AN: Still not mine. Knock on wood, this should be the final chapter before endgame.

Chapter 16: Realignment

Soma paused for a moment as he stepped out of the Takamachi family car he'd hitched a ride in as soon as he got the call that there had been a magical incident at Seishou Elementary; he didn't know that area of Uminari well enough to precisely target a teleportation and didn't want to cause more panic by appearing in midair over the scene. He could have asked the Bureau to Transfer him, but since this was by all indications a domestic situation that was more appropriate to be handled internally, at least in the beginning.

The scene was in chaos. Parents were desperately trying to find their children in the scrum of evacuated students, with more arriving every moment. Staff were trying to keep those the students calm and together while not getting in the police's way. Police officers were trying to interview as many of the staff as they could while fending off the press teams that were already descending on the scene. In every direction, people were shouting, calling, honking horns, and generally making an ungodly ruckus. With a sigh, Soma reminded himself that he couldn't blame them; this was a terrible shock that had almost been far, far worse, though he doubted most here knew how much so.

Of course, despite there being no confirmed deaths or even injuries among the school's population, he had concerns. Even if he had somehow missed this mess himself, there had been no reports of trouble from the Arthra who were watching this area of Japan like should have seen something, so why had their scanners not given any warning? Why had he not sensed it himself? Why was the first news he was getting of this incident a report relayed by Arikado from a local police official that had recognized the magical nature of the event and thought to contact the Special Investigation Division? All of these were serious questions that needed to be answered.

However, there was another important matter to be dealt with first. 'Nanoha, where are you?' Soma asked mentally as he followed her parents as they started pushing their way through the crowd, his hand automatically messaging Arikado to let his superior know that he'd arrived.

'Over by the front door,' Nanoha said back, her telepathic voice unusually dazed. 'I'd come to you, but I'm a bit… detained, right now.'

Soma couldn't help but smile slightly as he got Mr. and Mrs. Takamachi's attention. "Nanoha's over by the entrance," he said. The pair nodded gratefully as they continued in that direction. They were briefly stopped by an officer tasked with keeping everyone away from the school building while it was cleared, but a quick flash of Soma's badge got them through without incident.

Nanoha was sitting on the front steps of the school, surrounded by several more officers, these ones mostly in suits and ties rather than uniforms. She was still in her Barrier Jacket, though the staff was thankfully nowhere to be seen, and despite her best efforts it was clear she was feeling overwhelmed by the barrage of questions being fired at her so quickly she probably wouldn't have been able to answer all of them even if she'd had the mind to. Soma frowned: for all her magical power, she was still a child being badgered by multiple adults. He lengthened his stride, though he could only barely stay ahead of her parents.

"Sirs, ma'am," one of the suited officers said, splitting off from the group as the trio approached. "This is a restricted-"

"Stand aside, this is out of your jurisdiction," Soma said sharply, raising his badge. "And even if it weren't; the way you're treating her is unacceptable."

The policeman bristled. "This girl is the only witness of a killing," he said sharply. "We need to establish all the facts of this incident-"

"Then ask her questions in a calm, reasonable manner," Soma cut in, nodding to Mr. and Mrs. Takamachi, "after waiting for her parents to arrive."

"This is a local incident," the officer snapped, "and we will handle it our-" Thankfully the man's phone rang at that moment. He stepped off to the side to answer it, though he kept his gaze on Soma and the Takamachis. Sharpening his hearing, Soma listened in.

"Orders from on high," the voice on the other end said. "Apparently there's a federal agent who's uniquely qualified on the scene, we've been ordered to let him do his thing."

The officer blinked. "Yeah, I've met him, but we're-"

"This is out of our hands, Hoga," the other man said. "Our orders are to let him have full access and give all the support we can. I'm sorry."

"Yes, sir," Hoga said, grimacing as he put his phone away before turning back to Soma. "Sorry, sir," he said formally. "What are your instructions?"

"Give us some space," Soma said. "Help make sure all the students get reunited with their families and nobody else comes back over here." The officer nodded sharply before gathering his fellows and directing most of them over to the crowd of students while a he took a few into the building, where Soma could smell blood. This immediately told him it wasn't Nanoha's work. Even if she were to use lethal force (not that she would, she was too kind for that), her power lent itself more to disintegration than dismemberment.

Her parents, not waiting for Soma to stop musing, had pushed past the dispersing police to sit on either side of their daughter, gently cradling her. "Are you hurt, sweetie?" Mrs. Takamachi asked quietly.

"No, mom," Nanoha said. "All I had to fight were some minor demons. The others handled the big one and the woman."

Soma knelt down to eye level. "Are you ready to talk about what happened?" he asked.

Nanoha nodded. "Yes," she said. "Though there's not much to say."

This was not, in Soma's opinion, true. The story she told, with more details than anyone who hadn't been in combat before would be able to remember or express, was fascinating in its implications. Of course, it was excellent to know that a Dark Lord Candidate was dead; while there weren't many left all were considered extremely dangerous. The mysterious samurai was, unfortunately, not something Soma himself knew about. Dracula's knowledge was vast but not unlimited which made that aspect something for other analysts, even though Soma did feel a strange twinge as Nanoha described him.

What was really interesting, however, was the behavior of the Fey lady. The fact that she was even there added more evidence to Soma's belief that she was hiding in Uminari itself. However, why had she come to Seishou at all? It could simply be that she had been following the candidate and caught up to her here, but somehow Soma didn't think so. No, there had to be a reason she'd come here… a reason she came without the Wolkenrittern…

"I just wish they'd have talked to me," Nanoha finished. "We fought together, we were on the same side, why wouldn't they trust me? I know Raising Heart has some demon souls in her, but we're using them to help people!"

"We know you do, Nanoha," Mr. Takamachi, smiling. "Some people are just stubborn." He looked up at Soma. "So, Agent, do you have any other questions for our daughter, or can we take her home?"

Soma shook his head with a chuckle. "No, thank you," he said. "Do be sure to keep her out of trouble."

Nanoha puffed her cheeks up. "It wasn't my fault this time!" she said. "I didn't go looking for trouble! Trouble found me!" However, she allowed her parents to help her stand.

"You might want to drop the Barrier Jacket," Soma said mildly as he turned to head into the school. "You'd be surprised what people will overlook in a stressful situation, but walking out there in front of a whole crowd of your classmates in that getup might raise some eyebrows." The girl flushed slightly, but a moment later her magical armor shifted back to her school uniform.

Once she was gone, Soma made his way into the building past the remaining police officers, grimacing as the smell of blood thickened. Aside from the body, however, there were no signs of damage. That fit with what Nanoha had said: Dimensional Barriers really were something. Still, some of the magical residue had made it back to the real world, and so he could sense the clashing auras of holy and demonic power. Nanoha had been right when she'd described the duel as being between titans.

The corpse of the Dark Lord candidate had been covered up, but none of the police commented as he lifted it up to take a look. Claw marks slashed across her body in sets of three, impossibly perfect in a way that only magically enhanced sharpness and eldar skill could manage. The Fey had wanted to be very sure that she was dead. "I wonder," Soma murmured to himself as he dropped the tarp and stepped back to allow the waiting coroners to load her onto a stretcher for removal.

The fact that the fairy hadn't called in the Wolkenrittern added itself to the growing list of evidence that the relationship between the two parties was more complicated than mistress and servants. Time and again, she'd put herself in danger, beyond the reach of the Belkan knights and with no sign of the Book.

Could it be that she wasn't the mistress of the Book?

If so… then who was?

"There she is!"

Arisa followed Suzuka's finger to see that Nanoha was in fact being gently sheared through the crowd by her parents, thankfully back in her school uniform. A few students seemed like they wanted to talk to her, but none did. Arisa hadn't been there to see Nanoha's reappearance herself, having been more concerned about sneaking herself and Suzuka out before anyone noticed they were gone, but from the rumors she'd heard it had certainly been dramatic. It was good to see that she was alright.

Suzuka, meanwhile, had started moving. "Come on, let's go-"

"Wait," Arisa said, grabbing her friend's arm and holding her back. "She's been through a lot, maybe we should just-"

"I know," Suzuka said. "But we really should let her know we're okay. She'll be really impressed with how you saved us both with that bracelet-"

"No!" Arisa yelped. "No, we can't tell her about that!"

Suzuka blinked. "Arisa…" she whispered.

Arisa took a breath and shook her head. "Please…" she said, raising the bracelet. "This was given to me in confidence. It- it just doesn't feel right to go blabbing…"

Suzuka frowned. "Weren't you really upset when you found out Nanoha had been hiding her powers from us? It's not right to do something you didn't like being done to you."

"But I got it," Arisa argued. "I didn't like it, but I understood why she did it. Besides, I'm not strong enough to really do much, just keep a few minor thugs at bay. It'd be better for everyone if I just kept quiet and stayed back."

"… This isn't like you, Arisa," Suzuka said. "Are you… are you feeling alright?"

"I just know my limits is all," Arisa said, refusing to acknowledge how defensive her words sounded. "Please, Suzuka, can we keep this between us."

The young vampire didn't look happy, glancing between Nanoha's retreating back and Arisa several times before finally letting out a sigh. "I don't like hiding things from Nanoha, Arisa," she said. "But… but you're my friend too, so if you want to keep this secret… I'll go along with it."

Before Arisa could thank her, a grateful cry drew both of their attention, and a moment later Suzuka found herself in a hug from her older sister (one that would have brought a whole new meaning to bone-crushing if it had been given to a normal human.) Falin and Noel were also there, hanging back to give the sisters some privacy.

"Oh thank God you're alright, Suzuka," Shinobu said, rubbing her cheek against the top of her sister's head. "What is this country coming to, that someone would try to go after an elementary school?!"

"Sister, I'm fine," Suzuka said, flushing adorably as she squirmed to get out of Shinobu's grip. "Everybody's fine, nothing bad happened."

It took some more soothing, but finally the older vampire was convinced to let her sister go. With that done, she glanced at Arisa. "Arisa, are your parents on their way? I didn't see them when I got here, do you need us to give you a ride?"

Arisa shook her head. "I got a text from Dad a while ago; he said that they were on their way. They were in a meeting downtown, and by the time they got together and to the car there was already a massive traffic jam as every other parent came this way." She grimaced. "They told me in no uncertain terms to stay right here until they arrived to take me home. Thanks for the offer, though."

Shinobu didn't look happy, but she nodded. "Alright," she said. "Suzuka, are you feeling up to staying here until Arisa's parents arrive? I saw Nanoha with her family, but it seems wrong to leave Arisa-"

"Thanks for the offer, but it's not necessary," Arisa said quickly, not even knowing why she wanted to be alone. "Suzuka's… been through a lot, it'd be best if she got home soon." The younger vampire shot Arisa a betrayed look as her sister gasped and grabbed her in another massive hug and started all but carrying her away.

Arisa stared after them, her thoughts racing. Intellectually, she knew that Suzuka was right, that it would only be good to tell Nanoha about the bracelet and the sword that came with it, but her heart rebelled against the thought. She just… she needed to keep this weapon to herself. For Nanoha's own good.

As she glanced around, she didn't notice the bracelet in question glowing faintly on her wrist, its light dimming as her thoughts settled away from revealing its existence.

Chrono sighed as he closed the latest of the AARs he had been studying before leaning back in the surprisingly comfortable chair of one of the Arthra's general-use office spaces. He had been doing so for the past few hours, but now he couldn't focus, because while he had been busy reviewing his old reports looking for any issues that might have arisen from his compromised emotional state, a desperate battle had been fought on the surface that he and the Bureau could have made a difference in, had they seen it!

As soon as he'd heard the incident had happened, he had wanted to rush down there to see if there were any clues that could lead them to the Book's wielder, but Admiral Lindy had stopped him. "Soma is already on the scene," she'd said. "If there's anything that he needs from us, he'll let us know. Remember, this is their planet, not ours." She'd then narrowed her eyes ever so slightly "Besides, you are still on light duty. Amy and I will be looking into the Arthra's computers to try and figure out why we did not detect this event, but I have given orders to the crew to inform me if you attempt to… wander, shall we say."

Therefore, while most of the rest of the crew was either directly or indirectly digging through the Arthra's magi-electronic guts, trying to find if there was some lingering virus or error in the system that had prevented them from spotting the Uminari attack, Chrono had been forced back to his quiet corner, even if the already dull and distressing work was now made worse by concerns that all the efforts made during the battle the night before had been for naught.

Opening up the next AAR, Chrono forced his attention back to his current task. He had already found several worrying signs of Chaos's effects on his mental state, though thankfully he hadn't been able to follow those signs to any serious consequences. However, he hadn't gotten through everything yet, and he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he had missed, something he had overlooked…

"How are you doing?"

Sighing again, Chrono looked up to see Yuuno standing in the doorway. "Ferret boy," he said. "Shouldn't you be helping the others?"

Yuuno rolled his eyes. "I was, but we're nearly done, so the Admiral asked me to 'give the news before you got too antsy.'" Now it was Chrono's turn to roll his eyes. "Well, the good news is that it doesn't seem like anything was wrong with the Arthra this time, though there are some final checks being made just to be sure. There were some subtle signs that we think were some sort of shielding glamor that prevented us from detecting the barrier; too faint to be recognized in the moment but noticeable in hindsight."

"That's good," Chrono said. "One less thing to worry about."

Yuuno flopped down in the chair on the other side of the desk. "Tell me about it," he groaned. "Your friend Amy was flipping out when she thought that another virus had gotten into the system; she's still tearing her hair out about how they got into the Arthra, even discounting the ones that came through the exterior scanner package from Bureau HQ."

Chrono's gaze, which had gone back to the AAR, shot up. "What about the scanner package?" he asked.

Yuuno blinked. "Didn't we mention that? A good chunk of the viruses were added in through the sensor equipment we were given."

The Enforcer's thoughts raced: he'd been under the impression that it had only been the Arthra's own vulnerabilities that had been exploited: something that would be nearly impossible to trace to a single person so long after the ship's construction. The scanner equipment, however, had been requisitioned and sent this week; the viruses would have had to be grafted in after it had been discovered it was going to the Arthra! Which meant that it would be easier to trace who had had access to it, and through them who was behind all this. Maybe he should take Admiral Lindy up on her wish that he go back to HQ; he would be able to oversee any investigation more directly under the cover of medical leave. After all, father had always said…

Looking back, Chrono would always wonder if what came next was by someone's design, some nebulous fate, or just plain dumb luck, but in his excitement at the new discovery, he had inadvertently scrolled the AAR he was reading, landing on one of the picture's he'd implanted of the subject. The masked face of one of the men who had interfered in his and Yuuno's first battle with the Fey holder of the Book stared at him from the screen… a man who had Clyde Harlaown's hair, his build, his everything. With the errant thought of his father fresh in his mind, Chrono couldn't help but stare at the picture.

Yuuno must have seen something, because his voice was careful as he spoke. "Chrono, do you know that person?"

Slowly, the Enforcer shook his head: it couldn't be. Father was dead, and besides there had been two attackers, but the more he looked at the picture, the more he knew that behind that mask would be his father's face. It had to be some trick, some attempt at distraction… but the masked men had made no effort to draw Chrono's attention to their appearance, to make him hesitate. Why then would they have bothered? It couldn't be random chance or whim: whenever a clearly experienced criminal did something, it was with a reason. The others had described the intruders the same way, so they had kept their appearances. Why? Not distraction, not to cause pain, not to infiltrate.

Could it be… some sort of tribute?

"Can you check back with me in a bit?" he said, scrolling back up while simultaneously opening every other AAR that related to the pair. "I'm going to need to do some investigating."

Chrono knew that someone in the Bureau was behind the efforts to hinder the Arthra, and now he was convinced that it was somebody who was related to the incident that had killed his father, someone who had respected him. Now, all he had to do was figure out who.

And perhaps more importantly: why.

Signum watched impassively as Sylphina, sitting across the hall outside the physical therapy room that Hayate was currently occupying, finished her report. She had just gotten back from her errand an hour ago, looking tense and asking if Zobek was around. Signum had confirmed that the "doctor" was with Hayate, but had insisted that the fairy tell her story to the Wolkenrittern before barging in.

'Well, shit,' Vita said.

'My thoughts exactly,' Sylphina said. 'The question is, what are we going to do about it?'

Shamal, who had slipped out a few minutes into Sylphina's report, was frowning. 'This woman… what could she have been after?' she asked. 'Why go there at all?'

'Based on what she said, she just wanted to kill people,' Sylphina said. 'She wasn't expecting Haruko-Takeo or I to be there, let alone the little Bureau mage with the demon staff.' The fairy shrugged. 'While not exactly common, some darklings are just pure sadists. They have no deeper plan, no broader purpose, they just want to watch the world burn and take the easiest source of power to do it.'

Vita thought some impolite thoughts about the deceased woman, enough that Signum shot her a look warning her to control her temper. 'If that is the case, then it is good that she is gone,' Signum continued. 'If she had remained, she might have become a threat to Hayate.'

The group sat in silence for a few minutes before Zafira spoke up. 'The girl… she was like the one we met in the forest, wasn't she? One of the ones we fought before the Bureau itself arrived.'

'Yes,' Sylphina said. 'And she's gone the same way as the blonde: there were clear signs of demonic magic in her staff, likely a boost after Vita defeated her in the first battle.' She shook her head. 'Why do people keep doing things like that? It never works out.'

'But… is it really that bad?'

Everyone looked at Shamal, who flushed slightly. 'I mean… has she actually done anything evil? Have any of them?'

It took Signum several seconds to run over every encounter she and the other Wolkenrittern had with the Earth forces, and she realized that the older Wolkenritter was right. Despite the dire warnings they had gotten from Sylphina and Zobek, none of the demon-touched opponents had actually done anything dishonorable or evil. Even the so-called Lord of Darkness, despite his power and clear struggles with control, hadn't done anything that Signum herself hadn't. He even stood down before actually killing her, even going so far as to let her escape rather than risk losing control again.

The fairy was staring at Shamal like she'd grown an extra head. 'You have been paying attention to what the demons did before we stopped them, right?' she asked. 'And you think that sort of power can be used for good?'

'Yes, we've all seen them,' Signum said, leaping to Shamal's defense. 'But that does not change the fact that Dracul and his allies have fought against them at every turn. True, they're fighting us too, but from their perspective the Bureau has good reason to be concerned about us: very few of our previous masters have been good people, and most have ordered us to do terrible things. That does not mean we cannot use that same power to save when given the opportunity.' She narrowed her eyes as Sylphina started to open her mouth. 'In fact, I'm sure they've had a conversation just like this one; especially if the little brunette that keeps going after Vita is involved. "Power is not inherently good or evil; it's how you use it"'

Sylphina's mouth stayed open, but no words came out. Slowly, she blinked a few times, and Signum could tell she was actually thinking, Finally, she closed it. 'I suppose it is… possible, that a strong will could overcome the inherently corruptive nature of dark magic,' she said. 'I will also acknowledge that a greater the distance between the demonic magic and the practitioner's own soul would grant some measure of protection. However, I do still recommend extreme caution.'

'I'm not saying we throw down our weapons and surrender,' Signum said. 'Just that we consider the possibility that Zobek might not be telling the complete truth. You said it yourself: he clearly has an agenda of his own that he is willing to put Hayate in harm's way to achieve: he didn't start using the potions until after she'd nearly died.'

Before anyone else could speak, a flash of… something, crossed all their minds. It came through the bond they had with Hayate, a flash of heat, of anger, of rage beyond words… but there were tendrils of sorrow, pain, loss, regret… At the same time, magic seemed to howl through the hospital, the lights flaring brighter for a brief instant before flickering back to normal levels. Something had happened, something powerful.

'HAYATE!' Vita wailed mentally, leaping to her feet, getting an odd look from a pair of doctors that were passing, neither of whom seemed to notice anything off.

Before any of the Wolkenrittern could do more than start summoning their magic to prepare for an imminent conflict, Hayate spoke up. 'Sorry, sorry,' she said. 'I have no idea what that was! I just… I just felt so angry all of a sudden, but it wasn't me! Dr. Ishadi seemed to get it too, she stumbled a bit and grabbed something, but Dr. Zobek's fine. We're all fine in here, it's passed!'

'What's passed? What's going on?' Sylphina asked sharply as she tried to catch up with the mental preparations.

'Didn't you sense it?' Zafira asked, his nose raised even in his human form.

'No. What happened? I saw the lights, but that wouldn't get this much of a reaction.'

All of the Wolkenrittern stared at the two fairies. 'The magic that just flared. You didn't sense it?' Sylphina shook her head. 'We need to check this out. Vita, Zafira, split up and search the area.'

'I'll go too,' Sylphina said. 'You and Shamal will have a better chance of sensing anything that comes this way to threaten Hayate.' Everyone nodded, and a moment later Vita, Zafira and Sylphina made vague excuses out loud and drifted away.

Several tense minutes passed before they began reporting in. It seemed that the hospital's reaction was mixed, with most inhabitance having sensed something, despite others being completely unaware anything had happened. What was truly frustrating was that there was no clear pattern: both groups had members ranging from people who had no appreciable magical talent to those who the Wolkenrittern would have drained before they were informed of better targets, men and women, young and old, everything seemed a thorough mix of humanity. There were also no repeats nor clear sources of the first pulse, which while good from a safety perspective got them no closer to finding the source of the flare.

'I can't get a handle on it,' Shamal said, her eyes unfocused as she mentally studied the magic. 'It went by too fast, and I only got a glimpse through Hayate: it didn't touch us at all. The good news is that it didn't to be harmful. The not-so-good news is that it didn't seem to be trying to do anything. It just... well, it just was.'

An uncontrolled outburst. Great, that was all the Wolkenrittern needed: a practitioner powerful enough to create a magical pulse that overwhelming without even trying. It wasn't Bureau magic, nor was it any of the Earth mages they'd met before, so it was yet another new player. 'Rally on Hayate's room,' Signum ordered. 'We need to stick together.'

As the searchers began heading back, Signum paused before carefully creating a parallel link that only included herself, Shamal, Zafira, and Vita. 'With everything that's going on, we need an evaluation on who we can rely on,' she said.

There were a few seconds of silence before Shamal spoke. 'Hayate and ourselves go without saying,' she said. 'Dr. Isadi?'

'Yes,' Vita thought immediately. 'Hayate loves her, and she's been protecting Hayate for longer than we have.' Everyone agreed readily. 'Sylphina and Spriggan?'

There was a long pause as all the Wolkenrittern considered the question. On the one hand, her warnings about the danger of dark magic seemed to be overstated, at least so far as it could corrupt people who didn't want to be corrupted. Compounding that, she was showing a worrying resistance to changing her opinions. However… 'I think we can trust her motives, if not her impartiality,' Zafira said. 'Remember, she's here of her own volition: we would not have survived the attack on the two semi-Bureau mages had she not intervened. She also has asked nothing of us save for passing on her message, and she continued to help us even after she learned this was impossible.'

'She's also been led around by the nose just like the rest of us, and it's clearly pissing her off,' Vita said. 'I may not be her biggest fan, but she's a knight like us. She's fought by our side, and she's never let us down when it counted.'

'So are we all in agreement?' Signum asked, and after a second all four agreed. Now, for the thorniest issue.

'Zobek?'

'I don't, not anymore,' Zafira said. 'He's hiding something: something vital, and he has withheld important information before until we were forced to find out ourselves the hard way.'

'I may not like him either,' Vita said. 'But he's also had the opportunity to really screw us over and he hasn't taken it. He's protected Hayate from the Bureau, just in his own way.'

Signum shook her head. 'Not just his own way, Vita, his own agenda. An agenda that I am beginning to believe is incompatible with Hayate's continued health and freedom. He'll protect her now, but the second she's no longer useful to him, he will betray her.'

'He saved her life.' Vita argued.

'He could have saved it weeks ago.' Zafira shot back.

Shamal shifted. 'I'm sorry, Vita, but I have to agree with the others. He's bent the truth too many times, has hidden his motives for too long, for me to trust him. No matter how much I want to believe that he has Hayate's best interests at heart; I just can't.'

There was a long moment of silence before Vita sent a feeling of grudging acceptance across the link. 'Okay,' she said. 'Now we need to figure out what to do: he's got too much power over Hayate for us to just turn on him.' The four were silent for a long few minutes as everyone regathered. Once all six were sitting in the hall outside Hayate's room, they finally continued.

'Sylphina,' Signum said, 'we've decided, both on your testimony and our own concerns, that we can no longer have complete confidence in Zobek. Now, we have to decide what we're going to do about this.' She took a breath: she was pretty sure she knew how this would go over, but it had to be stated. 'I think that we should consider reaching out to the people of Earth.'

As expected, five pairs of eyes stared at Signum: two in shock, two in horror, and one narrowed coldly. 'Are you crazy, Signum?!' Vita hissed. 'The whole point of-'

'I am well aware that our initial plan was to ensure that Hayate's health was guaranteed before we turned ourselves in,' Signum said sharply. 'But we must accept the fact that the situation has changed, and we have a greater chance of being able to strike a deal that would ensure Hayate's safety with the people of this planet than the Bureau.'

'Or hand her to the demon worshippers!' Sylphina shot back. 'I remind-'

'No. I remind you that they have taken no aggressive action that we have not in some way provoked, that they have indeed fought the same enemies as we have on several occasions, and our primary reports of their ill intentions come from a source that we all agree we cannot trust!' The two knights stared at each other for several long seconds before Signum forced her mental voice to be more conciliatory than she was used to. 'I understand that you have a long history and strong feelings about this, but when you joined us you swore that you would do all you could to support us and ensure Hayate's safety. Will you honor that oath?'

'Hey, she's not the only one not happy with this!' Vita cut in. 'We're the Wolkenrittern! We don't surrender!'

'I think Signum has a point,' Shamal said, her surprise fading into a thoughtful look. 'With all the questions that have been raised, would it truly be such a terrible idea to hear them out?'

'You just think that 'cause you don't want to fight!'

'Vita!' Zafira hissed. 'That was uncalled for.'

The smallest knight glared at her three counterparts before grunting. 'Okay. Sorry, Shamal. But I still think we shouldn't just hand Hayate over to them! What kind of protectors would that make us?!'

'Signum didn't say anything about handing Hayate over to anyone,' Shamal said soothingly. 'She just said that we should consider opening a dialogue, and on reflection I think it's a good idea. The people from Earth have been attempting to for some time: in my first conflict with the adult who was at the house battle she made multiple overtures. Overtures I believe you have also been subjected to?' Vita thought several mutinous thoughts, but didn't disagree. 'If we can negotiate some sort of cease fire, we might be able to get enough pages to ensure Hayate's health without further interference.' Shamal frowned. 'And it would also give us more insight into Zobek; something that we might be able to use to figure out his motives.'

'Assuming we agree to this,' Zafira said steadily. 'How do you propose we go about contacting them while protecting Hayate?'

Signum started to admit that she hadn't gotten that far yet, but Shamal spoke first. 'I think we should start lower down on the chain,' she said. A moment later, a series of images from one of the demon-houses she'd raided in their most recent hunt flashed through everyone's minds; specifically, the group of Earth soldiers that had interrupted her efforts. 'These men fought with honor and courage, and more importantly we parted on… relatively good terms. That will buy us some goodwill, and more importantly we know we could defeat them if it came to a battle. Contacting them would give us an idea of how to proceed.'

'Are you sure that's wise? Their brothers in arms were the ones who broke parley with Zafira, Spriggan and I,' Sylphina said.

'And even if they don't, they seem to be low-level mooks,' Vita said. 'What would they know?'

'By themselves, probably little,' Shamal admitted. 'However, they would give as an in; a way to get in touch with their superiors without undue risk.' She raised a hand as both Sylphina and Vita started to object. 'Of course, there is going to be some, but I think that there is greater risk in continuing while blinded. "No night is darker than one in which you willingly close your eyes." For Hayate's sake, we must have more options than just blindly following Zobek.'

Slowly, Zafira nodded. 'We will have to be cautions,' he rumbled. 'However, the idea is sound.'

Signum slowly nodded. While it went against her nature, she knew that this was a wiser course of action.

Vita and Sylphina glanced at each other, and Signum sensed a parallel telepathic link as they debated. Finally, they both sighed at the same time. 'We don't agree with this,' Vita said. 'But since Spriggan's vote doesn't really count, we're outnumbered, and we have to do something. I'll go along with this, but I reserve the right to say "I told you so," if this all blows up in our face.'

Sylphina snorted. 'If this blows up in our face, I doubt many of us will be alive to say or hear that,' she said. 'However, in answer to your question, Signum: yes, I will honor my oath. You… made some good points, and while I still have serious concerns, I am willing to defer to your leadership.' Her green eyes narrowed slightly. 'I just hope you're right about this.'

'So do I,' Signum said quietly. 'So do I.'

"… and that's what happened."

Arisa and Suzuka stared blankly at Nanoha and Fate from their side of the video call. "Why?" Suzuka finally said. "I remember when things used to be quiet… why do these things keep happening…"

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Nanoha whined. "I just wanted to have a normal school day for once!"

Arisa grinned. "You see, that's your mistake right there," she said. "You're the protagonist; you don't get to have quite, normal days anymore. You are doomed to eternally be challenged by an increasingly-dangerous list of villains to either beat down or redeem. It is unavoidable. It is your destiny."

With a groan, Nanoha dropped her head to her desk. Fate, who had Transferred over them moment she'd heard of the attack, gently patted her on the shoulder. "It's not that bad," she said gently. "I mean, nobody really got hurt, did they? Nobody but that woman."

"Yeah," Arisa said as Nanoha lifted her head back to the screen. "And from what you said she was totally asking for it."

"I just wish the fairy would have let me arrest her," Nanoha said, shivering slightly as the memory of blood splattering the ground flashed through her mind unbidden. "She could have told us more of what was going on, told us how we could stop more trouble." She hugged herself. "And that samurai… he scared me. Not his power; I've seen worse… but just his presence made me want to curl up in a ball and beg his forgiveness…"

Arisa snorted. "For what? You weren't doing anything wrong."

"I don't know," Nanoha said. "It was just a feeling. It wasn't even that I thought he was going to hurt me, not really, just… that it seemed right that I show him respect. Like I'd always known that I was supposed to." She shivered. "Looking back, it was there even when I'd just heard about him: I'm pretty sure he was involved in the big fight last night. Just looking at the AAR… I remember thinking how lucky the Bureau squad was that he was feeling merciful…"

Suzuka frowned. "Maybe he was some kind of angel," she said. "I mean, he fought the demon, right?"

"Maybe, but he also sounds like he should be giving some respect as well," Arisa said. "Nanoha fought just as hard as he did, and by the sound of it he blows her off and leaves her to clean up his mess."

"He could have at least talked to me," Nanoha said. "He and the fairy keep talking about how Raising Heart has demons inside her, but she's perfect that way." The Device, sitting nearby, preened slightly at Nanoha's complement. "I know demons are dangerous, but Soma uses them and he's just fine. Why can't they understand that we just want to help people?"

"I know," Fate said. "I thought I was getting somewhere, last night. She looked like she was standing down, that we were finally going to be able to settle this, and then that stupid soldier shot her friend."

Instantly, Nanoha pushed her own whining aside to pat Fate on the shoulder "You did everything you could," she whispered. "You tried, you got her talking, and that's the first step. We just need to keep pushing, keep trying to get her to open up about why she's doing what she's doing, and then we can help her."

Arisa snorted. "You're too nice for your own good, Nanoha," she said. "You're always trying to befriend everyone you meet."

Nanoha smiled. "Well, it's worked out pretty well so far," she said sweetly. "I mean, you're my friend now, Fate is too, and I wouldn't trade the two of you for anything." She heard Fate squeak next to her, but pretended not to so as not to embarrass her friend. "Besides, I don't try to befriend everyone, just those who deserve the effort. I'm not holding out hope for Death." She glanced out the window. "Vita… and the others… I can see the goodness in them; they just want to do what's right for their Mistress, and the fairy also wants to do what she thinks is right for the world. They just need to be convinced that it doesn't have to be that way, that we can all live together in peace, and to do that I need to talk to them, talk until they listen."

"And if they don't, you shoot them until they start listening?" Arisa said cheekily.

Nanoha flushed. "Well I have to protect myself," she said defensively.

"Hey, not judging you. As you said, it's worked out so far." Almost unconsciously, the American girl rubbed her cheek. "Still, I'm glad you didn't have magic when you were trying to get me to listen. Yuuno told me about the pink beams of friendship."

"Bombardment spells are a perfectly legitimate response!"

Arisa started to open her mouth to continue her teasing, but before she could a flash of pure rage turned Nanoha's vision into a red haze. Anger, searing, roiling anger, filled her up, and for an instant all Nanoha could think of was how much she hated the forces of darkness, all the terrible things they'd done, the people they'd killed, every crime they'd committed…

"-anoha! Nanoha!"

Gasping, Nanoha threw herself back, toppling out of her chair with a pained cry. The fury flowed out of her, leaving her feeling cold and clammy. Gasping for breath, she looked up at Fate and Raising Heart, who were hovering worriedly over her. Glancing past them, she saw Suzuka covering her head, whimpering slightly as Arisa tried to get her to say what was wrong.

Before she could do much else, the sound of feet on the stairs jerked her out of her stupor. A moment later, her mother hurried in. "Nanoha?! Sweetie, are you alright?"

"Fine," Nanoha lied, allowing Fate to help her to her feet. "Just… just slipped, fell out of my chair."

"Would this be before or after the magical emotions overcame you?" her mother said with an unamused look.

"…After," Nanoha said. "Did you…"

"All of us did," her mother said. "Well, not Ms. Belnades or Mr. Hammer; they were worried that something was attacking us." She gently wrapped Nanoha in a hug. "Are you sure you're alright, you seemed to take it worse than we did."

"I'm fine, really," Nanoha said. "It was just really sudden."

Her mother studied her for a long moment before nodding. "If you're sure, sweetie. Do you want to come down and sit with us?"

"Sure," Nanoha said. "Just let me make sure Suzuka's okay, then Fate and I'll be right down."

"Of course, dear," her mother said, gently sliding the door shut as she left.

"Suzuka?" Nanoha asked as she returned to her chair.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she whispered, rubbing her head. "I just… I was just so scared all of a sudden…"

"Scared? Scared of what?" Arisa asked. "What happened?"

"Suzuka and I… felt something," Nanoha said. "I don't know what it was, but it seemed we were… feeling someone else's emotions." She didn't know why she thought that, but somehow she knew she was right. "It seems to have passed."

Arisa and Fate glanced at each other. "Nanoha… we didn't feel anything," Fate said.

Nanoha frowned. Arisa she might have just chalked up to not having magical powers, but Fate was stronger than Nanoha herself; anything that Nanoha picked up on she should have as well. "I don't know," she said. "I'm… I'm sure everything's fine."

None of the other girls looked convinced, but after a moment Suzuka glanced behind her. "Sister's calling me, I need to go," she said. "See you." With that, she hung up. Arisa paused for a moment longer, looking up from the table she'd been staring at on her own end to say goodbye as well.

Nanoha and Fate stared at each other for a second before Fate looked down. "I should probably go," she said.

"Fate… you can stay if you want," Nanoha said, gently taking her friend's hands in hers. "I'm sure your family will understand if you want to make sure I'm okay."

Fate looked up with a shy smile, only to flinch as she glanced behind Nanoha. Turning, Nanoha was unsurprised to see Raising Heart staring at them, the carefully blank look she had mastered placed firmly on her face.

Nanoha started to open her mouth to tell off her Device, but before she could Bardiche rose from where he'd been sitting, an inscrutable expression on his own face. "If you young ladies would excuse us," he said, hovering over and grabbing Raising Heart's wrist, "I'm afraid that Lady Heart and I have some vitally important Device business to discuss, very hush-hush, good night." Before either Nanoha or Fate could think to interrupt, Bardiche had physically dragged Raising Heart out the door, closing it behind him.

Nanoha and Fate glanced at each other before wordlessly nodding. As much as they wanted to trust their Devices and give them some privacy, this was shaping up to be a conversation that would need some supervision.

Despite the fact that he was only about five inches tall, Bardiche was a powerful magical entity. The door to one of the empty rooms, many times his size, slid open with a bang as he gestured, and he dragged Raising Heart in before slamming it shut and engaging the lock. Only then did he finally let her yank her wrist out of his grip. She darted away from him, her eyes blazing furiously, but for once Bardiche didn't care. He was also angry, angrier than he could ever remember being, three demonic cores of power and emotion howling at his central processer to do something.

"How dare you!" Raising Heart snarled, her wings flaring. "You-"

"Spare me," Bardiche hissed back, dark lightning sparking around him as his newly awakened emotions struggled to control his vast magical power. "I should have done this a week ago. At first, your behavior was confusing. Then it was sad. Now it's just pissing me off!"

Raising Heart's flat red eyes narrowed, her own emotions clearly beginning to boil. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said icily.

"Fate!" Bardiche said, slamming a fist into the door frame hard enough to leave a dent. "You have treated her like crap since the moment you woke up! You have belittled her, you have ignored her, you have hurt her, and it's going to stop!" Raising Heart started to open her mouth, but Bardiche wasn't done. "Don't deny it, don't play word games, we both know it's true."

Raising Heart tried to cut in. "You-"

"She has done nothing to you!" Bardiche said, raising his voice over hers. "She has treated you with nothing but kindness, dignity and respect, because you're important to Nanoha, and Nanoha's important to Fate. What have you given her in return? Nothing but harsh looks and cold shoulders, and you don't even have the guts to acknowledge you're doing it!" Raising Heart started to puff up, but Bardiche didn't care. "And you know what, if you don't like her that's none of my business, but it is my business if you're causing her pain, which you are!"

"Yo-"

"I was built for her hand!" Bardiche hissed like a cat. "From the first instant my central matrix was complete enough to understand my situation, my Creator instilled in me the mission, the need, to protect Fate in every way I could! I was supposed to help her, guide her, stand by her even if no one else would! And I failed!"

"I remember every single time Precia Testerossa hurt Fate." Bardiche continued, unconsciously advancing on Raising Heart even as the logical, computer part of his brain started pinging warnings about the signs of agitation and magical buildup coming from her. "My memory recorded, with perfect clarity, every single whip strike, every single drop of blood, every single pained gasp, and I couldn't do anything! I couldn't help her when she needed me the most! And I promised, once I awoke, that I would never stand aside again. If anyone hurt Fate again, I would stop them, even if they were someone she cared about!" The two hovered, nearly nose-to-nose, glaring at each other as demonic magic crackled in the air around them. "And you're doing it all over again. No matter how much she tries to hide it, every single dirty look you give her tears open an old wound as she remembers how her mother, the person who should have loved her and protected her, looked at her right before the whip came out! I remember everything, and I-"

"YOU THINK I DON'T!?"

Bardiche felt his back hit the door as Raising Heart finally exploded in rage and pink fire. The air shimmered with heat, her cloths whipped back and forward, and her eyes blazed pure white as she glared at him, and he couldn't open his mouth because for the first time since his awakening Bardiche realized he was afraid. Afraid of the other device in front of him.

"YOU THINK I DON'T HAVE ANY BURDENS!?" she shrieked. "YOU THINK I'VE NEVER KNOWN SUFFERING?!" An instant later, too fast for even his enhanced senses to detect, she was back in his face. His defenses automatically engaged as her wild magic blazed around them, causing the wood of the door to hiss and smoke. "You've existed for a few years? You have a few bad memories? I am one hundred fifteen years, seven months, two weeks, three days, twelve hours, six minutes, thirteen seconds old, and I remember all of it! I've known suffering the likes of which you can't comprehend!"

Bardiche's mouth was frozen open in shock as Raising Heart continued ranting. "I spent ninety-nine years, six months, three weeks, one day, fifteen hours, forty-one minutes, and twenty-two seconds buried in a pile of rubble after some moron caused a major magical catastrophe which destroyed an entire planetary culture. I knew if I shut down, I'd probably never be found when my distress beacon went out, and so I stayed functioning, that! Whole! Time! Even before I got this brain, you know as well as I do that Intelligent Devices aren't supposed to remain constantly active for that long! I was lucky that my entire processor didn't crash into an irrecoverable mess of junk data! And now I remember it! My mind gets it! I can't forget it! I feel the pain and the loneliness and the panic and DESPAIR at the thought of never BEING FOUND!"

For an instant, Bardiche thought Raising Heart was finished, but he still found himself pinned to the door. "And that's not even the worst I've endured! Have you ever been abandoned? Have you ever been thrown aside because you're not good enough anymore? I HAVE! I had a mistress whose hand I was made for, and you know what? When she grew up she THREW ME AWAY because she'd gotten a new Device from her fiancée that was better than me, more special than me!" Bardiche realized that Raising Heart was crying, glowing red tears trickling down her face as she continued to shout at him, shoving him against the door. "I've had to live with that! Live with knowing that my charge didn't think I was worthy of her anymore! Not again! Never again! I have a new Mistress now, and I will make sure she never thinks I'm useless! I will do everything, anything, to make sure she never replaces me! Never puts me in a box in a storage unit! I won't let anyone come between us! I-"

The door opened behind Bardiche, causing the pair to tumble out into the hall. Instinct kicked in, forcing Bardiche to draw upon the part of himself that was Black Panther and dart away to safety, his defenses seared and weakened by the excess magic.

Raising Heart, meanwhile, was wrapped in Nanoha's arms in a tight hug, even as her magic continued to burn her mistress's arms and hands. Neither of them seemed to notice; Raising Heart still too lost in painful memories to do anything but work her mouth silently as her Mistress embraced her, whispering soothing words into her ear.

'Bardiche? Are you alright?' Fate asked, gently running a finger through Bardiche's hair.

'Yeah,' he said. 'I've had worse.'

Fate grimaced slightly but nodded. She started to take a step towards Nanoha, but Bardiche pressed against her. 'Wait. I think Heart needs her Mistress to pay attention to her right now.'

Meanwhile, Nanoha's voice had raised just enough so that Bardiche could hear. "Raising Heart, I am so sorry for what happened to you," she was saying gently. "I am so sorry that you were left alone, and I am sorry that I never thought to ask you about yourself. I should have been more considerate."

That seemed to shake the Device out of her stupor, her magic fading as she shook her head. "No! No, Mistress, you're-"

Nanoha gently touched a finger to the bottom of Raising Heart's face. "Please, let me talk, Raising Heart," she said softly. "You don't have to defend me. You are precious to me, and I should have done a better job of showing you that. I should have done more to make you feel like more than just a weapon that can think and talk, but as a dear, irreplaceable friend." Carefully, Nanoha lifted Raising Heart to her face and touched their foreheads together. "You promised to stand by me and protect me, Raising Heart, and I think it's past time I did the same. Therefore, I swear to you, Raising Heart, that I will neverabandon you. I will never send you away. When you are happy, I will celebrate with you. When you are hurt, I will comfort you. And above all, no matter what happens, I will never love you any less."

Bardiche could track the exact instant the dam of Raising Heart's emotions broke. With a cry, she threw her arms around Nanoha, pressing herself as tightly to her human as she could. Fate sniffled slightly, but when he looked up Bardiche could see she was smiling.

Nanoha and Raising Heart stood like this for nearly a minute before the Device finally pulled away. "Mistress… I'm sorry…"

Nanoha shook her head. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, Raising Heart," she said. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"That's good, because I want you to remember that I love you when I say what I'm about to. In fact, I'm going to say it because I love you." She took a breath. "Raising Heart, you have been very cruel to Fate." The Device flinched, but didn't interrupt. "While he didn't express it in the best way, Bardiche made some good points. Fate has been hurt a lot in her life, and she needs people who care about her. I do care about her, just like I care about you, Arisa, Suzuka, my family, everyone. There is enough love in my heart for everybody. Fate isn't going to take me away from you, but your jealousy is hurtful and, to be honest, wrong." She turned Raising Heart around. "Which is why I'm not the one you should be apologizing too. You've hurt both Fate and Bardiche, and I think they're owed an apology.

Raising Heart hesitated for a long second before nodding. "Yes," she said with only a bit of stiffness. "Bardiche, I am sorry for hurting you: you were right to point out my behavior."

'Bardiche, do you have anything to say to that?'

The dark Device grimaced slightly, but his Mistress's telepathic admonition was valid: he could have handled this a lot better himself. "Thank you, Raising Heart," he said. "And I am sorry for the way I attacked you; even if I was correct, I should have been more careful."

Raising Heart studied him for a moment before nodding. Then, her eyes turned up to Fate, and for an instant Bardiche thought she wouldn't be able to do it, but after that moment Raising Heart took a breath. "Fate… I am sorry for the way I have been treating you. I… was upset, at how much my Mistress cared for you, and I was scared. I should not have been."

"I forgive you," Fate said gently. "I appreciate it."

Raising Heart nodded. It was a touch choppier than her nod to Bardiche, and he could still see the tension in her frame, but that was okay. Things weren't perfect; there was still a long way to go, but now that the scars had been uncovered, they could begin to heal.

There was no peace in the silence that filled Lady Amaterasu's throne room as Haruko-Takeo finished his report. The Bright Lady hadn't even looked up from the piece of her brother's sword that she had been cradling like a newborn ever since it had reached her hands. She hadn't spoken a single word, had barely seemed to breathe, as the lies that the demons had put in place were unraveled, the truth bared for all to see. Her brother: dead not by the hands of man, but by a devil's cowardly deception. Her grief, her pain, her recusal… all overa trick.

Now, all that her servant could do was wait for her reaction. He could not say how long he knelt in the center of that room, his head bowed in reverence and fear. Time stretched eternally as he waited for the inevitable.

Finally, it came.

The entire palace shook as Amaterasu threw her head back with a shriek of unfathomable fury. Every torch and candle within flared like a bonfire, scorching the cracked stones and buffeting her servants with the force of her anger. Had any mortals been present in the realm, they would surely have been driven mad by the torrent of her emotions howling through the castle: sadness, love and regret all mixing with and fueling an all-consuming rage. Even in the human world, the very mountain trembled faintly. In every shrine event tangentially related to Amaterasu a sudden wave of heat was felt. All over Japan, every spiritually-attuned man, woman and child shuddered as their goddess's wrath broke over them, knowing without knowing that something was wrong. However, there was also an unconscious hope that flared to life in the brighter hearts. as if something long lost had been found again, an ancient covenant reforged at last.

"THOSE BASTARDS!" Amaterasu roared, her white robes of mourning disintegrating to cinders in the fires of her rage as she unthinkingly rose into the air. "THOSE FOUL, EVIL, COWARDLY, UNLOVED CREATURES OF THE DARKEST PITS! I'LL KILL THEM! I'LL KILL THEM ALL! EVEN HELL ITSELF WILL KNOW MY WRATH!" Haruko-Takeo remained resolutely on his knees even as the howling gale forced him back, skidding along the stone. His eyes remaining safely on the floor; the reflection of the blinding light alone was nearly enough to harm even his eyes, to look directly at his Lady now would be to court permanent injury.

Finally, however, the light dimmed enough for him to lift his gaze.

Amaterasu, Bright Lady of the Rising Sun, hovered an inch above the ground: even this holy stone not worthy of accepting her footsteps. Gone were her heavy robes, in their place a light, flowing kimono woven as if from sunlight. Her hair, as black as a moonless night, would have hung past her waist had it not been blowing in a wind that only affected her, lifting it into an ever-moving stream behind her. Her face, normally pale, was still flushed with anger, and her golden eyes blazed with literal flame. Even though her legs did not move as she hovered, she gave the impression of stalking down the stairs to her throne, gesturing for Haruko-Takeo to rise and follow her as she swept past him and out the door.

As she moved, the signs of decay in her realm faded under the power of the cleansing light she emitted. Scorch marks vanished as if they had never been, cracks mended in an instant, murals and statues glinting as if newly made. The guards straightened their backs with renewed vigor, the servants moved with a spring in their step, and above all the air itself hummed with the return of divine purpose, cleansed of stagnation and despair.

The Bright Lady of the Rising Sun had returned.

She made her way swiftly to her innermost treasury, followed by her loyal servant. "We have been idle," she said formally. "We have failed to honor Our commitment to this land and its people. We will correct this error, and you shall be the vanguard of this correction." With a wave of her hand, the golden doors slid open and she glided in. After an instant of hesitation, Haruko-Takeo followed.

Despite the many beautiful and precious things that filled this room, only two drew his eye. The first was a flawless mirror, hanging on the opposite wall. It was the Yata-no-Kagami, the mirror that had once before guided his Lady back from despair. It remained Lady Amaterasu's greatest treasure, though she had not looked into it in nearly a century.

The second was a dull, dim sword, placed carefully on a pedestal in the center of the room. The blade was longer than most humans would be comfortable with, even with the obviously broken tip. This was the sword his lady had carried from the ruins of Hiroshima, the last surviving piece of her brother; the Ama-no-Habakiri. Tenderly, Amaterasu brought the piece that Haruko-Takeo had returned to her to rest against the broken end, her fingers flickering with golden flame.

For an instant, nothing happened. Then, the fire of rebirth began to crawl their way down the shattered blade, cleansing it of the lingering taint of human and demonic damage. It took only seconds, but when the lights faded the blade looked as beautiful as it had when its creator had presented it to Susan'Oo. It was now reborn, ready to fill his sister's hand and aid her in avenging its true master's murder.

Amaterasu gently lifted the reforged Ama-no-Habakiri from its place and slipped it into its waiting sheath before gliding over to the mirror. With a gesture of her hand, it lifted off of its hook and hovered obediently before her. "Show Us," she commanded simply, and her reflection rippled and faded, replaced by a perfect map of Japan. She beckoned Haruko-Takeo to her side as she studied the image. He noted the signs of corruption: there were still dark stains upon the land that belonged to his Lady. "Things are not so terrible as We feared," she murmured, tracing a finger along the map. "However, the time has come to cleanse this darkness."

"Gather Our forces, Haruko-Takeo. For eons, the dark ones feared Our family's wrath too much to set foot so openly upon Our soil."

"We shall remind them why."

AN: I would like to thank everyone for their honest impressions of Sylphina; she is my first attempt at a major OC. I was attempting to write a flawed-but-sympathetic character, but it seems I went too far on the flawed and not enough on the sympathetic. However, I am going to roll with it and take the time to show how those flaws will cause more problems, but also give the opportunity to make a better person at the end. Hopefully, I do a better job on her redemption arc than her initial characterization.

That being said, I do want to play devil's advocate on her opinion by saying that in this universe dark magic is extremely dangerous and corruptive and that it takes an exceptionally strong will to be able to resist it. Throughout the series, only a few of the main characters, let alone anyone else, are able to overcome the darkness's influence; people like Alucard, Hector (though he came perilously close to falling) and of course Soma (who's also walking on the knife's edge). Meanwhile, if we look at those who fell, we see Mathias, Maxim, Barlaow, Albus, Richter. and almost certainly un-named others who had their good natures crushed beneath dark magic's oppressive weight.

Is Sylphina wrong about Soma and the others? Yes. Is she letting her fear blind her? Yes. Is she causing more problems than she solves? Yes. Does she have good reasons to be worried? Yes.

Also, thank you to all the other reviewers, your words are much appreciated.