A Saga of Tanya the Evil/The Irregular at Magic High School crossover.
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.
Chapter 23, The Seven Schools Competition: Opening Gambits.
Sunday, August 1st 2094 6:00 AM
It was an agitated Tanya that made her way out to the table that morning, her cup of coffee and a Japanese breakfast waiting for the former Devil of the Rhine. She sat, looking at the traditional spread laid out before her, then at Visha who was once again wearing the yukata that their resident demon, Dr. Nishina, had gotten for her.
"I thought today was a Western breakfast?" Tanya questioned even as she started to serve herself.
"I thought I would change things up a bit, if...that is okay?" Visha asked nervously, fidgeting with her Yukata.
Once Tanya's brain decided that words were probably needed, she blushed and nodded. "Of course, you are the cook after all, so I would have no right to complain. Plus your execution is flawless. Honestly, I don't think I would eat a more authentic meal in Tokyo.". Tanya said with a more relaxed look on her face.
Visha smiled happily, the praise along with their almost nightly 'emotional support' was doing wonders for her own mood.
"I am glad to hear that, Tanya. I will let Dr. Nishina know that you approve." Visha said with a happy smile on her face.
Tanya sighed and shook her head. "I might have the more classical Japanese form, but you wear it better than I do.". Tanya said in an amused tone of voice, the smile only growing at the blush that spread over Visha's face.
"I can't believe it's almost time for the competition. It starts tomorrow! Are you ready? Do you have everything? I know we leave in a few hours, but are we ready for this?" Visha said as she shook out her hands.
Tanya laughed at Visha's antics. "You do know you aren't competing, right? I don't remember you being this excited when we went into combat."
Visha looked at Tanya "Probably because I was never sure if I would be able to continue to serve at your side when we fought."
The two young women became quiet for a while, until Tanya broke the silence and cleared her throat. "Well, hopefully there will be more reasons to be excited in the future. Without a world war, I don't think we will find everyone wanting to kill us anymore."
"If we do, I know you will get us through it again." Visha said with absolute certainty.
"You put far too much faith in me, you know." Tanya commented.
"It's not faith, it's certainty. You got us both through the Rhine, and Aren't, and all the other impossible tasks we had placed before us. It's nothing as uncertain as faith.". Visha said.
"I don't know quite what to say, Visha." Tanya said then laughed. "I can't help but feel like that places even more pressure on me to continue to live up to your expectations."
Visha thinks for a moment, then grins as she pounds her fist into her open hand. "Then, how about this? We will both do our best to live up to each other's expectations?"
Tanya chuckled then nodded. "I think I can live with that. Though, I think you have even higher hopes for me than the General Staff ever did."
Visha's smile filled Tanya's stomach with a fluttering feeling as she said "That's because I know you better than they do."
Tanya self-consciously coughed into her hand as a slight blush colored her cheeks. "Be that as it may, I think we should do well in the competition."
Visha smiled as she nodded, finding Tanya's humility endearing. "They might even pass muster as new recruits." She said with a joking little laugh.
"I don't know, I wasn't able to shell them for a day and a half." Tanya replied with a straight face and a thoughtful look.
Visha laughed and shook her head. "I think it's getting easier to figure out when you are joking, Tanya."
"Was I?" Tanya commented as she sipped from her coffee.
Visha smiled and stood as she gathered the empty dishes. She started to clean them as Tanya took the moment to observe her former adjutant, a surprisingly gentle smile graced her angelic features.
As the morning progressed and each began to finish their preparations to leave, their thoughts turned to the other.
Visha couldn't wait to watch her Argent in action again, and for the rest of the country to find out what she knew herself. To see their faces when they realized how talented and dedicated the former Devil of the Rhine was. To see that smirk once again, to hear her motivational speeches, to revel in the glory that was her Tanya in action. What more could a faithful adjutant want?
Tanya felt her thoughts wander as she did her final check, to the time that they had taken for themselves, the opportunities that this new time and place had offered them. The chance for so much more that they had taken with their own hands. A possibility of a future stretched out before them, something they would never have had before. She wasn't worried about the competition, she knew that the first years would make a good showing, that they were as prepared as the two of them could make them.
What weighed on Tanya's heart was something much more personal, the risk of rejection hung heavy over her head, the weight of it all a burden on her narrow shoulders. She couldn't help but think of backing out of her confession, of letting things remain as they were. Then her thoughts had turned to that smile, that happy confidence, that unending hope, and she realized anew that she wanted to continue to bathe in it, to be engulfed in it. To take the risks and reap the rewards that in her previous life she never did.
It was worth the risk, it was worth the potential rejection. And worse came to worse, there was always the balcony. But that was not the right mindset. She needed to be positive, needed to be hopeful. Planning for and executing worst-case scenarios could come later. She needed to have confidence right now. She needed to trust, if not in herself then in Visha. It was going to work out. It had to. Because it was Visha.
A few hours later finds the two, along with the other students who would be competing and their support staff, at the school loaded onto the busses. The air is one of excitement, anxiety, anticipation and relief. It was 583 kilometers to the city, and the facilities themselves were a few kilometers outside of the city itself, so they had about a 6 hour drive ahead of them. Not the longest idle time the two had experienced waiting for a deployment, but it was long enough for them both to have decided to use that soldiery resource to pass the time. Sleep.
Tanya sat and chatted idly with Visha until the bus started to roll out, the class representative having made sure that all the students were accounted for. Once they had started the trip, Visha was soon asleep as Tanya quickly followed after. The last thing Tanya looked at was Visha's peaceful face, before she allowed herself to drift fully away.
Tanya dreamed of a different life. She saw herself in a suit, carrying a briefcase and getting off the subway as she headed home. These dreams were not terribly uncommon for her, but the fact she was herself, and not the vaguely remembered outline of the Salaryman was a bit different. She walked in the door, calling out "I'm home." and surprisingly, it was answered.
"Welcome home, dear. Did things go good at the office?" Visha said as she walked in, wearing a maids outfit, of all things.
"Yes, I only had to fire one useless person today. Hopefully, he learned his lesson and doesn't try to shove anyone onto the train tracks." Tanya said as she carefully placed her briefcase by the door, and hung her coat on the hook.
"Hopefully not! That seems like a horrible way to overreact." dream-Visha said as she knelt down to help Tanya slip out of her shoes and into a pair of house slippers.
Tanya chuckled as she caressed Visha's hair. "Well, all that matters is that I am home now." She said as she pulled Visha up and into her arms.
"Oh, Argent! Whatever are you planning on doing?" Dream-Visha said, batting her eyes coquettishly at Tanya.
'It's one of THOSE dreams…' Sleeping Tanya thought to herself, as the dream versions of herself and Visha embrace each other.
"Oh, Visha…" Dream-Tanya says breathily, just before the scene freezes in a very particular way.
Visha turns her head and scowls at the observing Tanya. "Oh, my lost lamb, why is it that it is this vixen's name that spills from your lips, and not mine? Have I not blessed you? Have I not shown you My grace and favor? Did I not help send you hence, where you could have the time to properly learn to adore and bow your proud head to your creator?"
"Being X:" Tanya hissed as the dream slowly came apart, leaving Tanya and Being X in the guise of Visha staring at each other.
"You should show me your faith, lest I once again am forced to chastise you. Learn to bow your head and give yourself to a higher power, or did you not learn your lesson from the last time? Oh, ye of little faith and too much self importance!" 'Visha' said as she shook her head.
"If I have an overinflated sense of self importance, wouldn't that be your fault if you truly claim to be God? Like I have said before, you are a pompous, self centered parasite that seeks to latch onto me for whatever reason. I won't play your little games, no matter how many worlds you send me through. I would go find some more believing sheep, or get better advertising." Tanya quipped, finding herself more irate than normal with the so-called supreme being.
"Do you not understand the gift that you have been given? Many would happily give all they had, all that they could achieve, for just a moment of my attention. And yet you squander it, you spurn my offer of my undying and eternal love." 'Visha' said sadly.
"I have never once asked for your attention, nor have I ever wanted it. You seem to think that forcing people to act in some way validates your own perception of yourself. You need to take some self-help classes if that is what you think. I saw a great one on the television just the other night." Tanya said as she glared at Being X.
"Indeed, you would rather seek comfort in the arms of this temptress, over the loving embrace of your divine creator. What does this meek little mortal have that I do not?" 'Visha' said, as she thrust her chest out in a very not-Visha way.
"Modesty and decency are the first things that come to my mind." Tanya replied drolly.
The grin that slowly crosses the visage of 'Visha' is one that many had seen, right before the Devil of the Rhine executed some particularly unpleasant plan on them. "I see. Yes, I think I know the perfect way to properly motivate you. I shall have to thank your Viktoriya at some point, she has provided me with the perfect tool, it would seem."
Tanya narrowed her eyes as she glared at Being X. "You leave her out of this, you pompous windbag. This is, and always has been, between you and me." Tanya said in a threatening manner, wishing for a moment that she had her rifle handy.
"If you insist. I will leave her out, then." Being X grinned as the dream fully unraveled. Tanya found herself being gently shaken awake by Visha, a worried look on her face.
"Tanya? Are you okay? You seemed to be having a bad dream…." Visha said as she fretted over Tanya.
"Yes, I'm fine thank you. I was just having an annoying dream. Go back to sleep, Visha." Tanya said gently, as her ire vanished in the presence of the real Visha.
Visha gave Tanya one more searching look, then nodded as she settled back in and went back to sleep. Before long, Visha is soundly asleep, as a smile graced her delicate lips.
Tanya found sleep elusive, her attention drawn time and time again to her companion, as her mind wandered.
'Damn you, Being X.' Tanya cursed in the quiet of her mind, worried about what the maniacal entity might try next.