insane monsters…it, it can't be allowed. That wizard even has a Lost Logia. Now the power of Al-Hazard is in the hands of a wizard. There's no telling how many Lost Logia they already have."

Amy was quiet as Chrono trailed off. She still didn't see the problem and knew it had to be a deeper reason than the official policy on wizards. Chrono wouldn't be shaped solely by TSAB policy. Could he? Was he a child soldier, given a weapon and told what to say? The idea was shocking to her. The level headed Chrono seemed to carry a burning hate for wizards and wasn't sharing the cause of his hate.

What secrets was her friend keeping from her? How did Harrison and the wizards fit into the equation?

Amy scooted closer to the boy. He might be Head Enforcer, but he was still a child. Heck, she was one too, but children need to be comforted sometimes. She pulled the boy into a one armed hug as she dropped the disks on the table. For a moment he resisted, but her second arm discouraged that thought for a mere second.

"What happened? Why do you hate…" she faintly whispered.

"It's nothing," Chrono said coldly as he pushed her away. He rose and took the disks. "Policy is to detain them at all cost if they interfere in a TSAB operation. As far as the law is concerned Harrison Potter stuck his nose into the wrong mess." He vanished up the stairs leaving Amy, open mouthed on the couch.

"Wha…what's wrong with you Chrono? Why can't you tell me?" she said softly after the boy. "Why did you lie to me? I thought we're friends…" It physically hurt her to listen to his lies. They had been friends since childhood, lies had never come between them. She knew that the trust built up over their entire lives was broken. Chrono had broken it, but she wanted to know why. Where had the mindless soldier come from? Where had her Chrono gone?

Harry watched the sunset over the city from the balcony. Golden sunlight became red and the shadows lengthened. From his hotel room in the downtown area he could make out the distance sea. The faint, salty sea breeze was mixed with smells of the city. This was the city he fought to protect for himself, not for anyone else. He fought because he wanted a nice place to stay and destruction, chaos, and death didn't fit that bill.

"I am so selfish," he drawled. "I'll admit that much." He turned and walked to his bed. Throwing himself down, he sighed with relief when he sank into the mattress. After the battle he had returned and slept for a few hours, but that was all. Relaxing like this was blissful.

He was still in a perilous position. The TSAB was active in the city, heavily if the number of Enforcers was anything to go by. They had a ship too, but he knew that wouldn't be an issue. The defense program had torn open a dimensional storm and the Asura wasn't going to be sending any messages until it quieted. The ball was in the pup's court now, he couldn't act. If they came to arrest him he would fight. If the pup did nothing then he would try to finish his vacation in peace.

"Like that will happen." He knew they would come. Azriel had revealed herself and they wanted Lost Logia. They would come for her and him too. They would come and die. He wouldn't show mercy, he couldn't. Once they had had the smell of Azriel on their tongues they would hound him until death. They would hound the people he had fought Voldemort to save just to reach him if they grew desperate. The wizards needed time, time to rebuild, reproduce, train, and rebuild their shattered lives.

There was no way the TSAB would let them do that. Once the dogs knew, or thought they knew Lost Logia were in the hands of wizards the battles would start. First it would be talking, politics, but he knew neither side would budge. One side would get frustrated and order the Logia seized by force. Then the fighting would start again and everything he had done, killed for, bleed for, let friends die for would go up in flames once more.

"Like hell I'll let them do that. They WILL NOT undo the work I sacrificed so much for," he growled, as he stood. "Azriel, how are those analysis coming?"

"The profiles are at 95 percent completion. A large amount of data collected in passive mode during the battle. My processors however are designed for more data influx that what we gathered."

"What about Nanoha? Did you find any…abnormalities?"

"Regarding the potential devil contract? No substantial data was gathered that would indicate a pact. If the Master of Death was able to get closer an in-depth scan may reveal the truth."

"No, it's too risky. She's a contracted mage and probably watched as such. Once this event blows over then maybe I'll consider it. Either way the demon won't act right away, if ones there at all," Harry explained. He slid his shoes as Azriel flashed brightly for a brief second. Instead of being three separate parts she had taken the form of a small scythe on a necklace. "You stole that from Signum and her sword didn't you?"

"So? This form is convenient. Possession of a form is arbitrary. According to my data men of this time don't wear rings unless they are these 'wedding rings' or their profession is that of a -"

Harry quickly grabbed her and stuffed her in his jean's pocket. He didn't need to hear her go on. Her 'research' was nothing more than downloading as many websites as possible. Then she told him what he found, but any innocence he might have had was lost when he discovered his cousin's computer and the internet.

Taking one last look in the mirror, he brushed his forehead. The lighting blot scar had all, but faded. Only a slight discoloration of skin told that it had ever been there to begin with. In many ways he was glad it was gone, but a part of him missed the mark that had so long been a part of him. "Well then Harry it's time to take in the sights. After all this is our vacation."

The streets were loud and noisy despite the hour. People flowed across the busy streets, walking to an unknown rhythm. He had learned that everything had a rhythm of life during the battles against Voldemort. Battle, life, cities, towns, people, everything moved in a certain way. They stepped, fought, bled and died in their own rhythm. It was a nameless tune that kept the world moving yet was solely unique for every individual.

He passed a bright arcade as he wandered the streets. The sights and sounds of laughing teens having fun with friends made his heart ache for home. He would have loved to have been able to be like those happy friends, but his were gone. Most had been taken by the war, a war that wasn't theirs to begin with. Neville, Seamus, Fred, George, Lavender, Alice, Alicia…and many more…

He forced himself to leave that unhappy thought. He was alive, the beastie was dead and wouldn't be ruining his vacation. Another battle lived through...that's enough for me. So many of his battles had left dead friends behind, had left him surprised that no one had been killed by the rouge defense program. It had currently been powerful and probably would have only grown in power. He stuck his hand and his pockets and began to walk away.

"Hey Potter!"

Turning about to see who had called his name, he smirked. "Jeez, you people can't stay away from me."

"Shove it," Vita growled. She was in a casual tee shirt and jeans and without the hammer she looked just like a regular kid. "Shamal thought she saw you outside."

"Yes, I was walking down the street. Does Japan have rules against walking and window shopping? By the way, what are you doing in this area? I thought the pup would have you all locked up for sure."

"Neh," she brushed the idea of casually. "He can't stop us. Not without his ship to back it up, but the disturbances have pretty much grounded it in real space. Besides I think Nanoha would take issue if he tried. Chrono ain't stupid enough to fight her."

"So the information was correct…" Harry would have stroked his beard if he had one. The TSAB was grounded. Azriel hadn't been lying when she had said the dimensional sea was a mess early.

"Huh? Wha'da mean?" Vita asked curiously.

"Ah, nothing, anyway why did you flag me down?"

"Hayate wants to unwind, so she dragged us to the arcade. Shamal thinks she sees you, Hayate over hears and here I am. Her own words are 'This is the rest time, otherwise known as character building time and that involves more than a single person.' She said you'd understand perfectly, doesn't make much sense to me," Vita finished and crossed her arms behind her head.

Harry snorted. Hayate was well read for sure. They both ran in some of the same circles apparently. "I wasn't expecting that. Eh, don't let the message bother you. It's…complicated, lots of reading, lots. Hundreds of pages, no billions, no trillions."

"Whatever. Keep your club, you coming or not?" Vita strolled ahead before looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah, what can it hurt! It's just a little harmless fun after all." Damn you Hayate! Sending the one person that can catch me off guard and break my barriers with ease. You're going to be a monster once you mature. May God help us when that happens!

The arcade was bright, but less filled than it look form the street. Gaggles of boys and girls in various uniforms wandered between machines. He had never spent time in a place like this. He had rarely touched video games as child and such diversions were lost to the wizards. He foudn himself at the receiving end of more than a few apprising looks form girls and glares from a number of boys.

~Master, you must be careful. My research shows that the Japanese school girl is a dangerous and powerful breed. The Japanese government has many laws surrounding them due to the endangered nature of their kind. I fear this lot may be in the heat too~

Harry froze mid step. ~Wa…What…What you been reading Azriel?~ Vita glanced back and mouthed 'what'. He shook his head and followed after her.

~Several sites I've found have references to Japanese law concerning those females of school age. At present I am scanning the entire Japanese law books while piggy backing Chinese spy satellite overhead that is monitoring a number of CIA operatives communication's who are watching two Russian agents sent to kill a British operative for MI-6. Also this British fellow is being shadowed by agents from the Chinese Triad who in turn are being followed by a man from US Naval Intelligence that is doing a poor good of shadowing. I should also mention that a Russian satellite is picking up the Chinese transmission, at least that's what the USA's Pentagon thinks at the moment. A German counter terrorism agent was just detected by the Israeli Mossad entering the US base at Okinawa with a mysterious briefcase.~

Harry was quiet. He shoved his hand in his pocket and felt the necklace. ~…your lying.~

~Hardly Master of Death, I was merely stating facts collect from dozens of organizations across the world. I find the accusation of lying a lie itself~

~Wait are you suggesting that my claim that your lying is in fact a lie?~ His hand enclosed Azriel's shrunken form.

~No, master. I am mere stating that by claiming I am lying and now your refusal to accept that you are in fact lying to yourself blinds you the fact that the lie is coming from you to start, otherwise known as the accusation of lying.~

~So, I'm lying to myself because I believe you are lying, even though I clearly know that you are in fact lying to me at this very moment about lying when I know that my claims of you lying in the first place are true.~ He began to squeeze even though it was pointless. She couldn't feel pain after all.

~No, the claim of lying is based upon a lie. Therefore your claim is a lie. The refusal to see my means you have seen this lie as reality therefore all other realities are in fact lies from your lying brain. Hence why you believe I am lying about you lying, when in fact you are lying to yourself and me~

~Shut up both of you!~ Vita snapped. ~You do realize this is an open channel don't you?~ The girl didn't even stop as she led Harry deeper.

~How hard is it to set up a private link Azreil? I would think a Device of your age could do a simple task as that.~ Mocking her wasn't his best idea, but throwing her own words back at her gave him a bit of satisfaction.

~Oh Master of Death, how quick you are to forget that a machine is no smarted than its operator.~

That stung, but he struck back as Hayate and her party came into sight. ~All the glory, power, knowledge, and wisdom of Al-Hazard and this is what they leave behind? Sad~ it was a low blow, but it silenced her. He had insulted her Creator after all. They were standing near a small food court area. At one of the tables Hayate and the other Knights nursed drinks.

"Hi!" Hayate greeted from her wheelchair. "Good thing Vita found you. Have a seat!"

She and her Knights wore casual clothes, but the four knights looked decisively out of place. Signum's hair stood out at a moments glance in this nation of dark hair. Zafira's human form was anything but conspicuous with his darker skin and toned body. Shamal fit the bill for the stereotypical foreigner and stood out like a sore thumb. Vita might pass as a child, but red hair wasn't a common trait in Japan by any stretch of the imagination.

"So, what's up? You wanted to talk to me Hayate?" he asked as he took the only open seat beside Signum.

From across the table Hayate leered at him. "I have a few messages. The first is from Nanoha: 'Thank you for your help Mr. Potter. Please don't hurt Chrono. You two should be friends.' The second is from Chrono and his exact words were: 'If you try to skip town I will hunt you like a beast wizard. You cannot escape the TSAB and will be brought to justice for your crimes.' What's he talking about anyway? He really seems to have it out for you."

"I wish I knew, but, and this is pure speculation on my part, I think he had something unpleasant happen to him or his family from another wizard. I just happen to be the same race and the target of his anger." Harry flagged down a waitress and ordered a soda. "Or he's just a racist agisnt wizards in general," he said nonchalantly.

"What about the incident in the tent?" Shamal suggested.

"Huh? What happened?" Hayate asked eagerly. She leaned forward, all too eager to gather more information.

"You know how the pup's plan went to hell shortly after it began. You would also know that he sent his Enforcers dogs to tell the rest of us to fall back." The Knights nodded and he went on. "Well they had already pulled and his men wouldn't get into the forest of tentacles. I think they had orders not to go in, but that's speculation on my part. Did you notice Signum, Vita?"

"Yes, I found the woman a good distance from the enemy when I exited the battle," Signum said after taking a sip of her drink.

"I had the same thing happen to me. Cowards! Is that really the arm of the TSAB?" Vita angrily snapped.

"By the time I left the battle almost everybody was already gone. He hadn't given his men orders to find us and pull us back at all cost." Harry left the rest of speech unsaid. He wanted to test Hayate. He glanced at Signum and saw the light go off in her eyes. He saw her squeeze the drink tightly in anger. " They were there just to pass on the message on the off chance we made it out alive.

"Uriah…" Hayate said quietly. The pieces fell together. "A gambit…he wanted us to die there. That bastard!"

"What? Wait a minute! Are you saying…he was trying to get us killed?" Shamal said quietly, trembling ever so slightly.

Signum took the lead and spoke before Harry get a word in. "Yes, we were to die in that battle, or at least Hayate, Vita, Zafira, and myself. He must have assumed he could dispose of you once the rest of us were gone."

No one spoke as each mulled over the revelation. The waitress returned with Harry's drink and left promptly, not daring to speak. She could read moods very well or at least Harry thought so. Vita crossed her arms angrily and scowled at the ceiling. Shamal suddenly found the swirling her drink to be more interesting than the rest of the world. Hayate leaned back, her mind grappling with the fact that someone may have tried to get her killed on purpose. Signum was stoic. Any hints of her thoughts were tightly guarded.

"So simple… It would solve all his problems nicely…" Harry muttered.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I knew it! It is you!" a slight pudgy boy shouted as he rushed tot heir table. "You have to be that infamous dark guild, the Consortium of Ilabasa!"

"Wait, I think you-" Hayate tried to speak, but the young boy was went one.

"I heard you talking. You were talking about the battle with the Demon Dragon and the Hellfire Empress. I still can't believe you allied with your nemesis guild just to bring them down. I mean seriously those guys are good, but are total control freaks. How you every allied with them is a mystery on the forums, after all your mutual hate is well known. The loot must have been really good for you guys to even attempt it!"

The excited boy went on and on. The other patrons began to look at Hayate and her Knights, finally realizing that they were foreigners amongst them. The four Knights were tense, ready to act in a moments notice. This boy had mistaken them for someone else and was making a scene, drawing unwanted attention to them. The boy went on and on, getting louder and louder. Harry resisted the urge to summon Azriel and see what color the boy's guts were.

"-I've seen the video a dozen times so I know what I'm talking about when I say those guys in the other guild were trying to get you killed. Can you imagine what would have happened if you had died? Your equipment is legendary, game breaking by some accounts! Is it true you were all beta testers? Is the Daemon Blade really the fire based weapon the game?" the boy asked pointed to a confused Signum, thought she didn't show it. "And that ice spells! Oh my gosh, there were so many of them you were casting, how? Did you have so rapid fire item? Or-"

"Silence!" Zafira angrily commanded.

The boy was merciful silent for a moment. Then his mouth opened and he began to talk. "Wow! I've just been yelled at by the Guardian himself! How cool is that? Anyway, I've figured out your avatars too! You," he pointed to Vita, "are Lillian the Smasher! You two," he pointed at Hayate and Signum, "are the Witch of Winter, Henrietta and her Demon Swordswoman, Lucy Bloodriver . The tall guy is obvious the Guardian Knight, Guy of Albion, the blonde is the infamous dark cleric Samantha. And you," he pointed to Harry who glared at the annoying boy, "are the infamous pvper known as the Soul Collector."

~That's it we need to get rid of this kid now!~ Vita created the telepathic link as the boy went onwards about their supposed 'exploits' in some game.

~Agreed, what's the plan?~ Hayate asked.

~Summon our Devices and slaughter everyone here. No witnesses, no us, no evidence of a crime if we brunt the place down~ Harry suggested.

A look of disgust crossed Hayate and Shamal's face. ~No! No violence!~ Hayate commanded. ~Peaceful solutions only.~

~Hayate is correct. It would be impractical to slaughter everything in this building. It would take far too long and the local authorities would be here before we could escape. Most likely Chrono would come shortly after he heard we were involved and at the present we, all six of us, must walk a fine line with him.~ Signum was ever the sensible one. ~Is any one here skilled with illusion?~

~Don't tell me your taking Harry suggestion seriously?~ Shamal was aghast at the casual mention of slaughtering the innocent, if naively stupid humans around them.

~I forbid it! No killing!~ Hayate commanded once more.

~I have a plan. In a moment I'll go to the restroom only I'll find the circuit breaker box. I flip the switch, the lights go out, chaos ensures and you all get out. I'll take the back entrance and meet up with you.~ Vita finished laying out her plan and the group instantly approved it.

Azriel was disappointed about the lack of bloodshed and made her opinion know to the group as Vita left for the restroom. ~Master of Death, I find this plan lacking. Perhaps just one kill enough to ensure more chaos in our wake. I can do it quickly as we leave.~

~Forget it~ Harry shot back.

~That cause us even more problems. You guys do look like foreigners and stick out too much~ Hayate said, aiding Harry in forcing the bloodthirsty Device down.

Harry gave Hayate a thankful nod. The boy was still droning on about some game he had never even heard of. He discreetly slid to the edge of his seat and saw the tiny movements of the others as they prepared to bolt. Hayate's wheelchair was an unfortunate burden to have to take with them. She was recovering, but her legs weren't strong enough to support her yet. Signum and Zafira both planned to grab the chair and Hayate get her out. At need Harry and Shamal would act as decoys then hide and wait for a moment to slip away.

"-you guys are missing a few members today too. Can you call them? I've always wanted to meet the Lighting Goddess. Have you seen the pictures of her floating around? Woah! Hot as hell and as cool as they come! So-"

The lights died with a fizzle. Showers of sparks burst from the arcade machines as five figures ran out the door as the yells and screams began.

Lindy Harlaown, captain of the TSAB ship Asura, was many things. A mother, a captain, a mage, a widow, a naval officer, a woman were all accurate descriptions. The list of things she was not was long and at the top of the list was psychic, despite what her superiors thought.

The live feed from the battle with the Book of Darkness had been recorded and streamed back to Naval HQ. She had received new orders during that time, as the Book began to creature the cyclone, to apprehend the wizard know as Harrison James Potter along with the master of the Book and her knights. They too saw the Logia the wizard carried and had in their own words deemed it 'too powerful a tool to leave to those damned wizards.'

But, it was easier said than done. The TSAB had strict regulations on dealing with unadministered planet 97, Earth, and even tighter regulations on dealings with the wizards. Official TSAB policy regarding Earth was to never, under any circumstances reveal magic or make first contact with Earth. The proliferation of mass based weapons, the only know way to breach a mage's shield or barrier spells, and the war like history had led to the conclusion that the introduction of an outside force, namely the TSAB, would cause Earth to unite and declare war on the TSAB.

The wizards were another story. Officially the TSAB had no communications with the wizards and all agents were forbidden from initiating contact with a wizard. The vast range of the spells at a single wizard's disposal far exceeded the TSAB mages. The capabilities for mind control, reanimation, transfiguration, alchemy, and divination were illegal spells in the TSAB controlled space. In many ways the TSAB feared the wizards more than all the might of Earth's nations combined. The myriad of creatures that sided with the wizards and would most likely aid them in war times was a definite factor. It was unknown how a TSAB mage would stand up to a wizard's dragon or even if the mage could even win such a battle when the wizards themselves had trouble with the dragons.

Lindy palmed her forehead. Taking the wizard into custody would be an act of war with the wizards and Great Britain. Taking Yagami's Knights was a simple matter, but Hayate her self was a Japanese citizen. Citizens of Earth countries couldn't just be spirited off. Cover stories, alibis, and false trails all had to be laid or she would have to go to the governments in question to announce her intention to arrest their citizens. Somehow she knew they wouldn't approve of the TSAB taking their own people into custody and the only response be would violence. It would also violate the rules of first contact regarding Earth if she did that.

Her connection to Naval HQ had been cut by temporal storms whipped up by the Book of Darkness before she could response to the order. It would be days before dimensional space quieted enough for the Asura to slip back into it. For the moment they were sheltering behind the largest planet in the system, hidden in its shadow.

Wizards…Once she had met one. It had twenty years early in Britain during the rise of the Dark Lord Voldemort. She had been undercover in the non-magical section of London when the Dark Lord's forces attacked the shopping center. Spells started flying and people starting dying. Against the mission parameters, she broke cover and summoned her Device. Her shields held back the servants of the Dark Lord as the non-magicals evacuated. Then came the wizards in red and gold to match those in black.

During the battle she had been thrown through a glass window and suffered numerous lacerations that her Barrier Jacket was unable to protect her from. The limiters placed on her magic were too great, as it was later found out. As she had laid there bleeding in a pile of shatter glass, a wizard had dared to cross the line between mage and wizard, despite the looks of disgust from her companions.

The witch, as she later called the female wizards, had healed her back with a spell, but the damage would require surgery to fix. That witch had helped her get out of the battle zone as the Dark Lord's wizards in black fled or died. The witch helped her to the medical personal waiting outside the shopping center and left her, but not perform she told Lindy her name. HTat alone was an action that hadn't been seen the TSAB and wizards in many, many years.

Lindy had watched the wizard's world closely as the war with the Dark Lord grew worse. Information was hard to come by from the wizard's world and it was a little over a year later she found that witch again. Just as the undercover op she was on was about to be canceled, a newspaper found its way to her store front. It had been dropped by a drunken wizard and the paper told that the Dark Lord was gone, dead at the hands of a baby at the cost of the parent's lives. A picture was included in the paper and Lindy cursed her misfortune.

She would never get a chance to repay the red headed, emerald eyed witch that had saved her life. A debt that would go unfulfilled, but perhaps…perhaps she could do something for this Harrison in her name.

"A dangerous walk either way…" she mumbled to the darkness and silence of the Asura's bridge.

She couldn't start a war, but she had to bring those six to the TSAB by any means. Yet she couldn't break regulation regarding Earth or the Wizards. The command consoles before her were looking all too friendly. Her superiors asked for the universe and she couldn't even bring them a single mite without starting something. HTe consoles began to offer a place to lay her head as hard she could.

Harrison's incomplete file was on the small screen before her. The data was nearly empty; nothing had been confirmed beyond his name and sex. Even his age was still up in the air as the agents from Naval Intelligence debated what to put in the file. "If only he would give us the information himself. We wouldn't have to go solely on the video feed."

For a moment she considered deleting the file. The wizard would never exist. She could claim the video feed was a movie. Her crew would be told that the information and video records were above top secret. They might accept that, but her own blood, Chrono, never would. She had seen the transcripts when he spoke with the wizard. He would turn on her in if she tried to cover it up. He had been reared not by her, but by the TSAB and conditioned from birth to follow their orders. They had indoctrinated him and made him their loyal pet. She had allowed it, worst of all.

"Another way… There has to been another way to salvage this." The darkness was unforthcoming. Her own mind seemed to have left her as well. The silence was welcomed at first, but now it was oppressive and bleak. Here, alone with her thoughts, the truth of the matter came forth.

"I'm sorry Chrono. I should have been a mother to you, not the left it to the TSAB. I should have never buried myself in work when you died. Clyde…I failed you. Our son is… If only you hadn't died you idiot!" Bitter tears flowed down her face. She bit her lip and relished the pain. Blood began to flood and the coppery taste reminded her that she was still alive. Her sobs echoed in the darkness.

"I'll…I'll find a way. I have to make this right." Her voice was cracked after many minutes of sobbing, but she tried to be strong. "I have to be strong…for the crew and Chrono. I'll find a way to peacefully resolve this without starting a war. There has to be a way!"

"Ah sweet anguish! Bitter annoyance! Tangy bloodthirstyness! I love it! More though, I need more! I need sweet passion, burning jealously, rich betrayal, salty agony! More I say, more!"

"My lord, my god Vaegil, I crave your pardon!"

"Oh, Josephus you've come. Even though that idea of coming is rhetorical when you think about it. There is no here or there in this space after all. No time either, or space just this endless blackness," Vaegil boomed.

"My god, I bring tidings from your followers. They…"

"Can't say it can you? Anyway I know. They grew weary of this place. Unlike I, you mortals cannot see beyond the barrier of this prison. But that matter is neither here nor there! Oh the irony!" Vaegil's rumble of laughter was like a nails across a chalkboard, screeching and piercing, yet louder than the death roar of a star. It echoed and resounded in every direction. "I have a task for you. I have need of more power from the Stars and the only way to get that is to break the Great Barrier or what?"

"Or… have some one else collect the energy and siphon it from them," Josephus said slowly.

"Oh good boy! If I could see you I would pat you on the head, but then your head would combust. Yes, in theory you are correct, but there is a problem."

"A problem, my god? How may I help?"

"You see the Stars are old, ancient even to me. Even during the height of my kind they were unknowns to us. Things of the Elder Ones we thought, but now I know the truth. I have watched them for the last seventy millennium and I understand. They are not things of the Elder Ones, but of a greater power, an older power than even the Elder Ones, more powerful than the Outsiders. Within them I have perceived the very message encoded within them and at long last I understand the message. Do you wish to here it, the message of the creators?"

"Great Lord…I-I-I am unworthy. Please treat me, your humble servant kindly!"

"The message was simple, surprisingly short. This is no message from an Almighty Being, nor from this race older than the Elder Ones, it is of all things an ownership tag. It says: PROPERTY OF HUMANKIND. Damn humans."

"M-My lord? Is this the truth?"

"Oh course you fool! Do you think I would lie to you who willingly followed me into this place? As you now know the Stars can only be harnessed by humans so what do I need you to do?"

"…I have to…"

"Go on."

"…find the ones that can…channel the Stars…"

"Already done, go on."

"…and…and make sure they use it…

"So…?"

"So…you can take the power…from their powerful emotions!"

"Correct! Gah, if you were any slower I would have died over here. Yes you get it now. Get yourself past the barrier and set it up."

"Yes my god! As you command!" Josephus eagerly said and his presence vanished.

"If only I could see…then that slow fool's head would be mush before me. I can't believe he swallowed that lie! Imbecile! Humans creating the Stars! Bah, who'd believe that? Oh, what's this? A cult? Offering me a sacrifice? How nice of them! I wonder wants on the menu today… hmmm… Oh good! Fresh virgin smother in horror sauce with a side of sweet and sour despair! Does it get any better than this?"

The Daemonguard were loaded and gone. Soon my fleet would face the first wave of orbital defenses. Then the Daemonguard would strike at the high orbit defenses and working their way to the ground.

From the Whitefire's bridge I watched the fleet begin combat maneuvers and the enemy responded. A wave of old memoires surfaced, but I forced them down. The present was all that mattered. Yet one stuck.

It was an old memory from the earliest days of the Warlords. It was a genetic memory from my Lady. Her blood was used to create the serum of immortality and along with immortality came some of her memories.

"Spears will be broken! Shields will be splintered! A sword day! A red day and the world's ending!" I roared over the fleet wide channels. "Now for wrath! Now for ruin! In the name of our Lady, by all that you hold dear in these good lands, stand and fight soldiers of the White Devil!"

Sure I changed it bit, but who would blame me? The creators were long dead, but those were two epic scenes or so my Lady had thought. What she thought was what I thought after all and she would have approved.

Once this war is done she'll knight me...no, lord me...no, love me forever and ever.

Then inspiration hit me. These were the times when great words were said by great people. If I was one of them then I would need my own words that would echo through the ages. "You are the Devil's Horde! You do not know fear! You do not know hesitation! You have are the chosen of our Lady! You are war incarnate1 You are her demons! You are her fury made flesh! You are the blackest night that heralds the dawn of out Lady! You are her torchbearers! You are the sword in her hand that cuts away the lies of the false gods! Today we do battle not for our glory, not for my glory, but for our Lady's glory! Hallowed be the White Devil forever and ever!"

A/n: End part I of Timeless days. As of 2/3/11 this chapter has been edited and expanded a bit.

Some questions to ponder:

What are the Chaos Stars?

Where will Chrono stand when the end comes?

Who is that annoying fan?

When will we see more battles?

Why is Azriel so bloodthirsty?

R&R!