[Nightengale]

I've stopped writing for a loooooooooo~ng time, so a refreshment of sorts.

Spoiler for Blank of 6 Months : Pilot Prologue:

~Blank of 6 Months I : Reflections~

~Isdera~

The night of 14 days ago, I saw my death before me. Just like the hundreds of times before. I felt then, for a short instance… what it was like to lose everything that held me together, engulfed in darkness as my blood gushed out from the thousands of cuts on me, my arms losing the grip of the hilt I’ve lived and died with… as that knight of spear stood before me.

But I had lived… just like that hundreds time as well. But this time, it was different.

I made a comrade… no, we found someone we could call a friend. He was not the first, and probably not the last… but to people like us, detached from this world, following our own code of life… it was enough.

Our only regret is probably not being able to oblige to his own wish and request… for the Flame of Swords, was not our strength, and General already had his own.

And 7 days… ago, this land was covered in the shadows of that ark.

The power wielded by the most powerful of Ancient Belka’s time in the continents beyond where we lived and struggled, those who manipulated the forms of life to go beyond human limits, seeking to create one’s world of their own.

He who desired to take the world into his hands and shape his own… for reasons no one knew, except himself.

Our blades were unsheathed, but it was still hidden under the ark’s shadow. We fought none that mattered, for ‘they’ were there.

Those who had saved the darkness of the night from her eternal pain. Even from this measly grounds of earth, the starlight could be felt. That last shout of victory, and the end of a history from the power of the warships that prevented the world’s end. The ark was lost… forever.

Riot Force 6… the military classification for them… along with some new fresh faces.

Even to me, it’s amusing how things can change so much in the short span of less than a month.

~~~

It was just about the time for the evening sessions of the tedious training sessions the Forwards are going through to end. They tire themselves through the training, each day stronger than the next, their fresh blood boiling out all the potential in store.

The sun was setting, as the chilling evening wind was setting upon the breeze of the western seas, probably far off the edges of Mid-childa’s continental. The soft, evening wind coming with the sun’s retirement was crisp and refreshing.

That’s normally the case for Hayate, but for the past few days…

“Mmm….huh~!!”

Hayate stretched herself as she puffed out the last breathe inside her, falling face first down to the table, hugging the hard, solid yet comfortable meta-steel table.

“Man, I’m beat.”

She felt so tired she could eat a raccoon and a reindeer and sleep the whole day through, but that would be unsightly as RF6’s captain, not that she would actually do it… though she found herself enticed by the soft scent of a nice coffee…

“Tired, Hayate-chan?”

She didn’t even realize Fate coming in with a cup of coffee at hand. She quickly popped herself back, looking like a reasonably professional leader, though Fate only smiled at her quirk. Taking the cup of coffee into her hand, she sipped in.

“Yeah… with the recent events, there had been a lot of things going on. Restructuring on the administration, restoration of damaged sectors, announcement to the public, media control… with RF6 being the center of the most recent events, there’s a lot of paperwork to handle and people to meet. One would’ve thought things be easier, but on the other hand…”

“Sounds like you had it tough.”

“Considering that Shamal’s been forced to help out with injuries over at Mid-childa Medical City over the injuries suffered throughout the incident, (( a medical sector of Cranagan, not an actual city )), Ginga and Subaru both having to work over-time beyond their normal duties of structural cleaning and restoration, Shari and Mariel having to go in-and-out HQ to restore the programming database among many other things, I’ve hardly got any grounds for complaint. It’s getting under-staffed in here.” Hayate pouted slightly.

Hayate looked up upon one of the stacked papers on her desk, and she glanced through…

“Well, it’s not all that bad. It seems there are multiple interests for our rookies from various departments, some even so far asking for their performance records, and there are talks behind that Nanoha-chan might be getting a promotion. Your work is being highly credited as well.” Fate blushed slightly.

“So, how are things going on your side? You’ve busied yourself the past week ever since the incident, from the cave to the court.”

Hayate was referring to the post-arrest proceedings of the Jail Scaglietti Incident. Despite having him arrested and dealt with, it was a most controversial issue. The number of lives taken during his bravado was close to zero, and a lot of his ‘crimes’ before the incident had direct links to TSAB’s underground left-wing movements. What to tell the public, how to handle the intricate matters of the case… some may say that it is an even tougher battle there. Fate only sighed, as she said…

“Opinions were divided among the TSAB inquiry brass, with the revelation that Jail was connected to Regius and the TSAB High Council, leading to a problematic assessment of his previous crimes, which may or may not be connected to TSAB itself. Basically, it was a cesspool of confusion. None knew what to truly do. There were some who even proposed that he be proposed a special ruling in which his crimes would be removed under the condition he served TSAB with his knowledge under complete supervision among other things. He didn’t accept though.”

Fate recalled what Jail said at the hearing…

”You do not deserve to inquire me with your standards.”

He heeded nothing else, he just spoke a simple sentence full of arrogance before he derided further with talks of prophecies and Al-hazard… some which made sense, some completely nonsensical.

“Some of the ones whom he had working for him stayed with him till the end, refusing to cooperate, knowing their choices is the final cut of their freedom.”

As the full verdict of the case will probably never completely materialize, this means that they’ll be prisoned indefinitely in the off-world interdimensional first-class prison. They were not ignorant about it. Fate told them what was to become of them before the hearing. Uno, Tre, Quattro and Sette accepted that much, out of pride and loyalty.

“The verdict on everyone else was reasonable, though Lutecia-chan’s…”

Hayate and Fate silenced themselves. Quint and Lutecia Alpino… to the TSAB’s Board, them being a part of the High Council’s link to the Artificial Mage project long outlawed, they were a thorn that placed the system in fear. They needed a cover-up, yet they could not dispose of them. Exile was the only option available, and there were no hearings, just a piece of paper that decided that they are to be exiled into a far-off world.

“There are things that are beyond what we can do, Fate-chan. We can only do the best we can, placing our lives on the line for the sake of others.”

The cups of coffee felt cold now; as they both looked out the window… it was just a week after the incident. The victory belonged to them, but it was not the end of things, nor was everything perfect. It was just a first step to things… There is still a world of turbulence ahead of them.

Even if they’re living their dreams… the end is still far.

Some things didn't work out like I wanted, so there might be changes.