I do not in any way, shape, or form lay claim to either of these works.

This is just a work of admiration from one fan, to those others that share the same interest.

The only characters or places I lay claim to are those solely of my own creation.

Time and Time again, Book 2.

Time waits for no one.

Chapter 5:

Wednesday, September 28th 2095. 6:00 PM..

The Shiba residence.

Tatsuya read over the news while Miyuki made them both coffee, and thought about what his sister had told him while they had made their way home. It seemed that this other mage had made an impression on his sister. From what his sister had told him, and his own observations, the pair seemed like almost complete opposites personality wise. Tanya had seemed open, but there was a certain calculated aspect to her and how she had interacted with his classmates.

This other mage, Visha as she insisted on being called, was either even better at hiding her true intentions, or was just really that earnest. While it seemed unlikely, he had to consider that it was possible. Miyuki was an excellent judge of character and understood all too well the risks and costs of this life they lived. The fact that she seemed genuinely taken with this foreign mage made him want to meet her himself sooner rather than later.

Basic information had been easy to access, of course. Details had been sparse, but that was hardly a surprise considering the story that they had given. Two natural mages being found together was incredibly unusual, almost unheard of in fact. The odds of everything they had said being true was so small to be easily dismissed. The fact that they had even tried to pass such a story was even odder. They would have been better served to go with something more mundane.

As unlikely as it seemed, it might be advisable to accept their story at face value, at least until the information he had asked for from his contacts came through.

It would be best to meet Visha as soon as possible, especially to make better sense of what her file said about her. The extent of the injuries that were in her records that he could access pointed to a severe accident, if true. The fact that she had lived through what he was able to access, if it was true then it was yet another miracle.

And in his experience, such things didn't happen on their own. The impossible was always the result of someone's intervention, of someone having the ability to do something that should not be possible.

Like bringing the dead back to life, or restoring things that have been destroyed from the barest traces.

Within a few days, he would hopefully have all the answers he needed to begin to make decisions on what to do about these new mages, but for now he would simply observe them and spend time with Miyuki. That was, after all, what was truly the most important thing.

Miyuki smiled as she sat down next to her brother after she had laid out their coffee and settled in to enjoy her time with her brother. The life they lived was a carefully maintained balancing act, one that came at no small cost. A cost that laid on her brother far more than she liked to think about.

The new mages were almost certainly a potential problem, another potential roadbump in their life. But still, she couldn't help but feel like Vishal was a good person, one who loved her companion and would do anything for them.

It was something she could relate to. It was the one thing that had pushed her forward, to always seek to excel. Because it not only proved the worth of the life they lived, it also earned her the praise of her brother. Nothing made her happier than the pride that her brother had in her. Nothing else had ever compared to the joy that his gentle words of praise brought her.

And she felt that Visha was the same way, from the little things that she had seen, and the few words that the foreign mage had to say about her companion.

"Brother? What if we invited Vishal and Tanya out for dinner, and gave you a chance to meet Vishal and see the two of them together? I think that any concerns we both might have might become a bit clearer if we can see them in a different environment?" Miyuki said as she turned to regard Tatsuya.

"Would Ryuzu be okay? We can get our usual table for Saturday night." Tatsuya said as he placed his tablet on the table.

Miyuki smiled and nodded. "I think that would be perfect."

Wednesday, September 28th 2095. 7:00 PM.

Doctor Yoshiko Nishina's residence.

Tanya shifted as she looked over the files that they had put together on the target's and those in their circle. There was something about print files that always made things stick better. Made it easier to put things together and find what wasn't always obvious.

So far the operation seemed to be moving smoothly. They had both made contact with their targets and started the process of inserting themselves into their lives. It was going to be a bit of a different operation than what they were used to, close to when they had inserted themselves into the school in Germany, but it was the differences that would make it a challenge.

Tanya looked up as a cup of coffee was placed in its usual spot, and the familiar smell washed over her. It had never ceased to amaze her how Visha could turn almost any bag of beans into an amazing cup of coffee. It was just another reason that she loved her longtime companion.

A good cup of coffee could make any situation better.

Visha sat next to Tanya as she started to look over the files as well, being careful not to displace any of the neat stacks. "Miyuki was not quite what I expected. From what her file said about her, I honestly expected her to be a bit more distant. A lot more elitist, but she is…. Well, she is a lot more approachable than I expected her to be." Visha said as she turned that megawatt smile on her companion.

After a moment, Tanya blushed and looked away. "I think part of that might be you, Visha. You have a way with people."

Visha blushed and waved her hand. "Oh, I'm not that good. I'm not nearly as skilled with people like you are."

Tanya shook her head as she put down her cup and turned to regard Visha directly. "I know that I terrify people. I always have, in fact. My entire existence, in fact. But it never bothered me, not until I met you. Not, until we ended up here.". Tanya chuckled. "I will always intimidate people, and win them over by force of logic. You, on the other hand, are very likable and charismatic. You even won over someone like myself."

Visha blushed and looked down. "You're giving me far too much credit, Tanya.".

"And you give yourself far too little." Tanya said, then looked down at her handheld as it pinged with a message. Tanya looked at it, then picked it up to read over the message again. "It seems that we have plans for Saturday night. The Shiba's just invited us to dinner."

Vishal blinked and looked at Tanya. "That.. is a little early, isn't it? I mean…. We just started school…" Visha said with a worried look on her face. "Do you think that's something we need to worry about?"

"It's possible that if they are from our old world, then it's possible they want to confirm our identities. It's also likely that they want to ascertain if we are a threat or not, since we are an unknown element that has been inserted into their school and life." Tanya stated matter of factly as she took a drink of her coffee to center her thoughts.

Visha nodded and took a drink of her own cup as she just watched Tanya think. She trusted Tanya and her assessment of people, but part of her couldn't help but hope that it was simply that the Shiba siblings just wanted to get to know the pair of displaced mages better, because Visha had enjoyed her first day with Miyuki.

It was something that she had missed after they had left Germany. had arrived at the school in Germany she hadn't really made any real friends. The 103rd didn't really count, it had been a found family, but also a cult of personality centered around the Argent.

It was hard not to get pulled the wake of Tanya's personality.

Doctor Nishina smiled as she watched her young wards and poured her own cup of coffee. The two of them had taken over most of the little chores around the house with the kind of quiet efficiency that she had come to expect from the pair. Everything was done with an efficiency that would seem artificial in anyone else, but was just normal for the pair. She was well aware not only of the relationship that had developed between them, but also that there were more than a few secrets that they had decided to keep to themselves. For now, she would accept that, and continue to operate as if she was unaware of the quiet omission of certain facts.

Now, if anything changed or went really wrong, then she would act however she felt was needed. The surprising amount of information that she was still provided with made it possible for her to operate partly in the blind without tipping her hand to the precocious pair of young mages.

Of course, she was never sure just how much Tanya might actually know. That had always been the case, though. And her willingness and ability to accept Tanya as she was, and to function in a way that didn't play into the schemes of the former Ace of Aces helped. It was why the Director had accepted her proposal, she imagined.

Doctor Nishina gathered her cup, and one of the pastries that Visha had made, and made her way back to her office. She had her own tasks to take care of, and some of them actually did not involve the pair of mages.

At least, not directly.

Wednesday, September 28th 2095. 11:00 PM.

The Nishina residence, Tanya's room.

Tanya sighed as she held Visha close to her. It was a bit awkward when they laid like this, with Visha cuddled up with her back pressed to Tanya's chest, but it was also comforting for them both. Tanya gently rested the fingertips of her left hand that she had draped over Visha on the scar that bisected the taller girl's chest and smiled. If they had not come to this world, then Visha would not have been saved, so she would always be grateful for that.

Even if it was because of that fanatical tyrant, Being X.

Visha gently placed her hand over Tanya's as she snuggled back. She was glad that, even if they were not flaunting their relationship, it didn't feel like they were hiding it, either. They had this half of the house basically to themselves, so they went to bed together now. No more sneaking in during the middle of the night for 'emotional support ', they were able to act like a proper couple. And even if she did rather like being the big spoon, there was something nice about this arrangement as well.

Perhaps it was because of who Tanya had been before, or the relationship that the two of them had shared as superior and adjutant. Regardless, it felt nice. She also enjoyed when they would talk in bed, about whatever crossed their minds. Tonight, it had been about their first day in their new School. And not the relevant details, like they had before. No, it had been the little things, the more personal things. The ones that didn't matter for their plans, but mattered so much as people.

It had been nice.

Visha gently pulled Tanya's fingers to her lips and kissed each fingertip before she returned her girlfriend's hand with where it belonged and settled back in.

"Goodnight, Tanya.". She said sleepily, and smiled at the gentle, loving kiss at the nape of her neck before the pair let the quiet comfort pull them into sleep.

Thursday, September 29th 2095. 7:00 AM.

Visha focused on her notes as the teacher talked, and couldn't help but notice that there were only a few students who actually took notes. Sure, this particular class might be more of a refresher right now, but you never knew when some little fact would prove useful in the future. It had been one of the things that Tanya had drilled into her very early in her training under the Argent. No fact was too little to be important.

As much as Visha enjoyed school, she had to mission in mind. And, if she was being honest with herself, she knew that she had been distracting herself from the worries that an upcoming class brought up. She might be excused from participating in Physical Education, but she knew that she would still be expected to show up.

That would mean changing in front of everyone, and no matter what Tanya had said, she still felt self conscious about the scar. She couldn't help but feel like it made her ugly, somehow.

And it would definitely raise questions.

And she knew that her public records made it clear why she had been excused from participating, but she did kind of wish that she was allowed to join in, even if being on the sidelines made it much easier for her to observe their target.

Still, it felt wrong somehow to sit and watch. It went against her very nature, how she had been taught by Tanya.

Still, you did whatever was needed to complete the mission.

With that decided, Visha squared her shoulders and adjusted her clothing as she walked into the changing room. She had chosen a locker at the end of the row, where she would have some measure of privacy. Not that there was much privacy, but she would take what she could get.

As she turned her back towards the others, she took a breath before she quickly and efficiently undressed. Each movement was done quickly and with as little wasted energy as she could manage. She knew the moment that her back was exposed, and the scar on her back was exposed. It wasn't a surprise that she had scars on her front and back, considering what had happened to her.

Visha kept her face neutral even as she felt someone move to stand behind her, and she braced herself before the distinctive smell of Miyuki's perfume washed over her. She didn't know what to expect, but the calm, smooth voice of Miyuki washed over her and helped settle her nerves.

"You will have to let me know how our classes differ from the ones at your old school." Miyuki said as she stood behind Visha and finished changing, as she granted Visha a small measure of privacy for her to finish changing.

After Visha had zipped her tracksuits zipper up, she turned and met the warm, gentle smile of Miyuki. She gave the younger Shiba a grateful smile and walked towards the door with Miyuki walking at her side.

Visha relaxed a little, as the lack of any questions settled her mind a little.

Still, it made her wonder if the questions would come later.

Thursday, September 29th 2095. 6:00 PM.

The Shiba residence.

Miyuki bit her lip as she put away the last of the dishes. The scars that Visha had were a bit shocking, and unusual in this day and age. She tensed up, before she felt Tatsuya behind her. She breathed a slow breath, and relaxed. "I saw Visha's scars today. I…. Honestly, I don't know how she survived that. It makes me question how much of their records are true or not."

"We will get to the bottom of it, I'm sure. For now, we will take things one step at a time and figure out the truth behind the lies as we go." Tatsuya said as Miyuki leant back into his chest and basked for a moment in his presence.

The next couple of days would be busy, that was for sure.