Nanoha FanFiction Discussion

[Evil Rick]

Originally Posted by AtomicoX

Spoiler for I Am Death:

"For all the insanity in this world, I am but one among it. For all the chaos in this cosmos, I am but a tiny piece of it. For all the suffering I have seen, I am but the cause.

"Seeing life itself squirming in my grasp makes shivers go across my spine. To feel the fight between life and death be prolonged by me produces happiness in my soul. The definite power of life, to choose who leaves this world and who does not is what I desire. And I have conquered it.

"When I devour the flesh of the living it gives me euphoria. Tearing through the flesh of a young girl to reach her inner sweets is a wonderful thing. Ripping the heart out of a young boy to destroy him is magnificent.

"Blood is the wine of life, and I adore it. Its fragrant smell and sweet taste teases my inner desires when it touches my tongue. To extract it from a maiden and pour it onto her, only to sip it up along with her tender skin is wonderful. Crushing her bones with my powers and slaughtering her organs with my bare teeth are but a side-dish to a magnificent dinner.

"Making love to a man, while absorbing his soul through eating his intestines and drinking his blood in a long, intimate kiss is such an endeavour. Letting my body scream in satisfaction to the rhythm of movement is but an extraordinary experience.

"For I am insane, I love my mind. Through it I live in a world no one has ever seen. A world of suffering, torture and a purpose to devour. A dark world without saints and saviours.

"For I am Demon. For I laugh when I bring death. For I am Wallachia."

Was a nice reading, even when I don't see anything related with the Nanoha universe, it was quite enjoyable and the music swited very well.

[MeisterBabylon]

Originally Posted by Tempest Dynasty

Alright, so I did say I was doing something like this. It's rough and mostly unedited, but it should be fine. I decided use an original character to help establish the situation, but for most people, they'll recognize the OC. For those who don't, you can check this link.

Anyhoo, here it is, so enj--dear lord I am being eaten.

*Tempest drops this as he flails and runs away*

Spoiler for First Side Dish: Aftermath:

After numerous battles and strange times, the Dark Fragments Incident has been successfully
resolved. Though defeated, the three girls known as the Materials did not fade away like the
dark fragments of the Wolkenritter, Hayate Yagami, Nanoha Takamachi, and Fate Testarossa.
Instead, the “clones” had remained in the present world, confused, lost, and alone.

As the Materials awaited their fate upon the Asura, the rest of the crew gathered at the
Harlaown residence. Here, they rested and ate, recharging tired minds and bodies after a great
battle. The chatter remained lighthearted, if a little sad, though the addition of Reinforce more
than made up for it all. After the meal, with the plates cleared away, Chrono Harlaown began
his debriefing. It covered what everyone already knew and had discussed over the meal, only
from an official standpoint. Near the end, however, the topic changed to the most pressing
matters…

“Now then, on the subject of the Materials,” the Enforcer opened a manila folder, the
photographs of the three Materials girls on top of a small stack of documents. “Though we’ve
defeated them, they did not fade away like the dark fragment versions of our comrades we
encountered. Rather, they were only knocked unconscious, allowing us to apprehend them and
place them under arrest. As it stands, they are healthy and without injuries, but without the Book
of Darkness’s defense program guiding them, they seem very bewildered.”

“What are you going to do with them, Chrono-kun?” Nanoha asked.

“That, I do not know yet. Honestly, their case is not clear-cut, and they are not directly at fault
for their actions,” Chrono shook his head, laughing internally at the irony of it all. Really, after
coming to this planet, nothing was ever clear-cut anymore. “They have no purpose
anymore, so it’s not like we can just release them. We will likely take them back to Mid-Childa
and have them placed under the protection of the Bureau. From there, we can figure out what to
do with them.”

“But the best case scenario is that they’re simply rehabilitated and released. The Bureau may not
see it that way,” Yuuno spoke up. Though he was not directly involved with the incident, he was
vital in erecting distortion barriers and supporting from the sidelines. As such, he was a witness
to all that had happened. “They’re clones of three of the strongest mages of our generation, with
no guardian in which to support them. There may be talks of just putting them to combat, or
worse.”

“That’s not right!” Hayate suddenly spoke up, almost leaping out of her seat. Fortunately, her
knights were there to keep her calm. “They’re… the Materials are not bad people. Why are
they being treated like sub-human?!”

“They have a right to live too,” Fate’s voice was ever soft but firm. “Why can’t we just let them
live freely?”

Dammit, ferretboy, why did you have to mention that? The boy cursed mentally. Yes, he
too was aware of the less-than-ideal conditions the Materials may be subjected to, but he had
wanted to avoid the charged emotions that would stem from such possibilities. Instead, he just
shook his head. “None of this has actually happened, so do not worry. However, Yuuno is right.
If all goes well, then those three will come out of this with a slap on the wrist. But, considering
what and who they are, HQ may not be so inclined to let them free.”

“Why is that?”

“Legally, they have no guardian. If they become wards of the state, the government becomes
their guardian. That means what they say, goes. If we can get them adopted, then the Bureau
higher-ups can be tied-down with regulations. Not only that, but some may not recognize them
as full human beings, since they were brought to life by the defense program. As such, they may
not get the same rights as a human,” he looked around the table, hiding a grimace at all the sad
faces. “I want this as much as any of you. I know that they deserve a shot at normal life,
but our options are limited.”

“So… if we get someone to adopt them, then they’ll be fine?” Nanoha asked, her head tilted to
one side.

Chrono nodded slowly, his words the same way, “Theoretically…”

“Then we just need to find someone to do that!”

“I wish it were that simple…”

“Is it possible for Lindy-san to take them in?”

The Enforcer shook his head in negative. “That would be terribly selfish of us. Mother—Admiral
Harlaown has power, but she pulled a lot of strings just to ease up Testarossa and Yagami’s
cases. There was a lot of fallout in the aftermath of the Precia and Book of Darkness incidents.
She’d lose credibility if she keeps doing this.”

And the annoying part is that she would take the fall if it meant getting her way. Hell, they would
all take the fall if they could.

The entire table fell into silence, a heavy air hanging around them. At this rate, those girls may as
well be lost...

“I can take them.”

“Eh?” The group turned to look at, not a person sitting at the table, but the man leaning against
the kitchen counter.

“I said I can take them. I am employed, of sound mind and body, and I am over the minimum
age to adopt. They will have a reason to stay here, with people they know, and become
adjusted to living a normal life.”

“Yeah! That’s right! Kei Bin can do it!” Already Nanoha was feeling better, hopeful.

“Adoption isn’t that easy, Kevin,” Chrono leaned back into his seat, his arms crossing. “You’re
not even a citizen of this country.”

“I know. But are you really going to wait until they are all officially adopted? From what I’m
hearing, you’d want to stay here and stay together. Unless you’re willing to separate those
three, I doubt it will be a quick process.”

“But if they find a sponsor for them on Mid-Childa, it will make the process easier.”

“You don’t know that.”

“…” Chrono looked deep in thought. “Why are you so adamant in adopting them?”

“Why are you so against it?” the chef countered. “I know I have not been a major part of this,
but even I don’t what these Materials punished for merely existing. Besides, this is the best
chance you got, so why deny it?”

“It’s just that…” the boy seemed hesitant to continue.

“What, that I have ulterior, sinister motives?” Kevin looked on incredulously, pointing at himself.
“I’m a non-magical human. If anything were to happen, I’d be befriended so hard you’d be
picking me up from the moon, and that’s just counting Nanoha blasting me. You’ve known me
for almost a year now, and what happened with your mother was a damn accident.”

“He’s right, Chrono-kun! Kei Bin wouldn’t do anything like that!” the wielder of Raising Heart
was first to jump to her friend’s defense, soon followed by Yuuno and Fate, then Hayate. Soon,
the entire table had rallied for the cause.

“I got it, alright. I’m sorry,” Chrono sighed, letting his shoulders slump. “This is our best chance.
Alright. I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s all I ask,” the older man nodded, retrieving something from behind the counter. “Now
then, who’s up for some cake?”

================================================== ==============

A week passed, much to the collective worry of those living on Earth. They had not seen or
heard anything from the Materials, instead only receiving daily updates from Chrono, Amy, or
Lindy. Although proceedings seemed to go as they wanted it to, there was no cause for
celebration yet. Anything could happen to bring everything crashing down.

Nanoha and Fate returned to school, along with Hayate; The Wolkenritter lived their lives with
their beloved meister. Those not around, Chrono, Yuuno, Amy, Lindy, they were working hard.
And Kevin, he worked quietly in the kitchen of the Midoriya. It was hard to keep their minds
busy; they could not ignore that underlying nagging concern. Those three girls, the Materials,
how were they? Were they eating well? Were they comfortable? Scared? Lonely?

It was when Kevin was finally called in that the anxiety ramped up. Rather than meet at the
Harlaown residence, however, the chef was transported to a dimensional craft waiting in orbit.
He had never felt so out of place before, standing in such a clean and almost clinical environment.
The fact that he was in space, likely in a different dimension, made this disorientation even worse.
Still, that feeling was nothing compared to the butterflies in his stomach as he sat alone in a
waiting room, his fingers drumming on a table restlessly. Almost thirty minutes had passed since
his arrival.

The door opened. Through it stepped out Chrono Harlaown, followed by his assistant Amy
Limietta and the Admiral Harlaown. Kevin stood in response.

“Enforcer, Ensign,” he nodded in greeting to them. “Admiral.”

“Hello, Kevin. I trust your trip here was uneventful?” Lindy was first to greet him back as they
settled onto one side of the table. Kevin sat down across from them.

“Unexpected would be the better term. I was rather surprised to be suddenly teleported onto
the ship without prior warning. I only got the call, then a very disorienting flash of light, and I’m
on this ship,”

“Oh really…” the green-haired woman turned to look at her son. “You should’ve been given
advance notice.”

Kevin shrugged. “It’s no big deal. What’s the news?”

“Well…”

…

Chrono looked at him in the eye.

…

…

“The adoption has been…”

…

…

…

“Approved. All that is needed is your signatures and registration into your family records. Since
you are not originally of Ordered Space, I’ve taken the liberty of establishing one for you.”

The cook let out a long breath, his body visibly slumping in relief. “You punk. What the hell
was that long pause for? Are you trying to give me gray hairs already?”

“Relax. It was just a joke.”

“You’re a terrible joker, Chrono,” Kevin gave the boy a withering glare, though it quickly
softened. “Thank you. May I see them?”

“Of course. But I must warn you, there is one catch.”

Kevin’s eyes narrowed; he did not like the sound of it, “Catch?”

“Yes. I had to accept a condition in order to let this through.”

“Is it bad?”

“Not at all. The stipulation is that an individual that is not the guardian will be assigned to three
girls as an instructor and rehabilitation specialist to help them readjust to a normal lifestyle. And,
thanks to these two,” he gestured to the women, who flashed V-signs in response. “I will be the
one selecting this hapless soul. I’ll let you know later, but trust me in that I have the perfect
person.”

“Hmm…” the Earthling sighed, his hands coming to rest on his hips. “Does this person have to
live with me?”

“No. The specialist will be visiting you at your new apartment.”

“That’s fine then. Feeding for four is my limit—wait what?”

“A new apartment has been appropriated for you, a place more suitable for raising three girls,”
Chrono explained, not missing a beat. “Using the subsidy that the Bureau will be supplying as
part of your adoption, this place will be your new home. It’s in a similar complex as the one we
reside in, and it’s very close to us.”

“Ahh, you didn’t have to do that,” Kevin had a mild grimace. “Really, I can handle this.”

“Nonsense. The apartment is bigger, with more space, and close enough for us to help you in
case something happens.”

“Still, I just…” Kevin sighed again. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Where I’m living now is no
good. At least I’ll still be local.”

“Glad you could see it our way. Besides, it will provide a good place for everyone to meet now
and then.”

“Okay, so I get a new place to live. Now, how about those girls?”

“Right. Amy, could you go get them?”

“Yes~!” she hummed as she stood and practically dance out in barely contained glee. Barely a
few moments passed before she returned, three girls following. “Kevin, may I introduce
Seikou no Senmetsusha, Raijin no Shuugekisha, and Yami Suberu Ou.
Material-S, Material-L, and Material-D, respectively.”

He blinked at their ludicrously long names. Whatever part of his brain that understood Japanese
screamed in agony.

“Why am I always the last to be introduced?!” the girl with short silver hair complained.

The girl first introduced, with short brown hair, was silent.

“Hey. Who’s this old guy?” the girl with blue hair, Material-L, pointed at Kevin.

What have I gotten myself into…?

“This ‘old guy’ is the one adopting the three of you!” Amy answered with a smile.

“I’m twenty six. I’m not that old,” Kevin sighed and stood up. “Nice to meet you all. My name
is Kevin, and I will be adopting you.”

“Uwaaah! He’s tall!” Material-L took a step back.

Indeed, he was nearly twice the height of the girls, and likely the tallest one in the room.

“Hmph. Is he even worthy of taking us into his care? I will not allow a peasant to take in one
such as I,” Material-D crossed her arms and looked away.

“I’m part of the culinary staff in a restaurant. There, I am responsible for the preparation of
meals, snacks, and sweets. Although I am not much, I will do my best to take care of you.”

“Hmm, if you can produce meals fit for a king, then I suppose I can overlook some things. The
food here is absolutely wretched!” Material-D

Material-L, however, seemed disappointed, “A cook? What’s so good about that? Why
couldn’t you be a doctor or something awesome wait did you say sweets? I like sweets.”

Material-S merely stared up at the man, her eyes peering straight into his. An unbreakable stare,
it seemed as if she could see straight into his soul.

“What can you do for us?” were her only words, soft and polite.

Kevin, without breaking eye contact, replied, “I cannot promise you much. I’m just a human, not
a mage like you all, and I work hard to maintain my life. However, I can promise you that I will
not leave you. I will do everything in my power to keep the three of you together, to make sure
none of you are ever lonely again. I will do my best to give you the best quality of life possible,
and, if you’ll let me, we can be a family. You are not alone, not anymore, and never again.”

The girl would say nothing in response, but instead nod, accepting his words.

A quiet cough drew everyone’s attention back to the table, where a cluster of papers were
spread out.

“If I may, we can finalize everything here and get you all back home.”

“Right, right,” Kevin muttered as he took a seat, the three Materials following suit by sitting next
to him. Glancing over the first paper, he realized something, “You all need names.”

“We do have names—” Material-L spoke up.

“No, I mean real names,” the Earthling interrupted, looking over all three of them. “You are
living, breathing, human beings, and you have a right to an identity. Material-L, Material-S,
Material-D, these don’t work. They sound too… artificial. You need real names.”

He looked over at the other side of the table, noting the look of approval from Lindy. Chrono
seemed stone-faced as ever, while Amy looked on all smiles.

A name. A name. What is in a name?

“Material-S?”

“Yes?”

“Shana. For a rose, a flower that can mean many things: gratitude, joy, friendship, silence, virtue,
mystery,” he paused, looking briefly at the gathering. “Unity.”

“Material-L,” she jumped at hearing her being called, her attention suddenly completely on
Kevin. "Lilia, for the lily flower. A pure and passionate soul.”

“Lilia…” the girl whispered, as if trying the name out. It was difficult to hide her smile.

“Material-D,” he looked at the silver-haired girl. “Diana, for a majestic and divine girl.”

“Oh ho ho ho!” she had a hand up to her cheek, “At last! Someone who recognizes my
greatness!”

“Yeah yeah, princess…” Material-L—no, Lilia muttered as she settled back into her seat. “As
if we don’t hear enough of that everyday.”

“Shana, Lilia, and Diana? Not very Japanese,” Chrono commented.

“I’m not Japanese,” Kevin shrugged in response.

“Are these names acceptable?” the boy mage asked, looking at each girl. To his pleasant
surprise, each of them nodded. “Very good then. Now, if you could just fill in these parts…”

Quietly, Amy excused herself from the room. There was no need for her to be there any more,
since Lindy would represent a senior officer while Chrono served as the officer in charge of the
case. She breathed a happy sigh, ever so glad that everything had gone splendidly. With a bit
more paperwork, those three could go on living on their own, free and happy. The officer cadet
could scarcely hide the smile that threatened to split her face, almost skipping her way down to
the bridge. She just had to tell everyone! Granted, the surprise would be spoiled, but such
a sacrifice would have to be made to alleviate the stress that everyone on Earth was still
experiencing.

Yes. Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate would love to hear the good news. Oh, and maybe get a party
going to welcome the girls back!

Yes. Everything was wonderful now.

...and so the madness is doubled. A devastating shift in the time-space continuum aside, tis is cute!

For some reason, Lilia liking sweets computes to hell and back again, twice!!

Good luck with the next short. And take care of Heineko as well while you're at it! She's still chewing on you after all!

*fleeeeeeeeez*

[Heinekochan]

Originally Posted by Tempest Dynasty

Alright, so I did say I was doing something like this. It's rough and mostly unedited, but it should be fine. I decided use an original character to help establish the situation, but for most people, they'll recognize the OC. For those who don't, you can check this link.

Anyhoo, here it is, so enj--dear lord I am being eaten.

*Tempest drops this as he flails and runs away*

Spoiler for First Side Dish: Aftermath:

After numerous battles and strange times, the Dark Fragments Incident has been successfully
resolved. Though defeated, the three girls known as the Materials did not fade away like the
dark fragments of the Wolkenritter, Hayate Yagami, Nanoha Takamachi, and Fate Testarossa.
Instead, the “clones” had remained in the present world, confused, lost, and alone.

As the Materials awaited their fate upon the Asura, the rest of the crew gathered at the
Harlaown residence. Here, they rested and ate, recharging tired minds and bodies after a great
battle. The chatter remained lighthearted, if a little sad, though the addition of Reinforce more
than made up for it all. After the meal, with the plates cleared away, Chrono Harlaown began
his debriefing. It covered what everyone already knew and had discussed over the meal, only
from an official standpoint. Near the end, however, the topic changed to the most pressing
matters…

“Now then, on the subject of the Materials,” the Enforcer opened a manila folder, the
photographs of the three Materials girls on top of a small stack of documents. “Though we’ve
defeated them, they did not fade away like the dark fragment versions of our comrades we
encountered. Rather, they were only knocked unconscious, allowing us to apprehend them and
place them under arrest. As it stands, they are healthy and without injuries, but without the Book
of Darkness’s defense program guiding them, they seem very bewildered.”

“What are you going to do with them, Chrono-kun?” Nanoha asked.

“That, I do not know yet. Honestly, their case is not clear-cut, and they are not directly at fault
for their actions,” Chrono shook his head, laughing internally at the irony of it all. Really, after
coming to this planet, nothing was ever clear-cut anymore. “They have no purpose
anymore, so it’s not like we can just release them. We will likely take them back to Mid-Childa
and have them placed under the protection of the Bureau. From there, we can figure out what to
do with them.”

“But the best case scenario is that they’re simply rehabilitated and released. The Bureau may not
see it that way,” Yuuno spoke up. Though he was not directly involved with the incident, he was
vital in erecting distortion barriers and supporting from the sidelines. As such, he was a witness
to all that had happened. “They’re clones of three of the strongest mages of our generation, with
no guardian in which to support them. There may be talks of just putting them to combat, or
worse.”

“That’s not right!” Hayate suddenly spoke up, almost leaping out of her seat. Fortunately, her
knights were there to keep her calm. “They’re… the Materials are not bad people. Why are
they being treated like sub-human?!”

“They have a right to live too,” Fate’s voice was ever soft but firm. “Why can’t we just let them
live freely?”

Dammit, ferretboy, why did you have to mention that? The boy cursed mentally. Yes, he
too was aware of the less-than-ideal conditions the Materials may be subjected to, but he had
wanted to avoid the charged emotions that would stem from such possibilities. Instead, he just
shook his head. “None of this has actually happened, so do not worry. However, Yuuno is right.
If all goes well, then those three will come out of this with a slap on the wrist. But, considering
what and who they are, HQ may not be so inclined to let them free.”

“Why is that?”

“Legally, they have no guardian. If they become wards of the state, the government becomes
their guardian. That means what they say, goes. If we can get them adopted, then the Bureau
higher-ups can be tied-down with regulations. Not only that, but some may not recognize them
as full human beings, since they were brought to life by the defense program. As such, they may
not get the same rights as a human,” he looked around the table, hiding a grimace at all the sad
faces. “I want this as much as any of you. I know that they deserve a shot at normal life,
but our options are limited.”

“So… if we get someone to adopt them, then they’ll be fine?” Nanoha asked, her head tilted to
one side.

Chrono nodded slowly, his words the same way, “Theoretically…”

“Then we just need to find someone to do that!”

“I wish it were that simple…”

“Is it possible for Lindy-san to take them in?”

The Enforcer shook his head in negative. “That would be terribly selfish of us. Mother—Admiral
Harlaown has power, but she pulled a lot of strings just to ease up Testarossa and Yagami’s
cases. There was a lot of fallout in the aftermath of the Precia and Book of Darkness incidents.
She’d lose credibility if she keeps doing this.”

And the annoying part is that she would take the fall if it meant getting her way. Hell, they would
all take the fall if they could.

The entire table fell into silence, a heavy air hanging around them. At this rate, those girls may as
well be lost...

“I can take them.”

“Eh?” The group turned to look at, not a person sitting at the table, but the man leaning against
the kitchen counter.

“I said I can take them. I am employed, of sound mind and body, and I am over the minimum
age to adopt. They will have a reason to stay here, with people they know, and become
adjusted to living a normal life.”

“Yeah! That’s right! Kei Bin can do it!” Already Nanoha was feeling better, hopeful.

“Adoption isn’t that easy, Kevin,” Chrono leaned back into his seat, his arms crossing. “You’re
not even a citizen of this country.”

“I know. But are you really going to wait until they are all officially adopted? From what I’m
hearing, you’d want to stay here and stay together. Unless you’re willing to separate those
three, I doubt it will be a quick process.”

“But if they find a sponsor for them on Mid-Childa, it will make the process easier.”

“You don’t know that.”

“…” Chrono looked deep in thought. “Why are you so adamant in adopting them?”

“Why are you so against it?” the chef countered. “I know I have not been a major part of this,
but even I don’t what these Materials punished for merely existing. Besides, this is the best
chance you got, so why deny it?”

“It’s just that…” the boy seemed hesitant to continue.

“What, that I have ulterior, sinister motives?” Kevin looked on incredulously, pointing at himself.
“I’m a non-magical human. If anything were to happen, I’d be befriended so hard you’d be
picking me up from the moon, and that’s just counting Nanoha blasting me. You’ve known me
for almost a year now, and what happened with your mother was a damn accident.”

“He’s right, Chrono-kun! Kei Bin wouldn’t do anything like that!” the wielder of Raising Heart
was first to jump to her friend’s defense, soon followed by Yuuno and Fate, then Hayate. Soon,
the entire table had rallied for the cause.

“I got it, alright. I’m sorry,” Chrono sighed, letting his shoulders slump. “This is our best chance.
Alright. I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s all I ask,” the older man nodded, retrieving something from behind the counter. “Now
then, who’s up for some cake?”

================================================== ==============

A week passed, much to the collective worry of those living on Earth. They had not seen or
heard anything from the Materials, instead only receiving daily updates from Chrono, Amy, or
Lindy. Although proceedings seemed to go as they wanted it to, there was no cause for
celebration yet. Anything could happen to bring everything crashing down.

Nanoha and Fate returned to school, along with Hayate; The Wolkenritter lived their lives with
their beloved meister. Those not around, Chrono, Yuuno, Amy, Lindy, they were working hard.
And Kevin, he worked quietly in the kitchen of the Midoriya. It was hard to keep their minds
busy; they could not ignore that underlying nagging concern. Those three girls, the Materials,
how were they? Were they eating well? Were they comfortable? Scared? Lonely?

It was when Kevin was finally called in that the anxiety ramped up. Rather than meet at the
Harlaown residence, however, the chef was transported to a dimensional craft waiting in orbit.
He had never felt so out of place before, standing in such a clean and almost clinical environment.
The fact that he was in space, likely in a different dimension, made this disorientation even worse.
Still, that feeling was nothing compared to the butterflies in his stomach as he sat alone in a
waiting room, his fingers drumming on a table restlessly. Almost thirty minutes had passed since
his arrival.

The door opened. Through it stepped out Chrono Harlaown, followed by his assistant Amy
Limietta and the Admiral Harlaown. Kevin stood in response.

“Enforcer, Ensign,” he nodded in greeting to them. “Admiral.”

“Hello, Kevin. I trust your trip here was uneventful?” Lindy was first to greet him back as they
settled onto one side of the table. Kevin sat down across from them.

“Unexpected would be the better term. I was rather surprised to be suddenly teleported onto
the ship without prior warning. I only got the call, then a very disorienting flash of light, and I’m
on this ship,”

“Oh really…” the green-haired woman turned to look at her son. “You should’ve been given
advance notice.”

Kevin shrugged. “It’s no big deal. What’s the news?”

“Well…”

…

Chrono looked at him in the eye.

…

…

“The adoption has been…”

…

…

…

“Approved. All that is needed is your signatures and registration into your family records. Since
you are not originally of Ordered Space, I’ve taken the liberty of establishing one for you.”

The cook let out a long breath, his body visibly slumping in relief. “You punk. What the hell
was that long pause for? Are you trying to give me gray hairs already?”

“Relax. It was just a joke.”

“You’re a terrible joker, Chrono,” Kevin gave the boy a withering glare, though it quickly
softened. “Thank you. May I see them?”

“Of course. But I must warn you, there is one catch.”

Kevin’s eyes narrowed; he did not like the sound of it, “Catch?”

“Yes. I had to accept a condition in order to let this through.”

“Is it bad?”

“Not at all. The stipulation is that an individual that is not the guardian will be assigned to three
girls as an instructor and rehabilitation specialist to help them readjust to a normal lifestyle. And,
thanks to these two,” he gestured to the women, who flashed V-signs in response. “I will be the
one selecting this hapless soul. I’ll let you know later, but trust me in that I have the perfect
person.”

“Hmm…” the Earthling sighed, his hands coming to rest on his hips. “Does this person have to
live with me?”

“No. The specialist will be visiting you at your new apartment.”

“That’s fine then. Feeding for four is my limit—wait what?”

“A new apartment has been appropriated for you, a place more suitable for raising three girls,”
Chrono explained, not missing a beat. “Using the subsidy that the Bureau will be supplying as
part of your adoption, this place will be your new home. It’s in a similar complex as the one we
reside in, and it’s very close to us.”

“Ahh, you didn’t have to do that,” Kevin had a mild grimace. “Really, I can handle this.”

“Nonsense. The apartment is bigger, with more space, and close enough for us to help you in
case something happens.”

“Still, I just…” Kevin sighed again. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Where I’m living now is no
good. At least I’ll still be local.”

“Glad you could see it our way. Besides, it will provide a good place for everyone to meet now
and then.”

“Okay, so I get a new place to live. Now, how about those girls?”

“Right. Amy, could you go get them?”

“Yes~!” she hummed as she stood and practically dance out in barely contained glee. Barely a
few moments passed before she returned, three girls following. “Kevin, may I introduce
Seikou no Senmetsusha, Raijin no Shuugekisha, and Yami Suberu Ou.
Material-S, Material-L, and Material-D, respectively.”

He blinked at their ludicrously long names. Whatever part of his brain that understood Japanese
screamed in agony.

“Why am I always the last to be introduced?!” the girl with short silver hair complained.

The girl first introduced, with short brown hair, was silent.

“Hey. Who’s this old guy?” the girl with blue hair, Material-L, pointed at Kevin.

What have I gotten myself into…?

“This ‘old guy’ is the one adopting the three of you!” Amy answered with a smile.

“I’m twenty six. I’m not that old,” Kevin sighed and stood up. “Nice to meet you all. My name
is Kevin, and I will be adopting you.”

“Uwaaah! He’s tall!” Material-L took a step back.

Indeed, he was nearly twice the height of the girls, and likely the tallest one in the room.

“Hmph. Is he even worthy of taking us into his care? I will not allow a peasant to take in one
such as I,” Material-D crossed her arms and looked away.

“I’m part of the culinary staff in a restaurant. There, I am responsible for the preparation of
meals, snacks, and sweets. Although I am not much, I will do my best to take care of you.”

“Hmm, if you can produce meals fit for a king, then I suppose I can overlook some things. The
food here is absolutely wretched!” Material-D

Material-L, however, seemed disappointed, “A cook? What’s so good about that? Why
couldn’t you be a doctor or something awesome wait did you say sweets? I like sweets.”

Material-S merely stared up at the man, her eyes peering straight into his. An unbreakable stare,
it seemed as if she could see straight into his soul.

“What can you do for us?” were her only words, soft and polite.

Kevin, without breaking eye contact, replied, “I cannot promise you much. I’m just a human, not
a mage like you all, and I work hard to maintain my life. However, I can promise you that I will
not leave you. I will do everything in my power to keep the three of you together, to make sure
none of you are ever lonely again. I will do my best to give you the best quality of life possible,
and, if you’ll let me, we can be a family. You are not alone, not anymore, and never again.”

The girl would say nothing in response, but instead nod, accepting his words.

A quiet cough drew everyone’s attention back to the table, where a cluster of papers were
spread out.

“If I may, we can finalize everything here and get you all back home.”

“Right, right,” Kevin muttered as he took a seat, the three Materials following suit by sitting next
to him. Glancing over the first paper, he realized something, “You all need names.”

“We do have names—” Material-L spoke up.

“No, I mean real names,” the Earthling interrupted, looking over all three of them. “You are
living, breathing, human beings, and you have a right to an identity. Material-L, Material-S,
Material-D, these don’t work. They sound too… artificial. You need real names.”

He looked over at the other side of the table, noting the look of approval from Lindy. Chrono
seemed stone-faced as ever, while Amy looked on all smiles.

A name. A name. What is in a name?

“Material-S?”

“Yes?”

“Shana. For a rose, a flower that can mean many things: gratitude, joy, friendship, silence, virtue,
mystery,” he paused, looking briefly at the gathering. “Unity.”

“Material-L,” she jumped at hearing her being called, her attention suddenly completely on
Kevin. "Lilia, for the lily flower. A pure and passionate soul.”

“Lilia…” the girl whispered, as if trying the name out. It was difficult to hide her smile.

“Material-D,” he looked at the silver-haired girl. “Diana, for a majestic and divine girl.”

“Oh ho ho ho!” she had a hand up to her cheek, “At last! Someone who recognizes my
greatness!”

“Yeah yeah, princess…” Material-L—no, Lilia muttered as she settled back into her seat. “As
if we don’t hear enough of that everyday.”

“Shana, Lilia, and Diana? Not very Japanese,” Chrono commented.

“I’m not Japanese,” Kevin shrugged in response.

“Are these names acceptable?” the boy mage asked, looking at each girl. To his pleasant
surprise, each of them nodded. “Very good then. Now, if you could just fill in these parts…”

Quietly, Amy excused herself from the room. There was no need for her to be there any more,
since Lindy would represent a senior officer while Chrono served as the officer in charge of the
case. She breathed a happy sigh, ever so glad that everything had gone splendidly. With a bit
more paperwork, those three could go on living on their own, free and happy. The officer cadet
could scarcely hide the smile that threatened to split her face, almost skipping her way down to
the bridge. She just had to tell everyone! Granted, the surprise would be spoiled, but such
a sacrifice would have to be made to alleviate the stress that everyone on Earth was still
experiencing.

Yes. Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate would love to hear the good news. Oh, and maybe get a party
going to welcome the girls back!

Yes. Everything was wonderful now.

For a moment there, I thought Chrono was digging for a pair of sunglasses before he made the declaration. Onii-sama mentioned Kevin before, but he never said that the chef was from Earth! And I think Shana is a very sweet name for S-chan. Plus points for the Death Note shoutout! L rawks!

Hope there's more coming. I know you can cook it up good.

Originally Posted by MeisterBabylon

take care of Heineko as well while you're at it! She's still chewing on you after all!

*fleeeeeeeeez*

Eh? Onii-saaamaaa! Waaaaait!!

*chases*

[Nanya01]

Originally Posted by Yasanagi

Here's my take on the Materials/Aces Double Harem story but rather than got into comedy right away, I want to build some backstory on the Materials meeting Yuuno. Keep in mind that my only exposure to the main series is through the manga and I have yet to go through the three seasons (and I currently don't have the urge to marathon all that since I got a lot of other things on my plate).

Set roughly between Vivid and Force (year 0080 Mid-Childa calendar).

Spoiler for Material Days Test Snippet:

It started out as a trip to one of the uninhabited worlds, one that Yuuno Scrya had finally been able to make after clearing out a large backlist of other research requisitions.

The objective of the trip had been to examine some ancient scriptures that could yield a clue regarding the Bible of the Silver Cross, one of the TSAB's current Lost Logia cases. The scriptures had been accidentally discovered during a routine world survey mission and among the scriptures was a carved sign that matched the one on the cover of the Lost Logia. To maintain secrecy of the grounds, an encoded message was sent out which eventually made its way to the librarian.

Officially, Yuuno was the one to file a request to go to that world to see what new potential cultures he could discover there. Once he went through the proper channels and got proper clearance, he made his own transport arrangements.

It should have went smoothly, assuming that the secret regarding that world and those scriptures remained a secret. Instead, Yuuno found himself surrounded by the sights and sounds of battle and death when he transported to the rendez-vous area on the planet.

'... just what happened here?' He could hear explosions in the distance. His sense of smell was nearly overwhelmed by the scent of blood from the dead TSAB security party that had been stationed here to quietly guard the site. Body parts were scattered in different areas. A leg here... a head there...

Yuuno had to fight the urge to throw up and started to approach any intact bodies to check for life signs. Before he could get to the first one, his eyes caught sight of someone crashing down heavily from the sky. He immediately headed in that direction and was just in time to see the person collide with the ground, causing dust to fly everywhere. Making his way over to the landing zone, he began to prepare a healing spell. "Don't move! I got... you...?"

Lying just before him was a female, probably in her early twenties, with long, light blue hair tied up in twin pigtails. Her damaged barrier jacket bore a startling resemblance to Fate's standard battle attire except this young woman had a blue cloak and skirt. Her device lay on the ground, shrunk to its normal form which was shaped in a similar fashion to Bardiche but with a blue gem. "Ahhhhh... !" As she struggled to rise, some of the blood from her forehead trickled over and narrowly missed going into her red eyes.

He shook his head to focus on his healing spell rather than think about more questions regarding Fate's mystery twin. "Hold still and let me heal you." He began to concentrate on closing the cut on her forehead.

"Can't... I have to get to the others...! I have to save them!!"

Yuuno really wished she would stay still to properly heal. "Save who?"

"My friends... the ones who saved me from loneliness..." She reached for her device and reached for her device, ignoring the young man at her side. "Vulnificus!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Oooh! This looks good! I wanna see more!

Originally Posted by Tempest Dynasty

Alright, so I did say I was doing something like this. It's rough and mostly unedited, but it should be fine. I decided use an original character to help establish the situation, but for most people, they'll recognize the OC. For those who don't, you can check this link.

Anyhoo, here it is, so enj--dear lord I am being eaten.

*Tempest drops this as he flails and runs away*

Spoiler for First Side Dish: Aftermath:

After numerous battles and strange times, the Dark Fragments Incident has been successfully
resolved. Though defeated, the three girls known as the Materials did not fade away like the
dark fragments of the Wolkenritter, Hayate Yagami, Nanoha Takamachi, and Fate Testarossa.
Instead, the “clones” had remained in the present world, confused, lost, and alone.

As the Materials awaited their fate upon the Asura, the rest of the crew gathered at the
Harlaown residence. Here, they rested and ate, recharging tired minds and bodies after a great
battle. The chatter remained lighthearted, if a little sad, though the addition of Reinforce more
than made up for it all. After the meal, with the plates cleared away, Chrono Harlaown began
his debriefing. It covered what everyone already knew and had discussed over the meal, only
from an official standpoint. Near the end, however, the topic changed to the most pressing
matters…

“Now then, on the subject of the Materials,” the Enforcer opened a manila folder, the
photographs of the three Materials girls on top of a small stack of documents. “Though we’ve
defeated them, they did not fade away like the dark fragment versions of our comrades we
encountered. Rather, they were only knocked unconscious, allowing us to apprehend them and
place them under arrest. As it stands, they are healthy and without injuries, but without the Book
of Darkness’s defense program guiding them, they seem very bewildered.”

“What are you going to do with them, Chrono-kun?” Nanoha asked.

“That, I do not know yet. Honestly, their case is not clear-cut, and they are not directly at fault
for their actions,” Chrono shook his head, laughing internally at the irony of it all. Really, after
coming to this planet, nothing was ever clear-cut anymore. “They have no purpose
anymore, so it’s not like we can just release them. We will likely take them back to Mid-Childa
and have them placed under the protection of the Bureau. From there, we can figure out what to
do with them.”

“But the best case scenario is that they’re simply rehabilitated and released. The Bureau may not
see it that way,” Yuuno spoke up. Though he was not directly involved with the incident, he was
vital in erecting distortion barriers and supporting from the sidelines. As such, he was a witness
to all that had happened. “They’re clones of three of the strongest mages of our generation, with
no guardian in which to support them. There may be talks of just putting them to combat, or
worse.”

“That’s not right!” Hayate suddenly spoke up, almost leaping out of her seat. Fortunately, her
knights were there to keep her calm. “They’re… the Materials are not bad people. Why are
they being treated like sub-human?!”

“They have a right to live too,” Fate’s voice was ever soft but firm. “Why can’t we just let them
live freely?”

Dammit, ferretboy, why did you have to mention that? The boy cursed mentally. Yes, he
too was aware of the less-than-ideal conditions the Materials may be subjected to, but he had
wanted to avoid the charged emotions that would stem from such possibilities. Instead, he just
shook his head. “None of this has actually happened, so do not worry. However, Yuuno is right.
If all goes well, then those three will come out of this with a slap on the wrist. But, considering
what and who they are, HQ may not be so inclined to let them free.”

“Why is that?”

“Legally, they have no guardian. If they become wards of the state, the government becomes
their guardian. That means what they say, goes. If we can get them adopted, then the Bureau
higher-ups can be tied-down with regulations. Not only that, but some may not recognize them
as full human beings, since they were brought to life by the defense program. As such, they may
not get the same rights as a human,” he looked around the table, hiding a grimace at all the sad
faces. “I want this as much as any of you. I know that they deserve a shot at normal life,
but our options are limited.”

“So… if we get someone to adopt them, then they’ll be fine?” Nanoha asked, her head tilted to
one side.

Chrono nodded slowly, his words the same way, “Theoretically…”

“Then we just need to find someone to do that!”

“I wish it were that simple…”

“Is it possible for Lindy-san to take them in?”

The Enforcer shook his head in negative. “That would be terribly selfish of us. Mother—Admiral
Harlaown has power, but she pulled a lot of strings just to ease up Testarossa and Yagami’s
cases. There was a lot of fallout in the aftermath of the Precia and Book of Darkness incidents.
She’d lose credibility if she keeps doing this.”

And the annoying part is that she would take the fall if it meant getting her way. Hell, they would
all take the fall if they could.

The entire table fell into silence, a heavy air hanging around them. At this rate, those girls may as
well be lost...

“I can take them.”

“Eh?” The group turned to look at, not a person sitting at the table, but the man leaning against
the kitchen counter.

“I said I can take them. I am employed, of sound mind and body, and I am over the minimum
age to adopt. They will have a reason to stay here, with people they know, and become
adjusted to living a normal life.”

“Yeah! That’s right! Kei Bin can do it!” Already Nanoha was feeling better, hopeful.

“Adoption isn’t that easy, Kevin,” Chrono leaned back into his seat, his arms crossing. “You’re
not even a citizen of this country.”

“I know. But are you really going to wait until they are all officially adopted? From what I’m
hearing, you’d want to stay here and stay together. Unless you’re willing to separate those
three, I doubt it will be a quick process.”

“But if they find a sponsor for them on Mid-Childa, it will make the process easier.”

“You don’t know that.”

“…” Chrono looked deep in thought. “Why are you so adamant in adopting them?”

“Why are you so against it?” the chef countered. “I know I have not been a major part of this,
but even I don’t what these Materials punished for merely existing. Besides, this is the best
chance you got, so why deny it?”

“It’s just that…” the boy seemed hesitant to continue.

“What, that I have ulterior, sinister motives?” Kevin looked on incredulously, pointing at himself.
“I’m a non-magical human. If anything were to happen, I’d be befriended so hard you’d be
picking me up from the moon, and that’s just counting Nanoha blasting me. You’ve known me
for almost a year now, and what happened with your mother was a damn accident.”

“He’s right, Chrono-kun! Kei Bin wouldn’t do anything like that!” the wielder of Raising Heart
was first to jump to her friend’s defense, soon followed by Yuuno and Fate, then Hayate. Soon,
the entire table had rallied for the cause.

“I got it, alright. I’m sorry,” Chrono sighed, letting his shoulders slump. “This is our best chance.
Alright. I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s all I ask,” the older man nodded, retrieving something from behind the counter. “Now
then, who’s up for some cake?”

================================================== ==============

A week passed, much to the collective worry of those living on Earth. They had not seen or
heard anything from the Materials, instead only receiving daily updates from Chrono, Amy, or
Lindy. Although proceedings seemed to go as they wanted it to, there was no cause for
celebration yet. Anything could happen to bring everything crashing down.

Nanoha and Fate returned to school, along with Hayate; The Wolkenritter lived their lives with
their beloved meister. Those not around, Chrono, Yuuno, Amy, Lindy, they were working hard.
And Kevin, he worked quietly in the kitchen of the Midoriya. It was hard to keep their minds
busy; they could not ignore that underlying nagging concern. Those three girls, the Materials,
how were they? Were they eating well? Were they comfortable? Scared? Lonely?

It was when Kevin was finally called in that the anxiety ramped up. Rather than meet at the
Harlaown residence, however, the chef was transported to a dimensional craft waiting in orbit.
He had never felt so out of place before, standing in such a clean and almost clinical environment.
The fact that he was in space, likely in a different dimension, made this disorientation even worse.
Still, that feeling was nothing compared to the butterflies in his stomach as he sat alone in a
waiting room, his fingers drumming on a table restlessly. Almost thirty minutes had passed since
his arrival.

The door opened. Through it stepped out Chrono Harlaown, followed by his assistant Amy
Limietta and the Admiral Harlaown. Kevin stood in response.

“Enforcer, Ensign,” he nodded in greeting to them. “Admiral.”

“Hello, Kevin. I trust your trip here was uneventful?” Lindy was first to greet him back as they
settled onto one side of the table. Kevin sat down across from them.

“Unexpected would be the better term. I was rather surprised to be suddenly teleported onto
the ship without prior warning. I only got the call, then a very disorienting flash of light, and I’m
on this ship,”

“Oh really…” the green-haired woman turned to look at her son. “You should’ve been given
advance notice.”

Kevin shrugged. “It’s no big deal. What’s the news?”

“Well…”

…

Chrono looked at him in the eye.

…

…

“The adoption has been…”

…

…

…

“Approved. All that is needed is your signatures and registration into your family records. Since
you are not originally of Ordered Space, I’ve taken the liberty of establishing one for you.”

The cook let out a long breath, his body visibly slumping in relief. “You punk. What the hell
was that long pause for? Are you trying to give me gray hairs already?”

“Relax. It was just a joke.”

“You’re a terrible joker, Chrono,” Kevin gave the boy a withering glare, though it quickly
softened. “Thank you. May I see them?”

“Of course. But I must warn you, there is one catch.”

Kevin’s eyes narrowed; he did not like the sound of it, “Catch?”

“Yes. I had to accept a condition in order to let this through.”

“Is it bad?”

“Not at all. The stipulation is that an individual that is not the guardian will be assigned to three
girls as an instructor and rehabilitation specialist to help them readjust to a normal lifestyle. And,
thanks to these two,” he gestured to the women, who flashed V-signs in response. “I will be the
one selecting this hapless soul. I’ll let you know later, but trust me in that I have the perfect
person.”

“Hmm…” the Earthling sighed, his hands coming to rest on his hips. “Does this person have to
live with me?”

“No. The specialist will be visiting you at your new apartment.”

“That’s fine then. Feeding for four is my limit—wait what?”

“A new apartment has been appropriated for you, a place more suitable for raising three girls,”
Chrono explained, not missing a beat. “Using the subsidy that the Bureau will be supplying as
part of your adoption, this place will be your new home. It’s in a similar complex as the one we
reside in, and it’s very close to us.”

“Ahh, you didn’t have to do that,” Kevin had a mild grimace. “Really, I can handle this.”

“Nonsense. The apartment is bigger, with more space, and close enough for us to help you in
case something happens.”

“Still, I just…” Kevin sighed again. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Where I’m living now is no
good. At least I’ll still be local.”

“Glad you could see it our way. Besides, it will provide a good place for everyone to meet now
and then.”

“Okay, so I get a new place to live. Now, how about those girls?”

“Right. Amy, could you go get them?”

“Yes~!” she hummed as she stood and practically dance out in barely contained glee. Barely a
few moments passed before she returned, three girls following. “Kevin, may I introduce
Seikou no Senmetsusha, Raijin no Shuugekisha, and Yami Suberu Ou.
Material-S, Material-L, and Material-D, respectively.”

He blinked at their ludicrously long names. Whatever part of his brain that understood Japanese
screamed in agony.

“Why am I always the last to be introduced?!” the girl with short silver hair complained.

The girl first introduced, with short brown hair, was silent.

“Hey. Who’s this old guy?” the girl with blue hair, Material-L, pointed at Kevin.

What have I gotten myself into…?

“This ‘old guy’ is the one adopting the three of you!” Amy answered with a smile.

“I’m twenty six. I’m not that old,” Kevin sighed and stood up. “Nice to meet you all. My name
is Kevin, and I will be adopting you.”

“Uwaaah! He’s tall!” Material-L took a step back.

Indeed, he was nearly twice the height of the girls, and likely the tallest one in the room.

“Hmph. Is he even worthy of taking us into his care? I will not allow a peasant to take in one
such as I,” Material-D crossed her arms and looked away.

“I’m part of the culinary staff in a restaurant. There, I am responsible for the preparation of
meals, snacks, and sweets. Although I am not much, I will do my best to take care of you.”

“Hmm, if you can produce meals fit for a king, then I suppose I can overlook some things. The
food here is absolutely wretched!” Material-D

Material-L, however, seemed disappointed, “A cook? What’s so good about that? Why
couldn’t you be a doctor or something awesome wait did you say sweets? I like sweets.”

Material-S merely stared up at the man, her eyes peering straight into his. An unbreakable stare,
it seemed as if she could see straight into his soul.

“What can you do for us?” were her only words, soft and polite.

Kevin, without breaking eye contact, replied, “I cannot promise you much. I’m just a human, not
a mage like you all, and I work hard to maintain my life. However, I can promise you that I will
not leave you. I will do everything in my power to keep the three of you together, to make sure
none of you are ever lonely again. I will do my best to give you the best quality of life possible,
and, if you’ll let me, we can be a family. You are not alone, not anymore, and never again.”

The girl would say nothing in response, but instead nod, accepting his words.

A quiet cough drew everyone’s attention back to the table, where a cluster of papers were
spread out.

“If I may, we can finalize everything here and get you all back home.”

“Right, right,” Kevin muttered as he took a seat, the three Materials following suit by sitting next
to him. Glancing over the first paper, he realized something, “You all need names.”

“We do have names—” Material-L spoke up.

“No, I mean real names,” the Earthling interrupted, looking over all three of them. “You are
living, breathing, human beings, and you have a right to an identity. Material-L, Material-S,
Material-D, these don’t work. They sound too… artificial. You need real names.”

He looked over at the other side of the table, noting the look of approval from Lindy. Chrono
seemed stone-faced as ever, while Amy looked on all smiles.

A name. A name. What is in a name?

“Material-S?”

“Yes?”

“Shana. For a rose, a flower that can mean many things: gratitude, joy, friendship, silence, virtue,
mystery,” he paused, looking briefly at the gathering. “Unity.”

“Material-L,” she jumped at hearing her being called, her attention suddenly completely on
Kevin. "Lilia, for the lily flower. A pure and passionate soul.”

“Lilia…” the girl whispered, as if trying the name out. It was difficult to hide her smile.

“Material-D,” he looked at the silver-haired girl. “Diana, for a majestic and divine girl.”

“Oh ho ho ho!” she had a hand up to her cheek, “At last! Someone who recognizes my
greatness!”

“Yeah yeah, princess…” Material-L—no, Lilia muttered as she settled back into her seat. “As
if we don’t hear enough of that everyday.”

“Shana, Lilia, and Diana? Not very Japanese,” Chrono commented.

“I’m not Japanese,” Kevin shrugged in response.

“Are these names acceptable?” the boy mage asked, looking at each girl. To his pleasant
surprise, each of them nodded. “Very good then. Now, if you could just fill in these parts…”

Quietly, Amy excused herself from the room. There was no need for her to be there any more,
since Lindy would represent a senior officer while Chrono served as the officer in charge of the
case. She breathed a happy sigh, ever so glad that everything had gone splendidly. With a bit
more paperwork, those three could go on living on their own, free and happy. The officer cadet
could scarcely hide the smile that threatened to split her face, almost skipping her way down to
the bridge. She just had to tell everyone! Granted, the surprise would be spoiled, but such
a sacrifice would have to be made to alleviate the stress that everyone on Earth was still
experiencing.

Yes. Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate would love to hear the good news. Oh, and maybe get a party
going to welcome the girls back!

Yes. Everything was wonderful now.

*Shudders* Oh dear lords! D has the Ojou laugh! Okay, anyway... Heh, this is pretty good as well. I can't wait to see what happens to him and them next. Man, S can really come across as creepy huh?

Hmm... Are the Materials going to go to the same school as the Aces?

That would be interesting.

[WarpObscura]

Originally Posted by Tempest Dynasty

Ehh. I didn't pick up on that. It sounded more like Material-S successfully seduced or convinced Yuuno, rather than force herself upon him. Personally, I like the "Materials <3 Yuuno" path, which cascades into "Everyone <3 Yuuno."

/me head explodes from crack

Ah well, another failure to live and learn from.

Also, that's a nice start to your Materials fic; hoping to see more.

Originally Posted by Tempest Dynasty

/me sues for $6.14

Now I can buy lunch.

No, I don't think there was one. It was the standard 3 Aces. But who knows, maybe she's unlocked if you complete the Hayate route.

NOOOO MAI MUNNEH

*Makes note to request Rein Eins as an option if a remake comes out*

I've been considering the Shadow(s?)verse; for those who contribute to it, may I ask some questions for the purpose of getting my lore right?

1: When did Chrono become head of the NSIS?

2: Who knows Chrono's head of the NSIS?

3: What is the jurisidiction of the NSIS? Is it limited to only internal or external, or does it operate both within and without the TSAB-administrated worlds? How about counter-espionage and internal security?

4: What is the approach to those who have discovered things they shouldn't have? From Celica's case, I'm guessing elimination is the standard? Or is her's unrepresentative?

5: What if the perpetrator cannot be eliminated violently for whatever reasons? Say, too politically vital, too politically or violently powerful, has a backer who will fuck the NSIS's shit up if anything happens to him/her, etc.
5a: Perpetrator doesn't have anything that can be used as blackmail/offer you can't refuse material or is one of those pesky Unfettered chaps who doesn't care.

[spawnofthejudge]

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

Not the ff.net version, though, which led me to have the same "Wait a sec..." moment that spawn did.

(By the way, if you haven't yet read The Deep Shadow of Chrono Harlaown yet, you should. Spawnofthejudge has contributed one story to Shadowverse canon, and in it basically defined Chrono's character for the rest of us. Which I now realize, in having trouble finding it, that I have neglected to fave there. *corrects oversight*)

:-D I swear to God I'll write something else in Shadows as soon as I have another decent idea.

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

Lutecia: Seriously, if I ever have to fight this guy again, I am so hiding behind Hakutenoh. And Garyuu. And about eighty Jiraro. And maybe Vivio and Yuuno, too. I didn't know it was possible for hair to hurt!

Vivio: We'll make it a befriending party!

Originally Posted by WarpObscura

I've been considering the Shadow(s?)verse; for those who contribute to it, may I ask some questions for the purpose of getting my lore right?

1: When did Chrono become head of the NSIS?

While there was probably a leader of the NSIS between Graham and Chrono, Chrono had elevated to leader of the NSIS before he got married to Amy. (Deep Shadow of Chrono Harlaown ~....me)

Originally Posted by WarpObscura

2: Who knows Chrono's head of the NSIS?

Officially or unofficially? It's established that Amy knows, though wouldn't admit it if pressed by anyone but her husband. Hayate knows. (Deep Shadow) Nanoha and Fate know (Caught Within Shadows ~Dezo). It's pretty much implied that the whole "family" knows, though Nanoha probably lives in denial when she can (she hates that Chrono does this, and it even soured their relationship) (Caught Within Shadows).

Officially? Only extremely high officers of the TSAB know. And they'll deny it.

Originally Posted by WarpObscura

3: What is the jurisdiction of the NSIS? Is it limited to only internal or external, or does it operate both within and without the TSAB-administrated worlds? How about counter-espionage and internal security?

The jurisdiction of the NSIS is what the Director believes is necessary. (What follows is not canon but speculation) The group specifically handles things that the TSAB wouldn't want to have its hands in in the first place. Counter-espionage and internal security are probably not; the Intelligence Branch of the TSAB handles most basic espionage functions. For the Shadows, think more "Assassin" and "Ninja" than "Spy".

Originally Posted by WarpObscura

4: What is the approach to those who have discovered things they shouldn't have? From Celica's case, I'm guessing elimination is the standard? Or is her's unrepresentative?

Within the Shadows? The only out-and-out case we have is Celica's... but she discovered something she shouldn't have of a rogue faction of the Shadows, so she's really not a case at all.

And that's a very vague question, so I'm not sure where to go with speculating an answer.

Originally Posted by WarpObscura

5: What if the perpetrator cannot be eliminated violently for whatever reasons? Say, too politically vital, too politically or violently powerful, has a backer who will fuck the NSIS's shit up if anything happens to him/her, etc.

Chrono tells Nanoha and stands back.

It's only when lethal force is the only choice do the Shadows get involved in the first place. If the scenario you're talking about comes up, then the TSAB's best (and only, really) option is to send Aces.

RB, Syn, Dezo, please add and correct my answers as necessary . I like being a compiler of arc-canons! Speaking of which, we should probably make a ff.net community to compile all of these things for better perusal.

[synaesthetic]

Making a community would likely help iron out any of these issues where we accidentally step on each other's work, yeah.

Also, to the question about "seeing things one shouldn't" is not necessarily a standard. Celica has access to the entire NSIS core computer anyway, since she's it's administrator, after all.

The thing with Celica was, she was doing some normal work (perusing databases on various information the agency gathered) and she ran up against an access restriction. This should never happen, because Celica has access to the entire network, so naturally this made her a little curious and a lot annoyed. So she broke into the security system and gave herself access, which let her find a lot of dirty laundry and skeletons in the closet.

Then someone within the rogue faction (likely Hayes, but it could just have easily been Stele) sent some grunt-level members of the rogue faction to off her. They didn't succeed, Celica bolted, the events of false light were kicked off.

Considering how Hayes should know just how powerful Celica actually is (since he is, you know, the deputy director of the agency and Chrono's second-in-command), he would have known that two redshirts and a nameless Modern Belkan knight couldn't have killed or incapacitated Celica. If you think about that for a minute, perhaps the rogue faction never really wanted to kill Celica...

Perhaps, instead, they wanted to spook her into running... which, as we know, eventually led her to steal the Lost Logia from Unit Epsilon...

Perhaps, just perhaps!

Thirty Xanatos Pileup AHOY!

[Yasanagi]

I decided to throw up my scenario up on the Anime Addventure as well in case anyone's interested or wants to take a whack at a different branch in the story.

http://addventure.bast-enterprises.de/234830.html

[RadiantBeam]

Originally Posted by WarpObscura

4: What is the approach to those who have discovered things they shouldn't have? From Celica's case, I'm guessing elimination is the standard? Or is her's unrepresentative?

Unfortunately I can't give you a direct example, because Celica is actually the first character who has discovered something she shouldn't have. But in the case of a normal scenario, say, where a Shadow snaps and goes on a killing spree, they are considered rogue and killed. It's a rather simple process; part of the problem with Celica's case is that there are more moving parts.

5: What if the perpetrator cannot be eliminated violently for whatever reasons? Say, too politically vital, too politically or violently powerful, has a backer who will fuck the NSIS's shit up if anything happens to him/her, etc.
5a: Perpetrator doesn't have anything that can be used as blackmail/offer you can't refuse material or is one of those pesky Unfettered chaps who doesn't care.

He gets killed, simple as that. The Shadows would probably have to be extra careful and more vigilant in dealing with them, but the simple fact is that if in NSIS eyes the perp must be gone, the Shadows will find a way to get him gone. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

[spawnofthejudge]

...So did I get the rest right? :-P

[RadiantBeam]

Originally Posted by spawnofthejudge

...So did I get the rest right? :-P

Yes, you got the rest right. Besides, a lot of the stuff with Chrono is mainly yours and Dezo's territory, so I didn't want to say the wrong thing.

[spawnofthejudge]

Yeah, compiling a little cheat sheet on "Facts in the Shadowverse" might be a good idea.

Definitely on the community, though.

[RadiantBeam]

Is that a poke, Spawn?

Though on the cheat sheet bit, I know that Dezo did take the time to put together a rough Shadowverse timeline; I'll have to ask him more about it when he signs on again.

[spawnofthejudge]

Maaaaaaaaybe. Or maybe I'll do it. You've always been supportive of the shared canon being - you know - shared.

We should get him in on this as well, of course .

[Satashi]

Ugh... almost done with my newest fic.... Just a little bit more.

Gonna have a SFW version on FF.N sometime soonish too :3

PS: *takes RB's avatar*

[Moczo]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

He gets killed, simple as that. The Shadows would probably have to be extra careful and more vigilant in dealing with them, but the simple fact is that if in NSIS eyes the perp must be gone, the Shadows will find a way to get him gone. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Even the smuggler who is clearly constantly raiding a non-administered world to get Lutecia her bottomless supply of Cherry Coke?

[DezoPenguin]

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

He used the doohickey because Celica is important. They don't necessarily need her alive, but it's easier for them if she is alive.

Chew on that one for a while...

Actually, that wasn't my question. What I meant was, regardless of whether he wanted to take her alive or take her dead, why did he use the Precursor Artifact to do it with instead of smashing her down with his exceptionally impressive conventional magic? I mean, if Lutecia+Garyuu is a quick win over Celica, then Stele would barely even notice that he's in a fight. Given that what sets MGLN apart from the herd of giant-robot shows is the "Our Wave Motion Guns Have Stun Settings!" it's not likely that there's any reason for Stele to specifically break out the Lost Logia in this moment.

Originally Posted by WarpObscura

1: When did Chrono become head of the NSIS?

spawnofthejudge covered that one nicely. And the dating made me think of something funky.

2: Who knows Chrono's head of the NSIS?

That one, too. If you have a seat on the Council, you have an opportunity to know, and if you sit on the Intelligence Oversight Subcommittee or you hold an official Council post (like "President," now that that position isn't held by a brain in a jar) you definitely know. High-ranking officers of other intelligence/investigation agencies also probably know (the head of the Enforcers, for example) Amy, Hayate, Lindy, Fate, Nanoha, Reinforce Zwei (because she functions as Hayate's aide) and (now) Vivio know (Vivio didn't, but after Lutecia "came out" to her as a Shadow it's pretty certain it came out fast--if nothing else, Chrono probably took the time to sit down with Vivio and properly vet her for confidentiality's sake so she didn't run off at the mouth at the wrong time). Arf probably knows. The Wolkenritter and Agito probably know through Hayate (and because Rein Zwei is a motormouth around her family). Verossa knows because...well, he's Hayate's husband, a senior investigator, and Chrono's best friend. And Carim almost certain knows, for reasons I'll get into below.

3: What is the jurisidiction of the NSIS? Is it limited to only internal or external, or does it operate both within and without the TSAB-administrated worlds? How about counter-espionage and internal security?

I don't know how RB saw it, but I thought of the NSIS as being roughly equivalent to the small-scale, high-security intelligence agencies that were popular in spy thrillers. Unlike, say, the CIA, whose existence is by no means secret, the NSIS's existence itself is not publicly available, being hidden within the TSAB's official budget. Their mission statement includes gathering intelligence as well as strike operations. "Ninja" describes them well, actually, since that would include "infiltration," "intelligence gathering," "sabotage," "assassination," and "special ops strike force" all in one. Their targets would include criminals, terrorists, local political movements, and (not so much as part of their mission statement, but as a basic nature of power), other TSAB factions and operations.

4: What is the approach to those who have discovered things they shouldn't have? From Celica's case, I'm guessing elimination is the standard? Or is her's unrepresentative?

That depends entirely on the circumstances, very much like real life. The point will be to eliminate the security risk, but remember that the point is to eliminate the risk rather than the person. They may determine that the person is not actually a risk ("Amy Limietta Harlaown"), or that the risks of picking a fight with them outweigh them having the dangerous knowledge on account of them having too much power, influence, and too many allies ("Takamachi Nanoha/Vivio") or that the person has been bright enough to set up an insurance policy of sorts

On the other hand, a rogue Shadow--someone who has deliberately gone off the reservation--is dead. Period. The NSIS has no tolerance for those who go outside of discipline, especially because that usually means that this is somebody who is too sociopathic and/or criminally-minded to work inside a black-ops organization, and beyond that is in possession of training and classified data, and presents a major security threat to the entire organization if caught by the TSAB at large.

The ninja analogy actually holds very true here again--rogue Shadows and rogue ninja are treated in exactly the same way and for pretty much the same reasons.

Please note, however, that it's perfectly possible to retire from the Shadows without going rogue. Also note that, just like how any other retired military officer can be recalled to active duty if the service requires it, so does the fact that you aren't an "active" Shadow does not mean that you're "out"--even if, for example, an ex-Shadow is transferred to another TSAB branch, they'd damn well better keep their mouth shut...and if they happen to pick up some valuable intel in their new job...

5: What if the perpetrator cannot be eliminated violently for whatever reasons? Say, too politically vital, too politically or violently powerful, has a backer who will fuck the NSIS's shit up if anything happens to him/her, etc.
5a: Perpetrator doesn't have anything that can be used as blackmail/offer you can't refuse material or is one of those pesky Unfettered chaps who doesn't care.

Again, that depends on what the "perp's" crime is. The Shadows embrace many methods of overcoming their problems; their defining factor is that they're the ultimate pragmatists in a universe where the military ethic consists of magical-girl superheroes. If death is what is mandated, remember that there are a lot of ways to kill someone, from direct attack to stealthy poisoning to the conveniently induced accident, to more indirect methods like provoking Group A, otherwise unrelated to you, to pick a fight with Target B. And just because death might be the ultimate goal doesn't rule out intermediate steps as well; how much easier is it to eliminate a powerful politician, for example, after blackmailing some of his fringe supporters to erode his power base, having muckraking journalists spread unfounded but nicely framed-up rumors, engineered a populist uprising in support of opposition candidates, gone after his financing, etc. Or in the case of the uberpowerful individual (say, eg., Precia Testarossa), there's nothing to say but that the Shadows may provoke general TSAB action...then step in at the key moment.

Which, in fact, leads me to a theory:

Spoiler for StrikerS Conspiracy Theory:

For example...we know that Chrono Harlaown was the NSIS Director at the time of StrikerS. (See spawnofthejudge's answer earlier in the thread--he married Amy before StrikerS started, as we hopefully all know). Now, recall that the Three Admirals, the Saint Church, and Chrono were the backers that got RF6 set up.

And what was the ultimate consequence of those events?

Jail Scaglietti, a wide-scale terrorist who'd gone rogue from a TSAB Government black-budgeted project, was arrested and his organization smashed. Regius Gaiz and the three brains--the highest-ranking members of the only TSAB administrative body we've ever seen on-screen in the series--were all assassinated by Due. All of Jail's illegal research data on cloning, cyborgs, AMF weaponry, etc., was recovered. Seven combat-trained products of that research were divided more or less evenly between the TSAB and the Church. Assorted Lost Logia was gathered.

Now, just how was it again that the backers of RF6 got together to put together this highly successful (notwithstanding dubious military tactics by the actual operatives) operation? A magical prophecy, you say? Or perhaps could it be...highly detailed intelligence gathered covertly, suggesting not only that certain elements of the government were going off the rails but that their own illegal project was about to turn Mad Scientist Destroyer of Worlds?

(Incidentally, remember that the NSIS, while it is a *secret* group, is a *legitimate* group as well, in that it was created by lawful authority, even if some of their activities are not necessarily legal depending on what the heck the TSAB charter's definition of national security is. The Combat Cyborg research Jail was doing was not merely secret but also illegal, in that it was created by political factions using their authority without lawful mandate.)

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

Making a community would likely help iron out any of these issues where we accidentally step on each other's work, yeah.

A community sounds like a great idea--also, it's the perfect way to gather together all the "Shadowverse" stories in one, easy to click on place without having to hunt through a large variety of authors or sift through a long list of unrelated fiction.

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

Unfortunately I can't give you a direct example, because Celica is actually the first character who has discovered something she shouldn't have. But in the case of a normal scenario, say, where a Shadow snaps and goes on a killing spree, they are considered rogue and killed. It's a rather simple process; part of the problem with Celica's case is that there are more moving parts.

Plus, since Chrono knew immediately that something wasn't quite right with the scenario as presented to him, he sent out an investigate-and-retrieve order rather than writing Celica off as a rogue.

He gets killed, simple as that. The Shadows would probably have to be extra careful and more vigilant in dealing with them, but the simple fact is that if in NSIS eyes the perp must be gone, the Shadows will find a way to get him gone. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Although some of the considerations listed would be relevant in deciding if there was a reason to assassinate them in the first place, or whether other options would be better.

The one "you're dead, end of story" category would be, I believe, the case of the rogue Shadow. "We clean our own house" is beyond being mere policy and up to fundamental commandment for the NSIS. Especially since rogue Shadows tend to be either crazy, or criminals, or both.

Originally Posted by Satashi

Ugh... almost done with my newest fic.... Just a little bit more.

Gonna have a SFW version on FF.N sometime soonish too :3

PS: *takes RB's avatar*

Oooh, a SFW version of the lemon? I always like it when the story has enough plot to carry itself without the sex scenes...heck, I like stories like that when I do read the lemon scenes.

[00-Raiser]

I'm not sure if anyone remembers, but I did say I would revise the ending to my Vivio/Yuuno series so that they end up together. I still intend to do it but I was wondering if anyone was still interested in it. Or is the ViCia ending prefered?

[Yasanagi]

I'm always up for alternate endings.

[00-Raiser]

Originally Posted by Yasanagi

I'm always up for alternate endings.

Well, it wouldn't really be an alternate ending, it would be the true, intended ending. The other one is just a 'what if' that RB wanted to see.

Page claim for multiple endings