Majo Kon-ki The Marriage of Tanya the Witch
(The marriage chronicles of a witch)
Prologue 1
January, Unified Year 1928, The Russy Federation, in the newly developed transmission studio in Moskva
"… I ask forgiveness… from the honorable people… of The Russy Federation…" A mechanical, lifeless voice said slowly.
"… I hope… someday… with help… from go-"
"… god…?"
"Is something wrong, my doll?" Someone whispered in her ear.
"… help… from… 'god'…?" There was something wrong with that word in particular.
"Keep reading, you are almost at the end." Again there were whispers in her ear, a command she was supposed to obey.
"Why… I have to obey…?"
" Comrade Loria? What is delaying her?" She heard someone far away, their voice sounding impatient.
"You naughty girl! Already need another dose?" The sleeve covering her arm was pulled up.
"Don't worry, after today it will be just the two of us on our long honeymoon!" These words were followed by a wet and disgusting touch to her cheek.
"… kiss? … honeymoon? … god?" Her mind struggled to grasp, no, to reclaim something lost, yet it was like an unseen force held her back, blocking her from retrieving that knowledge.
"… what… I lost… it was…" She widened her eyes in sudden realization.
"… me?!"
"Now, stay still." With the sensation of her arm being pierced, came the awareness that whatever was about to be injected had to be stopped or she risked losing everything once more.
"NO! GO AWAY!" Following her yell, she threw a powerful punch at the one holding her. A cry in Russy echoed, and suddenly, a gun was pointed at her head.
"Too close, idiot!" She narrowly avoided being shot at point-blank range, managing to grab the arm wielding the gun, causing the shot to miss. With the assailant momentarily stunned, she swiftly disarmed him.
Five shots rang out, resulting in four men falling to the ground.
"I am Tanya…" She gasped for air, her breath ragged.
"Tanya von Degurechaff… is the name I received in this life." Slowly, her mind was beginning to regain clarity.
"I am a Lieutenant Colonel in the Imperial Army. I was handed over to the Russy Federation as a demand for the armistice and… what?" She hit a gap in her memory.
"Come on, focus! I was supposed to be put on trial and probably executed, instead, they imprisoned me…" Recollections of a cold and dark room resurfaced in her mind.
"They left me starving and thirsty, the water had a strange taste- Ouch!" She grimaced from a sharp pain in her leg, and upon glancing down, she saw blood seeping from a gunshot wound.
"Feh! One commie got lucky!" She intended to tend to her wound, only to notice the clothes she was wearing.
"What the heck?!" She discovered herself cloaked in an ugly pink gown, accompanied by a gaudy ribbon on her head. Though she couldn't remove the dress, she quickly pulled off the fabric from her hair.
"W-when did they put this on me?!" She winced as the answer to her question began to emerge in her mind.
"I was drugged, that's the explanation for the strange taste in the water- !" She stumbled, nearly falling over the dead man behind her.
"Eh? Where did you come from?" She had killed four men and he was not one of them.
"Wait, someone was holding me on his… lap?!" In any case, she deduced that he must have been hit by the deflected shot, given how close he was.
"Ah!" She finally identified the fifth dead man.
"He is from the NKVD, his name is Loria-" Her legs suddenly gave out.
"No…!" She clutched her head, trying in vain to stop the rush of memories evoked by him.
'Please…' She could hear herself.
"S-stop, I don't want to remember!" Her plea went unheard as the images grew clearer and the voice louder.
'… I feel so cold…' Her tone carried the fragility of a small child.
"D-don't!" She shook uncontrollably, experiencing the same icy coldness she had felt then.
'… so please…' The little girl in her mind was too pitiful, too pathetic…
"N-no!" She struggled to hold back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.
'I beg you…' It was too much, witnessing herself in such a disgustingly weak state.
"Shut up!" At once, her sadness shifted into a burst of rage.
'… make-'
"I SAID, SHUT UP!" Before the voice could finish, Tanya slammed her head hard into the ground. Stars filled her vision, and she nearly blacked out, but she was grateful because the images had vanished from her mind.
Still, eventually, she will have to deal with what was done to her, and, with Loria dead, the possibility of seeking retribution is forever lost.
"The bastard didn't suffer any pain! He was sent straight to- hell?" Maybe not hell, Loria was, after all, one of Being X's pawns. The false god might have rewarded him, granting him a fresh start in a better life.
"Perhaps, in this exact instant, they are in some sort of 'private heaven' happily chatting and laughing about how miserable they made my life!" The simple thought made her want to pull her hair in frustration.
"Someday, I swear I will- will…! ARGH!" Tanya shook her head.
"Forget it! Thinking about this will take me nowhere." She had to suppress her rage, as it was crucial to focus on the most pressing matter: finding a way to escape.
"And, where am I?" She pondered taking a look at her surroundings.
"Is this some sort of radio studio?" She noticed all the hardware, meant for broadcasting.
"Ah!" More memories replayed in her mind, those from mere moments ago.
"They wanted me to give a statement." Actually, it wasn't just any statement; they wanted her to openly defame the Empire.
Under the influence of the drug, she had recited a script supposedly confessing to crimes committed by her country's army, including the execution of surrendered enemy soldiers and the killing of innocent civilians.
"SHIT!" Also, 'she revealed' that she was merely a figurehead, a fabricated Empire propaganda. Plus, this wasn't the worst thing to escape her lips.
"D-did I say I was a 'sex pet' of members of the High Command?!" Those who hadn't met her in person would easily believe she was a fraud all along, seeing as this story was more plausible than that of a highly talented and efficient child soldier. Moreover, her comrades and superiors would assume she was a traitor, that she had struck a deal with the Russy.
"No, no, no! Lieutenant General Zettour knows I would never defame the Empire by my own volition!" Furthermore, there was Brigadier General Rerugen, an old acquaintance whom she regarded as a friend.
"He will surely vouch for me-" Loud noises drew closer outside the room, accompanied by shouts in Russy.
She assumed the guards in the building became aware that something was wrong since the broadcast was cut abruptly.
" WHAT IS GOING ON IN THERE?! OPEN UP!" Her assumption was proven true as loud banging confirmed that the men outside were attempting to break down the door.
"Crap! What now?!" Completely cornered, she began to panic.
"No, calm down and think! There must be a way out." She surveyed the area, considering her options.
The room had one single door and no windows, appearing quite sturdy. Perhaps the Russy were concerned about potential interference with the broadcast and had taken precautions to prevent easy access from the outside.
"Regardless, the door will eventually give!"
With Loria and the other men dead, she had no potential hostages.
"Probably the reason the guards didn't use explosives to blow the entrance. They hope some of their people inside are alive."
She could try to call for help using the equipment in the room. However, if any of her fellow countrymen were nearby, she wouldn't be able to guide her rescuers because she had no idea of the location.
"And no cabinets or wardrobes for me to hide!"
She possessed the guns from the deceased, nonetheless, against the presumed number of guards outside, it would be a futile effort.
Lastly, the wound in her leg would severely limit her mobility.
"If only I had a Computation Jewel I could have a fighting chance!" Once more, she sought out additional options… Her ultimate conclusion was that she was utterly screwed.
"Dammit! Is this how I die?! Wearing a frilly dress?! At the hands of communists?!" And the worst part is that she will be remembered as a traitor by the Empire and as a sham by the rest of the world.
"All because of that fucking speech- Of course, the speech!" The solution for one of her issues surfaced in her head.
"It can work both ways, I can explain what really happened!" Examining the equipment, she believed herself capable of using it.
"And maybe someone close by could sympathize with my situation and send help." She doubted that any Russy would feel pity towards her, but even the smallest chance was better than nothing.
"At the very least I won't die as a traitor… and maybe…!" She grinned widely as a second plan formed in her head.
"… this may sound like a betrayal of my principles but listen, my Empire! After suffering such indignities, I can't forgive the Russy!" Tanya poured all her heart into her voice.
"… communism can't walk hand-in-hand with the capitalist world! It's impossible to not realize that!" She kept in mind to hold herself back, it was better to not straightforwardly declare her desire to have all of the Russy Federation burning down for all it was worth.
"… I wish I could have done so much more…!" Next, she decided to change her approach to something more dramatic before the gran-finale.
"I want to believe the true reason I was brought to this world- no, why I was born in our fatherland was so-" A loud bang echoed, momentarily startling her with the fear that the door separating her from the Russy had given in. It irritated her how the noise disrupted her concentration, and worse, it had interrupted the most dramatic speech she had ever delivered.
"Hang on, this actually adds a nice touch!"
"No… no… no, no, NO! I don't wanna die!" She pleaded, deliberately softening her voice to resemble that of a lost child. She was convinced this vulnerability, portrayed by a young girl, would deeply resonate with the listeners.
"Please, someone help me!" She added a few fake sob sounds between her words.
"For me to die this way… what was the point of everything I did? Of all the lives I took?!"
"Huhuhu! I can almost see the listeners in tears!"
"Is it so wrong for me to not feel sorry? I did it all for our country and I want to do so much more!" Nearing the climax of her 'tragedy', she strove to intensify the drama as much as possible.
"With the rest of my life, instead of war, I want to accomplish something for the people…"
"Hope I am not exaggerating. It is over if my act is found out."
"… to protect instead of killing… as long as I am here… I am still … here …" She paused to feign a few more sobs.
"Please don't forget that I was here…" Tanya concluded the broadcast and moved away from the equipment.
"I am done and with plenty of- Ugh!" Her wound nearly caused her to lose her balance. Unable to remain standing, she sat on the floor, her gaze fixed on the lone door, the two guns clasped tightly in her hands.
"Ahhh! I anticipate that my acting skills will achieve the same outcome as Dacia!" She chuckled remembering the huge fireworks.
"Well, I planted my seed…" For what she hoped would be a glorious and large tree called REVENGE. Today, she was happy for people to always think of her as a child instead of a soldier as she could anticipate the outrage this incident will cause.
"'A brave little girl, a national heroine and a symbol for her country; surrenders herself in the name of peaceand endsup tortured and murdered by the big bad Russy…'" The Empire will surely demand satisfaction, it could even escalate to a new war. With luck, the Commonwealth and the Unified States could use this as an excuse to bare their fangs at the communists.
"Who knows! Would it be too much to ask for the entire world todeclare war against the Russy?!" Tanya acknowledged that it was somewhat irrational of her to be gleeful at the prospect of a bloodbath in her name. However, all the humiliating ordeal at Loria's hands left her beyond resentful.
"Also, this world would turn into a paradise without war and communism!" A shame that, whatever the outcome, she would not be around to see it.
With a final bang, the door finally gave way. She prepared her guns to take down as many enemies as possible.
"I won't go down so- what?!" She stared in wonder as the world suddenly froze.
'Tanya von Degurechaff…!' Someone spoke from inside her thoughts.
"Whois this? Being X?!" She could sense that the voice didn't belong to him.
'No, I am not 'him'.'
"Then who are you?"
'As much as I want to enlighten you, I am afraid that time is not on our side. You must have perceived I can only accelerate your thoughts so we can talk.'
She realized that, indeed, this experience was different seeing as the Russy guards weren't truly frozen. They moved, pushing the broken door in 'slow motion'.
'I have an offer for you.'
"An offer? What is this, a job interview?"
'As I said before, there is no time to explain the details. It's my wish to send you to another world so you can recover something for my master.'
"Who is your master?That piece of shit, fake god?!"
'I don't work for 'him'. All I can say is thatI need your help, but first I wish your consent before proceeding.'
"So you need my permission?"
'No, I could merely send your soul and contact you later. Nonetheless, given your former troubled relationship, I'd rather have a good start with you.'
"… and if I say no?"
'I will let you go back to the circle of reincarnation and search for someone else.'
"I need a few minutes to think."
'Looking as you are about to die, you must make your decision right away.'
"Can you tell me at least what I could gain from helping you?"
'After you complete the task, I can give your life back.'
she sneered at that.
"You will need to do better than that, this life holds no more-"
'I mean your original life.'
This had her holding her breath.
"Wait, wait, JUST WAIT A MOMENT!" She took a long breath to calm herself so she would be fully understood.
"You can send me back to my original world?"
'Your death will be nullified as if it never happened in the first place.'
Happy thoughts instantly filled her mind: of returning home, back to her successful job, to a peaceful country, and most importantly…
"Will I have my male body back?!"
'Yes.'
"What about Being X? Won't he interfere?"
'I got his permission before contacting you.'
"Permission?! He is not my owner-"
'We are about to run out of time,decide now!'
She didn't like to be pressured this way. There were many factors to consider which demanded calm pondering.
For starters, she would need to know if the next world was no worse than this one.
Second, what advantages would she have, will magic be present there?
Third, in what condition would she find herself in? Back in an orphanage? Or with normal and ordinary parents?
Fourth, would it be too much to ask to have her body back, or even any male body as an advanced payment?
"I really don't want to be a girl in yet another life!"
Lastly, her potential employer seemed to be a reasonable individual and so far didn't proclaim himself a god but how much could she trust him? And he didn't reveal what he wanted. There was a possibility that she'd find herself with an impossible task with no means to accomplish it.
"Under these circumstances, it would be common sense to refuse. Still…"
Her chances of survival were almost nil, and even if by some miracle she did, it would be as a prisoner of the Russy again, and, taking into account her recent experience, she'd rather die.
However, it was anyone's guess what could happen if she is returned to the circle of reincarnation.
"Being X could influence it to send me to the worst world in the entire universe!No, this is my last chance to leave this damn hell hole behind!" She could only hope for the best.
"I accept!"
'Perfect, wait for my new contact, it shalloccurin seven years.'
The world, or rather, her perception of the world began to move at normal speed. Tanya could see the guards rushing into the room and taking the scene of their dead countrymen. Once they saw her, they knew she was the one responsible.
Despite being easily able to kill the first two soldiers, she instead dropped both guns and gave them the most sincere smile she could muster.
"I win!" … were Tanya's last words, before a single shot found its mark in her heart.
AN: Hell, hell, this is hell! God, how hard can it be to write something?! It took me four times more than I thought to write just one-third of what I had in mind! Also, I can't stop feeling down now when I read other fanfics. I keep thinking 'how can this guy write so well…' or 'unlike mine, this writing looks so natural'. Bah, please someone tell me that it's hard for everyone in the beginning and it gets easier with time…
And guys, please review, I need feedback! Please say if you find something wrong, or if any character is too OC, or if there is any information that is too different from the original, or if you have any suggestions, or if to just point out any grammar mistakes; I want to improve. I realize this story is far from good, but I believe that with experience I could, someday, become at least a 'decent' writer.
One mistake I almost made with this chapter: it was supposed to be July as Tanya was to be almost 14, however, it needed to be cold and I almost forgot how Moscow, or in this case Moskva, is in summer by this time of the year. A small mistake from someone who lives in the south hemisphere, here July is winter. So I changed to January to be right in the middle of winter. Again I ask for people to review if they see those sorts of errors.
I tried to start this chapter in the direction of what I heard the Youjo Senki series is going. The Empire's defeat is imminent, so its only chance of surviving is to get peace under its own terms. I will create my own conclusion to the stories of Visha, Mary Sue, Being X, and some of the other characters. But mostly it will be just Tanya interacting with the character from the 'Potterverse'. Also, my story will ignore the Eleven Goddess storyline since I will create a different future. The result of Tanya's broadcast, as she wished, will have great repercussions in the world at large only not the way she wanted.
Oh, and before anyone asks. What happened between Tanya and Loria? Sorry, it will take some time before I can clarify, and be warned again, that it will be some heavy content. This story is rated M for very good reasons.
This chapter had no humor, but it should return by the next. If everything goes according to my plans, I should make one or two more prologue chapters before the story truly starts. Next, it will follow the seven books of the Harry Potter series. From Philosopher's Stone to the Deathly Hallows. So at least four books before we understand how she got married. After that, she will start her long and arduous journey to finally get a divorce…
AN2: This chapter was revised in March 2024.