Disclaimer : I do not own ZnT/Foz .Neither do I own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha.


The Book of Void : Chapter 1

.

Tristain,

Continent of Halkegina,

Unnamed planet almost unknown by the TSAB,

...

Louise woke up in her bed, In the Academy's biggest room.

She didn't like it, She had spent the past year sleeping in this room but she still didn't like it.

She found it too small.

She knew she was asking too much, but ever since she was a child she always had a big room, and ever since that incident 8 years ago she found even her own room back at the castle too small.

As she dressed up for she thought back to what had happened that day.

*Flash

Louise and Henrietta were playing Hide and Seek with the servants while their parents went hunting with the rest of the court. The security had been diminished and so the two girls had decided to hide in one of the restricted parts of the palace.

"They won't think to search us there." Henrietta had said, and like usual she had gone along.

While her friend closed the door behind them, Louise eyes directly caught an old looking black book.

*Flash end

Ah yes, 'That Book'. She shouldn't forget it. It was very important that she had it with her. She reached a hand under her dressing table, into a specially made place that could be open only by her magic. It was after all the least she could do to protect the thing.

She then attached the book to a strap around her waist and left her room.

"So Today will be the verdict, Am I really a Void Mage or just some noble with weak control and unusual talent … I kind of wish it is the second." Louise sighed wistfully.

And with those words she took the first stair down the Tower of Void.

*Flash

"What are you looking at like that?" Henrietta asked to her strangely focused little friend. The only answer she got was Louise walk in the direction of the book on the other side of the room, resting on a low podium; it was as if it was calling her. She took it in her hand and Henrietta finally saw what it was.

"Ah the 'Founder's prayer book'! why isn't it under its magic glass protection? My father said it was one of the three most important treasures of Tristain...

"You should put it in place Louise." Henrietta had a hint of worry in her voice, showing something must really have been wrong.

"Ha... yes… you're right… it's just that… I don't know..." Louise was really embarrassed, she shouldn't have done that, you weren't meant to touch things in a restrict area without permission, she should have known!

"Louise put it back! I think we shouldn't have Hid here after all! I had forgotten this was one of the treasure vaults!" Henrietta said pensively.

"Yes, I will. You're right Princess."

"Mou. I already told you not to call me that. Louise Francoise" Henrietta pouted.

"Ha, Sorry Princess, it's just the emotion!" Louise answered smiling.

But for some reason she couldn't let it go. She even opened it but inside there was nothing at all.

"Is it the real one? I don't see anything!" said Louise, turning every page frantically.

"I don't know, But Father says that it was always like that as long as it can be remembered!"

"Maybe it's protected then." Said the pinkette, fumbling for her wand.

Louise touched her wand on the pages, and suddenly she saw old looking runes flare in the book.

"Ouah!" Louise screeched, quickly closing the Book. "Did you...?"

'BOOM'

Before she could finish her question, everything around them exploded, and the once big room fell in on them, trapping them under the rubble. Henrietta's magic talent being the only thing saving them from being crushed completely.

*Flash end

Thinking of those long minutes past under the rubble made Louise shiver and get back to reality. She was an expert in explosion even at that age, but she wasn't one for being in restricted space.

And now, because she was once more lost in her thought about that event, she was on the opposite side of the school from the summoning field. And it was nearly the time to start.

"Guess I have no choices then." She grumbled.

They wouldn't start before she was there, sure, but it was unbecoming of her to be late.

And so she looked at where the Summoning would take place and start the Incantation she had first said that day once again going back in her memories.

*Flash

After what had felt like hours for the two young girls, they finally heard voices.

"It's here, Madam." Spoke the voice of a man they knew, it was one of the Butler charged of their surveillance. They were about to call him for help when another voice answered.

"So are you sure, this is where it's kept?"

They didn't know the voice of the woman, but the tone froze the two girls immediately, deterring them from calling for help.

"Yes madam I am sure, it must be under the rubble but I assure you, the book is here."

"Ok, but we must hurry, the attack on the King and the rest of the Castle won't distract the guard for ever." The woman spoke.

"Yes, but can, if I may, ask again why did you destroy that vault? You knew it would make the search harder, right? And the door was already open!"

"Of course I knew! But I didn't though that the vault would be that fragile! It should have resisted better and we would already be out! Really! Everything is too weak in this country!" the voice seemed lost for a moment before she resumed, "Go back to your men! I will dig through this thing myself!"

"Are you sure you...Understood, I will see if we can find our others objectives. Those little girls shouldn't be too far away from here."

Louise couldn't believe her ears. They were under attack, and more important for her, they were in fact after the Book, the Princess and herself.

"W-what is all this? I don't understand…" Louise mumbled quietly to her friend, panic in her voice

"I-I don't know. Th-Those people are after us and... And the book, they surely want to ki-kill us!" Henrietta voice, trembling from fear, answered.

"I understand that much, but what should we do now? If we don't somehow get out, we are dead!" Louise snapped.

"Wrong," The voice of the woman answered. The girls started. They were still completely covered by rubble, so how could she see them? Was she talking to someone else?

"You will die only if you don't coöperate, and before you ask, Yes, I am talking to you Princess and Valière."

"How?" The princess asked, her tone muted.

"That is not the problem, the only thing you must know is that only one of you is useful to us and the other is not. Oh and the one we need alive will doesn't need to be healthy so if you don't coöperate you are in for a lot of sufferance, is it clear."

"Y-Yes" The two girls answered with a trembling voice.

'I don't want to die, but I don't want to go with her, please Founder, help us!' Louise, clamping the book and her in her right hand, and the hand of the princess in the other.

And then the Book answered her prayer, a light flaring inside like it had before.

The woman probably saw the light because she started chanting and they saw a purple light from where her voice was coming from.

"Oh no. You aren't doing this. I don't know what spell from the Book you are trying, but believe me you should stop or you will regret it."

From what the woman had said she understood and quickly opened the book, searching for the page that was alight. She found it fast, even if not fast enough for her taste, and immediately started chanting the word that were engraved in her subconscious. She didn't know how to read them, but somehow, she still knew the meaning of the runes.

Louise thought she heard Henrietta calling her but she was not sure, the casting putting her in some sort of trance.

When she finished chanting, the woman was just finished digging them up. She saw her visage but hastily looked past her to aim her spell before finally releasing it, Henrietta's hand in her own.

"Tel..."

*Flash end

"...eport"

After that incantation taken from her past, Louise appeared at her destination just in the center of the crown. 'Tch, I still need to learn how to be more precise, I wanted to appear a little at the back."

"Happy to see that you are here on time, and after that fabulous entry would you do us the honor of starting the ceremony?" Professor Colbert, The professor in charge of supervising the Ritual for this year, said to her with the reverence that was due to her rank, even if it was a little gauche.

"Of course Professor, it would be my pleasure" Louise answer with all the grace that she could muster.

He never had the proper demeanor for a noble but he was wise and strong, and so Louise liked him quite a lot. At least hadn't reminded her of her Title. The same Title that was the reason she would be the first to summon her Familiar, It has been just polite.

Louise readied in the center of the circle and wait for the signal.

"Princess, You can start".

And so Louise Francoise Le Blanc de la Valière de Tristain started her summoning…

"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe

My divine, beautiful, wise, powerful servant, heed my call...

I wish from the very bottom of my heart and add that to my guidance

Appear..."


At the same time, in orbit around un-administrated planet 97/ Earth

« The core is coming , it repairs itself too fast »

« Arc-en-ciel , ready to shoot »

« System , Lock-on »

« 3,2,1, it here Admiral »

« Arc-en-ciel, Fire »

And so, the blast made contact with NachtWal, what remained of the protecting system of the book of darkness, destroying it completely .

Or that's what everyone believed had happened, but in the silence of space no one heard the chant of a desperate girl, that same chant that had been heard across so many Dimension, so many times, that it sometimes sound like an eternal litany.

Compared to the power of the cannon, no one detected the slight Dimensional disruption.

And in the flash of light that signaled the end of a Battle, no one noticed a green and blue portal that opened and closed around the little orb that was the core of NachtWal.

And so, peace came back to the Sky of Uminari on the un-administered planet 97, as everyone thought that they would never hear of the Book of darkness and its malediction again.

And in that, at least, they weren't far from the truth.


(Halkegina, Springtime Ritual, Academy of Tristain)

The end of Louise's chant was signaled by a sudden explosion that rang out from the summoning circle, blasting fumes and dust on everyone that had remained too close .

'So every meaningful day of my life really does come with an explosion?'was the first thought that came to Louise mind, not even phased after all those years making things explode.

She carefully approached the source of the explosion, looking for a silhouette, knowing that her familiar was here, and as she advanced, she could hear a lot of complaining coming from behind her, but she didn't mind.

They should have known this would happen, this always happened when she cast powerful magic that wasn't her 'Teleport'.

At least it showed they weren't fops and had some guts,

...Or were just stupid enough to think she would not show up here.

They had to be for daring to complain about something she, the King's third daughter, had done, because that alone could get them in trouble with him if it was heard. Her father was often too protective of her.

Finally, Louise found what she was searching as the dust settled. There in front of her, two meters ahead, was a strange Purple Snake with numerous heads. How could she had not seen it before by the way it was glowing?

While she approached she saw that the poor thing seem to be lost and, by the look of it , its heads were entangled. She could not even see where its bodies, made connection, nor if there was any.

Did it at even have a tail?

She had never seen anything like it, but it was undoubtedly magic, and so potentially dangerous if left unbound to long.

Wand in hand, steeling her resolve, she raised her arm in its direction and chanted:" Pentagon of the five elements , bless this humble being and make it my Familiar"

And then, to end the ceremony, she bent down, noting that it was bigger than it was seconds ago, and kissed one of its heads.

She had barely stood up when she felt a strange magic rush in her body, before focusing around her chest and right leg tightly. Not knowing what was around that second part Louise looked down at her leg to see her familiar wrapped around it.

She also saw that the book was, for the first time in eight years, flaring in its strange colors!

And then everything went black…

NachtWal, The Book of darkness defense system.

That is what it had been during 6016 years by human standards. Protecting the Book from everything including itself and its numerous owners as it at been programmed to do.

No more than one hour ago it at been separated from it, left without a goal but surviving.

Then, during that hour it had been nearly destroyed twice while it was trying to repair itself.

The second had even forced it back into awakening mode and would have utterly destroyed it.

If it had not been for that dimensional portal that had open just around its core, pulling it far across the dimensional sea to a destination whose coördinate seem to be somewhere in its backlog.

Before it could get access to them it had already materialized at its destination. All around it were Mages with strange signatures, but none were powerful enough to do it any arm.

All save one, whose power exceeded those mage that had shut it down not long ago, and she was casting.

NachtWal tried to reactive its systems but before it could the spell hit it and then, like 6016 years ago, it felt its, no her program being rewritten.

How that girl had the "Master" access was beyond her, but she felt that new priorities were inscribed in its system

"Protect the Master's life at any cost", that one was only a slight change from the book to a master.

"Obey the Master every order has long as it isn't detrimental for her life", once more a mention the master life, she would really have to change her method of acting this time, "Provide mental care for the Master"?

That had never been her job for she was the book defense, not the master's. She would have to use her unison capacity to understand that one; and maybe use one of the back up for the other 'former' guardian of the Tome.

Using the new link that had just been established between her and her new Master, NachtWal entered Louise linker core .

And while scanning her, she found something unexpected. A real 'Magic Book ', akin to the one she had been linked to before, but at the same time different .

The book was somehow deeply link to her Master and so, maybe out of habit, but also so she could have a physical attach other that her Master's Body, she also fused with the book, integrating all is data in it and at the same time absorbing all the data from it.

And that's how she learned about the void, Its Power, Its Danger and its Past;

She learned about the past of the preceding owner of this book, the official but also the real, the one that Brimir, for that was the name of this Book's creator, had wanted to hide but couldn't totally, pouring his feeling in the book that had been the work of his life.

NachtWal found all of it very interesting.

She finally learned about the four familiars, and found it a good idea .

She understood that she was one of them but, if her Master was to survive she would need the four.

As a defense system, some of the spells in the book of darkness were ingrained in her. And one of them was a part of the 'Knights program', even if it was corrupt.

She would need time for that spell. And place.

Louise was dreaming.

She was dreaming of war, of death and of destruction. It was all confused and she couldn't understand much but it was clear that she had never seen any of the things she was seeing now in this dream.

Oh! She had seen death before, death of guards that were there to defend her. Following her around since the death of the preceding King and Queen, Henrietta parents.

But what she saw in those blurs was the slaughter of whole countries like they were nothing.

And most of the time, she could recognize the responsible. It's a different and twisted form but they were no mistake.

It was the snake that she had just summoned as her familiar.

Her familiar had, and could probably again, commit the destruction of whole civilization and she had brought it here.

Louise was afraid.

And so, here inside her mind Louise started to cry. She hadn't cried in these last eight years but here in her mind she cried for all the dead that had come from her familiar, and for all of those that, if she couldn't control the beast, would certainly come.

And then, the beast came .

"What is the problem Master?" The thing talked in a feminine but certainly serpentine voice.

"Ah..." Louise cowered

She then reminded herself that she had to control it or it was the end of her world.

"What-What are you?" She asked the thing in a trembling voice that she tried to make steel.

"I am your familiar, Master." it answered in that same voice.

"I meant what were you before that, I saw what you did" Louise shuddered remembering all those memory

"I was NachtWal , The defense system of the 'Tome of the night sky'"

"...that's all ? You slaughtered all those civilization just for that? By the founder, what is this thing?"

"Yes master. Just for that, and I would do it to protect you now if I could?" The Snake sound wistful.

"If you could? You cannot do it anymore" Louise by surprised by that

"No, I was forcibly separated of the tome and lost the power it gave me . I have power of my own but most of it is sealed"

Louise was relieved. But she couldn't down her guard. She had to know the most that she could.

"How did something as strong as you was sealed?"

"Powerful sealing magic."

OK here she was sure the thing was mocking her.

"Better question, how did you get separated from the Tome?"

" I was betrayed by the owner of the Tome and strike from inside and outside. The other parts of the book betrayed me too and forced me to take the strike."

"The other parts? …you were not alone in that book?" Things were becoming stranger and stranger.

"There were the 'master program' and the 'knights'. They are still with the tome"

"That's not surprising if you destroyed so much, I don't think I have even heard of a place like the ones I saw you annihilate." Louise was loosing her temper. How could that thing not understand...

Now that she thought about it, why did she think it could understand, from what it had said it was some sort of highly advanced sentient golem.

" It is normal Master, Most of them were not from your dimension, And the other not from this planet. I don't think I have ever been here"

"I don't understand what you meant, what are 'dimension', or 'planet'?"

This time, NachtWal took time to answer, like it was seriously thinking about its next word.

"You have a lot to learn. But now is not the time. I need to find a place where I could summon the knights without interference, the mage outside are starting to get active."

"Ah yes. I suppose I have been out for a long time now, but you will answer, and I have other questions, like the strange magic I saw used against you..." What NachtWal had just said finally caught to her "Wait ...The knights? ...Didn't you say they were with the tome? ...And how do you want to summon them?"

"I was a back up for when the Tome gets destroyed so I have the basic spell registered, the knights are one of them and can be reproduced. If you want to see those spells they are in your Book with your own Void spell but I doubt you can understand them yet.

"As for the magic I will mostly use yours"

"...I ...see, But how do I wake up?"

"Please wait master I must..."

" No, I must see what is happening out , I may not be the heiress but I am still a princess of Tristain, and you just confirmed I was the a Void mage. I must awake" Louise order

She hadn't missed any of what her familiar had implied, calling the spell her own meant that she really was a Void mage. The confirmation that she dreaded was here, and so she had to go back to the castle and announce directly to her father and mother.

Thing were going to be even more difficult and she wanted to be in control of at least her body.

"At your wish Master" It answered after some time, its voice back to the basic of the start " If you want to talk to me I will be in your Book".

...

The familiar of the princess was definitely a strange one Colbert thought. Since she had summoned it hadn't moved from her tight since the dust had settled and was hissing at everyone who got near her. And that color wasn't quite right.

And was it the familiar rune he was seeing glowing on the side? He had never seen one like that.

Ha, that's right, he had to record it.

Due to the explosion, and the fact that the other students were in a hurry to see what their families were, he had forgotten.

But first he had to call her and that too was a problem; the princess also seemed strange. Her hair was a shade darker and a purple aura was around her. The same purple as her snake's scale.

Her eyes were also glowing and searching around. What was she looking for?

Yes, something was not right, but he still had to continue the supervising of the ceremony and she didn't seem hurt. Her personal guard and Henrietta were also there guarding her, so nothing could go wrong right?

"..."

Maybe he should still ask now.

"Your highness? Are you alright?"

She didn't reply and continued to walk away

"Princess Louise, can you hear me?" He called louder

"... Oh, me ...yes I am but I have something important to do hand I have to do it quickly" She answered on an even tone.

"Before you go I have to see the rune on your familiar, can I ?"

"... If you really need to... yes"

The snake disappeared and materialized back on her arm, reaching out to him.

"Could you do it fast please?" She asked, her voice still not showing that she was in any sort of hurry.

"...Yes, yes here I go " Colbert took is block-note and plume and start sketching the strange rune out, "Did you get better with your Teleport or is that a power of your familiar?"

" What are you talking about?"

" Your snake just appeared directly on your arm without moving" had she not saw it or did it look normal for her?

"...That's one of my...abilities" She answered looking for the castle

Ah, so it was her. Well she was the brightest student he ever had so maybe she had mastered her spell to the point she didn't need her wand.

Still something was definitely off with her. Finishing his drawing he made a sign in the direction of Louise's cousin.

Henrietta nodded back to him, signifying that she had understood.

She would see to Louise while he remained to oversee the ritual.

"You can go now your highness, don't go too far and take care of yourself. We don't want your parent angry at the academy"

"..." Louise was staring at nothing, her eyes lost in the void.

"Are you okay?"

"...um, Oh sorry professor Colbert, sorry were you saying something ? I wasn't quite here right now…" Colbert noted that Louise had got her voice was back to her normal high-pitch tone. And her eyes were suddenly back to their bright pink color.

"I saw that, is there any problem?" Colbert was at least relieved that she was back to her normal self.

Louise took some time before answering and Colbert could see she was seriously thinking about her answer.

"Just some trouble getting to know my new familiar, nothing serious, it's just that a magical snake can be quite … outlandish. "

"Outlandish, eh.. I see"

"Professor Colbert what are you doing, we need your help with something" An other student called to him.

"I am coming!" Colbert shouted back. "I must go now your highness, Good day to you"

"Good bye Professor, I will see you in class in two days"

On that word Louise got back to the castle. The students were supposed to go together but she always was an exception even if she wasn't supposed to be.

"I start to fear for our future. I just hope war won't come too soon…"Colbert muttered while getting back to the summoning circle.

...

Louise wasn't stupid. After the attack eight years ago both her parent had insisted that she was to be trained in fighting. She could, since that accident, manage small Cantrips but that wouldn't be useful for her defense, and while she had a guard, time had proved that it was better to know how to fight for yourself.

Of course most of what of she had learned was for defense but knowing if you are tailed was the one skill she had used the most last year, along with how to shake of that tail.

She had seen that someone had followed her since she had departed from the summoning ground earlier.

It wasn't a surprise, there was always someone tailing her, namely her personal guard and their temporary chief Henrietta.

From the reflection she had seen behind her, she knew it was that last one who was after her, meaning she would not be shaken, no matter what.

Yes Teleport was definitely an useful spell for that, and was fairly cheap on her willpower. It would just take some time to cast it.

Well, she could play that game till she had her room in view. And it wasn't like she had said she didn't want to be followed. She in fact wanted to be followed, just to be sure there would be someone there if her familiar did something again.

She had just forgotten in her hurry to seek more about NachtWal, to ask what had happened to her Book.

Thinking about the Book again made her think about what NachtWal had said about the other knights of its former book. Was it really sure about that? After all it had they had betrayed it even if she could see why.

Now that she thought about it, it's a good idea for her too, if they had participated in its destruction they could probably help her to understand and contain it.

Louise finally took the Book in her hand, and after confirming the only one on her trail was Henrietta, opened it.

The change was immediately obvious. As to what had happened before, empty white pages were now full of those same runes in what Teleport had been written in.

But where the first time she could comprehend their inherent sense now none of them made any apart from some she recognized from her own spell.

It was at least proof it was the right one, but she would need to work to understand all that. Could she still understand 'Teleport'

The moment she thought that the book glowed and flapped its own pages.

'Don't tell me..,' Louise looked the Spell on that page and it was really 'Teleport' , and to her great relief she could still read it.

'It said its own spell were in there right... should I try?' Louise wanted to be sure. ' 'Knights summoning'.' she thought.

Once more the pages turned on themselves. Stopping on one of the last pages.

On this page were words that were vaguely Germanic but none the less to strange to read. 'Great still more research well,

I have done that for a quarter of my life now it won't change me.' She resigned herself

She finally saw the widow of her room. She always let it open so that she could do what she was about to.

"Sorry Henrietta, I have something that I must do alone" She said loudly before quickly releasing the spell she had started when spotting her.

"That's why I hate playing hide and seek with you" Louise had just the time to hear her old friend pout before finding herself in her room where she quickly combed every corner and made sure no one could spy on her.

She then placed the Book on her bed and called out "NachtWal, come out, I want you to explain about those knight before you summon then."

...

End of chapter 1


Note:Thank go to "These Heroes We Shall Remember"aka Sas- for the Beta.

Please Review for I need to know what's right and what's wrong if I want to get better. And if I get better you get better stories

Fragment of Ring.