Two weeks later, Hayate found herself looking over numerous reports and information before she sighed and looked at Vita, who was shaking her head. "Two weeks, and we still haven't heard hide nor hair of any suspicious activities?"
Vita shook her head. "Unless you count Erio and Subaru getting all the hotdogs before anyone else on Wednesdays, no."
Hayate sighed and glared at the reports in front of her, as if it would magically tell her where Levi had disappeared to.
"Sounds like you're having some real problems, kiddies." A rather familiar and unwelcome voice said, causing Vita and Hayate to turn and glare at the person standing in the corner.
"Riksfalto!" Hayate stood up and slammed her hands on her desk. "What the hell?! Where have you been?"
Riksfalto blinked behind her sunglasses. "Okay, one, I don't understand why you're so upset, two, you speak as though we're allies and three, what the heck are you talking about?"
"A couple weeks ago, we had to deal with an army of giant metal golems," Vita said in terms that Riksfalto would understand, since she probably didn't know what a robot was, "we could have used your help, you know..."
Riksfalto snorted at Vita. "Oh please, I have no reason to help you out. You seem to forget, I'm a Mazoku. You humans are great for food and entertainment at times, but I'm not obligated to help you out one way or the other."
"What about Yuuno? You feel the same way about him?" Vita asked, blinking in shock as Riksfalto laughed. "...What?"
"You really think that he's that special?" Riksfalto snorted at Vita and took off her shades. "Should my master order it, I would fight to kill him. For now, he's interesting. But, if you wanted to know where I've been since that one day I showed up... Do you have any idea how much energy it takes to jump from one world across, uh..."
"The universe?" Hayate said, still irritated.
"Yeah, that," Riksfalto ignored Vita's smirk, "anyway, if you make a long trip without knowing the destination, it's kind of draining, even for me. I was pretty hungry, so I went off to find a meal and ended up on another world, the natives called it Orussia or something. Wars are good for recharging energy, anyway, what's this about a Levi?" When they explained who Levi was and what she did, Riksfalto laughed. "Well then, you got nothing to worry about, I think."
"Huh?" Both Vita and Hayate stared at the Mazoku General, who shook her head.
"Think about it, you said that she hid out for almost ten years, right?" They both nodded at her, "then she's a schemer. If she hasn't returned to deal her revenge yet, then she's likely going to stay hidden until she makes her next movie."
"So, what? We're supposed to just ignore her?" Hayate asked, getting a nod from Riksfalto. "What?!"
"Even if he was a traitor and a half Mazoku, Gaav managed to hide out for nearly a thousand years. If this Mazoku could stay hidden from everyone, you're better off not even looking for her until she's ready to show herself again."
"So, we just give up?" Vita asked, getting a shrug from Riksfalto.
"Up to you, but personally, if she's the vengeful type, she'll wait a few years, let you drop your guard before making her move." Riksfalto smirked as she disappeared. "For now, I'd suggest you get on with your lives for now, and prepare when you can, because I guarantee, when she comes back, your lives and history will change, and I doubt for the better."
Vita and Hayate looked at each other in concern. "Uh, Hayate, what if Levi's dead?" Vita sweat-dropped at the look Hayate gave her.
"Unless someone personally killed that Mazoku, I'm assuming that she's still alive." Hayate grumbled and sat down.
"You've read too many adventure stories before we came into your life." Vita muttered, and blinked as Hayate sighed and shook her head. "Hayate?"
"Remember a few years ago when we fought against Shabranigdo?" Vita nodded slowly. "How many times did we see Gaav die during that fight?" When Vita started tapping her fingers to count it off, Hayate rolled her eyes. "The point is, until Gaav's death was confirmed by Miyuki, he survived several things that should have killed him outright. Let's not forget that Levi was named Alicia the last time we saw her ten years ago, and Fate-chan shot her with a Nemesis Zambar Breaker right through her back that time."
"When you put it that way, I just hope you're wrong about this."
Hayate nodded and hoped she was as well.
(---)
Mr. Snuggles was the first to notice the new guests in the lounge area. It was pretty easy for him, since the cybernetics that Jail had installed in him allowed him to scan for all sorts of magical signatures. When his scanners picked up a signature similar to both Sette and Deed, he was curious, when his scanners detected a signal that was very similar to Otto and Wendi, he was suddenly wary. After all, how many people had similar power to Sette and her sisters? "There's two people that we should be wary of." Sette blinked and looked at the direction that Mr. Snuggles was looking.
Standing less than twenty feet from them was a blonde haired woman with blue eyes and a young boy with green hair and amber eyes. "So, they're our family?" The boy looked at the woman in confusion.
"Apparently, Val, yes." The woman, who was in form-fitting pants and a short-sleeved shirt, walked over to Sette. "Hello, my name is Filia Ul Copt-Harlaown." She smiled lightly at Sette and sat down next to the pink-haired cyborg. "You are Sette, correct?"
Sette nodded and didn't bother asking how this Filia woman knew who she was, figuring that she was told before coming into the room. "Yes I am. Might I ask why you are here?"
"Do I need a reason to visit my family?" Even if Sette didn't show much reaction, the fact that she was completely silent for almost two minutes spoke volumes to Mr. Snuggles, who finally got tired of Sette's silence and jumped onto her shoulder.
"What do you mean, family? Master's family is right here. Who the heck are you?" Mr. Snuggles stared as Filia smiled and her tail popped out behind her. "You're just like Otto and Wendi."
"Not really, they're more like me." Filia smiled at the cat and looked at Sette. "I am originally from another world, where Dragons aren't uncommon." She turned to see Val talking to some girl with pink hair pinned up against the back of her head. "My son is an Ancient Dragon," she turned to Sette, "until just a couple of weeks ago, I thought he was the last of his kind, it's nice to see that it's not the case anymore. As for me, I am a Golden Dragon, former Priestess under the Fire Dragon King Vrabazard."
"...A Golden Dragon?" Sette blinked as Filia's tail twitched while the Dragoness smiled at her. "I see, that Shinzoku, Sirius, said something similar about myself, Otto, Wendi and Deed, and how we were Dragons as well."
Filia nodded and smiled at Sette some more. "I was wondering, when things settle down, and you can go free, would you like to come live with Val and myself? I can help you discover your heritage and develop your powers properly."
Mr. Snuggles glared at Filia when Sette went completely slack. "Great, you broke my master."
"I wasn't aware that she could create a familiar," Filia smiled at Mr. Snuggles, "and I didn't mean to break her, but she, Otto, Deed and Wendi, that's their names, right?" The cat nodded and Filia continued on. "Good, anyway, if the four of them have Draconic blood in them, they need to learn how to control certain urges before too long."
"Urges?" Mr. Snuggles asked while blinking.
"You'd be surprised how much a Dragon can eat when their body starts growing and adapting." Filia looked at Sette, who seemed to be getting her bearings again. "So, how about it? Would you like to learn how to control your powers?"
"I..." Sette looked away, her face turning red, "I do not know what to say."
"You should take it, Sette," Mr. Snuggles jumped up on top of Sette's head and batted his tail against the back of her head lightly, "knowing how to use your powers would be helpful in the future, plus, it wouldn't hurt to know your family, would it?"
Thinking about this, Sette turned to Filia. "What about the others who have Dragon blood in them?"
"The other three, I would want them around as well," Filia smiled at her. "You don't need to call me mom or anything like that, I wouldn't force you to. If you felt more comfortable calling me big sister or aunt or something else, you could. But, only if you accept this offer."
"...May I do something that I have never done before?" Filia blinked and nodded slowly, only to gasp as Sette suddenly leaned over and hugged her tightly. "Thank you."
Mr. Snuggles smirked at Filia's confused look. "Even though Jail cared about all of the cyborgs, there was no real mother among the group. It's kind of unusual for her to have the option of having a mother, so, she just wants to know what it feels like."
Blinking, Filia nodded and hugged Sette back. After a few moments, Sette pulled away, her cheeks slightly red. "I... I do not do that very often, forgive me."
"What's there to forgive?" Filia smiled as Sette looked away, seemingly embarrassed. "We need to work on a few things, but yes, it's okay, Sette."
"Mama!" A loud voice made Filia jump, turning, she was tackled by the same girl that was talking to Val not too long ago, causing her to crash to the ground as the girl with the pinned up hair grinned down at her. "Is it true?! You wanna be my mama?" Interestingly enough, a red tail was sticking out of her backside and twitching slightly.
Filia sweat-dropped heavily. "You're, uh..."
"Wendi!" Wendi grinned at Filia.
"Yes, well, I was thinking about it." Filia gasped as Wendi suddenly dropped on top of her and hugged tightly. "Ack!"
"Mama! Yay! I got a mama too now!"
Mr. Snuggles and Sette both looked at Filia with some worry on their faces. "Wendi, if you do not let go right now, you might accidentally kill her from lack of air." Sette shook her head as Wendi got off of Filia and knelt next to the blonde woman with her head bowed.
"I'm not mad," Filia panted out as she sat up, "just... Surprised is all." She looked at Wendi and smiled at her. "For now, just try to work on being so excitable, okay?" Wendi nodded and looked up, smiling. "So, why were you so excited..?"
"Because I wanted to know what it's like to have a family out there."
Seeing the absolutely adorable look on Wendi's face caused Filia to sigh and open her arms again. She wasn't surprised when Wendi took the invitation and hugged her again, at least this time it wasn't so powerful that the air was being driven out of her lungs. "Alright, alright. Now, where are..?"
"Mom!" Filia turned her head to see Val walk up with a girl with long brown hair and reddish eyes and a girl with short brown hair and green eyes, "I found the other two! See? Just like they said! Now there's four!"
Filia chuckled and smiled at the two newcomers. "Otto and Deed?"
"I am Otto," the girl with short brown hair said, "and this is my twin sister, Deed."
Filia nodded and tilted her head. "I mean no offense, Otto, but did you know that you could pass for a boy?" Otto nodded and Filia blinked as she let Wendi go. "Oh, I wasn't sure if you..."
"I do not mind if people think that I am a boy." Otto said as she and Deed sat down next to Filia. "I am used to people thinking that about me."
"Plus you like the fact that unless you pull your pants off, you can go swimming topless and no one cares." Wendi added, smirking at Otto, who glared at her. "What? It's true!"
Filia rubbed the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Otto, I don't mind if you decide to dress as a boy, but please, if you do go swimming, I'd rather you went with some sort of top on."
"...But what if I wear male swimwear? It would look weird if I wore a shirt and other boys weren't."
Filia sweat-dropped and looked at Deed, who looked like she was about to start laughing. "Well, how about it, you two? Would you two like to learn about your Draconic heritage?"
Deed and Otto looked at each other and then back to Filia. "As long as you do not mind having us around, yes." Deed answered Filia.
Filia looked at the twins, then at Wendi and Sette, before finally looking at Val. "...We're going to need a bigger place, huh, Val?"
"I thought dad was getting a new place here for all of us?" Val asked, tilting his head in confusion as Filia nodded. "Okay."
Filia smiled as she stood up. "We'll need to make some arrangements, but it looks like, for now, welcome to my family."
It wasn't uncommon to see Wendi smiling, to see Otto, Deed and even Sette share that same smile, it was far more rare. "What about Mr. Snuggles?" Sette asked as her cyborg cat jumped onto her breasts, causing her to pet him again. "I would not wish to abandon him."
"I wouldn't ask you to." Filia smiled at Sette. Privately, Filia wondered just what the heck she was getting into, but ignored that, at least the house would be more lively now.
(---)
Dieci was feeling nervous as she and Cinque sat in a private room. It was hard not to, they had been led into the room at least ten minutes ago and no one had come to get them yet. "What do you think is going to happen to us?"
Before Cinque could answer, the door opened and a woman with red hair and blue eyes walked into the room. "Hello." She smiled as she closed the door behind her and sat down across from them. "I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing here, huh?" They both nodded and the woman closed her eyes for a moment, when she opened them, Cinque and Dieci were shocked to see one eye red, but the other eye, her left eye...
Was gold.
"I take it from your shocked expressions, you know what this is." She said as they nodded. "My name is Lina Takamachi, and apparently, you two, Cinque and Dieci, correct?" They both nodded to her, "Well, apparently you two are related to me now."
Dieci blinked at Lina. "...What?"
Lina shook her head. "I'm not too good at this, but..."
"The doctor," Cinque spoke up, catching Dieci and Lina's attention, "got your DNA, and used that to modify our bodies, didn't he?"
Lina smirked at her, nodding. "You're sharp, but if that's how it happened, yes. But, I'm not here to talk about that. Let me ask you two one thing," they both looked at Lina with curious expressions on their faces, "it's terrifying, isn't it?"
"Yes," Dieci nodded, looking at her hands as they trembled softly, "the doctor had me on medicine to keep me from ever using it again, by keeping me calm, I... I'm scared of it. If I go into battle again, I'll end up losing myself, drowning in a sea of golden darkness that I can't... I can't see the shore, where is it? Please, no more!" Dieci yelled, gasping as she realized that she wasn't drowning and that someone was holding her tightly. "...Huh?"
"Dieci," Cinque said as she hugged her younger sister, "I know, it's scary, but we got out, didn't we?"
Dieci trembled, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's not the same, even if we got out, it's there, just..."
"Just beyond your realm of consciousnesses, waiting to get unleashed into the world again and consume you completely." Lina finished for her, causing Dieci to gasp and look at Lina in shock. "I've lived with it for almost two decades now." Lina smiled at the two softly. "Even if you two are my daughter and granddaughter, I can understand if you don't think of me as family." Lina chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. "Well, Cinque's my daughter, Dieci, apparently Nanoha's your biological mother, so, you're my granddaughter."
"The doctor was very weird." Cinque muttered softly, getting a nod from Dieci. "So, what do you want from us?"
"Would you two like to learn how to keep that power in check?" Lina smiled as they gasped at her. "At the very least, I can help you cope with it."
Cinque nodded, she really wanted to control it, to keep from ever hurting someone like she did to Signum ever again. Dieci blushed softly and looked down. "...Grandmother?"
"Boy, I'm not going to get used to hearing that," Lina laughed softly and smiled at Dieci, "yes?"
"I would... I would like to learn about how to control this power."
"One, don't be so formal, and two," Lina grinned at the two of them, "welcome to my family."
(---)
"I've got someone for you to meet." Shamal smiled as she pushed on Megane's wheelchair. "Where is Zest today?"
"Filling out paperwork for the mission he was on from three days ago." Megane sighed as she leaned back against the chair. "I told you, my legs are fine."
"And you collapsed yesterday after only thirty minutes of exercise, so, quiet down." Shamal smiled as she stopped in front of a door and opened it up. "We had to move her into this room, because it gave her more of a view to see the outside world."
Megane blinked, unsure about what Shamal was saying, but gasped as she saw who was sitting in the bed, looking outside. "...Lu...Lutecia?"
The purple haired girl gasped and turned to look at Megane, her eyes wide. "M...Mommy?" Her body was trembling as Shamal pushed Megane up to the bed silently. "Mommy!"
Megane held her arms out as Lutecia practically jumped off of the bed and hugged her, sobbing into Megane's chest. "I'm here, mommy's here." Megane cried softly as Shamal stepped away from them.
"I'll leave you alone for awhile, I need to check on some of the others, call if you need anything." Shamal smiled as Megane nodded while hugging Lutecia tightly.
As she stepped outside, Shamal sighed heavily. "This is going to be a pain, isn't it?" She asked no one in particular and left the two alone.
Oh well, at least things were starting to look up.