Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Character Creation and Discussion (second reincarnation)

[MeisterBabylon]

Originally Posted by Arcc

So, rewatched a good portion of the series in the last week, when I saw the description of the linker core in the movie, and Nanoha's meditation to try to get hers back up to scratch after she gets BoD'd. . . Well, all I can think of is that a mage that practiced various forms of Chinese qigong every day might be a dangerous opponent indeed.

So I've got an OC idea, strictly in the fledgling state, for a mage whose main focus is less on external projection of magic, but internal reinforcement of themselves and martial arts. Since that sort of training likely would also serve to strengthen the linker core's output, it'd serve as a double-reinforcement. In a fight, they'd be functionally a fisticuffs/tank Knight like Zafira or Subaru, with a little less shooting/technical magic, and more crazy-fast and tough as hell-ness.

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

Err... isn't internal reinforcement through magic and martial arts and such the entire idea behind the Belkan Knights? Even more so with Vivio and Einhart and Rio. Especially Einhart.

What he said. This was why I once thought about a Belkadi enhanced human who learns how to fuse cyborg energy and natural mana together to create a power unlike anything in recent memory.

[FlameSparkZ]

Originally Posted by MeisterBabylon

What he said. This was why I once thought about a Belkadi enhanced human who learns how to fuse cyborg energy and natural mana together to create a power unlike anything in recent memory.

Agrh. All this Belka talk makes me want to start my fic's Belka Arc >_<

[Sheba]

Hmmmm, a parody of Life of Brian with Vivio...

[MeisterBabylon]

Originally Posted by FlameSparkZ

Agrh. All this Belka talk makes me want to start my fic's Belka Arc >_<

Better get started. For some reason, I got a feeling that Dog Days might stir a small revival.

[Arcc]

Ooohkay.

Try as I resist, this inspiration is making it impossible for me to write other things I actually need to write, so I guess I'll have to be getting this ball rolling.

OC #1, as of the unwritten, untitled Chapter 1:

Name: Kyuji Forrester
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
World of Origin: Earth
Factional Association(s): An unspecified SAR team in the mid- or southwest USA
Magic Style: None
Specialization: Chinese martial arts
Elemental Affinity: Unknown
Rank: Untested

Spoiler for Character Profile:

Kyuji is a fairly normal guy, with a lot of interests and a tendency to dream. He's a geoarchaeology student (that's the study of archaeology from a geologic perspective), and is looking forward to getting his degree next year. He's been on the local Search and Rescue team for a couple years, and enjoys building things and reading books in his spare time.

He's cocky and confident, sometimes without warrant, but also has a huge heart and can't stand to see anybody in trouble. He has a reputation for never turning down anybody who asks for help with something, and for being a source of sound advice. His best friend is Takashi Leone, also on the SAR team (who will get a bio in a later post).

Spoiler for Combat Capabilities:

As of the first unwritten chapter, Kyuji's been a student of Chinese martial arts for a bit less than four years. He's mostly focused on Shaolin Long Fist and Yang-style taiji, but has also studied some Dragon Door qigong, Tian Yi qigong, Southern White Crane, Hsing-I, I-chuan, Guan Ping-style taiji, Yi Gun Gin, and other dangerous words as well.

Closest thing he carries to a device is a geologist's rockpick, and the closest thing he has to a barrier jacket is his favorite utility vest (hey, it's got a UV protection factor of like 80).

In short, he's a pretty normal athletic/outdoorsy guy, and while four years of martial arts might make you tougher than everyday thugs, it's far from high-tier. About the only other thing he's got going for him at the moment is the requisite untapped "potential" that qualifies him for protagonist status.

So that's the prototype of the protagonist. I'm afraid my only talent is for writing self-insert characters. . . and so Kyuji's starting point is more or less where I see myself a year and a half from now. His name is intentionally tacky, and there will be more such things in that vein. This isn't likely to be GOOD fan fiction, so I figured on that account I wasn't likely to lose anything with misplaced Japanese (and of course the traditional car puns). Your work should know what it is, eh?

Anyway, I'm drafting the first bit of the story. The bio is short compared to the standard skillset lists, but Kyuji has yet to encounter magic yet; figure it's the prologue and that part of the menu is greyed out. The story starts on earth and may be initially short on action, but you can't refuse your muse, and mine seems to be stirring in her sleep.

Addendum: I seem to have forgotten about that questionaire thing. I'll get back to ya on that.

[FlameSparkZ]

Originally Posted by Arcc

Ooohkay.

Try as I resist, this inspiration is making it impossible for me to write other things I actually need to write, so I guess I'll have to be getting this ball rolling.

OC #1, as of the unwritten, untitled Chapter 1:

Name: Kyuji Forrester
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
World of Origin: Earth
Factional Association(s): An unspecified SAR team in the mid- or southwest USA
Magic Style: None
Specialization: Chinese martial arts
Elemental Affinity: Unknown
Rank: Untested

Spoiler for Character Profile:

Kyuji is a fairly normal guy, with a lot of interests and a tendency to dream. He's a geoarchaeology student (that's the study of archaeology from a geologic perspective), and is looking forward to getting his degree next year. He's been on the local Search and Rescue team for a couple years, and enjoys building things and reading books in his spare time.

He's cocky and confident, sometimes without warrant, but also has a huge heart and can't stand to see anybody in trouble. He has a reputation for never turning down anybody who asks for help with something, and for being a source of sound advice. His best friend is Takashi Leone, also on the SAR team (who will get a bio in a later post).

Spoiler for Combat Capabilities:

As of the first unwritten chapter, Kyuji's been a student of Chinese martial arts for a bit less than four years. He's mostly focused on Shaolin Long Fist and Yang-style taiji, but has also studied some Dragon Door qigong, Tian Yi qigong, Southern White Crane, Hsing-I, I-chuan, Guan Ping-style taiji, Yi Gun Gin, and other dangerous words as well.

Closest thing he carries to a device is a geologist's rockpick, and the closest thing he has to a barrier jacket is his favorite utility vest (hey, it's got a UV protection factor of like 80).

In short, he's a pretty normal athletic/outdoorsy guy, and while four years of martial arts might make you tougher than everyday thugs, it's far from high-tier. About the only other thing he's got going for him at the moment is the requisite untapped "potential" that qualifies him for protagonist status.

So that's the prototype of the protagonist. I'm afraid my only talent is for writing self-insert characters. . . and so Kyuji's starting point is more or less where I see myself a year and a half from now. His name is intentionally tacky, and there will be more such things in that vein. This isn't likely to be GOOD fan fiction, so I figured on that account I wasn't likely to lose anything with misplaced Japanese (and of course the traditional car puns). Your work should know what it is, eh?

Anyway, I'm drafting the first bit of the story. The bio is short compared to the standard skillset lists, but Kyuji has yet to encounter magic yet; figure it's the prologue and that part of the menu is greyed out. The story starts on earth and may be initially short on action, but you can't refuse your muse, and mine seems to be stirring in her sleep.

Addendum: I seem to have forgotten about that questionaire thing. I'll get back to ya on that.

Nice, he's a geologist and knows kung-fu

Also don't worry, some OCs start "normal" and become stronger as the story advances (like my male OC )

Originally Posted by MeisterBabylon

Better get started. For some reason, I got a feeling that Dog Days might stir a small revival.

I'll be picking up where I left off for now. Need to fill the gap before moving on to it
And there's still some funny/fluffy "events" to be done

[NorthernFallout]

We need some Walla. It's been a while. Gore. Yuri. Nothing special and quite short.

If it wasn't for the possible tie-in in the future, that is.

Spoiler for A Future Possibility:

The man lay on the table in his bare underwear. His eyes had been blindfolded and his limbs were constrained by leather straps. His chest heaved up and down at a slow pace. He had been sedated for a while and had fallen into a deep sleep.

A light finger stroke his chest, moving downwards until it struck the edge of his underwear. A giggle escaped the finger’s owner.

“It’s been too long since I had something this delicious...”

The sound of metallic tools echoed. Wallachia picked up a silvery butcher knife and a meat fork. She licked her lips and looked down on the sleeping man. Muscular and tall, it was a good possibility that he was superb on the inside. The fact that she had sedated him almost surprised her. She had wanted to enjoy this exquisite piece in silence, just this time.

She put the butcher knife down on the man’s chest and did some measurements of how to cut. Her face changed expressions as she hmm’d and aah’d. Delightful frustration, as much as she somewhat despised it, was the most apparent. She couldn’t decide where to begin and her stomach urged her on.

“Wait, wait. Stop!”

Wallachia froze. Her grip around the tools tightened. Then she recognized the voice and calmed down. She still wasn’t used to having her around.

“Katya, mou~. Don’t scare me like that! Having you around can be such a chore...”

Two arms slid around her waist and Katya breathed her in the neck.

“Is that so~. You didn’t complain last night~.”

“Pfeh. Now that I’m used to. Hell, I’m even more experienced than you!”

“There, there.” Katya nibbled her ear. “So, what do you have here?”

“You seriously can’t see that for yourself?”

“Woha, you really are touchy today, aren’t you?”

Wallachia puffed up her cheeks and went back to measure the man’s chest. “Don’t disturb while I’m preparing the food.”

Katya’s dog ears twitched and a grin worthy that of a trickster appeared on her face and failing to hide her drool. “Hehe, preparing, huh~.”

“What do you think? Here or there?” Wallachia pointed with the butcher knife this way and that.

“Hmm~. There.” Katya pointed at the middle of the man’s chest. “A rectangular cut there and another higher up. Then we can stick our fingers in and rip it out!”

“Good suggestion,” Wallachia said and started carving. The man moaned in his sleep, his body reacting but his brain remaining dormant.

She placed the two rectangular pieces of flesh on the table. Katya took one and plopped it into her mouth. She chewed, moving it around with her tongue, savoring the taste.

“Mm~. It’s delicious.” She took the other one before Wallachia could and placed it between her teeth, half of it sticking out. She smiled.

Wallachia grinned and eagerly met Katya’s lips. As she bit into the meat, blood mixed with the girls’ saliva poured out of it. It splattered their clothes and the floor. While Katya hung with both her arms around Wallachia’s neck, Wallachia used her right hand to continually stab the man in the gut, absorbed by euphoria.

In-between the man’s screams, as the sedation had lost its effect, Wallachia’s voice was heard; “Have a good time in Biscotti, Katya.”

“I will,” said Katya, her ears twitching with satisfaction, “I definitely will.”

[FlameSparkZ]

Finally, I'm posting another piece of Reverie of Golden Lotus
Also trying to write in a different style...maybe I'm not cut out for this >_>

Still, here goes:

Reverie of Golden Lotus

Spoiler for Part 2: Encounter and Name:

For several days, the girl mourned.
Memories of that day forever etched into her being.
The scar, burning her chest each time she remembered it.
Unaware of the whereabouts of her remaining siblings, the girl left that place.

All alone, she wandered the world.
Unable to hunt, she fed off nature's kindness.
Yet, she was still a child, unable to bear the solitude imposed on her.
So she sought out those of her kind, for the tribes she had heard from her parents.
...But all that was left were burning remains.

Without a doubt, such destruction could only be caused by 'it'.
As if reading her thoughts, 'it' tormented her by ravaging the area before she got there.
And after seeing it happen time and time again, she gave up...

~~~~

Settling at a cave near a human village, the girl studied them.
Although there was some truth in what she was taught, there were also discrepancies.
There were many cultural differences, but the basic practices were used by both.
So why? Why was she taught to stay away from humans?

Having lived only with her family, the concept of 'community' she witnessed was new to her.
People of different origins working together for the sake of the village, it was...inviting.
But she wasn't accepted...

Even though she had hid her fox ears and tail, the people would be cautious around her.
Truth be told, her torn, mismatched clothes didn't allow her to blend in.
After all, what she wore was what she found on her travels.

Children would mock her and adults would ignore her or pretend to be busy.
Yet others where kind, and shared food with her.
She was torn between what she was taught, what she learned and what she experienced.
Why? Why were some cold, and others kind?
The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

In the end, she realized that humans only cared about others if they could profit from it.
Anyone outside their 'circle' was of no interest to them.

And so, that tiny voice following her since that rainy night became clear.
Its sweet, tempting words made sense to her.
It told her to let go, to discard the need for company.
If no one cared about her, then she should only care for herself.

Her wild side took the best of her.
Shrouding herself with illusions, she turned herself into a large fox demon.
The demon stole food, pulled pranks, terrorized the villagers.

At first, the villagers tried to stand up and fight.
With no proper weapons or magic, they were no match for her.
They tried to outsmart her by setting up traps, but the villagers greatly underestimated her power.

Understanding that they couldn't defeat her, the villagers remained silent, enduring her raids.
But the truth is, they were waiting...waiting for the mercenaries they had called for.

Many mercenaries answered the call, expecting an easy job.
...Only to return scorched and humiliated while the beast's laughs were heard.
Alone or in group, the result was always the same.
The trickeries and illusions were too many that they would become suspicious of what was truly real.
Soon enough, the mercenaries packed their stuff and left the village.

Having heard about their predicament, a mage that was passing by said he'd look into it.
Even though he said that, all the farmers could see was a young man who probably couldn't even lift a boulder above his head.
He wasn't bulky like the mercenaries, he carried no weapons and wore dignified clothes unfit for close combat.
The villagers tried to talk him out of it, explaining what happened to those that went face the demon,
...But he didn't change his mind.

~~~~

The young mage stood in front of the cave.
Has predicted, even the path to it had magical traps scattered about.
Said traps were placed strategically, some even triggered even if the first was disabled.

Yet, something bothered him: was it really a demon?
No one had died, or even seriously injured.
What kind of demon would go through such lengths to keep damages to a minimum? None.
So he went into the cave, triggering every trap he could to confirm his hunch.

But as we went deeper into the cave, the traps stopped being only pranks and began to reveal its creator's identity.
Illusions using the victim's own memories as base and showing preset scenarios...
Loved ones being killed, and being unable to do anything.
Near death experiences, extreme loneliness, being looked down on or avoided.

Each step became painful, but he pressed onward because he now understood.
The cries for help mixed with the attempts to keep people away.
If he didn't do it, who would? How long would the one at the end of the path have to wait if he returned to the village?
He couldn't. If he did, his quest would lose its meaning.

Enduring the "trial", he reached the end and saw...a little girl.
She looked at him, surprised.
He too was surprised, as she had long furry ears and a tail.
Which reminded him of mysterious tribes of fox-people that kept themselves away from humans.
But he shrugged that aside, and smiled gently.

When he pointed out to her that all this trouble was caused by a little girl, she realized her illusion had been cancelled.
It was dispelled because she was watching him the whole time, his effort and persistence reached her before he did.
Tired, he sat down to talk to her. Though still cautious, she listened.

He then explained how he saw through her illusions, and how he understood her after experiencing that.
He didn't blame her. After all, she was just a lonely girl with no where to go and who no one had accepted.
So he gave the first step, presented his hand to her and said he would accept her.
The girl cried and clung to his robes while he gently pet her head.

~~~~

The two returned to the village, and the mage told the people the truth behind the demon, while she hid behind him.
She stepped forward, lowered her head and apologized for what she did.
Surprised but also upset, the villagers were not forgiving her, saying that they were right that she was a toublesome child.
But then the young mage spoke up that this was their fault, because they shunned her, who was still little girl.
Hearing that, they couldn't talk back.

The girl then spoke, that it was also her fault, that she had let her emotions get the best of her.
To solve their problems, the mage volunteered to help rebuild and pay for what was damaged and stolen.
After the two helped the people rebuild their village, the mage left to continue with his quest, and took her with him.

The girl became known as Marenshia, the name of a red flower in Elphora that blossom in nights with a full moon and glow with its light.

And, the preview of the next part...

Spoiler for Part 3 Preview:

Resounding pulse...
Incessant hostile gazes...
The cry of a maiden whose awakening has come...
Sorrow...
Rage...
The reflection of my ugly self...
The winds of the changing season are the color of decayed flowers.

Next...
Confession and Farewell

Next will be a mix of Maren's point of view and 3rd person.

Also, I'll try to pick up the pace from now on

[Wild Goose]

I really should get back to working on Divergent Strikers, but I'm enjoying Witches Over the Persian Sea too much. Oh well.

In other news, a snippet of a planned scene from Divergent Strikers:

Spoiler for Maximum Training:

"Alright, Forwards," said Sergeant Leo Kozlov, "What have we learned after this 2-hour creative excercise?"

"You like guns?" this was Subaru's contribution.

"Aliens are scary?" offered Caro.

"Humans have a tendancy to lose track of the important and become sidetracked by their personal judgements and mistakes, and tend to indulge in infighting instead of working together."

"That was an excellent point, Erio, if not quite what I was getting at..."

"We need nanosuits?" Teana's tone was, while polite, nonetheless sarcastic.

"No," facepalmed Leo. "Didn't any of you use stealth? If anything, that's a prime reason for why I wouldn't want to face Teana. Stealth allows you to engage the enemy on your terms. Be a hunter. Be Invisible. Okay, it's time for lunch. Pack it all up and I'll see you in the mess."

As the Forwards packed their laptops and headed for the mess, Leo whistled to himself as he tidied up and left for the mess. He showed no outward signs as Franz Jaeger fell in step beside him.

"Tosvarish Starshina," said the officer, in their native Erusian, "What was that just now?"

"Creative thinking excercise as relates to urban warfare, Sir."

"... Leo, that has got to be the most blatant excuse ever for playing Crysis 2."

[Evil Rick]

So, it's been a while sinc ethe last time I submitted a drawing here, after the countless mesages sugesting in good (and not so good) ways to improve art, I'd like to show 'Something', an art an version of one of the most popular and used OCs here, which is Takamachi Keroko, and so, after some time on the drawing desk, her's the result.



My version of Takamachi Keroko, or, an outfit she would use on Nanoha Revolution, making her more unique (im appearance) instead than a Nanoha/Vivio with diferent colors.

[Keroko]

Thanks Rick, it's always flatering to see people draw art of my character.

*taps chin* Hmm... come to think about it, I can use this design. It looks good.

[MeisterBabylon]

Something reminds me of Weissritter here...

Rick, drop those belly muscle marks. Keroko's not that skinny/muscular.

*is vaporized*

Keroko: ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT I'M FAT?!?!?!

[Nya~n]

Noland: all the more to grope you better, milady...

[Evil Rick]

Originally Posted by Keroko

Thanks Rick, it's always flatering to see people draw art of my character.

*taps chin* Hmm... come to think about it, I can use this design. It looks good.

Thanks, glad u liked her.

Originally Posted by MeisterBabylon

Something reminds me of Weissritter here...

Rick, drop those belly muscle marks. Keroko's not that skinny/muscular.

*is vaporized*

Keroko: ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT I'M FAT?!?!?!

I'm pretty sure she spends some hours at the gym every day

So.... hummm, how about a Syn drawing now?

[itanshi1]

does look more scrawny than muscular :/ good drawing tho, keep at it ^^

[Keroko]

Originally Posted by Evil Rick

Thanks, glad u liked her.

I do, I love the outfit design. Shoes are a tad big but.. eh, with the basics down I can work that out. You should work on the Forehead of Doom though. That still needs improvement.

[MeisterBabylon]

I'll just leave this here.

Spoiler for MLFN - The Honorbound - Prologue:

Magical Lyrical Force NEXT
"The Honorbound"

Prologue

Location: Mjarvis Stream, Dimensional Sea, near non-administered world “Mjarv”.
Date: MC 12-05-0080

A cutter screamed through a hard bank, rolling slightly to a device blast that grazed its rationalizer fields. It was bare and as scraped as a car through a grinder. Most probably held together by tape and glue. But smugglers favor the Rupture-class junkships for a reason: it was very fast, and matched the TSAB's smaller craft torque for torque.

"Hail them again." Captain Ikel barked.

A dull chime rang from the tactical terminus.

"Still not responding, Ma'am!"

Ikel clapped her hands together on her lips, then gave the next order, "Fire a spread of projectiles - pattern sigma-delta. Maintain device fire, target their main engines."

A double-klaxxon rang through the patrolcraft, followed by a quartet of orange pulses discharging from the twin forward bows. The primary turbodevices fizzed up and lanced energy as well, again glancing the agile craft's field defences. The Silver Spray's magic missiles closed around in a spiral, some rupturing as they collided into parts and debris dumped by the fugitive cutter. The last two made it onto the rationalizers and exploded, tossing the small craft into a planetward barbeque spin. Ikel's cruiser made the correction and chased, but gained just a couple of parsecs before the unidentified prey regained control.

"The boogey is now headed into Mjarv's atmosphere..."

The tactical officer wasn't hiding his frustration at all as he banged new coordinates into the device array. Ikel was about to make another call, when this time Sorcery interrupted.

"There is a large mana build-up on the Mjarvis surface, Ma'am!"

A dimensional weapon on a non-administrated planet?! Ikel thought. "Hard a-port now!!"

The Silver Spray reared and broke off, while the boogey cruised on ahead. Just in time, for a column of pink energy speared out from behind the TSAB cruiser and through the hapless smugglers.

The sorcery officer stared at her instruments with jaws agape. "Its too weak to be a weapon... But it has linked up with the power source on Mjarv."

The smugglers remained bathed within the mana stream, stuck at full stop even as the Silver Spray came about and closed.

There, the beam seemed to flash as a comet bolted through the column like a can in a pneumotube, slicing the cutter in half. There was no time for anyone on the Silver Spray to react, except watch their boogey break up then melt into a plasma fireball.

With no further word, Sorcery zoomed in on Mjarvis soil, and came upon a floating array where a large magical circle swirled with symbols unlike anything associated with the native cultures on Mjarv.

"All stop!" Ikel recovered soon after. "And get me Naval Command, now!"

More coming, eventually.

[FlameSparkZ]

Waa~i \o/ Another piece done /o/

So, here goes:

Reverie of Golden Lotus

Spoiler for Part 3: Confession and Farewell:

How many years have passed since that day? The day I grabbed that hand that was bigger than mine, the hand that saved me.
The hand that gave me a reason to live, a place to stay, and a name.
Together, we travelled to many places, helped a lot of people and forged friendships with other travellers.

In one of those travels I met Arkethus the Enlightened, who looks over my kind.
It was he who explained to me what I still didn't know of my kind, about Golden Crests, and the power sleeping in me.
I was warned about the path I had chosen, and that our kind shouldn't interact with humans.
Even though he said that, he would not interfere. His role is to watch over and provide knowledge.

But my master was a kind, strong and optimistic person. The likes which I had never seen before.
And before I knew it, I had fallen in love with him.
I didn't say anything...I still had on me the chains of my kind's teachings.

...then we met her.

She was a mage from a noble family who joined our travels.
With little difference in age between them, they quickly became friends.
I experienced jealousy, because it felt like she was taking him away from me, like there was a wall keeping me out.
When they fell in love, it was over for me, I couldn't bring myself to voice my feelings.

And so, the three of us returned to to my master's hometown, the capital of a kingdom.
They married and started a family...and I swore to serve them, the Flammeberg family.
All I wanted, was to be by his side...and I was fine with being a servant.

~~~~

Years passed, I have served the Flammeberg family for three generations, and saw two masters die of old age.
My current master is at his forties.

As for me...I didn't change much on the outside, only slightly taller.
But on the inside, I had grown a great deal.
Learned etiquette, table manners, behaving lady-like, being elegant, dancing, academic acomplishments.
...and of course, extensive knowledge of magic. I had become a respectable lady.

I saw many things change over the years, like magic academies being open for all, and not just nobles.
As well as wars, disasters, sickness...and death.

Witnessing all that, I noticed the differences between our kinds.
Humans are frail and short-lived. Like a flame, burning passionately and eventually dies out.
In their short lifetime, they can accomplish a great deal of feats, create many wonders and leave a legacy for their offspring.

But I'm a flame, one that burns slowly, giving a soft and steady light.
And having seen much of human's world and how they live, I chose to tutor children of the Flammeberg family.
So one day they grow into righteous and noble...like that person.

As I took care of children, I became fond of Ewan, the young heir of the family.
Even though I shouldn't, I couldn't help it. As he grew older the more he looked like my first master.
Once he turned 16, he was just like his ancestor.

I started thinking things I shouldn't, and wishing for what I can't have.
...And yet, I yearn for it. A partner, a lover...a family of my own.
So, I ended making the same mistake as before: I fell in love with a human.

Then my world started falling apart...again.

~~~~

War broke with the neighbouring nation, who were supposed to be in good terms with us.
All attempts to understand the situation proved fruitless, emissaries sent were killed, only their heads returned.
If the war couldn't be avoided. Then all that was left was to stand and fight to protect ourselves.

Ewan, who had been recently become the new head of the Flammeberg family, and I were sent to fight.
But the sheer number of enemy forces made us continuously fall back.
Until we were forced to make a last stand at the final fortress before the capital.

Using the fortress and its surrounding walls as a chokepoint, we kept them at bay, but it was a matter of time before they overwhelmed us again.
Bursting through the gates, the soldiers rushed in like bees out of a hive.
Even if we took them out, more would come, walking over their ally's bodies.
Still inside the fortress, we continued to fight. There was still one last gate before the capital, we had to hold them off.

In the chaos of battle, I noticed an ally aiming at my master. With no time to warn him, I put myself in the way.
The arrow plunged into my right shoulder. Even so, I shot down the sniper before he could attack again.
Seeing me wounded, Ewan told me to pull back, but I kept on fighting.

He called me stubborn, but we were in a desperate situation. Our side was losing soldiers while the other kept sending them in.
With only one hand usable, I pulled out the arrow and kept fighting.
I already knew this was a hopeless battle, that we were going to die...so at last I wanted to die with him at my side.
Though I didn't voice it that way, Ewan understood the meaning and replied with "I wouldn't be able to live without you!".

Hearing those words, my heart skipped a beat...and that was a fatal opening.
Though he warned me of the incoming attacks, I was unable to move.
Maybe it was the wound, or poison from the arrow...or I was simply shaken by his words.
Whatever it was, it caused the last fragment of my world to shatter.

...My master shielded me, with his own body.
The back of my neck felt hot, and out of nowhere, power surged into me.
A barrier closed around us, deflecting all incoming attacks.

We exchanged final words that confirmed our feelings, my eyes welled up in tears.
And in my arms, he passed away.

...Why? Why did it have to be this way? Why are we at war? Why are we forced to fight for no reason?
I kept asking myself pointless question, trying to figure out why am I not allowed to be happy.
At some point, the sound of attacks hitting the barrier had stopped, but it didn't matter to me.
I was too busy trying to figure out an excuse...yes, an excuse to blame some one or something for my sorrow.

Because...at that time, I was already broken.

~~~~

Darkness, I was all alone in that pitch black void, only able to see myself.

*thump**thump*

(...no...)

*thump**thump*

(...no...)

*thump**thump*

(...this can't be happening...)

*thump**thump*

(...now that I finally had found it...)

*thump**thump*

(...it's taken away from me...)

Then, something spoke.

<Aaaah, humans are so fragile...>
The voice took a shape similar to Maren, but clad in black, even her hair and empty eyes were jet black.
(Who are you?)
<I'm you, and I'm not you.>
(...)

<So, why are you so bothered by his death?> She asked.
(I love him.)
<Just like you loved the other one? You saw how the first ended.>
(This time it would be different.)
<Would it? To me, the result was the same, he just died faster than the other one.>
(Don't talk about my masters that way!)
<Whatever.> She shrugged, <What's the point of loving a human anyway? He'll just die before you.>
(That's not--)
<Yes it is. You cling to that delusion of loving a human to prove that you can coexist. There's so many flaws in it that I won't even point them out.>
(I can work!)
<Really?> She said with a tone of sarcasm, <Then how about life span, how will that work? Do you expect a miracle to happen or something?>
(......)
<See? How many times did humans envy you for your ten times longer life span? How you remain young while they wither away?>
(......)
<How many times did you suppress the urge to extinguish them for belittling you?>

<Face it. Humans die all the time. But it doesn't matter to you.>
(You're wrong.)

<I'm not wrong. You're not one of them, you'll never be.>
(You're wrong!)

<Then what can you do to stop it? Even now, humans are fighting eachother in a silly war.>
(I...I am a Golden Crest, it is my duty to stop this war.)
<Is it? Didn't the one you love just die in your arms?>
(......)

<In the end, what is a Golden Crest?>
(Huh?)
<All you know is that those born with golden hair and eyes are worshiped by our people. But what can they do?>
(I...don't know.)
<That's right. Nothing. You know nothing even though you're one of them.>
(But...just now, I think I used it.)
<Oh? The barrier? Yeah, that was pretty cool. But that was mostly out of despair.>
(I haven't fully awoken yet.)

<Then when will you?>
(...I don't know...I'm afraid.)
<Afraid?>
(Such immense power....I'm afraid I'll lose control of it.)
<You need it, don't you? Or do you want to die here, and acomplish nothing?>
(...But...)
<Leave it to me, I'll look after you. So do it, grab it, claim what is yours.>

Maren reached out to the emptiness, grabbing a golden sphere of light.
The "other" Maren embraced her from behind and whispered.
<Can you feel it now? The immense, raw power? With this, you'll never lose.>
(Yes...) Bewitched by the light and sweet whispers, Maren's eyes become empty.

<Do you see the nuisances outside? and what's beyond them?>
(Yes...)
<They took what was precious to you, But don't worry, together, we'll make it all go away.>
(I won't forgive them...)
<Yes. Everything. Release it. Kill. All of them. Until nothing remains before your eyes!>

~~~~

A pillar of golden light bursts from inside the fort, blasting te roof and blowing away any troops near it.
The ground and stone was scorched, and anyone that got caught in the blast was vaporized.

When the pillar narrowed and died out, the troops from both sides rushed in to investigate, but little did they know they were heading towards their demise.
At the center of the crater stood a young girl, with her eyes closed, still emitting golden light from her body.
On her head, two long fox ears burning at the tip, and on her lower back a long tail, also burning at the tip.

"God. Demon. Hero. Monster. What will you call me?" She spoke as she opened her eyes, also glowing gold.

The pressure was so much the soldiers couldn't advance, each step she took, they stepped back..
...Until a knight rushed at her. Leapt into the air, aiming at her head, his sword raised high.
But a simple look paralyzed him in mid air, the sword inches away from reaching her head.
"Your body shall scatter like ashes." and as she spoke, the weapon and armor became red-hot and melted first, then the knight burned to ashes in an instant.

Overwhelmed by anxiety, the enemy soldiers all rushed at her.
"Foolish mortals." She raised her right arm horizontally, and in a single motion, a wave or golden fire engulfed them, becoming ashes.
The ally troops, thinking Maren was on their side rushed in to attack, but those at the front suffered the same fate as the others.
Confused, they spoke up, demanding an explanation.

So, she spoke:
"I am destruction. Chaos. I bring forth nothing. I bless nothing. I save nothing. I just erase. Completely."
She then looked over her shoulder, eyes wide open and bearing a wicked grin as she said, "Burn."
And by those words, they did.

Alone in the fortress and surrounded by her own fire, she chuckled.
"Silly girl, giving me control so easily." She looked at her hands, moving the fingers to confirm.
"Weeell then, might as well keep my end of the bargain...and kill everyone from here to the other end of the ocean."

-------------------------------------

When she woke up, she didn't recognize where she was. Everything around her was destroyed.
The smell of smoke and various burnt "things", as they were in a state it was no longer possible to discern their original form.
Maren was dizzy and exhausted, the last thing she could remember was Ewan dying in her arms...and then...
"!"It suddenly rushed through her mind, what had happened.

She brought a hand to her mouth as she recalled things she did.
Men, women and children. Soldiers, farmers and scholars. Husbands, wives, sons and daughters...she had indiscriminately killed them all during her blind rage.
All that was left were burning ruins and ashes and a trail of destruction going as far as she could see.

The sin is just too big to carry...
Maren saw in the rubble the broken, scorched and half-melted pieces of a weapon.
Sword, spear or axe, it was no longer possible to tell, but she couldn't care less, it would still serve its purpose.
She grabbed the broken blade like someone who found something precious and held it closely, the edges biting into her hands, strings blood flow down her arms.

There's no way to atone from this...except death.
Aiming at her neck, she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

(...If I'm the core of all this misfortune, it will end here!) She thought.
And so, she thrusted the blade towards her neck...but it never reached her.

(H-huh?) Opening her eyes, she saw a bloody hand grabbing the edge.

"What do you think you're doing?" The woman spoke in a serious tone.
"...S-Sister?" Maren's eyes widened. It was her sister, Scarlet, who stopped the blade.

Her crimson eyes glared at Maren, a look of anger and disapproval.
"...Sister." Maren paused, her eyes blank and emotionless, "Let me go, this is the only way I can pay for what I have done..."

"Pay?" Still bearing the same expression, Scarlet rose an eyebrow. "Do you think your life is worth the same as thousands of people's lives put together?"
"This is all I can do! If I do this, no one else has to suffer!"
"Idiot! Killing yourself won't atone your sin, or stop someone somewhere from suffering. All you're doing is running away!!"
"R-running?" Maren looked at her sister.

The grip on the blade weakened, and Scarlet took it off her hands, throwing it away.
"No matter how long someone lives, it's impossible to make up for it...But you can still lessen the burden."
"H-how." Slowly, life returned to Maren's eyes.
"By doing what's right: protecting people and saving those in need. And stopping those who want to destroy people's happiness."

"...But, someone will still get hurt or die."
"That can't be helped! People get hurt and die all the time, even if you're not involved."
Maren remained silent, her head hanging low.
"I'm only giving one option, there are more...but that's up to you to find out."
"..."

Seeing her sister had calmed down, Scarlet scratched her head in frustration "Aah, I'm so not used to this responsible big sister thing..."
After gathering her thoughts, she pulled out of a pouch some bandanges and treated the cuts on their hands.

"But you know...your life or mine, they aren't ours alone to do as we please."
"What do you mean?"
"Our lives belong to us and to those close to us, like friends and family. You don't have the right to take it away, no one does."
"...Not mine?" Maren gave those words some thought as she looked at her bandaged hands.
"That's right, your life belongs to me and you, and my life belongs to you and me...and a few dozen people." She looked away on the last part.
Maren frowned, "You're still at it..."
"A-ahaha-ha..." She laughed weakly, "I can't help it..."
"That's good to hear."
"Huh?" Surprised, Scarlet looked at her little sister.
"That you didn't change a bit." Maren smiled.

Blushing, Scarlet got up, "A-Anyway...We should get going, it won't be long until someone comes here to investigate what happened."
"O-okay..." Maren stood as well.

~~~~

Already out of the ravaged area, the two had walked for a quite while. But Maren didn't speak, she followed her sister while sorting her toughts.
Reaching a fork in the road, Scarlet stopped and read the signs. The right road led to a small town, the left to a thick forest.

Turning around, Scarlet speaks, "So, any ideas of what to do? You can stick with me if you want to."
But Maren politely shook her head, "No, I don't want to bother you."
"Don't be so stiff, we're sisters. If you need help--"
"I have to do this alone..." Maren looked at the left road.
Scarlet looked at her sister's expression and sighed, "I see...It can't be helped then."
"Sorry." Maren forced a smile.
"It's okay, we may be sisters, but we're very different. And you have quite a burden on you."
"Yes..."
"But." The older sister paused, "Don't push yourself too much. So...If you ever need help--"
"I know..." She nodded.
"Well then, 'till we meet again." Scarlet turned to the right road. "See ya."
"Farewell."

...and with that, the two went their separate ways.

Finally, Scarlet gets her long awaited debut
She'll participate in a few more chapters, some coming very soon

This chapter also explains a few things that were left unanswered in WindS-B (Because I rushed to do it )
Even so, I'll do a brief explanation of it:

Spoiler for "Madness":

As you may have read, Maren survived the attack of the Black Beast (or rather, it let her live), but it didn't leave just a scar. She was also "infected", but being a Golden Crest kept her from being controlled by it.
The only times it had some control over her was when Maren was emotionally weak, like in Part 2 and this Part 3.

In this Part 3, the infection had total control over her, but was cleansed in the end because Maren awoke completely as a Golden Crest (That means the Crest Core became linked with her Linker Core and flooded her body with new mana, eliminating the infection)

Now...how did Fuuko get it?
In the yet-to-come last chapters of BreakerS, they face the Black Beast...and someone gets hurt, becoming infected, which is passed down to Fuuko. (Thus explaining her "madness" scene)

Who gets hurt? That's a secret...for now.

As for the next incoming piece, we'll be going back to the "present", a certain two will be having a date soon :3

Until then o/
*dash*

[MeisterBabylon]

Now the fun begins!

Spoiler for The Honorbound:

Magical Lyrical Athra: The Next Generation
"The Honorbound"

Phase 1.01

“Ah, mou!” Sein let loose in frustration. “Are we there yet?”

“Patience is a virtue you still lack, youngling,” Sister Schach returned gruffly over the shoulder.

“But we’ve been walking half an hour! Why couldn’t they beam us down closer...”

“It is paramount that our identities as outlanders are not discovered.”

Sein just made a face, and wondered again why did she volunteer to join the Saint Church. Sure, Mr Routan made a very enticing speech about the thrills of being a cleric knight, and Otto and Deed were already signed on to be Empress Vivi’ attendents, but NO ONE told her that she has so much studying to do. And now they were in the middle of nowhere, marching through brushed disguised as natives!

Speaking of that, Nakajima brushed through her hair, and felt her “ears” tingle. These ears were in fact magical implements, so that both knights appeared as felinoid as the next trooper down there. The guise even included a tail that moved, and felt, like the real thing. Sein watched her strict instructor tramp along, business as usual, and yet her violet tail was swishing about. The girl almost broke out a giggle when Schach’s ears twitched.

“Sein.”

“Yes!” The cyborg yelped in reflex.

“Run through the background of this planet for us.”

“Heeeh...” Nakajima protested. “Do I really have to?”

“A knight will be sent any where the Saint Council deems necessary, and she must know the ground like she knows her blade.”

The pair kept up the brisk pace.

“Come, tell me what you’ve read up on.”

“Um...” Sein stuck out a tongue and thought for a bit. “Flonyard is where we are... It is a non-administrated planet traditionally associated with the Saint Church Congregation. It became part of TSAB territory with rule recognized under Belka Aligned Territories, as stipulated in the agreement... thing...”

“The Declaration of Self-Government of the Belka Self Autonomous Region and Aligned Territories.” Nouera replied without skipping a beat.

“Yeah that mouthful thing.” Sein made another face. “It is populated by sentient humanoid races of predominately caninoid and feliniod body types, though there are other indigenous species as well. Technology level is mana-powered, pre-modern era, with a mix of commonly-used replicated technologies. These were recognized to be replicated technology as while records has been lost it is highly likely that there had been contact between the Ancient Belka Imperium and the natives at some point.”

“Very good,” Schach acknowledged. “See, you managed to get all that memorized so fast.”

“I’m a cyborg, I just record everything I see and access them again,” Sein griped. “That’s why studying is pointless for me! I can just log into a library and download everything.”

“But won’t you then be a vault of images and no recognition?”

There was no answer to that.

“Now, why are we here?”

Sein crossed her arms behind her head. “2 hours ago, a cutter carrying smugglers were discovered leaving Flonyard. The TSAB patrolcraft pursued, but the cutter was destroyed by an unknown device found on the planet surface. As these anomalies occurred on non-administrated Aligned Territory, Saint Council dispatched the first team to investigate without waiting for Bureau orders. You, Sister Schach of the Kaiser’s Space Ship Eternal Crusader, answered the call and here we are!”

“...mucking around on some unglam backwater planet...” Sein complained in soft postscript.

“Anything else?”

“Yes, we’re both disguised as cat women, to enter the faction called the Gallet Empire. We have to uncover what were the smugglers carrying off Flonyard, and locate their base of operations. Once that is confirmed, reinforcements will dismantle the den and everyone will withdraw under cloak. At no point must our presence be discovered.”

“And why is that?”

Sein sighed. She already lost the point of the whole conversation a while back. “Well... The Time Space Prime Directive states that unless the safety of the Bureau is threatened, all officers must not needlessly interfere with pre-void civilizations in order to assure that they continue to develop unhindered from outside forces. This includes impeding other non-Bureau entities from interfering with the native cultures.”

“Do you also want me to detail all 47 schedules, 341 appendices and 65 amendments to the Prime Directive, Sister Schach?” Nakajima was making her frustration known.

Nouera remained silent, and stopped suddenly, hand up in the air. Sein bristled, muscles stretching as defensive subroutines came to full strength.

[Do you hear that?] Came Schach’s psychic message.

Without a sound, Nakajima projected a fine energy array from her ears, and listened. At first there were faint echoes of voices, but as Sein amped it up, she could make out angry roars amid the clanging of metal.

[Sounds like... some kind of battle.]

[We must hurry, for there is no telling what this could mean for our investigation], Schach replied, skipping up the hillside before landing on the bough of a greater oak. [We’ll use the canopy as cover.]

Sein smiled. [Finally, some action!]

Now that the infodump is out of the way... Just gonna keep on chugging.

[FlameSparkZ]

Originally Posted by MeisterBabylon

Now the fun begins!

Spoiler for The Honorbound:

*snip* *snip*

Now that the infodump is out of the way... Just gonna keep on chugging.

Heh, I wondere where this is going

And now, back to BreakerS
This is a sort of recap/"what's going on" + foreshadowing chapter

BreakerS Continue

Spoiler for Chapter 24.5 - A day in Mid-Childa - Part 1:

[MC 075 - October 16th]

Less than a month as passed since the end of the JS Incident.
Peace has returned, everyone continues to live their lives accordingly...holding in their hearts the recent events.

Among those people is Minawa Kouji, 16, prefers to be called 'Koji' by his friends.
Approximately two years ago, Koji had reached his magical limit of C-.
Physical exams could not explain this sudden stop of growth and regardless of how much he trained, it wouldn't increase.
So, he chose to perfect his control of mana and improve cast efficiency.

Months went by and Koji managed to reach a Mage Rank of Ground Combat B, and transfered to the TSAB Ground Forces HQ.
Since his assignments were mostly patrol, or organize paperwork he had plenty of free time to keep his training.

Well...you know the rest: boy meets girl, little sister gets in the way, confessions, conflicts, contracts, etc...
Thanks to all those events, Koji became stronger and stronger, each time a step closer to his ideal self.
Yet, he still seeks for more strength...yes, if one can become stronger, then isn't it their duty to do so?

...With such desire, Koji woke up early and began his secret training.

But before that, let's go a bit up north...


[North Midchilda: Belka Self-Governed Region]
[Church of the Saint King Headquarters]


The Grand Cathedral of the Saint Church, its religion boasts the longest reach in the Dimensional World. A religion with a history continuing since Ancient Belkan times.
In its walls work many who devote their lives to helping others and maintaining the peace throughout the united lands.

Though most of the staff is already awake and working, there are some who take it easy, trying to sleep as much as possible before having to leave the comfort of their bed.
Schach walked along the hallway, stopped in front of a door, knocking twice. She expected an answer, but knowing that girl, chances were she's still asleep.

"Excuse me." Opening the door,Schach entered into an elegantly furnished bedroom. An armoire in the corner, a tea table near the window, a study corner with a bookshelf next to it, and finally a large four-poster bed, where someone still sleeps...
Though it is Carim's bedroom, sometimes that girl would sleep there too when invited...and by 'invited' I mean against her will.

"*sigh* She's like this every day." Dropping her shoulders, Schach looks at the bed. It hasn't even been a month, but the newest addition to the Saint Church acts as if she's been there since the beginning.
Schach walks towards the window and parts the curtains, instantly filling the room with light, "It's a beautiful day outside. How long are you going to stay in bed?"
"munyuu~~" She complains as the morning sunlight hits her face, then lazily pulls the sheets over her head and rolls over to the other side.

The sister frowns and walks up to the bed, "It's best to go get breakfast while it is still being served, you know?"
The lump on the bed moves around for a while, then raises itself, revealing the white haired angel: Altea.
With her ruby-red eyes half open, her long hair dishevelled, she tilted left and right with a sleepy, yet somewhat annoyed expression on her face.
Lazily looking around to grasp her location, Altea blinks, then turns to Schach.
"Good Morning." Shach greets her.
Still half-asleep, "Uu~heeaaahh~" the angel yawns, "...morning." She says before yawning again.
"Altea, a proper lady covers her mouth when yawning. And they don't open their mouth that much either" Schach points out.
"Mhmm..." the little angel nods slightly. "Mornings are such a pain..." She complained.

"Ahem!" Schach clears her throat, "A proper lady also minds her language." pauses for a second and resumes, "And is always on time for appointments."
"Yeah yeah...In a minute." Altea threw the sheets off her and lazily got out of bed.
"Also...Knight Carim is expecting you." Schach added.
The moment Altea heard that, she felt a chill go up her spine. "W-What?!" The little angel looked at Schach.
"You know what will happen if you keep Knight Carim waiting, right?" She hinted.
"I-I-I'll go get ready right away!!" She rushed to the bathroom.

Seeing her go at such speed, Shach couldn't help but giggle to herself.

----------------------------

[Riot Force 6 HQ - Outside]


It's early in the morning, but there's already activity in the training grounds, which was set as a forest by Shari.
There, an opaque green dome encompassed a small fraction of the forest, but with enough space for one freely to move around inside.
In the dome, Koji is training by himself, fighting a group of floating swords of various shapes and sizes.

"*pant* *pant* ...hehe." Koji smirked, "Looking good... *pant*" He kept his eyes on the ghostly swords.
Koji shifts his stance. "Let's pick up the pace!" He grinned with optimism. "Come!"
As if provoked, the swords lunged at him with great speed.


Near the training grounds was Shari, monitoring the place.
"*yawn~~* Really, waking me up so early to train." Shari looked at the monitor. "Asking for more modifications to his device and then testing them without allowing me to see what he's doing...what is that boy up to?"

That moment, Nanoha along with Yui, Maren and the Forwards walked up to her.
"Shari, good morning." Nanoha greeted her. "You're up early today."
"Nanoha-san. Good morning." She turned to her and greeted her.
Yui, Maren and the Forwards greet her as well.
Nanoha looked at Shari, "Hmm? Shari, are you okay? You look like you didn't sleep well."
"Hahaha." Embarrassed, Shari laughed, "I sorta stayed up late last night. I was so engrossed in my research, I lost track of time."
"Research?" Yui tilted her head to the side.

"Now that I think about it, every other afternoon, Shari and Signum go out somewhere." Teana says.
"And they return late at night, Shari then goes to the laboratory and continues working on something." Subaru adds.
"hahaha..." Shari laughs embarrassed, "So you know."
Nanoha sighed, "That happens every time you find something interesting. Try not to push yourself too much, okay?"
"Yes Ma'am." Shari replied.

Erio then noticed the dome in the forest, "What's that?" He faced towards the training grounds.
Caro looked as well, "That color, isn't that Koji-san?"
"That's right", Shari turned to them, "He's been inside that thing for an hour already."
"Hmm." Nanoha humms as she looks at it, "It's quite an unusual barrier."
"Yes." Maren joins the conversation, "It's a training barrier that I developed for myself." She paused, "It slowly drains magic and causes whatever is thrown at it from the inside to bounce back."
Erio blinked, "So...Koji-san is going to train his reflexes and dodging ability?"
"No." Nanoha replied with a smile, everyone looks at her. "It's not just that."

"Then what?" Erio asks.
"The other day, he came to me with questions about image training, visualizing and control of multiple shots. So if you piece it all together..."
"I see..." Maren smiled as she looked at the dome, "A new spell...isn't it?"
"Yes." Nanoha paused, "And it seems he's using himself as the target."
"Eh!? Isn't that dangerous?" Caro shifted her gaze between Nanoha and the dome.
"That seems to be the case." Nanoha sighs "Really...he's always like this when he tries something new."
"Though...this time we can't see what he's doing." Yui says with a worried tone.
"Koji-sama should be fine," Maren assures, "The barrier is dispelled when the caster orders it, is exhausted or is knocked unconscious."

"I-is it really okay?" Teana sweatdrops.
"He's been at it for an hour. I heard some loud noises from time to time, but that barrier hasn't gone down once." Shari points out. "He should be fine."

"Well, he wants to become stronger, Koji has always been like that. But one day he reached his magical limit, and his progress slowed down." Nanoha speaks.
"Magical limit?" Subaru asked.
"It's the limit of one's magic capacity, like a balloon it slowly increases the stored mana avaliable for the caster. But once the limit is reached, it won't take anymore and is expelled." Caro explains.
"Very good." Nanoha praises Caro, "But for Koji, his magical limit was unusually small, so he had to learn how to use it effectively."

"Yes, we had that conversation while training to get used to the increase of mana." Maren recalls, "I too found it odd."
"It was around two years ago, wasn't it? When Onii-chan got that result at a physical examination" Yui gave it some thought. "And the year before, he took several exams after the incident..."
"Incident?" Caro looked at Yui.

"Okay everyone." Nanoha claps twice, the Forwards turn to her, "Enough talking, let's get down there and warm up for this morning's training."
"Yes, Ma'am!" They replied.

----------------------------

[Saint Church]


To be blunt, Altea's new occupation is being Carim's pet...her personal life-size doll.
Yes, the proud 'Weaver of Mazes' has fallen from her pedestal.

Sharing the same hobby as Hayate (or maybe she made Carim take interest in it), Knight Carim uses her free time to make clothes.
Altea, who now lives in the Saint Church became the perfect subject.
Being bound to the 'Hall of Trials' located underground, she can only wander within the Saint Church's premises.
Even if she tries to run away, she can't go far...Carim can be devious sometimes.

Everyday Altea has to swallow her pride and wear extravagant clothes.
Also, her everyday wear became a modified nun's clothes with slits on the back for her wings.

Beside dealing with Carim, Altea also has to obey Schach.
Seeing how misbehaved the little angel was, Schach couldn't overlook it and decided to teach her proper etiquette.
So she also works as Schach's assistant.

Anyway...
Every morning, Altea has breakfast with Carim, then 'helps' her with her hobby before being freed to help Schach.
Apparently, she's filling in for a promissing trainee named Shante, who is still studying.

[Carim's Office]

When dealing with Belkan and Church affairs, documents are made of paper and writen with ink.
Carim herself enjoys using the quill and ink well. It's refined, elegant and preserves tradition.

At that time, two knocks on the door are heard.
"Come in."
"Excuse me." I heard behind the door before it opens.
Altea, dressed in the aforementioned outfit, enters pushing a cart with a tea set on top.
Still writting, Carim speaks, "Good morning, Altea."
"G-Good morning, Lady Carim." She stutters a little while preparing a cup.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
Altea blushes a little, "I-I did." and pours the tea into the cup.

Serving the tea to Carim, she enjoys the aroma. "You have been improving lately." she praises the tea she prepared.
"T-Thank you." Altea raises her head to look at Carim, and the moment she sees her smile, a feeling of nostalgia invades her.
(H-Huh? Where did I...) Her vision clouds, showing her a cloaked figure sitting just like Carim is, (It's like I've done this before, I get praised and then--)
"Altea?" Carim speaks, and the white haired angel snaps out of her trance.
"Eh?" She lets out, somewhat confused.
"Are you okay? It looked like you spaced out."
"Ah...no, it's nothing."
"If you're tired you can have some rest."
"No, I'm fine. Sorry if I made you worry." She bowed slightly.
Carim smiled. "I see." She takes another sip of tea.

She had to admit Carim was quite caring when her switch isn't on.
And doesn't mind holding hands or hugging, even knowing Altea's ability to read people's mind when in contact with them.
Though, things like "what will I make her wear next?" and "this might look good too" popped up in those moments...
Altea sighed mentally...can't be helped, it was Schach that said that those that don't work, don't eat.
Being outside the 'Hall' is inconvenient but...fun.

"Oh, by the way. I earlier received a message." Carim set the cup on the table, "Miss Shario will be coming today as well."
"G-guh." Altea jerked. (That weird woman again...)

----------------------------

[Riot Force 6 HQ - Training Grounds]

Morning training was progressing as usual when a loud explosion is heard.
"W-What was that?!" Subaru stopped her rollers and looked around.
"Oh my." Nanoha, who was airborne, already knew what the cause was.

The green dome vanished, and the smoke rose into the sky.
Noticing the pillar of smoke, Caro spoke, "Isn't that place--"
"Onii-chan!!!" Yui quickly flew over to the smoking area. The others followed.

Where the dome once was, now is a shallow crater with Koji sprawled in the middle.
Covered in dirt and Barrier Jacket torn all over, he winced at he pain spreading over his body.
"*cough* O-ow ow ow..." But the wounds weren't that serious, as the power was limited for training after all.

"Onii-chan!!" He hears Yui's voice approaching.
"Y-yo." He endures pain and grins as his little sister comes closer.
Yui kneeled over and checked her brother, "Onii-chan, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Raising his left arm high, he made a fist and raised the thumb, "N-never better."
Yui sighed in relief, then frowned, "Honestly...don't scare me like that."
As the siblings spoke the others arrived, "Is he alright?" Nanoha asked as she landed.
Like Yui, Maren kneeled and worried, she examined Koji.
But Koji grabbed her hand, "It's nothing serious." He smiled.
Maren blushed, "A-anyway, it's best to apply a healing spell."
"Yes, we should too." Yui looked at Caro, who nodded.

Koji shifted to a sitting position, "Thanks, I feel like I've been beaten up by Zafira. Haha--ow--" He tried to laugh but stopped.
As he was being treated, Nanoha stepped closer, "So, did you get the results you wanted?"
"Well, as I thought, controlling multiple objects at the same time is dificult. With Air's help, I can only control six at most. But--" He grinned, "The power was above my expectations."
"I see. That's good to hear. So, do you know what's next?" Nanoha asked.
With the healing spells' effects already working, he got up. "Yes. Just need to know how many."
"Hmm..." Nanoha gave it some thought, "Let's keep it light...hmm, 10 laps should do it. I have plans for you in this afternoon's training."
"Yes Ma'am!" Koji stood straight, "I'll be going then!" and started running at a marathon pace.

"What is Koji-san doing?" Erio asked as he saw him go.
"Running." Nanoha replied plainly.
"I-I can see that, but--"
"It's the usual punishment." Yui sighed as she got up, "I say usual, but it's been a while since the last one."
"Punishment?" Teana wonders.
"Yes, punishment for doing dangerous training. I got a few myself." She sweatdrops.
"So...10 laps means running around the training grounds ten times?" Caro asks.
"No." Nanoha cuts in, "Ten times around headquarters."

Everyone remained silent...

"He should've finished by lunch time, so let's continue with today's practice!" Nanoha turned to the Forwards.
"Y-Yes Ma'am!" they straightened themselves.

That's it for now :3
Enjoy my (mentally) Kugyu-voiced Altea
I'll post the second part soon...like, maybe next week?

*warps away*

[EDIT:] Added a bit more.