Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Crisis
Chapter 8: Direction
Xx~~*~~xX
"Where are you?" the voice questioned her.
"I am here!" Caro cried back, but the darkened shapes around her only barely stirred.
Again the voice called: "Where are you?"
Tears began to run down her cheeks. "I am here, what do you want from me!? Please tell me. I don't understand!"
One black shape, almost three times her size, detached itself from the rest and pointed a finger at her. "Come to me, child. It is time." It seemed to stand on two legs, but there were shapes behind it, like four dragonfly wings, and it's face was long like a horse's.
"Where are you?" she asked back.
The shape stepped back and dissolved into the rest. "Come find meeeee...."
x~~*~~x
Caro awoke, panting and feeling her top and long skirt clinging to her body due to sweat. She blearily looked around at the darkened lab she was in, finding herself strapped to a table. The events preceding her blackout came rushing back in full force.
[I was captured by the cyborgs,] she realized glumly. [Erio was, too. I awoke briefly before when they were bringing me here, and they sedated me when they noticed I was awake.]
She tested her bonds, but realized she couldn't break the thick leather straps, nor get her wrists or ankles free. She couldn't summon up any magic, and Kerykeion was gone from her wrist. A groan to her side made her crane her head.
"Erio!" She could just make him out on the edge of her vision. "Erio, are you alright?"
"Oh, he's fine, dear girl," a voice that she recognized as Jail's informed her from some speakers. "I wouldn't hurt my precious test subjects."
"Please, let him go!" she implored him. "I'll do anything you want if you just let him go!"
"That's an interesting proposal, but I'll have to decline for now," he told her. "But just relax, you are in no danger for the moment. Just consider yourselves my guests for the moment. With any luck, you could be back home in a day or two!"
Caro didn't know how to reply to that. She just wanted to get herself and Erio free somehow. But she despaired as she couldn't think of anyway to do that.
"Thanks for the lift, Vice!" Fate told him as she disembarked the helicopter.
The pilot stuck his hand out the window and waved. "My pleasure!"
"You too, Storm Raider!" Yuuno added, following her.
"Alright, my friend!" the device chirped, currently interfaced with the vehicle.
"You two take care of yourselves," Vice told them via communicator as he revved the helicopter up again. "We'll be back in 5-6 hours to check on you, unless you radio sooner. I have some more runs to make."
"Roger," Fate replied, watching the helicopter take off and head for the horizon.
Due to the need for more information, Fate had wracked her brain and shook a latent memory loose. The pentagram magic symbol had been the start, and she finally realized where she had seen it before: it was a picture on one of her mother's notes she had seen as a child.
She also remembered where she had lived most of her life, before the Garden of Time. It was on a small island on the far side of Mid-childa. While there might not be anything left there, she felt it might be worth a look. And if there were any notes or books left, Yuuno had indicated he wanted to take a look through them.
Which had brought them to this location courtesy of Vice. On the surface, it was just a fairly small typical island approximately 6 to 7 kilometers across, covered with jungle, and with a few large hills near the center. Uninhabited, or so the records stated. But Fate remembered living here. She surmised it may still be in existence since it was hidden; Precia wouldn't have wanted anyone, like the TSAB, knowing where she was while she conducted her research.
"So, any idea where to start?" Yuuno asked, surveying the lush jungle.
Fate tapped her lip. "I believe it's somewhere in the center. I can't remember the exact location, but there was a stream nearby with a log bridge. A magical password was required for entry. I'll probably know it when I see it, but it was very long ago."
Yuuno deferred to her lead, and the two took a short flight to the center of the island, then split up to look through the small ravines and hills that were covered in jungle foliage. Surprisingly, it didn't take long to find it, once they discovered the streams flowing from one of the taller hills. The log bridge was even still there, to Fate's surprise, and her memories led her to the rock face partially hidden by a giant tree. A surge of lightning energy at the right place, and the wall slide open.
The pair descended into the darkness beyond.
x~~*~~x
"You said there was something we needed to see?" Signum inquired as her small trio stepped off the shuttle and approached the pair, standing outside the main office.
Vita nodded. "We found a really strange area in the nature preserve, near to where we think Erio and Caro were attacked. Magic doesn't work like it should. In some places, it doesn't go right, and in others it doesn't work at all. But it doesn't feel like an AMF."
"So that's why you wanted me to come along," Subaru said, understanding. "In cyborg mode, my systems won't be affected."
She had obtained special disposition to be attached to Hayate's group for the time-being. Although she wished Tea could have been here; the other girl was handling the investigation of the two research laboratories.
"That's what I'm hoping," Vita acknowledged.
Agito floated down to pat the wolf, who was laying down. "What's wrong with Zafira? Did this area affect him, too?"
He raised his head. "Yes. I am more of a magical being that the others. As I got closer, it became really hard to concentrate and my body grew tired. Even now I still feel the effects somewhat. It seems to be why the other magical creatures have left the area."
Agito drew back. "Wait, I'm more magically-based than humans. It'll affect me the same way!"
"I know, but I need you to here to help coordinate until Zafira is feeling better," Vita told her, which seemed to mollify the little demon.
Signum dropped her bag that doubled as Agito's room. "Alright, Vita, Subaru, shall we be off?"
The other two nodded, and took off flying across the forest, with Signum carrying Subaru.
x~~*~~x
Once they got the few glass lightning orbs lit which functioned like torches, Yuuno had to admit the place was remarkably well-preserved. There was plenty of dust, spiderwebs, and decaying wood, but the small library still had quite a few books and the research laboratory still contained quite a few of Precia's notes. It would take a bit of time to catalog everything, but he had much experience doing so, when he took over getting the Infinity Library in order.
Fate left him to his research, then, to take a look around herself. For a moment, he could see a sad, faraway look in her eyes, but he couldn't think of what to say. He knew what most of what she had gone through with her relationship to her mother, so he could imagine the kind of feelings this place might hold for her.
[All of this probably pulls up memories that aren't entirely pleasant,] he realized. But he also knew Fate was a different woman now, stronger. He had to trust she could handle it.
Sighing, he readied his search algorithms, and the first books began floating off the shelf.
x~~*~~x
She thought she could handle it, anyway. But walking along the empty hallway, the spider webs and creaking floor boards were not the things that gave her pause. She could remember, as if it were yesterday, running down these same corridors, playing with Arf. Her mother was usually busy with her research, but Linith and Arf always had time to spend with her.
"Arf..." she spoke silently.
She had managed to drag out the reasons for Arf's behavior in not talking to them about Yuuno before, and was surprised at her familiar's feelings of uselessness lately. It was true there wasn't much to be taken care of in the Harlaown household anymore, with Fate and Chrono all grown up. Amy had a assumed a full-time mom position to their two kids, so there wasn't much there for Arf to do, except occasional babysitting. It was one of the reasons Arf had taken to staying with the Takamachi household, to look after Vivio and also be in a closer position to assist Yuuno in the library.
Fate shook her head; she had promised to look into more ways Arf could contribute. For now, though, it was imperative to gain clues as to what Scaglietti was up to. Fate was confident that if something was here that could be of use, Yuuno would find it. For her part, she had mostly wanted to face her own inner demons.
Which were manifested in front of her, in the form of the door to her mother's bedroom. Gathering her courage, she turned the dirty brass knob and opened the wooden door.
"What are you doing in here!?"
Fate started, almost thinking she heard her mother's voice. But those words were from back then, during the first, and only time, she entered this room. She wouldn't be scared away by ghosts of the past now.
The large, glass lightning orb in the ceiling was still intact; Fate was thankful for small favors. She lit it, walking over to the dresser. The mirror on top was also still intact, but the drawers were all empty. Fate recalled that they left this place without taking much, as Precia had constructed the Garden of Time as a mobile base, and probably planned to return here when Alicia was revived.
That was shortly after Bardiche was completed, and Linith left. For a moment, Fate wondered where the kind woman was now. Earlier searches hadn't managed to locate her, so Fate had given up.
Continuing on, past several paintings, the golden-haired girl came to the royal bed and sat down, disturbing a layer of dust. In curiosity, she opened the small drawers of the nightstand, not expecting to find anything. And thus she was surprised when she found a nondescript medium-sized tome. Her heart speeding up slightly, she picked it up and opened the leather cover.
[Mother's diary...] she realized.
As she leafed through it, she recognized that the entries started just after arriving here, shortly before Fate was born. It ended just before they left for the Garden of Time. Leafing through it, she stopped on a random entry near the beginning, and gasped as she read it:
He was surprisingly decent about it. I hadn't seen him in many years, but just like that, he sent me the data. I could never put up with his attitude for long, so it was all I could do to ask for help. And now I have my daughter back... but why do I still feel so empty? Why is she not the same? This... biological specimen growing in a jar. This... thing. A freak of nature, a clone. I can't give her Alicia's name. I shall name her after the project: Fate. I won't get rid of her just yet, as she may prove useful.
It's clear that I must get my real daughter back. Life has no meaning with my dear, sweet Alicia. Did you know this would happen? Was that why you gave me this data, JS? You know me too well, it seems. I never dreamed you would, after you gave me Alicia, and now Fate.
[Steady, Fate,] she told herself, trying to will her shaky hands to stop. [You don't know what that means; Jail can't be right.] She flipped several dozen pages ahead, like a curious girl wanting to see how the story ended.
All those dead ends. All those years of painstaking research. Solutions just out of reach. Why must I be thwarted at every turn!? I just want my daughter back! It was clear I needed a sufficient source of power. And yet again I find myself in his debt. It was a small message, unsigned, but I know it came from him. The message told me of a discovery that was made by a nomadic tribe of archeologists. They called them "Jewel Seeds" but I know what they really are: a source of power.
And so I struck at the transport ship, but there was an unforeseen reaction. The crystals weren't properly sealed, and reacted to the mixed desires and the magical combat. I just barely teleported away, my body damaged. I must occupy the Garden of Time sooner than planned; it will be my life support. And Fate will have to be my hand, once I track down the seeds. They couldn't have been destroyed; there was a dimensional rift just before I teleported. It will take some time to locate where they have ended up, so I will step up the girl's training. She must be ready to reclaim them when I find them.
I will have my daughter back. I must have my daughter back. I can't stand looking at that... fake. The false clone who wears my daughter's face. I will have to destroy her once I revive my sweet precious Alicia...
Fate slammed the book shut, clutching it to her chest as the tears leaked out, against her will.
x~~*~~x
Eventually they were reduced to walking, when flying became too unpredictable and dangerous. And even then, Subaru noted the knights began to look weaker and weaker, eventually having to stop to rest. Of course, she could feel it, too. The way her skin tingled, as if her magic was being played with, and drawn out. She was in full cyborg mode now, so the effect was very minimal. But she knew Vita and Signum weren't quite human and didn't have a cyborg mode, so they were feeling the effects more.
"This is as close as we can go," Vita said, leaning on a tree to steady herself. "The effects get stronger down that narrow ravine. You'll have to go on alone from here."
"Take it easy, and be sure to retreat if it looks bad," Signum added, sitting down against the same tree. "We'll rest up here for now. Even with this drain, we should be able to replenish our magic with some rest, so we can follow you down if you need help. If you find Erio or Caro down there, priority #1 is to bring them back up ASAP."
Subaru saluted to her superiors. "Understood. Mach Calibur, let's go."
"Alright, buddy!" her device responded happily, forming her barrier jacket, knuckle and skates.
She couldn't risk forming a Wing Road to take the easy way down, but she was more than capable of scaling down into a narrow ravine by herself, and it didn't take too long to reach the bottom. She informed the two up top via a normal communicator that she had found a tunnel at the bottom, and was heading in.
x~~*~~x
"Doctor, another rat has breached the nature preserve area," Quattro informed him in a neutral voice.
Jail didn't even lift his eyes from the screen. "Hmm? Take Tre and Sette and deal care of them. I am getting such wonderful data here!"
Uno looked up from her datapad. "That's almost all we can get from preliminary scans. Shall we proceed to level two?"
"Indeed, but don't go too far," the doctor informed her. "I don't want to damage them quite yet. I have... plans for these two."
Quattro sighed, then turned and walked out without saying a word.
x~~*~~x
"Fate?" Yuuno called.
It had been several hours since he had started his work. Right now, his search and cataloging algorithms were continuing their work on their own, but he had found a few things he wanted to discuss with her. He had found it a bit strange that he hadn't heard from her in awhile, but he figured this place must hold a lot of memories for her, and not all of them pleasant, so he let her have her time alone.
Now he just had to find her. Fortunately, she had left a decent trail. The broken spiderwebs and footprints in the dust told him which way she had gone. Those led him to a door, partially ajar. As he opened it, the creaking from the rusty hinges altered the figure inside to his presence. Fate sat on a bed, her back to him, but she had turned to look at him.
"Fate?" he questioned, noting the red around her eyes that told him she had been crying. "Are you okay?"
She turned her back to him quickly, rubbing her eyes on her sleeve, and replied in a neutral voice. "I'm fine. How goes the search?"
"That's what I wanted to show you," he answered, taking a few slow steps into the room, taking one of the two books under his arm and flipping pages. "This."
Fate wiped her eyes and face, placing the book she held on the nightstand, then took the offered one from Yuuno; her eyes widened. "This is a relic! But what are these small mechanical devices attached to it?"
"I'm not sure yet," he confessed, sitting down next to her, noting she turned a bit away from him to hide her face. "From what I can tell, Precia had a number of plans she was exploring to reach Alhazard. These extra devices are something she designed, but from what I can tell, she only had one relic. She apparently needed many more to make this plan work. Remember her theory on Alhazard?"
"She said it was..." Fate began, trying to recall. "In the space between dimensions, I think."
Yuuno nodded. "Somehow she was going to use these Relics to accomplish that, but then apparently she learned of the Jewel Seeds, and to her, that seemed like an easier route. But there's more. Take a look at this."
Fate turned a bit, using her hair to hide her face from him as she took the second book from him, gasping at the symbol on the page. "A pentagram!"
The librarian nodded again, satisfied. "I figured it would look like what you described with that girl. It's a form of ancient magic symbol, even before Belkan times. Probably almost as far back as Alhazard. The very first magics used a five-pointed star, or pentagram, to conduct magic. It's much more versatile than the other symbols we know and use today, apparently. Or at least, that's what she believed."
"What's this?" she asked, noting the female human form on the other page. "Is this the girl? But she doesn't quite look like the one we found with Arf."
"Seems like it," he told her, agreeing. "I'm guessing the one you found was a clone. Precia was using a girl she found for her earlier cloning experiments, before you were created. The girl had some kind of special magic powers relating to dimensions, and Precia was cloning her over and over to improve and fine-tune them. But for some reason, she abandoned that line of research. I haven't finished my research here, so I'm hoping there is more information."
"Another clone...." Fate whispered, her voice quivering a bit. "Like me. Mother, was there no end to what what you'd do?"
Yuuno leaned forward a bit, trying to study her face. "Fate?" His eyes were drawn to the leather-bound volume she had placed on top of the nightstand as he entered. "Is that...?"
"My mother's diary," the tired-sounding girl confirmed, placing Yuuno's books down on the bed between them and picking the diary back up. "I'm sorry, I suppose part of me still wanted to read that she held some kind of praise for me, but I should have realized otherwise."
[She really didn't have any happy memories with her mother,] Yuuno realized, pushing the two books between them back and scooting a bit closer. Hesitantly, reached his arm out and placed it around Fate's shoulders, surprised when she leaned into him. It was mainly on impulse, as he just wanted to comfort her. But she did feel a bit soft and fragile against him, somehow.
"In my study of Earth's literature, I came across a saying: 'Do not confuse the specter of one's origin, with one's present worth' I believe," he told her. "You've proven yourself as someone special, not just to Nanoha, but to everyone else. Your mother did love you, because she was a kind woman who was full of love. The greater the love, the the greater the pain."
Fate sat up straight again, but finally turned fully toward him and smiled. "Thank you, Yuuno. I just needed to get this out of my system, I'm alright now." She placed her hand on his in a gesture of appreciation.
"Alright, well, I'll leave that to you," he told her, standing up and smiling back. "If there are any clues in there that could help, I'm sure you'll let us know. I should get back and check how my search algorithms are coming."
She nodded, and as he left the room, he could her whispered words come again: "Thank you, Yuuno."
x~~*~~x
Teana tapped away at the keyboard, now that power had been partially restored to the complex. The TSAB science team continued to work all around her, recording what information they could find, while she searched the database in the facilities main computer. Most of the data was corrupted from long disuse, but she was still hoping to find something, anything; a clue to that girl, hopefully. Another science team was as the lab Signum and Nanoha had investigated, but the computer there had been wiped clean, so they weren't expecting to find much.
She paused, taking a sip from her teacup, letting the warmth soothe her body and mind. "Cross Mirage, status?"
"Data recovery is at 7%," the card sitting on top of the terminal informed her. "Estimate no more than 12% data may be recoverable."
The Bureau agent sighed. "I was hoping for more, but this place is so old, I guess that's the best we can expect. Search for anything on a 'Project D.'" She paused for a bit, having a thought. "And see if you can cross-reference that with 'moon.'"
"Working," her device intoned.
Bits of data scrolled across her screen, and while there were plenty of holes, Tea's mind worked to piece them together. All of it was being saved to her device's memory for now, and it would take quite a bit of work to really make sense of it all, but she was hoping something might jump out at her.
And something did.
She tapped her earpiece. "Dr. Jamal? I need a secure line to Bureau headquarters on Mid-childa."
"Roger," came the male reply, and then a couple of moments later. "There seems to be some interference; I can't get a signal through."
Teana feared the worst as she leapt to her feet, grabbing Cross Mirage and motioning for another nearby scientist to take her place recording data. "Thanks, I'll head back myself and report in person."
She hoped she wasn't too late.
x~~*~~x
A shrouded figure walked the streets of Clanagan, his normal attire hidden by the ragged tan cloak that he had taken off a line somewhere. His face mask was removed for the moment, but the hood still hid most of his features, which is what he preferred. Threading his way through the throngs of people, going about their daily activities, he focused on the only goal in front of him: To find her, and protect her.
And then what?
He shook his head. That wasn't important right now; he just knew he had to find her. That's all that mattered.
Children ran by laughing, but he was oblivious to this. His magic tingled, pulling him towards her presence, the TSAB tower looming ahead of him as if to taunt him. He knew they had her; that girl from before had attempted to play dumb, as he expected them to. But no matter, he would get her back.
He stopped, a chain fence impeding further progress. Beyond lay a TSAB facility, and his burning senses told him she was here. There were mages and other army personnel scattered about, as well as various military vehicles, so it wouldn't be easy to get in there and retrieve her. He ducked into the shadow of a building as a patrol came around on the other side of the fence.
The figure debated; he could wait until nightfall to sneak in, or make his way in now. When he thought of what they could be doing to her right now, his choice was made. Ensuring her safety was priority #1. Readying his kodachi under his cloak, he prepared to head in.
"Would you like some assistance?" came Jail Scagliette's voice from the screen popping up near him.
The figure didn't take his eyes off the base, evaluating various approaches he could take. "I don't need anyone's help."
"That's rather harsh," the doctor replied, feigning hurt. "But I do understand where you are coming from. And it so happens our interests coincide, as I have a new toy to test. If you can wait five minutes, your job will be much easier. I will be able to give you a distraction as cover, and draw forces away from the facility."
"Do what you wish," the other man told him, gruffly. "But five minutes, no more."
x~~*~~x
A short distance off shore of the Clanagan wharf, dozens of gadget drones of all types emerged from the ocean. While the alert was sounded, the drones didn't attack right away; instead they began to merge with each other. Coming together, they formed limbs and a body; the type-3's operating as joints, connected by a line of several type-1 and type-2's.
When it was done, they resembled a large mechanical giant with two arms, complete with hands, standing several stories in height on four legs. Ponderously, the drone colossus advanced on the shore, crushing the warehouses and loading cranes, sending workers scattering. The first shots fired by mages on shore were totally negated by it's strengthened AMF, and even concentrated attacks failed to penetrate.
Everyone was forced to flee as the goliath attacked, destroying everything in it's wake.
Xx~~*~~xX
Author's Notes:
Rewrite of this chapter finished. One of the slightly minor plot points changed, was about Arf. Since I learned familiars can go in strength, I switched her motivation to just not feeling as useful anymore. For those who didn't catch it, Yuuno's quote is from Splinter, from the first live-action TMNT movie. Quite interesting Earth "literature" he was studying.... Next two chapters are going to be all combat, but there will still be other goodies. So if you wanted action, you're going to get it!
C&C is always welcome!