Primary Magick's

I don't own anything. Wait...yes I do! I own the rights to Nanoha! *Runs from lawyers* I was joking! I don't own anything! This will be the only disclaimer so if idiots skip this chapter and lambast me...tough.

Chapter 01

Nanoha was bored.

Now normally this was not an uncommon occurrence given the fact that she breezed through all her classes with an ease that often infuriated one of her friends and brought endless amusement to the other. Mostly due to the fact the first friend always reacted in the same ways time and again and this predictability served as a source of endless joy to the second.

Earlier they had picked up a ferret after taking a short-cut through a tiny forested area which stank of magic to any that was gifted with the powers that could mould the universe. It stank of age and rotting meat left out in the sun for far too long and with no creatures to rip meat from bones to clean it and vanquish the stench of rot.

The smell of malevolent magic, of magic used for ill purposes. The stench of magic used for evil ends, tainted with dark emotions and giving them form and action.

To Nanoha it had smelt foul and had turned her pallor to the colour of porridge or perhaps flour mixed with water. That odd greyish tinge that precedes clumps floating to the surface like flotsam from a wreckage.

The blood in the clearing…so much blood. But it was spread thin as if something had jettisoned it harder and thus spread it further. But even then so much of the red life-fluid was spread that it couldn't have come from the still-living ferret.

In class yet unseen by her but watched curiously by her friends her hand had started to draw as if guided by some invisible force. First came a square roughly six inches by six inches so it filled almost a third of the page. Definitely not easy to ignore given it was a rather odd thing to draw. Then a circle was sketched so the sides touched the edges of the square. Odd because more often than not a circle was drawn so it's shape was singular and not merged with another.

Then she started to sketch odd letters in the corners of the squares which seemed to flow towards the corners. As in the way they were written pointed towards the corners; like it was trying to draw something to the corner. A very bizarre concept for any culture when insular philosophies are prized. Then came even more weirdness with a triangle inside the circle. Perfectly equilateral and each point touching a side. But it still seemed…incomplete. Off.

"Nanoha, what's that?" Suzuka whispered and nudged Nanoha to break her from the day-dream which clouded her once-cerulean eyes to the raging grey of a storm-slashed sea.

Starting and dropping her pencil in shock as she over-balanced from the nudge and struggled to correct the motion that sent her reeling, she glanced at Suzuka irritably. "What?" she hissed out before following the finger pointing to the drawing. And she blinked. "I have…" she started before something flared in her memory like a gust of wind. It was there…but she couldn't see it. "…no idea" she finished.

Ever since she had picked up that ferret and accidentally grazed the crystal with the side of her pinkie her mind had been occupied with strange images. Incomplete ones that niggled at her mind like a shard of steel under her skin, constantly wiggling and grinding. Corners with spidery writings or two shapes spinning in counter directions. But whenever she tried to see the whole thing…her mind just blanked out or grabbed onto another subject.

Truly infuriating especially for a girl who was often held as the ideal of hard work and intelligence in her class.

Turning the page so she wouldn't have to see the odd diagram and continuing to jot down notes with rapid strikes of her pen to paper, she shook her head again to clear any thoughts of that bizarre diagram.

Nanoha smiled hopefully at her father after presenting her request concerning the ferret. Before slumping forward as he asked the inevitable question.

"What exactly is a ferret?" he asked with confusion making him lean forward as if that would bring him that much closer to an answer. Wincing as his elbow knocked a dish of rice and rubbing it, he glanced at Kyoya and Miyuki expectantly. They can hardly give up a chance to better the other he fondly reminisced.

Shaking her head and ignoring the fact that auburn hair pooled on her place from her position before sliding back and striking the back of the chair with her back and eyes gazing incredulously at her father.

"It's like a rat" Kyoya stated before wincing at the light slap to his head. "What?!"

Shaking her head, Miyuki sighed good naturedly. "Learn some tact. A ferret is a long rodent. Used to be popular" she stated and grinned smugly at Kyoya and got her own smack to the head in return.

Gazing thoughtfully at Nanoha who fidgeted like a young child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, he snapped his around as Momoko spoke.

"A ferret huh?"

"You know what a ferret is?" Shiro asked with surprise colouring his voice before shrugging and turning back with deliberate slowness. Just because I'm letting her have it doesn't mean I can't make her sweat he thought to himself before grumbling as Momoko poked his side. Is she psychic? It was a question he often asked himself.

Thus far…no answer. Plenty of hints though.

"If it's only for a short while…then why not?" Momoko answered and smiled cheekily at her husbands grouchy expression.

Smiling happily yet reserving comment for the oft-enacted "Foot in mouth" syndrome such as mentioning the ferret was magical or some such nonsense, Nanoha sat back before tearing into the meal.

Ever since she had met the ferret her stomach had been growling no matter how much she ate. As if she was burning energy for…something.

Yuuno Scrya was confused. Well actually that would be a mistake. It was not so much he was confused as curious. When that girl had accidentally caressed Raising Heart for no more than a fraction of a second, he caught just a tiny glimpse into her mind. Like peeking into a window whilst flying past on a motorcycle although glancing away from the road when on a motorcycle was often very stupid.

Didn't stop people from doing it though.

Most Mid-Childan magic was based upon the principle of the circle. A closed circuit philosophically speaking with nothing leaking in or out and just growing until the magic was released by the wielder.

Velka-type magic on the other hand used the principle of refraction. Those who wielded that particular branch of magic worked on the belief that their magic struck the edge of the circle and then rebounded back and magnified by the shape and runes the array was constructed out of.

But what he had glimpsed in the girls mind was neither of those two. Instead he had seen a square oddly enough. And truth be told he always wondered why only two of the three primary shapes had been used for magic. There were legends of mages from before the time of Al-Hazard utilising squares but before all this he would have agreed they were nothing but rumours.

Unlike Nanoha though he had managed to glimpse the entire thing and commit it to memory. Deciphering the runes had been difficult and for the most part they had remained beyond his grip but from what he could decipher…it was odd. Magic was taken from the caster and then funnelled towards each of the four points. The inclusion of the Velkan Triangle and Childan Circle though…that left him somewhat worried.

From what he could decipher…this branch of magic was designed to tightly focus the magic in each of the four points then deliver it back to the caster after being bounced in the triangle and contained by the circle.

It seemed the runes would light up one array then another so first the circle to contain the magic and then the triangle would light up and magnify the magic.

Cocking one ear at the sound of a scrape outside which seemed to herald the night which had already long stolen over the vet, he tensed.

It was here

His magic was too low…far too low to attempt any form of defence. His form of defence basically comprised of the principle that for every action there was an equal and opposite reaction. Ostensibly he created barriers that were impenetrable because they matched the exact force of the enemies attack. Unanchored ones drained him all the more though so right now he barely had enough magic to amplify his speed let alone fend off the might of a Jewel Seed.

From what he experienced earlier though the Jewel Seed relied more on direct power than agility so there was a chance…a tiny chance he could avoid it long enough for that odd girl to get to where he was.

Mental communication was a misnomer among the T.S.A.B-oriented culture for it was not a joining of minds. No, instead the caster projected their thoughts and wishes into the magical medium that tied all living things together with the recipient firmly lodged in their brain.

Nature's chat-room he called it.

Are you there? He sent out before stopping and listening intently for the approach of the Seed. Sniffing the air and wincing at the stench of such concentrated emotions before glancing out the window, he tried again.

Hello? If you can hear me, think your reply! He requested urgently. The Seed it seemed was taking its time to make sure he was there. Which was bad news. "It's evolving. Gaining sentience" he thoughtfully stated in a voice quieter than a mouse's sneeze. It was disturbing the amount of potential these gems had locked within them.

-ke this? Came a soft voice and Yuuno would have shouted with glee had it not given away his position. And had the vocal cords of the ferret been capable of a shout.

Perfect! I need your help! Can you come to the vet's? he asked and would have added more had he not caught sight of the monster rearing up outside the window.

It's here! Hurry! He shouted before bracing himself for the explosion to come.

He wasn't long in waiting.

Nanoha rocketed down the stairs and out of the house in barely a minute. From throwing on clothes in such a hurry that she was still threading her arm into the jumper to scuffing on her sneakers it had taken her under fifty seconds to get all that and another ten to blaze down the stairs and out the door.

Had she been going any faster and a sonic boom would have resulted.

Running down the streets towards the vet's as fast as she could without tiring herself, Nanoha had fortunately shoved any and all thoughts of the odd design to the back of her mind. The panic in that voice had seen to that!

The stars overhead wheeled as Nanoha swept towards the vet with heart thundering in her chest like the drums of war.

And the beat had nothing to do with the running.

Dodging down a side street with a tiny leap to bring her right to it and temporarily halt her motion and running down it whilst dodging around trash cans, she saw the vet was straight ahead. Indeed, from here she could see right into the front yard of the veterinary hospital. Before paling as the window seemed to bulge outwards like a bubble then spraying glass outwards along with a pale yellow shape.

The ferret!

The girl slowed down as she approached so she didn't drip or skid at all. Halting naught but five paces into the grounds, her eyes bore witness to a very odd spectacle.

Yuuno Scrya didn't notice the girl race in but he sensed her approach. He had taken a moment to hone his senses and had taken a punishing blow from the blob monster for his carelessness in not doing it whilst moving. Odds are good I would have been hit anyway, wether through carelessness or being a stationary target he mused to himself.

He had rapidly depleted his supply of magic to dodge the monster by boosting his reflexes and speed to an almost inhuman level. Boosting ones reflexes though was extremely dangerous for it involved replacing the electrical signals that nerves conducted with magic. Faster certainly but also very tiring as was evidenced by quaking limbs and ragged panting. Leaping up onto a bench so he could leap away at a moments notice, he did so as the monster slammed down like a ten-ton bag of pain.

Flying through the air and crashing into the girls arms, Yuuno had to fight off the urge to just close his eyes and succumb to the weariness that taxed him. The faint rustle of the breeze in the trees and her heart-beat were like a siren call to the land of dreams but he stayed awake by virtue of the monsters growls. "Run!"

"Ahhh, you spoke!" Nanoha squeaked and the only thing that kept her from throwing the ferret away was the shock which froze her body.

"Start running! I'll explain later!" Yuuno barked out. Well…more commanded but given how high his voice was in comparison to that of the standard male…it generated less of an impact. Despite that he was glad when Nanoha jumped to her feet and raced away and once again he had to force his eyes open as the rocking sensation from being carried was quite soothing.

"What is that thing?" Nanoha gasped as she stopped for a rest in the middle of a street.

"It's a monster that I tried to seal earlier" Yuuno explained before wincing. Yep, really explained that one. "I can explain more after you seal it" he whispered as he listened intently. It's getting closer. Damn he thought angrily. "Take that red jewel around my neck and repeat after me" he ordered and whilst he hated himself for it he injected a thread of magic into his voice to force compliance.

Nanoha could feel the order coming and it didn't effect her. Not in the slightest. So then why am I reaching for it? She was left to wonder as her hand inched forward to remove the crystal and small leather thong it was attached to from around the ferret's neck. Rolling it between her fingers and marvelling at the texture, she barely managed to throw herself to the side as a scythe of black energy ripped the telephone pole apart.

"It's warm" she whispered quietly as tiny fingers rolled it like a marble but did not drop it even as she lay flat on her stomach with grazed hands.

With a few hairs fluttering down to land on the road to bear witness to just how close Nanoha had come to certain death, Nanoha watched the pole teeter before falling with the transformer on it striking the monster and electrocuting it.

"Quick! Repeat after me!" Yuuno shouted and prayed the electricity currently disrupting the magic of the creature would stop it from attacking. "Close your eyes and block out everything else. Just focus your mind" Yuuno urged as he saw Nanoha glance back warily to the smouldering creature.

Nodding, Nanoha closed her eyes but felt something…odd. Something drew her attention. Concentrating upon it and hurling her mind in its direction, she gazed at a much larger Raising Heart in her mind. Just beneath the surface writing could be seen but no matter how hard she stared and squinted it refused to come into focus.

"I who has accepted this mission, upon the ancient contract, command you to release your power. Wind in the sky, stars in the heavens. And a resolute heart beats within my chest!"

Nanoha whispered the words within her mind and with each word spoken could feel…something about the orb respond and pulse in time with her own heart. Then the feeling rapidly lessened and she watched in shock as waves of energy rocketed back into the jewel after having left it with each pulse. It's luminescence rapidly increased until it burned with a white light purer than a child's heart. As if it blazed white-hot yet no heat scorched her.

"This magic in my hand…Raising Heart…Set-Up!"

Yuuno watched in consternation as Nanoha didn't seem to be repeating what he was saying. But despite that he could feel the red crystal pulsing faster and faster as the energies within it built to a glorious crescendo. Raising Heart had been designed to be voice-activated since normally magic was carried through words. Wait…her magic…isn't normal he thought before his eyes shot open wide to try and stop her.

Too late.

Murphy. You're an asshole was Yuuno's last thought before Raising Heart activated.

"Stand by. Ready. Set Up" came Raising Heart. Tame words to describe the process' occurring deep inside. Raising Heart functioned as a magic and thought engine. Essentially it moulded the magic given into what its master required and what was present in the thought patterns.

Nanoha gasped as magic surrounded her…enveloped her…consumed her. Every single nerve was caressed by the force and jolts shot through her as she was levitated up. But she wasn't in a sphere…or even a triangle. No…she was in a rapidly spinning cube! Yet it seemed to defy the laws of physics because it seemed as if every surface spun in opposing directions.

"Damnit! Think of what form you want your protection and weapon to take!" Yuuno screamed out over the dull roar of the magic. This was a reaction he hadn't seen before and just after start-up he had been forced to avert his eyes lest the bizarre sight break his mind.

Nanoha struggled with the commands. The magic was pulsing around her and it shrieked that she submit to its will…to allow it to consume her. N-no…I won't submit she thought angrily. She had survived in the loneliness after the attack on her father so no force between heaven or hell would make her submit! Despite her age, Nanoha had a formidable will and she bent it all towards taming the magic. Making it obey her.

It's like thick plastic came the odd thought but Nanoha brushed it aside whilst acknowledging its aptness. It was extremely resistant to be bent but she knew that once the critical point was reached it'd snap into place. I…will…not…SUBMIT! She screamed into the ether and without a second more passing the magic obeyed her will.

Something to protect me…something safe… she thought and an image of a school uniform flashed into mind. But…it wasn't right. Something about it was off. She knew it was ridiculous for her to wear any kind of battle armour like the kind she had seen Kyoya eying off in the window of a game store. But that didn't stop her from adding a form of gauntlet to the outfit which would encompass each hand as protection.

But the outfit in its blue and white stage just…didn't work for her. The blue doesn't fit she realised and with the barest effort re-imagined it as white and red with the gauntlets a royal blue colour like die-cast metal. Much better she thought. An image of a staff flashed through her head and she nodded. Reaching up inquisitively as she felt a shadow fall over her, slim fingers wrapped around the cool metal of a staff which seemed to rapidly heat at her touch.

Yuuno paled as he felt the magical energy increase. He had heard of rare cases of when the magic within an Intelligent Device ripped apart the user but as most people were wont to do he consigned such thoughts to the category of urban legends. But now he was hastily moving every single tale into the fact column inside his mind.

The fact that said column was administered by a chibi version of himself brought him no end of embarrassment. His height had always been a sore issue. He had tried to change it but…

As the magic seemed to peak and horror had frozen him stiffer than marble, he relaxed as he felt the magic subside before cracking like an egg. And watched in awe as Nanoha descended down slowly as if a bird of prey carried on thermals to slowly settle on the ground. Almost…like a Valkyrie.

Nanoha gazed at the creature before examining her own outfit and nodding in approval. Whilst she might want to scream and demand exactly what the hell was going on, another part of her told her that could all be done later. And in much greater quantities. For now she had to deal with this thing.

Which was right now hurtling toward her!

Throwing her staff up in an instinctive reaction to try and stop the incoming foe, she started and glanced on in shock as a square field sprang up before it started to rotate at speeds that made it appear more a circle than a square. Asphalt was ripped up and thrown away to the left and as the first shards of asphalt hit the road, the monster slammed into the shield.

The monster snarled and raged against the shield before the kinetic force of the barrier struck it.

And shredded it.

Much like pressing your finger against something that spun way too fast and ground your finger down before you could pull it away so did the same happen to the monster. Thick globules of maleficent energy made corporeal was flung every which way with Yuuno dodging the splats with relative ease. Some of the closer masses reformed and shot tiny tentacles out to suck up more of the tiny fleshy shards of its body. Almost like an amoeba absorbing smaller creatures.

Nanoha jogged away a bit so there was some distance between her and the monster. She was never suited to close-range combat and this had been demonstrated in the one time she had asked to spar with her brother. Despite the fact Kyoya had gone easy on her she had still ended up aching all over for days afterward. Privately she swore that Kyoya was a meanie for laughing,

"To use a spell you need an incantation. Listen to your heart and it'll come to you" Yuuno commanded and he could say no more for he had never attained this level of magical manifestation with Raising Heart. It often took magi months to get their Intelligent Device to manifest this much.

Nanoha nodded and closed her eyes.

Veneficus Punch…

Opening her eyes wide and catching sight of the monsters tentacles rocketing towards her so fast it left an unholy whistling in the air, Nanoha's hand moved without her thinking. Snatching and holding each of the razor-sharp appendages, she heaved with all her strength. Now whilst normally for a creature this size that would be impossible, magic had an extremely low amount of mass, comparable really only to hydrogen.

Releasing the tentacles and balling her fist as it approached, Nanoha stepped back before stepping forward once more and slamming her glowing fist into the monsters face. With a thunderous crack that signified magic being released it was hurled down the street so hard that when it struck a deep gash was torn into the road.

Listening to the seductive whisper that came from deep within her, she took a deep breath. "Lyrical Jewel Seed Seal!" she ordered. A square erupted into being under her with a circle and triangle in the middle of it exactly like the picture drawn earlier. Each corner of the square glowed before lines of magic shot from them and back towards her.

Swirling about her like ethereal ghosts or fairies, they were absorbed into the staff at any point along it and a second later Nanoha smiled.

"Seal it!" she commanded and slashed her staff downwards in going from right shoulder to left hip. Arcs of red and white magic shot from the orb in her staff and encased the monster in a slowly constricting net of arcane energies. A moment later and said energies began to spin and ripped the monster apart. But no deluge of shadow escaped for it was incinerated before it could escape the net of magic which eradicated the darkness.

As the red and white streamers vanished to leave a Jewel Seed lying innocuously on the road, Nanoha paused.

"Tap it with the crystal" Yuuno advised as he inched forward from his own hiding spot of behind a corner. It had greatly amused him to see Nanoha deck the monster with that strange blue chrome gauntlet and he gazed up her sleeve to see they ended at the elbow. But watching her wince and massage her arm convinced him that despite the fact she could strike hard with that punch…it was hardly pleasant.

"I don't think my heart likes me much" Nanoha complained as she rolled her shoulder to ease the burning in it. Glancing down in shock as her outfit rapidly dematerialised into particles that vanished with pops, she pouted. "Awwww! And I looked good in it too!" she complained before glancing around warily.

Road torn up? Check. Walls demolished? Check. Sirens? Check. Wait…sirens? She thought and it took a moment for that little nugget to sink into her brain before she used a word she had heard her brother use and be scolded for.

"Shit!"

Yuuno blushed at the curse word Nanoha used before yelping as he was picked up and cradled.

"We've gotta go!" she quietly shrieked. An odd thing to pull off yet somehow she managed. Turning and jogging towards her home whilst keeping her eyes peeled for any police cars, Nanoha slowed down as she found herself a few streets away. "Now, time for you to explain everything Mr Ferret!" she ordered whilst pocketing Raising Heart with a pout.