AN: Sorry for the wait. I've been fighting an overly dramatic version of myself to the death and it keeps making my thoughts randomly switch to think about a specific person which interrupts cognitive function and therefore making this.
Hayate smiles as her family walked into the room.
"What were you all doing so late?"
"Nothing, mistress," Signum responds. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with."
"Mmmm." Maybe they're finally making friends. It's good that they're not sticking with her all the time. After all, Shamal was still here, so she wasn't exactly lonely. She glances over at the TV.
The reporter stands in front of a half destroyed building. "A group of terrorists attacked a local spiritual group in this building." He gestures to the destroyed building. "Tetsu, a local practitioner, was killed by the bomb. The leader of the local group, Amandiltar, bravely organized the remaining spiritualists to fight the terrorists off. Both side seemed to use, dare I say it, magic."
Hayate gasps. Signum notices the TV and goes to turn it off. "No! I want to see this," Hayate stops her.
"Despite the unbelievability, we have the end of the fight on tape, the security camera turning back on just in time. We'll play it now."
The screen switches to a somewhat grainy video of a fight. Specks of blood and guts cover the floor, though this doesn't seem to bother any of the combatants. Everyone involved using melee weapons, swords, shields, and hammers slamming against each other. One side had almost two dozen people. The other…
"Vita? Zafira? Signum? What is this?" Hayate's voice shakes.
"We had to do it! The book–" Vita starts.
"I said not to kill anyone! Not to harvest for the book! I just wanted for us to be a family!"
The four look look ashamed.
"We're you in on it too, Shamal?"
"Yes."
"We didn't kill anyone," Zafira says. "That was a trap for me, they killed their own man themselves."
Hayate doesn't miss the implication. "How long have you been doing this?"
"About a month. Your condition has been worsening, the paralysis is spreading up your legs. However, if the Book of Darkness was filled, you would be cured. We had to do this, to repay you for your kindness."
"No. No killing people, no more harvesting for the book. Just… let me live in peace."
"Yes, mistress," the Wolkenritter say in unison. Hayate feels guilty, for a moment. She doesn't like ordering them around. But if they keep attacking people, she has to.
The TV switches back to the reporter. "The police are tracking down the subjects at this very moment, trying to find out their identities and put a stop to their terrorism."
"They won't find us," Vita scoffs. "We're safe here."
"They have video–"
"The three of them won't go out for a while, until it all calms down," Shamal suggests.
"Open up! This is the police!" The five of them freeze.
"Hayate, get your belongings. Zafira, help her and get our stuff. Shamal, set up a barrier as soon as Hayate is done." Signum gestures for Vita to follow her, and walks to the door.
"Don't kill them!" Hayate orders.
"We won't!" Vita replies. "Go!"
"Why would the police be coming to our little home? We've done nothing!" Signum delays to the policemen.
They knock the door open, pointing guns inside. "Surrender and give up the hostage!"
"What hosta-oh." Vita scowls. "I'm not a hostage!"
"Poor brainwashed girl," one of the police mutters.
"I'm not brainwashed!" Vita transforms then runs at them, smashing that one with her hammer, Graf Eisen. Signum also transforms and the two of them quickly knock out the police, their weapons useless. The Book of Darkness floats over one.
"This one has a pretty good Linker Core," Vita points out. "Should we take it?"
"Hayate said no," Signum states.
"He's already knocked out. Hey! Hayate! Can we take the Linker Cores of people already knocked out!"
"What!" Hayate rolls back into the living room. "N-no! I said no taking Linker Cores!"
"But he's already knocked out. It won't hurt him and it would help you."
"Hayate, we just want to help you. We aren't hurting anyone. And if you die… the book will remain. We could get another evil master." Shamal looks at Hayate directly.
"… fine. But only if they're already knocked out."
"Thank you." Vita harvests the Linker Core, and then Shamal activates the barrier. The world turns monochrome and the policemen's disappear.
"Let's go. We need to get out of their perimeter." Signum leads them out of the house and west.
"Why don't we just stay in the barri-oh, right," Hayate begins before stopping herself. If they stayed other mages would be able to find the barrier, and then them.
Once at the edge of the barrier, Signum nods to Shamal. The barrier goes down.
Several people appear on the street, and gasp. They panic.
"It's the terrorists! They've kidnapped more children!"
"Someone call the police!"
"Run!"
"Stop! No one kidnapped anyone! It's a misunderstanding!" Hayate yells at them, only to be ignored. Shamal sets up another barrier, and with scarcely a word they head south.
"Nanoha, I want a full report of everything he does," Lindy asks, the screen showing her standing on the bridge of the Arthra.
"Right." Nanoha nods seriously.
"He likely won't give up the Jewel Seed on his own," Chrono muses from besides his mother.
"Nanoha, if you need help, call. I'll back you up like I did today." Fate frowns. "I don't like the sound of this Amandiltar."
"I think he's fine. He apologized! Though I think he's even more excitable about magic than you, Yuuno. It's hard to take him seriously when he's blabbering about Shoot Barret*."
"I'm an archaeologist, not a magic expert. Of course he is more excited about it. I'm more worried about his magic. It feels familiar, somehow, like something I saw on a dig once."
"Then I'll just have to find out more about him."
"I'm only having you do this because you wanted to," Lindy says, "if you feel threatened by him you can stop giving him those lessons. In fact, I'm not sure we should be allowing him to know anything at all."
"I won't let anyone down," Nanoha promises.
Aurora Abbry forced a smile on her face as yet another child walks up to her. Wearing her formal robes might not have been such a good idea. People have been telling her it's not Halloween all day. Just take the stupid flyers people!
"Oh my god, what is it that you're wearing Aurora? You haven't joined some freaky cult have you?" Ah, Emma. The popular girl in her school. She always thought she was friends with everyone. The worst part is that she actually is nice.
"Not exactly, Emma. The Durbatulûk are a new political party-"
"Heh, cult, political party, same thing."
Aurora forces herself to laugh.
"Well, why did you decide to join some stupid third party anyways? Everyone knows they don't matter."
"This one will. We're actually an international party, intent on securing unity for the world! No longer shall wars break out between countries for petty reasons!" Aurora's voice steadily grows louder.
"A bit too intense there, 'Ra. Like, really intense for you. That sounds kinda… um… world conquer-y. And wouldn't ever work."
"Only a little. Besides, we have something special going for us." Her mentor Tetsu may have died for the cause, but she won't let him down! Aurora flexes her left hand and focuses. A flame appears above it.
"Wow! Cool! How'd you do that? Are you some sort of magician party?"
"Not magician. I'm the local leader of the Witches of Durbatulûk in America. We use actual magic."
"Stop joking around. Magic isn't real. Where's your magic wand anyways?"
"We don't need magic wands, this isn't Harry Potter," Aurora says, annoyed. "It is real. I have nothing up my sleeves but honest magic." As honest as black magic can be, anyways. Honestly, who decided for that to be the name? It's like begging to be called evil. Which they definitely aren't, even if they're trying to take over the world.
"Well, been nice talking to you. Wish you luck!" Emma takes a flyer gracefully and starts walking away. Aurora scoffs.
"Don't wish me luck if you don't mean it, Graham. Just remember this when we are on top. Remember your choice not to join the winning team." Aurora pauses as Emma stops walking. "Or… come to the meet on Saturday. Open your eyes to the truth."
"The truth?"
"The truth of this world. Ancient history brought back into the light from the darkness."
"Hmph." She walks away. She'll be there, Aurora thinks. She is too curious to not be, if only to see magic.
Aurora stands in front of the gathered audience for her speech. They had rented a large auditorium for this, and it is filled with over a hundred people. Her best witch, Tom, stands next to her. Her other six witches stand behind them in a semicircle, all in their formal robes.
"Many of you may of heard of the Red Book of Westmarch. You thought it was fantasy. What's that? You haven't heard of it? I believe you know it by another name. The Lord of the Rings series. Yes, I can hear you going home now, what you will say. 'I didn't know this was a Tolkien convention!'
"Well it's not. In truth, the book was found, and translated. The already biased book became more, until it was quite different from the truth." Aurora gestures, and in the empty space in front of her a young Tolkien appears in front of a table. The table has a red book on it. The illusionary writer opens it, and begins reading.
"Today we will tell you the truth of the past. The truth of ancient history, so many years ago. Long ago, billions of years ago, there was nothing but Eru, he who is alone. He created the Maiar, other transcendent beings, who would exist within his timeless halls with him. Then, he began to sing. The other Maiar began to sing in harmony, and together they created a vision of the world." The illusion shifts to look like the universe: galaxies everywhere.
"The Maiar desired that it existed, and Eru put his Flame Imperishable, the power of creation, into the void, and Eä, the universe, came into being. The Maiar began to enter the universe and became Ainur. The universe was empty, but it existed. Arda, our world, was made.
"But not all agreed with the song. The strongest of the Maiar, Melkor, sought to make his own song. He sang differently than the rest, and many went to his banner. Angered, Eru declared his song to be for naught, an cursed Melkor to be forever doomed. He went to Arda with his loyal allies and began anew.
"The other Maiar were jealous of his power, and the Valar, greatest among them, repeatedly attacked him. During this time, thirteen thousand years ago, Mairon, his great lieutenant, joined him in seeking to protect the human race. For the Maiar and their pet Elves hated people, and the humans at that time had nothing." The illusions switch to battles of giants, destroying and rearranging the landscape.
"Eventually they lost, and were lost to time. But before this, the Maiar and their Elves fled Arda, staying in Valinor which is now another dimension, and it was the few remaining elves who were masters over the human race who destroyed Mairon." Images of wicked Elves stabbing Mairon appear, with humans cowering in the background.
"But now, none hold away over us anymore! The cruel Valar would wish for mankind to remain divided, warring amongst ourselves. But now there is a better way! We, the Durbatulûk, are banding together to unite humanity. We have powers beyond belief! Magic, which you see before you now, creating these illusions. It is powerful beyond all else." Aurora brings her power to the forefront, focusing it on fear, and some of the audience shriek. She stops.
"We are the masters of Arda! Join us for the unity of Earth! Join us for power! Join Durbatulûk for humanity!"
"Oh my god, this is a cult," Emma blurts out from the front row. Everyone looks at her.
"Yeah, I'm leaving," some other guy says. He stands up and walks toward the door, followed by a few others. She can tell if this continues he will be followed out by many more.
"Don't leave when we just started!" Aurora blurts out. Darn, that ruined her image. Think fast Aurora! "You have yet to see all. While it is true that we may appear to be a cult, I assure you we are not. You are not required to give up anything you own, for we do not wish to exploit you. You are not required to worship anything or anyone. You just need to know the truth. Stay, just 'till the end of this meeting, at least. You shan't regret it."
The man looks disdainfully over his shoulder and walks out. Most of the crowd follows his lead, leaving the room while murmuring to each other: "weird cult", "this was stupid", "thought this was a political rally".
Strangely enough, she notices, Emma is one of the few people who has stayed. Aurora smirks; that she stayed means she's practically already inducted. With Miss. Graham on their side, recruiting more students from their college will be a pinch.
*The simplest Nanohaverse spell. Literally just a ball of light that does almost no damage.