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 25, The Seven Schools Competition: Let the games begin...
Sunday, August 1st 2094 3:00 PM
Tanya found herself in a better mood, as she watched Visha spectating at all the venues as they were put through their final checks and preparations. It eased her mind to see how quickly her companion bounced back from whatever it was that had been bothering her earlier. It must have been dire, to have Visha poking at her food in a disinterested way like that. Something that perhaps Tanya would have to gently pry into at a later time. Best not to ruin the mood now, if she could avoid it.
The layout for the events was the same as the practice field that they had at the school, so at least that would not be an issue. The pattern and rotations would work as they had been plotted, with only the necessary adjustments to take into consideration the unpredictable elements, namely the other competitors.
The current issue Tanya was dealing with was, with that out of the way, she was left with the taxing problem of figuring out how best to express her feelings towards her companion. Their relationship had always been a bit complicated, if she was going to be honest with herself. In many ways, they had raised each other.
Tanya had taught Visha the ways of war, how to think and fight effectively, and helped her become the soldier she was today. That surprisingly effective vicious streak that the otherwise gentle soul possessed was more than likely the result of Tanya's own influence. Not that it showed itself often. The times it had, were mostly when Tanya or another member of the battalion had been in danger. At times like that, Visha was like a mother cat protecting her litter.
Honestly, it was a bit unnerving when she got that look in her eyes and reached for her handy entrenching tool. The choice of implements that Visha went for first was usually a fairly good indication of her mood and attitude towards a problem. Guns and knives? Sure, Visha was doing her duty and job. That damned shovel? Then you could bet it was in some way personal.
By that same token, Visha had raised her in some ways as well. Most of what she knew of how women lived and worked came from observing and being instructed by her former adjutant. The little details had never mattered to her, so it had always fallen on Visha to make sure that they were taken care of, when it might have influenced her standing or military career. Tanya knew that many considered her a bit aloof, or even prickly. She knew that she had been called a monster before, and it didn't really bother her that much. Those who had were mostly small minded and short sighted.
That said, the reason she had the social skills she had now were probably mostly thanks to the intervention and endless patience of Visha. Honestly, the woman should be considered a saint, a far better being to worship and hold aloft as a banner of morality and diligence than that sanctimonious prick Being X.
If she was going to be completely honest with herself, she didn't really want to think of what she would be like without Visha's influence on her.
And now that self-same person walked alongside Tanya, as she cast sidelong glances whenever the Argent was distracted. The fine features of her companion were often on Visha's mind as of late. Perhaps they had always been, she had to admit to herself. From when they first met on the Rhine, there were few times that she had not been at Tanya's side, fighting and flying in the same sky as her.
She had recently started to wonder just what her feelings for her diminutive companion might be, what they might mean for her and Tanya.
Then, she would sigh and try to banish the thoughts and warm feelings, knowing that there is no way that they will be returned, or are in any way proper. Surely, Tanya will find some man to make her happy, or at least for her to henpeck and make miserable for the rest of his life.
Was it bad that the thought of dying to henpecking from Tanya von Degurechaff, the Argent and one time Darling of the Reich, made her almost feel wistful?
Why was it that one always wanted what they could never have?
They both sighed in unison, the two young women looked at each other before a nervous laugh broke out between them, and just like that the heavy mood was lifted, the reminder of the presence of the other acting as the only balm either really needed in the end.
Tanya gave Visha a nervous little smile. "A mark for your thoughts?"
Visha giggled and gave Tanya a fond, exasperated look. "I know that the value of the mark went down, but do you really think that my thoughts are worth a single mark?"
Tanya stopped and thought about that for a bit before she shook her head. "I think that honestly, the entire war chest wouldn't be enough for what goes on in your head, but I will start with a mark and go from there."
Visha blushed as she grinned at her companion. "I hardly think that my thoughts could be worth that much."
"Then you clearly don't understand the value that you have, my dear adjutant." Tanya replied before both girls looked away. Tanya cleared her throat and continued. "We will have to meet up with the others soon, so that we can get ready for the opening ceremonies."
Visha blushed and nodded as she looked around. "We should probably start to head back, then. It would be unseemly for us to be late, after all. We have kind of taken the first years under our wings, as it were." She said with a wry smile.
Tanya laughed and nodded, a smirk crossing her fine features. "I still say that a bit of shelling would have done them good. Look what it did for you, after all."
"I know you think that it would have made them better, but I dare say it might have cost us our monolith code team!" Visha interjected as she gave Tanya a reproachful look.
Tanya sighed and shook her head as they entered the lobby of the hotel once more "You are probably correct there. But it builds character!" She said to defend her choice in training methods.
"Not everyone does well under live fire, Tanya." Visha felt like she had to remind her former commanding officer.
Tanya sighed and smiled at Visha. "I just can't win this argument with you, can I?"
"No ma'am, because this time I'm right!" Visha said with a happy little bounce in her step.
Tanya laughed, a genuine laugh that immediately brightened Visha's mood even further.
It was a very smug Visha with an amused Tanya in the lead that made their way into the reception hall where their school was gathered for a final head count before they would make their way to their respective rooms and get changed for the opening ceremonies.
They would be in their school uniforms for the opening ceremonies, but after that most of them would be spending the majority of their time either participating or spectating the various events that were the highlight of the competition.
Tanya, of course, understood why these events were so important. It was a chance to show off the future might of the country even more than it was a testament to the prowess of the individual schools. When viewed as a demonstration of military might, it made far more sense, at least to her.
For her part, the events she had been chosen to participate in made perfect sense, when viewed in the context of how she perceived the competition. Mirage Bat, for all of it's fanciful trappings, was a practical example of not only magical endurance, but also of tactical flexibility and operational efficiency when dealing with an ever changing, chaotic environment. Speed shooting, her other event, was a chance for her to demonstrate one of the spells that she had converted over and modified. In this case, the seeking and tracking spells that were her forte during her time on the front. There were differences, of course. The lack of a pre-arranged projectile had forced her and the good doctor to get a bit creative, in this case using a bit of ice created using a simple interference-type magic to create a magical 'bullet' of ice for her to propel and guide using the more complex seeking spell. Others had similar spells, but hers she regarded as far more efficient, with its basis in math and computational power.
After all, if you had asked Tanya what the most important aspect of any operation that required the expenditure of a limited resource, she would point towards the most efficient process that wasted the least. It was simple economics, after all.
She had toyed with just using her own expertise in ranged combat, but had decided that a bit more of a flashy experience was probably in the best interest of the project, and the standing of her school.
After all, you always wanted to impress your superiors with your own initiative when given the chance, and when they had not specifically ordered you not to. It was, of course, the fastest way to get promoted whether you were on the battlefield or in a boardroom. Not that two fields of war were all that different, in retrospect. At least you were more likely to know what was about to happen to you during war.
She was drawn back to the here and now when she realized she must have been staring at Visha in her distracted state, more to the point at the half naked form of her changing friend. They both turn around quickly, a blush evident on both sets of cheeks as they pointedly ignore the presence of the other as they change into a fresh school uniform for the opening ceremonies and the semi-formal dinner that would be taking place afterwards.
They had each packed two nice, formal outfits for the two formal dinners, the first the next night and the second one the night the competition ended. Tanya knew that Visha had selected two modestly cut dresses for herself, ones that suited the more well defined young woman admiradably. Tanya, for her part, had opted for a nice woman's suit for the one, but had caved to the wishes of Visha and their friends for the final dinner and had her own dress for that event, even if she did not overly care for them.
One had to make concessions, after all, especially if one hoped to woo one of those that had been giving her a pleading look.
The sacrifices one made for love.
The pair made their way to the final meeting place before the lot of them moved to the staging area as each school was carefully placed in the correct order, and all details were checked over once more. Tanya couldn't help but notice how the other schools were checking each other out. An understandable activity, after all. Not only were they assessing potential competitors, but people that they would one day be working alongside in any expected possibility.
So, the two veterans each began their own covert assessment of the various schools, passing messages silently between each other using the hand signs that the 203rd had developed for covert operations, since the events of Operation Shock and Awe were hardly the last of the behind enemy lines operations that they had been expected to execute. If anything, Tanya would almost blame their success in that particular operation for some of the more ludicrous things that they had been tasked with. Such as their attack on Muscovy, in the heart of the Rus federation.
Tanya smiled a secret smile as she cast a covert look at her companion, knowing full well that some of the more outlandish acts she had perpetuated were part of her early admission to her budding feelings towards her companion. Visha's hatred of the communists who had usurped her country and driven herself and her family from their home was well known, after all.
How better to impress the girl you liked than by sticking it to people who had been a thorn in her side.
Of course, that had led to her first confrontation with the enemy mage who had become the latest puppet of Being X. Mary Sioux, formerly of the Republic and most recently of the Unified States. As incredibly dangerous the young mage had proven to be, at least she didn't have the tactical sense her father had had before he had been driven completely to become a zealot by the madness that Being X seemed to leave in its wake.
At least she had not encountered another mage of Mary Sioux's likeness in her time in this world, but knowing how things worked she had probably just doomed herself to another run in with her doppleganger in this world.
She cast a wary look around before being distracted by a group of boys from another school who had moved towards her former adjutant's position.
It looked like it was time to ward off the sharks.
She sighed as she inserted herself into their circle, projecting her most ominous and potentially vicious smirk.
The lengths one had to go to for the sake of the ones you loved.