Nanoha FanFiction Discussion

[Crono_Cross]

@nanya:
I read the final chapter without reading to whole thing. Although I don't understand what exactly happened(yet) but I have to say that this is a pretty good Fic. Actually when i first saw the title i looked on fanfiction and found it lol.

So I'm going to read all the chapters(yes, i know there's alot..it'll take me four days.) And then give a Score style review. XD

But I'll give you this score for the epilogue: 8/10 for possible continuation and (while some would have sort expected it from the posts i read) very interesting ending.
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Also i might have the wrong spot to ask this but...what does anyone think of a Nanoha Fic with a character that was cloned using Nanoha, Fate and Hayate's DNA?(device would be also a combination of the three through stolen data). Also there would be a fight in a dimensional Worm hole.

This Idea has been handing in my head and some input would be nice.

[Justin_Brett]

Spoiler:

I was actually planning to have a villain who's a clone of Nanoha in my story, now that you mention it.

[Akiyoshi]

Originally Posted by Justin_Brett

Spoiler:

I was actually planning to have a villain who's a clone of Nanoha in my story, now that you mention it.

Spoiler for suguestion xD:

If this is of some help i recommend to you read/watch the "Another Crisis" doujin, a couple of chapters have been translated and it depicts a Parallel Universe Evil Nanoha as the main antagonist xD

[Justin_Brett]

That story's kind of dumb and silly though, so I probably won't use anything from it.

That and the character in question isn't an AU thing, either.

[Akiyoshi]

Originally Posted by Justin_Brett

That story's kind of dumb and silly though, so I probably won't use anything from it.

That and the character in question isn't an AU thing, either.

I agree with you in the sillyness, AU Nanoha is pretty overpowered but at least the justification is kind of plausible(instead of the Cartridge System, AU Rising Heart is fitted to use freakin Jewel Seeds as a boost powersource), the fights are entertaining and the art is good xD

I was talking more about the concept of a "Dark/Evil Nanoha", AU is just one of the ways to execute that. She can be a time traveller, an Evil clone, a doll made in her image, a robot, an evil twin, a doppleganger spirit, etc...

[bhl88]

Just like that evil grinning Nanoha in the image thread.... (a special dark piece)

[NorthernFallout]

Oh hai. I heard dark. And I was in crazy mode. So have my most ultimate Walla-tan short.

I take no responsibility.

Spoiler for The Beast: Censored for your pleasure:

Wallachia sat on her knees on the beach and drew circles in the sand with a finger. For weeks she had done nothing, as if some outer force had pulled her inside herself and made her apaethic. She had felt no urge to hunt, no urge to feed. Her frustration only built when she tried to understand it.

Why don’t I feel it?

The beach around her was quiet, bar the waves crashing onto it. The evening breeze that stroke her cheek wasn’t strong enough to make her hair tangle together. No people were at the beach, though that wasn’t surprising seeing how it was autumn. The bathing season was long over, which was part of why she now sat there by herself, brooding.

The urge. It’s just gone.

She stopped drawing circles and stood up, looking left and right. The beach stretched for miles in each direction.

Might as well go home.

What home was now she was uncertain of. Her hideout, the one she had used for a long time had finally been raided by local authorities .She had just about escaped the chaos that ensued and as a result she had wandered the city for some time, taking shelter where she could. She knew she didn’t really need shelter, but it felt nice to have something akin to a ‘home’.

As she walked at a slow stride down the beach, she could hear footsteps from behind. They were approaching fast, each step making a soft sound against the sand. She turned her head slightly. Nothing but a jogger. She kept walking and ignored the person that came up on her right.

“Hello, Wallachia.”

She rose an eyebrow and looked at the female jogger. The woman was smiling as she slowed down to match Wallachia’s walking. “How do you know my name?”

The woman said nothing, but didn’t leave Wallachia’s side either. She tried to ignore her, but when she looked forward again she could see two more figures converging on her.

Wallachia attributed what happened next as her own mistake. Since the urge to hunt had left her a long time ago, she hadn’t trained nor kept up her guard in the past days. The latter proved to be what made her fall.

Her body spasmed as the jogger pierced her back with something that made her nerves and muscles constrict. Her mouth opened but no voice came. Drool instead ran from the corner of her mouth as her eyes turned back in her head. As her legs buckled, the last thing she felt was the woman’s knee connecting with her face.

*

“Don’t you think you were a bit... Violent?” a voice said. Wallachia shook her head and blinked. Reality began to come back, and along with it, pain around her nose. She tried to wriggle it, but a sharp pain struck her. Broken.

“Violent? After all she’s done? She deserves it. She deserves more,” a second voice said, very similar to the jogger. Now that her vision had returned she pulled her head up from its dangling position. A man and a woman looked at her.

“She’s coming to,” the man said.

“She sure is,” the woman added and delivered a fist to Wallachia’s head. Pain erupted again and her hearing whined. She felt blood trail down from where the skin had broken.

“She won’t be able to talk if you keep doing that,” the man said. Despite his words, his eyes weren’t really seeing her. His posture was lax, too. Wallachia decided he was indifferent to what was going on.

“The Blood Angel? Please. She can take a lot more than this. See it as emotional therapy for me.” The woman wiped her hands on a towel. “Well, I guess I can wait a little.”

“Torture. Nifty,” Wallachia said and spat blood. She couldn’t articulate herself as good as she wanted. Her face was sore and her mouth numb. “I didn’t think the TSAB did such things.”

“So you can talk.” The woman grabbed her by the hair and held her head up. “Let me tell you something. We aren’t the TSAB, and we aren’t on Mid-Childa. Outside their territory, see? Which means we can do whatever we want.”

“Lovely,” Wallachia said. The woman released her hair and let her head droop. Wallachia took the opportunity to feel her limbs. She felt her hands locked behind her, but the rest of her body was free from constraints.

The speakers came alive.

“Schmidt. Valenko. Begin the interrogation. You have absolute security clearance. Cameras and microphones are shut off.” The voice was silent for a moment before adding; “Make her suffer.”

“You hear that, Valenko?” the woman, Schmidt, said. “Let’s begin. God, I can’t tell you how excited I am!”

Wallachia smiled a little and looked up. “You’re interesting.”

“I’m interesting? I could say the same thing about you.” Schmidt walked around her and came to stand behind her back. “But I’m not really interested in you, at least not in that way. No, what I’m more interested in is where you got that power of yours.”

“Oh. So that’s why you brought me here. You weren’t planning to arrest me at all. You just want a piece of the cake.”

She could feel Schmidt’s hands touching her own. “You disgust me. That’s what my superiors want. They disgust me too.” She took hold of one of Wallachia’s fingers. “I just want you dead. But not before I can have a little fun.”

It had been a long time since Wallachia had known the pain of broken limbs. When her left index finger was pulled back until its joints exploded on its own, she remembered it very well, but all she did was grin.

“Fun? I know what fun is like. You’re almost like me,” she said. She felt another finger break in two and her grin faltered, but only for a moment. The noisy crack bounced off the walls.

“Like you?” Schmidt said from behind her. “Me, a monster? No, miss von Abram. I could never get to your level.”

Another finger was broken, turned sideways. Wallachia couldn’t supress a low groan that forced its way out. She could only sense Schmidt smiling.

“So you do feel some pain,” she said. “Valenko. Bring me the bolt cutter.”

Valenko picked up the tool and handed it over. Wallachia could feel the cold steel against her broken fingers. It started to clamp down on them, drawing blood from her broken skin.

“I wonder what hurts more? Breaking fingers or cutting them off?” Schmidt said.

The bolt cutter slammed shut and Wallachia grit her teeth, keeping any noise in. She heard three wet noises behind her as the fingers hit the floor. She grinned wider despite the sweat breaking out on her brow.

Schmidt gave the bolt cutter back to Valenko. “Not a sound. You are a monster,” she said and came to stand in front of Wallachia again. “Do you want to talk?”

“Nope,” Wallachia said and giggled.

“I see. Well, I wonder what... Ah.” Schmidt unholstered her handgun and pointed it at Wallachia.

“Do you need knees?” she said and shot her twice in both knees. Wallachia yelped as she felt her kneecaps explode into tiny bone fragments that pierced her skin. She saw her blood pump from her exposed veins and something inside her clicked at the sight of it.

“Still no talk? I’m glad. This is fun.” Schmidt holstered her weapon and took out a hunting knife from her breast pocket. She bent down on one knee to face Wallachia on an even level. They stared at each other as Schmidt inserted her knife into Wallachia’s mouth and pressed it gently against her cheek.

“Original,“ Wallachia said and smiled. Schmidt smiled back, then cut her cheek in two. Blood flowed into Wallachia’s mouth and she coughed as it got into her throat. Her cheek hung in two fleshy pieces.

“Don’t like the taste of your own blood, do you?” Schmidt looked down on the blood that had amassed on the floor. “Just what kind of monster are you...”

“A scary one?” Wallachia’s voice was slurred, but she kept grinning. It seemed to piss Schmidt off and she grinned wider because of it.

“Alright. Gloves comes off,” Schmidt said. “Valenko, suggestions?” Valenko handed her a hammer and a nail without saying a word. Schmidt chuckled.

Wallachia was a monster, as Schmidt had said. She knew that herself. But even monsters had fears. As Schmidt approached, she felt her heart banging a bit faster in her chest, but she didn’t show it. She kept her grin up even as the nail was placed at her eye. Valenko held her head so she couldn’t move. The nail seemed to glint in the light.

“This nail is long,” Schmidt said. “I might kill you. Still don’t want to talk?” Wallachia shook her head to the extent that she could. Schmidt shrugged and slammed the hammer against the nail.

Wallachia shrieked as the nail penetrated her left eyeball, crushed the bone behind it and nudged her brain. Her body spasmed, back arched and muscles constricting, for a few seconds before it started to repair the minor damage on her brain. She grit her teeth against the pain and groaned while blood flowed down her cheek. She could feel the nail buried in her bone.

“Nasty,” Schmidt said. “But still alive! I’m not sure if I should nail one into your other eye, though. You could die next time.”

Wallachia opened her good eye and grinned at her.

“Still no talk I see.” Schmidt grabbed another chair from the room and put it in front of Wallachia. After that she picked up Wallachia’s left foot and placed it on it so that her leg, with its knee already crushed, lay as a poorly built bridge, suspended in the air. She then stomped down on it with her boot so it bent the other way. Bone fragments pierced tendons and skin on the way down. The loud crack gave off an echo.

Wallachia grit her teeth harder and only offered them a high-pitched whine. She breathed harder as her body finally noticed the damage it was taking. Schmidt removed the chair and Wallachia’s leg bounced against the floor.

“You’re scaring me,” she said. “You are more than a monster. An abomination. The power you have, even with the anti-magic field in this room, is so strong it’s keeping you alive. How far can you go with this power?” She shook her head. “The bosses are insane for wanting this. It’s not even human.”

“Abomination... you say,” Wallachia murmured and spat blood. “Yes, that’s fitting.”

Schmidt wielded her knife again and approached her. She forced some kind of bracers into Wallachia’s mouth to force her mouth open. The straight hole on her cheek grew wider and Schmidt tapped the knife against her teeth.

“You got fangs. Huh. Didn’t expect that,” she murmured. The tip of the knife decided upon one of her teeth and it pushed against it. Wallachia braced.

Schmidt thrust the knife and ripped the teeth out with its roots. The guttural scream from Wallachia was repeated as Schmidt stabbed one after another. After five teeth had been ripped off, she ground the tip of the knife into Wallachia’s exposed gums and dug around.

Her body arched back and her good eye rolled back from a pain she had never experienced before. It was so strong her senses were overwhelmed and it didn’t stop until several seconds after Schmidt pulled the knife. Wallachia calmed down then, the pain abating in her mouth, yet still there.

“One weakness. Good. Valenko, break the rest of her fingers now,” Schmidt said. Valenko walked behind Wallachia and she felt his rough hands embrace hers. Seven loud pops in rapid succession followed, but the pain barely reached her. It was nothing compared to her mouth. She tried to grin, to mock them, but her muscles wouldn’t work. She only managed a half-smile.

“Unshackle her and lean her over the table,” Schmidt said and Wallachia felt her hands drop to her side as her constraints were loosened. Since she couldn’t stand on her crushed legs, Valenko pulled her arm over his shoulder and carried her over. Her head slammed against the wooden table as Valenko dropped her. Then they each took one of her hands and spread them on the table.

Wallachia watched as they spread her remaining, now broken, fingers and Schmidt placed a nail beside each of them.

“Want to talk now?” she said. Wallachia said nothing. “No, didn’t think so.”

She hammered through Wallachia’s fingertips, through her nails and through her bone. For each hit her body flinched, but she couldn’t look away. Valenko kept her head up, forcing her to watch.

When Schmidt put the hammer down, Wallachia was shaking. Now that some time had passed, so had the pain in her mouth, but only so it could grow stronger in her fingers. She was numb all over. She felt hot. Sweat mixed with the blood dripped from her body.

Her eye ached. She closed her good eye for a moment. When she opened it again she managed to see another nail in front of her before it plunged into her remaining eye. She screamed.

Now blind, and with new pain spiking where the newest nail had penetrated, she could only hear and guess what was coming next. Her breathing increased and her past calmness went away. She was swimming in darkness, caught in a box. She didn’t like it. She hated it.

Both of her interrogators had fallen silent, and she figured it was on purpose to confuse her. All she could hear was a zipping noise and something falling to the floor behind her. She flinched as Valenko’s hands grabbed her thighs and spread them apart. Her clothes were torn off and she felt a cold draft against her naked legs.

“Well, Valenko,” Schmidt said, ”have fun.”

Wallachia tried to disregard what happened next. Pain spiked in her lower regions, but she grit her teeth. Darkness was all she could hold onto. A darkness that strangled her.

Feed.

A voice infiltrated her head. The noises, the smell of her own blood and the feeling of pain became dull and distant. She felt as if time slowed down, but she still saw nothing.

Inner power. True power.

Her heart jumped, infused by something she had almost forgotten. An old memory from years before. She didn’t understand the relevance of it. But she did understand the power that she felt.

Unleash the Beast.

Time returned. It was as if she had been sleeping for the past year. She had forgotten so much. Taken so much for granted.

The Beast within was waiting.

“Hey. Big guy,” she said and lay her head on the side. She saw nothing, but felt Valenko’s eyes upon her. “This has been nice and all... But have you read about what kind of monster I am?”

“Of course I have. Manipulating blood and all that,” he said. “So what? The anti-magic field is active. You can’t do shit.”

“True. Except that it just turned off.”

Her fangs grew and her grin become wider than ever. The spikes in her eyes clinked onto the table as her tissue regenerated, pushing them out. Her eyes were flaming red and she could see the sudden horror in Valenko’s face as her words sunk into his thick skull.

I am the Beast.

Valenko howled as he stumbled back with only a gory hole left of his crotch. The room filled with blood as it sprayed everywhere. Wallachia’s bones cracked and popped as they rebuilt themselves. Her wounds healed and new teeth sprang into her mouth, pushing through the old tissue. Indescribable pain took over her body while it regenerated, but it only lasted for a few seconds before she broke down into laughter and sobs. She cried and laughed at the same time, her mind overloaded with so many emotions that it broke down.

Valenko was still screaming at his missing crotch when Wallachia ran up to him and pummeled his crotch with a fist. It went straight through, crushing pure bone and exploded through his lower spine. She held him up like that, speared through with an arm, before she threw him against the wall. His head spread its contents as it splattered from the impact.

As the room began to retch from intestines and brain matter, she turned to Schmidt. The woman was clawing at the door that refused to open. She was covered in the blood that had flown around. Her eyes were wide and she kept screaming incoherent sentences.

“No cameras. No microphones.” Wallachia roared with laughter at the hardened interrogator that had been reduced into a panicking wreck. “I am going to have fun with you, bitch.”

“This wasn’t... How could this...” Schmidt sobbed and sunk the floor as Wallachia approached. “I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t refuse!”

“A choice? You always have a choice. You just choose the wrong one.”

“No, you don’t understand! They would kill me if I didn’t. Besides, you’re just a monster.”

“I am a monster.” Wallachia stopped and looked down at her hands. “No, that’s not right. I’m something more than that. More than an abomination.” She looked at Schmidt. “And so are you.”

“W-what?”

“I have magic. I am more than a monster because I slaughter and feed. What are your reasons for torture? You are just a human. You have no magic. Yet you do deeds similar to what I have done. You torture to your heart’s content. You enjoy it.”

“No...”

“Yes. You are a monster like me.”

Wallachia shuddered as tentacles of blood pierced through her back and came to float above her. Schmidt screamed as they shot forward and wrapped themselves around her limbs. With a tilt of Wallachia’s head, they crushed her limbs in one strike and dropped her to the floor.

“You are human and die easily. We can’t have that,” Wallachia said and bent down next to her. She ripped the vest open with one hand and exposed Schmidt’s chest. “But I can’t contain myself.”

She bit down on Schmidt’s left breast, drawing blood. She licked her nipple with her tongue as she increased the pressure. Schmidt screamed, but couldn’t even fight back. Her limbs trashed about on the floor without doing any good.

Her breast burst. Blood sprayed across Wallachia’s face. She started to shake as she tasted the blood, euphoria awakening inside her. She felt her skin prickle and warmth spread through her.

“Now. I need it now.”

Her fist dug into Schmidt’s flesh and found her lung. It was crammed between her fingers as she ripped it out of Schmidt’s chest and threw it away. She then bit down with her mouth and sucked the blood that flowed out from the gaping hole. Her tongue licked the tissue and she shuddered again.

“I missed this... so much,” she mumbled between gulps. Schmidt didn’t respond, her eyes already settling back into their sockets. Wallachia looked up and giggled. With blood and saliva hanging from her mouth she gave Schmidt a deep kiss as her life left her body. At the same time she bit down and ripped Schmidt’s tongue off.

“Too quick,” Wallachia said and pouted as she withdrew her head, teeth firmly holding Schmidt’s tongue. One of her tentacles encircled Schmidt’s head and pulled. The skin broke, but the flesh strained until it couldn’t hold it together anymore. The blood that sprouted from the body covered Wallachia who drank in pleasure.

While the blood flowed down her throat, burning in her stomach, she was aware that she had to escape while she still had the chance. The Beast, as powerful as it was, wouldn’t last much longer. Its power was too demanding, too powerful for her body to handle for more than a couple of minutes.

Time worked against her.

With one last gulp she let go off the body and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. It came away sticky and wet. She stood up and approached the door. Her fingers tapped the hard surface to try and find a weak spot. When she found one, close to the door’s hinges, the blood tentacles sprung forth from her back, coiled back and slammed against the door. The metal buckled. The tentacles hit again. The whole door groaned, but still stayed on its hinges.

Wallachia put everything she had into the next one and the door flew away from her, into the group of soldiers that had amassed outside. It made them trip backward, taking a moment to recover.

A moment that gave Wallachia the opening she needed.

--------Extra-------

A question many historians and academia have asked themselves is what “The Beast” really is. From the documentation so far, “The Beast” is a given name to a mythological magical creature that was revered in Mid-Childa’s early civilizations. Some historians have drawn parallels to Cerberus, the watchdog from Hell, but others argue this is not the case due to several factors.

In the myths and legends regarding “The Beast”, it is a 4-headed gargantuan dragon, or lizard. References to canines are never drawn, but the mention of Hell, especially the variant from the Christian faith found on Earth, comes up several times. However, what it actually does is uncertain.

As for what the creature was revered for, opinions differ. Some say it was a sacrificial god, others a god of violence. Some even attribute cannibalism. But what is agreed upon is even more disturbing: The manifestation of this creature, on the par with demi-gods, came from within a person with the right, latent, personality, giving he or she power beyond recognition. The price for the power, however, is mentioned in the old tale “The Boy and The Beast” - wherein a pact is made between the aforementioned characters - and it is a fragment of one’s soul, contributing to the revival of the True Beast that rests within.

[Old_Iron]

Here comes chapter 5, fresh from the forge and beta'd by Kuroi Hadou. Enjoy =3

Also, you may blame him for the creation of the cavity inducing ice cream parlor scene.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3a
Chapter 3b
Chapter 4

Spoiler for Swords and Shields: Chapter 5:

Much to Zwei’s delight, there happened to be an ice cream parlor within a relatively short distance of the Infinity Library. 64 Flavors was the parlor's name, and judging from the bustle, appeared to be rather popular.

Though Yuuno would admit he wished the parents would keep a better eye on their children. He'd been kicked in the shins twice already, a fact Zwei found to be most amusing if her snickering was any indication.

“Yes, yes, let’s all laugh at the ferret's misfortune,” Yuuno stated with some good-natured sarcasm after a third child turned Zwei's snickering into blatant giggles. He noticed they were approaching the front of the line and turned to his pale haired companion, “Do you know what you want?”

Zwei placed a finger to her lips in a contemplative manner, “Hmm... I'm really torn between the Divine Chocolate Buster and the Nova Cocoa Explosion. Ooh, they both look so good.” Not only did they look delicious, but also appeared to contain enough chocolate to fill Zwei’s mouth with cavities. The young woman's love of the sweet was not something to be trifled with.

“You should decide quickly. We're next,” he cautioned Zwei, who appeared to look more and more undecided with each passing second. When her blue eyes looked like they had taken up playing ping-pong, Yuuno sighed and resigned himself to his choice with a small smile. So much for vanilla…

Not a moment later, it was their turn. The server behind the counter greeted them with a smile that turned into a grin when she took a better look at the pair, “Welcome to 64 Flavors, the best ice cream in the TSA. What can I get for the father-daughter pair?”

There was a pause as they two processed the server's words, Zwei turning scarlet and Yuuno coughing into his hand to try and salvage his calm. “Um… we'll have one scoop of the Divine Chocolate Buster and the Nova Cocoa Explosion each,” He requested in an embarrassed tone, the concept of clarifying the misidentification not even crossing his mind.

The server bit back a chuckle at her customer's reactions as she entered their order into her terminal. It had been on a whim, but the lighthearted assumption was not too out of the blue, considering she'd been dealing with parents and children for the better part of her shift. At least they seemed to be good sports about it if she happened to be wrong. Though the lack of immediate denial on their part certainly added to her mirth.

"Coming right up, pops."

The server seemed far too amused by their supposed relationship in Yuuno's opinion. As best he could tell, he and Zwei didn't share any physical features to begin with, and he didn't look old enough to fill the role. Not with Zwei at the very least... did he?

There was no follow up to the server's comment and Yuuno paid the requested number of credits for the frozen treats. Both of which were served up in a few minutes, much to Zwei’s unconcealed delight. He offered his companion one of the two cups, and they sought out a booth where they could enjoy their impromptu dessert.

"You like it?" questioned Yuuno rhetorically when he saw the blissful smile on the young woman's face after she had ravished a spoonful of the deadly chocolate construct. He took a bite of his own and suppressed a wince; he liked chocolate, but this was just overkill.

Zwei nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks a lot, Dad." The grin on her face let him know she found the server's view — and his resulting embarrassment — to be rather amusing.

The blonde man sighed, "I'm not going to live that down am I?"

"Nope!" She responded with a smile. "Besides, it’s not completely inaccurate, now is it?"

He gave a smile of his own in return. "Not really, no. Ah, you've got some on your face." Yuuno picked up a napkin and lightly wetted it with his tongue before reached over and wiping the errant smear of chocolate from Zwei's face, eliciting a light blush and an embarrassed pout from her.

They spent their time chatting about mindless things, ranging from the library to Hayate's latest cosplaying schemes. Every now and then, Zwei would steal a bit of Yuuno's own ice cream, though he didn't complain or offer any resistance to her actions.

After a while, Zwei took on a somewhat serious look as she stared down at her empty cup. "Yuuno, do you mind if I ask you something?" She fidgeted slightly in her seat.

Yuuno looked a little confused. "Sure, what's wrong?" If earlier was any indication, she was likely going to ask something about her pink-haired elder sibling.

She shifted in her seat before raising her gaze to meet Yuuno's. "Um... what do you think of Signum?" Zwei's innocent blue eyes held neither a hint of teasing nor evidence of mischief.

"Of Signum, huh..." stated Yuuno before leaning back into the padded seat of the parlor. He closed his eyes in thought, drowning out the world around him as he focused on the mental image of the Wolkenritter's leader. Every expression she made, every curve of her body as she danced with her sword, all of it and more flooded into his mind.

"I think... I think she's a powerful and strong-willed woman. One who never gives up and who loves her family very much." He paused for a moment, opening his eyes as he did so. "...I also think she is an incredibly beautiful individual, perhaps the most beautiful I’ve ever seen," he admitted with a tinge of red upon his cheeks.

I see..." Zwei trailed off as she considered Yuuno's words. In all honestly, she was hoping for a bit more of an explanation from him. Maybe he didn't quite know what he thought of her sister. Still, she had been expecting the comment about Signum's beauty. Zwei knew Signum was a strikingly gorgeous woman and many others shared that opinion. "Why do you think she's so beautiful?"

Why?" Yuuno clarified, receiving an affirmative nod. "It’s... not something that can easily be put into words, but I'll try." He searched his mind for a comparison that would work, and ultimately continued returning to one in particular. "Which would you consider more beautiful? A sword sheathed and resting on a peaceful mantelpiece or a sword being used as it was meant to be?"

Zwei seemed a little puzzled at Yuuno's comparison, but urged him on regardless, which he obliged. "I think both are beautiful scenes, but the sword in motion is so much more so. It’s in its element, where it can fulfill its purpose and exert itself to the fullest. Kinda like Nanoha when she takes to the sky or Fate when she's working hard on a case. They’re in their element, and doing what they enjoy. They’re content. That's why I believe that Signum in the heat of battle is the most beautiful Signum of all," finished Yuuno with a smile upon his face.

For her part, Zwei was rendered speechless by the time Yuuno finished. After a while, she crossed her arms and took up a thoughtful expression. No words were spoken for a long while, even after the young woman relaxed her posture. Finally, she nodded, "I approve."

Yuuno's questioning glance was met with a mischievous smile.

-Scene Break-

It was later that evening, after having enjoyed a rather delicious and enjoyable dinner with the family, when Signum found herself lost in thought. She was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. The meeting with Nanoha earlier in the day was still fresh in her mind.

The points Takamachi had raised against her, the accusations… each one was forcing Signum to take a long, hard look within herself and re-examine the events leading up to her confrontation with the Ace of Aces.

Her first bout with Scrya, the match which had started their descent into this madness, came to mind. It had started simple enough; two combatants trading blows as a means of testing one another's skill. She would admit the match had been... lackluster, to put it one way. It had contained none of their usual drive at the onset, though she could blame some of it on her being fresh and Scrya having been at it for a considerable time beforehand.

Then he had changed the game. Scrya had abandoned his tried and true method of defensive combat to lash out at her. It had been clumsy and ill-executed, but the surprise of it had allowed him to land a single, powerful strike against her. Signum would admit she found the fire within her to be overwhelming at that moment.

It wouldn't be until they spoke afterwards would she discover why he'd taken such action. At the time, she wanted to see it through. Help turn him into a proper warrior who could do more than just hold a shield. She wanted him to take up his sword, left idle and rusted beneath his mighty bulwark. But it had changed so rapidly. In the course of hours, her direction had begun to warp under fantasy.

Signum wanted to see what kind of mighty blade Scrya had hidden from them all, from her. She would strip those layers of rust from his weapon and polish it until it shone as brightly as his shield.

Their second bout had further warped her desire to see him flourish as a warrior. Scrya had been feeding her exactly what she wanted: a fight without limits. Looking back she could painfully and honestly admit by the end of the match, she was less concerned about him becoming a more skilled combatant, and more with the dark, seductive thrills he was giving her.

Takamachi's words about her bout with Testarossa came to the forefront. Regardless of her own reasoning, Signum now realized her desire for a bout of warfare had bled so thoroughly into her match with the blonde woman it had become a thuggish beat down.

Why had she allowed herself to fall so far? To drink so deeply of Scrya's offered wine without considering the consequences? In only two bouts with him, she had become drunk enough to pulverize Testarossa and savor every moment of it. She recalled the feeling of Laevatein carving out the air in an effort to cut the blonde down, the crunching feeling of hardened foot and fist meeting flesh. It had not lit the same fire as it had with Scrya, but it had ignited all the same.

But... What did not change was the fact the fire had been lit in the first place.

Signum's face burned as she began thinking about her last match against Scrya. He had been so driven, so determined to conquer and violate her role as the oppressor. Even so outmatched as he was, he never gave in. She wetted her lips at the thoughts coming to mind. Vicious exchanges, their bodies slick with blood and sweat, every sinfully delicious image of combat with him.

A heat began to rise within her, only to be brutally washed away by the chilling reminder of Takamachi's accusation of using Scrya as a... toy. Could she honestly deny the thrill he had brought her in their last battle? Signum felt she could not. It made the accusation of her ability to cast him aside like a used rag all the more worrisome.

The image of tossing Scrya aside the moment he was unable to stoke the flames of her battle lust was... uncomfortable. It left a harsh feeling in the center of her breast. Signum attempted to conjure up images of other warriors taking his place, but no matter how vicious the battle, no matter how violent the exchanges… none of them reached the same level her deadly dances with Scrya had. It mattered not how powerful nor how driven her theoretical foes were. None came close.

The harsh feeling worsened to a nearly physical pain as Signum imagined the scenario of breaking Scrya, leaving him dead and ruined as she devoured him in battle. Consuming so greedily of the offered fruit there was nothing left of him. She did not desire such an outcome, but Takamachi's tirade had made such a possibility impossible to ignore.

She wanted to engage in battle with him beyond this now warped arrangement.

She reached towards the ceiling of her room. "I... do not wish for this to end, but I do not wish to break him, either..." In the silence of her room, Signum made a promise to herself: she would not abstain from drinking of his wine and tasting of his fruit, but she would endeavor to do so in moderation. Failure would ultimately... shatter him.

The question still lingered in the back of her mind however.

Could she?

-Scene Break-

It was days later when a certain call came in and Signum soon found herself struck with the sudden desire to be anywhere but the chair upon which she was currently seated. Sitting across from her on the couch was her Lady Hayate, looking rather... irate. Yes, irate was the best way to describe her Master's current mood.

"Signum, I would greatly appreciate an explanation for the rather peculiar message I received today courtesy of Knight Carim." Hayate's voice was amiable on the surface, but held an undercurrent of irritation and general displeasure. Signum idly wondered if she was going to wind up in the maid outfit again.

Hayate arched an eyebrow. "Something about 'boot camp'?"

Definitely the maid outfit.

Steeling herself, Signum held nothing back. "After my recent match with Testarossa, I came to discover what I believed to be a number of... uncomfortable truths."

"Go on," the brunette prompted with a flat expression. Whatever 'truths' her Knight believed she had found in the wake of her battle with Fate were sure to be interesting, to say the least; particularly if she had not revealed them until forced to.

"Many were in regards to Testarossa herself, but it led me to consider similar situations with the other members of our group. Particularly you, Lady Hayate." When Hayate did not respond, Singum continued, "I am well aware you have always been a hard worker, but your... physical constitution has me concerned, especially after so many years behind a desk."

"Signum, are you saying I'm fat?" Hayate asked incredulously. She could hardly believe her ears. Did Signum honestly think she had let herself go to the point of needing military-grade training to get into shape? Sure, she wasn't as fit as she'd have liked, but she took good care of herself and kept in shape as well as she could considering the amount of time she spent at her desk. It hardly required such drastic measures.

The pinkette blinked as she processed the brunette's question. "No, that is not what I am saying. I am more concerned with your ability to stand up to a foe in close quarters. You yourself once said Ru Lushe was more than capable of besting you in hand-to-hand combat."

Hayate sighed and put her head in her hands, bemoaning Signum's too-serious attitude in places. "Signum, that was a joke… and an old one to boot."

"I am well aware. However, following my encounter with Testarossa... it did not seem so amusing," admitted Signum with some slight hesitation.

"That still doesn't explain why you pulled in a favor from Carim to sign me up for boot camp, much less not tell me about it in the first place." The brunette had a feeling she knew where the conversation was headed now, but wanted to hear it from straight from Signum's lips.

Signum had the decency to look abashed at Hayate's words. "I... do not have an excuse for not informing you. For that, I apologize and ask your forgiveness." She bowed her head towards her Master before raising it and looking the brunette eye to eye. "However, I felt arranging for such a rigorous training regimen as the Church's Knights go through was for the best. You will be stronger as a result, and better able to defend yourself."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Signum continued. "...We cannot always be there to protect you. I would rather bear your displeasure at my actions on this matter than carry your death or worse as a result of my inaction." The pinkette paused for a moment, her expression steely. "Consider a foe who manages to survive your onslaught from a distance, perhaps a specialist in close-range. How would you defend yourself?"

Hayate seemed to have taken on a thoughtful expression, not liking the truth behind Signum's words but unable to deny it either. The possibilities were... unpleasant at best, the makings of her more feared nightmares at worst. It sent a chill down her spine.

"As it stands, you would be at their complete mercy. Not even Rein would be able to help you at that range." The General of Fire's expression softened slightly as a pleading look crossed her eyes. "Please, Lady Hayate, undertake this trial. For your own safety, I implore you."

The pinkette had bowed her head once more and was unprepared to be embraced by her Master, who had cleared the distance between them in short order. "Lady Hayate?"

"You're an idiot, you know that?" whispered Hayate fondly. Truly, even with all her strengths, her General was a most foolish woman. But she was part of her beloved family all the same.

Hayate tightened the embrace for a moment more before releasing the baffled Knight. “I appreciate why you're doing this for me. I really do. Just... talk to me the next time you think about pulling a stunt like this." She paused to take a steadying breath. "I can't fix anything if I don't know why it needs fixing in the first place. Just thrusting someone into the fire doesn't always work out for the better."

Signum opened her mouth to raise a counterpoint, but decided against it. Hayate's finger upon her lips also silenced her argument.

"It may be working for you and Yuuno in your bizarre sense of foreplay, but it won't work with me. Understand?" Hayate wondered if she was a bad person for enjoying the flabbergasted look on the pinkette's face. "I'll go through with Carim's training, but I want you to cool your head for a bit." her expression turned more serious. "I'm worried about you and Yuuno. I'm afraid you're going to break each other at the rate you're going. That one day you'll go too far or he'll lose himself in the fight."

The reddish tint on Signum's cheeks did not go unnoticed by Hayate as the Knight replied. "I... have been thinking on our situation as well. I will attempt to keep a more level head in our next meeting. I enjoy our matches, but I do not wish to destroy him in my... desire for combat."

Hayate nodded with a smile. "That's all I can really ask. But, as a suggestion." Signum looked questioning at her words. "He's experienced your world this whole time. That's not really fair to him. Why not look into his?"

"... it will serve as a much-needed reprieve in our training at the very least." Signum's attempts to evade the true nature of the suggestion were met with a grin from her Master.

The brunette gave an amused huff before beginning to walk towards the staircase. "Well, I suppose that'll do for now. I should start packing." She turned back to Signum with a positively evil glint in her eyes. "Oh, before I forget: you'll be wearing the maid outfit again. I just got a new camera."

Signum wondered if it was too late to track Vita down and use her as a sacrificial lamb.

-Scene Break-

"You want to come with me?" clarified Yuuno with a look of confusion on his face as he placed his hands on his desk. He had been in the process of finalizing personnel assignments for the week or so he planned to be gone on the dig when Signum had marched into his office, a resolute expression on her features.

Forgoing an offered seat and skipping straight to the heart of her intention, she had, in no uncertain terms, requested to accompany him on his upcoming archaeological expedition. It had come as such a surprise he was certain he had been hearing things. Often, he went on these digs by himself. On rare occasion, he would be accompanied by a small team or a student interested in the field. Signum was perhaps one of the last people he'd expected to express an interest in joining him.

"Correct." Signum's blunt confirmation continued when it looked as though he was about to ask the inevitable 'Why?' "I have been ...curious about the world you live in." Her recent talk with Lady Hayate came to mind. She had thought upon the ...imbalance which existed in their agreement thus far and did not approve of it.

Yuuno raised an eyebrow at her specific wording. "Signum, you've never expressed any interest in archaeology or history in all the years I've known you." He paused. "...I don't mind you coming along, but I'd like to know why the sudden interest at the very least."

The pinkette's demeanor shifted slightly, and to Yuuno she almost seemed a slight embarrassed. "...I am simply curious as to why you enjoy the company of such ancient artifacts and tomes. Perhaps it will provide a better means of understanding how you see the world when we next do battle." The last portion of her statement had been added hastily, but the blonde did not seem to have noticed.

"Hmm..." Yuuno appeared contemplative as he mulled over Signum's explanation. He certainly didn't mind her coming along, but it seemed a bit much to find out why he enjoyed his work as much as he did. Still, her company would be greatly appreciated, even if part of her reasoning was tied into their arrangement. "Alright, I can accept that. But, wouldn't you like to know what exactly you're getting yourself into first?"

It was a rather important thing to know, and a look of realization crossed Signum's features as she processed Yuuno's words. "Ah, yes. ...That would be a vital piece of information." How could she have forgotten one of the simplest things? When she had asked Arf about the possibility of Yuuno going off on a dig in the near future, she had neglected to ask where it would be or what he would be doing. She felt the oversight was most unbecoming of her.

Yuuno merely smiled as he leaned back into his chair. "You wouldn't be the first person to forget that detail." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I'll be investigating an underground ruin reported to belong to the Ancient Belkans. Its located on the fifth planet in the Bael system and aside from the local wildlife, should be free of trouble. Supposedly there is a temple down there and Its somehow managed to avoid being raided by pillagers after all this time. Even we were lucky to find it. It was discovered by TSA Investigators by accident while seeing if the planet was suitable for colonization and they called me in to take the first look."

He seemed to be quite excited about the find and did not stop. "Even relatively untouched sites are a rarity. To be able to examine, in detail, a virgin ruin is a great honor and something many could spend their entire careers never finding. The knowledge that could be gained. The artifacts we could find. Such sites usually end up rewriting a page or two of history as we know it, if not more." There was a manic gleam in his eyes which reminded Signum of their most recent bout and she fought back a shiver at the memory.

After staring into the distance for a short time, Yuuno coughed with embarassment and tried to look more composed. "...Anyway, that's what the dig is about. If you're still interested. I'd be happy to have you along."

"I am and you have my thanks for accepting this selfish request of mine." A wry grin appeared on her face. "At the very least, you will not be lacking in protection should things turn hostile." Her words garnered an amused chuckle from the blonde. Perhaps now, she could bear witness to more of his world, just as he had experienced hers, and also see just what it was about such topics that garned such a feverent reaction.

"This is true. We won't be able to have any of our matches though," cautioned Yuuno. "Dig sites are usually too fragile to survive heavy fighting and I don't want to run the risk, especially with this site." The potential destruction of such irreplaceable and valuable knowledge was not something he wanted on his head.

Signum nodded in understanding. "This will be a suitable reprieve in our training then. We have been rather ...hasty, in our development." She paused a moment before continuing. "When will we be departing and is there anything in particular you feel I should bring?" She was inexperienced in this line of work and did not wish to be caught unawares.

"Aside from toiletries and a sleeping bag? Comfortable and durable clothing you don't mind running the risk of getting damaged. Things that breathe easy are best here since the weather is supposed to be rather muggy," informed Yuuno, thinking about the first few times he'd failed to follow such advice from his seniors. It had not been a pleasant experience for him. "You'd best get ready soon. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, first thing in the morning."

"Very well, I shall contact you again later this evening to finalize the arrangements." Signum mentally tallied just how much of certain supplies were available at home and what she would have to stop by the story to obtain on the way home.

Yuuno nodded with a smile. "I'll be expecting it."

A brief bow of thanks preceded Signum's words. "I am grateful for your acceptance of my request, Scrya. I would like to speak further, but I must return to my post."

"No problem, I'll talk with you later to give you more of the details." He waved goodbye to the Knight as she left. The dig would certainly be more interesting with the swordswoman present.

[Akiyoshi]

^ Whoah, quite an amusing chapter xD!

The scene with Rein Zwei was quite funny(Rein-chan's attitude somehow reminds me of Tenma Tsukamoto from School Rumble xD). I also noted the improvement in the management of the characters, Nanoha's words manage to pierce Signum's pride and make her to reflect on her actions, she finally noticed how deep she digged herself and Yuuno into their battlelust as also the consequences on her overall treatement of the people around her(she was rather cocky while discussing with Nanoha).

The bit with Hayate was both funny and interesting, i like how you write Hayate as a quirky woman who knows when to show her more clever side. the scene really depicted that she knows Signum's personality and also knows how to talk to her prideful daughter xD. I agree with Hayate in that for all her strenght and skill Signum seems to be a bit too dense and basic-minded when it comes to relationships and other sensible stuff. A brilliant move from Hayate was placing the idea of knowing more about Yuuno's world into signum's mind xD.

Perhaps it's because you're really good at this kind of stuff but this is one of the few times i enjoyed reading about two adults talking about archeology. Signum and Yuuno's chat was pretty amusing, their reactions kept me hooked.

Overall, the fic is going well, the subtle developement of the two protagonists "relationship" is interesting and this chapter was really satysfing, you're balancing well the flaws and strenghts of the characters so far and make the possibility of a relationship between those two actually plausible ...and this is coming from someone who hardly saw Signum as someone fit for a romantic plot xD.

Gonna wait for Chpater 6, the Digging Trip sounds like an idea with lots of potential xD!

[Mr Coin]

Originally Posted by Old_Iron

Here comes chapter 5, fresh from the forge and beta'd by Kuroi Hadou. Enjoy =3

Also, you may blame him for the creation of the cavity inducing ice cream parlor scene.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3a
Chapter 3b
Chapter 4

Spoiler for Swords and Shields: Chapter 5:

Much to Zwei’s delight, there happened to be an ice cream parlor within a relatively short distance of the Infinity Library. 64 Flavors was the parlor's name, and judging from the bustle, appeared to be rather popular.

Though Yuuno would admit he wished the parents would keep a better eye on their children. He'd been kicked in the shins twice already, a fact Zwei found to be most amusing if her snickering was any indication.

“Yes, yes, let’s all laugh at the ferret's misfortune,” Yuuno stated with some good-natured sarcasm after a third child turned Zwei's snickering into blatant giggles. He noticed they were approaching the front of the line and turned to his pale haired companion, “Do you know what you want?”

Zwei placed a finger to her lips in a contemplative manner, “Hmm... I'm really torn between the Divine Chocolate Buster and the Nova Cocoa Explosion. Ooh, they both look so good.” Not only did they look delicious, but also appeared to contain enough chocolate to fill Zwei’s mouth with cavities. The young woman's love of the sweet was not something to be trifled with.

“You should decide quickly. We're next,” he cautioned Zwei, who appeared to look more and more undecided with each passing second. When her blue eyes looked like they had taken up playing ping-pong, Yuuno sighed and resigned himself to his choice with a small smile. So much for vanilla…

Not a moment later, it was their turn. The server behind the counter greeted them with a smile that turned into a grin when she took a better look at the pair, “Welcome to 64 Flavors, the best ice cream in the TSA. What can I get for the father-daughter pair?”

There was a pause as they two processed the server's words, Zwei turning scarlet and Yuuno coughing into his hand to try and salvage his calm. “Um… we'll have one scoop of the Divine Chocolate Buster and the Nova Cocoa Explosion each,” He requested in an embarrassed tone, the concept of clarifying the misidentification not even crossing his mind.

The server bit back a chuckle at her customer's reactions as she entered their order into her terminal. It had been on a whim, but the lighthearted assumption was not too out of the blue, considering she'd been dealing with parents and children for the better part of her shift. At least they seemed to be good sports about it if she happened to be wrong. Though the lack of immediate denial on their part certainly added to her mirth.

"Coming right up, pops."

The server seemed far too amused by their supposed relationship in Yuuno's opinion. As best he could tell, he and Zwei didn't share any physical features to begin with, and he didn't look old enough to fill the role. Not with Zwei at the very least... did he?

There was no follow up to the server's comment and Yuuno paid the requested number of credits for the frozen treats. Both of which were served up in a few minutes, much to Zwei’s unconcealed delight. He offered his companion one of the two cups, and they sought out a booth where they could enjoy their impromptu dessert.

"You like it?" questioned Yuuno rhetorically when he saw the blissful smile on the young woman's face after she had ravished a spoonful of the deadly chocolate construct. He took a bite of his own and suppressed a wince; he liked chocolate, but this was just overkill.

Zwei nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks a lot, Dad." The grin on her face let him know she found the server's view — and his resulting embarrassment — to be rather amusing.

The blonde man sighed, "I'm not going to live that down am I?"

"Nope!" She responded with a smile. "Besides, it’s not completely inaccurate, now is it?"

He gave a smile of his own in return. "Not really, no. Ah, you've got some on your face." Yuuno picked up a napkin and lightly wetted it with his tongue before reached over and wiping the errant smear of chocolate from Zwei's face, eliciting a light blush and an embarrassed pout from her.

They spent their time chatting about mindless things, ranging from the library to Hayate's latest cosplaying schemes. Every now and then, Zwei would steal a bit of Yuuno's own ice cream, though he didn't complain or offer any resistance to her actions.

After a while, Zwei took on a somewhat serious look as she stared down at her empty cup. "Yuuno, do you mind if I ask you something?" She fidgeted slightly in her seat.

Yuuno looked a little confused. "Sure, what's wrong?" If earlier was any indication, she was likely going to ask something about her pink-haired elder sibling.

She shifted in her seat before raising her gaze to meet Yuuno's. "Um... what do you think of Signum?" Zwei's innocent blue eyes held neither a hint of teasing nor evidence of mischief.

"Of Signum, huh..." stated Yuuno before leaning back into the padded seat of the parlor. He closed his eyes in thought, drowning out the world around him as he focused on the mental image of the Wolkenritter's leader. Every expression she made, every curve of her body as she danced with her sword, all of it and more flooded into his mind.

"I think... I think she's a powerful and strong-willed woman. One who never gives up and who loves her family very much." He paused for a moment, opening his eyes as he did so. "...I also think she is an incredibly beautiful individual, perhaps the most beautiful I’ve ever seen," he admitted with a tinge of red upon his cheeks.

I see..." Zwei trailed off as she considered Yuuno's words. In all honestly, she was hoping for a bit more of an explanation from him. Maybe he didn't quite know what he thought of her sister. Still, she had been expecting the comment about Signum's beauty. Zwei knew Signum was a strikingly gorgeous woman and many others shared that opinion. "Why do you think she's so beautiful?"

Why?" Yuuno clarified, receiving an affirmative nod. "It’s... not something that can easily be put into words, but I'll try." He searched his mind for a comparison that would work, and ultimately continued returning to one in particular. "Which would you consider more beautiful? A sword sheathed and resting on a peaceful mantelpiece or a sword being used as it was meant to be?"

Zwei seemed a little puzzled at Yuuno's comparison, but urged him on regardless, which he obliged. "I think both are beautiful scenes, but the sword in motion is so much more so. It’s in its element, where it can fulfill its purpose and exert itself to the fullest. Kinda like Nanoha when she takes to the sky or Fate when she's working hard on a case. They’re in their element, and doing what they enjoy. They’re content. That's why I believe that Signum in the heat of battle is the most beautiful Signum of all," finished Yuuno with a smile upon his face.

For her part, Zwei was rendered speechless by the time Yuuno finished. After a while, she crossed her arms and took up a thoughtful expression. No words were spoken for a long while, even after the young woman relaxed her posture. Finally, she nodded, "I approve."

Yuuno's questioning glance was met with a mischievous smile.

-Scene Break-

It was later that evening, after having enjoyed a rather delicious and enjoyable dinner with the family, when Signum found herself lost in thought. She was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. The meeting with Nanoha earlier in the day was still fresh in her mind.

The points Takamachi had raised against her, the accusations… each one was forcing Signum to take a long, hard look within herself and re-examine the events leading up to her confrontation with the Ace of Aces.

Her first bout with Scrya, the match which had started their descent into this madness, came to mind. It had started simple enough; two combatants trading blows as a means of testing one another's skill. She would admit the match had been... lackluster, to put it one way. It had contained none of their usual drive at the onset, though she could blame some of it on her being fresh and Scrya having been at it for a considerable time beforehand.

Then he had changed the game. Scrya had abandoned his tried and true method of defensive combat to lash out at her. It had been clumsy and ill-executed, but the surprise of it had allowed him to land a single, powerful strike against her. Signum would admit she found the fire within her to be overwhelming at that moment.

It wouldn't be until they spoke afterwards would she discover why he'd taken such action. At the time, she wanted to see it through. Help turn him into a proper warrior who could do more than just hold a shield. She wanted him to take up his sword, left idle and rusted beneath his mighty bulwark. But it had changed so rapidly. In the course of hours, her direction had begun to warp under fantasy.

Signum wanted to see what kind of mighty blade Scrya had hidden from them all, from her. She would strip those layers of rust from his weapon and polish it until it shone as brightly as his shield.

Their second bout had further warped her desire to see him flourish as a warrior. Scrya had been feeding her exactly what she wanted: a fight without limits. Looking back she could painfully and honestly admit by the end of the match, she was less concerned about him becoming a more skilled combatant, and more with the dark, seductive thrills he was giving her.

Takamachi's words about her bout with Testarossa came to the forefront. Regardless of her own reasoning, Signum now realized her desire for a bout of warfare had bled so thoroughly into her match with the blonde woman it had become a thuggish beat down.

Why had she allowed herself to fall so far? To drink so deeply of Scrya's offered wine without considering the consequences? In only two bouts with him, she had become drunk enough to pulverize Testarossa and savor every moment of it. She recalled the feeling of Laevatein carving out the air in an effort to cut the blonde down, the crunching feeling of hardened foot and fist meeting flesh. It had not lit the same fire as it had with Scrya, but it had ignited all the same.

But... What did not change was the fact the fire had been lit in the first place.

Signum's face burned as she began thinking about her last match against Scrya. He had been so driven, so determined to conquer and violate her role as the oppressor. Even so outmatched as he was, he never gave in. She wetted her lips at the thoughts coming to mind. Vicious exchanges, their bodies slick with blood and sweat, every sinfully delicious image of combat with him.

A heat began to rise within her, only to be brutally washed away by the chilling reminder of Takamachi's accusation of using Scrya as a... toy. Could she honestly deny the thrill he had brought her in their last battle? Signum felt she could not. It made the accusation of her ability to cast him aside like a used rag all the more worrisome.

The image of tossing Scrya aside the moment he was unable to stoke the flames of her battle lust was... uncomfortable. It left a harsh feeling in the center of her breast. Signum attempted to conjure up images of other warriors taking his place, but no matter how vicious the battle, no matter how violent the exchanges… none of them reached the same level her deadly dances with Scrya had. It mattered not how powerful nor how driven her theoretical foes were. None came close.

The harsh feeling worsened to a nearly physical pain as Signum imagined the scenario of breaking Scrya, leaving him dead and ruined as she devoured him in battle. Consuming so greedily of the offered fruit there was nothing left of him. She did not desire such an outcome, but Takamachi's tirade had made such a possibility impossible to ignore.

She wanted to engage in battle with him beyond this now warped arrangement.

She reached towards the ceiling of her room. "I... do not wish for this to end, but I do not wish to break him, either..." In the silence of her room, Signum made a promise to herself: she would not abstain from drinking of his wine and tasting of his fruit, but she would endeavor to do so in moderation. Failure would ultimately... shatter him.

The question still lingered in the back of her mind however.

Could she?

-Scene Break-

It was days later when a certain call came in and Signum soon found herself struck with the sudden desire to be anywhere but the chair upon which she was currently seated. Sitting across from her on the couch was her Lady Hayate, looking rather... irate. Yes, irate was the best way to describe her Master's current mood.

"Signum, I would greatly appreciate an explanation for the rather peculiar message I received today courtesy of Knight Carim." Hayate's voice was amiable on the surface, but held an undercurrent of irritation and general displeasure. Signum idly wondered if she was going to wind up in the maid outfit again.

Hayate arched an eyebrow. "Something about 'boot camp'?"

Definitely the maid outfit.

Steeling herself, Signum held nothing back. "After my recent match with Testarossa, I came to discover what I believed to be a number of... uncomfortable truths."

"Go on," the brunette prompted with a flat expression. Whatever 'truths' her Knight believed she had found in the wake of her battle with Fate were sure to be interesting, to say the least; particularly if she had not revealed them until forced to.

"Many were in regards to Testarossa herself, but it led me to consider similar situations with the other members of our group. Particularly you, Lady Hayate." When Hayate did not respond, Singum continued, "I am well aware you have always been a hard worker, but your... physical constitution has me concerned, especially after so many years behind a desk."

"Signum, are you saying I'm fat?" Hayate asked incredulously. She could hardly believe her ears. Did Signum honestly think she had let herself go to the point of needing military-grade training to get into shape? Sure, she wasn't as fit as she'd have liked, but she took good care of herself and kept in shape as well as she could considering the amount of time she spent at her desk. It hardly required such drastic measures.

The pinkette blinked as she processed the brunette's question. "No, that is not what I am saying. I am more concerned with your ability to stand up to a foe in close quarters. You yourself once said Ru Lushe was more than capable of besting you in hand-to-hand combat."

Hayate sighed and put her head in her hands, bemoaning Signum's too-serious attitude in places. "Signum, that was a joke… and an old one to boot."

"I am well aware. However, following my encounter with Testarossa... it did not seem so amusing," admitted Signum with some slight hesitation.

"That still doesn't explain why you pulled in a favor from Carim to sign me up for boot camp, much less not tell me about it in the first place." The brunette had a feeling she knew where the conversation was headed now, but wanted to hear it from straight from Signum's lips.

Signum had the decency to look abashed at Hayate's words. "I... do not have an excuse for not informing you. For that, I apologize and ask your forgiveness." She bowed her head towards her Master before raising it and looking the brunette eye to eye. "However, I felt arranging for such a rigorous training regimen as the Church's Knights go through was for the best. You will be stronger as a result, and better able to defend yourself."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Signum continued. "...We cannot always be there to protect you. I would rather bear your displeasure at my actions on this matter than carry your death or worse as a result of my inaction." The pinkette paused for a moment, her expression steely. "Consider a foe who manages to survive your onslaught from a distance, perhaps a specialist in close-range. How would you defend yourself?"

Hayate seemed to have taken on a thoughtful expression, not liking the truth behind Signum's words but unable to deny it either. The possibilities were... unpleasant at best, the makings of her more feared nightmares at worst. It sent a chill down her spine.

"As it stands, you would be at their complete mercy. Not even Rein would be able to help you at that range." The General of Fire's expression softened slightly as a pleading look crossed her eyes. "Please, Lady Hayate, undertake this trial. For your own safety, I implore you."

The pinkette had bowed her head once more and was unprepared to be embraced by her Master, who had cleared the distance between them in short order. "Lady Hayate?"

"You're an idiot, you know that?" whispered Hayate fondly. Truly, even with all her strengths, her General was a most foolish woman. But she was part of her beloved family all the same.

Hayate tightened the embrace for a moment more before releasing the baffled Knight. “I appreciate why you're doing this for me. I really do. Just... talk to me the next time you think about pulling a stunt like this." She paused to take a steadying breath. "I can't fix anything if I don't know why it needs fixing in the first place. Just thrusting someone into the fire doesn't always work out for the better."

Signum opened her mouth to raise a counterpoint, but decided against it. Hayate's finger upon her lips also silenced her argument.

"It may be working for you and Yuuno in your bizarre sense of foreplay, but it won't work with me. Understand?" Hayate wondered if she was a bad person for enjoying the flabbergasted look on the pinkette's face. "I'll go through with Carim's training, but I want you to cool your head for a bit." her expression turned more serious. "I'm worried about you and Yuuno. I'm afraid you're going to break each other at the rate you're going. That one day you'll go too far or he'll lose himself in the fight."

The reddish tint on Signum's cheeks did not go unnoticed by Hayate as the Knight replied. "I... have been thinking on our situation as well. I will attempt to keep a more level head in our next meeting. I enjoy our matches, but I do not wish to destroy him in my... desire for combat."

Hayate nodded with a smile. "That's all I can really ask. But, as a suggestion." Signum looked questioning at her words. "He's experienced your world this whole time. That's not really fair to him. Why not look into his?"

"... it will serve as a much-needed reprieve in our training at the very least." Signum's attempts to evade the true nature of the suggestion were met with a grin from her Master.

The brunette gave an amused huff before beginning to walk towards the staircase. "Well, I suppose that'll do for now. I should start packing." She turned back to Signum with a positively evil glint in her eyes. "Oh, before I forget: you'll be wearing the maid outfit again. I just got a new camera."

Signum wondered if it was too late to track Vita down and use her as a sacrificial lamb.

-Scene Break-

"You want to come with me?" clarified Yuuno with a look of confusion on his face as he placed his hands on his desk. He had been in the process of finalizing personnel assignments for the week or so he planned to be gone on the dig when Signum had marched into his office, a resolute expression on her features.

Forgoing an offered seat and skipping straight to the heart of her intention, she had, in no uncertain terms, requested to accompany him on his upcoming archaeological expedition. It had come as such a surprise he was certain he had been hearing things. Often, he went on these digs by himself. On rare occasion, he would be accompanied by a small team or a student interested in the field. Signum was perhaps one of the last people he'd expected to express an interest in joining him.

"Correct." Signum's blunt confirmation continued when it looked as though he was about to ask the inevitable 'Why?' "I have been ...curious about the world you live in." Her recent talk with Lady Hayate came to mind. She had thought upon the ...imbalance which existed in their agreement thus far and did not approve of it.

Yuuno raised an eyebrow at her specific wording. "Signum, you've never expressed any interest in archaeology or history in all the years I've known you." He paused. "...I don't mind you coming along, but I'd like to know why the sudden interest at the very least."

The pinkette's demeanor shifted slightly, and to Yuuno she almost seemed a slight embarrassed. "...I am simply curious as to why you enjoy the company of such ancient artifacts and tomes. Perhaps it will provide a better means of understanding how you see the world when we next do battle." The last portion of her statement had been added hastily, but the blonde did not seem to have noticed.

"Hmm..." Yuuno appeared contemplative as he mulled over Signum's explanation. He certainly didn't mind her coming along, but it seemed a bit much to find out why he enjoyed his work as much as he did. Still, her company would be greatly appreciated, even if part of her reasoning was tied into their arrangement. "Alright, I can accept that. But, wouldn't you like to know what exactly you're getting yourself into first?"

It was a rather important thing to know, and a look of realization crossed Signum's features as she processed Yuuno's words. "Ah, yes. ...That would be a vital piece of information." How could she have forgotten one of the simplest things? When she had asked Arf about the possibility of Yuuno going off on a dig in the near future, she had neglected to ask where it would be or what he would be doing. She felt the oversight was most unbecoming of her.

Yuuno merely smiled as he leaned back into his chair. "You wouldn't be the first person to forget that detail." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I'll be investigating an underground ruin reported to belong to the Ancient Belkans. Its located on the fifth planet in the Bael system and aside from the local wildlife, should be free of trouble. Supposedly there is a temple down there and Its somehow managed to avoid being raided by pillagers after all this time. Even we were lucky to find it. It was discovered by TSA Investigators by accident while seeing if the planet was suitable for colonization and they called me in to take the first look."

He seemed to be quite excited about the find and did not stop. "Even relatively untouched sites are a rarity. To be able to examine, in detail, a virgin ruin is a great honor and something many could spend their entire careers never finding. The knowledge that could be gained. The artifacts we could find. Such sites usually end up rewriting a page or two of history as we know it, if not more." There was a manic gleam in his eyes which reminded Signum of their most recent bout and she fought back a shiver at the memory.

After staring into the distance for a short time, Yuuno coughed with embarassment and tried to look more composed. "...Anyway, that's what the dig is about. If you're still interested. I'd be happy to have you along."

"I am and you have my thanks for accepting this selfish request of mine." A wry grin appeared on her face. "At the very least, you will not be lacking in protection should things turn hostile." Her words garnered an amused chuckle from the blonde. Perhaps now, she could bear witness to more of his world, just as he had experienced hers, and also see just what it was about such topics that garned such a feverent reaction.

"This is true. We won't be able to have any of our matches though," cautioned Yuuno. "Dig sites are usually too fragile to survive heavy fighting and I don't want to run the risk, especially with this site." The potential destruction of such irreplaceable and valuable knowledge was not something he wanted on his head.

Signum nodded in understanding. "This will be a suitable reprieve in our training then. We have been rather ...hasty, in our development." She paused a moment before continuing. "When will we be departing and is there anything in particular you feel I should bring?" She was inexperienced in this line of work and did not wish to be caught unawares.

"Aside from toiletries and a sleeping bag? Comfortable and durable clothing you don't mind running the risk of getting damaged. Things that breathe easy are best here since the weather is supposed to be rather muggy," informed Yuuno, thinking about the first few times he'd failed to follow such advice from his seniors. It had not been a pleasant experience for him. "You'd best get ready soon. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, first thing in the morning."

"Very well, I shall contact you again later this evening to finalize the arrangements." Signum mentally tallied just how much of certain supplies were available at home and what she would have to stop by the story to obtain on the way home.

Yuuno nodded with a smile. "I'll be expecting it."

A brief bow of thanks preceded Signum's words. "I am grateful for your acceptance of my request, Scrya. I would like to speak further, but I must return to my post."

"No problem, I'll talk with you later to give you more of the details." He waved goodbye to the Knight as she left. The dig would certainly be more interesting with the swordswoman present.

I can see where Zwein gets her personality from... It's rather refreshing for me to see her has a mischievous type. I have always thought of her as a shy and innocent device who would always hide behind Hayate's leg whenever a stranger greets her.

I lol'd bitterly at Signum's guilt on unintentionally turning Yuuno into her personal boy-toy.

I seriously have been thinking this over... Does Yuuno in this story have to be in a maniac syndrome every time he gets excited?


You skipped the maid!Signum scene. Yuuno must not escape cosplay!Hayate's wrath! It's kind of unfair for Signum alone to bear the shame. I have been imagining Signum giving Yuuno a vertical scar on his left eye in one of their previous matches. Cosplay!Hayate gets to punish Yuuno by letting him wear some 300 spartan gear.

Spoiler for Yuuno and Signum's themesong for the next chapter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVNNhBtBbOs

[Craxuan]

Originally Posted by Old_Iron

Here comes chapter 5, fresh from the forge and beta'd by Kuroi Hadou. Enjoy =3

Also, you may blame him for the creation of the cavity inducing ice cream parlor scene.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3a
Chapter 3b
Chapter 4

Spoiler for Swords and Shields: Chapter 5:

Much to Zwei’s delight, there happened to be an ice cream parlor within a relatively short distance of the Infinity Library. 64 Flavors was the parlor's name, and judging from the bustle, appeared to be rather popular.

Though Yuuno would admit he wished the parents would keep a better eye on their children. He'd been kicked in the shins twice already, a fact Zwei found to be most amusing if her snickering was any indication.

“Yes, yes, let’s all laugh at the ferret's misfortune,” Yuuno stated with some good-natured sarcasm after a third child turned Zwei's snickering into blatant giggles. He noticed they were approaching the front of the line and turned to his pale haired companion, “Do you know what you want?”

Zwei placed a finger to her lips in a contemplative manner, “Hmm... I'm really torn between the Divine Chocolate Buster and the Nova Cocoa Explosion. Ooh, they both look so good.” Not only did they look delicious, but also appeared to contain enough chocolate to fill Zwei’s mouth with cavities. The young woman's love of the sweet was not something to be trifled with.

“You should decide quickly. We're next,” he cautioned Zwei, who appeared to look more and more undecided with each passing second. When her blue eyes looked like they had taken up playing ping-pong, Yuuno sighed and resigned himself to his choice with a small smile. So much for vanilla…

Not a moment later, it was their turn. The server behind the counter greeted them with a smile that turned into a grin when she took a better look at the pair, “Welcome to 64 Flavors, the best ice cream in the TSA. What can I get for the father-daughter pair?”

There was a pause as they two processed the server's words, Zwei turning scarlet and Yuuno coughing into his hand to try and salvage his calm. “Um… we'll have one scoop of the Divine Chocolate Buster and the Nova Cocoa Explosion each,” He requested in an embarrassed tone, the concept of clarifying the misidentification not even crossing his mind.

The server bit back a chuckle at her customer's reactions as she entered their order into her terminal. It had been on a whim, but the lighthearted assumption was not too out of the blue, considering she'd been dealing with parents and children for the better part of her shift. At least they seemed to be good sports about it if she happened to be wrong. Though the lack of immediate denial on their part certainly added to her mirth.

"Coming right up, pops."

The server seemed far too amused by their supposed relationship in Yuuno's opinion. As best he could tell, he and Zwei didn't share any physical features to begin with, and he didn't look old enough to fill the role. Not with Zwei at the very least... did he?

There was no follow up to the server's comment and Yuuno paid the requested number of credits for the frozen treats. Both of which were served up in a few minutes, much to Zwei’s unconcealed delight. He offered his companion one of the two cups, and they sought out a booth where they could enjoy their impromptu dessert.

"You like it?" questioned Yuuno rhetorically when he saw the blissful smile on the young woman's face after she had ravished a spoonful of the deadly chocolate construct. He took a bite of his own and suppressed a wince; he liked chocolate, but this was just overkill.

Zwei nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks a lot, Dad." The grin on her face let him know she found the server's view — and his resulting embarrassment — to be rather amusing.

The blonde man sighed, "I'm not going to live that down am I?"

"Nope!" She responded with a smile. "Besides, it’s not completely inaccurate, now is it?"

He gave a smile of his own in return. "Not really, no. Ah, you've got some on your face." Yuuno picked up a napkin and lightly wetted it with his tongue before reached over and wiping the errant smear of chocolate from Zwei's face, eliciting a light blush and an embarrassed pout from her.

They spent their time chatting about mindless things, ranging from the library to Hayate's latest cosplaying schemes. Every now and then, Zwei would steal a bit of Yuuno's own ice cream, though he didn't complain or offer any resistance to her actions.

After a while, Zwei took on a somewhat serious look as she stared down at her empty cup. "Yuuno, do you mind if I ask you something?" She fidgeted slightly in her seat.

Yuuno looked a little confused. "Sure, what's wrong?" If earlier was any indication, she was likely going to ask something about her pink-haired elder sibling.

She shifted in her seat before raising her gaze to meet Yuuno's. "Um... what do you think of Signum?" Zwei's innocent blue eyes held neither a hint of teasing nor evidence of mischief.

"Of Signum, huh..." stated Yuuno before leaning back into the padded seat of the parlor. He closed his eyes in thought, drowning out the world around him as he focused on the mental image of the Wolkenritter's leader. Every expression she made, every curve of her body as she danced with her sword, all of it and more flooded into his mind.

"I think... I think she's a powerful and strong-willed woman. One who never gives up and who loves her family very much." He paused for a moment, opening his eyes as he did so. "...I also think she is an incredibly beautiful individual, perhaps the most beautiful I’ve ever seen," he admitted with a tinge of red upon his cheeks.

I see..." Zwei trailed off as she considered Yuuno's words. In all honestly, she was hoping for a bit more of an explanation from him. Maybe he didn't quite know what he thought of her sister. Still, she had been expecting the comment about Signum's beauty. Zwei knew Signum was a strikingly gorgeous woman and many others shared that opinion. "Why do you think she's so beautiful?"

Why?" Yuuno clarified, receiving an affirmative nod. "It’s... not something that can easily be put into words, but I'll try." He searched his mind for a comparison that would work, and ultimately continued returning to one in particular. "Which would you consider more beautiful? A sword sheathed and resting on a peaceful mantelpiece or a sword being used as it was meant to be?"

Zwei seemed a little puzzled at Yuuno's comparison, but urged him on regardless, which he obliged. "I think both are beautiful scenes, but the sword in motion is so much more so. It’s in its element, where it can fulfill its purpose and exert itself to the fullest. Kinda like Nanoha when she takes to the sky or Fate when she's working hard on a case. They’re in their element, and doing what they enjoy. They’re content. That's why I believe that Signum in the heat of battle is the most beautiful Signum of all," finished Yuuno with a smile upon his face.

For her part, Zwei was rendered speechless by the time Yuuno finished. After a while, she crossed her arms and took up a thoughtful expression. No words were spoken for a long while, even after the young woman relaxed her posture. Finally, she nodded, "I approve."

Yuuno's questioning glance was met with a mischievous smile.

-Scene Break-

It was later that evening, after having enjoyed a rather delicious and enjoyable dinner with the family, when Signum found herself lost in thought. She was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. The meeting with Nanoha earlier in the day was still fresh in her mind.

The points Takamachi had raised against her, the accusations… each one was forcing Signum to take a long, hard look within herself and re-examine the events leading up to her confrontation with the Ace of Aces.

Her first bout with Scrya, the match which had started their descent into this madness, came to mind. It had started simple enough; two combatants trading blows as a means of testing one another's skill. She would admit the match had been... lackluster, to put it one way. It had contained none of their usual drive at the onset, though she could blame some of it on her being fresh and Scrya having been at it for a considerable time beforehand.

Then he had changed the game. Scrya had abandoned his tried and true method of defensive combat to lash out at her. It had been clumsy and ill-executed, but the surprise of it had allowed him to land a single, powerful strike against her. Signum would admit she found the fire within her to be overwhelming at that moment.

It wouldn't be until they spoke afterwards would she discover why he'd taken such action. At the time, she wanted to see it through. Help turn him into a proper warrior who could do more than just hold a shield. She wanted him to take up his sword, left idle and rusted beneath his mighty bulwark. But it had changed so rapidly. In the course of hours, her direction had begun to warp under fantasy.

Signum wanted to see what kind of mighty blade Scrya had hidden from them all, from her. She would strip those layers of rust from his weapon and polish it until it shone as brightly as his shield.

Their second bout had further warped her desire to see him flourish as a warrior. Scrya had been feeding her exactly what she wanted: a fight without limits. Looking back she could painfully and honestly admit by the end of the match, she was less concerned about him becoming a more skilled combatant, and more with the dark, seductive thrills he was giving her.

Takamachi's words about her bout with Testarossa came to the forefront. Regardless of her own reasoning, Signum now realized her desire for a bout of warfare had bled so thoroughly into her match with the blonde woman it had become a thuggish beat down.

Why had she allowed herself to fall so far? To drink so deeply of Scrya's offered wine without considering the consequences? In only two bouts with him, she had become drunk enough to pulverize Testarossa and savor every moment of it. She recalled the feeling of Laevatein carving out the air in an effort to cut the blonde down, the crunching feeling of hardened foot and fist meeting flesh. It had not lit the same fire as it had with Scrya, but it had ignited all the same.

But... What did not change was the fact the fire had been lit in the first place.

Signum's face burned as she began thinking about her last match against Scrya. He had been so driven, so determined to conquer and violate her role as the oppressor. Even so outmatched as he was, he never gave in. She wetted her lips at the thoughts coming to mind. Vicious exchanges, their bodies slick with blood and sweat, every sinfully delicious image of combat with him.

A heat began to rise within her, only to be brutally washed away by the chilling reminder of Takamachi's accusation of using Scrya as a... toy. Could she honestly deny the thrill he had brought her in their last battle? Signum felt she could not. It made the accusation of her ability to cast him aside like a used rag all the more worrisome.

The image of tossing Scrya aside the moment he was unable to stoke the flames of her battle lust was... uncomfortable. It left a harsh feeling in the center of her breast. Signum attempted to conjure up images of other warriors taking his place, but no matter how vicious the battle, no matter how violent the exchanges… none of them reached the same level her deadly dances with Scrya had. It mattered not how powerful nor how driven her theoretical foes were. None came close.

The harsh feeling worsened to a nearly physical pain as Signum imagined the scenario of breaking Scrya, leaving him dead and ruined as she devoured him in battle. Consuming so greedily of the offered fruit there was nothing left of him. She did not desire such an outcome, but Takamachi's tirade had made such a possibility impossible to ignore.

She wanted to engage in battle with him beyond this now warped arrangement.

She reached towards the ceiling of her room. "I... do not wish for this to end, but I do not wish to break him, either..." In the silence of her room, Signum made a promise to herself: she would not abstain from drinking of his wine and tasting of his fruit, but she would endeavor to do so in moderation. Failure would ultimately... shatter him.

The question still lingered in the back of her mind however.

Could she?

-Scene Break-

It was days later when a certain call came in and Signum soon found herself struck with the sudden desire to be anywhere but the chair upon which she was currently seated. Sitting across from her on the couch was her Lady Hayate, looking rather... irate. Yes, irate was the best way to describe her Master's current mood.

"Signum, I would greatly appreciate an explanation for the rather peculiar message I received today courtesy of Knight Carim." Hayate's voice was amiable on the surface, but held an undercurrent of irritation and general displeasure. Signum idly wondered if she was going to wind up in the maid outfit again.

Hayate arched an eyebrow. "Something about 'boot camp'?"

Definitely the maid outfit.

Steeling herself, Signum held nothing back. "After my recent match with Testarossa, I came to discover what I believed to be a number of... uncomfortable truths."

"Go on," the brunette prompted with a flat expression. Whatever 'truths' her Knight believed she had found in the wake of her battle with Fate were sure to be interesting, to say the least; particularly if she had not revealed them until forced to.

"Many were in regards to Testarossa herself, but it led me to consider similar situations with the other members of our group. Particularly you, Lady Hayate." When Hayate did not respond, Singum continued, "I am well aware you have always been a hard worker, but your... physical constitution has me concerned, especially after so many years behind a desk."

"Signum, are you saying I'm fat?" Hayate asked incredulously. She could hardly believe her ears. Did Signum honestly think she had let herself go to the point of needing military-grade training to get into shape? Sure, she wasn't as fit as she'd have liked, but she took good care of herself and kept in shape as well as she could considering the amount of time she spent at her desk. It hardly required such drastic measures.

The pinkette blinked as she processed the brunette's question. "No, that is not what I am saying. I am more concerned with your ability to stand up to a foe in close quarters. You yourself once said Ru Lushe was more than capable of besting you in hand-to-hand combat."

Hayate sighed and put her head in her hands, bemoaning Signum's too-serious attitude in places. "Signum, that was a joke… and an old one to boot."

"I am well aware. However, following my encounter with Testarossa... it did not seem so amusing," admitted Signum with some slight hesitation.

"That still doesn't explain why you pulled in a favor from Carim to sign me up for boot camp, much less not tell me about it in the first place." The brunette had a feeling she knew where the conversation was headed now, but wanted to hear it from straight from Signum's lips.

Signum had the decency to look abashed at Hayate's words. "I... do not have an excuse for not informing you. For that, I apologize and ask your forgiveness." She bowed her head towards her Master before raising it and looking the brunette eye to eye. "However, I felt arranging for such a rigorous training regimen as the Church's Knights go through was for the best. You will be stronger as a result, and better able to defend yourself."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Signum continued. "...We cannot always be there to protect you. I would rather bear your displeasure at my actions on this matter than carry your death or worse as a result of my inaction." The pinkette paused for a moment, her expression steely. "Consider a foe who manages to survive your onslaught from a distance, perhaps a specialist in close-range. How would you defend yourself?"

Hayate seemed to have taken on a thoughtful expression, not liking the truth behind Signum's words but unable to deny it either. The possibilities were... unpleasant at best, the makings of her more feared nightmares at worst. It sent a chill down her spine.

"As it stands, you would be at their complete mercy. Not even Rein would be able to help you at that range." The General of Fire's expression softened slightly as a pleading look crossed her eyes. "Please, Lady Hayate, undertake this trial. For your own safety, I implore you."

The pinkette had bowed her head once more and was unprepared to be embraced by her Master, who had cleared the distance between them in short order. "Lady Hayate?"

"You're an idiot, you know that?" whispered Hayate fondly. Truly, even with all her strengths, her General was a most foolish woman. But she was part of her beloved family all the same.

Hayate tightened the embrace for a moment more before releasing the baffled Knight. “I appreciate why you're doing this for me. I really do. Just... talk to me the next time you think about pulling a stunt like this." She paused to take a steadying breath. "I can't fix anything if I don't know why it needs fixing in the first place. Just thrusting someone into the fire doesn't always work out for the better."

Signum opened her mouth to raise a counterpoint, but decided against it. Hayate's finger upon her lips also silenced her argument.

"It may be working for you and Yuuno in your bizarre sense of foreplay, but it won't work with me. Understand?" Hayate wondered if she was a bad person for enjoying the flabbergasted look on the pinkette's face. "I'll go through with Carim's training, but I want you to cool your head for a bit." her expression turned more serious. "I'm worried about you and Yuuno. I'm afraid you're going to break each other at the rate you're going. That one day you'll go too far or he'll lose himself in the fight."

The reddish tint on Signum's cheeks did not go unnoticed by Hayate as the Knight replied. "I... have been thinking on our situation as well. I will attempt to keep a more level head in our next meeting. I enjoy our matches, but I do not wish to destroy him in my... desire for combat."

Hayate nodded with a smile. "That's all I can really ask. But, as a suggestion." Signum looked questioning at her words. "He's experienced your world this whole time. That's not really fair to him. Why not look into his?"

"... it will serve as a much-needed reprieve in our training at the very least." Signum's attempts to evade the true nature of the suggestion were met with a grin from her Master.

The brunette gave an amused huff before beginning to walk towards the staircase. "Well, I suppose that'll do for now. I should start packing." She turned back to Signum with a positively evil glint in her eyes. "Oh, before I forget: you'll be wearing the maid outfit again. I just got a new camera."

Signum wondered if it was too late to track Vita down and use her as a sacrificial lamb.

-Scene Break-

"You want to come with me?" clarified Yuuno with a look of confusion on his face as he placed his hands on his desk. He had been in the process of finalizing personnel assignments for the week or so he planned to be gone on the dig when Signum had marched into his office, a resolute expression on her features.

Forgoing an offered seat and skipping straight to the heart of her intention, she had, in no uncertain terms, requested to accompany him on his upcoming archaeological expedition. It had come as such a surprise he was certain he had been hearing things. Often, he went on these digs by himself. On rare occasion, he would be accompanied by a small team or a student interested in the field. Signum was perhaps one of the last people he'd expected to express an interest in joining him.

"Correct." Signum's blunt confirmation continued when it looked as though he was about to ask the inevitable 'Why?' "I have been ...curious about the world you live in." Her recent talk with Lady Hayate came to mind. She had thought upon the ...imbalance which existed in their agreement thus far and did not approve of it.

Yuuno raised an eyebrow at her specific wording. "Signum, you've never expressed any interest in archaeology or history in all the years I've known you." He paused. "...I don't mind you coming along, but I'd like to know why the sudden interest at the very least."

The pinkette's demeanor shifted slightly, and to Yuuno she almost seemed a slight embarrassed. "...I am simply curious as to why you enjoy the company of such ancient artifacts and tomes. Perhaps it will provide a better means of understanding how you see the world when we next do battle." The last portion of her statement had been added hastily, but the blonde did not seem to have noticed.

"Hmm..." Yuuno appeared contemplative as he mulled over Signum's explanation. He certainly didn't mind her coming along, but it seemed a bit much to find out why he enjoyed his work as much as he did. Still, her company would be greatly appreciated, even if part of her reasoning was tied into their arrangement. "Alright, I can accept that. But, wouldn't you like to know what exactly you're getting yourself into first?"

It was a rather important thing to know, and a look of realization crossed Signum's features as she processed Yuuno's words. "Ah, yes. ...That would be a vital piece of information." How could she have forgotten one of the simplest things? When she had asked Arf about the possibility of Yuuno going off on a dig in the near future, she had neglected to ask where it would be or what he would be doing. She felt the oversight was most unbecoming of her.

Yuuno merely smiled as he leaned back into his chair. "You wouldn't be the first person to forget that detail." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I'll be investigating an underground ruin reported to belong to the Ancient Belkans. Its located on the fifth planet in the Bael system and aside from the local wildlife, should be free of trouble. Supposedly there is a temple down there and Its somehow managed to avoid being raided by pillagers after all this time. Even we were lucky to find it. It was discovered by TSA Investigators by accident while seeing if the planet was suitable for colonization and they called me in to take the first look."

He seemed to be quite excited about the find and did not stop. "Even relatively untouched sites are a rarity. To be able to examine, in detail, a virgin ruin is a great honor and something many could spend their entire careers never finding. The knowledge that could be gained. The artifacts we could find. Such sites usually end up rewriting a page or two of history as we know it, if not more." There was a manic gleam in his eyes which reminded Signum of their most recent bout and she fought back a shiver at the memory.

After staring into the distance for a short time, Yuuno coughed with embarassment and tried to look more composed. "...Anyway, that's what the dig is about. If you're still interested. I'd be happy to have you along."

"I am and you have my thanks for accepting this selfish request of mine." A wry grin appeared on her face. "At the very least, you will not be lacking in protection should things turn hostile." Her words garnered an amused chuckle from the blonde. Perhaps now, she could bear witness to more of his world, just as he had experienced hers, and also see just what it was about such topics that garned such a feverent reaction.

"This is true. We won't be able to have any of our matches though," cautioned Yuuno. "Dig sites are usually too fragile to survive heavy fighting and I don't want to run the risk, especially with this site." The potential destruction of such irreplaceable and valuable knowledge was not something he wanted on his head.

Signum nodded in understanding. "This will be a suitable reprieve in our training then. We have been rather ...hasty, in our development." She paused a moment before continuing. "When will we be departing and is there anything in particular you feel I should bring?" She was inexperienced in this line of work and did not wish to be caught unawares.

"Aside from toiletries and a sleeping bag? Comfortable and durable clothing you don't mind running the risk of getting damaged. Things that breathe easy are best here since the weather is supposed to be rather muggy," informed Yuuno, thinking about the first few times he'd failed to follow such advice from his seniors. It had not been a pleasant experience for him. "You'd best get ready soon. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, first thing in the morning."

"Very well, I shall contact you again later this evening to finalize the arrangements." Signum mentally tallied just how much of certain supplies were available at home and what she would have to stop by the story to obtain on the way home.

Yuuno nodded with a smile. "I'll be expecting it."

A brief bow of thanks preceded Signum's words. "I am grateful for your acceptance of my request, Scrya. I would like to speak further, but I must return to my post."

"No problem, I'll talk with you later to give you more of the details." He waved goodbye to the Knight as she left. The dig would certainly be more interesting with the swordswoman present.

Good chapter aside, a tad bit too short for the anticipation, but that's just me. Considering how I've wolved through three books in three days (Government sponsored book coupons = book buying madness), unless you produced a 8k+ length chapter I probably wouldn't be satisfied lol.

[Sunder the Gold]

Originally Posted by Old_Iron

Here comes chapter 5, fresh from the forge and beta'd by Kuroi Hadou. Enjoy =3

Too wordy. I found it hard to immerse myself in your writing because all of the extra words made it a slow, thick read.

When I attended a small lecture with a professional writer once, the entire lesson was "go back and use fewer words; then, go back and do it again, until you cannot possibly get the essential meaning across with anything less".

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but people only need a few words to construct a whole picture with their imaginations.

He'd been kicked in the shins twice already, a fact Zwei found to be most amusing if her snickering was any indication.

The second half of that sentence could be trimmed down to "to Zwei's amusement". Our imaginations easily supply the indications of amusement on our own.

Though if you really want a specific form of amusement in our minds, the phrase "snickering amusement" is perfectly valid.

Though the later sentence "after a third child turned Zwei's snickering into blatant giggles." makes that less necessary.

“Yes, yes, let’s all laugh at the ferret's misfortune,” Yuuno stated with some good-natured sarcasm

"stated good-naturedly." We can tell it's sarcasm.

Don't tell your readers the things they can figure out on their own.

He noticed they were approaching the front of the line and turned to his pale haired companion, “Do you know what you want?”

Physically describing characters is only necessary when you need to distinguish them from other characters, or when something about the situation makes their appearance particularly relevant to the situation.

There would be no confusion if you simply said "his companion", since Zwei is the only such companion with him, and we are well-aware of what she looks like.

If anything, the most relevant physical trait in this situation is her size or child-like appearance, especially since that's what leads to the cashier confusing them for a father/daughter pair.

Also because any reference to her size lets us know what size she currently is. That's important for a shapeshifting character like Rein, who's just as liable to be a tiny fairy floating above Yuuno's shoulder.

"Coming right up, pops."

Pops should be capitalized, for the same reason Mister or Sir would be capitalized. Whenever a word is being used in place of a proper name, you capitalize it like a name.

Also, someone calling Yuuno "Pops" is amusing, though shockingly rude coming from a cashier in a reputable neighborhood on board a goverment owned and operated spacestation.


The scene with Signum is basically a recap of the story thus far, and therefore really cannot afford to suffer from the "too many words" problem. I confess I skipped over it to read the rest first, since everything else would be new.

But I also have to wonder why we need a recap at all.

A heat began to rise within her, only to be brutally washed away by the chilling reminder of Takamachi's accusation of using Scrya as a... toy.

To continue the "sex" analogy, I suppose she HAS been approaching this whole situation like wild, hedonous affair. The sort of thing that's really fun for a while but which dies an ugly death because temporary passion was the only foundation.

Even to the point of throwing out and spurning an earlier "lover". That is, Fate.

Of course, fighting ISN'T sex, so there are differences. Things would have been fine after her second fight with Yuuno if Signum had moderated herself before meeting Fate. She let herself get out of control.

The silver-lining being that taking Fate by surprise and really pushing her limits showed Signum that Fate had fallen into a rutt. Though this initially started off as a bad situation getting worse, as it soured Signum's disappointed further and prompted her to harsher behavior than she might have otherwise employed.

The image of tossing Scrya aside the moment he was unable to stoke the flames of her battle lust was... uncomfortable. It left a harsh feeling in the center of her breast. Signum attempted to conjure up images of other warriors taking his place, but no matter how vicious the battle, no matter how violent the exchanges… none of them reached the same level her deadly dances with Scrya had. It mattered not how powerful nor how driven her theoretical foes were. None came close.

She's imagining fighting new, imaginary people and cannot imagine them exciting her like Yuuno? That sounds like a poor imagination rather than a logical argument.

If you're talking about her fighting certain people she already knows, the language (such as the word "theoretical") doesn't get that intent across to me.

Failure would ultimately... shatter him.

This seems to deny Yuuno's own competence or his agency as a free-willed, adult human being. Depending on the meaning.

If she's worried about corrupting him, that would be an insult to his ability to make his own choices.

As to risking his life and limb... well, I suppose that's a valid concern. If Signum could consistently beat him when he fought defensively with a tried-and-true technique, he's more at risk fighting her offensively with an unfamiliar style. And her sword is more deadly than his shields.

Not to mention her whole inhumanly-tough, "I'm a magical contruct" biology.

Still, should she be worried about killing him as an inevitability or merely a risk that grows too possible if she doesn't start controlling herself?

Thinking about it, I suppose she doesn't actually need to lose herself in the fight in order to provide Yuuno the kind of punishment he needs for "trial by fire" development.

"Go on," the brunette prompted with a flat expression. Whatever 'truths' her Knight believed she had found in the wake of her battle with Fate were sure to be interesting, to say the least; particularly if she had not revealed them until forced to.

I've been told it's a good idea to avoid switching the shoulder you tell the story over, even when writing in third person. If you want to shift perspective, you shoud shift it entirely, and use a page break as a warning, as though you were moving to a new scene.

As an example of keeping Signum's perspective and cutting down the word-count:

"Go on," the brunette prompted. Her flat expression made it clear that Signum had better make a good case regarding these 'truths'.


Though, perhaps shifting to Hayate's perspective would be best for the scene. I recommend doing so AFTER Signum has the "definitely the maid costume" thought to her self.

Because most of the rest of the scene examines Hayate's thoughts more than Signum's. Signum's thoughts are either already known to use or made abundantly clear by her reactions, whereas Hayate's would be harder to read from the outside.


Signum didn't ask Yuuno to step into her world; indeed, when he asked for her help in developing his new style, he was asking for an invitation into her world.

I'm not seeing why Signum or Hayate would see the need for Signum to step into Yuuno's world, even as an apology. Especially since if she owes anyone an apology, it's Fate.

This doesn't make sense unless Signum wants to develop a romantic relationship with Yuuno (or if Hayate wants her to), since this extends well outside of their shared common ground.

[Akiyoshi]

Originally Posted by Sunder the Gold

The scene with Signum is basically a recap of the story thus far, and therefore really cannot afford to suffer from the "too many words" problem. I confess I skipped over it to read the rest first, since everything else would be new.

But I also have to wonder why we need a recap at all.

You're prohbably right from a neat-writting standpoint but i don't feel the scene was excessive. It helped to see Signum having internal reflections about what Nanoha talked with her as also her recent demeanor since she started to spar with Yuuno. At least it helped me wonders into internalizing into Signum's toughts and understand more her conflict as also getting into the dynamic of the story(Ch. 4 was interesting but it left me a bit confused xD).

I also have disagreements with some other commentaries you made but those are more matter of personal preference so i'll keep my toughts on those. You also made good points on several issues, tough xD

[Sunder the Gold]

I'm not saying that the entire "Signum thinking" scene is pointless, but that it doesn't need to repeat as much detail about events we've already read.

[Craxuan]

What Yuuno needed wasn't an apology but understanding.

[Akiyoshi]

I agree with Sunder in that's Fate the one who deserves an apologize from Signum. Even if she made good points about her worries on Fate's performance she still was a wee bit too mean on her xDU

[Sunder the Gold]

Originally Posted by Craxuan

What Yuuno needed wasn't an apology but understanding.

Why? Signum doesn't need to understand where he comes from unless she wants more than fighting from him.

She doesn't. All she wants from him is a good fight; what she gives in return is help in developing his new style.

Fighting was already their common ground, given that Yuuno is a mage training to keep up his combat skills as well as an archaeologist. Yuuno is the one who stepped beyond that common ground to explore Signum's love of battle for battle's own sake.

Signum's problem was getting drunk on the experience and losing control. She's resolved to moderate herself now, but all she needs to do for that is temper her enthusiasm. She doesn't need to go exploring a field she has no interest in, alone with an unmarried man.

The abused party was Fate; Yuuno had absolutely no complaints about how punishing or deadly their three fights were, before and after Fate's defeat.

In fact, Yuuno's one complaint about this whole business WAS how Signum behaved towards Fate. Signum apologizing and making up with Fate, and not making the same mistake again, ought to be all he wants to ask for.


What makes more sense as a reason for Signum to follow Yuuno on an expedition is if he thinks he's found a clue to the Wolkenritter's (or just Signum's) pre-Book past, and wants to repay her for her help so far by giving something back.

[Akiyoshi]

Maybe you're thinking too hard Sunder.

While it's true that Signum's main motivation is having a good battle the story also has implied some kind of interest from her on learning more about Yuuno's own passion, probably in hopes to understand him better as a person instead of only as a warrior. Nanoha's words managed to make Signum stop in her tracks and reflect on things and found herself worried to do genuine harm to Yuuno, probably she's understimating him but before that sparring on the night they barely knew each other past professional stuff so it's plausible for Signum to misjudge on Yuuno's capabilities and behavior. As Hayate mentally pointed, the Blazing General is kind of a foolish woman when it comes to stuff like this.

It's a bit too convenient that Yuuno just happens to have an oncoming trip to an excavation site but i think that it works just ok for the plot's intentions cause is the best of the chances to see Yuuno developing into his own element(in Signum's words xD). She stopped just caring for battles, she's now worried for his well-being as a person and that's probably the breaking point where she will start developing interest in him past the battlefield.

[nemo1986]

In other words Signum wants to be actual friends with Yuuno versus just sparing partners. Plus understand how he ticks.

[Filraen]

As this topic is idle I hope I'm not upsetting anybody with this question about Nanoha fanfiction in general. It's about certain behavior of Nanoha's which appears in a surprisingly big amount of fics and I'm stumped to find in my memories canon confirmation.

Spoiler for Can of worms?:

I'm talking about her 'Nyahahahaha' laugh

But seriously, where does that laugh come from? I don't remember it from anime or sound stages but it's usually on fics.