Power Of Time

Disclaimer: I don't own Nanoha. Nuff said.

Chapter 01

Nanoha smiled faintly at Arisa and Suzuka as she passed the bus driver and made her way down the aisle. Stumbling a bit as the bus started up and pulled away from the curb, she pouted as Arisa laughed.

"Oh be quiet" Nanoha said and sat down though the self-admonishing shake of the head she gave took any rebuke from her words.

"Come on Nanoha!" Arisa urged, her hands clenching and unclenching as if nervous.

Suzuka rolled her eyes but couldn't disguise how eager she was. Leaning forward and peering expectantly at Nanoha, she too made the strange grasping motions.

Laughing at their expressions, Nanoha slowly reached into the bag and withdrew the old wooden box that lay flat at the bottom, kept secure by her bento, folder of homework and the many other accoutrements that rattled in the bag.

"Fine, fine" she mumbled whilst carefully easing the lid off the box and revealing the cards inside.

"Come on Nanoha! Read the cards!" Arisa whined.

Suzuka prepared a stinging rebuke for her friend before stopping at the hypocrisy. She too was eager to see what Nanoha's cards would reveal.

Taking a deep breath, Nanoha closed her eyes and held the cards in the flat of her hand whilst her friends looked on in anticipation.

"I love this part" Suzuka whispered.

Nanoha began to shuffle the cards carefully and every now and then would pull a card from the deck and lay it face down on the seat which had been vacated by Arisa.

Stopping, Nanoha opened her eyes and looked down at the five cards. Setting the remaining cards back inside the box but leaving the top off, she glanced at the two of them before turning over the first card.

"Lightning. There will be something powerful happening today" she murmured.

Arisa grinned at Suzuka.

"Shield…something will be defended today" she continued, flipping the second card with a grace that belied her years and proved she had been doing it for many years.

"Cloak and dagger. There are dangerous secrets about. Beware" she stated, making a spooky face to lighten the atmosphere.

Inside though, she was troubled. It wasn't necessarily a bad reading so far but it was exceptionally potent. The next two cards could easily ruin or make the day and for a moment her hand paused above the fourth card before she flipped it.

"Earth. There will either be change today or everything will stay the same" she murmured, glancing up at the two. "Given the previous three cards, we can assume there will be change today" she stated, easily interpreting the portents.

Flipping the fifth card, she blinked before looking at both Arisa and Suzuka. "The friend. So a friend today has a dangerous secret that will need to be defended. And the defence will be quite powerful" she stated.

Arisa and Suzuka blinked owlishly before giving some half-hearted applause. Already their eyes were subtly glancing at each other.

"I could be wrong though. I'm just a beginner. My mom could tell you what times you'd be going to the toilet today" Nanoha joked and laughed at the paling of her two friends faces.

Momoko Takamachi was an expert card-reader and both Arisa and Suzuka had been dazed by the woman's accuracy.

Slipping the five cards back into the box with reverence, Nanoha slipped the lid back on and gently placed it back inside her bag.

Seeing Arisa and Suzuka were in no mood to talk, Nanoha glanced out the window as she recalled how it had begun.

Nanoha glanced up curiously as she felt her mother sit down beside her. Up till now, she had been drawing idly on a few pieces of paper whilst her mother had been upstairs.

"Alright Nanoha. Do you want your surprise now?" Momoko asked, smiling down at her child with hope brightening her eyes.

"Yes! Yes!" Nanoha cheered, letting out the excitement she had been feeling. "What is it mommy?" she asked, peering at her mother.

Momoko laughed quietly and raised a hand to stall Nanoha's barrage of questions. "Come upstairs with me Nanoha. It's in your room" she stated.

Nanoha clambered to her feet and beamed up at Momoko.

"I'm not telling you" Momoko stated, giggling at her youngest daughters pout.

Making their way upstairs, Nanoha bounded into her room but was pulled up short by the sight of an obsidian box sitting in the middle of her floor.

And not roughly the middle but the exact centre of her room. Quite a feat given all the toys scattered about.

Momoko sat and she patted the floor next to her.

"Nanoha. My mother taught me this and my grand-mother taught my mother. This goes back a long time" Momoko explained, stopping Nanoha's curious hands with a light tap to the back of her hand.

Pouting, Nanoha began to listen attentively.

"This has been passed down in our family for many years. Usually, the first daughter would learn this…"

"Miyuki knows it? But you said this was for me!" Nanoha whined, pouting at the unfairness.

"No, Nanoha. She didn't want to learn. Miyuki wanted to be play outside with the boys. I was so sad she didn't want to learn and I was afraid that it would stop with me. But when you were born…when I looked down at you, I knew that you would be my last chance" Momoko explained.

Nanoha nodded, not truly comprehending the gravity of the situation or the speech.

Momoko slowly pulled the lid off the box and she smiled when Nanoha's surprise and awe reached her in the form of a gasp.

In the box was a deck of cards but the designs on the back were truly amazing.

At first it looked like a flaming moon but the next second it look like a cold sun. Such was the way they were designed that every time you looked at them, you saw something new.

It was an artistic tribute to the malleability of the future.

"Now Nanoha. I want you to hold these cards gently and sit here. Close your eyes and just relax. Don't think about anything, just listen" Momoko requested and laughed at Nanoha's almost rebellious look.

"I know you want to go back to drawing but please Nanoha, do this for me" Momoko pleaded.

And just for a moment, Nanoha was able to see the desperation filling her mom.

"Okay mommy" Nanoha acquiesced and took the cards. Setting them on her left hand and closing her eyes, she didn't hear Momoko depart the room with a smile.

Nanoha sat there quietly with her eyes closed and her breathing slowing to almost a crawl.

Time seemed to pass slowly in the room as Nanoha sat there, hand keeping the cards aloft and not moving.

Slowly, her right hand rose and she began to lift card after card off the deck. Every now and then she'd pause and lay a card face down to her right whilst the others were laid in a pile to her left.

Stopping after the fifth card, she opened her eyes and blinked at the cards on both her left and right.

"Mom! I'm done!" Nanoha called out.

Thirty seconds later, Momoko entered the room with a stunned expression on her face.

"Nanoha! That's amazing! That only took an hour" Momoko praised, giggling at the thunderstruck expression on her daughters face.

Nanoha blushed at the praise and ducked her head.

"Turn the cards over Nanoha. The five on your right" Momoko requested.

Nodding, Nanoha turned over the first one.

"Love. That means Shiro" Momoko explained to Nanoha's confused expression. The image on the card was an arrow with a heart for the head.

Turning over the next card, Nanoha revealed water.

Momoko stayed silent, intrigued by the cards Nanoha was turning over.

Next came fire.

Momoko frowned at that. Water and fire were elemental enemies and they rarely showed up together in a reading. When they did, it was often very good and very bad.

Nanoha turned over the next card and she blinked.

"The Caduceus. It means healing" Momoko murmured distractedly, calling Shiro's cell-phone number to the front of her mind.

Nanoha paused before she turned over the last card.

A moment later and Momoko went white and raced out of the room.

Nanoha glanced down at the card and shivered.

Death.

Packing the cards up slowly and making sure they all fit inside the box perfectly, Nanoha slid the lid back on and picked up the box. She wasn't sure why she picked it up, only that it felt right to do so.

Moments later and she heard a scream come from her mom.

"Mommy! What's wrong?" Nanoha shouted, racing down the stairs and skidding clumsily into the kitchen after bumping into the wall.

"Nanoha…your dad has had an accident" Momoko whispered.

Seeing her daughter freeze and glance at the cards, Momoko knew she had to act fast. Kneeling, she lifted her daughter's chin.

"Nanoha. The cards didn't make this happen. They only showed that it would happen. You probably saved your fathers life" Momoko whispered, hugging Nanoha.

Nanoha blinked and returned the hug, the box of cards nestled between them. "Ok mommy."

Nanoha blinked as the jolt from the bus stopping brought her out of the memory. Yelping in shock when she realised she had passed her stop, she raced to the driver.

"I'm really sorry! Can you please open the doors?" Nanoha begged.

Nodding gruffly, he opened the doors and Nanoha jumped out.

To find that the bus hadn't even gone ten feet past her stop.

Arisa was clutching her stomach and crying with laughter whilst Suzuka was desperately trying to restrain her mirth whilst also trying to admonish Arisa.

Needless to say it wasn't working.

Huffing, Nanoha walked past them with her nose in the air. "Guess who isn't getting a reading tomorrow" she stated, smiling slyly at their twin yelps of shock.

Hurrying on to school, Nanoha's laughter could be heard over the twin exclamations from her friends.

====

Nanoha was still smiling as she and her friends made their way to Midori-ya. Whilst the sting of the prank had worn off, the amusement had not faded from either side.

As they entered the Midori-ya café, Nanoha shook her head in amusement as Arisa tugged Suzuka to their regular bench. Already one of the waitresses was taking over their regular order with a look of mock-exasperation on her face.

Nanoha proceeded behind the counter and into the kitchen where Momoko was taking a break.

"How was school Nanoha?" Momoko asked whilst watching her daughter curiously. Whilst she didn't personally agree with Nanoha doing readings every day, she knew that Nanoha would have to discover it in her own time.

"Good. I got an interesting reading today" Nanoha responded, easily understanding what her mom was really asking.

"Draw the cards again" Momoko requested and raised a hand to forestall Nanoha's question. "By simply repeating what cards you drew, you mock the powers that are beyond us. If they want you to draw the same cards, you will" Momoko explained.

Nodding, Nanoha closed her eyes and began to shuffle the cards.

Every few seconds she would draw a card and lay it face down on the steel work-bench before returning to the slow shuffling. Stopping after the fifth was laid down, she opened her eyes and flipped the cards.

"Are those the same cards?" Momoko inquired, examining them and the way they were laid out.

This time, The Friend was closest to the left which was Nanoha's primary hand. Then came Cloak and Dagger which meant that a friend would have a dangerous secret. Then came the shield card and Momoko quirked an eyebrow before glancing at the next.

"Lightning. An auspicious card when found with these" she murmured.

Finally glancing at Earth, she sat still for a moment.

"I'm seeing that a friend will have a dangerous secret. You will need to defend this friend and you will have power to do so. But it will be a massive change" she summarised.

Nanoha nodded and packed the cards away.

"Be on guard Nanoha. I haven't slept well since the last full moon" Momoko warned.

Nodding, Nanoha slipped out of the kitchen.

"Come on Arisa, Suzuka! You'll get fat eating all that!"

Momoko shook her head as the gasps of outrage and the thunder of the three girls storming out reached her.

"Be careful, Nanoha."

====

"Come on guys, this is a shortcut" Arisa promised and gestured to the densely wooden area to their right.

Suzuka glanced at it warily before smiling hopefully at Nanoha. "The cards didn't say we'd be hurt, did they?"

Nanoha shook her head, mainly to appease Suzuka. Whilst the cards didn't say they'd be hurt, just looking at the woods made her teeth itch. It was a very odd sensation since she had yet to actually experience it.

"Oh come on Nanoha" Arisa wheedled and began to walk into the forest with a jaunty stride.

Glancing at Nanoha, Suzuka followed suit.

"The cards didn't say dumb friends" Nanoha complained before following them in.

Arisa slowed down to let Suzuka and Nanoha catch up. Whilst she wouldn't show it, the forest was intimidating. The further in they got, the darker it seemed and the trees themselves creaked warningly in the wind.

Hearing a splat, she glanced down…and screamed.

Nanoha and Suzuka who had been at best a few meters away raced up to see what had caused the brave Arisa to scream.

Suzuka paled when she saw what Arisa had stepped in.

Blood

Nanoha had seen far worse in her life, like seeing her father in the hospital. Glancing around, she ignored the near-hysterical Arisa. Sweeping her gaze over the trees and then across the path, she burst into a sprint when her eyes caught something moving up ahead.

Dashing up close and crouching to her knees, Nanoha winced at the sight of the ferret. "Oh you poor thing" she whispered, reaching out and gently touching it. Finding it still warm, she winced as Arisa and Suzuka appeared next to her.

"We should take it to the vet" Suzuka said, leaning close to look at it.

Nanoha made a split-second decision.

"You two go to the school. I'll take it to the vet and you can tell them I'll be a bit late. Please?" Nanoha asked, gathering the ferret up into her arms.

Arisa was about to protest when Suzuka laid a hand on her arm and shook her head minutely.

"Fine! But we get to see him after!" Arisa declared and began to stomp towards the prep school.

Nanoha smiled thankfully at Suzuka and got a nod in return.

Gently cradling the ferret, Nanoha set into a fast walk. It was difficult making sure she didn't jostle the ferret too much and also ensuring the cards in her back didn't get damaged.

Not noticing the strange looks she was getting, Nanoha easily made it to the vet's. Entering, she smiled nervously at the receptionist.

Catching sight of the ferret, the secretary immediately stood and hurried into the office. A moment later and the vet emerged.

"Um…hi" Nanoha began lamely and held out the ferret in explanation.

"Come with me. We'll get him bandaged up" she stated soothingly and lead Nanoha into the surgery. Pulling out some antiseptic, bandages and salve, she glanced at Nanoha. "You're enrolled in the prep school, right? I've seen you walk past now and then."

Nodding, Nanoha fidgeted.

"Lay him down on the table" the vet instructed and blinked at the strange bauble around the yellow animals neck. As soon as the ferret was lying flat, she easily slipped it off the creatures neck and examined it.

"Weird…it's not a collar" she mused before looking at Nanoha. "Would you mind holding on to this for a while? At least until he's better."

Nodding, Nanoha accepted it and rubbed it with her thumb.

It feels…warm she thought.

"Oh no! I'm late! Thankyou, Miss Vet!" Nanoha exclaimed and pocketed the jewel before rushing out.

Glancing down at the ferret, she blinked as it struggled to rise.

"None of that for you!"

====

Nanoha slipped into the large auditorium and quietly made her way to her seat.

"Take your seat Miss Takamachi. Your friends explained why" the teacher ordered without even turning.

Blushing as half of the class turned towards her, Nanoha dropped into her seat and smiled thankfully at Arisa and Suzuka.

"So, how'd it go?" Suzuka whispered, shifting her book so Nanoha could copy down what she had missed.

"He'll be fine. The vet will keep him overnight and we can go see him after class" Nanoha responded.

Reaching into her pocket, she gently touched the odd red gem that she had received from the vet. It was oddly warm and with each touch, it sent a small shock through her arm.

Should I tell them? Nanoha thought to herself before shaking her head minutely. If she told them, not only would they be jealous but they would also want to have it.

Nanoha was a methodical worker. She was slow but steady in working out problems that would have frustrated people older than her.

Constantly checking her facts and thinking through the problem, Nanoha was somewhat of a defensive worker. She didn't make rash leaps or extend herself out upon a flimsy branch of logic like other people would.

"How do you do this problem, Nanoha?" Arisa whispered, pointing to a fraction equation.

Nanoha glanced at Arisa's book and winced at the lack of working out. "I can't tell you Arisa. You know that" Nanoha stated quietly and wilted under the cold look given by the blonde.

Suzuka sighed as she watched Arisa bully Nanoha into helping her. Whilst Arisa would never admit it, Suzuka knew a fair bit of their friendship was based on Nanoha's fortune-telling capabilities and her intelligence.

Easily walking Arisa through the problem and catching Suzuka looking at her, she smiled wanly back at her purple-haired friend.

Suzuka smiled back before hunkering down to her own book.

I'll need to talk to Arisa tonight she thought quietly. Suzuka wasn't a confrontational person but she honestly liked Nanoha outside of her fortune-reading abilities. She was friendly, warm, open and funny at times.

Nanoha rolled the gem between her fingers and went back to her own work.

====

Leading her two friends into the veterinarians surgery, Nanoha was all too aware of the distance that separated her and Arisa at this point.

Letting the other two go on ahead, Nanoha touched the gem in her pocket almost out of habit than curiosity. She may have only had it in her possession for only a few hours but it felt so natural to touch it as she was.

Entering the surgery and walking up to the table, Nanoha looked at the ferret and blinked. It was looking up at her in what looked like need if she interpreted the tilt of its head right.

"It's so small! And so cute!" Arisa squealed, gently touching it and giggling when its short fur tickled her index finger. Continuing to stroke it curiously, Arisa pouted when she realised that it was looking at Nanoha.

"Nanoha, can I talk to you?" the vet asked, a faint smile on her face as she eyed the three girls.

Nodding and walking over to the vet, Nanoha could feel Arisa gazing at her in annoyance.

"Nanoha, where did you find the ferret?" she asked, eyes flicking up to glance at the golden creature.

"Um…in the forest near here, ma'am" Nanoha responded with a slight stammer.

The vet nodded. "You're too nervous to lie. Nanoha…that ferret was badly injured. Whatever hurt it was bad. I've never seen anything like it" she stated quietly, making sure the other two girls couldn't hear.

Even an outsider could see the tension making Arisa's hackles rise.

Nanoha blinked at that. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know Nanoha. Maybe an illegal animal from overseas or a new type of disease. Just keep an eye out. The burns are the worrying part. They're still hot and they won't cool" she stated with a hint of worry seeping into her voice.

"Also, I was wondering if you could take care of the ferret when its better, Nanoha? You brought it here and it doesn't have a collar."

Nanoha nodded, deep in thought. This combined with the card interpretations was starting to trouble her greatly.

"I'd love to!" she stated but made sure to keep her voice low so as to not let Arisa know and thus grow even more annoyed.

"Alright girls. It's time to leave so the little guy can get some rest" the vet announced.

Nodding, Nanoha smiled at both Arisa and Suzuka. "I'll see you tomorrow then" she stated and for what seemed like forever, an awkward silence filled the surgery.

"O-okay Nanoha" Suzuka stated, smiling warmly at her friend whilst casting a disapproving glance at Arisa who was glancing out the window.

====

Nanoha eased into the kitchen and coughed quietly to get her mother's attention.

Nanoha and her father Shiro had never quite meshed. They loved each other but when it came down to it, Nanoha was more Momoko's daughter than Shiro's.

"Yes, Nanoha?" Momoko inquired, glancing up from her mug of tea to eye her daughter.

"I found an odd ferret today" Nanoha began, not even thinking about obscuring any details.

Nodding, Momoko didn't interrupt her daughter. She respected her too much.

"I found it in the small forest near my prep school. This was around its neck" she continued and pulled out the small sphere from her pocket. Handing it to her mother, she waited patiently.

Momoko took it and clasped it in one hand.

Momoko was magical, that could not be denied. Predicting the future was not something an ordinary person could do. But her magic was exceptionally weak. Besides the cards, she could not manifest it outside her body, or in any other way except the cards.

As such, her ancestors had nearly always been neutral in conflicts and squabbles with all sides coming to them for a reading.

And Momoko had recognized this trait within her daughter from the moment of conception. But the power she had felt from her child had eclipsed her own from the very second she had been created.

Even though her magic was quite weak, Momoko was still highly in tune with the workings of the world. Focusing all her will on the gem, she gasped quietly.

Such power…it pulsed and throbbed within. Like bottled lightning it raged and a moment later, Momoko yelped and flung it back towards Nanoha. Looking down, she winced at the bright welt rising on her hand.

The power inherent within the talisman had lashed out at her after recognizing she wasn't the true wielder.

Catching it, Nanoha looked at it. It felt the same as it had all day, maybe a bit warmed.

"That…is a powerful talisman, Nanoha" Momoko said after running cold water over her hand. "Do not lose it."

"Then…the first card has been fulfilled?" Nanoha asked, eyes wide. Whilst her predictions often came true, it was still amazing that she could tell the future.

Nodding, Momoko stepped close and gently cupped her daughters hand around the gem. "This was meant for you, daughter. Keep it close tonight."

"Oh, and mom? I was wondering if we could take care of the ferret once its better?" Nanoha asked, smiling hopefully.

"We'll see in the morning, Nanoha" Momoko stated but the wink she gave caused Nanoha to giggle conspiratorially.

Nodding, Nanoha hugged her mom around the waist before darting out of the kitchen and back upstairs.

Momoko sat down again and eyed the welt. "So much power" she whispered.

====

Nanoha eyed her silent mobile in sadness. Something had changed today, and it hadn't changed for the better. "The second card has been revealed" she whispered morosely.

When the earth changed, it took a great amount of force to change it back.

Changing into her pyjama's slowly and taking the cards from her bag, she laid them on the small square of red cloth which resided upon her night-stand. The cards deserved respect for they not only aided in the divination of the future but they were older than the entire district it seemed.

Sitting down, Nanoha yawned massively and flopped back. Closing her eyes just for a moment, Nanoha felt…something tugging at her mind. Like being poked with a finger, it persisted and only became more and more urgent as she tried to ignore it.

Relenting, she sighed.

"Why would a ferret have this?" she asked and held the jewel up above her.

…elp me…

"Who's there?" Nanoha asked, opening her eyes and looking around. Satisfied it was just the wind, she lay down again.

Please…help me…

"Okay Kyoya. This isn't funny" Nanoha complained, walking silently over to her door and wrenching it open. "Kyoya?" she asked quietly and got no response.

Closing the door, Nanoha glared at the window before shaking her head.

Please…I need your help…

"Okay, who are you?" Nanoha demanded, stamping her foot on the floor in what she hoped was a sign of adult-like anger.

In reality, it was merely cute.

The ferret…I need your help…it's here!

A moment later and the voice terminated in what could only be described as a wash of static.

Wincing at the headache it brought up, Nanoha pulled the cards over to her from the nightstand and pulled them from the box.

Closing her eyes and slowing her breathing, Nanoha began to cast them.

One by one the cards were laid flat on the quilt to Nanoha's right and when five had been laid, Nanoha stopped and opened her eyes.

Flipping them one after the other without looking at them, Nanoha barely contained the gasp of shock.

The Other, Lightning, Shield, Fire and Cloak and Dagger.

A very dangerous portent.

Standing, Nanoha took a breath to steady herself. Packing the cards away hurriedly, she got changed in nigh-record time and bolted.

====

Running as fast as she could through the streets, Nanoha cursed her lack of physical fitness. She wasn't overweight, not by any means. She simply lacked the kind of muscles that Suzuka possessed.

Huffing and puffing, Nanoha finally rounded the corner and caught sight of the vet's.

"Everything looks fine" Nanoha whispered aloud as if afraid of disturbing any malignant forces in the area. Advancing slowly, Nanoha froze as…something happened.

Something she had no way of knowing had appeared in her brain.

The ferret is going to come flying out of the building she realised and she could see it in her minds eye. Where the rubble would land and the arc of the small animal. Not questioning her instinct, Nanoha dashed forward as fast as she could. But no more information came to her.

Opening her arms as she neared the gate, Nanoha watched the entire cement wall of the vet's explode outwards as if struck with a massive hammer.

A thunderous crack and roar made the stone under her feet tremble and crack. The roar stopped after the wall fell to its screeching final position and for a moment, all was still.

Then there was a flash, a bestial scream of rage and the ferret came rocketing out of the dark void inside the building.

Arcing high like a golf ball, the ferret rocketed down with its eyes closed. It expected to smash into the unforgiving concrete and when it thumped into something a fair bit softer than concrete, it opened one eye nervously and found a large wall of orange before him.

Nanoha didn't wait for whatever was inside the vet to emerge. Turning on her heel and holding the ferret tight to her chest, she fled.

Yuuno shook himself out of his stupor. He had expected to be splattered over the concrete after he temporarily chained the monster. Had he perished then the monster would have been taken with him.

Panting, Nanoha ducked through alley-ways and past trash-cans.

But based on the crashing and snarls she could hear, the monster was gaining rapidly.

"Stop."

Yelping, Nanoha tripped and sprawled over the pavement at the sudden voice coming from her chest. Glancing up in shock, she saw the ferret lying near her and gazing at her.

"Run away" the ferret requested though his voice was weak and his body trembled with tiredness and fatigue.

"What?" Nanoha asked, not really comprehending what the ferret was saying.

"Run! I might be able to buy you enough time to escape" the golden ferret whispered with blood starting to ooze through the bandages from where he had landed after Nanoha tripped.

"That's not an option" Nanoha whispered as the entire area went deathly quiet. The sound of a trash can tipping over was all the warning Nanoha needed.

Flinging herself at Yuuno and scraping her knee, Nanoha wrenched the ferret up and along with her. Twisting in mid-air and skidding along the asphalt on her back, Nanoha barely dodged the black monster.

Watching it collide into a power pole and freeze as the tower of steel crashed down on it, she looked at the ferret worriedly.

"My name is Yuuno Scrya. Take the red gem in your hand and repeat after me" Yuuno commanded, watching the beast carefully.

Nanoha fished the gem from her pocket and clasped it tight within her hand.

"Focus your mind on it" Yuuno instructed, a note of urgency infecting his tone.

Concentrating on the gem, Nanoha imagined it in her mind. The smooth surface with the deep red almost like blood, its small size…she fixed it all in her mind.

And she could feel it throb in time to her heart.

"Repeat after me" Yuuno ordered, hoping Nanoha didn't hear the angry growl given off by the monster.

"I, who has accepted this mission"

I, who has accepted this mission

"Upon the ancient contract, command you to release your power"

Upon the ancient contract, command you to release your power.

Nanoha stopped for a second as she felt the beating slow down a bit.

"Wind in the sky, stars in the heavens"

Wind in the sky, stars in the heavens

"And a resolute heart…"

And a resolute heart…

Nanoha knew for sure that the chant was somehow interfering with the gem. It was pulsing slower and cooling in her grip.

"Beats within my chest!"

Beats within my chest!

"This magic in my hand…"

This magic in my hand…

"Raising Heart, Set-Up!"

Raising Heart, Set-Up!

Yuuno expected to feel a spike of power and to see the power he had felt within Nanoha engulf the young girl.

Nothing happened.

"It's cold…" Nanoha whispered and opened her hand.

Raising Heart lay there, bereft of its lustre and beauty. It looked like a mere Christmas bauble covered in dust.

"What the…" Yuuno whispered, fear filling his voice. This had been his one last chance to seal the monster away. And it seemed that Raising Heart had refused the chant and gone dormant.

Nanoha threw herself to the side again with Yuuno, barely dodging a razor-sharp tentacle that struck the ground where she had just been. The stone shattered into a fine plume of dust from the strike.

"Hide!" Nanoha whispered and threw Yuuno into the bushes behind her.

Nanoha ducked to the side as another tentacle lashed out towards her with a soft whistle. Stumbling as the tentacle struck her a glancing blow, she glanced down and her eyes widened when her eyes saw her jumper was torn.

Nanoha knew where each tentacle would lash a few seconds before it would. Yet even with that advanced knowledge, Nanoha barely managed to dodge each lash.

Throwing herself into a clumsy cartwheel to avoid a rapid-fire barrage of tentacles which turned the entire wall to dust and shards of stone, Nanoha panted.

As each second passed, she saw an extra second into the future.

I…can't keep this up.

Feeling Raising Heart in her hand, she could feel it warming up.

And words came to mind.

"The future gleams bright"

Nanoha threw herself past a column of stone and panted quietly.

"A promise of a better tomorrow" she whispered out.

"My soul is rising to meet it" she murmured, closing her eyes to focus upon the jewel.

"With both hands I grasp my future" she murmured, dodging the lashing blades of shadow instinctively though with each evasion of the beast, the margin for error got thinner and thinner.

"Neither rain or sun will deter me"

Nanoha winced as a tentacle sliced open her side. It was a small cut, barely even a paper-cut yet it stung viciously. Focusing all the harder, she bit her lip.

"For my defences shall be as iron!"

The monster locked itself onto her and lashed forward with every tentacle it had, a dozen razor-sharp spears screaming towards her.

Nanoha's eyes flashed open.

"Raising Heart, Set Up!" she cried out and extended her hand towards the sky as if beseeching the fates.

Yuuno had never heard of a magus ever activating an Intelligent Device with a different chant. Each Device had its own activation phrase implanted into it at the time of creation.

Either that was the true chant or…she forced a reboot? he thought, eyes widening slightly.

The tentacles slashed forward before shattering against the sphere of magic that engulfed the young girl.

Yuuno watched in awe as a sphere of pink light enveloped Nanoha.

Lightning crackled and screeched across the cement from where the magic raged. Black scorch marks were left in their wake whilst the stench of ozone filled the air.

Inside the sphere, things were far more serene although if possible, even more awe-inspiring.

Slowly, a disc of pink light was enveloping Nanoha.

First it engulfed her feet and as it moved up, it seemed to stretch almost like bubble-gum. A moment later and the pink light snapped away from the disc and settled into reality. White sneakers with a blue triangle on the toe area and a gold clasp that would protect the ankle.

As the disc started to move higher, her clothes were seemingly absorbed into the clinging light. And this time instead of merely stretching, the light instantaneously replaced her orange sweater and black skirt with a blue and white skirt.

Progressing higher and higher, a jacket settled onto her dress-clad frame with a red bow stopping it from sliding off.

Slowly, a staff began to materialise to Nanoha's left. Clearly designed for uses other than hand-to-hand combat as shown by its head, its shaft snapped into reality as Raising Heart floated out of Nanoha's grip and took its place as the foci of the staff.

Nanoha gripped it and her eyes snapped open.

Like a petal unfolding, the shell of magic parted from the front and shrunk back into nothingness behind Nanoha, absorbed into the metaphysical space within Raising Heart.

"Incredible" Yuuno whispered. He could see what Nanoha couldn't. Protective runes were inscribed along the hem of the jacket and skirt and whilst he could identify a few clusters, most escaped him.

Nanoha looked up at the beast before glancing down. A strange expression flitted across her face. Both happy and sad.

"Well, at least I'm not dressed like Sailor Moon" was her eventual announcement.

A/N: Alright! First chapter. This is a pilot and I'm looking for a bit of feedback. I would love some reviews.