[DezoPenguin]

Spoiler for Stahlkönigin--Chapter 27:

Beep.

It impacted dully on her consciousness, a sound at the very fringes of her dreams.

Beep.

It was annoying, she thought vaguely. Discordant. It didn't fit in with the other thoughts that drifted idly through her mind.

Beep.

It came rhythmically, at precise intervals. That implied meaning and purpose. This vaguely disquieted her, as an unknown purpose might constitute a threat.

Beep.

She had better check this out, she decided, and opened her eyes.

"She's awake!" Nanoha exclaimed. Full consciousness rushed back in on Vivio as she saw her mother's desperately relived face. She was lying in a medical bed, surrounded by the usual diagnostic equipment, one panel of which was the source of the beeping sound that had played alarm clock.

"I told you that she'd be fine, Nanoha," Shamal said.

"Then why are you here like the rest of us, eh?" Vita said dryly. Shamal, however, was not to be baited.

"For the same reason Signum and Zafira are here, and the fact that this is my patient in my medical wing," she riposted. Vita just grumbled. "Now, Vivio," she continued, "you're currently suffering from--"

"The people," Vivio interrupted. "What happened? I remember that I couldn't hold the Stahl-Festung any longer and Mama's spell knocked me for a loop--"

"Everyone's fine," Nanoha told her, smiling. For a moment Vivio had the thought that maybe her mother was lying to her so as not to depress her during recovery, but Nanoha would never have been able to fake beaming proudly the way she was. "The only part that got out barely reached the ground-floor windows; a few people had minor cuts from broken glass from standing too close when they shattered, but were easily treated by paramedics with healing magic. You actually took the worst of it because you were standing right next to the shield when it went down.

"That's embarrassing," Vivio muttered. "The last time you dropped a Starlight Breaker on me I didn't even pass out and I was five years old."

Vita cracked up laughing.

"We can tell she's your kid all right, Nanoha!"

"Mou..."

"If it's any consolation you were actually knocked out by hitting your head on the pavement when the blast knocked you down," Shamal explained. "You had a concussion, which thankfully we were able to properly treat through healing magic so as not to risk any possibility of brain damage."

Vivio groaned.

"I swear, we front-line types would all be vegetables by the time we were thirty if it wasn't for you healers, Shamal."

"Now why exactly is it that your student gets that, Vita, but you don't?"

"'Cause for most of my existence our physical bodies would be healed and reset to base by the Guardian Knight program, so there was no such thing as permanent injury?"

Vivio shifted in bed, and it was then she realized that the familiar weight around her right wrist of Parsifal's standby-mode bracelet was missing.

"Parsifal?" Her gaze flicked around the room, seeking her device and not finding it. "Where's Parsifal?" She remembered his core cracking near the end, and cold fear shot through her. "Was he--?"

"Mariel-san has her downstairs in the lab," Nanoha said. "He was badly damaged, so the repairs could take up to several weeks to complete, but he should be all right when it's all done."

"Mari did say something about taking the chance to install some upgrades while she had him in the shop," Vita noted. "You might want to check in just to make sure he doesn't come out with chrome trim and a turbocharger...whatever those are."

Vivio blushed, before realizing that the fact that she had a car nut mama and so would understand was why Mariel had picked those terms to tease her with by proxy.

Probably.

Maybe a visit to the device lab wouldn't hurt.

"So everyone's all right, then? That's good," Vivio said and leaned back.

"Can I finish up with you, then?" Shamal muttered testily.

"It's logical enough that she'd ask about others first, considering," Signum spoke up for the first time.

"Indeed. It speaks well of her and confirms our decision," Zafira agreed.

Huh? Confirms what?

"Yes, but it's very annoying to a doctor attempting to report a diagnosis to the patient."

"I'm all ears," Vivio said, "just like Zaffy."

Shamal blushed delicately. Vivio guessed she thought Zafira's ears were cute, or maybe that his superhuman hearing range was somehow useful in ways she didn't want to think about.

"A-anyway, you're suffering from a severe Linker Core drain. You pushed yourself to your utmost, and then maintained your Limit Break for two full seconds after Kaiser Mode failed. It badly overtaxed your Linker Core and resulted in a near-complete shutdown."

"Will I be all right?"

Shamal nodded.

"Oh, yes; there's no permanent damage. You should be fully restored in seven to ten days, but no magic use until then or you risk interfering with the healing process."

"So it's like way back when you stole my Linker Core, Shamal-sensei?" Nanoha asked.

"Actually, that's a very good analogy. Vivio's Linker Core was drained but not damaged, and will recover naturally." Her face suddenly fell into that caring-yet-concerned expression that meant she was about to give a patient bad news. "Um, but Vivio, when I say 'not damaged' and 'recover,' I am referring only to this incident. The damage you suffered as a child isn't going to reverse itself."

"That's okay, Shamal; I didn't expect that it would. But thanks for making sure that I know, because false hope is awful."

The mention of hope made her glance around the room again. Nanoha was there, and all the Wolkenritter, but not Fate. That was odd, since Fate was much more of a worrywart about Vivio's health than Nanoha.

"Where's Fate-mama? Did she have to go back to work?"

"The apparent leader of the terrorists, whom they think planned everything, wasn't among the people we captured while rescuing the McLarens, or at the site where the N4 was destroyed. Testarossa went to apprehend him."

"That's good. How did she find him?"

"Apparently, Sonoma used the same debit account to purchase tickets for his escape as he used to pay for the coffee at the Brass Ring at his second meeting with Captain McLaren. While the account was a prepaid, certified one and therefore connected with no identification, address, or other user data in and of itself, the purchase records are updated in the issuer's computer to track the remaining balance. A peril of our virtually cashless society."

"Go, mama," Vivio said with a smile. Signum's explanation, though, reminded her of another question. "What's going to happen to Captain McLaren now?"

Signum folded her arms over her breasts.

"He's a criminal. He gave nearly unrestricted computer access to a terrorist group that nearly resulted in the loss of millions of lives and a crippling blow to the TSAB military which could have resulted in countless further deaths across multiple worlds while coping with the repurcussions."

"But he didn't know that! And he did it for his family, to protect them!"

"That's part of the point. He's proven where his loyalties lie, that he'll choose the people he loves over his duty. That's a valid choice as a human being, but not for a soldier. But in light of the circumstances, the fact that the crisis was averted, and that the information he provided was a key part in enabling us to actually stop the terrorists, Mistress Hayate pushed for the criminal charges to be suppressed. McLaren was permitted to take early retirement without a mark on his record."

"That's good. Wait...was permitted? How long was I out?"

"It's only one-thirty," Nanoha said. "It's just that Hayate-chan made that decision while martial law was still in effect. Since she was the supreme military authority for the district during that time, it meant that she didn't have to clear it with anyone else. She accepted his retirement, so the matter became closed and final."

"Nobody does sneaky like Aunt Hayate," Vivio said approvingly.

"Yeah, although the people in this room aren't exactly the best people to be judging 'subtle.'"

Myself, Nanoha-mama, and the Wolkenritter, Vivio noted, and giggled. "You have a point, Vita-sensei."

"Which brings us to the next step. Nanoha, would you mind stepping back?"

"What? Why?"

"'Cause you're not a Wolkenritter, okay?"

"Um...all right. Do you want me to leave?"

"Nah, just stand back."

Nanoha got up from her seat by the bed. Shamal took the chair out of the way and came up to stand next to Vita, while Signum and Zafira moved up on the other side.

"Are you sure you don't want to do this, Vita? It would be proper, as she is your student," Signum asked.

"Nah. You're the leader. besides, I'd probably mess up half of the words."

"Very well."

Light surged through the room and the Wolkenritter were suddenly clad in their knightly armor, with Laevatein and Graf Eisen in their weapon form. All four of them had turned their eyes directly to Vivio, who was all of a sudden extremely nervous. They didn't look hostile, but extremely serious nonetheless.

"Um...what's going on?"

"Takamachi Vivio," Signum declared. "By the word of your master, you have attained skill in the magical arts of Belka and in the techniques of battle. You have demonstrated your dedication to the ideals of fidelity, honor, and justice. You have sacrificed your personal pride for the sake of your sworn duty, and you have freely risked yourself for the sake of the lives of others. By these testaments you have proven your worth."

She swept Laevatein out so that the point was roughly a foot above Vivio's forehead. Thankfully, the flat of the sword was facing down rather than the edge or it might have seemed a little ominous.

"Do you swear to uphold your liege's honor loyally, obeying his commands in all things save when conscience demands otherwise, and stating so directly if needful rather than fearing reprisal?"

"If by 'liege' you mean my service in the TSAB military, then yes." This sounds awfully familiar, somehow... Then it came to her where she'd read lines like Signum was reciting and her heart skipped a beat.

"Do you swear to maintain your honor above all worldly concerns, taking pride not in glory or the acclaim of others but only in the standards you maintain?"

"I do." Her answer was much firmer this time.

"Do you swear to never retreat from battle unless ordered, to valiantly defend your nation, your liege, and your comrades, and to at all times conduct yourself as befits your station?"

"I do."

"Then, as you have been proven worthy of the calling and have sworn to uphold its tenets, I hereby dub you, Takamachi Vivio, a Knight of Belka." The flat of the blade tapped her on both shoulders as Signum made the pronouncement. "May you never waver from the path, Vivio the Steel Queen."

"Thank you," she whispered, overwhelmed. She knew better than anyone except perhaps Hayate what knighthood in its original sense meant to the four of them. Relics of a bygone age, that title was a core element of their identity. That they felt she deserved to join them...

No, she wasn't surprised at all when she blinked and her eyes came away brushed with salt. Or that Vita all but broke down bawling when she sat up and pulled her mentor into a fierce hug, one that Shamal added onto and Zaffy snugged his muzzle up between.

She waited until the moment had passed to ask the question.

"So who came up with Stahlkönigin?"

"Well, we couldn't call you the Knight of the Shield, because that's Zafira's title, so I thought, y'know, the 'Iron Knight' would do," Vita said.

"But you're a little more refined than Vita is, so we picked 'Steel' instead of 'Iron,'" Shamal teased.

"And then we thought that we ought to acknowledge your initial identity in some way, Zafira stated. "So, 'Steel Queen.'"

"I suppose I can't really get around it. I mean, it is a part of me, and without it I'd never have met mamas or you or all of my friends. But...Signum, I'm still really glad you left the religious stuff out of the oath."

"It would have seemed rather ridiculous under the circumstances, which would not have suited the occasion."

Vita's response did not seem quite so apposite as Signum's: "Pay up, furball."

"Huh?"

"I bet Zafira that you'd recognize the text of the oath of knighthood. 'Course, just because you're padding my income doesn't mean that I'll let you relax once training starts again. Now that you're supposed to be my equal and all that, I won't have to go easy on you any more!"

Vivio snorted.

"Go easy on me? You mean now you're going to start hammering me into walls without my Barrier Jacket?"

Vita looked at her sourly.

"You were a lot more fun to tease when you were ten."

"And you were a lot cuter when you were a little kid, too--oh, wait, you still are."

"Wiseass."

"I was well-taught."

Vita grinned as widely as Vivio was.

"Damn straight you were. Now lie back and get some rest--Your Majesty."

Smiling, Vivio did as she was told. Zafira cocked his head to one side, a curious look on his wolfen face.

"Doesn't that form of address usually annoy you, Vivio?"

"Yeah, it does...but now, if it comes from one of the four of you, I'll know that I've honestly earned it."

The door slid open with a hiss and Fate walked in.

"Hi, am I too late?"

"Well," Nanoha said, "Vivio woke up, and Shamal-sensei told us all again that she'd be all right, and then Signum-san knighted her."

Fate blinked.

"What--knighted?"

Nanoha hooked an arm around her wife's waist.

"Come on, Fate-chan, I'll tell you all about it."


"Mou, what was the point of moving home if I'm going to miss all the important family moments anyway?"

"I'd demonstrate, but did you really want me to say in front of Signum-san?" Nanoha teased.

Vivio chuckled, snuggling down in bed and closing her eyes again, letting the chattering voices of her family keep her feeling warm and secure into sleep.

Spoiler for Notes:

1. And now you know where the story title comes from, and why I made sure to include that little exchange between Signum and Gallardo on the meaning of knighthood way back in chapter 2 (or was it 3?).

2. Shadowrun players will recognize the concept of Sonoma's debit account as more or less identical to a certified credstick. It's untraceable funds for a cashless society, with no record kept of who the money is attached to because the account belongs only to the issuing bank. However, when multiple transactions are made on the same account, those transactions can of course be tied to each other, even if no one can identify who made them. In short, Sonoma's smug little gesture at McLaren's expense proved to be the foolish mistake that broke through his anonymity.

3. I have no idea why Shamal blushed at the reference to Zaffy's ears, and much like Vivio, I don't think that I want to...

Previously:

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26