[Kaijo]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

What Avatar Counter are you using? o_O I've only had this avatar for a day, at least.

*cues the RB theme song!*

And now, for something different, I'm FINALLY getting out a new chapter to Red Jewel Diaries, my continuation of Crisis but with more relationship focus. I wanted Heritage to be chapter 2, but between what I had written and the heavily detailed notes, it was over half-way done.

Except all that was lost when my computer died. Still awaiting word if it can be retrieved. So in the meantime, I'm shuffling things and putting this out as chapter 2. With luck, Heritage will be chapter 3. So, without further ado, here is the rough draft to chapter 2:

Red Jewel Diaries

Chapter 2: Family

Spoiler for Red Jewel Diaries Chapter 2: Family:

Red Jewel Diaries
Chapter 2: Family



Nanoha: If someone had told me, when I was younger, that I'd end up adopting a daughter while being in a three-way relationship... well, I probably would have reacted much the same way as I did when I watched Lindy put sugar and milk into her green tea the first time. I had the same dream as many other young Japanese girls; that I would eventually find a husband and raise a family, much like the one I came from. Perhaps that's why I resisted the feelings I had for Fate for such a long time, and why those feelings prevented me from seeing Yuuno as anything more than a friend. And while things have been developing fairly well, I still hide some fear and doubt, which recent events forced me to confront...



“You made it!” the first woman told the second, greeting her with a kiss. “I was afraid you'd forgotten or that something came up.”

“I did partially get hung up at the office, but I insisted on taking the rest of the day off,” the second replied, sitting down at the circular park table with the second woman, not letting go of her hand. “You know very well I wouldn't leave you hanging, Ms. Beanna Pret Haruwena!”

Beanna smiled. “I suppose not, Ms. Cela Kennes. Although you still need to change your name to mine!”

“I thought you were going to change yours to mine!” Cela laughed. “We always have this kind of argument, don't we? One of these days....”

“Oh hush, I want you to see something,” Beanna told her, pointing.

Cela let her gaze follow, noticing a young brunette with a single pony-tail, sitting on the edge of the park fountain, working on a floating computer screen. She was confused at first, until a second girl showed up. This one had long golden hair, and kissed the first one on the cheek before offering her an ice cream cone and sitting down next to her. The first one smiled awkwardly.

“I see what you mean,” Cela noted, fondly. “Reminds me of us when we were that age. Ahh, the feeling of two young girls in love....”

“I was hoping the gold-haired girl would come back so you could see it,” Beanna explained, then her eyes narrowed as a third person came up to them. “Wait, what's going on?”

“Is what I think happening?” Cela asked, then her eyes widened as her fears were realized. “Oh no, I feel bad for them. They are making a terrible mistake!”

Beanna stood up, continuing to observe the new situation. “Well, we should help them. They can't be allowed to make the same mistakes we made!”

Cela nodded, standing with her.



“Yuuno, over here!” Fate called, waving, drawing the third part of their relationship over.

Nanoha smiled in response to Yuuno's as he came over to them. Fate stood up first to hug and kiss him, being careful with her ice cream cone.

“I'm sorry I can't stay long,” Yuuno told them, hugging Nanoha. “I came by earlier to finish dropping my luggage off at the apartment, and I need to go meet Carim up at the church to finalize the field trip details. But I wanted to come by and see you guys.”

“You still plan to live on your own for now?” Fate asked, sitting down and scooting over a bit to allow Yuuno to sit between them, while Nanoha offered him a lick of her ice cream.

“I'm sorry, I know you guys said I could live with you, but I'm still a bit nervous,” Yuuno told them. “I don't want to put you two through any trouble. I still spend a lot of time at the library, and I have a room near there I use when I stay overnight, so a small apartment in town here is fine for now.”

“It would be no trouble at all-” Fate started to say.

“Fate-chan, we should respect Yuuno-kun's wishes,” Nanoha admonished her, placing her free hand on Yuuno's, then her cheeks turned slightly pink as she looked up at him. “It's alright, when you feel comfortable, let us know. It won't change how we feel.”

Truth be told, she was a bit nervous about having him in the house as well; the idea seemed vastly different then when he used to sleep in a basket in her room when they were kids. Would he be staying in a separate room? Or would he be sleeping in the same bed as her and Fate? These were questions that hadn't been brought up yet, and she was afraid to voice them.

He gave her hand a squeeze. “Thanks Nanoha, I appreciate that.” He turned to squeeze the other woman's free hand as well. “And thanks for your feelings as well, Fate. It's just taking me awhile longer to get used to this.”

She patted his hand. “Nanoha is right, take as long as you need to.” She patted his hand. “But Vivio is really looking forward to seeing you more often. She's been really excited about this field trip!”

“Me, too,” Yuuno admitted shyly, standing up. “She's real fun to be around. Well, I've got to be going. I'll talk to you guys later!”

The two girls waved as he ran off, then Nanoha smiled hesitantly as Fate gave her the eye. Further conversation was put on hold, however, due to an interruption.

“What are you two doing!?” came a female cry, causing the two women to look up as two middle-aged women approached them.

“Calm down, Beanna,” the brunette told her partner, then turned back. “I'm Cela. What she means to say is, why are you allowing a man into your relationship?”

“Yuuno?' Nanoha questioned. “He's a good person-”

“It doesn't matter what he is!” Breanna exclaimed, interrupting Nanoha. “He's a man. You're two women. You don't need a man! No man can truly understand a woman, and they'll just end up hurting you in the end. You're ruining a good thing!”

“My friend is a bit harsh, but she's right,” Cela soothed. “You two are better off by yourselves. Couples simply work better, and women are simply better together without a man in the mix. It'll only hurt worse later on, so it's better if you let him go.”

Nanoha felt her arms begin to tremble, partly in anger, but also partly from an inner doubt that she had been feeling. Could they be right?

She felt Fate's hand on her arm, steadying her. “We don't need to explain our personal lives and choices to outsiders. Come on, Nanoha.”

Nanoha let herself be pulled away, but the doubts remained.



“Okay, does everyone have their hard hats?” Yuuno asked the gathered crowd of 2nd graders.

A chorus of various positive responses from the group of 30 kids was his reply.

“Okay, turn on your lights and we'll be heading in to see what archeology is all about!” he told them, smiling as he reached up to turn his head lamp on. As they entered the large cave ahead of them, Yuuno started his narrative. “The Scrya tribe has been excavating this particular site for months now, so we'll able to venture in quite far to see how things are coming along.”

“Who can tell me what 'excavating' means?” Mrs. Jelaene, the 2nd grade teacher asked.

About half the hands went up and she picked a girl with short black hair. “It means they are digging up old stuff!”

Yuuno chuckled. “Close enough. Now, as we go deeper, take the hands of your partners and try to stay close together. Some areas are roped off as dangerous, so don't get close to them. Stay in the well-lit areas.”

Vivio sighed as she found her partner, a girl with blonde hair and twin ponytails that reminded her of her Fate-mama's hair when she was in her barrier jacket. She remembered the girl's name as “Corona” but that was mostly all she knew. The girl was one of the quieter ones, and they had partnered up a few times before on assignments, but they didn't speak much beyond that.

In fact, Vivio hadn't really made any friends in her classes yet, as most seemed to keep their distance. She knew she wasn't like them; she was a a clone, an artificial human, while they were born from two parents. Perhaps they sensed that difference, or maybe they were still too intimidated by the incident that happened not long after she joined this school. One of her male classmates had attempted to pick on her, but she quickly dropped him on his butt.

Corona shyly took her hand as the two followed the rest of the class, and Vivio smiled at her. To her surprise, Corona hesitantly smiled back, but then quickly turned her gaze away. The young Takamachi girl sighed and attempted to focus on Yuuno's speech.

“And over here, embedded in this wall, we have the bones of an ancient flying creature, that used to soar the skies of Mid-childa hundreds of years ago,” the archeologist explained as the group stopped. “It's extinct now.”

A hand went up and Mrs. Jelaene pointed at the young boy. “What does 'extinct' mean?”

“Who can remember what that word means?” the teacher asked the rest of the class. “Think back over our lessons, over the past few days. Yes, Keijy?”

“It means it's no longer around!” the young boy known as Keijy said proudly.

Vivio sighed as the boy was congratulated; Keijy was ever trying to be the teacher's pet. It's not like she didn't know the answer; she just didn't feel like saying anything. School didn't seem as fun lately.

“Well, if it isn't the runt!” a deep voice called out. A large, muscular man came out of the darkness to stand before their archeologist guide, wearing black pants, a white tank-top to showcase his physique, and a lit hardhat.

“And if it isn't the over-muscled oaf,” Yuuno replied, smiling wryly. “Still unable to find your way out of ruins? It's a good thing I'm here, then.”

“Why I oughta...” the bigger man fumed, shaking his fist. Then he broke out smiling and nearly smothered Yuuno by wrapping an arm around the smaller man's head. “So, is this the class coming for the visit, eh?”

Yuuno managed to pry himself loose. “Yes, it is. This is the 2nd grade class from the Saint Church Academy. Everyone, I'd like to introduce Bolan Scrya. He's someone I've known since before I was your age!”

“Is he like your brother, then?” Keijy asked.

The two men exchanged wry smiled, leading Vivio to suspect that something else was there.

“Sort of,” Yuuno admitted, trying hard not to chuckle while Bolan gavea hearty laugh. “Everyone in the Scrya tribe takes the same last name, but Bolan and I had a few... interactions in our younger days.”

Bolan finished laughing, and wiped his eyes. “It's an old story; perhaps I'll tell it to you guys after the tour. Well, I have to head up to check in with the boss back in camp. I'll be by later!”

Everyone waved as the big man ran off the way they had come. Vivio realized that, though the trip was interesting, she found herself wanting to hear that story more.

“Ah well, I guess we'll hear it later,” she whispered to herself.

“Yeah,” Corona agreed, sighing. “I wanted to hear it, too.”

Vivio turned to the girl, surprised, then smiled. “Well, don't worry, I'll get him to tell us later if he doesn't. I know him!”

“You do?” Corona asked, brightening up. “Is he related to you?”

“Sort of...” Vivio replied, wondering just how to explain it when she didn't really understand. “He's a friend of my mamas. I think he's gonna be my papa. I visit with him in the Infinity Library and he teaches me stuff.”

The other girl stared in awe. “Really? That's pretty cool.”

Vivio's smile widened. Perhaps she could make a friend.



A couple hours into the tour, they all took a break in one of the larger caverns, which contained some ancient ruins along with more skeletons. He had explained that this area had been covered by a lava flow a long time ago, and then cooled rapidly, so a lot of things were preserved. The class broke up to wander around and look at the various skeletons and ruins.

That's when the trouble started. Yuuno would have found out later that it was Quentin, a young boy famous for misbehaving and getting into the occasional fight, who found a small lizard and put it down the back of Corona's shirt. The other boys laughed as she she squealed and tried to get it out, and Vivio seemed to get real mad about it.

She told him to stop it. He told her to make him, apparently believing she wouldn't hit him.

He was wrong.

The problem was, Quentin was a ground magic using type. He wasn't too strong, but he could create mini-quakes that shook the ground for a few meters. As he got up and rubbed his bloody noise, he did just that, stomping his foot and knocking Vivio off her feet with the resulting tremor. The other boys continued to laugh, but trailed off as the tremor failed to cease.

Yuuno looked up from where he was explaining things to a few students, realizing the shaking was getting worse, and pieces of the ceiling were beginning to give way. At this rate, he knew they'd never make it to the exit in time.

“Everyone get together around me!” he shouted, as Mrs. Jelaene hustled a few kids his way.

But not every kid was coming to him. Some were frozen in fear, and others were running for one of the couple of tunnels that connected this large cavern.

“Stay here with these,” Yuuno told the teacher, placing a barrier over them, then took off sprinting for the other scattered kids.

He managed to gather another group and place a barrier around them, but he hadn't seen Vivio yet. Where was she?

Then he spotted her over on the far side. She had just tackled one of the boys who tried to run off, trying to keep them together against the wall. Yuuno ran over, watching another girl leap and do a spin kick, that shattered a larger rock falling towards them. He was impressed, and then something hit him in the head and he began to fall, a sharp pain shooting up from his ankle as he went down.

His vision was blurry and he felt light-headed, cursing himself for not watching out for himself as well. He found it hard to move his body, but he'd never forgive himself if he lost Nanoha's daughter. Closing one eye and reaching out with his right hand, he felt Alicia respond, amplifying his magic. A barrier formed around him, then tunneled down to the group of kids and formed a second barrier around them.

In the next moment, the rest of the ceiling came down.



“Are you feeling okay?” Fate asked as she helped dry the dishes, noting how Nanoha had been cleaning the same plate for the past several minutes. Despite the advanced cleaning systems, Nanoha preferred to clean the old fashioned way.

“Oh, sorry,” Nanoha apologized, handing the plate to her.

“You're not *still* thinking about what those women said yesterday, are you?” Fate admonished her, the embarrassed facial reaction confirming her suspicions. “It's our life; what we choose to do with it is up to us.”

Her partner's face lowered a bit to gaze into the soapy suds. “I know that, but I've always had some doubts about this, I guess. I sometimes feel like I'm splitting my feelings between both of you, and that I can't give you both everything that you deserve.”

Fate sighed and dried her hands, then placed her hands on Nanoha's shoulders and turned the woman to face her. “You're giving us more than enough. There are times when I'm out on a long assignment, and Yuuno can be here for you. There are times when he has a research dig, or needs to stay at the library over several days, and I can be here for you. And you're here enough for both of us, taking care of the home and Vivio.

She smiled. “And there are times when you're not around, and Yuuno and I can be there for each other. It works out. In both of you, I have more love and support than I know what to do with sometimes. It was like that back with the Jewel Seeds, remember? If it wasn't for both of you, I wouldn't be here now. And together, we supported each other through the Book of Darkness incident, and so many others.

She lifted Nanoha's face with a finger. “There is no right or wrong here; just what we feel is right for us. Do you honestly still want us both?”

Her head came up, but before she could answer, a holo screen opened up, displaying Carim's face. “I apologize for bothering you, but I felt you should know. I just received word that there was a Midquake at the dig where Mrs. Jelaene's class was taking a field trip.”

Fate's heart caught in her throat. “How are Vivio and Yuuno?”

She shook her head. “I'm sorry, but I don't have any more details at this time. I'm trying to organize relief efforts at the moment. I thought you both would want to know, if you want to head out there.”

“Thank you, Carim,” Fate replied, as the other woman nodded and signed off.

Fate looked at Nanoha, who nodded, and the two went to grab their coats.



“He's so cute like this,” Corona remarked, adoring the animal in front of her.

Yuuno chuckled nervously, now in ferret form to conserve magical energy. He had to maintain the barrier until they were rescued. He couldn't risk a teleport of the small group in his condition; they could end up stuck inside rock or he might fail to bring one or two of them. Plus, Alicia had been monitoring his vitals, informing him that he had a slight concussion and a sprained ankle. He wasn't fit to be going anywhere for awhile.

“Who cares about him!?” Quentin exclaimed, eyes tearing up, the other two boys similarly afraid. “We're trapped down here and we're gonna die!”

“We're not gonna die!” Vivio snapped at him. “And it's your fault that we're in this mess!” She pointed a thumb at her chest and smiled broadly. “Plus, I can bust us out of here if needed!”

Yuuno thought quickly, as he needed to keep the kids calm and distracted and couldn't let Vivio attempt to dig them out; she might cause a further collapse or get trapped. “Actually, if you all sit tight and wait for the rescuers, I can tell you a little story.”

The five children gathered around him, the soft green glow from the barrier the only light, while Corona asked, “Can you tell us about Mr. Bolan?”

He nodded. “In fact, seeing you guys reminded me a lot of those days. When I was young, Bolan's group used to bully me quite a bit.”

“But he seemed like a good friend when we saw you two earlier,” Vivio said in wonder. “What changed?”

“It all started shortly after I got this form, as a matter of fact,” Yuuno explained. “You see, Scrya tribe members generally take on an animal spirit form, as a way of communing with nature. It's different for each person, as to when they decide to get a form. I got mine when I was very young, actually about the same age as you kids. I rescued a wounded ferret, but it was still dying. I remember being sad, and decided to take its form as a way to remember it.

He paused and chuckled. “Most of the other boys picked larger or more powerful or useful forms. So it was just another thing Bolan's group teased me for. But there was one day....”



“Hey look, it's the ferret runt again!” Bolan shouted, pointing. The group of five boys looked and laughed, throwing various jokes and jeers his way.

7-year-old Yuuno Scrya's ears and cheeks burned, but he tried his best to ignore them as he walked through the streets. Responding only made it worse.

The Scrya tribe had stopped nearby this small town to buy supplies and trade, as well as gather information. Yuuno wasn't looking for anything in particular, but it was rare to see such towns that he just wanted to see the sights. Also he hoped to lose himself in the crowds, and get away from his tormenters, but apparently he failed in that.

“Hey, should we bring him along?” one of the other boys asked.

“That's a great idea, Genn!” Bolan agreed.

Yuuno didn't know what was up, but he decided he didn't like the sound of that. He took off running, noting that the group was chasing him out of the corner of his eye. But it didn't do him much good; they were older and faster, and eventually caught up to him, trapping him in an alley.

“No need to run, ferret runt!” Bolan teased. “In fact, we're doing you a great service! We're gonna be heroes to the tribe! And you won't have to be ashamed you didn't get a cool form, like a red-tailed hawk or razorbear!”

“N-no thanks,” Yuuno replied, his back against a wall, unsure of how to get out of this.

Bolan dropped his hands on Yuuno's shoulders and grabbed. “This is what friends do for each other...” The other boys sniggered at this, as Bolan dragged him off. “We got some great info on a cave near here, that is supposed to have some ruins. We're gonna discover it, and our status in the tribe will shoot sky high!”

Yuuno found his arm held tight, and eventually gave up trying to escape; Bolan was remarkably strong. He let himself be dragged along as the group found the cave. It had a rather round entrance, but obviously dark. Also somewhat damp, he noted, as the group of six cautiously entered. Bolan and another boy activated light spells, but after a minute, a couple of the other boys got nervous, suggesting they leave and have the elders handle it.

“Are you nuts?” he told them. “They'd hog all the glory. This is gonna be our discovery!” He gave them the evil eye. “You aren't afraid, are you?”

The two boys shook their heads, although Yuuno could plainly see they were afraid. Still, the group pressed on, and we're eventually rewarded with signs of somewhat crumbled stone blocks. There was joyous celebration, particularly from Bolan, but Yuuno was worried about something else. It had been over an hour since they entered, and they had taken several twists and turns since then.

“So how do we get back out?” he asked, dampening the mood.

“Out?” Bolan asked, incredulous. “We're not done yet! There has to be more. We're gonna find the rest. Come on!”

He grabbed another boy's wrist, still holding onto Yuuno with the other arm, and charged headlong down the tunnel. The others ran after him, while he ignored their calls to slow down. Then the ground gave way underneath their feet, and the entire group fell into darkness.

When Yuuno recovered, he realized what the rest had figured out: the sides of the crevasse they had fallen into, were too steep to climb out. Two of the boys had changed into their animal forms, a horned gorilla and firelion, but neither could scale the walls. Bolan's razorbear form fared no better.

“We're stuck down here and gonna die!” Genn wailed.

“We're not gonna die!” Bolan insisted, though Yuuno could see his nerves fraying. “The elders will realize we're missing soon enough, and come to get us!”

“If they even know to look for us down here,” another boy said glumly.

Yuuno was feeling the rising waves of panic and despair as well, but kept his mouth shut to avoid showing it. How were they to get out of this? He rapidly scanned the area, looking for something they could use. Then his gaze settled on a broken water pipe pointing out from a wall. A tiny bit of water flowed out of it. But maybe, it just might be enough...

“Ferret-runt, what are you doing?” Bolan demanded to know as Yuuno bent over to inspect the pipe.

“I-I think I can squeeze out through this,” Yuuno replied. “I've done a lot of squeezing through narrow areas in my animal form.”

“So you can leave us all down here!?” the bigger boy barked, placing a hand on the smaller boy's neck.

“N-no!” Yuuno denied. “There's water coming out, which means it leads somewhere. I might be able to get out and go for help!”

“You could also get stuck in there,” Genn told him, looking it over.

Yuuno looked at the pipe again; there was always that possibility, although he had found his ferret form rather nimble and flexible.

Bolan sighed, and the new tone in his voice surprised Yuuno. “You better come back for us, runt.”

Yuuno looked up, meeting his gaze, and nodded fiercely. “I will.”

It may have been his imagination, but for once, he saw some sense of camaraderie in the bigger boy's eyes, rather than scorn. He turned and shifted forms, then squeezed into the pipe. There was just enough room for him to maneuver, and he began to work his way through it.

Several times, the path twisted and turned and split, but Yuuno followed the thin water trail; it had to come from somewhere. And several times, the path threatened to give out under his weight, but he managed to continue on, the extremely narrow tunnel seemingly stretching on forever, and threatening to give him claustrophobia.

The water flow increased a bit, but eventually he managed to find the exit, as he urgently surged forward into the light, and splashed into a small pond. Shifting back to human form, he checked the sun in the sky to get his bearing, and then took off.

A couple hours later, he had notified his tribe, who had rescued the other boys. Things changed then. While he was still teased, it was rare, and there was no longer any real malice in the voices. They had all gone in together, been trapped, and then punished together. The boys considered Yuuno part of their group, even when they later group up and went their separate ways.



“But why didn't you fly or teleport out?” Vivio inquired, curious.

“Back then, I hadn't learned how,” Yuuno explained, then smiled. “But I did spend the next couple of years learning how.”

“You can teleport?” Quentin asked. He had seemingly forgot his fear, listening just as intently as the rest. “Can't you get us out of here?”

“It's possible, but risky,” he told them. “My magic is a bit drained, healing me and maintaining the barrier, and I'm a bit disoriented. I'm not sure I could take everyone, or that I could make it outside.”

Corona pulled her legs up to her chest from where she sat, wrapping her arms around them, and shivered. “Then how do we get out?” She coughed a few times, and Vivio mirrored that.

The air was getting thin, Yuuno realized. Alicia had calculated about 30 minutes of air, and it had been over that. So some air was getting in, but not much. He just might have to chance a teleport soon. And what's more, Alicia had told him that she had run calculations on the quake. It wasn't natural and it wasn't Quentin's fault; so what was the cause?

He paused as Alicia alerted him to something telepathically, then said, “I think there is a way....”




“No, move it over there!” the big man yelled. “Get that equipment in place so we can dig! We still have people trapped inside!”

“Excuse, are you Mr. Bolan?” a female voice asked.

He turned around to see two woman looking at him expectantly. “Who are you? This area is off limits except to Scrya tribe members and rescue personnel.”

“My daughter, Vivio Takamachi is trapped in there, as is Yuuno Scrya,” the other woman asked gently, but with worry in her voice. “Have they been rescued?”

“Not yet,” he admitted. “If you're a mother to one of the trapped kids, who is the other girl? And who are you to Yuuno?”

“I'm also Vivio's mother,” the golden-haired girl told him. “And Yuuno is-”

The brunette with the long pony-tail held out an arm in front of her friend, her eyes fierce. “Yuuno is my boyfriend. Our boyfriend.”

Bolan took off his hard hat and scratched his head, confused. “Both of you?”

They nodded and said together, “Yes.”

The big man laughed. “Well I'll be, that little runt never said a word. Two women.” He shook his head and put his hat back on. “I'm sorry to say they are both still unaccounted for, but we have a specialist on site. We should be able to get them out soon, if they're still alive.”

The two women's eyes grew wide with pained expressions.

“I-I mean, of course they are still alive!” Bolan insisted, waving his hands. “They're just trapped, yeah, we'll have them out soon, I promise!” The pony-tailed girl looked down, and he sighed. “Hey, he's a friend of mine, too.”

“She's come out again with two more!” a male voice called out from farther away.

Bolan and the two women turned, as a figure emerged from the rocky wall and landed on her feet, releasing two children.

“Sein!” the pony-tailed brunette exclaimed, running up over there, the other woman taking off after her after a quick bow to Bolan.

He sighed and resumed his directions to the rest of the camp, hoping the two women wouldn't cause too much of an issue.



Nanoha held Fate's hand as Sein dove into the wall again. She had promised to find Yuuno and Vivio, having located the collapsed main cavern where the class had been. Most of the workers inside had already been rescued, as well as about half the class. But Sein could only carry out about 2-3 people per trip, and it was difficult finding her way through all the rock; there was no real place to stick her camera finger out to get her bearings.

Minutes passed, and the deep diver cyborg emerged again, releasing three coughing young boys. Immediately, she dove back in again without a word as the standby by medics began treating the boys.

Nanoha couldn't remember being more worried. She'd been in situations before, so why did she feel so anxious now? The realization came to her: it was because there was nothing she could do. She could try blasting an entrance, but that could do more harm than good. All she could do was stand around and wait, and it was driving her nuts.

And then her heart leapt into her throat as Sein reappeared, this time carrying two girls, nearly unconscious... and a still ferret.

“Yuuno!” she called, voice full of worry, running up to them as the medics took them off the cyborg. “Vivio! Are they....?”

“I think they're okay,” Sein replied. “All three of them insisted I take the boys first. The air was fairly thin when I got there the first time.”
The Scrya medical personnel laid all three on nearby cots, doing something to turn Yuuno back into a human,then fitted them all with oxygen masks. Vivio came around first, giving a weak smile and saying she was okay.

“I wouldn't... let anything.. happen to her,” Yuuno's weak voice came from the cot next to it. “

“Yuuno!” Fate exclaimed, taking his hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” he told them. “I'm sorry about... what happened. I know how much... you love Vivio... I wouldn't let anything happen... to any of you. I love all of you....”

Nanoha's vision blurred a bit, as she felt tears in her eyes. His words reminded her of something important, of something she hadn't yet said.

“Nanoha-mama?” Vivio asked, sitting up. “Why are you sad?”

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, then took Vivio's hand as her daughter jumped down to stand beside her mother. “Because I haven't said it to you, yet, have I? I'm sorry, Yuuno.” She reached down with her other hand to clasp his hand in hers. “I love you, too, Yuuno. I love you, Fate. And I love you, Vivio. I'm glad you're all a part of my family.”

Fate smiled. “That's what this is all about.”

“So Yuuno is gonna be my papa?” Vivio asked, her eyes curious, but seemingly eager.

Nanoha nodded. “If he wants to.”

Yuuno got up, sitting on the edge of the cot, smiling, and patted the young girl's hair. “I'd love to.”

The four shared a family hug.



“These are pretty trees,” one woman said. “I always did like this park.”

“Yes, but summer is almost over, and fall is starting, so they'll start to fade,” Beanna replied.

“Oh, you're always so negative, Beanna,” Cela told her partner. “For once, just try enjoying what's there, without thinking negatively about the future.”

“You're one to talk!” Beanna shot back, then her gaze shifted. “I think we're about to have a guest.”

Cela turned, seeing a familiar woman break from her group and talk towards them, smiling. “Hey, it's her again. It looks like she's feeling better, so maybe she took our advice.”

“Hello, pardon for intruding, but I wanted to thank you for the other day,” Nanoha told them.

“It's no problem, glad we could help!” Beana offered. “It's always a pleasure to help young women like yourselves avoid... a... mistake...” Her voice trailed off as three others came up, a man on her right side, a woman on her left, and a young girl moving to stand in front of the first woman.

“Oh, it wasn't a mistake, although I admit I had been having doubts,” Nanoha explained. “And while I am sure you two are happy with each other, I have to say I am equally happy with who I love, which is my family you see here. I couldn't ask for a better man or woman who I can take care of, and who can take care of me and my daughter.

She bowed. “So thank you for playing a part in helping me come to realize that I am blessed by who cares for me, and who I care for in return. I have more love than and acceptance than I could ask for. I am sure you feel the same for each other. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have an amusement park to get to.”

The two women stared as the group moved off, not speaking for several long minutes.

“Men,” Beanna said at last.

“Ruins everything,” Cela agreed.

Wondering if I wasn't subtle enough, or too subtle. Let me know if I should change names :P

And for the notes I plan to attach when I post to ff.net:

Spoiler for Author's notes:

Author's notes:

Dedicated to a few people, some of which I won't name, but one in particular I'll talk about. I have a female friend who is in a threesome relationship; only hers is with 2 other guys. We talk a lot, and she's answered my questions, and I've talked with her guys. Threesome relationships can work just fine. She actually describes herself as “poly” which is a codeword for being able to love multiple people. While uncommon, they aren't as rare as you might think. In fact, once you get into the right circles, you'll find plenty of them (and relationships that entail bigger groups of people). They are probably just slightly less common than lesbian relationships.

Part of my motivation for writing the Nanoha/Fate/Yuuno threesome and this chapter in particular, was based on talks with my friend. I've done pairings to death in other fandoms, and I wanted to try something new, and explore the issues associated with it. And because Nanoha is all about different family units, a threesome fits well into that (the characters themselves lend themselves well to the possibility). Nanoha/Fate works just as fine as well; I just wanted to explore this angle.

Different strokes for different folks!^^

This is also partially a homage to RadiantBeam and Nanya's relationship series, which had the threesome long before I did. Good series, if you prefer more relationship focus over action/adventure!

If you do prefer action/adventure, or another story like Crisis, tune in next chapter for sneak peaks at future chapters of Red Jewel Diaries and two other series I am working as continuations!

On a lighter note, Keijy is my chibi-fied name. That's right; I self-inserted myself as a second-grader. NO ONE HAS EVER DONE THAT BEFORE! (and yes, I always strove to be the teacher's pet at that age ^_^)