Leave of Absence

[Old Iron]

And now that I've gone and seen Thor... Well, there are ideas. *sets to writing*

I miss that old idea of "Yuuno is Loki, and Hayate is Sigyn"...

...Wait, what? I would very much like an explanation on that. o.o

 

[MastaofBitches]

And now that I've gone and seen Thor... Well, there are ideas. *sets to writing*

I miss that old idea of "Yuuno is Loki, and Hayate is Sigyn"...

...Wait, what? I would very much like an explanation on that. o.o

It was in the Misc Ideas thread, I assumed you were aware of it. Started around here.

 

[Old Iron]

And now that I've gone and seen Thor... Well, there are ideas. *sets to writing*

I miss that old idea of "Yuuno is Loki, and Hayate is Sigyn"...

...Wait, what? I would very much like an explanation on that. o.o

It was in the Misc Ideas thread, I assumed you were aware of it. Started around here.

Well... hell. That's really pretty awesome. I really think someone should take a stab at writing that.

And it's actually giving me a hand with the latest chapter. It's shaping up decently well, I think.

 

[MastaofBitches]

And now that I've gone and seen Thor... Well, there are ideas. *sets to writing*

I miss that old idea of "Yuuno is Loki, and Hayate is Sigyn"...

...Wait, what? I would very much like an explanation on that. o.o

It was in the Misc Ideas thread, I assumed you were aware of it. Started around here.

Well... hell. That's really pretty awesome. I really think someone should take a stab at writing that.

And it's actually giving me a hand with the latest chapter. It's shaping up decently well, I think.

Happy to have been of assistance.

 

[Old Iron]

Revelations

Spoiler

Reinforce.

The being tragically and irrevocably tied to the Book of Darkness which had claimed countless world and exponentially more lives up until it's destruction just over ten years ago.

A being who had died in the wake of that very same battle.

Yuuno numbly raised a hand towards the kneeling ruin she presented to him and pointed fearfully. "You... You're dead. We all saw you die. There's even a headstone in Hayate's house with your name on it." And before then, it had resided in a small shrine at her home back on Earth. She'd had it made not a week after Reinforce Zwei had been born.

Reinforce shook her head and regarded the blonde man with a heavy gaze. One might have even called it crushing. "Though I did die and intended to remain that way... I am not bound by the same laws of mortality as you are." She made a glancing gesture towards her body and saw Yuuno's eyes widen as he finally appeared to take a long look at her. "Were I, then I would have long since passed..."

Torn, burnt, and bloody clothes resembling the armor and robes he recalled last seeing her in; they struggled to hide her decency and failed to hide the state of her body. In various places on her body, her flesh was cracked and in others simply gone. Blood seeped from only some of these wounds as the others appeared to have been cauterized by a tremendous heat. Simply gone was her entire left arm and her shoulder was a broken and bleeding mass. Adding to her ruinous body were scars too numerous to count and all of them glowing an angry red to match the furious eyes which had been present when the Defense Program had attacked.

Green eyes were snapped back to red as Reinforce spoke again. "But even my existence has limits and had I not acted, then I would have been gone for good." As if to emphasize her point, she held up her remaining hand and a crack ran from her elbow to her wrist. It was like living stone coming apart.

"This can't be possible... It just can't." Yuuno made motion to hold his head in his hands, but found only the one hand which he had used to point at the returned dead obeying his command. In his terrified mind, he did not think of seeking help nor of fleeing. His analytical and brilliant mind was of no use anymore. All that he could think of was how impossible this was and that it must be some bizarre nightmare. Yet it felt all too real... And why couldn't he move his arm? "What's happening?" Horror was ripe on his face. "What have you done!?"

A grim expression found itself on Reinforce's face as she saw panic setting in along with confusion and anger. Her weakened self would never admit to being glad Yuuno was so stricken as to be unable to lash out in his fear. Everyone has a breaking point... "I have... bonded us. For... all intents and purposes, we are of one body, one blood, one flesh. A whole made of two broken halves."

It was a cruelty she knew her beloved Mistress would never forgive her for. Yet... she had no other recourse. When the dead yet walk, there is a reason.

And a price.

"I... I wasn't broken. I was fine! How could I possibly be half!?" His voice reached a fever pitch. "Tell me! What did you do to me-AAAAGH!" A scream of terrific pain cut into his demands as he collapsed forward and retched what little was in his stomach. The mess burned away before his very eyes. Yuuno was not even aware of the beautiful wraith placing his head upon her lap as agony set in.

Veins of green cut into his body mirroring those marking Reinforce. Every wound and blemish was inflicted upon him in exacting detail. So great was his pain that not even sound escaped his mouth anymore.

As he lay there, held from convulsing by a powerful hand, he heard Reinforce through his pain.

"The only thing I could do..." A sorrowful whimper escaped her lips. "...I broke you."

Yuuno could not even begin to comprehend such an action before all things from his world vanished. All things save for himself and Reinforce. There was nothing save for a blackness that he had never seen before. It was almost painful to look at. But it was far less painful that what he was currently... wait... "It... doesn't hurt anymore."

"That is because I cut your mind away from your body. You are still very much in great pain... but you are no longer aware of it." Reinforce did not meet his eyes when she spoke. Her one hand moved to hug herself as though it would offer up some comfort for what she was doing to him. "I could not do so until I knew it was working..."

A dream... This has to be some bizarre dream... "Reinforce..." If that truly is who stands in front of him. Wait, wasn't he on the floor? When did he stand up? "What did you do me? Why? Tell me what's going on!" There was anger in his voice. Anger for so many things. Not the least of which was the perceived agony he currently wasn't even sure was real.

She stepped towards him far more easily than the wounds on her body should have allowed. Then again, she should be dead. "I broke you... I made you into my other half so I might... be whole again. So I can finish my task..." Pained ruby eyes looked into his and he nearly flinched at how deep they were. "I was indeed dead. But I was and am like the Wolkenritter were before Lady Hayate freed them from their bondage. They are flesh and blood now. Mortals who will never return from the pale."

"And you... aren't?" Now freed from his torture, Yuuno could finally think of something more than fury and pain. It was a most welcome distraction from what he had been subjected to. This... being who claimed to be Reinforce had placed a puzzle before him and he could not leave it be. It was simply part of who he was. Even given how surreal and nightmarish things were becoming.

"Not exactly... I am a creation of magic and science, just as my four Knights were." She stepped towards the bewildered man as the blackness began to shift, filling their surroundings with phantoms of a time long past. They were still as a painting and yet no detail of anything could be seen. Everything was... blank. "We have no mother. No father. Everything about us was... built. Down to our very souls."

Yuuno's eyes could not have help more shock than they already did and he could only fathom where this discussion would go. "But that's... not possible. Not with the technology Ancient Belka had available to them. They were capable of a lot of things, but there's no evidence they could have possibly been capable of that."

Reinforce's eyes flickered for a moment and had the situation been vastly different, Yuuno could have called it amusing. "Are you not an archaeologist? A researcher of the past? How much of history is shrouded in fog? I have seen you draw far greater conclusions from far more hidden events." It had taken perhaps more power and time than she would have liked, but observing her... final choice had proved insightful.

"You can't mean... Al Hazard!" It would be hard to underestimate the wonder in Yuuno's voice. "Belka built themselves up from Al Hazard's legends and legacy. They might have lacked a complete understanding, but you don't need that to make use of a lot of things you find." Nanoha was a prime example. She didn't understand even a tenth of what magic was or what it could do when they'd been hunting Jewel Seeds. And look at all she had accomplished. Even now, she was still learning.

The silver haired beauty nodded and pointed to a phantom which vaguely resembled a book. He did not even notice she pointed with a hand she did not possess moments ago. "They may not have known all the secrets... But they were certainly skilled regardless." She paused when a severe expression crossed Yuuno's face. It was not one she had seen thus far. "Is... something the matter?" Aside from every single wrongness about this entire situation to him?

"How can you claim to know all this now? Now after claiming ignorance when we needed answers?" It may have saved her life. It may have saved a lot of lives. It might also have spared Hayate and her family from a grief that still flickered in her eyes whenever she looked at Zwei.

"It is cruel of me to say this now..." And indeed there was a certain cruelty to her expression. But it was not a cruelty borne of malice... It was alien to Yuuno and he could not quite comprehend it no matter how he tried. "But not only did none of you ask the right questions... But... I wished to die to end the cycle."

Yuuno wanted to call her out on such a selfish answer, but he found himself unable to. How could he when he knew just how ancient and burdened she and all the Wolkenritter are. He bit his lip in frustration. "Even so..."

She shook her head and silenced him with a look. "We could spend eternity debating my actions then. But you wanted answers to what I have done to you now... How and why I... broke you." A frustrated nod was her reply. "What you are suffering is... everything that I have suffered to come here. Absolutely... everything..." Pains that cannot be understood by the human mind.

His brow furrowed. "That's a what, Reinforce. Tell me why and how."

"The how is... rather simple. I... enacted a ritual through... I suppose you could call it the Dimensional Sea. I truly do not know where or what it is, only that nothing functions there as it does here and it was where I slept between each awakening of the Book of Darkness." Reinforce held up a hand to forestall any questions, and this time Yuuno did notice she now had both where before there had been only one. As his mouth opened to question it, she shook her head. "Wait."

"This ritual is... ancient; perhaps one of the few intact within the Book that dates back to Al Hazard. To my knowledge it has only been cast a mere handful of times and each did not see the survival of either the caster or the... victim." She bowed her head in apology, the most minor of actions for Yuuno she could do after stating quite clearly she could have killed him. "It... makes one out of two existences. One of flesh and the other... not."

Yuuno spoke out despite having been asked to remain silent. But his curiosity and anger were quite readily ignoring his sense of decorum. "But they need something to fit them together, like a puzzle."

Reinforce nodded. "I bonded us to begin the ritual. Afterwards... What is happening as we speak... Is the wounding and joining..."

His eyes flashed furiously. "You're carving me up so I can fit your piece! That's why I couldn't move my arm. That's why your arm is back! What could possibly give you the right to do this to me!?" Yuuno stepped forward and Reinforce did not flinch back as he did so. "What would Hayate say if she knew you were doing this?"

As if struck by a physical blow, she recoiled. She knew Hayate would never approve of such foul acts and cruel magics. She knew this quite well. A Mistress as kind as her would be horrified at what was taking place here and now. "I... had to..." Fading like smoke before wind, her knowledgeable and relatively calm demeanor was shattering. "I had... no choice..." A sob cut her off.

"How could you have had no choice?" Reinforce's tears had driven away his furious and righteous anger, leaving behind a much cooler and level headed rage.

"I needed... a body..." With a hesitant wave of her hand, the scenery returned to blackness. "I needed... a host so I... could live once more and... end this..." Reinforce gasped and flinched when a strong hand gasped her arm. She looked up and saw a furious Yuuno, his gaze demanding answers. "All we did... was delay the inevitable. The corrupted... Defense Program... yet lives."

Yuuno released Reinforce's arm and took a step back, stunned and nearly breathless. "It... wasn't destroyed?"

Reinforce shook her head and tried to wipe her eyes. "N-No... I thought that... Once I died, it would be... t-trapped forever in that state, unable to return... Since I am it's... root, it shouldn't... Shouldn't have been able to restore itself while I was... dead." So much pain and suffering, all for nothing.

"But it did. And judging by your appearance... whatever happened wasn't peaceful in the least." And he is currently being subjected to it. For the first time since this debacle began, he was actively glad Reinforce had removed his consciousness. He sighed tiredly when she shook her head. "Okay... So the Defense Program is still corrupted and now running wild. And for some reason, you chose me to host you so that you could come back to life and stop it for good. Am I on the right track so far?"

She nodded and color began to seep into the void, slowly beginning to take the form of Yuuno's home. "You are not the strongest, but you are... strong enough for what I need."

"And there's no possible way you would ever think of doing this to Hayate." Even if by some twisted perversion of logic she would; come hell or high water, he wouldn't let her. Never did he consider the impossibility of actually stopping someone like Reinforce.

"The only reason I even considered this course of action is due to the threat to her life. Otherwise..." Left unsaid was the notion of abandonment. If Hayate had not been in mortal peril, no matter how unknown or slight, then she would have likely let the whole of creation burn. At this point, Yuuno truly feared the devotion held by Reinforce. Still, she continued, "Your friends, Nanoha and Fate, neither would have been capable. The former... is still too vulnerable despite her power and would have died. And the latter is... completely incompatible..." There was another pause as she drew a breath. "You were the only one I could trust and that would survive the ordeal."

Yuuno wasn't sure whether to be honored or not. At the very least his head was now clear enough to really think straight. He inhaled deeply and did his best to sort out all the warring emotions within him before he spoke again. Make no mistake, he was still quite furious at what had been done to him against his will, but he was willing to look past that at the moment to look at the larger picture. "If I asked you every single question I had, then we'd be able to see the end of time. But I'll stick to three for now."

A brief hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "Very well." She was not doing a very good job of hiding the relief in her voice though. She could tell he was still more than angry, but was doing his best to accept the fate she had inflicted upon him.

He shook his head. "Well, four, actually. I'd kinda like to know... how I'm going to wake up, but for now we'll stick to the three most important at the moment." Yuuno locked eyes with Reinforce and began, "Firstly, where we begin dealing with the Defense Program? Secondly, what does our... bond entail? And thirdly, perhaps most importantly: what will you tell Hayate?"

Reinforce drew a sharp breath at the third query, but Yuuno's gaze held her fast. "We will... start with research. It is one of your better traits, correct?" He nodded and she continued. "Our bond is similar to a Unison. However the difference is that... this one is permanent. I do not know the conditions of ending it as this is the only successful attempt I am aware of. I would imagine... death is the only certain means of separating us now." Were it not for the regretful expression on her face, Yuuno might have loosed a scathing question. As it was, he let her continue. "And Lady Hayate... I will tell her the... truth. No matter how much she might condemn my actions... I will not lie to her."

"And when will you tell her." Telling the truth meant little if you never actually come out and say it.

There was a pregnant pause as Reinforce remained silent. Just as Yuuno was about to call her out on stalling, she spoke in an ever so slightly fearful voice, "As soon as... We stabilize. A day or two at the absolute most..."

A sound not unlike a doorbell's chime penetrated into the etherial realm they currently occupied.

Yuuno looked from the door to the hazy form that was his body and finally to a suddenly very nervous Reinforce. "Looks like you won't have that long."

 

[bhl88]

How to stabilize more? Kissing? Or Nasu-

 

[Ickarium]

Oh dear. Now that's interesting. I think Hayate is going to be remarkably _PISSED_ at Reinforce for this one. It's interesting that Reinforce is permanently linked to Yuuno.

Can she manifest outside of him, or is she like a permanent spiritual passenger? (I haven't read the original story.)

 

[Mr Coin00]

Revelations

Spoiler

Reinforce.

The being tragically and irrevocably tied to the Book of Darkness which had claimed countless world and exponentially more lives up until it's destruction just over ten years ago.

A being who had died in the wake of that very same battle.

Yuuno numbly raised a hand towards the kneeling ruin she presented to him and pointed fearfully. "You... You're dead. We all saw you die. There's even a headstone in Hayate's house with your name on it." And before then, it had resided in a small shrine at her home back on Earth. She'd had it made not a week after Reinforce Zwei had been born.

Reinforce shook her head and regarded the blonde man with a heavy gaze. One might have even called it crushing. "Though I did die and intended to remain that way... I am not bound by the same laws of mortality as you are." She made a glancing gesture towards her body and saw Yuuno's eyes widen as he finally appeared to take a long look at her. "Were I, then I would have long since passed..."

Torn, burnt, and bloody clothes resembling the armor and robes he recalled last seeing her in; they struggled to hide her decency and failed to hide the state of her body. In various places on her body, her flesh was cracked and in others simply gone. Blood seeped from only some of these wounds as the others appeared to have been cauterized by a tremendous heat. Simply gone was her entire left arm and her shoulder was a broken and bleeding mass. Adding to her ruinous body were scars too numerous to count and all of them glowing an angry red to match the furious eyes which had been present when the Defense Program had attacked.

Green eyes were snapped back to red as Reinforce spoke again. "But even my existence has limits and had I not acted, then I would have been gone for good." As if to emphasize her point, she held up her remaining hand and a crack ran from her elbow to her wrist. It was like living stone coming apart.

"This can't be possible... It just can't." Yuuno made motion to hold his head in his hands, but found only the one hand which he had used to point at the returned dead obeying his command. In his terrified mind, he did not think of seeking help nor of fleeing. His analytical and brilliant mind was of no use anymore. All that he could think of was how impossible this was and that it must be some bizarre nightmare. Yet it felt all too real... And why couldn't he move his arm? "What's happening?" Horror was ripe on his face. "What have you done!?"

A grim expression found itself on Reinforce's face as she saw panic setting in along with confusion and anger. Her weakened self would never admit to being glad Yuuno was so stricken as to be unable to lash out in his fear. Everyone has a breaking point... "I have... bonded us. For... all intents and purposes, we are of one body, one blood, one flesh. A whole made of two broken halves."

It was a cruelty she knew her beloved Mistress would never forgive her for. Yet... she had no other recourse. When the dead yet walk, there is a reason.

And a price.

"I... I wasn't broken. I was fine! How could I possibly be half!?" His voice reached a fever pitch. "Tell me! What did you do to me-AAAAGH!" A scream of terrific pain cut into his demands as he collapsed forward and retched what little was in his stomach. The mess burned away before his very eyes. Yuuno was not even aware of the beautiful wraith placing his head upon her lap as agony set in.

Veins of green cut into his body mirroring those marking Reinforce. Every wound and blemish was inflicted upon him in exacting detail. So great was his pain that not even sound escaped his mouth anymore.

As he lay there, held from convulsing by a powerful hand, he heard Reinforce through his pain.

"The only thing I could do..." A sorrowful whimper escaped her lips. "...I broke you."

Yuuno could not even begin to comprehend such an action before all things from his world vanished. All things save for himself and Reinforce. There was nothing save for a blackness that he had never seen before. It was almost painful to look at. But it was far less painful that what he was currently... wait... "It... doesn't hurt anymore."

"That is because I cut your mind away from your body. You are still very much in great pain... but you are no longer aware of it." Reinforce did not meet his eyes when she spoke. Her one hand moved to hug herself as though it would offer up some comfort for what she was doing to him. "I could not do so until I knew it was working..."

A dream... This has to be some bizarre dream... "Reinforce..." If that truly is who stands in front of him. Wait, wasn't he on the floor? When did he stand up? "What did you do me? Why? Tell me what's going on!" There was anger in his voice. Anger for so many things. Not the least of which was the perceived agony he currently wasn't even sure was real.

She stepped towards him far more easily than the wounds on her body should have allowed. Then again, she should be dead. "I broke you... I made you into my other half so I might... be whole again. So I can finish my task..." Pained ruby eyes looked into his and he nearly flinched at how deep they were. "I was indeed dead. But I was and am like the Wolkenritter were before Lady Hayate freed them from their bondage. They are flesh and blood now. Mortals who will never return from the pale."

"And you... aren't?" Now freed from his torture, Yuuno could finally think of something more than fury and pain. It was a most welcome distraction from what he had been subjected to. This... being who claimed to be Reinforce had placed a puzzle before him and he could not leave it be. It was simply part of who he was. Even given how surreal and nightmarish things were becoming.

"Not exactly... I am a creation of magic and science, just as my four Knights were." She stepped towards the bewildered man as the blackness began to shift, filling their surroundings with phantoms of a time long past. They were still as a painting and yet no detail of anything could be seen. Everything was... blank. "We have no mother. No father. Everything about us was... built. Down to our very souls."

Yuuno's eyes could not have help more shock than they already did and he could only fathom where this discussion would go. "But that's... not possible. Not with the technology Ancient Belka had available to them. They were capable of a lot of things, but there's no evidence they could have possibly been capable of that."

Reinforce's eyes flickered for a moment and had the situation been vastly different, Yuuno could have called it amusing. "Are you not an archaeologist? A researcher of the past? How much of history is shrouded in fog? I have seen you draw far greater conclusions from far more hidden events." It had taken perhaps more power and time than she would have liked, but observing her... final choice had proved insightful.

"You can't mean... Al Hazard!" It would be hard to underestimate the wonder in Yuuno's voice. "Belka built themselves up from Al Hazard's legends and legacy. They might have lacked a complete understanding, but you don't need that to make use of a lot of things you find." Nanoha was a prime example. She didn't understand even a tenth of what magic was or what it could do when they'd been hunting Jewel Seeds. And look at all she had accomplished. Even now, she was still learning.

The silver haired beauty nodded and pointed to a phantom which vaguely resembled a book. He did not even notice she pointed with a hand she did not possess moments ago. "They may not have known all the secrets... But they were certainly skilled regardless." She paused when a severe expression crossed Yuuno's face. It was not one she had seen thus far. "Is... something the matter?" Aside from every single wrongness about this entire situation to him?

"How can you claim to know all this now? Now after claiming ignorance when we needed answers?" It may have saved her life. It may have saved a lot of lives. It might also have spared Hayate and her family from a grief that still flickered in her eyes whenever she looked at Zwei.

"It is cruel of me to say this now..." And indeed there was a certain cruelty to her expression. But it was not a cruelty borne of malice... It was alien to Yuuno and he could not quite comprehend it no matter how he tried. "But not only did none of you ask the right questions... But... I wished to die to end the cycle."

Yuuno wanted to call her out on such a selfish answer, but he found himself unable to. How could he when he knew just how ancient and burdened she and all the Wolkenritter are. He bit his lip in frustration. "Even so..."

She shook her head and silenced him with a look. "We could spend eternity debating my actions then. But you wanted answers to what I have done to you now... How and why I... broke you." A frustrated nod was her reply. "What you are suffering is... everything that I have suffered to come here. Absolutely... everything..." Pains that cannot be understood by the human mind.

His brow furrowed. "That's a what, Reinforce. Tell me why and how."

"The how is... rather simple. I... enacted a ritual through... I suppose you could call it the Dimensional Sea. I truly do not know where or what it is, only that nothing functions there as it does here and it was where I slept between each awakening of the Book of Darkness." Reinforce held up a hand to forestall any questions, and this time Yuuno did notice she now had both where before there had been only one. As his mouth opened to question it, she shook her head. "Wait."

"This ritual is... ancient; perhaps one of the few intact within the Book that dates back to Al Hazard. To my knowledge it has only been cast a mere handful of times and each did not see the survival of either the caster or the... victim." She bowed her head in apology, the most minor of actions for Yuuno she could do after stating quite clearly she could have killed him. "It... makes one out of two existences. One of flesh and the other... not."

Yuuno spoke out despite having been asked to remain silent. But his curiosity and anger were quite readily ignoring his sense of decorum. "But they need something to fit them together, like a puzzle."

Reinforce nodded. "I bonded us to begin the ritual. Afterwards... What is happening as we speak... Is the wounding and joining..."

His eyes flashed furiously. "You're carving me up so I can fit your piece! That's why I couldn't move my arm. That's why your arm is back! What could possibly give you the right to do this to me!?" Yuuno stepped forward and Reinforce did not flinch back as he did so. "What would Hayate say if she knew you were doing this?"

As if struck by a physical blow, she recoiled. She knew Hayate would never approve of such foul acts and cruel magics. She knew this quite well. A Mistress as kind as her would be horrified at what was taking place here and now. "I... had to..." Fading like smoke before wind, her knowledgeable and relatively calm demeanor was shattering. "I had... no choice..." A sob cut her off.

"How could you have had no choice?" Reinforce's tears had driven away his furious and righteous anger, leaving behind a much cooler and level headed rage.

"I needed... a body..." With a hesitant wave of her hand, the scenery returned to blackness. "I needed... a host so I... could live once more and... end this..." Reinforce gasped and flinched when a strong hand gasped her arm. She looked up and saw a furious Yuuno, his gaze demanding answers. "All we did... was delay the inevitable. The corrupted... Defense Program... yet lives."

Yuuno released Reinforce's arm and took a step back, stunned and nearly breathless. "It... wasn't destroyed?"

Reinforce shook her head and tried to wipe her eyes. "N-No... I thought that... Once I died, it would be... t-trapped forever in that state, unable to return... Since I am it's... root, it shouldn't... Shouldn't have been able to restore itself while I was... dead." So much pain and suffering, all for nothing.

"But it did. And judging by your appearance... whatever happened wasn't peaceful in the least." And he is currently being subjected to it. For the first time since this debacle began, he was actively glad Reinforce had removed his consciousness. He sighed tiredly when she shook her head. "Okay... So the Defense Program is still corrupted and now running wild. And for some reason, you chose me to host you so that you could come back to life and stop it for good. Am I on the right track so far?"

She nodded and color began to seep into the void, slowly beginning to take the form of Yuuno's home. "You are not the strongest, but you are... strong enough for what I need."

"And there's no possible way you would ever think of doing this to Hayate." Even if by some twisted perversion of logic she would; come hell or high water, he wouldn't let her. Never did he consider the impossibility of actually stopping someone like Reinforce.

"The only reason I even considered this course of action is due to the threat to her life. Otherwise..." Left unsaid was the notion of abandonment. If Hayate had not been in mortal peril, no matter how unknown or slight, then she would have likely let the whole of creation burn. At this point, Yuuno truly feared the devotion held by Reinforce. Still, she continued, "Your friends, Nanoha and Fate, neither would have been capable. The former... is still too vulnerable despite her power and would have died. And the latter is... completely incompatible..." There was another pause as she drew a breath. "You were the only one I could trust and that would survive the ordeal."

Yuuno wasn't sure whether to be honored or not. At the very least his head was now clear enough to really think straight. He inhaled deeply and did his best to sort out all the warring emotions within him before he spoke again. Make no mistake, he was still quite furious at what had been done to him against his will, but he was willing to look past that at the moment to look at the larger picture. "If I asked you every single question I had, then we'd be able to see the end of time. But I'll stick to three for now."

A brief hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "Very well." She was not doing a very good job of hiding the relief in her voice though. She could tell he was still more than angry, but was doing his best to accept the fate she had inflicted upon him.

He shook his head. "Well, four, actually. I'd kinda like to know... how I'm going to wake up, but for now we'll stick to the three most important at the moment." Yuuno locked eyes with Reinforce and began, "Firstly, where we begin dealing with the Defense Program? Secondly, what does our... bond entail? And thirdly, perhaps most importantly: what will you tell Hayate?"

Reinforce drew a sharp breath at the third query, but Yuuno's gaze held her fast. "We will... start with research. It is one of your better traits, correct?" He nodded and she continued. "Our bond is similar to a Unison. However the difference is that... this one is permanent. I do not know the conditions of ending it as this is the only successful attempt I am aware of. I would imagine... death is the only certain means of separating us now." Were it not for the regretful expression on her face, Yuuno might have loosed a scathing question. As it was, he let her continue. "And Lady Hayate... I will tell her the... truth. No matter how much she might condemn my actions... I will not lie to her."

"And when will you tell her." Telling the truth meant little if you never actually come out and say it.

There was a pregnant pause as Reinforce remained silent. Just as Yuuno was about to call her out on stalling, she spoke in an ever so slightly fearful voice, "As soon as... We stabilize. A day or two at the absolute most..."

A sound not unlike a doorbell's chime penetrated into the etherial realm they currently occupied.

Yuuno looked from the door to the hazy form that was his body and finally to a suddenly very nervous Reinforce. "Looks like you won't have that long."

Yes! I kowtow to you for the good yet surprisingly dark news.



This is the first time I've ever read of a protagonist getting *semi-Cthulu-ed* by a female protagonist in a boy meets girl encounter in any kind of fiction.

What Rein did was considered villainous, but considering the fact that she's doing this to Yuuno for a greater good is considered an act of an anti-hero because of her gray-moralistic action. It's only right for Yuuno to be outraged - who in the would would actually want their soul and body to be unexpectedly hosted by an spirit with voodoo magic (Good thing it's not an ugly and evil one - it will totally suck). Just how is Hayate going react to this. There is a possibility that the bureau won't this matter lightly. I fear that Yuuno might be caught liable for experimenting illegal magic even if he claims innocence.

 

[MastaofBitches]

Wow... I changed my mind about that ReinforcexYuunoxHayate threesome I asked for. Now I just kind of want Rein dead.

 

[ragnarok1337]

Yuuno's taking this very well.

Goddamnit Reinforce. Why couldn't you stay deleted like any good formatted hard drive?

 

[bhl88]

Punishment: Groping and lots of embarrassment that Reinforce would wish she'd stay deleted.

 

[Old Iron]

Yuuno's taking this very well.

He is kinda still in a state of shock.

Goddamnit Reinforce. Why couldn't you stay deleted like any good formatted hard drive?

Because the only way to truly delete something is to format and overwrite it like a hundred times minimum or outright destroy it with fire. XD

Wow... I changed my mind about that ReinforcexYuunoxHayate threesome I asked for. Now I just kind of want Rein dead.

Not all is fun and rainbows when an Eldritch Horror (no matter how mind numbingly smexy) decides she needs to hijack your body and soul from beyond the grave to save the universe and her Mistress.

Yes! I kowtow to you for the good yet surprisingly dark news.

This is the first time I've ever read of a protagonist getting *semi-Cthulu-ed* by a female protagonist in a boy meets girl encounter in any kind of fiction.

I think I have a knack for oddities like that.

What Rein did was considered villainous, but considering the fact that she's doing this to Yuuno for a greater good is considered an act of an anti-hero because of her gray-moralistic action. It's only right for Yuuno to be outraged - who in the would would actually want their soul and body to be unexpectedly hosted by an spirit with voodoo magic (Good thing it's not an ugly and evil one - it will totally suck). Just how is Hayate going react to this. There is a possibility that the bureau won't this matter lightly. I fear that Yuuno might be caught liable for experimenting illegal magic even if he claims innocence.

That's really what I was aiming to achieve. What Rein did was about as selfish as she could get while still being as in character as I can manage. Not to mention performed with something she knows has a 100% mortality rate thus far. Yet she's doing this horrible thing for what she believes is a genuinely greater good. Isn't the subjectivity of good and evil fun~?

Hayate's reaction will be one for the books. Consider the circumstances involved; Rein is alive. Yuuno, her boyfriend, has been irrevocably damaged and tortured and bound to Rein so this could happen. The BoD is alive and well. It'll be a miracle if she doesn't just pass out from mental and emotional overload.

Oh dear. Now that's interesting. I think Hayate is going to be remarkably _PISSED_ at Reinforce for this one. It's interesting that Reinforce is permanently linked to Yuuno.

Can she manifest outside of him, or is she like a permanent spiritual passenger? (I haven't read the original story.)

To say Hayate will be... pissed, is one way of putting it. And I have yet to fully cover what Rein can and cannot do in this state. That'll start popping up in the next chapter.

 

[Sunder the Gold]

Well, this is considerable less warm and fluffy compared to the original.

You felt the first version was suffering from a severe need for tension?

 

[Old Iron]

Well, this is considerable less warm and fluffy compared to the original.

You felt the first version was suffering from a severe need for tension?

More like... it had tension that wasn't I felt going anywhere. It was just kinda there and taking up space. This gives me a direction and a general shape to work with.

There will definitely be some warm and fluffy goodness, it wouldn't be one of my works if there wasn't, but it's going to be earned. There will be tears and anger before there's the happiness I want to give them. Hayate's going to need to settle a lot of emotions before she's going to be enjoying Reinforce's return as much as we know she'll want to.

Plus, it's not like they can just run off to fight the Defense Program right from the get-go. Reinforce did mention there would be research involved.

But part of what I wanted to try and hammer home was the fact that Reinforce, for all the exposure and love she's received from Hayate and the Wolks, is very much not human and was not exposed to all of that for very long. Roughly... six months as a somewhat sentient book and a week at best in canon as someone who could actually interact as a living entity. Her value system... as demonstrated by what she did to Yuuno, is rather skewed. There's only so much that can be exchanged in a Unison and that doesn't really help with applying practice to theory.

 

[lhklan]

Damn it Reinforce!
... ... Kinda ironic that the phrase that was used for her nemesis in another story now applies to her.
Anyway, does this mean that Yuuno is half Eldritch Abomination now?And why was he chosen? Reinforce keep saying that he is strong enough, but in what way? I got a feeling that she's still hiding something.

 

[bhl88]

^ I was going to say Dammit Avalon, but Reinforce.... that's a bit too far

 

[Old Iron]

Damn it Reinforce!
... ... Kinda ironic that the phrase that was used for her nemesis in another story now applies to her.
Anyway, does this mean that Yuuno is half Eldritch Abomination now?And why was he chosen? Reinforce keep saying that he is strong enough, but in what way? I got a feeling that she's still hiding something.

In a way I suppose you could look at it like he is. But remember that they're bonded in a way that's closer to a Unison than a Fusion. And yes, I'm resisting a Fusion Dance gag here. XD

Why was Yuuno chosen? Now that would be spoilers~ There were a few hints dropped and you might be surprised when you do figure it out or when it's revealed; but still, spoilers~

 

[Mr Coin00]

If they have a fusion name they will be called Reino and their new fandom name sounds appetizing.

AHEM


Even if it's darker in nature. I'd prefer this version than the original which has more fluff and sunshine. (No sarcasm intended)


The story was written in a realistic kind of way that we humans can really relate. You made the readers really know that 'shit just got real' because just like real life readers know there are always consequences in a person's action no matter how good or bad it could be.

Usually in most anime emotions like *sweatdropping*, *full-body/face fault*, or *crying like a fountain*, those things are comical; however anime like elements and realism can still coexist. For example if an author wrote a scene of one character giving a carton box of milk to a group of poor orphans while doing floating mid-air with a sunburn-like blush on its face - BUT - next morning the character heard news that a group of poor orphans died because they are lactose intolerant, the character was later send to court because of charges from the orphanage, after the trial it was found guilty of murder, the character was sentenced to death by beheading on the guillotine. This can give a lot of reaction from readers.

 

[Chanthien]

Usually in most anime emotions like *sweatdropping*, *full-body/face fault*, or *crying like a fountain*, those things are comical; however anime like elements and realism can still coexist. For example if an author wrote a scene of one character giving a carton box of milk to a group of poor orphans while doing floating mid-air with a sunburn-like blush on its face - BUT - next morning the character heard news that a group of poor orphans died because they are lactose intolerant, the character was later send to court because of charges from the orphanage, after the trial it was found guilty of murder, the character was sentenced to death by beheading on the guillotine. This can give a lot of reaction from readers.

I know you are just giving a general example, but, well, I'm fairly sure that's not realistic at all. Unless you consider Kafka's writings realistic, at least.

 

[Ickarium]

Yeah, that's not realistic at all. Or rather, it lacks verisimilitude. Something that 'could potentially happen' doesn't mean it's likely to happen, and that sort of thing would simply be the author milking angst IMO.

Now having a payoff based on conflict - which it seems to be what Old Iron is aiming for - can be good.

 

[Mr Coin00]

Usually in most anime emotions like *sweatdropping*, *full-body/face fault*, or *crying like a fountain*, those things are comical; however anime like elements and realism can still coexist. For example if an author wrote a scene of one character giving a carton box of milk to a group of poor orphans while doing floating mid-air with a sunburn-like blush on its face - BUT - next morning the character heard news that a group of poor orphans died because they are lactose intolerant, the character was later send to court because of charges from the orphanage, after the trial it was found guilty of murder, the character was sentenced to death by beheading on the guillotine. This can give a lot of reaction from readers.

I know you are just giving a general example, but, well, I'm fairly sure that's not realistic at all. Unless you consider Kafka's writings realistic, at least.

I wrote that example for the laughs. :#

And yes it's the Kafka's type that I'm talking about, In Kafka's story, he wants to give a message that the world is not a friendly place. In most fairy story for example a little girl meets a fox, after some time, they become friends, and they live happily ever after. In Kafka's writing however - the little girl meets a fox and the fox killed the girl in a cruel matter that includes mutilation, the end.

 

[Mr Coin00]

Yeah, that's not realistic at all. Or rather, it lacks verisimilitude. Something that 'could potentially happen' doesn't mean it's likely to happen, and that sort of thing would simply be the author milking angst IMO.

Now having a payoff based on conflict - which it seems to be what Old Iron is aiming for - can be good.

It was an horrible example of Narm-charm like or just Narm, I admit.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NarmCharm

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Narm

 

[Nanya]

Welp...

I enjoyed that update.

Good job. ^_^

 

[ragnarok1337]

Problem: Hayate knew of her very existence for merely a week, and would have nowhere near the same amount of affection and care she has for the Wolkenritter. Any feelings of affection and/or nostalgia would therefore be minimal and effortlessly overridden by Hayate's indignation and rage.

 

[Rising Dragon]

Actually Hayate cared for and treated Reinforce as a human being for longer than that, despite her physical form being that of a book at the time. Plus there were the dreams that Reinforce had induced in Hayate, though I can't remember if Hayate remembers those dreams or not.