Brilliant stuff. I'm considering writing some ViCia myself in the near future. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to see the dentist due to having exposed myself to so much sugary sweetness.
Between being unable to determine my identity as a writer, pissing people off because of it, and writing a horrible mid term, it's been a pretty shitty couple of days.
Well, here's some ViCia.
Spoiler for With You:
Lutecia stretched dramatically as she disembarked from the dimensional transport, exiting the gate and finding herself at the dock at TSAB HQ. It had been many years since she last step foot in Mid Childan territory and she was looking forward to seeing how it differed from what she remembered.
Her magic remained sealed and her summons stayed home, but Lutecia understood why it had to be that way. She had done some bad things in the past, so it was only natural she be punished for it. Her good behaviour had not gone unnoticed though, which is why the Bureau allowed her to visit the capital world. It was only for a day, but it was better than nothing.
Lutecia could live with that, but there was one part of the arrangement she could do without. She glanced over her shoulder at a stern faced uniform clad man. His name was Lieutenant Lee and he had been assigned as her supervisor. He made no effort to interact with the girl, never uttering a word or even cracking a smile. He reminded Lutecia of those palace guards she had read about in a book on Earth Vivio had sent her. All he lacked as one of those tall fuzzy hats.
Lutecia sighed, wondering how she was supposed to enjoy herself with this glacier of a man around when she suddenly found herself attacked from the front.
“Cia!” The little assailant cried. Lutecia quickly recognised the small blond that was currently hugging her.
“Vivio!” She squeaked, her face tinged pink as she returned in the embrace. “What are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet up later.”
“I wanted to surprise you by meeting you here!” Vivio grinned.
“Well, it worked.” Lutecia smiled. “Thanks for coming.”
“We’re going to have so much fun today!” Vivio cheered, releasing the older girl.
“I hope so.” Lutecia shot a glance at the Lieutenant. “Something tells me he’s going to be a real kill joy…”
“Don’t worry about that!” Vivio smiled. “I’ve got it all taken care of! He should be here soon. I just went ahead while he used the bathroom.”
“Sorry I took so long!” Yuuno panted as he ran up to them. “There was a bit of a line.”
“Don’t worry, Yuuno-kun!” Vivio said. “You’re just in time!”
Lutecia knew the head librarian, having spoken to him several times when Vivio brought him into their video calls. Lutecia greatly admired his profession and wealth of knowledge, never ceasing to be amazed at how much he knew. It was partially thanks to him that her personal library had as much as it did.
“Yuuno-sensei.” Lutecia dipped her head slightly in greeting. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
“Likewise, Lutecia.” Yuuno smiled back.
“So…” Lutecia turned a questioning look to Vivio. “Why is he…?”
“You’ll see.” Vivio assured her. Yuuno turned toward Lee and withdrew some papers from his pocket, handing them to the other man.
“Lieutenant,” Yuuno started. “As you can see, you are relieved of your duty. Supervision duties for today have now been assigned to me.”
Lee ran his eyes down the paper, confirming that the proper signatures where in the right places before he neatly folded and put the papers in his own pocket. He muttered a “very well” before taking his leave.
“So that’s how it is.” Yuuno smiled. “I’ll be escorting you two for the day.”
“Really?” Lutecia blinked. “Can you do that?”
“Well, I am a member of the Bureau.” Yuuno answered. “I may only be a civilian, but I’m still a capable mage. I just had to call in a few favours and here I am.”
“Yuuno-kun isn’t that strict, so we can have lots of fun!” Vivio beamed.
“But is it really ok?” Lutecia asked again. “Don’t you have work or something?”
“It’s no problem, I took the day off.” Yuuno waved it away. “It was a special request from Vivio, so how could I say no?”
“Nanoha-mama says I have Yuuno-kun wrapped around my finger.” Vivio giggled.
“… I wish I could deny that more strongly.” Yuuno chuckled. “Well, I wanted the chance to meet you anyways, Lutecia.”
“Well, ok then.” Lutecia beamed. “Thanks a lot, Yuuno-sensei! So, where should we go first?”
“Oh Cia, you don’t have to be so reserved.” Vivio giggled again. “Of course we’ll go to the one place you’ve always wanted to see first!”
---
“… They sure weren’t kidding when they called this place the Infinity Library.” Lutecia gawked up at the tall spiral of books. “And I thought my collection was impressive, but this…”
“I know, right?” Vivio concurred. “Even I’m still surprised so many books could exist.”
“I have no idea where to start…” Lutecia chuckled awkwardly.
“Well if there’s anything you’re interested in, just ask Vivio.” Yuuno put in. “I taught her some search magic, so she’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.”
“Really?” Lutecia looked at her young friend.
“That’s right!” Vivio put her hands on her hips and angled her head upwards proudly. “I’ll show you!”
Lutecia allowed herself to be taken by the hand and led into the tower of books.
“Behave you two.” Yuuno called after them, knowing they would even if he didn’t tell them to. He made sure they were still within visual range before he opened up a display and made a call, remembering he had some business to discuss with Fate.
“So, can you think of a topic you want to look up?” Vivio asked, eagerly awaiting a chance to show off a skill not related to Strike Arts.
“Hm…” Lutecia put a finger to her chin and pondered. She had plenty of general history texts back at her home, so she had substantial knowledge in that area already. Then she realised there was something quite relevant to her own life she really didn’t know much about. “How about something on summoning and summoned beasts?”
“Coming right up!” Vivio held her hands out and closed her eyes as a magic circle appeared at her feet. Her clothing fluttered as she hovered a few moments and a faint glow spread across the room. Moments later several books appeared around her.
“Wow, that’s awesome!” Lutecia clapped as Vivio deactivated her magic. “I wish I could do that too!”
“I’m sure Yuuno-kun would be happy to teach you if you asked him.” Vivio suggested.
“Well…” Lutecia paused a moment before continuing. “I’d like it more if you taught me how to do it, Vivio…”
“Really?!” Vivio shone at the idea. “Ok! When your magic gets unsealed and you’re allowed to come here whenever you want, I promise I’ll teach you how to search for books!”
“It’s a promise.” Lutecia smiled, sticking out her little finger. Vivio returned the gesture and sealed the pinkie swear.
“Now, what book do you want to look at?” Vivio asked. Lutecia studied the books that floated in front of her and one in particular caught her eye. It was a large tome titled ‘The Origin of Summoned Beasts: Nature or Science?’
“This looks interesting…” Lutecia took the book, flipped to the first pages and read aloud. “The evolutionary timeline of the habitable worlds in our universe are primarily identical. Proof of this is how humans from each world are no different biologically, and many wild life creatures are also the same. Why is it then that unique creatures such as dragons exist only on select worlds, and why do these mighty beasts allow themselves to be controlled by humans?”
“Sounds like this will be good!” Vivio said, hopping up on a nearby ledge and patting the place beside her. “Let’s read it together!”
“Ok then.” Lutecia also hopped up on the ledge, keeping a certain amount of space between them. Vivio was apparently displeased by this because she slid right up next to the older girl.
“It’s no good if you sit so far away!” Vivio chided.
“I guess you’re right.” Lutecia flushed a little, but was happy for the contact just the same. The open book was spread across their laps and they began reading.
---
When Yuuno approached the girls a while later, he felt guilty for having to intrude. The young ladies were completely immersed in what they were reading so they didn’t even register his approach. They wore fascinated expressions, with their eyes sparkling with intellectual intrigue and their mouths hanging slightly open as they went over the pages.
“Ahem.” He tried to get their attention, but failed to do so. “Vivio, Lutecia.” Another failure. Amused to find himself on the opposite side of this situation, Yuuno did what most people had to do to him and waved his hand directly in front of their eyes.
“Yuuno-kun!” Vivio and Lutecia jumped slightly. “Don’t startle us like that!”
“Sorry,” He chuckled. “But you two were off in your own little world. What have you been reading?”
“It’s a book about summons.” Lutecia explained. “The author explains his theory that summoned beasts are actually products of science. Ancient races created these species, using both genetic engineering and techno-organic methods. They escaped into the wilderness after the fall of the civilizations that created them, yet they are still programmed to obey humans so that’s why summoners can control them.”
“Ah yes, the work by Draco.” Yuuno nodded sagely. “I recall reading that. Rather fascinating.”
“Oh yes!” Lutecia nodded happily. “I’ve always wondered why my insects appeared to be mechanical, but this has cleared up several things so far! I can’t wait to tell Caro about it!”
“I just came to see if you girls wanted something to eat.” He answered. “It’s already lunch time.”
“What?!” Vivio yelped. “It’s lunch time already! That means we’ve already used up half the day!”
“Wow, we sure did get sucked into this book, didn’t we?” Lutecia chuckled awkwardly.
“Then there’s no time to lose!” Vivio stood up, determined. “After lunch let’s go to the city! There’s still so much I want to show you!”
“That’s fine, but…” Lutecia glanced down at the book in her lap, and then up at her guardian. “Could… Could I check this book out, please? I really want to read the rest…”
“I’m sorry.” Yuuno smiled apologetically. “But that’s the only copy that exists, so I can’t let it leave the library.”
“Oh… I understand…” Lutecia looked down sadly.
“Aw, Yuuno-kun couldn’t you make an exception this one time?” Vivio pleaded.
“I’m sorry Vivio, but…”
“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease?” Vivio asked, using the dreaded puppy dog eyes she knew Yuuno couldn’t resist. It made her look selfish and childish, but if it made Lutecia happy Vivio was willing to stoop to that level.
“Arg…” Yuuno visibly struggled against her gaze but eventually caved like he always did. Wrapped around her finger was right. “… Lutecia, I can trust you to take very good care of that book and return it in the same condition it’s in now, right?”
“Of course!” Lutecia’s eyes sparkled as she nodded. “I promise not to let anything happen to it!”
“Ok then.” Yuuno smiled. “We’ll leave it in my office for now and come pick it up when its time to go. After that we’ll go grab lunch.”
“Ok!” Both girls chimed in.
---
“Yuuno-sensei is really nice, isn’t he?” Lutecia noted as she and Vivio sat in the cafeteria. The man in question had gone to wait in line for food.
“Yup!” Vivio grinned. “Of course he will put his foot down if I request something really unreasonable. He’s kind of like Fate-mama in that way.”
“Yuuno-sensei has known your mamas since they were kids, right?” Lutecia asked. “Is he, you know, in a relationship with either of them?”
“... I don't know...” Vivio pouted. “He's really close with Nanoha-mama, but it’s possible my mamas are dating each other… I can't say for sure because they won't give me a straight answer! I think they're having fun being ambiguous about it…”
“Oh…” Lutecia blinked. “Well… If you had a choice, which would you go for? Nanoha-san and Fate-san together, or Nanoha-san and Yuuno-sensei together?”
“Actually, I think Yuuno-kun and Fate-mama would make the greatest couple! They really seem to click together the best!”
“So you’re going with the third option?” Lutecia let a surprised laugh slip.
“Well, it’s not like all three of them could be together.” Vivio rolled her eyes. “That would be just silly.”
“But imagine if they were.”
“I don't wanna... the house would get loud at night.” Both girls broke into a fit of giggles before Vivio continued. “Well at any rate I would be really happy if Yuuno-kun became my papa!”
“Hm…” Lutecia suddenly remembered something. “Wait, didn’t you tell me Yuuno-sensei is actually a ferret?”
“No no Cia, that’s not it!” Vivio shook her head. “Yuuno-kun is a human like us, but he can turn into a ferret like how I can turn into Adult Mode. He’s not an animal, but a lot of people tend to make that mistake.”
“So there’s no problem then.”
“Nope! If anyone has a problem with Yuuno-kun becoming my papa, then they’re the absolute worst!”
“Yeah, I agree.” Lutecia nodded.
“Well, I just wish Yuuno-kun and my mamas would hurry up and decide already.” Vivio pouted again. “It’s taking way too long!”
“Hey…” Lutecia gulped before asking a question she was almost afraid to hear the answer to. “On that subject, is there anyone you’re interested in, in that way, Vivio?”
“Me?” Vivio hummed thoughtfully a moment. “Nope. I think I’m still too young to be considering stuff like that.” She grinned while rubbing the back of her head.
“Is that so?” Lutecia muttered under her breath, both relieved and disappointed at the same time.
“Sorry for the wait!” Yuuno said when he returned with the food.
---
After eating their meal, the three made the trip down to Cranagan city. The weather was absolutely beautiful, with the sun shining and the few clouds white and friendly, so they decided to travel by foot. It was the first time Lutecia could remember seeing the city when it wasn’t a battlefield and she was practically sucked into the sights.
They hit a shopping district, checking out some clothes, cute things, and training gear. Lutecia was glad to have the chance to shop in person, revelling in the joy not present in shopping online. She also found it hilarious to see Yuuno trying really hard not to look out of place in a female orientated shop.
“This is so much fun!” Lutecia beamed.
“Yeah!” Vivio grinned in agreement. “Let’s check out this store next!”
“Hey, Vivio, not so fast or you’ll get separated!” Yuuno warned.
“I’ll be fine, Yuuno-kun!” She called back. “Hurry up!”
“That girl…” Yuuno huffed before smiling. “Let’s go, Lute… cia?” He glanced around but could not see the purple haired girl anywhere. “Lutecia?!”
“What’s wrong, Yuuno-kun?” Vivio asked when she rejoined him. “Where’s Cia?”
---
“Hey, this looks pretty cool.” Lutecia said as she admired an object in one of the store windows. “What do you think, Vivi…?” When she turned around she was greeted with the sight of a wave of strangers rushing past her. “Vivio?” Lutecia called, making her way into the sea to find her friend. Despite looking around frantically, there was no sign of the younger girl or the older male. “Yuuno-sen…!” She was cut off when some one bumped into her from behind.
“I’m sorry!” Lutecia tried to apologise, but when she turned around she just saw a blur of people. Some one bumped her from behind again, and she turned to the same result. The sound of shoes connecting with the concrete, the mixed mutters of the pedestrians assailed her ears and the added noise of vehicle traffic made it almost unbearable. Her breathing became irregular as she spun around in panic, hoping to see any sort of familiar and friendly face.
All she succeeded in doing was drawing whispers.
“Hey, what’s up with her?”
“Mommy, that girl is acting funny!”
“Shhh, don’t look!”
“Is something wrong with her?”
“Ah leave her alone, she’s probably just some weirdo.”
“Maybe she’s high?”
“Should we call the cops?”
“What a freak!”
Lutecia covered her ears to block out the scorn, and shrunk into the fetal position in a futile attempt to avoid the piercing stares of others. She couldn’t withstand all the stimuli bearing down on her like that. Everyone was judging her, looking down on her like some sort of deviant. She longed for the quiet of her home, where no people existed other than her loved ones.
“Please, help me…” Lutecia sobbed as tears leaked from her shut eyes.
“Cia!” Vivio called as she burst through the crowd. “There you are!”
“Vivio!” Lutecia jumped up and hugged the other girl tightly without thinking. Vivio blinked before settling in and began patting Lutecia’s hair.
“It’s ok Cia.” She whispered. “I’m right here.”
“We got separated and I didn’t know what to do and then all these people were there and I was alone and…”
“I understand, Cia.” Vivio said softly, wiping the other girl’s tears away. “It’s ok now, you’re not alone anymore.”
“Y-You’re right.” Lutecia pulled away once she composed herself. “I’m ok now.”
“Let’s go back to where Yuuno-kun is.” Vivio firmly took hold of Lutecia’s hand. “He’s worried sick.”
“All right.” Lutecia let herself be taken into the crowd by the blond, but now all the indistinguishable faces were the last things on her mind. The secure feeling of their linked hands was all Lutecia could think about. Everything else was irrelevant.
“Yuuno-kun, I found her!” Vivio announced when they met up with Yuuno at an open area.”
“Thank goodness!” Yuuno sighed in relief. “I was so worried something had happened to you… I’m sorry Lutecia, it’s my responsibility to keep an eye on you, but…”
“Please don’t blame yourself, Yuuno-sensei.” Lutecia smiled reassuringly. “It’s not your fault.”
“Let’s not dwell on it, ok?” Vivio suggested. “Cia is here now so all is well! But what do you want to do now, Cia? Should we go some where with less people or…?”
“Let’s continue on.” Lutecia said, giving the younger girl’s hand a squeeze. “I’m fine so long as I’m with you.”
---
The day of fun and games unfortunately had to come to an end and they made their way back to TSAB HQ. They stopped by the Library to pick up the book and they were now waiting at the gate for Lutecia’s scheduled transport to arrive.
The summoner smiled sadly as it sunk in she was going home already when she felt a weight on her shoulder. She looked over and flushed at seeing her young friend resting her head there after falling sleep.
“I guess it’s no surprise she’s exhausted.” Yuuno chuckled softly. “She was so excited when she heard you were being allowed to come visit, it was as if Rossa had fed her too many cakes again.”
“Really?” Lutecia blinked, inwardly happy Vivio had reacted as such. A silence fell after that, and after figuring that moment was as good as any, Lutecia swallowed hard before speaking. “Um, Yuuno-sensei, I was wondering how Vivio… gets along with everyone.”
“Hm?” Yuuno tilted his head at the odd question. “She gets along great with everyone. That much should be obvious.”
“Um… well, I mean… is there some one she gets along with a lot more than others? You know, some one really special…”
“Ah, I see what you’re getting at.” Yuuno mused. “Well, Hayate's started a betting pool on if Vivio will get together with Einhart, or if Ixpellia will wake up and win her over first.”
“O-Oh.” Lutecia looked sullen. “Is that so…”
Yuuno studied the adolescent before smiling softly. “... But I think I’ll put my money on a third option.” He followed that comment with a meaningful look.
“Wait, no, that’s not what I… uh…” Lutcia turned her red face away. “It’s not like…” She cut herself off with a yawn and felt her eyelids start to droop. “It’s…”
“The transport is here.” Those were the next words that registered in Lutecia’s mind. Vivio had just woken up as well and they both turned to the gate to see Lieutenant Lee standing there patiently.
“I guess it’s time to go…” Lutecia muttered as she got up. She picked up the items she had obtained that day and turned to the blonds. “I really had a lot of fun today! Thanks for showing me around!”
“Anytime, Cia!” Vivio smiled. “Next time I hope you can visit longer!”
“Me too. Thank you for coming as well, Yuuno-sensei.”
“No problem.” Yuuno said. “Just remember to take care of that book.”
“I will!”
“Bye bye Cia!” Vivio waved as Lutecia made to depart. “I’ll come visit you at your house sometime soon!”
“I’ll be waiting!” Lutecia called back. “You should come visit too, Yuuno-sensei!”
“I’ll do that!” Yuuno waved. “Bye for now!”
Lutecia sighed contently as she sat in her assigned seat. It had been quite the day, but it was a good one that would be a memory to hold dear. The transport began moving and Lutecia opened up the book in preparation for the long flight. However when she did she found something placed inside of it. Curiously, Lutecia picked it up and looked at it.
It was a photo of Vivio and Lutecia sleeping serenely; Vivio’s head on Lutecia’s shoulder and Lutecia’s head on Vivio’s.
Lutecia was flabbergasted. “When did he…?!” She stared at the image for a few moments and her lips eventually formed a smile.
A memory to hold dear for sure.
----------------
Extra: Yuuno’s Visit
“Thank you so much for bringing Vivio out here to visit, professor.” Megane said as she poured Yuuno some tea.
“Oh it’s my pleasure.” Yuuno accepted the drink.
“Lutecia is always the happiest whenever Vivio is over.” Megane added, taking the seat next to him on the couch. “She always goes up to the roof and laughs loudly when she’s coming.”
“I’d also like to thank you for taking care of Lutecia that one time she went back to Mid.” Megane continued. “She couldn’t stop talking about how great you were.”
“Mom…”
“Oh I didn’t do anything special.” Yuuno waved it away. “Your daughter is a very well behaved young lady so I didn’t have to worry about her causing any trouble.” He finished by putting his cup to his lips.
“Oh my, professor, you’re so modest. Not only are you intelligent, successful, kind, and handsome, but you’re great with children as well.” Megane paused to seemingly contemplate something before scooting closer to him. “… How do you feel about older women?”
“MOM!” Lutecia cried as Yuuno spat his tea across the room.
Spoiler for Notes:
I'm rather surprised by how long this ended up.
The theory put forth in that book is actually my own personal theory. In StrikerS, Voltaire and Hakutenou clearly make mechanical sounds when they move. So I thought "Hey, maybe summons are a kind of Lost Logia too!"
Anyone familiar with Georg Simmel will know about the idea of adopting a blase attitude. In order to survive in a metropolis, one must learn to shut out extraneous environmental factors or else they would be unable to function. My idea here is that Lutecia doesn't have that, seeing as how she's been in Jail's hands, travelling alone with Zest and Agito, and living on an uninhabited planet with only her mother for most of her life. Put her alone in a crowd with people not viewing her positively, I figure she might break down like that because it's something she's not used to and thus doesn't know how to handle. And then it's Vivio to the rescue!
Special thanks to Nanya for providing the basis for some of the dialouge.
Awwwww, cute situation is cute. It makes sense that Lutecia would get flustered in a crowd and disoriented, since she's spent so much time with only a small group of people or by herself. Vivio coming to her rescue was extremely sweet, and I liked how at the end Yuuno decided to bet on a third option and then took a picture of them without them even realizing it.
The omake is just priceless. Absolutely priceless. Megane, you vixen. "... How do you feel about older women?"
In other news, more weirdness from FF.net. I currently have 4 reviews for the first chapter of Long Distance Goodbye, and according to the order I got them DC reviewed the fic before Dezo did.... yet I got Dezo's review last night, and only just got DC's review this morning. Weird.
Normally I was a rational person, being able to sit in a meeting for hours on end while juggling many different topics without so much as looking at my notes... My current situation, however, was giving me mixed signals. On one hand, I finally had my sister... On the other, I missed my family back home. I wanted to return so desperately that it was driving me crazy now that we were so close, but when Alicia smiles at me I feel a family love from her so great that it makes me want to break down and cry at the thought of leaving her. These feelings made the past three days exceedingly difficult, and I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted Hayate to hurry up or to take her time.
AlternativeS VIII
By: Satashi
Fate smiled as she walked into Nanoha's room during their lunch break. The instructor was currently laying on her back on the couch with a sleeping Vivio curled on her stomach. Out of habit, the blond brought up her hands to form a monitor so she could take a picture of the scene. 'Seeing Vivio so young really brings back memories.' The target of her thoughts seemed to stir at that moment, sleepily lifting her head. Fate tried her best not to fawn over the half asleep eyes and slightly parted mouth paired with the confused face of the child. Instead, she walked over to the girls and leaned over, offering her arms.
Vivio took the silent request to be picked up and layed against the woman while trying to wake up. "Sleepy?" Fate asked softly, looking past Vivio and to Nanoha.
"Mmn aunt Fate..." Vivio's reply was stifled by a face-splitting open mouthed yawn. "Aahhhhhwwwnnnn..."
Nanoha interrupted Fate's silent cursing for not taking a picture of that scene by running a hand along her stomach in an attempt to find out why the warm child was no longer sleeping on her. The blonde knelt down by the woman and took her hand to show that someone was still there. "Fate...-chan..." Nanoha whispered while slowly waking up. Her hand gripped Fate's softly and the blond watched in amazement as Nanoha brought it to her mouth to kiss a finger. " love you..." Her half mumbled words were barely audible, but slate blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Looking up at a bewildered Fate holding Vivio, she smiled fondly. As her mind woke up more, her expression changed and she sat up quickly, holding a hand to her chest. "Fweh-chyan!?"
Fate looked at her with sparkling eyes. "Vivio said my name perfectly when she woke up." The comment made Nanoha blush darkly and look away. "Lunch time is almost over," The woman continued. "I came to make sure you woke up for afternoon training like you asked."
"A-ah..." Nanoha nodded. "Thank you..." She watched Fate sit Vivio onto her feet and move closer to her. "Fate-chan? Kyan!" She held onto the blonde when she was suddenly lifted up off the couch.
"Should I just carry you?" Fate asked curiously. "I don't see your chair."
"Pendant form," Nanoha revealed, showing her necklace. "I was scared Vivio might roll off of me so I didn't want her to hit the chair if I had to make a grab for her..." Nanoha's words slowly trailed off, and she looked down at her lap, embarrassed. "Uhm..." She was taken to an opening in the room without being asked so she could toss the small gem to the floor, where it glowed brightly before changing into her smart chair.
"Hayate would have loved to have a device like that in the past," Fate mused while setting Nanoha into it.
"Y-yeah... This model was specially build for me. It allows me to do so much more than the normal models." Nanoha lifted herself slightly with her arms and adjusted herself to sit comfortably.
"Mama?" Vivio's voice made them both turn to the girl. "Why do you always sit in that chair?"
Fate felt her heart break at the question, but Nanoha simply smiled at it. " Mama's legs don't move like yours do," She explained simply. "So this chair helps me get around."
"Oh," Vivio looked sad at the answer. "...Ne, mama?"
"Yes?"
"If you ever need something, I'll get it for you, okay?" Vivio put her hands on Nanoha's knees and peered up at her. "Okay?"
The mother smiled down at her, leaning over to pick up the girl to sit on her lap. "Mmn. Thank you, Vivio."
Spoiler for AlternativeS 8-2:
~**~
Fate and Alicia entered the briefing room together, seeing others already there. Nanoha and Yuuno were off to one side, along with Teana and Subaru next to them. Across from the small group stood Lexus along with two people in standard military attire. From what Fate could remember, she assumed they were the triple-A ranked air and sea mages that had been mentioned earlier.
"About time," Lexus spoke up at once. "When you're in my battalion, I won't let you be tardy when summoned." He hesitated when he saw Alicia as well. "Oh, you have a twin do you?"
"Shut it before I do it for you," Alicia shot at him with narrowed eyes.
Hayate cut them off before an argument could break out by clearing her throat. "Okay everyone, since we are all gathered now, I would like to go over the plan for this mission." She motioned for everyone to gather around the table in the middle of the room and brought up a transparent blueprint of a building and the surrounding area. "Our sources tell us that this building is where Jail Scaglietti is currently staying. He has an interest with Alicia, and will talk to her-"
"-Why?" Lexus interrupted, looking over at the blonde. "What connection does she have with Jail?"
Alicia smirked at him pointedly and then turned back to Hayate, who continued where she left off. "Since Fate-chan is Alicia's twin, we will have her confront Scaglietti in her sister's place. With the main threat being taken care of by Fate-chan, we can easily slip in the other entrances to his base here, here, and here." She pointed with each word, making the areas light up. "We will be split into groups as follows: Lightning Unit will be Fate-chan alone. Stars will consist of Nanoha and Alicia, who will go after the relic."
"Wait a moment, please," Fate cut in apologetically. "Nanoha will be going inside the building?"
Nanoha looked a little offended. "Of course I will be. I may be in a wheelchair, but I have ways to enter into battle. Raising Heart has a flight mode that will give me almost two hours of mobile time without starting to effect my combat."
Fate looked skeptical, so Hayate confirmed it. "I don't know about your world, Fate-chan, but in ours, Yuuno-kun made specific additions to Nanoha-chan's device to ensure her safety. Also, no offense Alicia, but I can't have you alone in the target zone." The girl shrugged and smiled over at Nanoha with a nod.
Lexus snorted. "So what are we here for?"
"You will follow Stars unit and ensure that they can reach their target. If they are targeted beforehand, you will engage instead."
"Works for me," Lexus crossed his arms. " Saving your butts seems to be a full time job anyway." His remark made his two men smirk and the rest of the room repress a growl. "And don't forget, Fate, you're mine after this is over."
Spoiler for AlternativeS 8-3:
Fate glared but nodded anyway. "I haven't forgotten."
"People, please." Hayate spoke firmly, tapping her hands on the table displaying the information before them. "Focus." When all eyes turned to her again, she continued. "Subaru, Teana, you will be with me in the Snow group. We will be stationed in a van nearby." Her moved her hands, rotating the map displaying on the table so she could point at a building nearby where the mission would take place. "This will be where we start the mission and where I will be stationed to oversee it. My group will be for back up purposes only and will not deploy unless there is an emergency." She looked at the two nervous soldiers before her and nodded at them. "I'll be counting on you two to protect the van in-case we're discovered." Both of them saluted, although not as crisp as they normally would. "Any questions?"
Lexus moved his hands out in a shrugging manor. "So basically we're walking in, Fate takes on Jail, we protect these two girls, and find a relic? You called us in for that?"
Hayate turned to face him directly. "Scaglietti is highly dangerous, and he has the trinity as his personal bodyguards. That alone would warrant caution, and that's not including any extra guards he may have. We are trying to bring him down once and for all; underestimation him at this point is not an option. Any more questions?" When none came, she nodded to herself. "Right then. We deploy tomorrow at one, be ready. Dismissed." With that word, the group dispersed, going their own ways. 'Let's just hope this goes smoothly.'
"Fate-chan," Nanoha's voice made the woman stop and turn back to look at her. "Want to eat dinner with me tonight? Please?"
The red eyed girl hesitated just a moment before agreeing. "Sure, I'd love to."
Nanoha beamed up at her friend. "Great! I'll have it ready in about an hour so come by when you're ready okay?"
~**~
Nanoha glanced over her shoulder when she heard knocking at her door. "Come in!" She called out cheerfully.
"Excuse the intrusion," Fate sang out in her normal soft tone. "Oh, something smells really good." bending over, she plucked up Vivio when the child came to greet her and balanced the girl onto her hip. "Hi there, Vivio."
"Hello, Aunt Fate." She replied back with a giggle at being carried.
"Almost ready," Nanoha informed while pulling a roast from the oven.
"Shall I set the table?" Fate asked curiously while looking at the half prepared dining table.
"Ah, I can get it!"
"Its okay," Fate insisted. "Vivio will help me, won't you Vivio?"
"Un!" The girl cheered at being involved.
"Thank you," Nanoha gave in at the happy look on her 'daughter's' face.
Fate sat Vivio on the floor and got the plates down, making sure Vivio could carry all three of them safely. "Put them on the table, but be careful because they can break, okay?" She got a hum and then was graced with the sight of Vivio carefully carrying the plates with both hands as if she were balancing marbles on top of them.
Spoiler for AlternativeS 8-4:
"Tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Nanoha breathed out while putting her side dishes in serving platters. " Hard to beleive its already been over a month since you arrived."
"Yeah," Fate agreed slowly, catching the sadness in Nanoha's voice. "I really appreciate everything that you have done for me during this."
"Hey, you'd do the same for me, right?" Nanoha handed Fate a platter to take to the table. "Thank you."
"Of course," Fate answered at once, moving around Vivio who was still carefully arranging the plates. "But still, thank you. You made this bearable."
Nanoha felt a small blush come to her cheeks at the praise. "Thank you..." When Fate got next to her, she looked up at teh girl nervously. "Hey... again, I'm sorry about before."
"Stop," Fate bent over and put her arms around Nanoha and hugged her from behind. "It wasn't completely your fault. You thought it was me and you weren't thinking right. I understand, okay? Stop beating yourself up over this."
"You being so understanding," Nanoha whispered, looking down in the embrace. "Kind of makes this harder on me..."
Fate felt a small smile come when a teardrop hit her arms. "I'm sorry, but that's how I am." Squeezing Nanoha once more, she whispered into her ear. "Now dry those pretty eyes and smile, okay? Here, look." turning Nanoha's chair around in the hug, she made the girl watch Vivio holding the last plate with a deathgrip while acting as if it would break if she slid it across the table too fast. "She's scared she might break them."
Nanoha felt a laugh come at once and she covered her mouth to hold it down. When Vivio was done, she turned around and ran over to Nanoha proudly. "Mama, I did it!"
"Good job, Vivio," both adults answered at the same time with a smile.
~**~
Spoiler for AlternativeS 8-5:
Fate awoke the next morning to her sister's soft snoring against her neck. Blinking to clear her eyes, she looked up at the ceiling while enjoying the peaceful morning. Alicia was half ontop of her, arm and legs sprawled across her body while using her chest as a make-shift pillow. Fate's right arm was numb from the weight on it, sending tingles through her shoulder when she tried to move it. Instead, she moved her left hand and rubbed her sister's back gently to wake her. "Alicia... Sis?"
"Five more minutes," she groaned out.
"I need to get up," Fate insisted softly. Her twin shifted groggily, moving off of her, but grabbed the covers in the process, pulling them up to her nose as she got comfortable again. "I'll wake you in a bit." Only the sounds of her sister breathing steadily came to her, making her grin to herself.
Getting out of bed, Fate put on her uniform quickly and left the room in favor of heading to Nanoha's. Once there, she greeted the struggling temporary-mother as she tried to dress Vivio and make breakfast at the same time. Coming to her rescue, she properly prettied Vivio up and did her hair while Nanoha finished cooking. Breakfast was served and, after an insistence from Nanoha, the three sat down together to enjoy it.
Almost two hours later, Fate found herself in the prep room, sitting patiently while the others slowly started coming in. Teana and Subaru were already there, having come before anyone else. Watching them shift nervously in their seats, Fate couldn't help but recall back to their first mission in her world. "Nervous?" She asked calmly, getting their attention.
"Yes," Subaru answered honestly. "I can't help but feel as if everyone expects so much from me..."
"We do," Fate replied simply. "You and Teana were given those devices because we can see a potential in you both that far exceeds that of the normal people training under Nanoha right now. That's why we are counting on you to watch over the van with Hayate and act if anything needs your attention. You may not even engage any enemies today, but it will be a good experience for you none the less."
"Ma'am." Teana nodded in agreement. "Thank you for this opportunity to prove myself."
Before Fate could reply, Hayate came into the room and looked around. "You girls are here early."
"I told Fate that we could wait," Alicia complained, leaning her chair back to balance on the back two legs. "But she said it was best to be here early in case we needed to change any plans."
Hayate nodded to herself. "Good idea, Fate-chan, but so far everything seems just fine. Alicia, are you sure that you don't need to contact Jail before hand?"
"I show up whenever I feel like it, and leave just the same," Alicia mused while balancing. "If I made an appointment, it would probably set off a flag. Best to just go with it."
With a small sigh, Hayate reluctantly agreed. "Okay."
Spoiler for AlternativeS 8-6:
~**~
"Okay, lets go over this one more time." Nanoha got everyone's attention as their van parked at the predetermined location. "Fate-chan will go and meet Jail in place of Alicia. During this time Alicia and I will hunt for the relic we're after while Lexus and his group support us. The number one goal is to get the relic at all costs."
Lexus broke in, leaning forward while checking the lace on his boots. "Why not just zerg Jail and ensure that he is captured?"
Hayate sighed. "Again, we are after the relic more than Jail this time. We want to capture him, but priorities are priorities. The relic is what we are after."
Lexus frowned but nodded anyway. "This is your run, even if that is stupid." The man missed the glances towards Fate, who looked down slightly.
"Subaru, Teana," Nanoha went on, getting their attention again. "You two will remain here in case we need backup. If anyone is injured inside, you will be needed to retrieve, understood?"
"Ma'am," both replied at the same time with a nod.
"Right then," Nanoha nodded. "Any questions?" When nothing came to her, she looked over at Fate. "You're up."
"Right," Fate moved to open the van, smiling back over at the group. "Good luck everyone." Hopping out, she adjusted her casual outfit and tossed her pigtails over her shoulders. 'Here we go,' Walking the two blocks, she reflected back on the prepping Alicia had given her earlier. 'Just be cocky, act like I own the place, and don't take crap from anyone if they stop me...'
The door to the building was opened casually and she noted that a silent alarm went off due to a blinking red light that her trained eye caught. Ignoring this, she put her hands into her pockets and kept walking, looking around curiously. Before long she entered a long hallway with life capsules on both sides, housing what she knew to be the Numbers. 'They're not activated yet...' Her mind thought curiously. 'I wonder if he's holding back for some reason...'
"Nice of you to arrive!" Jail's voice made Fate's attention snap to the side, where the man was sitting on a desk. "I'm glad you could make it, Fate-san."
Spoiler for AlternativeS 8-7:
"Sorry, but I'd have to split the money with Sis if I involved her," Fate put a hand on her hip in annoyance. "If you want her, it'd cost extra."
Jail stood up from his desk and walked over to the girl, passing by a complex lab area and moving out into the large area of the room. Walking around the girl, he eyed her. "Well, this is strange," he mused. "Normally I can tell the difference between two people, but you two..." Jail laughed and moved to stand in front of her. "I see, I see, how amusing. You came from another time, but it turns out you are a fake as well." Fate's eyes widened slightly, something that Jail didn't miss. "Thank you for confirming it, Fate-san."
"What do you mean by "as well"?" Fate asked, giving up on tricking him and falling back into just keeping him distracted long enough for the mission to go through before she made her move.
"You can't tell? Your sister is a clone, the same as you." Crossing his arms, he observed her more. "I found her in a life pod when I was doing some research on a past experiment that failed. I had stumbled upon the home of someone who had tried to perfect the project Fate series. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about."
"Precia," Fate breathed out. "So Alicia..."
"Is simply another experiment," Jail finished for her. "No more than you."
"Does she know?"
Jail shrugged. "If she figured it out or not isn't of any concern to me. What I want to know, however, is how you crossed time lines."
This time Fate smirked at him. "You honestly expect me to tell you that?"
Not willingly, of course." Jail shifted, his hand moving behind him to press a button on the computer, but was launched forward when the console blew up.
Fate flexed her hand, the yellow magic circle in front of her fingertips spinning quickly as more energy daggers appeared. "I won't let you activate them." With those words, she launched more attacks, destroying the machines around her and making the deep greenish blue lights on the life pods fade. "Not that it matters, as they are no threat to me." Fate looked at Jail's snarling face. "Surrender quietly."
The purple haired man stood slowly, looking down at the ground steadily before a sick grin came to his face. "Interesting..."
~**~
"Let's move," Nanoha spoke up after sitting in the van long enough to give Fate time. "Raising Heart, please." Her device answered while Nanoha's wheelchair went down the ramp on the side of the can. Once there the chair started to glow, shifting around to form a type of golden armor around the girl. Nanoha's legs were covered completely, joints covered with a red crystal. The metal went up her thighs and waist, forming cloth over her skin then covering it with the alloy as well. Her hair flew up into twin pigtails and her arms were graced with the same protection as her lower body. Blue and white accents went over the gold armor, adding decoration to signify her position and call sign. Finally, two transparent pink wings of magic flew from her back and lifted the girl up just enough off the ground so she was hovering. A deep exhale came from Nanoha's lips and she looked back at the group of people behind her.
"Remember, Nanoha-chan," Hayate warned her with a serious tone. "The exceed mode draws power directly from your linker core. If you-"
"I know, I know," Nanoha tried to ease her friend's fear. "If I start to feel weak, then pull out immediately. I know how to use this form, Hayate-chan." With a small salute, she hovered in place for a moment more before turning to Alica. "Ready?"
"Steady," the woman replied back, hopping out of the van before Lexus and his group. "You look pretty hot in that."
Nanoha felt her cheeks color slightly. Choosing to ignore the comment, she nodded at the rest of her group and began flying before them at a walking pace. Hanging just a few inches above the ground, she bit back a bad feeling in her stomach and opened the door leading into another area of the large building they were invading.
At once the group could see their breath, skin tingling as bitter cold flashed around them with a small snow flurry. The door slammed shut behind them and the group glanced back a moment before looking forward, seeing three people standing before them along with a dragon the size of a large dog. "Welcome," Erio spoke to them casually. "Glad you could make it."
Lexus snorted. "The Trinity, huh? Looks like this will be worth my time after all!"
Caro frowned at the man. "We would prefer not to fight you." When the man before her drew his weapon, she sighed softly. "Shiva... Please." A loud roar came from the dragon and the room dropped several more degrees as a bright flash blinded everyone. When they could see again, Erio stood in the middle of the room holding a spear and covered in a transparent set of armor that seemed to be dragon scales made of ice.
"Bring it," the boy challenged, using his hand to make a taunting motion.
Spoiler for AlternativeS 8-8:
Lexus attacked at once, running forward in the snow and raising his fist up to strike Erio. Instead, he found the kid sidestep him easily and slam the end of his spear against his back. The older man grunted and turned to attack again but found nobody there. Looking around himself, he saw Erio already by the other two people once more, fighting his partner.
"Pathetic!" Alicia complained, running up to him with Nanoha floating next to her. "I thought you were supposed to be better than this?"
"Don't mock me," Lexus snorted while standing properly. "I'll handle this, you two get out of here."
Nanoha hesitated slightly. "Will you be able to-?"
"Leave, Instructor!" Lexus shouted at her harshly. "This isn't a job for those who can't fight!" With that, he ran into the mix once more, yelling out a battle cry as Lutecia turned to greet him with an outstretched hand and a magic circle formed beneath her feet.
"Forget him," Alicia told Nanoha, grabbing her hand and pulling her away. "Lets get out of here while they are distracted."
Nanoha nodded and allowed herself to be dragged though the air, blocking several ranged shots taken at them as they made their escape. Once the large area was left, warmth rushed over them immediatly. The snow was gone and they found themselves back in the warmth of hallways. "How's that reader looking?" She asked, looking around to make sure the coast was clear.
"I'm getting a faint signal," Alicia replied, looking at a small monitor floating above her hand. "I think its up ahead." Pointing, she blinked when two shots were fired down the hallway and was about to ask what they were for when two people rounded the corner and were struck down cleanly. Letting out a sharp whistle, Alicia grinned. "Wow, you're pretty good at this."
"I don't want to waste time," Nanoha informed her softly. "This mode takes a lot out of me; the longer I am in it, the weaker I get. "
"I see," Alicia nodded to herself and began running now. "Shouldn't be too much farther..."
~**~
Fate cursed mentally as she dodged another attack from Jail, rolling across the ground and kicking back up almost at once as the area she was at blew up underneath her. Moving forward again, she set her eyes on the wounded man and dashed quickly, getting up in his face and grabbing his neck. A fast jerk of her body allowed him to slam him into the ground hard enough to make him blank for a moment. Taking the chance, she formed several binds to hold him down and panted hard after making sure he wouldn't be able to move anymore. "You are under arrest," she told him while reinforcing the binds. When the man started laughing, Fate instantly started blasting anything electronical she could find in the room. Her last shot made Jail go silent, and Fate sighed out in releif when nothing came out of the large life pod tubes near the walls. "Don't worry, they will be activated later, after we have had time to ensure their personalities and remove any plans you have on impregnating them with your offspring."
Jail's head fell back to lay on the ground, laughing at his situation. "Simply amazing... To be beaten so easilly by someone from the future! I must know!"
Ignoring him, Fate brought up a monitor before her. "Hayate?"
"Yes, Lightning?" Hayate asked back, her face appearing.
"The whole disguise thing didn't work, I had to subdue Jail. Send Teana and Subaru to my current location to pick him up. He is restrained." Pointing Bardiche at the man, she formed a barrier over him to prevent anyone from getting close to the man and t make sure he couldn't leave even if he managed to somehow break the binds. "I'm proceeding with the mission objectives."
"Roger." The screen cut off and Fate stood.
Looking around, Fate was about to make her way to a side exit but a loud explosion made her change courses and run as fast as she could to the sounds of battle that were now getting louder. By the time she reached a re-enforced door, the noise had gone silent. Several slashes with Bardiche granted her entry to a new room and she felt the bitter sting of cold wash over her body. Walking in, she took in the situation at once, red eyes scanning. Lexus, along with his two men, were all laying down at varios locations in the room. Red was smeared near them, as well as around the three people who were not unconscious. "Erio! Caro! Lutecia!" Fate ran forward, but stopped when the male shakingly rose his spear to point at her.
"I won't let you hurt them," he declaired seriously. Despite his threatening words, he still collasped to one knee and was held onto by both summoners. Blood was leaking over his right eye and he seemed to have trouble keeping his weapon at the ready. Caro was holding him tightly, also hurt, and Lutecia was on the other side, seemingly better than the rest and only showed a few cuts and bruises.
Fate swallowed and looked at the group, seeing desperation in Erio's eyes, along with the fierce determination to protect those next to him, even if it meant killing her to do so.
Okay, one more part posted, and then the rest of the story will be psoted all at once. I need to swap a bit and make a chapter 9 in teh part Ialready have written, so hopefully this won't take too long. ^_^
@Raiser: I really liked it! I enjoyed the shout out to Yuuno/Fate by Vivio. I find that pairing pretty cute too. Also loved the mention of Lutecia shouting/laughing from the rooftop in the omake XD. Great job :3!
@Satashi: I am still worried about Alicia for some reason... And Jail for going down so easily... Eep. My favourite line from this installment issss:
Fate swallowed and looked at the group, seeing desperation in Erio's eyes, along with the fierce determination to protect those next to him, even if it meant killing her to do so.
Erio is such a cute lil' hero~ Protecting his girls :3
Seriously though, Raiser, thanks a lot for this. I've enjoyed it a lot, and it's really very sweet of you.
Aw, you're makin' me blush.
But yeah, I don't ship ViCia and I don't like yuri in general, yet I have no problem writing it since it's for you. Of course this hasn't been a painful experience so it's not like I'm not enjoying it.
Goes for anyone I like. If, say, Nanya asked me to write a Hayate/Vita fic for him I'd do it even though it's one of the few pairings I'm actively opposed to. Some one requested I write a lemon for them, and the stuff they wanted in it actually made me feel queezy just thinking about it, but I toughed it out and wrote it all the same.
So basically if you're nice to me, you gain your own personal slave
Late to the party as usual, but I'll throw in my praises too. Megane's comment was cute, of course, but I also liked some of the little moments between the two girls. Lutecia being happier if Vivio taught her springs to mind.
Yeah, I kinda messed up last chapter, because it didn't really stated that this was supposed to be a multichapter fic. :shrugs:
Anyway, finished this right now, but I'm having a headache of colossal amplitude so, if you spot any errors, typos, etc, please let me know. (not that it would be any better without the Headache, but I like to at least think that it would)
"Yay!" The heterochromatic girl jumped up, beaming to her mother as soon as she noticed what the brunette was holding. "Ice cream!"
"It's just this time, okay? But you have to promise me that you'll be a good girl for the rest of the day, or else I'll not give it to you."
"Hmn." Vivio answered, nodding, not really paying attention to the implications.
Nanoha sat beside her daughter with a grunt, closed her eyes and took a long intake of air.
"What's the matter?" Asked her redeyed friend.
"It's nothing. Just tired I guess."
"Nightmares again?"
"I don't really know. It's just... I can't shake this feeling that something bad is about to happen." She smiled sheepishly. "Guess I'm becoming paranoid, huh?"
Fate took a better look at her friend but didn't notice much. "You should go see Shamal when we return to the base if you're not feeling well."
"No need. I'm okay. Just a little tired. There's no need to..." Fate glared at her. "...okay, okay. I'll go." She sighed.
The blonde beamed at her. "Good. Now," She pulled a notepad from her purse. "we already bought almost everything on the list. We just need shoes and socks and we'll be done."
"Okay..." Nanoha answered half-heartedly, but immediatly corrected herself. "Okay!" But that didn't get past Fate, even if she let the matter go for the moment.
----
"OF COURSE!" Hayate shouted, getting up and slamming her hands on the table, along with the reports. That tone in Carim's voice wasn't even making sense . "She was... She was... She was..."
"She wasn't aware of anything." Chrono tried to complete.
"That's it! There's no way that I, we wouldn't believe in her for something like that!"
Carim let out a sigh. "Finally." Then looked at them and smiled gently.
Both of them looked at the woman in surprise.
"When the facts are lay in the open, some people may think differently, that's why I needed to make sure you weren't going to act on impulse."
"Why's that?" Hayate asked, a tinge of anger still in her voice, even if confusion was still taking the most part of it.
Carim nodded to Verossa. He fished his inner pocket again, getting another DVD. "The real issue is this."
----
Recording
Device: Just
Owner: Sarah Ballak
Date: 02-04-69
Time: 10:32
Opening File...
Playing Audio...
"This is Seargent Sarah Ballak, requesting backup." In the background, a baby's crying can be heard. "Our transport was attacked during mission. Were under severe fire. Other members of the unit were shot down. I repeat, this is Seargent Sarah Ballak requesting backup..."
There was interference in the audio that lasted through a good thirty seconds until a new voice was heard.
"Is she dead?"
"If she was alive after that, then she would be more than just a transporter." A second voice answered.
Ten infinite seconds later. "Is this it?" A third voice asked.
"Yes. The Sankt Kaiser. The golden hair and mismatched eyes are proof, and the magical reading is a match. It's her alright." The second voice answered.
"Our king has finally come. The Doctor will be delighted." The first one answered.
More stactic was heard.
End of file.
----
"Wait." Chrono was the first of the two to finally process the information. "The girl... Nanoha's baby... was Vivio?"
"Yes." Carim responded. "At least that is what all the evidence is pointing to."
"We'll need to confront Scaglietti himself to get answers." Hayate continued.
"But I still don't see the issue. For what it's worth, Vivio was Nanoha's daughter, even before we got to know any of this. I don't see any reason why we should keep this from her."
Hayate looked firmly on Carim eyes during a few moments. "No. I believe this it's best this way." Then turning to the Admiral, she tried to explain her thoughts. "Nanoha-chan is caring, kind and selfless. Too selfless. Remember when Vivio was taken by Scaglietti during the Peace Conference? Nanoha-chan didn't have a breakdown because she had us with her. Now imagine what thoughts would pass through her mind the moment she received this information. She would try her best to make it up to Vivio, even if she wasn't aware, even if she didn't have a choice in the matter, she would still feel guilty for not knowing, still grieve over the fact. Even if she was powerless to stop it, it would haunt her. Then she would see Vivio at her side and it would warm her, but she would feel guilt again, repeating the cycle. In time this would break her completely."
They let the information sink in for a few more seconds. "But we still need to confront those old bastards about this." Chrono snapped, trying hard not to think about the matter of Nanoha.
"Let..." Hayate's voice broke, but she managed to steady herself. She took a deep breath. "Let me handle this for now. I... I need time to think about all scenarios before I can make a decision."
Carim got up from her seat and walked to the side of the brown haired girl, pulling the younger to her bosson in a loose hug. "We'll be here for you. And for her. We always have and always will."
Hayate looked at the golden haired eyes and let her head rest on the older woman's chest. A lump came to her throat. "I..." She fight it to remain there. "I don't know what I should be feeling right now." A sob escaped. "I'm angry at them for having lied to us this whole time." Another one came accompanied by the tears starting to roll down her eyes. "I'm happy that Nanoha-chan, even without knowing, got reunited with her daughter." Tears flowing down now were and understatement. "I'm sad that she couldn't be with her... all this time." Hayate broke off, crying.
----
After a few minutes, the commander was presentable again, not well, but she could manage to get out of the office. "Are you certain about wanting to go back to the base?"
"Yes." She breathed heavily. "I need time... to think." She waved to the others in the room, gave a soft hug on the blonde that accompanied her to the door and left.
"Schach." Carim spoke to the holografic screen that popped on her side. "Escort Commander Yagami to Riot 6's base, please."
"Acknowlodged, Knight Carim." The woman in the screen bowed, before it faded.
Carim turned to the other two and got back to her chair.
"Was it really necessary to make us watch this, while doubting Nanoha?" Was Chrono's first remark.
"As a matter of fact, yes." The inspector answered. "We know what you are feeling because we have too. If we didn't doubted her first, this information would never be uncovered, because it was doubt that pressed me forward." He grinned, leaning back on his chair. "But then again, I wouldn't be much of an Inspector if I didn't doubt things around me, don't you agree?"
Chrono sighed and rubbed his temples. "Yes, I believe so."
"She's still the same girl. The same Ace of Aces you guys have known through all these years." Carim spoke.
"We'll really need to confront Scaglietti again, don't we?" The Admiral asked, rhetorically.
"Yes, We do." Verossa answered even though he noticed the nature of the question. "Because there's another matter to think about too."
Chrono lifted his right hand and rubbed both temples while covering his eyes. "I don't know if I can handle another bombshell, you know?"
"You'll have to." Carim spoke, sounding firmer than usual for her image.
"Okay." Chrono grunted. "What is it?"
"Is Nanoha-san really Vivio's mother?" Verossa said, letting a confused Admiral looking at him dumbfounded.
----
"Alright!" The redhaired said, as soon as the others got back from the lap around the base. The field was set to a forest. "We'll do a mock battle now." Upon hearing complaining sounds from everyone, she tilted her head, grinning. "What? I'll make it easier for you newborns." She starts to draw a circle in the ground, with about a twenty feet radius, while explaining. "If you manage to knock me out of this circle, even once, even by a hair, you win. To further your advantage, I'll not fly on this battle. Is that good enough to you?" She positioned herself in the middle of it. "Tell me when you're ready."
The four forwards gather in a semi-circle, with their backs to their teacher. "Any ideas?" Teana's the first to question.
"Vice-Captain Vita is being cocky, don't you think?" Subaru commented. "We're not rookies anymore. We can knock her out of that place in one shot."
Teana clanged Cross Mirage on the back of her head. "Are you stupid? If she's saying that, at minimun, she's confident about it."
"Then what should we do?" Caro pondered.
Erio looked at the circle and their teacher before turning to the others again. "Look, she's in the middle of a circle. It's the same distance from wherever. We just have to pressure her into going to one side and keep pressing till she falls."
"It's a good idea, but she'll probably catch on to that quickly. We need to do this at full power from the beggining."
"Yeah." The others answered.
"Ready, newborns? Then let's get this started." Vita said, before summoning her knight's garb. "I'm waiting." She said tapping Graf Eisen on her shoulder.
"Follow my lead." Teana sent mentally to the other three.
They entered in formation. Immediattly after, Subaru started to run full speed towards her instructor. "Load Cartridge." A few more yards she yells again. "Revolver Cannon!"
Her glove collided against Vita's barrier, making sizzle noises come out of it, as her rollerblades continued to move forward, despite not moving from the same place, creating a smoke of dirt behind her. Vita did not move an inch from her spot, as if planted in place. "Good output." The redhaired said, with one arm extended, mantaining the barrier. Suddenly she sidestepped, undoing the barrier, making the blue haired girl pass through the place she was a moment before. "But you have to control when to stop it, else, you're a sitting duck." She said as she hammered the girl in the back making her gain even more momentum.
Moments before Subaru hit a tree that was on her way Mach Calliber called "Wing Road." A blue magical road appeared before her turning into a half-circle, helping her use the kinetic energy she just gained, to come back at the Vice-Captain.
"In the name of peace, wings of hurricane, bestow upon this knight the power to break through." Caro started to chant.
"Boost Up. Acceleration." Her device responded, as pink ball of energy floated in front of the girl.
"Cross Fire..." Teana called as various orange balls of energy gathered around her.
"Surround and whisper, O'Light of Prayer that gives power." The summoner continued.
"Boost up. Strike Power." Kerykeion answered and another pink energy ball hovered on her hand.
"Shoot!" Teana called. At this her energy shots started to fly in the direction of their teacher.
"Twin boost. Dash and Strike." Caro called at last, using the energy she collected on Erio's device.
Immediatly he started to sprint forward, with Strada calling "Explosion" as two cartridges are loaded.
Vita looked at their formation through the clearing dust, with Erio on front, Strada pointing in her direction, and smirked. She raised her hand to her back, creating a new barrier, to stop Subaru's strike. When it collided she used her other hand to create another barrier, to defend against the others attack, but little ways from hitting her, they dissapeared. Immediatly she switched her footing and put her hand to the direction the blue haired girl was coming, strenghtening her previous one handed barrier, at the same time as the orange energy shots and a boosted Strada collided against it. The impact made her feet create a trail in the ground, forcing her back. When she was about to hit off the circle, she did a front flip, wich made the two of them pass through where she once was again. After they stopped, she turned to them. "Phew. Not bad. Your use of the Silhoutte is getting better, Teana."
She started walking again to the center of the circle when she heard Caro's voice. "Fried. Blast Ray! Fire!" This almost got the knight of guard, as she had to rely on her device to create a barrier for her, even so, it made her get to the edge of the circle.
"Load Cartridge." She heard Subaru at her back and the redhaired call for Strada before it loaded two cartridges. She was almost cursing now. They were really into it today.
She raised a shield again, but was surprised when both Subaru and Erio passed through her sides, making a hundred-eighty degree turn on her back and striking again. "Good perception. I'm closest to this boarder. If you had attacked from the other side, it would only help me." They were still pressing forward when a pair of orange blades had appeared above their heads.
Vita took her Device to the side and called for it, and the same time it responded. "Gigantform!" She took another leap in the air using the power of the attackers on her to make a flip and using its momentum to strike at the twintailed girl. The girl was surprised by the attack and her split-second decision to make a shield wasn't enough. The shield shattered and she was sent flying, hitting her back against a tree.
Teana gasped for air when the hit took it all she had inside instantly out, before collapsing on the ground.
"Stop!" Vita called as soon as she realized that the girl was seriously hurt. "The mock battle ends here." She walked to the girl who was on all fours, desperately trying to breathe. "Sorry about that, Teana." She said, taping Graf Eisen on her shoulder. "I thought your shields could handle that impact."
"It's..." The said girl winced as her ribs sent the information to her brain. "...alright! I can manage that at least." She managed to say, with a hand covering her lower chest.
"Ooi. Shamal, are you there?" The little woman said, ignoring her student, as a few holografic displays appeared on her side.
"I'm here, Vita-chan. What's the matter?" The blonde said with a smile.
"I'm sending carrot-tops here to you. She's injured."
The gunslinger was about to burst in anger at the sudden mention of her unwanted nickname (courtesy of Sein), but she had to bit her lip before her little fit backfired and her own lungs betrayed her, forcing her ribs.
"Okay. I'll be prepared." The blonde said as the window disappeared.
"There you have it. Now go before I have to create more injuries for Shamal to treat."
Teana nodded and started to walk, feeling each step more difficult.
"Ah, man..." The red haired, sighed. "Subaru, Erio, Caro. We'll take a break. Subaru, can you help Teana get to Shamal's office?"
"Yes." The girl almost shouted, and dashed to the side of her longtime friend. "Here." Pulling Teana's right arm around her shoulder and neck. "Let me support your weight."
Erio and Caro looked over to her teacher and she, understanding the silent plea, waved them to go together with the Stars duo. Vita watched them and, after they were out of earshot, she grabbed tightly on her device and hammered the ground. "Damn it!!"
----
"What kind of stupid question is that?" The raven haired man was almost at the point of getting the other man in the room by the neck.
"Think carefully, Chrono." Carim said. "Vivio is a clone. DNA, blood, features. Everything is different from Nanoha-san. Even if she was who bore the girl, she isn't her real mother."
"A clone isn't legally bound to the womb that carried it." Verossa input. "Even if Vivio was born from Nanoha-san, for the effects of the law, Nanoha-san equals a lifepod in this case, do you understand what this means?"
Chrono was almost shouting in agony now. It was too much for anyone to take. "First she was a baby's mother, then she was Vivio's mother, and now she's a lifepod? Can't you people make up your minds?" He fumed.
Carim waited for the man to collect himself, since he realized that what he said was improper, then continued. "You see, Chrono, One of the things that make our combination a sucessuful one, is that each of us have a different opinion in each case, which leads to dialogue, which leads to better understanding of the situation. If I said to you outright what my opnion on the subject is, your opnion would be biased, and we wouldn't get anywhere." She took the last sip on her tea, and set the cup aside. "That's why we present you with the facts, and the decision you make on your own. If it's the same as mine, then we can talk, if it's the same as Verossa's, we can talk the same way. That's the only way to bring it to an understanding."
"I... I'll think about it." It's not that he didn't understand what the woman was trying to tell him. It's just that at the moment, the emotions that were rolling around his head were messing up his judgement so he decided that it was better to stop right there for the day. "Just when I thought everything about Scaglietti was over, comes this..." He sighed and got up. "I'll contact you tomorrow." He said as he leaved the room.
When the door was closed, the green haired man looked at his stepsister. "Was it really okay to let both of them go out with so much in their minds?"
She looked at him, with a neutral face. "They need to decide what is more important to them, before we can get any further into this subject." She sighed. "Right now, I think you know what you need to do."
He looked at her for a few more moments before lowering his head and sighing. "You really are something else, you know?" He raised his head to look at her with a grin splatered in the face. "You are just like a chess player, always thinking ahead." His grin grew wider. "Yes, I know. Find more about the old ones. If they did something like this once, it's possible that they did more in the past."
She didn't answered and just smiled at him.
----
The silver haired unison device floated from her makeshift table to the door as soon as she heard the footsteps of her mistress. "Hayate..." She stopped midway through her greeting "-chan?" She noticed that the woman was not exactly well. "What happened?"
"Oh, hi Rein." The Commander said, as if just noticing her younger family member in that moment. "It was nothing, don't worry."
Reinforce didn't let that persuade her, as it was clear that she had been crying. And she was troubled by something. "Is it a new incident?" She asked, even thought she knew that a simple incident wouldn't make her mistress cry, even if it was something that could destroy the world. It would just spring her forward even more.
"It's nothing. Don't worry Rein." Hayate said as she sat on her chair.
"If it was nothing, then why were you crying?" Rein decided to be blunt. It was a faster method to get answers, even if it wasn't perfect.
"I just heard some news that I... I mean, I don't know what to think of them, really." She looked at her drawer then, hesitantly, opened. From there she took her album and started browse it, seemingly absent minded.
"Hayate-chan..." Rein said, almost moaning, while she watched the girl from a few paces away.
How about you, RB? You up for giving Vivio/Yuuno a shot? My birthday is less than a month away, you know. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I think you could do it quite well.
@sniperk: I'll read the new part of your fic later when I have more time.
How about you, RB? You up for giving Vivio/Yuuno a shot? My birthday is less than a month away, you know. You don't have to if you don't want to, but I think you could do it quite well.
Birthday present, eh? If you have any ideas for Vivio/Yuuno, feel free to throw them my way. At the moment, I currently have no clue how to write about the pairing, much less an idea that I can build off of in order to make it work. I'm sure I'll figure out something, though.
If it's birthday presents anything that uses a male character as the main one, regardless of pairing, would be great.
Hm... How about Vivio going to work full time at the library after she graduates. After continually working together with her, Yuuno is horrified to find himself becoming attracted to her. Good chance for you to play up the angst as he attempts to supress/deny his feelings, avoiding her, redirecting his desires to something else, etc. Freudian defense mechanisms are great for angst! All this would lead up to Vivio confronting him about his strange behaviour.
Well, I have a vague idea of some one-sided Yuuno/Vivio on Vivio's side, though it depends on how I play it since that's a little too close to your original series for my liking... I'll have to tweak it a bit and see what I can come up with, it's a start in the right direction at least.
Sounds good. One sided works too, as you know how adorable I think young girls crushing on older guys is
I'll see what I can come up with. I have nothing to do tonight except for my shift at work, so I might try to get it up later on when I get back to my dorm. If not, there's always the weekend; I don't have homework, for once.
2010-02-23, 02:37
Author
At the moment, I currently have no clue how to write about the pairing, much less an idea that I can build off of in order to make it work. I'm sure I'll figure out something, though.
I'll try to give something better when I can think again.
