First off, I'd like to extend my greatest thanks KnightOfCerberus for beta-ing this chapter and for helping me along with some of the ideas. Without him, this chapter wouldn't be where it is today.
Slight change of pace this time around, but a necessary one. I hope you all enjoy the latest installment of Swords and Shields while I work on finishing up the next chapter of Medieval Belka. Also, I've gone back and edited some of Signum's speech in chapters 1 and 2 to make it more appropriate for her manner of speaking.
As always, I own nothing and comments and criticisms are always welcome.
-Chapter Start-
Nanoha Takamachi had a great deal on her mind. She was seated in her office, re-watching the video feed portraying one of the most vicious battles she'd seen in recent memory. It was not the scenes of violence that bothered her; she herself had been party to more than a few bloody battles. No, it was whom the participants were that she had a problem with.
Never before in Nanoha's memory had the matches between Yuuno and Signum been so… intense. It was different from the times when both were at their best and putting everything into their efforts. Those matches never turned the pair into raging animals throwing themselves at each other in a mindless display of their baser instincts. Nor did they leave the battle broken, bloody, and half-naked at the end.
Well, on occasion they did. But never to this degree.
As Raising Heart began to play the recording again, Nanoha felt something uncomfortable settle into the pit of her stomach and it lay right next to the simmering anger at what had been done to Fate the previous week. Signum was on her way to this very office at the brunette's request, and she was certain the inevitable conversation would reveal things she would not be comfortable with.
She'd seen that battle hungry expression on Singum's face before; sometimes she had been on the receiving end of it. Whattruly disturbed Nanoha, more than the ferocity of the battle, was that Yuuno had donned a very similar expression on his own face. It was unsettling to see such a look on her childhood friend and teacher. Why was such a look planted so firmly on his face? What had prompted the two of them to go so far? Those questions and more swirled about her mind in the empty office.
For some time the only sound in the room was that of battle, and it was finally interrupted by three sharp, staccato knocks at the door.
Steeling herself for what was to come, Nanoha asked Raising Heart to pause the recording and called out to the person on the other side, "Come in." The door opened and into the office stepped the source of more than a few of the brunette's current concerns.
Signum stood in front of Nanoha's desk, stoic as ever. "You wished to see me, Takamachi," she stated without preamble. It was obvious from both her tone and her wording she knew at least some of what was to come.
Nanoha gestured to an empty chair across from her desk, "Have a seat, Signum." When the Knight did so, the brunette continued with folded hands and a stoic expression similar to the woman across from her, "You probably already know part of why I wanted to talk with you." Nanoha's current look was perhaps more unsettling than the fake smile she typically wore when she was more than midly displeased.
"You refer to my bout with Testarossa." If there was any sign of confusion on Signum's face at what Nanoha had said, she had either missed it or it was indiscernible at best.
Nodding, Nanoha's eyes narrowed as she spoke, "I want you to tell me exactly why you decided to beat Fate senseless."
The Knight maintained her stoic demeanor. "Testarossa allowed herself to become complacent. She gained only enough strength and skill to make use of Bardiche and nothing more. I was under the impression she was the kind of woman who strived for excellence." Signum paused, allowing her words to sink in before continuing, "I felt it best that she learn the price of such a mindset."
There was no response from the brunette, only a stony silence.
"...I concede that my actions may have been in excess, but I will not apologize for them. Better for Testarossa to learn of her folly here, in a sparring session, than in the field, where such a lesson could very well cost her life," Signum finished flatly.
Nanoha raised an eyebrow at the Knight's words. It was one thing to hear the explanation from Fate or one of the other Wolkenritter. It was another thing entirely to hear it from the General of Fire herself. "You really believe that? You couldn't have just pointed that out to her instead of beating her sensel-"
Signum cut her off sharply, "And how would you have me prove it to her otherwise? Sugared words and gentle taps?"
"You could have told someone about it. Hayate, Vita, anyone! Me, or even Yuuno!" Nanoha snapped back, "We could have dealt with her problem without landing her in the hospital or breaking her spirit!" A part of the brunette knew she was greatly exaggerating a few details, but anger at what the pinkette before her had done to Fate was clouding her mind. "Aren't you her friend?"
"I am her friend, and as such I could not stand idly by when I realized the gravity of her situation," Signum responded just as sharply as before, but she maintained the composure Nanoha seemed to be losing.
Nanoha glared at Signum for a time as she worked to reign in her anger. She truly disliked losing her temper, but with everything that had been going on as of late it was unfortunately easy to do. Eventually, she responded with a concerned tone in her voice, "I'm not sure I can believe you."
Those words hit Signum as though she'd been physically struck by the brunette. "Excuse me?" Though her expression did not betray her shock, the tone in the Knight's voice did. Even if it was only a slight sliver of the emotion, it was still noticeable.
"Signum, we've gotten into some absolutely vicious battles before. You remember our match a few years back? When everyone was wondering who was stronger between the two of us?" Nanoha waited until Signum confirmed the memory before continuing, "I don't think I'll ever forget the expression on your face. More than wanting to beat me, you wanted to fight to your absolute limit. No holding back. Maximum power. Am I right?"
"I did indeed desire to fight you to my fullest capacity at the time, however I-" Signum's reply was cut off.
"I've seen you enjoy fights. It's simply part of who you are. But I've only seen you with that look in your eye one other time and I'm pretty sure if got my hands on the footage from when you fought Fate, it would be three," stated Nanoha with some sense of finality.
"I would appreciate it if you made your point." Signum may be a patient woman, but she did not appreciate being treated as though she were a child.
Nanoha sighed, "My point is that, for whatever reason, you wanted to fight Fate in a life or death struggle. And when she didn't deliver exactly that, you punished her for it. Whatever limitations you may have seen were just an excuse for you to try and push her into going all out, neither giving nor expecting mercy in return."
Signum's eyes flashed dangerously, "Takamachi, yo-"
"What happened between you and Yuuno? What could have possibly happened that caused you go after Fate like you did, and..." A motion of Nanoha's hand bade Raising Heart to bring up a paused shot of the recording. It was zoomed in on Yuuno and taken just after he had stood from being hurled into a wall. He was broken, beaten, bloody, and exuded with such an overwhelming desire to fight, to strike down his foe and dominate her that it was almost palpable from the screen. "... whatever it was, it was enough for you to want to turn Yuuno into that."
The image elicited an odd, tightening sensation within Signum's core. Her hands balled into fists as she recalled being on the receiving end of that gaze.
"I've never seen him make that kind of expression before, not once. I've never seen him fight this way either. I've never seen that kind, gentle man act so..." Nanoha trailed off as words failed her. "I'll ask again: What is going on between you and Yuuno?" She paused as she watched Raising Heart play back more of the battle. Nanoha nearly winced when Signum driving her armored foot into Yuuno's face came around.
Silence reigned as Signum processed what Nanoha had laid before her. While the Knight had truly seen such shortcomings in Testarossa's capabilities, had it merely been an excuse to go further? She thought back to the feelings that bubbled up within her breast when Yuuno had decided to throw caution to the wind and fight with everything he had. It didn't matter that she outclassed him in every way. He still fought on, trying to better himself with every blow they exchanged. Adapting himself to rise beyond his previously-held notions of his limitations. To become a sword, rather than a shield.
That feeling he had given her, that burning sensation… had she sought a similar feeling from Testarossa in their match? All her battles against Yuuno, however few they may have been, starting from the one which resulted from their chance meeting that fateful night had ignited such a heat within her. It was a high that only came about with the right mindset and the right stimulus.
Yuuno had kept her drunk on that high, and she had savored it like a fine wine. He'd given her that life or death struggle, and she had pushed him forwards to relish that high for even just a moment longer. For a 'battle-junkie', there was no greater satisfaction. Was she even concerned about his intentions at this stage, so long as he kept satisfying her primal urges?
The lack of an immediate answer disturbed the normally unshakeable General of Fire.
"Well?" asked Nanoha, having found the oppressive silence to have stretched on for too long.
"I..." For once, Signum did not have an immediate reply and she languished further in her concern. After a time, she opted to explain the beginning of things to Nanoha. "It began a few weeks ago..."
And so Signum told the tale of her unexpected late night rendezvous with Yuuno Scrya. She told of their first match where he made the initial decision to step beyond his limitations and strike out against her, culminating in their mutual decision to grow as warriors against one another. Her story flowed from there and Nanoha's expression seemed to waver between surprise and worry. The slivers of passion that slipped into Signum's voice on occasion did not soothe the brunette any.
"...it was wonderful. I can find no words to properly describe that feeling other than wonderful. Basking in the afterglow of such a vicious battle against someone with whom I can exchange blows with in earnest..." Signum's words sent a shiver down Nanoha's spine while the faint traces of red on the Knight's face seemed wholly out of place. "I have never known such a feeling... Against you, your drive was only to win, was it not?"
Nanoha felt herself nodding as the surreal nature of the situation continued to permeate her mind.
"Even against Zest, whom I shall always regard as a great and formidable foe, I had not felt such a feeling." Signum subconsciously wetted her lips. "Scrya, however, fights like a man possessed. He is driven by neither ideals, nor the approval of others, nor something so fleeting as victory." A strange glint appeared in the Knight's eyes that did not go unnoticed by Nanoha. "He is driven by the singular desire to become strong enough to dominate his foe and relish in doing so..."
"Signum...," began Nanoha after the other woman had gone silent, a look of horror having taken residence on the brunette's face as she began to realize just how deep Signum's distortion ran, "Have you completely lost your mind? You said that you were going to help him improve himself, not turn him into a maniac and use him as a... a-a toy to relieve yourself with!"
Signum's eyes widened at Nanoha's accusation, but she was unable to retort as the White Devil continued on, "Yuuno's not that kind of person. He's a kind man who loves books and history, not battles!"
"Then explain to me what that is," demanded Signum harshly as she stood, pointing to the maddened look in Yuuno's eyes on the paused recording. "That does not look like a man whose life's ambition is to sit at a desk turning the pages of musky tomes. That looks like a man who would step up to the greatest of foes and do everything in his power to make them submit to him."
Nanoha's eyes narrowed. "That looks like a man twisted into something to fulfill your own kinks. You may have started out with good intentions, but at this point you're just using him for your own benefit and nothing else. You're toying with him. And with how things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if you tossed him aside the moment you got bored with him!" she finished with a raised voice that carried more anger than Signum had ever heard from the brunette before.
The Knight's hand twitched before balling into a fist. "You dare accuse me of that, Takamachi Nanoha? You would dare to think I would sully both my honor and his by acting in such a despicable manner?"
"I think you already have. Whether you realize it or not," stated Nanoha with a finality that shook the other woman.
Signum's fire left her and she fell back into her seat, an unusual and uncomfortable expression upon her face. "What would you have me do? I may have sparked his drive, but he is ultimately the one who decides whether or not to pursue it, regardless of my own involvement."
"That's... I don't have an answer for you. If I knew, I'd tell you. It's something you'll have to work out yourself, with Yuuno. But I'll tell you this right now...," Nanoha trailed off as she took a deep breath, "Yuuno is a very important person to me, more than you probably realize. If you don't fix this, and he ends up hurt because of it, there will be no place you can hide from me. Do you understand me, Captain Signum Yagami?"
The Knight felt the sincerity and power behind Nanoha's words and nodded, even if she did not truly know what to make of them at that moment. At the very minimum, she had much more to think about now than simply what her next bout would be like.
- Scene Break -
To say that the Infinity Library was a massive place would be something of an understatement. It was constantly growing, with more and more tomes, scrolls, and data files added to its shelves every day. Unfortunately, this made navigating the halls a rather difficult task unless you either had a map or a guide, or were a constant presence in the library.
"Mmm! Where is he?" grumbled Reinforce Zwei as she suffered from that exact problem. Even if she usually came to the library with Hayate, who was a rather frequent visitor, Zwei was still not nearly as familiar with the layout as her mother.
It did not help that she was looking more for a specific individual rather than a specific piece of information. She'd have called him ahead of time, but she didn't want to give him the opportunity of being prepared for her questions.
Right now, though, she was regretting her decision of conducting a sneak attack. At the very least, she knew that Yuuno Scrya was near his office, assuming Arf's information was correct. "...I think I'm lost," Zwei said aloud as she pulled up the map again. Sure enough, her location was now further away from Yuuno's office than it had been ten minutes ago.
"Zwei?"
"Hya!" the Unison Device squeaked in alarm before whirling about to lay her eyes upon the one who had snuck up on her. To her welcome surprise, it was the very man she'd been looking for. "Y-Yuuno! Don't sneak up on people like that!" she admonished after regaining her senses.
"Ah, right. Sorry about that," Yuuno apologized with a smile, his arms carrying a stack of rather old looking tomes. "Anyway, what can I do for you Zwei? It's rare for you to come by without Hayate."
Blinking as she remembered her self-appointed task, Zwei flew up closer to Yuuno's face. "I have to talk with you about something important, Yuuno."
The expression on Zwei's face conveyed the seriousness of her words to Yuuno. "We should talk in my office then. It'll keep anyone else from overhearing," he replied before gesturing with his head for her to follow him.
Much to Zwei's consternation, it took all of three minutes to reach Yuuno's office. It had taken her nearly twenty just to get as far as he did and even then she had gotten lost in the end.
"Stupid map...," she mumbled while glaring at the holographic display.
"Ahh... Sorry about that. We're expanding some of the sections on Ancient Belka and the Nasuvians. The maps haven't been updated yet." The blonde's words did not do much to appease Zwei, who shut the large doors of the office behind her while Yuuno set the heavy books down on his desk.
Before Yuuno could offer Zwei a seat, she had assumed her fully grown form and stood imperiously before him. Although the effect was slightly offset by her still being shorter than him and she had to stare upwards to lock eyes, she managed to project an image of authority. "Yuuno Scrya!"
"Y-yes?" he stammered in response to Zwei's sudden offense.
"What are your intentions towards my sister?" demanded the young, blue-eyed woman pointing a finger at his nose. She didn't care if she was the baby of the family; Zwei was going to do everything she could to look out for her mother and older sisters. Even if that meant antagonizing their long-time friend.
"Your sister? What are you talking about?" asked Yuuno, blatant confusion evident on his face.
"Don't try to play dumb," Zwei retorted with some fire in her voice, "You know exactly what I'm talking about. And don't think you won't be hearing from everyone else either. We haven't even given you proper approval in the first place. I'll permit it only so long as you follow the proper laws for courting one of the Wolkenritter!"
Yuuno had gone from confused to bewildered to flabbergasted, to say nothing of the embarrassment creeping up his spine. "Would you please explain what's going on and what you mean by 'courting'?" Last he checked, he wasn't in that kind of relationship with anyone.
Zwei gave a frown of irritation and placed her hands on her hips. "If you're going to be dating my big sister, there are rules you're going to have to follow. I won't have you treating her badly or taking advantage of her kindness." She ignored the poleaxed look on the librarian's face as she continued, not letting him get a word in edgewise.
"Firstly, you will treat her well and with proper respect. Signum's a good woman who deserves it and I won't have you trampling all over her heart. Secondly, you'll have her home by curfew as set by Lady Hayate. No more mysterious late night funny business, got it? You're not even married yet! Thirdly, if you try to force her into something she doesn't want or make her cry, I'll make sure they never find your body! Fourthly...," Zwei seemed to be running out of steam, but did not stop.
"Fourthly... Err... You'll take her to nice places on dates. No dingy bars or the cafeteria on base. Make sure it's the full deal. Full candlelit dinner, music, romance, the works! The whole nine yards! Fifthly... Um...," she paused and scratched her head as she tried to think of something.
"Zwei!" Yuuno called out, taking advantage of her stalling and causing the powder blue haired young woman to jump in surprise. "Zwei, please back up and explain why you think I'm dating Signum."
"Y-your're not? That's even worse! Taking advantage of her like that; how could you? I-I thought you were a better man than that..." Zwei looked truly distraught as she drew her own conclusions from Yuuno's words and her already limited knowledge of the truth of the situation between Signum and the blonde standing before her.
"What in the Kaiser's name has gotten into you? Signum's just helping me with my training," he explained quickly, trying to assuage Zwei's fears.
"T-Training?" she inquired slowly.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Yuuno continued, "Training. I've hit a wall where my own ability is concerned and Signum offered to help me with it. We're not in that kind of relationship." Though if he were to be honest, he would not deny the pull that Signum held over him. It was different from the attraction he had once harbored for Nanoha. It was more ...tangible, solid, if he were to describe it.
"Then why does Signum come home so happy from training with you?" Zwei pressed on, not quite ready to believe Yuuno's denial.
Yuuno crossed his arms and looks thoughtful for a moment, as though thinking of how to explain that. "Well... We don't train like how Nanoha or Vita train the new recruits. We just... fight. She... seems to enjoy it. I'll admit that I do as well." He scratched his cheek in embarrassment as he recalled his own developing battle-lust going head-to-head with Signum.
"It gets pretty vicious, but she's helped me far more like this method by standard means. And we've only had three sessions so far," Yuuno admitted somewhat sheepishly.
The wind having been taken out of her sails, Zwei slumped over a bit. "Then... I was worried over nothing?"
Yuuno patted her head affectionately. "Hardly. Signum's lucky to have a little sister like you watching out for her."
"D-don't think I'm letting you off the hook that easily. Even if you aren't dating Signum now, that doesn't mean you might not want to in the future. So I want you to remember what I've said," stated Zwei, trying to build up a stern composure as the heavy atmosphere lifted.
"I'll do that. But, you forgot something." Yuuno gave a small grin at Zwei's confused look. "You told me four of the rules, but not the fifth."
"Ah! I almost forgot. The fifth rule is that you must take Signum's little sister out for ice cream. Otherwise she'll make things very difficult for you in the long run." Zwei maintained her stern look at least until Yuuno gave a sigh of resignation.
"I suppose I have no choice then...," he stated in mock despair. "If I am to return to the good graces of the Yagami family, I must find an ice cream parlor and treat their youngest to a frozen treat worthy of her." He knew it was hammy, but he couldn't resist in the face of Zwei's demands.
Zwei giggled in response. "Hurry up, then. It's not proper to make a lady wait."
"Especially if that lady is my good friend and training partner's little sister," quipped Yuuno as he gathered his jacket and sent a message to Arf, explaining his sudden absence.
"You learn quickly," Zwei stated winningly.