Terra Incognita

Chapter one: Unprecedented

Yeah, the story name's not original at all. But it's the most apt one, I believe. It was hard as all got out to think of a proper way to cross these franchises over in a somewhat convincing manner.

As for the choice of franchises in this crossover: I happen to love Kyoukai Senji no Horizon, and wanted to do a fanfic about it some time. As for why Gears of War. I considered several franchises, such as Last Exile and Resistance. But GoW is the only one where an idea solidified.

But, enough about that. With no further ado, I hope you enjoy the story.

19:20 - 14 A.E.

Pelruan trawler Sunshine

Old Thomas sighed with disappointment after a long day at sea, so far out that they couldn't even see land very clearly – not that they're going to have trouble getting back of course. The aging skipper ran a hand through his thick and bushy whitening beard – wet from the incessant rain.

"Another miss, huh?"

A week had gone by and not a single fish had been caught.. Such terrible luck.

"Shall we head back?" came the coarse voice of his old friend, Bart. A halfway grumpy fellow he had known since childhood. Bart had stepped as far outside the wheelhouse as he could without letting go of the wheel.

Thomas sighed, and wished he could light up his smoking pipe. It would have made it easier to think. Instead, the old man looked up at the clouds gathering above – the weather getting worse as evening crept in across the sky.

"Yeah... might as well. A few more days of this, and we'll end up stuck on dry land."

Bart shook his head sadly:

"Damned shame. Maybe this is it then.. too old to start something else."

"Fishing's all this old seadog can do."

"Same here partner. Looks like retirement's around the corner."

But their forlorn expressions were soon met with that of Thomas' more optimistic grandson, Almer – who approached them from around the corner at the back of the ship. A fairly skilled fisherman now in his own right after having been with the old men at sea a dozen times.

"Cheek up, guys. let's try one more time before we head home."

"Confidence is all good and all, son. But why do you think now's gonna be any different?"

"I just feel it in my legs, this time will be different."

"Hah, just like you used to be in the old days." Bart verbally elbowed his friend.

Thomas laughed, "Until I wizened up..." his gaze drifting briefly to the darkening skies above. The weather looked just about ready to kick the calm overboard. Keeping the clouds in sight for just a moment, then something akin to a vortex appeared.. dragging the clouds towards it as if about to swallow them.

In surprise, he blinked. Startled by the sight, but when he opened his eyes again, the strange phenomenon had vanished. Damn, my old eyes must be playing tricks on me...

"Hey, grandfather. You listening?"

Tearing his eyes off the strange thing, Thomas refocused on the others, "...I hear you, but no. Weather's going south, better high-tail it back home before it gets even worse. Bart, ahead full."

"Roger that, no objection from me." Bart said, retreating back into the wheelhouse. "Ahead full." It took no longer than a few seconds before the engine could be heard chugging harder as the ship picked up speed.

Thomas did not like to disappoint his grandson, but there is a limit to everything. Fact of life right there.

"Still think we ought to give it another chance." Almer frowned, crossing his arms while making sure not to lose his balance as the waves got just a tiny bit worse.

He shook his head, "We'll try again once sea's feeling better. Best not overstay our welcome." Thomas turned, and was on his way to the wheelhouse when a bolt of lightning struck the water, no further than twenty feet away, "Whoa, shit!"

"Ye okay there?" Bart hollered.

Thomas grumbled under his breath, "Yeah... I'm-" the faintest mirror image appeared in the water, one that made the old man's blood run cold as he threw a glance back up at the skies... and felt his jaw drop.

The vortex had reappeared, much bigger this time. Stretching as far as his aging eyes could see, and it grew steadily deeper, but in the wrong direction. Its center rose into the sky, and the weirdest shapes appeared, hovering just beyond the layer of clouds.

It did not stop there. A flurry of lightning bolts shot down into the ocean, carrying with it a thick layer of water that splashed across the entire area, including the trawler. It was like someone had taken a pool and dumped it's entire contents onto his boat, all at once. Making it sink a couple of inches before 'jumping' back up once the barrage of water had passed.

"W-what in the blazes was that?!" Bart could be heard hollering. Almer voiced a similar reaction as he dived for cover, bracing for another one.

But Thomas had no answer to give them. Only able to stare up at the strange phenomenon as it continued its brutal course, shifting and changing.

M-my god, what kind of weather is this?!

19:20; 4th June; 1648; Testament Era

Quasi-Bahamut Class Aerial City-Ship "Musashi" – en route to "Musashino" bridge; "Inadequate HQ"

It is dark outside, and almost time for the historic reenactment of the Anglo-Spanish Armada Battle.

The young thane Adele Balfette, had been appointed as the strategist of the Musashi in fellow student Neshinbara's absence. Off to get his Macbeth curse undone, while many of the other students of her class went to help Tenzo get to Mary Stuart – so he may confess and prevent her execution.

Trailing in her wake was the automatic doll 'Musashino', the front ship's acting captain. People referred to the Musashi as one ship, but it's actually a fleet of eight ships connected together by thick ropes. Two middle ships, and three on the port and starboard sides. Each of the ships, and their respective captains carrying the same names. With one head captain above them all, named after the fleet itself.

'Musashino' spoke up; "The Grande y Felicisima armada has been detected. It will be arriving in England's southeastern perimeter within the next few minutes. Over."

"Jud." Adele responded, "Is the fleet ready?" aware that she had just uttered the question for the umpteenth time. They had fought the forces of Tres España earlier, and taken their Mortal Sin Armament.. so the thane could not help but be worried about potential foul play – despite the importance of this reenactment.

The involvement of P.A. ODA's representative sure put them in a troublesome situation. Now they had no choice but to act as England's fleet in this. Succeed, and they'll have proven the Musashi's military strength. Failure would force them to negotiate with other nations from a weakened position. Either way, England will benefit from it by preserving their own fleet strength.

"All ships and fleet assets are at full readiness. We can launch at any time. Over." 'Musashino' repeated without twitching an eyebrow.

Adele exhaled, and readjusted her glasses as they came up on the door leading into Inadequate HQ, only to stumble awkwardly as the ship suddenly listed to port, "H-huh?"

In the air next to her, the chat system kicked in – having just received its newest entry:

[Asama]: "What was that? The whole fleet just..."

She tapped in a quick answer; 'I don't know!' before she rushed into the bridge. Mentally cursing herself for having written just that in her haste and confusion. That was horrible for one who's supposed to be in control of the situation, "What's happening?!"

'Musashino' answered promptly. All the other automatic dolls gathered in the bridge stood at attention, not particularly fussed. "No anomalies to any ship systems. The disturbance is external. Over."

"External? Are you saying England's tilting?"

The Musashi was still resting on the sea, off England's coast. Though it was far from a conventional coast, as its an airborne country.

"Correct. Searching for the cause. Over."

Further across the bridge, another automatic doll turned to address Adele, "Phenomenon detected underneath England. Over."

Phenomenon. Centuries ago, the term would have been regarded as odd, coming from the mouth of an automatic doll. But now, in a world where more phenomenons appear every passing year, as heralds of the apocalypse... Sufficed to say, it could not be stressed enough how serious this is. To encounter one so massive it could destabilize all of England.

One of the bridge's screens displayed the approaching armada, now coming to a clumsy halt as they too noticed what was happening.

Adele bit her lower lip, approaching her seat.. "S-show me."

Acknowledging the order, an image opened up before her. What she saw, was beyond imagining. A massive vortex had appeared underneath England. At present, it's only drawing in a prodigious amount of water from the ocean, but the phenomenon grew bigger by the second.

She was bewildered. Why was this happening? Why now? "What is its e-epicenter... relevant to England?"

A line was drawn through the image. From the center, and through the airborne nation above.

"That.. can't be a coincidence." she gasped. The other end of the line landed right at Avalon's presumed location, according to Masazumi. The thing kept sealed there must have triggered this.. somehow.

Adele was about to call for the Musashi to liftoff and withdraw immediately, but then the dolls began to noticeably sag. Even 'Musashino' faltered.

"W-wha-?"

A divine transmission opened up, from 'Musashi' herself. The doll – just barely staying upright with the blind Suzu at her side – as she regarded the thane, "Phenomenon is drawing in everything around it. Ether density in the air... dropping rapidly."

It's sucking up all of the ether?! Adele stumbled, barely able to grab hold of the chair as England tilted even more, now slowly descending. Everywhere around her, systems began to fail. Image after image closing as energy failed to circulate. The one displaying the distant Tres España fleet closed last.. but showed that it too was caught by the phenomenon and dragged into the expanding vortex.

A-are we going to die? Adele asked herself, filled with dread. Masazumi said what happened to the glove she tossed into that pool in Avalon, and now it is probably going to happen to all of them. Still... "Everyone-" she finally cried out, even though she was not sure if divine transmissions even worked anymore, "-get below deck, now!"

Outside, the vortex continuously expanded.. and eventually curved in a bizarre manner. Wrapping itself around the area until it had turned into a perfect sphere. Its surface blacker than black. All that it contained however, continued to fall – into what seemed like a bottomless abyss.

19:25 - 14 A.E.

Pelruan trawler Sunshine

Thomas had found himself short on words. There was nothing to say, nothing that could describe the unfathomable weather going on around them. The entire ocean's crackling with energy increasing in intensity while pulsing in tandem with the vortex that now covered the entire sky.

Bart shouted something unintelligible while Almer ran back and forth between the wheelhouse and the engine, trying to help the old man get the boat to pick up speed. It was as though the old Sunshine had gotten itself stuck in quicksand.

He with surprising calm descended the stairs, as if to see the thing up close, advancing all the way to the derrick while holding onto the rail. The shadows beyond the clouds were growing bigger now, as if threatening to break through and crush whoever had the misfortune of being under them.

For a moment, the old skipper lost himself in the view of it all. Between the energy lashing out from every wave and drop of water, the strange cacophony of colors blurring the air itself, especially so in the center of this strange storm, the pure blackness above.. and the eccentric shapes.

No matter how foreboding... It looked... strangely beautiful.

That was probably the only thing he could do besides waiting. Good or bad though, the waiting ended momentarily as one of the shadows broke through.. revealing what looked like a mountain chain, only upside down. But that was all he could see before the storm reacted by exploding outward. Sending an enormous burst of energy in all directions.. a literal wall of pure power, and a section of it was bearing down on the trawler below.

Thomas could barely turn away, to look at his friend and grandson as they also beheld what was happening. Just a bare second before the 'wall' reached them, and caused his world to vanish into darkness as the blast capsized the trawler in an instant and blew it below the water, sinking as though it was a rock.

Above, the weather soon normalized – though the rain continued. The vortex replaced by the appearance of three gigantic formations unlike anything yet seen by this world.

19:31; 4th June; 1648; Testament Era

England – near shore on the 4th level.

What in the world was I thinking...?

Masazumi could not help but wonder why she joined in on Tenzo's quest in the first place. With no combat ability of her own, it was a stupid move. And only realized that once the Living Bones; Christopher Hatton, came after her like a heat-seeking missile – with a cadre of skeletons at his back, and a book with which to clobber her.

But then, the upheaval happened. It made her trip, and hit her head against a rock.

And by the time she came to again, with the mother of all headaches, she was soaking wet. What used to be clear sky – just seconds ago to her – had turned into a furious rainstorm.

Shuddering from the ensuing cold, the girl slowly rose back onto her feet. Staring listlessly at the crashed cargo ship, which still remained where they left it. Trying to desperately make sense of what happened until her attention almost absently turned to the skeleton spirit that had chased after her up till then, wondering why he hadn't killed her while she was unconscious.

He was lying on the ground a small distance away. Both head and body meters apart. The latter slowly getting up to retrieve the former. His skeleton soldiers just as absent as the pocket dimension they were in just a moment ago.

Even though cold and confused, Masazumi approached Hatton.. her eyes darkening, followed by her lips curling into a smirk as an evil thought crossed her mind, "Lost your head, Lord Chancellor?"

Hatton blinked as well as a skeleton could possibly do. And even with the absence of proper glands, sweated profusely at the sight of Musashi's Vice-President towering above him, "Er.. let's take it easy, shall we?"

"Oh~" Masazumi whispered, "I don't think so.." and – with plenty past-practice sending Toori flying through the neighborhood – punted the skull in London's general direction with a resounding boom.

"Noooo!" Hatton cried as he flew into the distance. With his body in hot, if blind, pursuit.

That felt... satisfying. Masazumi sighed, a window popping up next to her head with the chat's newest entries – complimenting her kick:

[Me]: Nice one!

[Hora-Ko]: 9/10.

Masazumi could do little but groan. Few could make so light of things. Those being the handle names of Aoi Toori and Horizon Ariadust, in that order.

A shadow was cast over the area as the Musashi could be seen rising past England's coast-line.

Er, what was the Musashi doing down there in the first place? What happened while I was out?

Itching to find out what was going on, and realizing she'll catch a cold if she stayed here for much longer – opened a divine transmission to the half-dragon classmate of hers, "Ulquiaga, I need a lift back to the Musashi – on the double!"

"What, you cold?" the future inquisitor replied with a hidden smirk. The Vice-Chancellor made a note of the sound of battle in the background. Even after this recent upheaval, whatever happened, the quest continued.

"J-just break off the attack and help me out."

"Easier said than done. I am already engaged!"

So getting an airlift from him was a no-go at this time, "I see..."

Her unspoken prayer was answered via divine transmission – unexpectedly – by Margot Naito, "I'll be right there, hold on."

"Huh...?" Masazumi wondered just how far out of the loop she had been locked out, "What about the reenactment?"

"Um, the Tres España armada just withdrew..."

"... T-they did WHAT?"

19:33; 4th June; 1648; Testament Era

Quasi-Bahamut Class Aerial City-Ship "Musashi" – Musashino bridge; "Inadequate HQ"

Yeah, that's what happened.

Just after the power returned, the Captains – having recovered – stopped Musashi's chaotic descent and stabilized it. England and the armada also seemed to recover at the exact same time they did.

"Is... everyone alright?"

"Barring a few injuries, yes. Over."

"... What a relief."

Adele, more than a little shaken from the ordeal, having taken time to recover from the shock caused by the event that just transpired, watched as the armada turned around and left in a hurry. The act bewildered her almost as much as the phenomenon they got caught up in did. History reenactment is not something any nation could call off, just like that.

But... something else doesn't quite feel right. They were falling, yet there's not anything anomalous now. England still hovered at the same height above the ocean-surface as it did before the fall among other things. Was it all just an illusion?

The only strangeness apparent was what appeared to be land in the far distance. But.. that can't be. The mainland's not that close.

"Musashino. Do a maximum perimeter scan, particularly the area ahead of us."

"Initiating scan. Over."

It only took a few seconds before a new image appeared, displaying a map of the scanned area. Both England and Musashi showed. But though she was unable to believe it at first, the evidence was irrefutable. That which she saw truly is landmass. But before thinking they were brought closer to land, she realized something.

"I... I don't recognize this coastline."

"Jud. It is not listed on any map in our records. Over."

Adele was at a loss of words. Unable to believe how this could be. Eventually though, she found her voice again; "Check again. Check all maps besides the Harmonious States and the Far East. Old world maps, separate countries, anything. Look for any that matches the coastline we're seeing." she said while pulling herself upright.

The automatic dolls responded in the affirmative, and invisibly went to work – leaving Adele to sink back into the strategist's chair.

In her mind, she tried to formulate a recommendation for Toori to call together a meeting. This looked like it could get a whole lot more complicated.

19:38; 4th June; 1648; Testament Era

England – London – Oxford Academy – Avalon

Her brain steered her in the general direction of Avalon the moment the phenomenon appeared. But because of the resulting disturbances, she only arrived just now.

Queen Elizabeth just felt this trouble was somehow caused by the phenomenon sealed within Avalon. But in what way, she had no idea.

The moment she stepped into Avalon though.. instead of the little paradise the compressed dimension 'Avalon' always contained since Henry VIII created it, she instead found a partially drained wasteland. And further in, the dam in which the phenomenon was supposed to be contained within, was empty. The seal broken.

"This is..."

She looked over the devastation. Appearing stoic, but puzzled deep inside. That puzzlement was quickly replaced by anger and haste as she opened up divine transmissions to the first two in mind, specifically because they are on land and air respectively:

"Robert Dudley! Grace O'Malley!"

The answer was immediate. Dudley was in the middle of a fight, but the frail-looking Vice-Chancellor still managed to answer the call, "Y-y-yes, my Queen?"

Grace responded in kind. On board her ship, Granuaile, nibbling casually on a doughnut. "Present, my Queen."

"Avalon has suffered a serious containment failure. The sample of the apocalypse is gone. Wherever it has gone – find it!"

Dudley gasped, so troubled by the news that she for a second forgot she's in a fight, and just narrowly dodged an arrow that had just been sent back at her.

Grace picked up the seriousness of the situation too, but she responded in a surprisingly nonchalant manner; "Ah, so that's what it was."

"Do you see it?" Queen Elizabeth demanded.

"Yes, the phenomenon that just occurred happened directly underneath England, below Avalon. Here's what is left of it."

The Queen waited for the image to be brought up... and when it did, displayed a large black orb that simply hovered there in thin-air like an overgrown pinata. Then it began to descend.

Queen Elizabeth half-expected a disaster to occur upon contact with the ocean surface, but instead.. it simply dipped into the water and sank. Just... sank. Nothing happened otherwise. And soon, it was completely beyond her sight.

This... this doesn't make any sense.

"What now?" Grace inquired.

"... Phenomenon loose and acting up. The armada gone. History reenactment a complete failure. What in the world do you think we need to do?"

"W-we need to call t-together an emergency meeting." Dudley stuttered, "A-and review all available data before we proceed further."

Queen Elizabeth grumbled underneath her breath, "Make it happen. I want all data on the table by then, do not leave anything out."

"Tes!" Dudley and Grace replied both at once before the transmissions closed. Leaving the Queen to stare upon all the mess. And felt she was forgetting something – until it dawned on her.

"My sister, that's right!"

She whipped around, pulled her dress up a little, and dashed out. There was still those students from Musashi trying to prevent Mary's execution.

Ugh, these next few days are going to be such a headache...

Author's note: And so the game's on. And just to note, this story won't focus entirely on fighting and building body count. Other than that, in regard to GoW timeline, it's after the events of the second game.

Thanks for reading, and please review.