Disclaimer: I do not own either Zero no Tsukaima, Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu and any other work that might be used as reference in this story, no matter how much I've altered the elements from them to either fit, balance or because of lack of information.

Warning: This work of fiction contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Densetsu no Tsukaima no Densetsu

(A Zero no Tsukaima x Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu crossover story.)

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Two Alternate worlds…

A powerless princess summons a young girl bearing likeness of a deceased friend. A broken soul awakens and meets a young lady who she knew she had killed years ago.

Is the continent of Halkeginia ready for these two to meet?

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Chapter one: The Summoning

The underground complex of Tristain's Magic Academy is exactly what anyone would imagine it to be. Magically reinforced stone halls, that protect against men, magic and time. Enchanted oil lamps, which light up when it senses the presence of a magician. Warded hallways, that will keep sending intruders the wrong way. And even Libraries, which have books that arrange themselves.

In one of the secret and sealed rooms in the school's underground complex was currently open for a very special occasion. The room itself was perfect circle carved into an extremely large boulder. The inside was of an empty simple design that was to be illuminated by magic instead of torches.

A lone old mage stood near the center of the room, just one step away from the edge of a magical circle engraved onto the stone floor.

Footsteps echoed into the room, reaching the old man's ears, even with the doors closed. He reflected on today's results. Out of ten young mages deemed worthy of summoning, only two had succeeded so far, and only one student left to test her fate.

A little white mouse darted out of his pocket, climbed up his robe and rested on his shoulder with a distinct squeak. The white mouse, Motsognir, has been his familiar for over twenty years. A regular mouse would have long passed away, but the familiar bond rejuvenates the familiar allowing it to live as long as it's master. It was also given the gift of understanding human tongue and allowed it to communicate with him, its master.

This white mouse is the old mage's fourth familiar. His first was a fire dragon that he had hatched himself. He had taken great care of it and bonded it with the "Contract Servant" spell when he entered the academy, long… long ago. His second familiar, however, was different and special, possibly the first of its kind… a summoned creature.

It was all thanks to a foreign looking man who saved his life, however, the man was already gravely injured... he had brought him back to the academy for healing but the man died in the end. In the man's possessions were strange jewels of no particular value, a magical sword that utterly destroyed a two-headed dragon, and a staff that he had later named the staff of summoning. After the man died, he buried the unknown jewels with his body, then had presented the sword to the former king and experimented with the staff, at the time thinking it was a magical weapon like the sword.

After years of experimentation his efforts paid off. With the staff he, and a few of his most trusted colleagues, had summoned familiars that no one had ever seen or read of before. What was more remarkable about the summoned beast was that in many ways it reflected the summoner… as a person and as a mage.

With his success so timely after a war, he volunteered to rebuild Tristain's magical Academy scratch and by default become its new Headmaster. He wanted to give other mages the chance given to him and at first allowed students to use the staff. But he soon realized three dangers of the staff of summoning.

The first danger was that the staff can be used by anyone, but the chance of it not working properly is high when the mage is unfit and unskilled. Death usually results after the staff drains a mage of his or her magical will, which summoning requires a great abundance of and most young mages don't know their limits.

The second danger is that a creature summoned as opposed to a creature raised has a higher probability of being stronger. But that also means the risk of it being wild or unwilling to obey is very high. Quite a few young mages had to kill the summoned creature after they were attacked by it even after the contract was in place.

And the third danger was more a fear for the kingdom's peace. The old mage feared that if a powerful familiar were to be summoned by an irresponsible noble, a war was certainly inevitable.

So he decided to create rules to protect the peace and the interests of Tristain. Firstly, the mage needed to be a Tristainian noble. Secondly, one must have been issued permission by the crown. Thirdly, was that the mage needed to have attended at least two years of the regular three year course of the Magic Academy. And finally, that the mage must have no current familiar and did not kill or allowed a previous familiar to die.

And while the rules he had placed worked most of the time, there were times that a mage of questionable loyalty or moral character passed the screening and summoned successfully. But he knew that making it more difficult would also screen out those that could have been beneficial to the kingdom. There were also a lot of other incidents at the beginning. The staff and all of the restricted research material were subject to a great number of attempted thefts by spies and more often than not, by the students, which then lead to the development of new protocols and magical seals that protected the room that the Staff of Summoning was kept in. That just so happens to be this room that where he was now waiting for the last student in.

The doors opened revealing a young lady with short royal purple hair. The old mage watched as his student entered the room without a word, her brilliant blue eyes reflected deep concentration and a strong resolve even in the faint magical light.

The doors closed behind her, for at this point only the participant and the ceremonial guide was allowed inside.

She silently walked towards the old mage, who gave her smile that reflected the heart of a man concerned for his charges. "Princess Henrietta, Welcome to the Springtime Summoning Room."

Henrietta curtsied. "Thank you, Headmaster." She said with a smile.

The Old mage sighed. He was worried. It was no big secret that he and all the other professors worried more about a royal child than any other noble charge, for obvious reasons. But his worry for the only princess of the kingdom wasn't political, he had always favored her for her talent and intellect in magic… he didn't wish for such aptitude to be lost before her true potential is realized. Yet, at the same time, he was interested in what such a talented magician could summon. In the end, the young lady's determination and his interest won… he had approved her for the summoning ritual this year.

"Are you ready?"

Soft uncolored lips curved into a knowing confident smile before she answered, "Now more than ever."

Old Osmond held down the urge to chuckle with a grunt, realizing that while his covert actions over the course of the year to delay her chance of summoning were questionable, it didn't go completely beyond notice and was even silently appreciated. Truly a talented person was the young Princess Henrietta. In his heart he silently prayed to the founder, to bless the young lady with protection, good fortune, good allies, a wonderful familiar and a hopefully great friend that hopefully fill the gap in the young princess' heart.

He raised his left hand and presented a beautiful hand crafted ceremonial dagger to Henrietta, who carefully took it with both hands. The old mage then took a few steps to the side, giving his previous spot in the room to his favorite student.

Henrietta stepped forward, glanced down for a moment to right her position before she turned her eyes to the magic circle. She gripped the dagger with her right hand, carefully positioned her left hand just above the magic circle's edge and took a breath to calm her nerves.

In her left hand she began to gather her magical will. She exercised patience and care to keep as much of it there. This feat was usually difficult without a wand or another form of medium, so she was truly glad that she been made to prepare herself more.

Magical will gave a different feeling for each person depending on one's affinity, something that the young student mage had researched in detail. Those most attuned with Fire, claim that they felt roaring warmth whenever they gather will; those of water, a calm coldness; to that of wind, a sense of lightness; and those with earth, an echoing pulse. To Henrietta, however, she felt numb or at times empty. She knew why, but never discuss it with anyone, save to her departed best friend.

An indescribable deadness filled- no- emptied her hand. When the feeling, or lack of which, made her loose her touch in her wrist, she decided it was enough.

She raised the dagger to her outstretched left hand and paused, for a second, and no longer, she grit her teeth and swore to herself that she wouldn't make a sound, and slashed the fate line of her palm with an outward stroke.

Red life blood that was a glow with magic spilled down on the stone floor. The magic circle illumed, now coursing with her magical will.

Osmond took that as his cue. He offered the staff to her with one hand, while the other demanded for the dagger. Henrietta returned the dagger first and paused to look straight into the old mage's eyes, for at this very moment, she now understood why this ritual was so dangerous... dangerous not as theoretical fact, but an experienced truth. She blinked for a second -no -two, and tried to convey a small message to the old mage. 'Please do not worry. I will succeed.'

Henrietta grasped the intricate metal staff with her injured hand, glad that the numb feeling of her magical will had actually deadened her sense of pain as well. She glanced at staff for a moment when it began to radiate with a bright white light, the color of Henrietta's magical will in its purest form, then turned towards the circle again.

She pulled out a spell from her memory. A chant that was special to her not because of what it was set to do, but because of who she wrote it with. The construction of the spell was simple. It had a desired addressee, requirements, a petition and an order. When Henrietta first saw those words on paper, she couldn't help but laugh. But after she helped reword spell and applied theories of modern vocal magic coding, the spell her friend wanted to chant for her ritual was perfect. It was the spell that she was about to use… in dedication to her deceased friend.

"To my friend that exists somewhere in these endless worlds! To the noble, beautiful, and powerful familiar, I, Henrietta de Tristain, implore to you with my whole being as I chant… Answer my guidance!"

At the end of the spell she slammed the end of the staff onto the edge of the magic circle. That action was the trigger for the rule fragment, the Staff of Brimir to eject it all of the will it had collected from Henrietta down to the point where the staff touch the floor.

The magical reagent met with magical catalyst. The circle flashed, overflowing with power. Feeling returned to her hand. Pain sparked through her nerves like bolt, but she endured it and refused to let go of the staff.

They watched as the circle spun around, changed shape, condensed into the center, before it finally exploded into a cylindrical pillar of light. Henrietta knew that there was nothing else she could do to change the result. So she prayed. However, she didn't call to the Founder; instead she called upon her soul of her best friend. She asked her for everything another would have asked the Founder Brimir. She didn't do it out of spite or malice, but because talking to Louise made her feel better.

Old Osmond quietly eyed the princess with eyes full of pride. She was successful in casting the spell and was out of danger, from magic exhaustion at least. He liked to think that he knew the young lady well. But every person keeps secrets. It is a means of protecting oneself. So any darkness lurking in the young princess might cause her to summon something dangerous or uncontrollable. So he readied himself to defend her if needed as he prayed for the best result.

The pillar slowly dissipated like a dying flame and Henrietta's eye caught a glimpse of something inside. She couldn't help but feel ecstatic, for her greatest fear in this ordeal was for nothing to appear. That is why she swore that no matter what came forth, she would take great care of it.

When the magical pillar faded completely, a creature she didn't expect was revealed. She blinked a few times, shook her head and even rubbed her eyes to ensure she wasn't dreaming. She just couldn't believe her eyes… because there, lying on the floor, as if a puppet with its strings cut, was a young girl bounded by chains.

Henrietta carefully approached the girl and was hit with a feeling of familiarity. She made note that the girl's eyes were blinded by an unusual looking half mask. And that she wore tattered clothes that still had some resemblance to expensive robes or possibly it had been a ball gown.

Upon closer inspection, Henrietta noticed that the girl had a familiarly long strawberry blonde hair that made Henrietta feel a little faint in disbelief.

She knelt by the girl's side and laid the staff on the ground beside her, before she gently picked up the girl.

Her eyes darted around, across and over the girl's small form. Nostalgia surged with each familiar feature that her shocked blue eyes graced. The height, the frame, the shape of her nose, the angle of her chin, the form of her lips and even the girl's skin, which although was a bit stained with soot and grime, felt reminiscent in her hands.

'It can't be…?' she thought, a little panicked. '…right? Louise…'

Memories of Louise, sad and painful moments, embossed her vision. The impossibility was clear. 'It can't be.'

But a thought, a possibility, came to her. Only Louise knew, because she had told her and only her, that she might have such a power, the power of the Founder Brimir, the lost element of the pentagram… the Void. She dared not even imagine what it could be like! No matter how miraculous a power it was, no matter how much she wanted to do it… to bring back a person from beyond the grave… was wrong!

Old Osmond, who didn't have a clear view of what was summoned, was relieved that the princess had not summoned something that attacked her out right, just stood back and watched. It was not his place to get between a summoner and their soon to be familiar, unless asked he was of course. In his long, and recorded experiences (because he's getting old and forgetful) of the spring time summoning ritual, a summoned being reacted better to the summoner than a stranger.

The chains rattled and called Henrietta back from her thoughts. Her eyes darted to the girl's half covered face and realized that her thoughts, her delusions, her worry must be unfounded.

This girl, unlike the girl in her heart and memories, was still alive… but only barely hanging on to a sliver of life. Henrietta could feel a very weak pulse, a barely warm and flaccid body, and terribly slow minute breaths. It took a moment for Henrietta to notice that the girl's face was losing color.

She's was dying...

Henrietta didn't know how she drew that conclusion. But she was sure she had to do something, before it was too late.

Then it came to her... the gift of Longevity granted to a familiar by the spell "Contract Servant".

Normally, Henrietta wouldn't condone binding another human being with a familiar contract without their consent. This was because no matter how the familiar feels about its master, it would always feel the desire to be at its master's graces. In other words, the contract influenced the familiar forcing it to become obedient. And she didn't want that… at the very least she wanted to give a human being the chance to refuse becoming a slave.

However! It would take too long to summon a healing mage here. Not that she had any illusions that even the healing magic could do something for this girl at this point. She had no other choice. Besides… she had sworn to herself that she would care for whatever answered her call.

So she gathered her will into small wound on her left hand. Numbness spread as magic gathered. Her life blood glimmered with magic. She smeared that same blood onto her lips, and then chanted her version of the spell.

"Elemental Spirits of Brimir's Pentagon, I, Henrietta de Tristain, ask of you, bless this unfortunate soul, and bind her life with my destiny."

She pushed any hesitation to the back of her mind and met the girl's cold lips with her own.

A chaste kiss between girls… this wasn't. It was not even a practice kiss between best friends. It was an act of subjugation, albeit performed with great reluctance. And, ignoring the shiver a cold tongue induced when it grazed her lips, try as the young princess might to convince herself that she had only done so to save the girl's life, she could not deny that she had become a hypocrite.

She broke the kiss and wiped the remaining blood off her lips with her sleeve. She watched the girl's face and was relieved when color began to return to the girl's half covered face.

But before she could do anything else…

A brilliant bright light flashed and exploded blanketing her vision in a blinding void.

Louise had long accepted that she was going to die. No, that wasn't right. She had always been dead. Alive… but dead. She didn't really find any point in living… her mind had long melded with the cold darkness that filled her vision.

But all of a sudden... what was this warm feeling on her lips? They had long stopped giving her meals and simply waited for her to die on her own. So why did she taste… blood.

With the last ounce of energy, she willed her tongue out of her mouth to lick her lips and sure it enough it was blood. A blood filled with a flavor she had never savored before. She couldn't put its essence into words. But the feeling it roused… a sweet warmth that touched her heart.

'What is this feeling?'

Power surged through her being filling her with energy. Her heart began to pump harder, wanting to circulate as much of magical force into her almost dead flesh. Heat spread, tempering her body. Strength quickly returned and her consciousness slowly cleared.

She opened her eyes and saw nothing, but the darkness. Then her senses began to work again and she was reminded of the annoying fake rule fragment that bound her power. It was a weak little trinket that wasn't meant for such use, but in her weakened state at the time it was more than enough to seal her completely… but no longer.

With the power that was overflowing through her body she attempted to deconstruct her physical form, but then, she was hit with an unfamiliar kind of pain. Shocking? Crushing? Stabbing? Ripping? Twisting? She lost concentration and canceled her escape. For a moment she thought that mask still had enough of an effect to bind her still, but a voiced deep inside her said that she was only half right.

She decided not to attempt another body translocation for now. And while it was the most efficient way of freeing herself, it wasn't her only option. She still had this fresh magical power in her body that she could release as destructive power.

The light subsided. But before Henrietta could recover, she sensed movement.

The young girl in her arms had slipped away from her and slowly stood. A small dainty hand rose and grabbed the manacle on the other, and then with a strength that simply looked impossible for a girl of her size, she ripped the restraint off her wrist.

Henrietta just watched her do so, completely at awe. While she considered the need for a skilled earth mage or at the very least a master locksmith, she hadn't thought it would be possible to break such thick metal shackles with a human's strength alone.

Her eyes locked into the girl's busy hand as it destroyed bind after bind with so much ease, until all that was left was the mask that kept her blinded.

The dainty hand gripped the mask and squeezed.

With a loud crack, the mask shattered and revealed the face that the princess was happy, yet dreaded, to see.

"Louise…?" Henrietta gasped with a mix of emotions.

The girl's eyes opened to reveal a pair of rose colored orbs that glowed with a crimson pattern. Those same eyes turned to meet hers and widened in shock.

".inces… e..rie…" the girl weakly mumbled, but Henrietta understood what she had said.

Before the young princess could do or say anything… the unbelievably powerful girl, who made an instantaneous and miraculous recovery, suddenly lost consciousness.

"Louise!" Henrietta, through still unsure of the girl's identity, rushed to her the girl's side. The young princess picked smaller girl up and was about to shake her back to consciousness when realized that girl had only fallen asleep.

The princess let out a sigh of relief.

"Well this certainly is an odd surprise…"

Henrietta nearly jumped when she heard the headmaster's voice, as his presence in this room had completely slipped her mind; fortunately the girl in her arms was heavy enough to keep her right where she was.

"Headmaster…" the princess called with an understandable uneasiness.

Without another word, the old mage walked to her side and looked at the smaller girl in her arms. The resemblance was striking. And although it has been over a year since the unfortunate passing of the third child of the de Vallière family, the girl that the princess had summoned looked exactly like young miss Louise Françoise (given a year and a few months older since they last seen her).

He took off his mantle and placed it over the girl, the rare gentleman's act from him that usually only students ever got to see.

"For now… I think we should slip her into the spare room beside yours."

The princess shook her head. That spare room used to be Louise's room. Henrietta made personal requests to both the school and Louise's family not to keep the room as it was, possibly at least until she graduated. It seemed a bit in poor taste to stick a stranger in her best friend's room simply they might be the same person.

"We'll bring her too my room."

The old mage blinked, surprised, but then understood and nodded, while keeping a secret smile under his long facial hair, a little glad that she had shrugged off his insensitivity.

He brought out his wand and cast the ever useful levitation spell on the girl's body. But then curiously, nothing happened. He tried again, with a little more will this time, only to feel suddenly drained of more will that he had intended.

"Curious…" he muttered.

Henrietta looked at Old Osmond with the same questioning look he gave his wand.

"Is something wrong, Headmaster?"

"Hmm… give me a moment."

The old magican turned to the staff of summoning, cast the same levitation spell and watched as the magic item was slowly raised into the air with his magical will. He positioned it over the center of the magic circle before allowing the spell to dissipate and slowly lowering the item to the floor once more.

"I see now…" He turned towards the princess and said, "We have a new problem…"

To be continued...