Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the multitude of deities that resided within the multiverse, one was currently busy watching and slightly nudging every dimension he came across. Nothing major so that he wouldn’t get noticed, but just enough so that he hoped for them to end up brighter. He was just done slightly changing a world, one in which its protagonist would lose his beloved into one in which she was only grievously harmed. When a familiar face bursted through his domain, the body associated with it playing catch up after having thrown it his way.

- Heya ! Guess who !? The face said grinning all the while.

- *sigh* If you’re going to be interrupting me while I am busy brother, may you do so in a more conventional way ?

- Pfft… where would be the fun in that ? The other deity said putting his head back on his body. Besides, busy doing what ? Going over every world that isn’t under your direct control and slightly poking them like you have been doing for the past thousands of years ?

- I am not « slightly poking » them, I am helping them to the best of my abilities while avoiding being seen by an infinity of beings ! SOMETHING which demands a lot of effort, effort I am not surprised you don’t recognise considering your hedonistic and immature tendencies.

- Hey come on, I may be a wandering hedonistic god but at least I try to also cheer up the ones around me while I am having fun. I mean come on, you know you like my visits otherwise you would prevent me from coming in. *chuckles* Pfft, you’re really a tsundere, hehehe.

- Once again, What is the reason for your presence here ? It’s quite obvious that it must be major seeing you are even more obnoxious than usual.

- Oh yeah ! I almost forgot about that ! You know of our friend, the « Cloaked Figure » ?

- *sigh* Which gods did they piss off this time ?

- Pffft, who cares about the dumbasses that try to take it down. That ain’t what is making me all giddy right now. Nonono, the why is way more fun than the who in this little prank he pulled...

- A prank ? What do you mean a prank ? Vole said very worried. If Yoj called this situation a prank, that would only mean that someone had been « pranked » and hard.

- He transported multiple key people from their dimension right under the noses of all of their respective deities to put them in one of his own where they’ll watch their future !

- What.

- *grins* You heard me.

- You… YOU are calling a prank !? Not only is this breaking the rules of interdimensional contact but messing with the direct strand of fate. And that’s not even mentioning the time differential this will cause if we assume they intends for them to return at the time they have taken them.

- I know… I know... exciting, ain’t it ? Gave me the idea to pull something similar of my own !

- … ARE YOU INSANE !? Has the small amount of common sense present within you finally atrophied from the complete inactivity it knows everyday ? Do you know how much trouble you would be in after this !?

- Well yeah I am aware, I mean don’t get me wrong I am all for fun but even I have the minimal amount of common sense to know that this would be difficult for me to pull this alone.

- Wait. Did you just say « alone » ? Because you want to rope ME into this !? Give me a single sound reasoning for me to not k-

- You could save them. Yoj said with a rare serious expression on his face.

- … go on.

- « Listen, I may be more interested in having fun most of the time. I am still your brother. I see how much you are suffering each time I come here, watching all these dimensions with all of their people suffering. For once, I want to make YOU happy ». And just like that his serious expression vanished « ...And besides it would also get me my kicks, hehehe. »

- But the attention this would bring to us would still be major, are you aware of that ?

- Oh I think most of them are focused on our friend so we’ll be mostly in the clear. Even if the other deities are pissed at us, they would most likely blame them for inspiring us. And besides, you know that when we are together there ain’t a deity around this part to knock this duo down ;P

- *sigh*… What did you have in mind ?

Hearing these words, the widest grin Vole had ever seen appeared on Yoj’s face.

- Ohohohohoho ! This is gonna be great !

- I didn’t approve of this yet !

- « You can handle the boring « training them to save them from their horrible future » side of things while I handle the fun stuff ! I have so many ideas of fun places to make and fun games to give them ! »Yoj kept saying uninterrupted.

There he goes again… Vole thought while looking fondly at his brother.

---

- I must salute the attention you brought to the different environments, offering them different environments could do well for their training.

- I was just thinking it’d be fun for them to play with snow or on the beach, to be honest.

- Mmmh, nonetheless your efforts deserve to be highlighted. I suppose we are done with everything, I know that I finished all that was required of me.

- Neato ! I also finished designing everything on my part, I am especially proud of the tramway I did !

- Let us begin the inter-dimensional transportation then. So that they will be saved.

- So I’ll- I mean so that they will be happy and entertained.

- To profit to the maximum of the benefit of fait accompli , we must pull all of them at once before any of the others get wise. Have you completed the last necessary calculations to account for the time differential ?

- I have been ready for this little game ever since the beginning of our little chat, brother !

- *nods* Very well then, I am also prepared on my side for every parameter.

- Three.

- Two.

- One.

- Let’s get this rolling !/ And so it begins.

Chapter Text

Chito & Yuuri

"No... don't go..."

Chito's voice came out as barely a whisper, her face scrunched in distress as tears leaked from the corners of her closed eyes. The dream was so vivid—watching that person disappear into the white expanse, leaving them behind. Always leaving them behind.

Something was gnawing on her arm.

"Ow... what..." Chito's eyes fluttered open, still hazy with sleep and the lingering ache of the dream. The first thing she saw wasn't the familiar metal ceiling of their shelter, but warm wooden planks bathed in a soft, golden glow.

The second thing she noticed was Yuuri's teeth marks on her sleeve.

"Yuuri!" Chito jerked her arm away, fully awake now. "What are you—where are we?"

Yuuri looked up from where she'd been absently chewing on Chito's coat sleeve, her expression dopey and content. "Oh, morning Chi-chan. You taste like... dust. And sadness."

"I—what?" Chito sat up abruptly, blinking hard to clear the remnants of tears. The room around them was nothing like anywhere they'd ever been. Clean wooden floors, actual beds with real mattresses, soft overhead lighting that didn't flicker or buzz. It was warm. Impossibly warm.

"Weird place," Yuuri said, stretching like a cat before rolling over to peer at Chito. "You were crying again. The leaving dream?"

Chito wiped her eyes quickly, trying to gather her bearings. They were both still in their heavy winter coats and gear, minus their boots which sat neatly beside the lower bunk they'd apparently been sharing. But this wasn't their kettenkrad. This wasn't a ruin or a shelter.

"Where's our ride?" Chito asked, standing up carefully on the polished floor.

"Dunno," Yuuri said, scooting to sit cross-legged. "And where's my gun? I feel naked without it."

Chito looked around more carefully. The room was too perfect, too clean. No rust, no broken concrete, no scattered debris. Just smooth walls, matching beds, and that door with no visible handle.

"We're not alone," she said quietly.

Yuuri followed her gaze to the other beds. Three girls, all still sleeping peacefully. One had shoulder-length brown hair and what looked like a school uniform. Another had long hair pulled to one side, wearing some kind of white and blue outfit that definitely wasn't civilian clothes. The third had long pink hair and was also in what appeared to be a school uniform.

"They look..." Chito paused, studying their sleeping faces. "Normal. Too normal."

"Normal's suspicious," Yuuri agreed, then brightened. "But maybe they know where the food is when they wake up."

Chito walked softly to the door, pressing her palm against the smooth surface. Nothing. No click, no handle, no response.

"We're locked in," she said matter-of-factly.

"Figured," Yuuri said, flopping backward. "Well, at least it's warm. And the bed's comfy. When's the last time we slept on something this soft?"

Chito couldn't remember. She sat back down on the edge of the bed, still trying to process. The dream felt so real, so immediate, but now... this place felt like stepping into a completely different world.

"What do you remember?" she asked.

Yuuri squinted thoughtfully. "We were crossing that big gap. The bridge was sketchy. Then... nothing. Just warm bed and your arm tasting weird."

"My arm doesn't taste weird."

"Everything tastes weird when you're hungry enough."

Despite everything, Chito felt her lips twitch slightly. At least some things never changed.

Nanoha Takamachi

Nanoha came awake gradually, awareness filtering back in careful layers. First, the unfamiliar ceiling. Then the absence of her barrier jacket's familiar weight. Finally, the realization that she wasn't in her quarters at headquarters.

She sat up slowly, her brown hair falling across her shoulder as she assessed the situation. She was still wearing her off-duty clothes—the white and blue outfit she'd had on during her last patrol briefing. Her device was gone. That was... concerning.

'Raising Heart isn't responding,' she thought, reaching out mentally for the familiar presence. Nothing. Just silence where her partner's voice should be.

The room was warm and comfortable, clearly designed to be welcoming. Five beds, wooden floors, soft lighting. Very different from the sterile efficiency of Time-Space Administration Bureau facilities.

Two girls were already awake, both dressed in heavy winter clothing that looked practical rather than fashionable. They were having a quiet conversation, the blonde one mentioning something about food while the dark-haired one examined the door.

Nanoha slid her feet to the floor, her boots making a soft sound against the wood. The winter-clad girls turned toward her.

"Another one's up," said the serious-looking girl with black hair.

Nanoha nodded politely. "Good morning. Though I'm not entirely certain what time it is, actually."

The blonde girl grinned. "We were just wondering the same thing. I'm Yuuri, and this is Chito. We're kind of used to waking up in weird places, but usually there's more rubble and less comfort."

"I'm Nanoha Takamachi," she replied, automatically falling into her professional demeanor. "I apologize, but I don't recall how I arrived here. The last thing I remember was finishing a briefing at headquarters."

Chito raised an eyebrow. "Headquarters?"

Nanoha paused, realizing she shouldn't share operational details with potential civilians. "Work," she said simply. "Administrative work."

'I need to assess the situation carefully. These girls don't seem hostile, but someone clearly brought us all here for a reason. Without Raising Heart, I'll need to rely on my training and whatever magical abilities I can access manually.'

She looked at the other two girls still sleeping. "Should we wake them, or wait?"

"I vote wait," Yuuri said. "Let them get their beauty sleep. Plus maybe they'll dream about breakfast and wake up with good ideas about where to find some."

Nanoha couldn't help but smile slightly. "That's... optimistic."

"Gotta be optimistic when you're locked in a mystery room," Yuuri replied cheerfully.

Chito was still studying the door. "No obvious mechanism. Whoever designed this wanted us to stay put."

"But not permanently," Nanoha observed, noting the general comfort of their surroundings. "This feels more like... containment with care rather than imprisonment."

"You sound like you've thought about this kind of thing before," Chito said.

Nanoha chose her words carefully. "I've had some experience with unusual situations."

She settled back on her bed, hands folded in her lap, and continued to observe. Whatever was happening here, she'd need to be ready to protect these girls if necessary. Even without Raising Heart, she had her training and her natural magical abilities.

'One step at a time,' she told herself. 'Gather information, assess threats, keep everyone safe.'

Yui Hirasawa

Yui woke up the way she usually did—slowly, with lots of small noises and false starts.

First came a tiny "mmph." Then a sleepy mumble that might have been words in some language. Finally, she cracked one eye open and stared at the ceiling with the expression of someone trying to solve advanced calculus.

"Huh," she said to the ceiling. "That's not my room."

She sat up carefully, her brown hair sticking up at odd angles, and looked around with wide, curious eyes. She was still in her school uniform—the same one she'd been wearing when she'd been holding her new guitar for the first time, marveling at how the strings made sound when she touched them.

"Oh!" she said, suddenly remembering. "My guitar! Where's—" She looked around frantically, then noticed the other girls watching her with varying degrees of amusement.

"Um, hi!" she said brightly, waving with both hands. "I'm Yui! Sorry for being loud. I just got this guitar today and I was really excited about it and I thought maybe I fell asleep in the music room but this isn't the music room and also there are beds here which is weird because the music room doesn't have beds, just chairs and—"

"Breathe," suggested the dark-haired girl in winter clothes.

"Right! Breathing!" Yui took a dramatic deep breath. "Okay. Much better. So, um, where are we? Is this like a school trip thing? Did I miss a permission slip? My sister Ui usually handles those but maybe she forgot to tell me? Oh no, she's going to be so worried if I don't come home for dinner..."

The blonde girl was grinning. "You're like a walking exclamation point."

"Is that good or bad?" Yui asked earnestly.

"Good," said the girl with the brown ponytail. "I'm Nanoha. These are Chito and Yuuri. And yes, we're all trying to figure out where we are."

"Oh good! Mystery solving!" Yui clapped her hands together. "I'm not super great at mysteries but I watch a lot of TV so maybe that helps? Usually the answer is 'the butler did it' but I don't see any butlers here."

She looked around the room more carefully, finally taking in the wooden walls, the soft lighting, the comfortable beds.

"This is really nice," she said admiringly. "Like a fancy hotel! Are we supposed to be here? Because if this is a prize I won, I don't remember entering any contests. Unless—oh! Maybe it's because I finally learned to play a chord! Is there a prize for that?"

Chito and Yuuri exchanged glances.

"Probably not," Chito said dryly.

"Oh. Well, that's okay. I'm still excited about the chord thing." Yui swung her legs happily. "So we're all stuck here together? That's kind of fun! Like a sleepover! Do you think there's snacks?"

"Now you're asking the important questions," Yuuri said approvingly.

Yui beamed at her. "I like you! You think about food too!"

She looked over at the remaining sleeping girl with the long pink hair. "Should we wake her up? It feels rude to have a party without everyone."

"Not a party exactly," Nanoha said gently.

"Well, not yet," Yui corrected. "But it could be! I mean, we're all here, there are beds, it's warm and cozy... all we need is snacks and maybe some music and it's totally a party!"

Despite the strangeness of their situation, her enthusiasm was infectious. Even Chito's serious expression softened slightly.

"Let's see what happens when the last one wakes up," Chito suggested. "Then we can make plans."

"Plans for snacks?" Yui asked hopefully.

"Plans for figuring out what's going on," Chito corrected.

"Plans for snacks while figuring out what's going on?" Yui offered as a compromise.

Yuuri laughed. "I like how you think."

Tsukasa Yuzaki

Tsukasa woke with the quiet grace of someone accustomed to rising early and being immediately alert. No groaning, no stretching, just a smooth transition from sleep to awareness as her eyes opened and focused on the unfamiliar ceiling above.

She remained still for a moment, taking inventory. She was fully dressed in her school uniform, everything neat and unwrinkled despite having apparently slept in it. Her long pink hair was somehow still smooth and untangled. The bed beneath her was comfortable, the room warm and well-lit.

None of which explained why she wasn't in the apartment she shared with Nasa.

She sat up with practiced poise, her movements economical and precise as she assessed her surroundings. Four other girls occupied the room—all awake now, she noticed—and all looking as confused as she felt, though with varying degrees of concern.

The memory came back gradually. Walking home with Nasa after their shopping trip, his hand warm in hers, talking about what to make for dinner. Then... nothing. A gap where her memory should be, and now this.

'Nasa will be worried,' was her first clear thought, followed immediately by a cooler assessment of her situation.

"Good morning," she said calmly, smoothing her skirt as she stood. "I'm Tsukasa Yuzaki. I assume we're all in the same predicament?"

The girl with short black hair—who had the alert, practical bearing of someone used to difficult situations—nodded. "Seems that way. I'm Chito, that's Yuuri, Nanoha, and Yui."

Tsukasa nodded to each in turn, filing away names and first impressions. "Has anyone determined how we arrived here or what our current situation is?"

"Locked in," Chito said simply, gesturing to the door. "No obvious way out. But whoever put us here wanted us comfortable."

"Which could be reassuring or concerning, depending on their motives," Tsukasa observed. She moved to examine the door herself, running her fingers along the smooth surface. No handle, no keypad, no visible mechanism.

"You're very calm about this," Nanoha noted, and Tsukasa caught something in her tone that suggested professional observation.

"Panic rarely improves a situation," Tsukasa replied. "Though I am concerned about someone who will worry about my absence."

"Boyfriend?" Yui asked with bright curiosity.

"Husband," Tsukasa corrected, and felt a small pang at the word. Nasa would indeed be worried. He might even do something reckless trying to find her.

"Husband?" Yui's eyes went wide. "But you look like you're in high school!"

"It's... a long story," Tsukasa said with a slight smile.

She returned to her bed and sat down, hands folded in her lap, studying the room more carefully. The construction was solid, the amenities thoughtful. Whoever had arranged this had resources and planning capability.

"I think," she said slowly, "we should share what we remember from before waking up here. There might be a pattern or connection we're missing."

"Good idea," Chito agreed. "We were crossing a damaged bridge in the ruins. After that, nothing until waking up here."

"Briefing at headquarters," Nanoha said simply.

"I just got my guitar for the first time!" Yui added excitedly. "Well, not just got it, but it was the first time I held it and it was so cool and—"

"The point being," Tsukasa said gently, "we were all somewhere else, engaged in normal activities, then here. No obvious connection between our locations or circumstances."

"Except we're all..." Yuuri paused, thinking.

"All what?" Nanoha prompted.

"Well, girls. Teenagers, mostly. And we all seem pretty..." Yuuri struggled for the word.

"Adaptable," Chito supplied.

Tsukasa nodded thoughtfully. "That's... actually quite perceptive. None of us have panicked or become hysterical despite waking up in an impossible situation."

"Maybe that's why we were chosen?" Yui suggested. "Like, whoever did this needed people who wouldn't freak out?"

"Chosen for what, though?" Nanoha asked quietly.

That, Tsukasa reflected, was indeed the crucial question. She looked around at her fellow captives—if that's what they were—and felt a strange sense of... not quite familiarity, but potential. These were people she could work with, regardless of what came next.

"I suppose," she said, "we'll find out soon enough."

Chapter Text

Hiiragi Nana

Nana woke with a start. Her eyes snapped open and immediately scanned the ceiling. Wooden beams. Too clean. Too still. Her body was stiff, not from injury, but from the way she'd tensed herself the moment consciousness returned.

"Where am I? This isn't the island. This isn't anywhere near the school."

She slowly sat up, fingers curled tightly around the edge of the blanket. Her uniform was still in place. Skirt, red jacket, white bow, the familiar weight of it calming her. No wounds. No bandages. But no phone, either. No notes. No mission briefing.

"Last thing I remember... I was walking toward the school building. About to introduce myself to the other students. About to begin the mission."

She glanced around the room. Two bunk beds, four beds total, each occupied.

One girl—with absurdly blue hair and what looked like...tentacle-like strands trailing from it—slept in a position Nana could only describe as starfish-mode, snoring lightly. Another girl, curled up tight, wore a black outfit with a red cape and wizard-like trimmings. The third had chestnut hair and a yellow headband, sleeping with her arms flopped over her head like she owned the room.

Nana's brow furrowed. "Too many unknowns. No explanation. I need to stay calm and analyze the situation."

She swung her legs over the side of the bed. The floor was polished wood, cool against her socks. Her shoes were missing. That was fine. No need to run yet. Yet.

"Are they civilians? Talented? Hostile? I can't assume anything. I need intel."

She walked softly to the door and tried to push it open, knowing before she started that it was futile.

Behind her, someone stirred. The girl with the squid-like hair mumbled something about shrimp and kicked her blanket. Nana's eyes narrowed. She stared at the strange girl's blue hair again. Those... strands weren't extensions. They twitched and curled. Reacted independently from each other.

"Not hair. Not normal. Some kind of mutation? A Talented? But she's too... cartoonish. Like someone from an anime." She frowned. "I need to tread carefully. Act like I buy it. Pretend she's just a quirky student. Maybe she's one of those cosplay streamers. Or a very committed drama club type."

"So why bring me here? Why are these other girls here? Did someone discover my real purpose before I could even begin? Are they just pretending to be asleep so they can pounce as soon as I let my guard down?"

She turned, gaze flitting from bed to bed.

"Well," she murmured aloud with a small, practiced smile, "Time to play the role again."

She straightened her jacket, brushed down her skirt, and stepped away from the door. For now, she'd watch. Wait for someone else to wake. Read them. Measure reactions. And if this was some kind of test? Then she'd pass it. Like she always did.

Ika Musume

"Nnngh... shrimp... so many shrimp..."

Ika Musume sat up abruptly, sea-blue hair flailing with the motion. Her tentacle-hair curled lazily around her shoulders, and her large eyes blinked twice before focusing on her surroundings.

"Eh? This isn't the Lemon House! Where is this? Who dares abduct the mighty Ika Musume?!"

She threw off the blanket dramatically, leaping to her feet on the bed with the flourish of someone who fully believed she had just been wronged by the world.

"I swear on the ocean's waves, I shall ink the one responsible for this indignity!" she shouted, pointing at the ceiling.

The bed creaked ominously. Across the room, one of the other girls—a pink-haired one in a red uniform—watched quietly from her bed, pretending to be asleep. Ika paid her no mind.

"Let's see now," she mumbled, hopping down. "Not the sea... not even a beach. Is this a secret land facility? A human lair?!" She dashed to the door and tried to open it. It didn't budge.

"Whaaa?! And there isn't even a window with a view! How dare they? Cowards!"

She scanned the room again. Beds. Walls. Clean floor. Three humans, all female.

"They must be minions. Or prisoners like me. Hmph. No one imprisons the great Ika Musume and gets away with it!"

She stomped once in indignation, which had all the threatening impact of a rubber duck. One of her tentacles curled toward her face thoughtfully.

"Still, if they are prisoners, maybe they have information. Perhaps I shall allow them to speak before I unleash my wrath. Yes. That is merciful of me. Merciful and wise!"

Another girl shifted in her bed. Ika puffed out her cheeks and nodded once, her tentacle tips poking at her hips in a sort of self-congratulatory pose.

"Very well! I shall wait until the others awaken. And then... then I shall interrogate them!"

She looked down at her hands. "Although... I suppose I could use some breakfast first."

She tiptoed to the middle of the room and crouched into what she assumed was a battle stance.

"No signs of surveillance… unless they're using invisible insects. Sneaky."

She pointed dramatically at the farthest bed.

"That one twitched. She's probably the leader. I'll deal with her last."

She flopped back into bed. "Perhaps I'll just have a little more sleep. Not because I'm tired! I'm just conserving energy! Like a true underwater warrior!"

A quiet snore escaped her moments later. But even as she drifted off, one eye cracked open suspiciously, then closed again.

"Land people are clever. Tricksy. I must remain vigilant. One wrong move and BAM! They'll try to recruit me to clean or something again!"

She tightened her grip on the edge of the blanket protectively. "Not this time, surface dwellers... not this time..."

Megumin

"...Explosion."

The word drifted out of Megumin's mouth as she stirred awake, clutching her red-lined cape like it might vanish if she let go. Her hat was gone. Her staff was gone.

Her eyes fluttered open. Wooden beams. Crisp linens. Soft mattress. Four beds. Her brain caught up.

"Wait. What?"

She bolted upright, her cape tangling around her legs as she tried to find her balance.

"This isn't the guild! Where's the guild hall?!"

Panic flared briefly before Megumin clutched her forehead with a theatrical gasp.

"Have I... been kidnapped by demon worshippers? Dragged away from my party because of my immense magical prowess?! Or maybe this is... the prelude to an epic magical trial!"

She scanned the room suspiciously. One girl snored face-first into her pillow—blue hair, and what Megumin could only describe as preposterous accessories. Another was wide awake, pretending to sleep. And there was a girl in a headband starfished out like a victory sign.

"Three strangers. One of whom looks like she's half-cephalopod," she murmured. She blinked again. "...I've definitely read a grimoire like this before."

Swinging her legs off the bed, Megumin sat stiffly, posture upright and back straight, like a true archwizard awaiting a council verdict.

"No staff, no hat, no familiar. But I still have my power. Somewhere."

"I must be calm. Alert. And noble. The Crimson Demon Clan does not scream. We inquire with elegance."

A long beat. She stood. "I DEMAND TO KNOW WHERE I AM AND WHO DARES TO CHALLENGE MY ARCANE DOMINION!"

A thump followed as she promptly tripped over the edge of her own cloak and face-planted into the floorboards. A muffled groan. "...I meant to do that."

Ika's eye opened again. "That was loud."

"I am Megumin! The greatest archwizard of the Crimson Demon Clan! And I demand answers!"

Nana sat up slowly. "You're shouting in a locked room. There aren't any enemies. Yet."

Megumin rolled over and sat cross-legged. "So, you're fellow captives? Have you been tested yet? Interrogated? I was expecting dark rituals."

"No rituals so far," Nana said calmly. "Just confusion."

Ika yawned. "Ika Musume shall not be questioned without proper tribute. Preferably seafood."

Megumin blinked. "You talk like you're from a traveling play. I respect that."

"You wear a cape indoors. I respect that."

Megumin smirked, and let herself relax just slightly. She reached up, adjusted the edge of her cape for maximum dramatic flair, and gave a slow nod.

"You're all surprisingly composed. That either means you're professionals… or you're used to waking up in weird places."

Nana gave a faint smile. "More the latter."

"Well then," Megumin said. "Since we're all here and not screaming—except me—I suggest we form a temporary truce. Until we figure out what's going on."

Nana nodded. "Agreed."

Ika rolled onto her side. "I reserve judgment. But I'm listening."

Haruhi Suzumiya

The ceiling looked boring.

That was Haruhi Suzumiya's first thought as her eyes snapped open and zeroed in on the wooden planks above her. Smooth. Polished. Uniform. Boring.

She sat up sharply, ponytail bouncing, and looked around with the intensity of someone who had just missed an alien landing by five minutes.

Four beds. Three other girls. No computers. No data terminals. No Asahina in a maid outfit.

"...This is not the North High Literature Club room."

Her blanket flew into the air as she leapt out of bed.

"Okay! Show yourself, interdimensional kidnappers! I'm ready to make a deal!"

No response. She stomped over to the nearest bed, glaring at the girl with blue hair and squidlike tendrils. "Alien? Esper? Mascot character? You're not fooling me."

The girl snorted in her sleep. "More shrimp..."

"Hmph." Haruhi spun on her heel. She walked the perimeter. One door. No handle. Interior design: suspiciously cozy.

The girl in the red cape was staring at her with curiosity. The pink-haired one was studying everyone like she was filing a report. Haruhi grinned.

"Well! This is finally interesting. I've been asking the universe to give me something out of the ordinary—and boom! Mysterious cabin. Strange girls. Possibly a test. Possibly a trap. Definitely awesome."

"You don't seem concerned," Nana said.

"Concern is for civilians. I'm Haruhi Suzumiya. I specialize in uncovering supernatural secrets and forming elite brigades to investigate them."

Megumin stood. "I like your energy."

"Thanks. You've got good cape vibes."

Nana gave Haruhi a skeptical once-over. "You think this is an experiment?"

"Maybe. Or a tournament. Doesn't matter. The question is, what are we going to do about it?"

She hopped up on a bunk like it was a stage.

"I hereby declare the founding of the Interdimensional Girls' Task Force! Objective: discover the truth, escape the room, and document any supernatural oddities along the way. Members: you, you, and you."

Ika raised a hand sleepily. "Can I be mascot?"

"Only if you ink people sparingly."

Megumin gave a half-bow. "As long as I get to name our moves."

"I claim dramatic declarations," Haruhi added, striking a pose. "I'm great at those."

Nana folded her arms. "You're really taking charge."

"Someone has to. And until the aliens show up, I nominate myself. Any objections?" None.

"Good," Haruhi said. "Because we're not sitting around waiting for clues to fall into our laps."

Ika, now fully awake, stretched and yawned. "If there's food involved, I shall consider my loyalty purchased."

"You'll fit right in," Haruhi said cheerfully. "Mascots always do."

She looked at each of them again, memorizing faces, postures, possibilities.

These girls might not be from her world, but they were something even better: a mystery. And mysteries were meant to be cracked open, one cosmic clue at a time.

She clapped her hands. "Then it's settled! Operation 'Weird Cabin' is officially underway!" She beamed. "And by the way... I'm already having a great time."

Chapter Text

Illyasviel von Einzbern

Illya blinked herself awake to the sight of unfamiliar wood above her. Not her canopy bed. Not her ceiling at all. "Eh…?" The blankets weren't pink. The air smelled faintly of cedar. She sat up abruptly, heart skipping, and looked around.

The room was lit by a soft, warm light from above—cozy, almost like a lodge. But it definitely wasn't her house in Fuyuki. She clutched the blanket tighter. "This isn't a dream, is it?"

A familiar chill of unease trickled through her spine. Last she remembered, she had just finished her first real magical girl battle. Ruby had been congratulating her on finally managing a proper transformation and fight sequence, going on about how she'd handled herself remarkably well for a beginner, even if she couldn’t quite best her opponent. She'd been a real magical girl, just like in the shows she watched. But then... darkness. She must have collapsed from exhaustion?

Illya looked down. Her school uniform—white blouse, brown vest, black skirt—was clean, pressed, and intact. Her shoes were placed neatly beside the bunk bed, like someone had set her there on purpose. More importantly, Ruby was nowhere to be seen. 'Where's Ruby? She never leaves me alone for long, especially after something like that first fight. This is... really strange.'

She glanced across the room. Three more bunk beds. Three other girls—all still sleeping, buried under blankets. She could make out different hair colors peeking out. Black hair on one bed, blue hair in pigtails on another, and messy blonde hair on the third.

Illya frowned. 'I've never seen them before. They look... normal? So it's not like I was kidnapped by other mages. Right?'

She swung her legs over the bed slowly and slid off. Her feet landed soundlessly on the wooden floor. She padded quietly to the door—but it had no handle, just a flat metal plate where one should be. Locked? She pushed at it, then pressed her palm against the surface. Nothing happened.

"Um… hello?" she whispered to the door. "Is anyone there?" No response. She turned back to the room, careful not to wake the others.

The black-haired girl stirred slightly at her voice but didn’t wake. If this were something seriously magical—some big mage emergency—Ruby would be here already. She never misses a chance to pop in and yell at me about how reckless I’m being. The fact that she’s not… what does that even mean?

She looked around the room again. Clean, comfortable, well-appointed. Someone had put effort into making this place welcoming.

Illya sat down carefully on the edge of her own bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Whatever this was, she had the feeling she'd need to be patient and wait for the others to wake up naturally. She had questions, but she'd need their help to find answers.

Mio Naganohara

The first thing Mio noticed when she woke up was that the ceiling was far too plain.

She sat up abruptly, pigtails bouncing, her blue school uniform somehow still crisp despite having apparently slept in it. "What the heck...?!" This wasn't her room. Or her school. Or any place she'd ever been before.

It looked like a high-end guest room, with four beds arranged neatly around a polished wooden floor and soft lighting overhead.

'Okay, stay calm, Mio. You were just at school, sitting at your desk, waiting for class to start, and then... and then what? Did I fall asleep? Did someone drug the water fountains? Is this some kind of elaborate prank?'

She looked around at the other occupants. A silver-haired girl who looked younger than her was sitting on one bed, looking like she'd been awake for a while. The other two beds still had lumps under the blankets.

"Um, hi," she said, trying to keep her voice level. "I'm Mio. Naganohara Mio. You look like you've been up for a bit. Are you as confused as I am right now, or do you know what’s going on?"

The silver-haired girl smiled, though it looked a bit strained. "Very confused. I'm Illya. I woke up a little while ago."

Mio stood up and walked to the door, examining it carefully. No handle, just a smooth surface. She pushed against it experimentally. Nothing. "Locked," she announced. "Of course it's locked."

She turned back to Illya. "Okay, so we're locked in. Do you remember anything useful about how we got here?" Illya shook her head. "I was just... finishing something important. And then I woke up here."

She decided not to mention the magical girl battle. That seemed like the kind of thing that might sound crazy to normal people. "Something important?" Mio raised an eyebrow.

"School... activities," Illya said carefully. "What about you?"

"I was literally just sitting at my desk at school. Nothing exciting." Mio frowned and started to pace. "This is really weird, right? Like, kidnapping-level weird?"

Illya hugged her knees to her chest. "I've been through some... unusual situations before. But this feels different somehow."

Mio looked at the other two beds. "Should we wake them up?"

"Maybe wait a little longer?" Illya suggested. "Let them wake up naturally?"

"You know what," Mio said, sitting back down on her bed, "At least whoever did this didn't stick us in some creepy dungeon. This is actually pretty nice."

"That's what's weird about it," Illya said thoughtfully. "If someone wanted to hurt us, why make us comfortable?"

"Maybe they want us to trust them first?" Mio suggested, then immediately regretted the ominous implications.

"Or maybe they just want to study us. See how we react to being taken away from our normal lives," Illya added quietly.

The black-haired girl stirred slightly, and both Illya and Mio glanced over. "So," Mio said, settling in for what might be a long conversation, "What do you think we all have in common? I mean, there has to be a reason we're all here together, right?"

Illya wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that question.

Tomoko Kuroki

Tomoko had been pretending to sleep for the last few minutes, listening to the other two girls talk in hushed whispers. Her heart was hammering so hard she was sure they could hear it from across the room.

'Okay, okay. So I'm definitely not at home. I'm definitely not at school. I'm in some kind of... fancy room... with strangers. This is either a kidnapping or I've finally had the complete mental breakdown Mom's been warning me about.'

She cracked one eye open slightly. The silver-haired girl—Illya—looked young, maybe middle school age, but carried herself with a weird kind of confidence. The blue-haired one—Mio—seemed more normal, but also more alert, like she was already trying to figure out escape routes.

'They seem... nice? Normal? Not like they're going to murder me in my sleep or anything. But then again, that's probably what someone would want me to think before they murder me in my sleep.'

She shifted slightly, making a small noise to indicate she was waking up "naturally."

"Oh, looks like another one's stirring," Mio said softly. Tomoko sat up slowly, letting her hair fall across her face like a protective curtain. "Uh... hi," she mumbled.

"Good morning!" Illya said with a bright smile. "I'm Illya, and this is Mio-chan."

"Tomoko," she replied, barely audible. "Kuroki Tomoko."

'Why are they being so nice? Is this part of the trap? Are they going to suddenly reveal they're actually evil and then—no, stop it. You watch too much anime. Normal people are sometimes just... normal.'

"So," Mio said, "We were just trying to figure out where we are and how we got here. Do you remember anything?"

Tomoko's face twitched. "I was... I was at home. On my computer. And then..." She trailed off, realizing how pathetic that sounded. "I don't remember anything after that."

'Great. Now they know I'm a shut-in loser who spends all her time online. Perfect first impression, Tomoko.'

"That's similar to what happened to us," Illya said kindly. "None of us remember how we got here."

Tomoko looked around the room properly for the first time. It was... nice. Really nice. Definitely nicer than her bedroom at home.

"This isn't some kind of... psychological experiment, is it?" she asked nervously. "Like, where they put people in rooms to see how they react to stress?"

'Please say no. Please say no. I've seen enough anime to know how those end.'

Mio blinked. "That's... actually a really disturbing possibility I hadn't considered."

"Thanks for the nightmare fuel," Illya said with a weak laugh.

Tomoko immediately felt terrible. "Sorry! I didn't mean to make everyone more worried! I just... I overthink things."

"It's okay," Illya said gently. "Better to consider all possibilities, right?"

Tomoko nodded, still hiding behind her hair. These girls seemed genuinely nice, which was... confusing. She wasn't used to people being nice to her without wanting something.

'Maybe being trapped in a mysterious room isn't the worst thing that could happen to me. At least here, nobody knows I'm a loser yet.'

The blonde girl in the far bed stirred, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Looks like our last roommate is waking up," Mio observed.

Tenma White Gabriel

Gabriel had been awake for about two minutes, but the prospect of actually getting up and dealing with whatever situation she'd apparently found herself in was just... exhausting.

She could hear the other girls talking quietly, and from what she'd gathered, they were all confused about being in some kind of locked room together.

It sounded like the usual "wake up in a strange place" scenario that happened in manga all the time.

Honestly, after falling from Heaven and becoming a complete disappointment to everyone who'd ever believed in her, this barely registered as noteworthy.

'Should probably sit up and introduce myself or whatever. That's what normal people do, right? Social interaction. Ugh.'

With a dramatic sigh that she hoped conveyed just how much effort this was requiring, Gabriel finally sat up, her blonde hair an absolute disaster and her sailor uniform wrinkled from sleeping in it.

"Morning," she said flatly, not really looking at any of the other girls.

"Oh! You're awake!" The silver-haired girl—Illya—smiled brightly. "I'm Illya, this is Mio, and that's Tomoko."

Gabriel nodded without much enthusiasm. "Gabriel. Tenma White Gabriel."

'Should I mention the angel thing? Probably not. These look like normal humans. They'd either think I'm crazy or expect me to actually help with something, and I'm not really in the mood for either.'

"You seem... really calm about this," Mio observed, studying Gabriel with curious eyes.

Gabriel shrugged. "Weird stuff happens. You deal with it or you don't. Not much point getting worked up about it."

'Besides, compared to disappointing the entire Celestial Realm and becoming a complete failure as an angel, waking up in a strange room is pretty low on the scale of things to panic about.'

"That's... a surprisingly mature attitude," Illya said.

Gabriel almost laughed. Mature. Right. If only they knew.

"So what's the situation?" she asked, mostly because it seemed like the kind of thing she should ask. "Kidnapped? Weird dream? Government experiment?"

"We're not sure yet," Tomoko said quietly. "We're all locked in, and none of us remember how we got here."

Gabriel looked around the room properly for the first time. It was... nice. Clean. Comfortable.

"Huh," she said. "Could be worse."

'Could definitely be worse. Could be back in the Celestial Realm getting lectured about responsibility and duty and living up to my potential. At least here nobody expects anything from me.'

"You're taking this really well," Mio said, still watching her with that curious expression.

Gabriel flopped back down on the bed. "I'm used to disappointing people and failing at things. This is just another Tuesday for me."

There was a moment of awkward silence. "That's... kind of sad," Illya said softly.

Gabriel waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. Low expectations mean you can't really let anyone down."

'Great job, Gabriel. Nothing says 'make friends with your fellow captives' like announcing what a complete failure you are. Although, to be fair, it's better they know up front not to expect anything from me.'

"Well," Mio said, her voice gentler than before, "Maybe while we're stuck here, we can help each other figure things out. You don't have to disappoint anyone if we're all just trying to survive whatever this is."

Gabriel looked at her with mild surprise. "You don't even know me."

"None of us know each other," Illya pointed out. "But we're all in the same situation. Might as well make the best of it."

Gabriel considered this. It was... not the worst logic she'd ever heard.

"Fine," she said, though she tried to make it sound like she was doing them a favor.

"But I'm not good at the whole 'teamwork' thing. Just so you know."

'At least I'm being honest about my limitations. That's something, right? Probably not, but it's better than pretending to be helpful and then letting them down later.'

"That's okay," Tomoko said quietly. "I'm not good at... most things."

Gabriel looked at her with something that might have been recognition.

"Well, at least we're honest about it." And for the first time since waking up, Gabriel felt like maybe this situation wasn't completely terrible.