Vivio was sleeping in her bed, panting heavily. Her face was red and she sweating profusely. Beckoning down on her was Nanoha, unable to sleep because she couldn’t stop worry.
“Poor Vivio... Coming down with a cold.”
Vivio started to cry, probably due to a fever-induced nightmare. Nanoha picked her up and hugged her against her chest.
“It’s OK, Vivio. Don’t worry, I’m here for you,” Nanoha whispered and patted her on the back. She began to wake up, her crying subduing. “That’s a good girl. We wouldn’t want to wake up Fate-mama, right?”
Vivio didn’t really respond and just bobbed her head back and forth. She wrapped her arms around Nanoha’s neck and stared into her eyes.
“Vivio...?”
Suddenly Vivio’s eyes opened wide and she opened her mouth wide. And wider. Eventually her mouth unhooked like a snake’s and she covered Nanoha’s face who frantically tried to get her off.
Something then shot out from Vivio’s throat into Nanoha’s mouth. Her throat bulged as if she was drinking something long and slimy. Sweat drenched her clothes and she was out of air. Then she lost consciousness.
***
“You really had me worried!” Fate said as she served the pancakes at breakfast. “I found you passed out on the floor! What happened last night?”
Nanoha shook her head and bit into her toast. “I don’t know... Maybe I catched the same cold as Vivio. That was a horrible nightmare last night...”
“You should go see Shamal later today.”
“Yes, I will.”
Silence fell as Fate observed Nanoha eating with great passion. “You are really hungry aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I don’t know why. I had a late dinner yesterday, but still...” She burped suddenly and put a hand over her mouth apologetically. The both laughed.
“It’s a nice day today,” Fate said and looked out the window. “Let’s take Vivio out for a walk after work.”
Nanoha nodded and coughed. She sipped some coffee to clear her throat, but the irritating whatever it was wouldn’t let go. Her coughing became more violent.
“Nanoha, are you OK?”
She held up a hand to indicate that she was, when she clearly wasn’t. She managed to get a hand over her mouth as a bit of vomit passed through her fingers.
“Nanoha!”
She flopped down with her back on the table, coughing and drooling. Her body went into a spasm. Her facial expression was that of extreme pain and agony. Fate rushed for water and tried to phone Shamal at the same time.
Nanoha began to scream, louder and louder. When it reached a peak, just as Fate was trying to give her water, her stomach sprang open. Blood splashed right into Fate’s face who just stared with wide eyes and her mouth agape. Stomach content flooded out of Nanoha and Fate heard a squeal from inside it.
Nanoha went quiet. Fate was almost paralyzed, blood and vomit covering her face. She stared at Nanoha’s stomach where something with blonde, blood-drenched hair emerged. It didn’t have any eyes and its mouth was filled with silver-looking teeth. It squealed again before racing off the table, ripping straight through the remains of Nanoha’s stomach and disappeared somewhere into the house. Fate fell onto her knees, sobbing.