[Department of Research and Development, Escutcheon] [February 19th, MC 081] [1054 hours]
“Are you getting there?” Aurion’s faint voice called from behind some of the larger mainframes. Then, he mumbled something incoherent under his breath, which did not sound anything unlike a curse.
Mariel, who sat in front of a huge terminal, chuckled lightly.
“Hmm?” Aurion’s dark hair emerged like an island from the tops of the mainframes, and then his familiar fringe came out, and finally his surly-looking face. There were a slight hollowness to his face that was not there before, and it seemed more prominent when he frowned. Mariel felt a little sympathetic for her chief, who was commonly misunderstood for being ‘blithely cold’ toward other people when he was preoccupied.
He was not dark and brooding all the time, but he had been particularly busy this week, and would be probably be for the next few weeks after this. For four days after the meeting had been concluded, he had been working all the time (“… beginning from the wee hour of the morning,” as he so kindly put it when asked about his grumpiness) to settle all sorts of things and gathering materials necessary for various gadgets and items, not including the other normal duties he had to oversee (device maintenance, computer network stabilization, repairs, checks, and other related ones). He even had to go through an additional list of ‘special’ tasks specifically drawn up by Chrono, who insisted that these were perfectly his area of expertise. The one good thing from this was probably the commander letting him having full access and authority to various other areas that were otherwise forbidden to his naturally insatiable curiosity. Still, stress was slowly creeping up to him, and though he could handle it well, the effect was still felt. “What is it, Atenza?” he asked again, louder this time.
“Oh, nothing,” Mariel replied cheerily. “For one moment, I thought you were complaining. And that’s quite rare of you, Chief.”
Aurion twitched. He had this reaction for people who addressed him in what he considered ‘peculiar nicknames’ (which, to his misfortune, were quite many and varied, no thanks to inventiveness of the young minds). Furthermore, ‘Chief’ had been used exclusively by Almaria to address him until Mariel somehow found out it had a nice ring and decided to call him that (with her brand of a lyrical lilt at the end, making it cutely unbearable for him).
Deciding to ignore her form of address (since he would not be able to talk her out of it anyway), he disappeared beneath the mainframes again. “I wasn’t. I was trying to recall the codes for some equations and controls. They were sort of complicated, so I guess I mumbled a little.”
“Ah …” Mariel mouthed meaningfully without elaborating further. “My bad.” Her fingers resumed clicking on the keys, inputting a number of commands to the interface.
“However, I don’t believe in shutting up and just obediently doing my job,” Aurion continued. “I’ll complain as I see fit and do whatever it is I have to do all the same. Besides, complaining can be an outlet too.”
Mariel stopped. “So … you were complaining?” she tried again. Her ear was strained to hear his reply.
Aurion grunted after a short while. “In a way,” he said. “This room smells and feels like a surgical theater, even though it’s not as large or as comfortable as a real one. And I take it you know who’s responsible for this unnerving … sterility.”
“Oh,” Mariel replied. “Er, that … yeah, I guess.” She laughed nervously.
“It’s not like I’m against it or anything,” Aurion said, his voice muffled by the noise permeating the room. “It just feels … overly done. I can appreciate your personal attention to hygiene and cleanliness, but is it really necessary?”
“Is it that bad?” Mariel asked.
“Not really,” Aurion returned simply. “Like I said, it just feels excessive. The atmosphere seems a little oppressive to be conducive. Sometimes, whenever I came in, I had to wonder whether I came into the right room. Instead of reminding me of a research center, it keeps conjuring images of a morgue, or worse still, an infirmary religiously cleaned to the point of bacteria-free.” Then, he whispered under his breath, “… with Shamal in it.”
Mariel laughed. “Aren’t you being a little imaginative, Chief?”
“Probably,” Aurion said dismissively. “Anyway, just as long as it doesn’t interfere with your performance, I’m fine with it. We’re shorthanded as it is, and any more distraction won’t do us justice.”
“Affirmative, Chief!” Mariel enthused.
While department’s room was never dirtier than having the tiniest speck of dust on its many equipment, Mariel had taken it upon herself to meticulously sweep and dust it every day, even after the caretakers did them (to the point of almost surgical cleanliness, which would not be impossible if had she been able to secure the appropriate antiseptics). If anything, the department could be considered the cleanest place in the entire base, except for the infirmary where Shamal had also assumed a religious fervor to maintain its sparkling hygiene. Aurion was always wondering if Mariel and Shamal had a strange competition to see who would win a medal conferred to the most dirt-free area in the Escutcheon, but decided that the matter would be best approached with silent, albeit reluctant, acceptance of whatever they were doing.
“One more thing. Have the movers said anything about the boxes they put here temporarily? When are they taking them out?” Aurion asked.
“When they are finished with the office block,” Mariel answered. “There isn’t any equipment anyway, so it will serve as a temporary storeroom.”
“And when exactly will they be finished with the office block?” Aurion enquired further, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.
“As soon as possible,” Mariel said disconsolately.
“Figures,” he sighed.
Since the attack, the placement of equipment in the room was considerably messier than before. Wires were everywhere, sometimes stringed and looped around other cables, and safety sheaths ran in crisscross fashion around the room, shielding the more sensitive wirings from tripping and being tripped. Monitors blinked and beeped, keyboards flashed, and various other electronic paraphernalia shimmered and dazzled, almost as if they were lights from disco balls, only not as gaudy. There was a small square where a couch and an oval-shaped table were placed as a quick resting spot and, in light of the recent incident, also doubled as an improvised bed. Boxes were piled at odd corners around the room, cramping the space even further. Even the side-chamber housing the pantry had been reduced to temporary storage, much to Mariel’s chagrin (“At least they didn’t bury my favorite coffee there,” she once muttered cheerlessly as she watched her small glass jar of imported coffee powder now sitting uselessly in her locker, the brewer in the pantry inaccessible until the office was restored.). It did not, however, dampened Mariel’s spirit to continue on her daily whirlwind of cleaning spree which, surprisingly, Aurion could appreciate in keeping the room from feeling less like a dusty, claustrophobic dump-yard (though it did little to shake off his imagination of Shamal’s squeaky clean territory).
After several moments of contemplative silence, Aurion asked again, “Are you getting there?”
Her reverie broken, Mariel returned to the task at hand. “Yes, awaiting transfer.”
“Give me a moment …” Aurion said. A series of complex equations and calculations showed up on his screen, which his eyes scanned quickly. “All right, this should be good. Beginning transfer.”
Mariel’s monitor leapt to life, and various parameters began populating the screen. Her fingers danced with lightning precision on the large keyboard, sending a number of commands to the computer to complete the system. There was a low hum as the processor managed the required instructions, and then … a “Process complete!” notice was displayed on the screen.
“It’s done!” Mariel said cheerfully.
“Rightly so,” Aurion said wearily. “I didn’t work all four nights for this to be not done.” He stared at the items—some sort of tiny lenses—that were being programmed as per instruction in a small bubble of bluish light next to the large terminal. What a joke. They are not bigger than a thumb, but takes an incredibly long time to be completed, Aurion thought sourly. But, it was finally done, and he felt a heavy burden lifted off his shoulders. He grinned. “Finally, I can have some well-earned rest.”
“You said it, Chief,” Mariel agreed. She stretched herself on the chair. “I’ve never been so tired in my entire life.”
“Thanks,” Aurion said appreciatively. “You’ve been pulling an all-nighter as well, haven’t you?”
Mariel winked. “You’re welcome. But, my effort is nothing compared to yours.”
“All the same, all the same,” Aurion muttered. “It’s not like these will be finished before noon. Come now, let’s get out and have some fresh air. And while we’re at it, let’s grab something to eat. My treat.”
The offer had been so sudden Mariel merely blinked at him, uncomprehending. When he stood there gazing back at her, she blinked more. She even took down her glasses, rubbed her eyes, put them back on, and blinked again.
“Had I … said something wrong?” Aurion asked peculiarly.
“N-No …” Mariel mumbled.
“Then?”
“I’m too … surprised, that’s all,” Mariel answered.
“Ah …” Aurion left the word trailing meaningfully. “… In that case, when do you think you’ll get over the surprise?”
“Uhm …”
“Right. Just in case you haven’t, I’ll go on my own first, you can come later,” Aurion said. “Or you can always call for delivery if you want. Just don’t ask me to become the delivery boy.” With that, he walked through the automatic door.
Mariel smiled—Aurion had not changed.
* * * * *
The lunch was long and, in its own terms, rather eventful.
Mariel had rather graciously upped the offer for treat by calling some of the most expensive items from the menu. Instead of cringing, Aurion, with practiced coolness, displayed such a gentlemanly nobility to accept the full bill when it came. Only when they had left the restaurant did Aurion mutter in a low voice, “You’ll be working twenty-four-seven for the next month.”
Mariel merely looked at him breezily and replied, “I’m just glad there isn’t a twenty-fifth hour on the clock; otherwise, twenty-four hour sounds fine. It’s the normal working period, no?”
“Ah, right, I forgot,” Aurion said. “We can rest during our working hour.” And then, they both burst out laughing.
It was the norm for researchers like them. Most of the time, when they had work to do, they would be so terribly busy that lunch was officially not in their list of tasks to do (sometimes, it even completely disappeared from their instinctual needs as living creatures). Conversely, when they had to wait for results to be produced, it was usually several hours long, occasionally days, and that was when they could rest all they wanted, like today.
They walked back to the base discussing various matters, including the recent attack, new discoveries, and (to Aurion’s credit) even gossips. They mostly avoided talking about work, because they did it very often during their working time. While they were both employed in the same department, Aurion and Mariel specialized in different areas of magitech. During the time when they discussed how best to tackle the matter, each of them retained their strengths and shortcomings of their expertise and they typically deferred to the other best suited to solve the problem. In terms of experience, Aurion was Mariel’s senior, but he was a no-nonsense type of person when he knew Mariel’s method was more effective. Thus, in a sort of peculiar way, there was no clear distinction on who was mentor and who was protégé.
They returned to the laboratory to discover that the room had become even more cluttered, by an extra of three persons. “Good afternoon, Mariel-san, Oji-chan!” Hayate called, her face beaming. Nanoha and Fate turned around and expressed similar forms of greetings.
“Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan, Hayate-chan!” Mariel cried. “It’s such a surprise to see the three of you here. Have you been here long?”
“Oh, not really,” Fate answered, smiling. “We came about ten minutes ago. Your assistant said the two of you went out for lunch and should be returning soon, so we decided to wait.”
“Actually, we had nothing better to do,” Nanoha said rather sheepishly. “Yuuno and Arf went out for a walk with Vivio, Signum and Tesla are training with Agito and Reinforce Zwei, and Teana’s recuperating in the infirmary. Shamal gave us strict orders not to bother her, the poor girl.”
“I see …” Mariel said.
And almost at once, the quartet descended into swift catching-ups with one another in a fashion that was not unlike a coven of medieval witches, talking in low, whispery voices, their heads close to one another. There was an air of exciting conspiracy, a rather sinister cackle of laughter (which, surprisingly, came from Nanoha, lending her an uncanny impression of her moniker as the White Devil), and more hushed talks. Aurion, on the other hand, was completely shut out from the forbidden realm of womanly deliberations, and was thus rendered into nothing more than a lowly, invisible presence hovering on the precinct of their secretive exchange, but unable to hear anything. Even when he paced past them several times between going to the mainframes and the mother terminal, checking on the progress of his work, he was completely ignored, like he was air.
Aurion was not terribly annoyed with the conversation at first, but it gradually grew when loud peals of laughter (this time from Fate, Hayate, Nanoha, and Mariel, in that order) escaped them intermittently, distracting him from his work. Besides, they were standing in the direct path between the two locations he had to frequent, which he thought that they should have the decency of at least finding a better spot to hold their meeting than blocking the path. When they showed no sign of ending it soon, he finally decided that he should approach them.
“Ahem,” he cleared his throat politely.
There was no response.
It’s all right, they just didn’t hear me, Aurion thought. Once again, he cleared his throat, louder this time. “Ahem!”
There seemed to be an effect. Or not. They stirred slightly before Fate and Mariel laughed simultaneously, and then animatedly resumed their conversation as if nothing had happened.
“AHEM!”
Nanoha turned around and said primly, “Oji-chan, if you’re having a sore throat, you should go see Shamal.”
That’s it! They’re going to get it now!
With silent wrath, he trooped out from behind his mainframe, a dark, ominous-looking shadow coloring his expression. In five long strides, he reached them and was ready to deliver the ultimatum, when Mariel said cheerfully: “All right, I’ll leave you three to the Chief. I’ve been asked to oversee the reconstruction of the office block’s network and electrical system, so I’ll get going now. Later!” Turning around and flashing Aurion a quick, almost knowing smile, she left the room.
Instantly, the three Aces’ attention was focused on him, and Hayate gaily asked, “Yes, Oji-chan? Do you have something to say?”
“You look terribly upset,” Fate remarked. “Is something the matter?”
Their reaction was so disarming—all three looking concerned and worried—that Aurion’s anger had all but evaporated. Grudgingly, he asked, “Why are the three of you here?” There was a purposeful edge to his voice that was meant to show his slight annoyance, but clearly the message went unnoticed for the Aces.
Rather cheerfully, Nanoha said, “We’ve done some plans for device upgrades, and we want to discuss whether they are feasible. This will help us a lot in the upcoming battles.” Hayate and Fate nodded.
“Ah, is that so?” Aurion said, his usual demeanor returning. “Took the three of you long enough to broach the topic.”
“Huh?” The three of them blinked, missing the point.
Aurion sighed. “Forget about it.” He took a seat on a rolling executive chair beside the mainframe, and made himself comfortable. “Get some chairs. Let’s see what you’ve all got in your plans. I haven’t seen you all for some time, so this better be good.”
“You missed us?” Fate teased.
“Not terribly so,” Aurion said frivolously, giving a small smile. “A little, that’s all.”
“That’s very mean of you, Oji-chan,” Hayate chided him.
“Oh, I don’t think I’m any meaner than nieces who don’t pay their dear uncle a visit now and then,” Aurion countered mildly.
“We just didn’t want to bother you,” Fate said defensively. “You know you’re the kind who doesn’t like to be distracted.”
“Still doesn’t mean that I won’t entertain any visit,” Aurion replied. “Especially from my nieces. But, seeing as you’re here today and I’m feeling magnanimous, you’re all pardoned.” He winked slyly.
“Oh, aren’t you the gracious one, Oji-chan? We’re eternally grateful for your wonderful kindness,” Nanoha said, bowing flagrantly.
The four of them burst into laughter.
“Right, now that that’s over, let’s see the upgrade plans,” Aurion said. Nanoha and Fate drew their chairs, but Hayate remained standing. “Hayate?”
“Uhm …” Hayate began hesitantly.
Before she could continue, Nanoha launched into a rapid-fire summary in a single breath: “She has all the plans down in writing but absolutely cannot stay around any longer because she’ll be having a romantic and private date with his Prince Charming who will come and fetch her on a marvelous white horse in ten minutes,” She gave Hayate a devious wink when she finished.
“Nanoha-chan!” the brunette cried, aghast. Fate could not help but chuckle.
“I see,” Aurion said after the revelation. “In that case, leave your device here.”
“But—”
“Don’t worry, Hayate. If you’re ever in an emergency and needed to use your device at once, you can always retrieve it at will. “Not that I foresee anything will happen with Grandis looking after you,” Aurion said calmly. Then he smiled deviously. “If enemies appear, I imagine you can take on the role of a high-school cheerleader if you don’t feel like to fight. That ought to do the trick nicely.”
“Oji-chan!” Hayate cringed amidst Nanoha and Fate’s uncontrollable chortles.
“Now, now, the device, please. You don’t have much time to waste, young lady,” Aurion said, extending one hand forward. Grudgingly, she summoned the heavy tome into her hand and gave it to him together with her necklace that bore a small golden Belkan cross, the storage form for Schwertkreuz. “Anyway, I don’t think yours will be difficult to upgrade. Tiara stores battle data, so the transition should be smooth. Unless you have ridiculous requests in your upgrade plan.”
Hayate chuckled. “I’m glad that I have none.”
“Good,” Aurion said, smiling. “Now, off you go, Cinderella. Be back before midnight, or your enchantments will be gone.” Nanoha and Fate let out another storm of laughter.
“Why, thank you very much, fairy godfather,” she replied sarcastically. She gave the three of them a withering look before turning on her heels and marching off to the door. Before she closed it, she flashed them a quick wink and left, humming cheerfully to herself.
“She’s boundless with energy, isn’t she?” Nanoha remarked.
Fate nodded. “And rather a handful, too,” she added.
“It’s probably the prospect of her getting to meet Grandis making her that way,” Aurion observed. “Then again, she’s changed a lot since last time. If anything, her former self-blaming attitude and that part of her with the defeatist nature have been overcome. And with your optimism probably rubbing off on her, Nanoha, it is no surprise that she has a lot of things to look forward to.”
“Oh, Oji-chan, you’re flattering me too much,” Nanoha said.
“Those are facts,” Aurion answered. “Anyway, are you two just going to sit there and wait for me to beg on my knees for the plans, or are you going to give them to me now?”
“Oh, right!” Nanoha and Fate quickly passed him their plans (electronic documents were niftily handy for this purpose). A holoscreen popped out of the thin air, and lines of words quickly filled the display. The room fell silent as Aurion skimmed through the plans, beginning with Fate’s and then Nanoha’s. His brows were knitted in a deep frown as he continued reading, until at one point they almost appeared as if they had been joined together. Then, the frown disentangled all together.
He was done.
“Well, how was it?” Fate asked rather timidly after seeing Aurion’s heavy-looking face.
Aurion did not answer immediately. Instead, he gazed quietly at the faces of his two self-claimed nieces. Nanoha and Fate found his deep dark eyes unnerving, even more so when he was assuming the appraising stance. Not wanting to be seen uneasy, Nanoha pressed Aurion for the answer. “Well?”
The professor turned slowly to her. His eyes were almost like daggers, and Nanoha quailed a little despite herself. Then, he sighed. “If you really want to know, they’re problematic. Majorly.”
“In what ways?” Fate asked.
Aurion turned back to her. “We’ll begin with yours, Fate. By comparison, I think yours is more acceptable than Nanoha’s. The concept is sound, but the application is risky, and may even backlash if used without preparation. You’re just going to kill yourself without the enemy dirtying his hands,” he said without biting his words.
“I don’t suppose you think it’s doable with some modifications?” Fate asked rather disappointedly.
“We could tinker a little, yes, but not much. Essentially, your plans for Sanguine Riot drain your personal mana pool faster than you can launch the attack. If your timing is off, you might find yourself in big trouble, Fate,” Aurion said. “The first part of the trinity is a rather powerful capture-type spell; if you miss it, you’re going to be out of a huge portion of your mana reserves. On the other hand, if you manage to pull it off, you have a big chance of recouping the loss in the second and third parts. Even so, there’s an innate risk of not being able to do them all together. It requires too much focus. Plus, while your speed is greatly enhanced in this form, your defenses suffer as well. The defense for this form is even worse than when you’re in New Sonic Form.”
“I notice,” Fate admitted. “But, speed is essential to pull this off, and if I’m careful enough, it’d provide me with enough advantage to evade most attacks. As long as the enemy is in the range of the seal, it shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, luring them into it is possible with my speed.”
“I’ll grant you that much,” Aurion said. “Still, I can’t shake off the feeling that you’re risking too much for this improvement. If I were you, I’d trade off some of the speed for slightly greater defense without compromising either attribute. The human eye is limited—Sonic Move is already too fast for most to catch up, so you don’t need so high a speed to zip around. Also, since this is really a chained action, there’s no need for you to expend a large amount of mana for each part; flexibility in the chain is necessary to give you a better edge in battle. Recycling some of what you used would be good, and with your personal incantation, it should be easier. Given some modifications, we can also limit the mana consumption for the seal by a justifiable amount, giving you enough opportunity for the next chain. These are my recommendations. If you agree, we’ll proceed with this.”
“… You’re not giving me any choice, are you?” Fate muttered.
“As a matter of fact, yes, you don’t have a choice,” Aurion said, a deviously amused expression on his face. “So, that’s that.” He smirked, much to Fate’s annoyance. But, behind that smirk was a considerable amount of shrewdness, which Fate noticed as well. While Aurion may sound harsh, he was also wise enough to help rectify problems that appeared in the issue (though his style of putting it through could be difficult for those who did not know him well enough, resulting in his rather poor ‘first impression’, as many put it). Fate returned the smile; she had to concede that Aurion was not wrong in his recommendations and they were sound enough without restraining her abilities.
“Good, good, glad we could come to terms with it,” Aurion said, nodding more to himself than to the other two. Then, he turned to face Nanoha. “And as for you, young lady …”
“No go?” Nanoha asked directly.
“Not … exactly,” Aurion said, surprised at Nanoha’s sudden impulse. “Let’s see here, now … you have two forms for your upgrade. One is good, the other bad.”
“Let me guess, the bad is Starlight Mode?” Nanoha picked up on the hint.
Aurion nodded. “If you’ve known the outcome, then you shouldn’t be showing it to me. What gives?”
“… Nothing,” Nanoha said rather glumly.
“You know, you just showed the opposite thing. We’ve been friends long enough to know if you’re troubled,” Fate cajoled. “Tell us what’s wrong.”
A dark, brooding silence descended on Nanoha. Among the Aces, she was known to be the optimistic one, who never bowed to failures or difficulties even when the odds were stacked against her. She had gone through many harrowing events, once nearly losing her life, but she fought on, her willpower pitted against death. Eventually, she was triumphant, and she recovered well enough and was able to return to the field of battle. In the pages of history to follow, Nanoha became the shining beacon of hope of the people she served. However, no matter how great a person she was and how powerful a magic she wielded, she was a human, meant to go through life’s vagaries as any other would. She was destined to experience pain, sadness, joy, pleasure, all the smallness and the vastness of living. Humans, no matter how tough, were frail entities, with weaknesses and flaws of being one. Nanoha was not exempt of the rule, and that whom she loved the most was also her chief vulnerability …
“It’s Vivio,” Nanoha said slowly.
Aurion stole a quick inquiring glance at Fate, who shook her head slightly. She, too, did not know what Nanoha meant. “What’s wrong with Vivio, Nanoha?” Fate asked gently.
“I don’t really know,” Nanoha admitted. “Ever since the incident in the Wakatsu Megacomplex, she seems to have … changed. On the surface, she appears perky and all right, but deep down inside, I can feel that something is disturbing her. She eats less these days, and I’ve caught her many times seemingly distant and unfocused, staring into space looking at things that weren’t there. There were times when she cried alone, but she denied them whenever I asked. It could be her trauma, like Leona-chan said. I thought it’s a short-term effect and that she’d recover after several days, but this doesn’t seem to be the case …”
“Are you sure you’re not looking too much into this, Nanoha?” Aurion asked. A tinge of worry had crept into his voice as well.
Nanoha shook her head. “I don’t know. I’d have liked myself to dwell too much on the matter than seeing Vivio suffering in silence. I want to help her go through this so much that my heart feels as if it’s being sliced into ribbons every time she shakes her head and says she’s fine, giving me that innocent smile of hers. I feel so … useless,” she sighed.
Fate gave Nanoha a warm, compassionate hug and squeezed her shoulders. “It’s all right, Nanoha. Vivio is a strong girl, and she’s been through a lot herself. I’m sure she’ll be able to get over this hurdle as well. Besides, we’re all here for her and you, and we’ll do our best to help as well. Don’t worry too much and make yourself sick. You won’t do either her or yourself any justice that way.” Aurion nodded encouragingly.
Nanoha looked at the two of them. Then, she laid her hand on Fate’s that was on her shoulder, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Yes, I know. Thanks, I feel better now.” She smiled.
“This is the Nanoha we all know and love,” Fate said, smiling as well.
“Well, as much as you want to help Vivio through the difficult phase, it’s quite understandable,” Aurion said. “But, I don’t see the relation between the issue and your upgrade plans.”
Nanoha smiled sheepishly. “They are not directly related. Part of Vivio’s condition is really my fault, however. She suffers because I wasn’t strong enough to protect her back then, which led to her capture and torment in the hands of Jail Scaglietti. If only I am stronger …”
“Need I remind you that your definition of ‘stronger’ borders almost on the suicidal?” Aurion said caustically. “Yes, getting stronger is admirable and encouraged, but doing it the wrong way simply is not. You still haven’t recovered from the debilitation from the last battle on the Cradle, am I right?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then, you might as well drop Starlight Mode from your upgrade,” Aurion cut across her firmly. “As far as I approve, Final Excellion is fine and sufficient enough as a boost with the streamlined power collection and magical energy distribution; the extra defensive power and speed upgrade complement your style nicely. Starlight Mode is simply not possible. While the Blaster System has been improved over these years, the inherent risk of pushing yourself past the limit s still present. I won’t put it past your recklessness to restrain your power output when you’re in that form. Four Blaster Bits already did this much damage to you, and now you want six? That’s just the folly of a fool.”
“Oji-chan, please, hear me out first,” Nanoha said calmly. “I have taken a personal consideration on the matter, and I believe I didn’t rush my thoughts on the change.”
Aurion raised an eyebrow. “All right, I’m all ears.” Fate turned her focus to her close friend as well, intrigued by what Nanoha had in mind.
“I admit that I haven’t recovered my magical powers since the battle on the Cradle,” Nanoha began. “My ability is still down by eight percent. However, after our discovery that my power may be permanently lost, we’ve taken steps to prevent further damage from accumulating. As much as it weakens me, I have my power currently restrained by various limiters in addition to the common military ones, and Raising Heart has been tuned by you yourself, Oji-chan, to control my power output without compromising my fighting prowess. Shamal has taken it upon herself to personally monitor my conditions all the time.”
“What’s the latest report?” Fate enquired.
“Nothing,” Nanoha said, shaking her head. “It doesn’t seem that all the precautions have improved my magic powers at all.”
“You’re mistaking improvement to mean restoring your magic powers to the original level,” Aurion remarked. “The true function of all the steps has always been to prevent further damage, as you noticed much earlier.”
Nanoha nodded. “Given that no damage has been incurred during the period of administration, it is logical to assume that my power would have seen some form of recovery, however slight.”
“And since it hasn’t, that means …” Fate trailed off.
“The condition has stabilized?” Aurion wagered.
Nanoha nodded again. “That’s how Shamal and I see it. Neither of us is truly certain if this was the case, but it’s the best explanation we have at the moment.”
“I see,” Aurion said. “Hence, you assume that since your loss is tentatively permanent, you should be able to give out a hundred percent of your power from your current reserve without causing more damage to yourself?” It was more a statement than a question, which Nanoha agreed with an inclination of her head. “Hmm …” Aurion looked thoughtful for a moment. “What do you personally think, Nanoha?”
“About?” Nanoha asked, perplexed.
“About your true condition,” Aurion said succinctly.
Nanoha became silent for a moment. “I … I don’t really know.”
“Good answer, I couldn’t have agreed more with you,” Aurion replied, smiling. Then, his expression became serious. “While the case can be argued from both points of view, we simply don’t have a definite answer to it. Being so, I’m afraid that I still can’t allow Starlight Mode to be approved. With a fifty-fifty chance of either reasoning being correct, the risk is too great for your own good. As the Device Meister, it’s my duty to ensure that my users don’t kill themselves from wielding powers beyond their capabilities. You should understand this.”
“But—”
“Nanoha, listen to Oji-chan,” Fate said gently. “We understand how you feel about trying to get stronger, but doing it the wrong way is not permissible. What will Vivio think when she knows that you’re pushing yourself to become stronger for her sake, but at the expense of your own life? She’ll be more devastated than this. She wouldn’t want this to happen to you, and so do we.”
“I know …” Nanoha muttered quietly. “It’s just that I feel …”
“Helplessness is not reason enough for this foolhardy upgrade, Nanoha,” Aurion advised. “Personally, I’d have allowed the upgrade had your condition been confirmed, but in its current uncertainty, it’s best that we take prudence on the issue. We can always reuse the plan when your circumstance is better.”
“I guess …” Nanoha said sullenly.
Aurion watched her with mixed feelings. “… Oh, all right. You’re simply incorrigible, Nanoha. If you really want some consolation, I’ll install the mode into Raising Heart, but you cannot access it without surpassing the required levels of magical energy higher than your present one. Let me warn you, though, that it won’t be as small as a one- or two-percent, and it simply won’t manifest if you push yourself past your limits. Understand?” There was a final tone in his voice that broached no further argument.
“Oji-chan, be reasonable! What’s the use if I can’t utilize it?” Nanoha hissed in a tight voice.
“What’s the use, you ask?” Aurion began grimly, his black eyes flinty. “Let’s see, to lift you out of this miserable mood of yours that’s starting to look like you’re desperately in need of psychological attention because of unnecessary, willful depression? To finish this business of ‘I-am-so-helpless-and-weak’ self-admonishment that’s going to do nobody any good? Seriously, Nanoha, this isn’t you. Get a grip on reality, or you’ll really lose what you want to protect the most—Vivio.”
His heavy, final word seemed to take on a life of its own—for a brief instant, a cold glow flared to life within his eyes and, within the clarified depths, Nanoha saw the image of she who was no longer herself. Her mirror was a miserable slave fallen to sorrow, a wretched being enthralled to hopelessness. Gone were her light of joy, snuffed by despair. Vanished was her smile that had always brought happiness to others and herself, smeared by needless worry.
She disgusted even herself so much that she recoiled from it. As if her soul was sucked back into herself when she glimpsed the horror of her own selfish wishes, she regained her senses that were loss in the pits of her misery. The sense of dread and trepidation gripping her loosened, and the inexplicable clamp of despair fell away. Her confrontational edge became blunted, and her pent-up frustration dissipated, leaving her chest free of the burden of suffering. Slowly, a sense of calm enveloped her, and she breathed easier despite the shallowness of her respiration.
“I … I am very sorry, Oji-chan, Fate-chan,” Nanoha said slowly, looking apologetically at the two of them. “I guess I nearly … lost it, huh?”
Fate gave Nanoha a warm hug. “Don’t worry too much about it. You’re just too tensed up, that’s all. Releasing some of it out is good.”
“Naturally,” Aurion said, his expression softening. “If you’ve persisted in your stand, I’d have sent for Shamal immediately. I expect her to be quite upset with your new anomaly and she’d use her very best and secret medical techniques just to rid it of your system.”
“Oji-chan, that’s a very horrible way of putting it into perspective,” Nanoha mumbled weakly.
“Ah, at least we understand each other,” Aurion said, not unkindly. He even had a benign, almost paternal smile on his face. “Well, now that you’ve gotten over your despondency, are you well enough to consider your upgrade plans?”
“Yes,” Nanoha said firmly. “I’d like them to follow your recommendations.”
“That’s fast,” Aurion replied, arching a curious eyebrow. “So, Final Excellion is permissible, while Starlight Mode is only usable when you’ve met the requirements?”
Nanoha nodded. “I’ll take the challenge to unlock Starlight Mode as a motivation to become stronger in the right way,” she added, smiling.
“Very good,” Aurion praised. “That’s the Nanoha I like best: perky, energetic, and always optimistic.” Almost casually, he patted her head like a doting father would on a much-loved daughter. Nanoha went pink in the cheeks despite herself, which drew Aurion and Fate’s hearty chuckles.
“I’m just glad that you’ve gotten over it,” Fate said, a warm smile upon her lips.
“Sorry to have worried the both of you,” Nanoha replied. “Vivio’s unhappiness kind of put me on an unreasonable impulse. I just wish there’s something I can do to help her.”
“You can by being at her side,” Aurion said. “Your presence comforts her.”
“Slightly, I guess,” Nanoha sighed. “Isn’t there any other way we can help her get through her depression?”
“Some form of therapies may help her, but unfortunately, I don’t think any of us in the base knows how. Even Shamal doesn’t,” Aurion said.
“Oji-chan, you know psychology, don’t you? Can’t you do anything?” Nanoha asked almost pleadingly.
Aurion stared at Nanoha for a moment. Then, he said, “Well, I can try, if you’re willing to risk the same thing that happened during your own little treatment. I take it you still remember how it went, no?” Nanoha blanched on the memory and did not say a word. “Your reaction pretty much says it all. On second thought, we’ll pass on that idea. As much as I’m knowledgeable in psychology, I’m not officially licensed to perform. My treatment is more instinctive than methodical, so complications may happen for different individuals. Secondly, I’m terribly busy these days, and I am rather sure that Harlaown has more tasks on his damned list for me to do. If I made any mistake because of these distractions, it’ll be disastrous. And then you’ll be screaming loud enough to be heard from here until the Ground Forces’ Headquarters, chasing after my blood. I think I’d prefer to keep my head on my neck a little longer, even though I’m very much intrigued to witness you in your … ‘White Devil’ mode.” He winked playfully, much to Nanoha’s annoyance.
An idea came to Fate. “Maybe Leona?” the blonde suggested. “After all, she was the one who diagnosed Vivio’s condition in the first place. She should have some knowledge on the matter, and can probably …” Fate trailed off in her line of thought, and became unusually silent. “… Speaking of which, has any of you seen her around?”
“I haven’t,” Aurion said. Nanoha shook her head in assent. “Is there something wrong?”
“Well … to be honest, I don’t really know myself,” Fate admitted. “I went to look for Xeno two mornings before, but he seemed oddly agitated. When I asked something, he mumbled unintelligible words a lot of times, and then asked what my questions were again when I broke his reverie. I’ve never seen him so out of form before.”
“I’d agree that much,” Aurion said. “While Graymist may not look like it, he has a serious countenance when it comes to performing his duties. He may be more playful than Sunstrider, but he can distinguish between work and leisure most of the time.”
“Yes, I have the same thoughts myself,” Fate concurred. “He wouldn’t tell me what’s on his mind, so I thought it’d be better if I asked Kratos or Gabriel. Very surprisingly, they were also evasive and uncommunicative when I approached them. Kratos was very quiet and, like Xeno, did not tell me anything. Gabriel merely said, ‘Oh … we’re all fine … honestly …’ before making an excuse to get away.”
“That is very peculiar indeed,” Nanoha said, looking thoughtful. “Maybe a quarrel or something happened between the three of them? Have you asked Leona-chan about them?”
“Sadly, no,” Fate said, shaking her head. “The assistants I asked told me that Leona seemed to have isolated herself in her room, coming out only to get some foods or drinks. Other than that, they said she looked weary, pale, and sad. I don’t know if it’s related to the other three or not, though.”
“Chances are, it is,” Aurion noted.
“Probably,” Fate said. “Hayate bumped into her yesterday, but didn’t get to find out much. They had only a small talk before Leona excused herself politely, even when Hayate insisted for her to go out for some drinks. And this is perhaps just Hayate’s gut feeling, but she thought Leona was trying to distance herself, as if trying to hide something from us.”
“Something big must have happened,” Nanoha observed. “The four of them have been together for a long time and their relationship is, if anything, strong. Kratos, Xeno, and Gabriel respect Leona-chan very much. She can be stern at times, but I don’t think that’s the reason behind their sudden change of behavior. It’s very unusual for them to just suddenly enter a cold war without a good basis.”
“I thought so too,” Fate said. “From the looks of it, the rift seems to be occurring between the three of them and Leona. I can feel some sort of tension among them, but the issue causing it eludes me. I do hope it’s nothing serious.”
Aurion tapped his chin thoughtfully. “If it’s something this significant that affects all four of them at the same time, it’s probably related to their shared history. It’s quite unlikely that one or two disagreements would cause them all to be so upset. Unfortunately, we don’t know too much about them to be of any good help. Their involvement in the Department of Intelligence is well-known, but so is their ability to keep silent about their deeper achievement and background. In fact, I think we know more about Verossa than we do the four of them. Tyriel, especially, is very inconspicuous if you don’t take a vested interest in her. Even if you do, there’s only so much that you can know. The rest of her is really mysterious.” There was a strange hint of amusement in his voice, which drew curious looks from Fate and Nanoha, but he smiled at them and waved dismissively, preventing them from asking further.
“That’s true. Even we don’t know much about her, despite having met her four years ago,” Nanoha said. “Come to think of it, much of her is still unknown to us now.”
“Hmm, onii-chan probably knows her best, since he was the one who brought her back from her home-planet,” Fate reminisced. “From what I remember, it was really a tragic story. Leona had really suffered a lot back then. She lost everything, including her family and friends, in that incident.”
“Commander Harlaown took care of her, didn’t he?” Aurion said. “If I remember correctly, he was put on a two-year suspension because of the action he took on Tyriel’s home-planet, Miliene. During that period of time, he was looking after her. If the incident on Duraxyll II did not occur, he wouldn’t have been called back by Admiral Lowran to investigate the matter. Even then, he was placed on probation.”
“As strange as it may sound, I still don’t believe that it actually happened,” Nanoha said. “While the war on Miliene was bad and bordering on causing cataclysmic dimensional distortion, for Chrono to take such a drastic action on the planet seemed surreal. While further damage had been prevented, it also caused the loss of many lives on the planet. Chrono does not strike me as being that cold and heartless a person.”
“It’s quite circumstantial, I believe,” Fate said. “In a war, a leader has to make decisions, and sometimes they may not go down well with most people. Remember the incident with the Book of Darkness? If we had not prevented it from deteriorating further, Mother might be forced to use Arc-en-Ciel to destroy the tampered defense program, which would also wipe out a huge area on the face of Earth. I think it’s the same with onii-chan in this case.”
“I suppose so,” Nanoha agreed. “If his alternatives were closed and he had only that option remaining, then he had no choice but to do it, even if it was against his principles.”
“It wasn’t as bad as it sounded,” Aurion said. “Given his action was deemed unpopular, the commander’s record was not tarnished badly. In fact, I think Harlaown and Admiral Lowran arranged it so that he would be temporarily suspended.”
“Why do you say so?” Fate asked.
“To put it in perspective, firstly, it would show that they were not showing any favoritism in their ranks,” Aurion explained. “The Miliene Incident happened during the time of great upheaval in the Bureau. The assassination of the High Council and the conspiracy between Jail Scaglietti and Regius Gaiz caused quite a stir in the hierarchy. A lot of investigations were carried out by the Departments of Defense, Internal Affairs, and Intelligence to sniff out such possible conspirators, whether directly or indirectly. Justifying Harlaown’s action might not go well with the investigators, and by consensual agreement, they took this course of action. If not, Harlaown might be put even under more scrutiny and more problems might crop up.”
“That sounds quite logical,” Nanoha agreed. “By indicting Chrono’s action, they minimized the friction between them and the investigators. Of course, it’s not to say that they actually had any sort of malicious conspiracies, but less trouble is always welcome.”
Aurion nodded. “Secondly, since Tyriel lost everything, they needed someone to look after and arrange things for her. She was acquainted with Harlaown when he rescued her, which made things simpler. With the scrutiny thrown off from them, Harlaown could do this relatively easier. The third may or may not be the case, but somehow, I think it’s related to Tyriel herself.”
“What do you mean?” Nanoha asked.
“I don’t really know how to explain it, but Tyriel’s more than meets the eyes,” Aurion said. “On the outlook, she appears as any other normal people would, but I suspect she is much more than what others give her credit for.”
“Like, she’s a wanted criminal or something?” Fate suggested, sounding incredulous even to herself.
“No, nothing of the sort,” Aurion said, laughing. “Simply said, she’s tied up in the entire affair far more deeply than what was revealed on the surface. She isn’t exactly what you’d call … normal, if you get to know her more.”
“Well, she’s not called a genius for nothing,” Nanoha said. “She excels in a lot of areas, even those that many people find uninteresting. Combat, tactics, science, philosophy, engineering, magic, she knows them all better than many other experts in those fields.”
“Which is the point, Nanoha,” Aurion pointed out. “She’s too good for her own good, and that’s probably the reason why Harlaown wanted to throw the investigative trail off her. Admiral Lowran, Harlaown’s mother Lindy-san and possibly Amy might have designed the plan themselves.”
“Are you suspecting that she possesses some kind of unknown power that might trigger the interests of other people, especially those with ulterior motives?” Fate implied.
“It’s highly likely,” Aurion said, nodding. “Even if she doesn’t have that kind of power and everything comes naturally to her, a lot of people would be attracted to her rare talent. To prevent the curiosity from getting too close for comfort, Harlaown did what he could to protect her.”
“I can see where you’re coming from,” Fate said thoughtfully. “If that’s the case, she and everyone did a very good job of protecting her secret. Either that, or her survival instinct is particularly strong and active.”
“You’re referring to her disappearance two years ago, right?” Nanoha asked. Fate nodded.