Princess Principal: A Game of Shadows

An Impossible Desire for Full Control

Keep in mind, this is one of my many first attempts at writing and completing a crossover fanfiction, so no burns, please. Constructive criticisms only.

I don't own Princess Principal, Moriarty the Patriot, the Sherlock Holmes original stories, or any other adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. I don't own any of its characters, or the image I used as the cover above. The only thing I own is the idea behind this crossover fanfiction.

As the three people reached their destination, the first to touch the dusty doorknob of the abandoned building was Sherlock, with Ange keeping a close eye on Zelda.

The first thing they saw was a big wooden desk right in front of them. A receptionist area of some sort. Everything on top of it was dusty, save for a single envelope.

Zelda approached it to check its contents and found out that her guess was correct. Inside the envelope were papers and passages for two.

"They kept their end of the bargain," Sherlock noted.

"But where is she?" Ange asked.

Receiving no exact answer, they searched the rest of the building.

Their surroundings were dark and dim, but the hole in the rooftop allowed the moonlight to enter the building and illuminate their surroundings.

The moonlight shone down on the building's contents, revealing the sorry state of the endless rows of tall, wooden bookshelves it contained. Dusty and surrounded by cobwebs.

An abandoned library.

Ange took the lead and checked their surroundings with her gun, knowing the place was perfect for an ambush. It's what she would do to trap a target. Lure them in with false promises and empty words before pouncing on them.

The sound of a creaking rope finally broke the silence in the building.

The three of them spotted the source. A long rope hanging from the cobweb-covered wooden rafters above, close to the hole in the ceiling.

It wasn't too far-fetched that something or someone was attached to it. Despite the view of the object being blocked by the rows of bookshelves, they could take a guess.

Niki.

Zelda immediately ran, outpacing Ange and Sherlock. But nothing could've prepared her for what she discovered.

She saw Niki's unmoving form... hanging from a noose tied around her neck.

Zelda's eyes went wide as her heart plunged into despair.

Her eyes were closed. Her hands were limp. Her feet were above the ground. A toppled chair was lying on the floor beneath her, along with her fallen hat.

Zelda's anguished cries of shock and terror shattered the silence in the building. As she tried to run towards Niki, Sherlock quickly restrained her to keep her back.

Ange immediately took to the skies with the aid of her C-Ball, grabbing onto Niki and cutting the noose before laying her down on her back.

She was not moving, but a gut feeling drove Ange to check the pulse on her wrist and neck.

"She's alive."

Zelda immediately ran towards her and checked the pulse. To be sure it was not her mind playing tricks, she rested her head over her chest, putting her ear closer to her heart.

Zelda then buried her face into her chest and wept as she heard her heartbeat.

Ange then observed Niki's clothing and lifted her shirt only to find the key behind the cruel trick that was pulled on them, right after Sherlock pulled Zelda out of the way.