Chapter One: Nighttime and Light

A bell tolled overhead, long and slow, in unison with the solemn footsteps of the figures beneath it. They moved along in blood-red robes-

(the better to hide the stains)

Their lanterns and chains clanking along as they went. In the middle of the four figures is a single, shorter one, their face hidden in an almost comically large hood. They stumbled but remained standing, as they were meant to do. Falling would not save them from their fate, in the end.

As they passed underneath the tower, the person looked up at the full moon with red eyes and watched it start to turn. They swallowed. Then, they looked straight ahead and moved ahead, away from a possible glancing blow.

The bell tolled again as the door creaked shut behind them.

When the bell fell silent, someone, far away, screamed. He scream echoed through the years, all the way into the dreams of a sleeping girl, one hundred years later.

Takamachi Nanoha woke with a start, tears on her sun-kissed cheeks and Takamachi Vivio covering her mouth with little palms.

"Missus is looking for us, Nee-chan," Vivio whispered, her blond curls bouncing with her energy. "Ssh."

Nanoha smiled with joy and covered Vivio's mouth with her own hands. The two of them muffle their giggles as other voices rush about, bantering and grumbling with irritation.

"Honestly, they spoil her," grumbled a maid. "What would their parents think if they heard?"

Nanoha tried to ignore the way her blood ran cold and how Vivio tensed up. Instead, the two of them continued to listen to the silence, no longer laughing.

"Nee-chan."" Vivio's high little voice was serious, her red and green eyes sparkling with anger.

Nanoha smiled, hiding the wetness of her eyes. "It's fine, Vivio. C'mon, let's go meet the others." She picked up the little girl like she weighed little more than an eggplant, which would be rather accurate. "They're all a bunch of sillies anyway."

"All sillies!" VIvio agreed, waving her arms. Nanoha shushed her, causing the two of them to burst into helpless giggles as they flee to safety. Or rather, flee to the next mansion.

Honestly, what had they expected, taking children from their Japanese style home to a place in Europe? They were going to explore.

Something rustled behind them, but, with the perceived immortality of youth, they ignored it.

The reason Nanoha was here, in fact, had nothing to do with her, not her sisters and brother, not their family, but the families who had been here in the past. She was an awful little servant girl, come to think of it. But Nanoha, being nine years old, did not think about it, and certainly little Vivio didn't either. There were no servants in this day and age, not since the war.

So all the little girls had to do was run forward to the two figures practicing their curtsies beneath a tree. They were only helping with a ceremony. It was the limit of the use of their existence, or something similar. Nanoha was not in a place to question it.

"Alisa-chan, Suzuka-chan!" Nanoha pitched her voice as far as she could. Vivio echoed her and giggled, ruining the pitch of her voice as she did. Nanoha giggled at the sound. The girls up ahead weren't much better. Suzuka was smiling tightly to keep it together perhaps in a way counter to Alisa's waving fists and fanged smile at the sight.

"What took you guys so long?"

Nanoha's sheepish laugh, always a little forced, burst out before she could answer, leaving Vivio waving her pale fists. "Maids 're tough!"

Alisa huffed. "You coulda just said we ordered you out here."

"Then they would have called us all back." Nanoha flapped her fingers. "It's fine, Alisa-chan! Let's go exploring, okay?"

Both girls looked at her skeptically but Alisa shook her head. "Yeah before they get us in our ugly clothes!"

"Come on, they aren't that bad…" Suzuka was sighing theatrically. She winked at Vivio, who beamed.

"They're fancy," Alisa grumbled, before pointing behind them. Nanoha's violet eyes locked on a building with vines starting to climb over its edges, leaves poking gleefully from the doorway. "This is where the party is going to be tomorrow." She grinned. "We're finally gonna get our family magic."

Nanoha giggled. "You make it seem like so much fun."

"Not all of us are born with it, Nanoha." Alisa flipped her hair. "Come on let's explore before the grown-ups lock things up."

Nanoha turned Suzuka, her technical boss, and waited for the nod of approval. Suzuka smiled and agreed. With that, the four of them were off.

The birds chirped their song overhead. And yet, Nanoha couldn't help this feeling of dread.

Maybe it was just because Vivio had stopped walking and clung to her instead. Yes, that must be it.

It wasn't her first fall, but Nanoha had her feeling this one had done the most damage.

She rubbed her head and picked herself up from the hard ground. She reached back to check her head. No wetness, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. She would have to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Nee-shan!" Vivio's tiny voice sounded even smaller down here.

"Nanoha!"

"I'm okay!" I think… "There's a path up ahead! I'm going to see where it goes!"

"Nanoha!" Suzuka tried to scold but it was too late. Nanoha was already making a way across the rocky path. She tried not to look for the rips in her dress, to ignore the pounding of her heart in this enclosed area. There was no water dripping from the ceiling.

But there was music and it was very distracting. And, conveniently enough, it was coming from the direction she was heading. For a moment, Nanoha hesitated. She knew what these sort of things led to. However…

"Between being stuck here indefinitely and going towards that light…" Nanoha patted her cheeks. "I'll make it work somehow!"

So she kept going, old shoes brushing against vines and dirt against stone. Slowly, the cave began to brighten and a sweet smell touched her nose. Unfortunately, she was getting very tired. Her head started to throb. Nanoha quickly started to hum. She couldn't fall asleep. She could not sleep. If she slept she would die. If she closed her eyes she would die. Don't blink too slow. Her teeth started to chatter with no one to remind her not to. Don't stop, don't stop, don't-

A wind blew, cutting off her thoughts as she made it to a place in the slowly setting sun. Beneath a tree sat a worn cross, and underneath that cross was a strange capsule. Something red glowed at its base.

"Wow…" she whispered, unable to cry out in surprise. "What is this?"

Predictably, nothing seemed to answer. However, a single, bright light flickered once more.

Against her better judgement, Nanoha moved closer, close enough to touch the smooth capsule. It felt strange under her fingers, alien. And yet, she didn't want to pull her hand away. At its back edge, a small creature, somewhat like a ferret, slept atop it, a red gem at its throat. It seemed peacefully unaware of her. She moved to inspect it, pulling her hand away in the process.

The capsule made a noise like a groan. Then, it started to move.

"Initializing Abyssal Gate." It droned so softly yet the groaning of its mechanics grew louder. "New user recognized. Accumulation boot start. Stand by for set up."

"What…?"

The red gem on the ferret's neck shone as it opened jade green eyes. Then, all Nanoha could see was bright, vivid red.

She was beginning to think she had made a mistake.

A/N: I knew I could do it! I just had to like, wreck all my expectations of what this fic was going to be. Time to combine two unlikely fandoms in a battle for magic! Friendship! And non-friendly fight scenes. Enjoy everybody!

Challenges: Three Sided Box (28 chapters at 1200 (1100-1300) words), Small Multichap CompetitionCoM, Diversity Writing CoM J33, Novella Masterclass Pandora Hearts list 6.