Just a little bit early [snippity thingy]

[Jorlem]

And now, for my 1000th post.  If you've wondered where I've been for the last week, I've been prodding at this since I noticed I had 997 posts.  I can't quite get it to gel the way I like, so suggestions and comments are most welcome.

    Hayate lay in bed, reading.  She had been doing so for the past several hours, since she had finished washing up the plates from her dinner, and the outside world had grown quiet.  All was dark and quiet, the neighbors must have gone to sleep some time ago, and the sound of a car driving past hadn't broken the silence in nearly an hour.  Hayate was free to lose herself in the world of her newest novel, with no sound to break her immersion.  No sound, save --
[Photon Lancer]
    With a crash and a pulse of yellow light, Hayate's bedroom window burst inward, the glass shards caught by the closed drapes, before they fell from their mounts.  In the same moment, the room fell dark as the lamp, knocked from its place by the blast, hit the floor.  Hayate twisted around in her bed, and then froze at the sight of the figure hovering where her window used to be.  Silhouetted in the moonlight, Hayate could barely make out any details, but what few there were, were burned into her memory.
The long, yellow hair.
The pitch black cape.
The black axe, with what she could only think was a single, huge glowing yellow eye.
Then the figure spoke.
"This is of no concern to you.  Stay out of the way.  Bardiche, Close Quarter Scan.  Objective is the Jewel Seed."
The axe's glowing eye pulsed brighter, and then it spoke.
[Yes Sir] 
And then her room was filled with lightning.  What seemed like dozens of twisting, flickering, arcs of electricity sprang from the axe's eye, and traced over every surface in her room.  The floor, the walls, her bookshelves, her bed, the arcs skittered across all of them.  It was when one approached Hayate herself that she found some small fragment of her voice.
"h-help... "
From between the page of the chained book, a blue light shone.

---

-- Deep Within the Book of Darkness --
Danger detected 
Defense Program Activated
Initiating Reincarnation Protocol
Error: Insufficient Power
Activating Unison Protocol
Error: Insufficient Synchronization Levels
Run Guardian Knight Program 01-04
Warning: Insufficient Time for Full Startup
Run Guardian Knight Program 01
Running Guardian Knight Program 01

---

-- Hayate's Room --
[Notfall Aktivierung]  (Emergency Activation)
    A wave of purple black light momentarily filled the room, dissolved the questing arcs of magical lightning, before pulling back towards the chained book, which was now hovering above the shelf.  At this, the girl floating where the window once was, and illuminated by the book's light, started back, her eyes riveted to the book. 
"What?  Bardiche!"
[Yes Sir.  Scythe Form Set--]
The chains on the book shattered as it burst open, and a second figure shot from the book at the first.  In the moment they collided, the newcomer's sword pushing against the other's scythe, Hayate could make out a long pink ponytail, that partially obscured a black leotard.  The girl with the scythe flew backwards with the force of the blow, and then shot upwards.  The swordswoman crouched, then launched herself after the other, her sword posed to swing.
She can fly, that girl can fly, even my book can fly.  Why can't I fly?
With that last, incredulous thought, Hayate slumped on her bed, unconscious.

I think I've got the formatting worked out.  Copying from Word doesn't quite work.  I'll try Open Office next time.
-----
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber."  --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.