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2010-09-28, 08:09
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Link #27261 |
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Test Drive
 Author
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: USA
Age: 33
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2010-09-28, 09:18
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Link #27262 |
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Burst Mode
Author
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Windsor, Ontario
Age: 37
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2010-09-28, 11:30
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Link #27263 |
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Banned
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow, in a house dropped on an ugly, old woman.
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Future Tense Chapter 19: Family, Part 1 In which Nanoha meets some interesting people, and learns a shocking truth behind Carim's desperate gamble... Previous chapters can be found here. Spoiler for Future Tense, Chapter 19: Family, Part 1:
MGLN: Future Tense Chapter 19: Family, Part 1 Xx~~*~~xX Nanoha landed in the clearing, an unconscious Janja under her right arm, while glancing across the way to study her mysterious rescuer. She found herself under scrutiny in return by a single green right eye, as the fedora-wearing woman casually walked towards her, dropping an unconscious Jarm on the ground. The rifle slung on the woman's back hinted to Nanoha that this wasn't a mage, and that made her capture of the male bounty hunter all the more impressive. Just who was she? Friedrich landed nearby, distracting Nanoha momentarily as he leaned down to sniff her, giving her the impression he was smiling. Nanoha laid Janja down as well, laughing lightly as she fondly stroked the snout of the great white dragon. "Thank you, Fried," she offered sincerely, then turned her head towards the woman. "And thank you, Miss...?" The eyepatch-wearing woman pulled a toothpick out from between her lips. "We can talk later, but you should make yourself scarce. The level of magic given off has surely attracted the attention of any drones nearby; you won't want to be here when they arrive." At that bit of news, Nanoha glanced at the unconscious forms of the bounty hunters, realizing what their fate would be when the Bureau got their hands on them. Unconsciously, her left hand gripped her staff tighter; if the Bureau took these two prisoner, they would most likely tell them about Seikou and where she was. Yuuno, Shari, and Carim had spent years, if not decades, devising a plan that Nanoha and Vivio were apart of. But that wasn't the the biggest point in her mind. Uno, Yuuno, Shari, Randy, Givo and Neyra, Agito... [Can I really afford to take the chance?] the thought came unbidden to her mind. Almost unconsciously, she began to raise her staff, her hands shaking as her own words to Uno came back to her. "People died because of me. Because I tried to be the idealistic Nanoha, when I have to be more realistic about where I am and what's at stake. I can't be the Nanoha I was cloned from.” Nanoha bit her lip. [I can't, though, can I? I've never taken lives before, but people have died because I couldn't do what needed to be done... Is Hayate right? Was Teana right? Do the ends justify the means after all?] She found herself taking aim at Janja, knowing she had every reason to end the woman's life; after all, they were going to turn her in for their own lives, as well as sell Fried on the black market. And most of all, they had seen her, and thus could tell the Bureau approximately where she was. Yuuno, Shari, Vivio... so many people were counting on her, and it was scaring her death to think that she was even considering this. "What are you doin'?" Startled out of her thoughts, Nanoha glanced over at the other woman who had her hands on her hips and was studying Nanoha curiously. "I... they know who I am. I have to...." The woman shook her head, obviously realizing what was going on. "Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself more than me, and my brother did a better job convincing me of when it was appropriate to kill. Also, you don't strike me as the killing type. They're beaten, and will be dealt with by the Bureau; or do you want to take the law into your own hands?" "I know what happens when the Bureau finds mages," Nanoha countered, remembering her brief stay at a detention center andhow mages were forced into the army, and forced to fight. But the woman's words were hitting home, and Nanoha's spirits lowered along with her staff as a crystal clear realization hit her. I can't do it. The woman looked up, then quickly crossed the distance to Nanoha, and grabbed her arm, pulling her to the clearing edge. "The drones are almost here. Do me a favor and get your butt out of sight." Nanoha found herself practically tossed into the treeline, stumbling through bushes until she regained her footing and deactivated her barrier jacket and Raging Heart to reduce her magic signature. Curious, she watch as the woman returned to the clearing and waited until near Fried, until a pair of sentinel drones came flying over the treeline from the opposite edge of the small meadow. They stopped in front of her while scanning the two unconscious bounty hunters and the woman, who had taken something out of her light leather jacket and was now holding it up. "Bounty Hunter #5263. I apprehended these two mages. They were attempting to poach this dragon." The drones deployed mechanical arms and picked up the two unconscious bounty hunters and then spoke in an artificial electronic voice. "Your account will be credited once verification and processing has been completed. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance, citizen." Nanoha released a breath she didn't realize she was holding when the drones took off the way they came. After waiting a few moments to make sure they were gone, Nanoha got up and reentered the meadow, but paused as the other woman approached her. "You should probably make some distance now," the bounty hunter stated as she passed Nanoha, placing the toothpick between her teeth. "You probably don't want to be anywhere near here when those two get their stories out." Nanoha scanned the sky for a moment, before returning her gaze to the other woman's back. "So you're a bounty hunter, too? Don't you know what the Bureau does to mages?" "Yes, but they had it comin'," she replied with a shrug, pausing but not turning around "They've been poaching rare animals here for months, and I've been tracking 'em for weeks. I used to hang out with some people that really liked this place, so despite the fact it's been abandoned, I still feel an impulse to protect it." Nanoha stared at the woman's back, wondering how to phrase, but ultimately just came out and asked the main question on her mind. "You know who I am, don't you? Why didn't you turn me in, too?" The bounty hunter shrugged again. "Perhaps because you gave me an opening to use on those two. I'm not greedy; I mostly live off the land, so I don't have too much use for the money. Besides, I don't turn in friends, and Fried seems to think you're okay." "You know Fried?" Nanoha questioned, then paused. "Wait... friend? How am I a friend? You don't know me, do you?" The woman finally turned around, a half-grin on her face. "Apparently, you're Seikou. But that's an odd name for someone who looks a lot like the Nanoha Takamachi I used to know." Said mage's mouth dropped open. "Who are you?" "Laguna," the woman stated, tipping her hat. "Laguna Granscenic." x~~*~~x "...and they want to hold Wendi's trial first," Teana was explaining to the two holographic screens, each of which showed a sister in their holding cells. "Preliminary hearings will be in a week, but don't worry, I'll find out what's really going on. Quattro will have left a trail, no matter how hard she tried to obscure her tracks." "We trust you," Nove said simply. "Get Wendi off, and don't worry about me. At best, my punishment should be minor; a few years in jail at most." "Nove, stop that!" Wendi protested from her screen, then slammed a fist into her other hand. "It's all that bitch's fault; once Teana links her into this, we'll both get out of this! I think she's trying to split Hayate's support out, so she can position herself as the only person Hayate can count on; then she can pull the strings!" "I had already considered that," Teana replied a bit tiredly. "But why now? Hayate wouldn't be that easily swayed, and there's no way for Quattro to exert direct influence. My gut tells me something else is going on, especially considering that she isn't working alone; she has someone who can easily move through the system without being detected to help her. And if that's the case, we have a direct threat to homeworld Security, and as Director, it's my job to expose that. Sit back and relax, you two, I'll get you both out of there, and we can all return to being a family again." They all said their goodbyes and signed off, and Teana sat back in her office chair, exhaling a long breath. Despite her words to her sisters, she still wasn't any closer to figuring out what Quattro was up to, let alone getting evidence of it. After her trip to Quattro's room, Teana had kept surveillance on the #4 cyborg 24/7, but Quattro hadn't done anything out of the ordinary; perhaps not needing to, if she had an accomplice in the shadows. The face of Teana's female secretary popped up in a new holographic screen. "The request to transfer the prisoners off-world has come in, and requires your authorization." Teana glanced over at the second screen that popped up and scrolled through the details. "This is the batch Vita's group captured at Rio's hideout, correct? They've finished processing and are now heading off world for training? If the inspections have been completed, initiate the transfer for Captain Batz's ship, and I'll clear them when they are ready to depart." "As you wish," the other woman replied. "Is there anything else?" "I don't think so, as I'll be glad to..." Teana started to say while glancing through the prisoner files, pausing on one in particular. "Wait, we're going to delay that for now. I believe Captain Batz's ship is due for an maintenance inspection; I say we do that now." "Yes, he was scheduled to dock at Naval headquarters after this trip," Teana's assistant confirmed. "You want to move that up?" Teana nodded. "Yes. Can't be too careful when transporting prisoners. That is all; contact me when it's done." The woman signed off, and Teana sat back as she read more about the magical skills of the prisoner on her screen, her mind working on how to best use this information. Of course, that would be if she even could; any action would be risky, and she'd need the subject to be 100% cooperative which would entail some sort of deal, but she was confident she could arrange something. And if she did, she just might get a handle on the leads she needed. She folded her hands in front of her face, while glancing up at the designation again in thought. [Prisoner #58834 Givo Mellowan....] x~~*~~x Nanoha held tightly on Fried as the dragon skimmed over the trees, while thinking back on her conversation with Laguna. Apparently, Vice had sent his sister to Suppool when the war began, wanting to keep her out of the fighting, much to the latter's anger. She initially stayed at the reserve, but when it was shut down after the war due to lack of funds, she stayed around to keep an eye on the animals. She had learned a lot from her brother before about aiming and firing a rifle-type weapon, and managed to pick one up from the Bureau on a special bounty hunter license. She contented herself to protecting what remained of the reserve, while keeping the promise to her brother to stay out of the war. "I'm not a mage, but I can hold my own," Laguna had informed her, with pride in her voice. "I'm getting a bit old for this, but I know this land, and track and trap anyone or anything that comes through here." In return, Nanoha had shared a bit of what she knew, but she held a lot back; it was obvious Laguna had purposefully been kept out of not only the secret plans, but the war effort in general, and Nanoha didn't want to bring the woman in if she could help it. Nanoha wasn't entirely sure why Laguna was kept out other than the face that she wasn't a mage, but assumed Vice was probably extremely worried about his sister being injured again. Knowing what she did of the siblings' past, Nanoha could hardly blame Vice for being overprotective. And while they had lost contact during the war, Nanoha wondered what Vice would think if he saw what his sister was doing now. "He'd probably blow a gasket, heh," Laguna had said in response to that. "I'm glad you told me he's still alive and fighting. I know you said their base was captured, but I believe he would have escaped with his wife and son. But that's all you should tell me. Remember, even though I'm technically a free agent, I still work for the Bureau. You shouldn't tell me anymore." The women separated then, Laguna explaining that it wouldn't do for Nanoha to hang around her, and instead suggested Nanoha take a ride on Fried. The dragon had seemed willing, and so Nanoha found herself in the skies above what was once the Nature Preserve as it passed from forest into mountains, grateful for a ride that considerably shortened her trip without her risking magic that could be detected. Thankfully, Jarm hadn't really fiddled with Raging Heart much, so the data of Vivio's location was still intact, and with Fried handling the flying, she arrived at her destination the next day. She said goodbye to Fried and entered the cave while he took off, presumably back to keep an eye on Erio, Lutecia, and Laguna. She focused mana into Raging Heart so that it glowered for like while progressing deeper into the subterrane, but eventually reached a dead end that contained a hole a little over one meter across. For a moment, it made her think of an old fairytale her mom used to read her, and Nanoha wondered if she should take the name of Alice now. She chuckled softly, then took a breath, and decided to find out just how deep this rabbit hole went, both literally and figuratively. Taking a breath, she jumped into the darkened hole, using a bit of magic to slow her free-fall. It was difficult, as she almost felt like she was in some sort of anti-magic field, but she could overcome that and keep her descent even. She also had to fight off the feelings of claustrophobia, aggravated by her arms occasionally brushing against the sides, and although the light spell via her device brought some comfort, there wasn't much to see, other than the roughly-cut hewn rock wall around her. [If Vivio is down here, it's a great way to hide,] Nanoha realized. [Only a narrow hole for entry means it's difficult for any army group to assault the place. Of course, that assuming there is another secret way out to escape if need be.] It seemed like an eternity before she found the end of it, but Raging Heart informed her it had only been five minutes. Still, the vista that awaited her at the bottom was far beyond what she could have imagined. It wasn't so much the small cliff she found herself deposited on, but the view beyond was breathtaking. For starters, the cavern's ceiling was perfectly hidden the image of a bright, blue sky with clouds and a sun, making it seem as if she wasn't underground at all. At the bottom of the cliff, a veritable forest of trees spread out, and she could make out a garden maze up ahead, situated in front of a large mansion. It reminded her much of Arisa or Suzuka's estates. [This is where Vivio has been hiding all this time?] Nanoha wondered, taking in the awesome majesty of the scenery. [It's incredible! I suppose if one has to hide, this is definitely the way to go.] Still awed, Nanoha leapt off the cliff and descended the short distance to the forest floor, occasional bird calls greeting her ears and catching sight of several small furry that quickly scampered out of sight. Apparently, this area came with it's own wildlife as well, making it all the more impressive to her, but as the wonder began to wear off, she got the distinct impression she was being watched. That feeling was confirmed, as she detected movement from above, descending rapidly towards her. Nanoha barely got a Round Shield up in time to block the punch, but she couldn't get a good view of her assailant due to the artificial sun image almost exactly behind her opponent. Then the attacker leapt off, positioning him or herself in the branches of a tree, now partially shrouded in shadow. "Who are you?" Nanoha asked, bringing out Raging Heart, wondering for a moment if she was too late, and that the Bureau had already found this place; it could be some highly-trained Enforcer. "Why did you attack me?" Her mysterious attacker spoke only one word that identified her as female: "Fight." "Barrier Jacket - Aggressive Mode," Raging Heart chirped as magical light formed her protective armor. No sooner had that completed, however, then her opponent leapt at her again and Nanoha dodged the kick with by using Axel Fin to fly back and up at a 45 degree angle to gain some distance. But her attacker didn't let up, leaping upwards to stay in melee range, forcing Nanoha to put up another shield, albeit with an extra spell laced into it. Binding chains lanced out from the shield and wound themselves around the assailant's punching arm, holding tight despite her attempts to free herself. Nanoha backed up again, taking aim and prepared to fire at the now-bound woman. "Kaiser Arts: Unchained Knuckle!" the woman shouted, shattering the chains and freeing her arm in one motion, while also sending a wave of magic directly at Nanoha before the latter could fire. The magical shock wave caught Nanoha off-guard and sent her crashing through several trees. x~~*~~x "Did you hear that!?" the little orange-haired girl asked excitedly as she ran into the room, arms to the side as if she were pretending to be an airplane. "Yes, she's probably going overboard in another training session," the woman said from her desk, not raising her head from where it was buried inside a rather large book. The little girl continued her run, passing through the light curtains and ending up outside on the small balcony, straining her eyes to see the dirt and debris being kicked up in the forest beyond the garden maze. Squinting and shading her eyes with her hand, she leaned a bit over the railing, just barely able to see someone emerge from the forest and end up on the grass before the maze. "But I think she's training with someone else this time, mama!" she declared with enthusiasm and curiosity.. "That's nice, I-" came the female voice from inside. "Wait, what?" x~~*~~x Nanoha recovered easily enough, but her opponent was good, very good. Skilled in up close combat, but with some decent mid-range attacks as well. Almost like Fate in a way, possessing both speed and power, which was a deadly combination. Fortunately, Nanoha had fought Fate multiple times, and knew how to handle the amalgamation of abilities. She used the dust screen to fire a dozen Axel Shooter orbs in the direction she expected the attack to come from, then used a Flash Move to jump out of the cloud moments before the attack actually came in. When her adversary cratered the ground with a powerful punch that dissipated the dust cloud she found Nanoha gone, and instead 12 orbs that immediately homed in on her position. The woman leapt into the air, almost flying as she backflipped to follow Nanoha as she reentered the forest they had come from. Nanoha kept the pressure up, staggering her magic missiles in succession to keep her opponent off-guard. However, each orb was practically destroyed by kicks and punches except for the last few whcih were handled much differently than Nanoha could have imagined. The woman actually caught the last few. "Kaiser Arts: Cyclonic Wave!" Shifting to Exceed mode for more power, Nanoha was almost caught off-guard again as her own shots came back at her, but she retained just enough control to send them off their mark so they exploded around her instead. This woman was good, she realized through grit teeth as her mysterious assailant came in again with quick and fierce punches and kicks; she guessed her opponent was at least AAA or S rank, and possessed a number of interesting and tricky skills. "We need to slow her down for just a moment, then hit her with something she can't dodge," Nanoha decided while skimming the forest floor, quickly pointing her weapon down and popping several cartridges. "Divine Buster!" The beam went straight down and impacted the ground, the backdraft kicking up wind, debris and trees, spreading outward in a growing rose-colored shock wave. It worked, forcing her opponent to shield her eyes while backing off and allowing Nanoha to execute another Flash Move before the effect died down, ending up high in the sky. She knew she only had a few moments before her skilled adversary found her again, so she needed to do this quick. "Excelion Buster, Barrel Expansion," Nanoha ordered, pointing downward, her staff complying as it underwent shifts. "Midrange Firing Mode!" "Barrel Shot!" Raging heart announced, firing as the woman burst from the treetops. The ball of compressed air and magic was nearly invisible, a long-range bind spell that few would be able to detect, let alone dodge. But amazingly, this woman almost did, tilting to the side and so only half her body was frozen, but Nanoha took her chance; it probably wouldn't last more than a couple of seconds. "Excelion Buster, Force Burst!" Nanoha called, gripping her staff tighter as magic built and Raging Heart popped several more cartridges. "Break SHOOT!" Several large, pink energy tendrils exploded from the spear tip in a wide array, descending to the individual below, who had broken free from her bind a bit too late. x~~*~~x Nanoha panted heavily, readying for a return attack as the dust began to clear, but decided to descend once she saw her opponent lying at the bottom of a crater with a swiss cheese barrier that was more holes than protective magic, however that was rapidly fading. The woman was still conscious and apparently struggling to rise. Nanoha landed on the edge of the wide, but shallow crater and took aim with her staff pointedly, wondering if she'd have to go to Blaster Mode as the woman paused midway through sitting up, grimacing in pain as she glared at the cloned mage. In a single instant, Nanoha was taken aback by two things, number one being the fact that she didn't see any malice in those eyes at all, but instead a grudging respect. But number two was perhaps the most striking; each one was a different color just like someone else she used to know, except these were blue and purple. "Are you-" Nanoha started to say. "Einhart, stop!" came a voice on the other edge of the crater, getting the attention of both combatants. Nanoha strained her vision to see who it was through the gradually thinning cloud of dust, her eyes slowly widening in shock as the scene cleared to see that the new arrival's facial features slowly mimicking Nanoha's own shocked expression. Time stopped, and everything else around her faded to black as Nanoha's mouth suddenly went dry. Can it be...? She was older, obviously, but the face, the single pony tail on the left side, and the green and red eyes... there couldn't be any doubt as to who was standing before her now, and the thought left her trembling. It's... her... "Vivio?" Nanoha questioned cautiously, her heart rising in her chest and her arms beginning to shake as her staff lowered; it was like a dream, something not real, to see her daughter after all this time. [It has to be a ghost... or an illusion... right?] The other woman was equally astounded, but her next words shattered the daydream. "Nanoha... mama?" The stares last for but a second more, then the two began running towards each other as one, Nanoha feeling tears welling up in her eyes; if it was all a dream, she didn't want to wake up. "Vivio!" "Mama!" Vivio cried, an instant before they finally met near the center. And then real, physical arms wrapped around her as each confirmed the other wasn't a ghost, nor a specter born of desire or hallucination, fifty years worth of tears staining each others shoulders. x~~*~~x "I have to admit, I'm impressed by the operation you have going here," Vice remarked casually from the observation lounge. Beyond the paned-glass windows, the cargo bay below was a hive of activity, as various humans and machinery loaded and unloaded supplies from the docked ship floating just above them. "They're very efficient, though I'm surprised you've managed to keep this hidden for so long," Alto added. "The Bureau hasn't noticed at all?" Lucino allowed a prideful smile to spread across her face. "Nope. We've gotten these things down to a science. Since there's no real way to track ships, Hayate pretty much has to assume we're doing our job and patrolling dimensional space." "And this hollowed out asteroid conceals our operation nicely," Griffith added, his own pleasure equally present. "Although we only have three or four ships on our side, we can shift resistance supplies around from here easily, passing them to and from Mid-Childa, Earth, Orussia, and various other worlds. But a large part of the credit goes to the boss." Vice turned around to grin at the boss Griffith was referring to. "And I must say, seeing you alive was quite a shock, especially considering you're with the resistance now. Does your family know?" Chrono half-smiled. "The reports of my death were greatly exaggerated, albeit on purpose. After years of serving Hayate and the Bureau, faking my death was the only way to remove me from public sight. And yes, Amy and the kids know. But what's more important, is that we received the signal not too long ago." "You mentioned that before," Vice noted, leaning against the railing and crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you mean by that?" Chrono nodded at Lucino, who continued for him. "A coded signal broadcast on a certain frequency. Only Chrono has the means to decode among our section, and he's keeping it mostly secret. In fact, Griffith and I are the only ones who know about it right now, and all we know is that it contains attack instructions. Sometime soon, we're going to have a window of opportunity to defeat the Bureau, but that's all we can say right now." Vice understood; even among Rio's resistance network, most people were only told what they needed to know due to the cell system. "I assume that's what all these supplies are for that your workers are loading onto the ship, but what about those?" Alto questioned, noticing a half-dozen rectangular crates laying next to each other, slightly less than 2 meters in length. "They are being sent through that teleporter instead. And they almost look like...." Griffith and Lucino crossed the small room to glance out with Vice, while Chrono remained where he was, his eyes closing. "Look like what?" Chrono prodded, almost as if waiting to hear the answer he expected. "Like coffins," Vice finished solemnly for his wife. "Casualties of war being sent home?" Chrono didn't bother to open his eyes. "Something like that." x~~*~~x Wetness stained Nanoha's cheeks from tears that seemingly would never end, as she was nearly crushed by the girl, now grown woman, in her arms. But she didn't care, as at that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the war, not anyway. All that mattered was that Vivio as right here, and for now, that was the only important thing in all of dimension space to her. "You are real, aren't you?" Nanoha asked suddenly, pulling back slightly to gaze into her daughter's eyes. Vivio nodded slowly, twin trails of tears leaking from her own heterochromatic eyes. "I heard from Yuuno already, so I know you're a clone, but you're still my mama." Upon hearing that, reality descended, and Nanoha's eyes lowered. "I'm sorry, I know I'm not the real Nanoha; I'm not your real mother..." "No!" Vivio insisted, reaching out to bring Nanoha's face back up. "You may not be the original Nanoha, but you're her, just as much. I wasn't blood-related to her, either, and I'm a clone. That doesn't make me any less real." The words took Nanoha aback, somehow more powerful because it was her was saying them, and she half-smiled, reaching out with her left hand to cup her daughter's cheek. "Thank you, Vivio." "Mama, no fair, you run faster than me!" a young voice called out, getting Nanoha's attention and distracting her from the moment as the rest of reality faded back around her. As she looked up, a young girl came running down the shallow crater and stopped to next them, resting her hands on her knees and she bent over and panted to catch her breath. Nanoha blinked, looking at the girl, then looking back up at Vivio, unable to tell if her daughter's flushed face was the result of the tears and emotion, or at a little embarrassment at what the young girl had said. "Mama?" Nanoha questioned. "Is she..." The girl finally looked up, and completely and innocently inquired, "Vivio-mama, Einhart-mama, who is this?" Nanoha's eyes widened, glancing from the girl, to Vivio, and then over to the other woman who had been her opponent not long before who was apparently the Einhart being referred to. The woman who had been her earlier opponent was now standing stoically nearby as if on guard duty, her dirtied barrier jacket torn and shredded in various places, but otherwise appearing unharmed. Vivio smiled, reaching out to take the young girl's hand and pull her between them, and then shifted her own hands onto the little lady's shoulders. "May I introduce our daughter, Ixpellia Takamachi. It's a long story, but we ended up adopting her, like you and Fate did with me. Ixy, this is Nanoha; my mother." "Your mama?" Ixpellia inquired, then smiled and extended her hand. "You must be my gramma, then! I'm Ixpellia but you can call me Ix or Ixy!" Still reeling a bit from the surprise, Nanoha crouched down and shook the small hand. "Pleased to meet you... Ixy." "And your opponent has been Einhart Stratos," Vivio announced, gesturing to the side. "She can be a bit gruff and blunt, but she has a kind heart underneath." "Pleased to meet you," Einhart offered, bowing slightly, but with the barest hint of a smile on her face. "If she's your... companion, then why did she attack me?" Nanoha inquired delicately, still a bit confused, her raging emotions about the whole situation not helping in the least. "That's what I want to know," Vivio said, turning and planting her hands on her hips. "You were monitoring the detection grid, so you would have known she came down the hole. And you saw Yuuno's message; you should have known who she was." "It still could have been a Bureau trick, so I had to test her in combat," Einhart replied simply, then her lips finally curled upwards into a more modest smile. "Plus, having heard all the stories from the others about how strong she was, I wanted to test my own skills and see for myself. I was not disappointed." "How does fighting tell you whether she was an enemy?" Ixy asked, confused. Einhart crouched down and took Ixpellia's hands with a grin, demonstrating to Nanoha that this Einhart was being as much a mother to the girl as Vivio was. "Remember what I taught you about killing intent? There was none from her the entire time. Also, she held back, and her spells did no permanent harm. Not something an enemy would do if suddenly attacked." She lifted her head to give Nanoha an amused look. "Of course, I was holding back, too, so perhaps we can have a full out match sometime later." Nanoha blinked, then found herself smiling, too, almost eager to test this woman her daughter had apparently been living with. "I'd be glad to." A beep sounded from Einhart's wrist, and the woman stood while glancing at it. "That was the teleporter. We just received another shipment." Nanoha noticed the formerly jovial air seemed to get heavier for some reason, the smiles disappearing to be replaced by solemn looks, although she didn't know why. "What's wrong?" "It's okay, I'm ready," Ixpellia stated, her child-like demeanor suddenly vanishing. Vivio nodded at her, then turned to address Einhart. "Would you take her?" "Yes, of course, I'll handle it," Einhart replied, agreeing as her barrier jacket dissolved to be replaced by normal clothes. "Let's go, Ixy." The girl nodded as Einhart picked her up, then took the air, flying back toward the mansion. Nanoha watched them go, dissolving her own barrier jacket back to her traveling clothes, then glanced quizzically at Vivio, wondering how to ask what was going on or if it was even appropriate to. "Let's walk back, and I'll explain some things on the way," Vivio told her, sensing her confusion. "There's a lot to tell you, but I admit I'm having a tough time figuring out exactly how to say it all. Other than I'm really glad to see you again, even if it's under these circumstances." Nanoha took her daughter's hand, squeezed it, and smiled. "I'm happy to see you, too." Vivio suddenly got a playful look on her face. "Perhaps this might be better?" As Nanoha watched in astonishment, Vivio shrunk as her hair switched to short twin pony tails, becoming the young girl about 6 or 7 years old that Nanoha once knew. "Vivio...!" "How's this, Nanoha-mama?" the now-very-young girl declared in her younger voice, striking a pose by spreading her arms wide. "Child-form can have its uses, too!" Nanoha shook her head to bring herself out of her stupor, then wiped her eyes on her sleeves and getting a mischievous smile on her face "Well, if you're going to do that...." Vivio yelped in joy as Nanoha picked the little girl up and began walking towards the house. "Now, tell me everything; I want to know what you've been up to all this time! Why were you in hiding all this time?" Vivio smiled and hugged her mama's neck with her short arms. "It was Carim's wish that I take Ixpellia and hide at the end of the war, because the prophecy revealed how Hayate would be defeated and the Bureau returned to normal. We needed to keep Ix out of Hayate's hands and I had to fake my death and disappear, because as long as I was around, there wouldn't have been any peace between the church and the Bureau. Einhart found me not long after, and the three of us have been living here for the past twenty years as a family." "Just the three of you?" Nanoha questioned. "So Ixpellia hasn't had any friends her own age?" She paused as a thought struck her. "Wait, the war ended 20 years ago, but Ixpellia doesn't appear to be any older than 10 or 11!" Vivio nodded as the two entered the garden maze, and despite the urge to fly over it, Nanoha let her daughter lead. "Biologically, she's 10, but chronologically, she's hundreds of years old. She was born back in the ancient Belka days and her body modified, like a lot of people were back in those days Because of that, she enters periods of long sleeps where she doesn't age. She woke up once a couple of years after you died in an incident I'll tell you more about later which is where we first discovered her, but then she fell back asleep. Then, almost two years ago, she woke up again. She was so sad about people she knew and loved being gone, that Einhart and I volunteered to be her mothers and let her live a normal childhood with a family." "It must be lonely here, with just the three of you," Nanoha noted while Vivio pointed to guide her through the maze. "It is, a little, but we also talk occasionally with Lutecia via bug-sent letters," Vivio admitted as the pair took a left. "And we knew that one day we'd be able to come back out; I just didn't expect it to take so long. With you here, we can finally fulfill Carim's prophecy and be a real family again." "Yuuno tried to tell me about a prophecy, but he was interrupted before he could finish it," Nanoha stated as they exited the garden and started across the patio to the front steps of the mansion. "Did you know what he was up to?" Vivio nodded as they entered the open front door. "I think only Carim and I knew the full extent of everything. I don't know if the time travel aspect will work, but I do know we have to stop Hayate. As for the prophecy, it goes like this: The long night ends and a new day dawns when one who has returned from the grave leads the army of the dead to cleanse the ancient land of greed and wickedness." Nanoha pondered that while Vivio led her down a side hallway, pausing at the top of a set of stairs that disappeared into a darkened basement below. "So, if I'm supposed to be the one returned from the grave, what is the army of the dead?" Vivio reluctantly pulled herself from her mama's arms and dropped to the floor, returning to her normal size while starting down the stairs. "Come. I think it will be easier if you see for yourself." Curious, Nanoha followed as they reached the bottom of the stairs and then took a right along another hallway dimly lit by florescent lights. Eventually, Vivio paused in front of several windows along the left side of the hallway and indicated with a nod of her head for her mama to take a look. Nanoha was more puzzled by the somewhat saddened expression on her daughter's face, but turned nonetheless to see what this was all about. At first, she didn't know what to make of it; there was Ixpellia, hooked up to some machine that took up almost half the large room. Einhart was off to the side, fiddling with holographic controls, and then turned and wheeled a cart over in front of Ix that contained something covered by a large, white sheet. Einhart backed away as Ix nodded, then the smaller girl appeared to strain herself as the machine lit up behind her. Nanoha's hand went to her mouth as the young girl's face nearly contorted in extreme distress. And then it was over almost as soon as it began when a white and green glowing orb emerged from Ixpellia's chest, floating there in front of her. It reminded Nanoha of a linker core, but several times larger. Before she could wonder about it, Einhart had careful grabbed it with gloved hands and pushed it down into an opening in the sheet on the cart. Whatever was underneath began to shift, and then Nanoha inhaled sharply as it sat up. "Is that... a human?" she questioned, feeling her blood running a bit cold as she watched the skin began to morph. "Yes and no," Vivio replied softly as the new form began to stabilize, appearing much like a female. "It was human, but is now merely a corpse. As I said, Ixpellia's body was modified back in Ancient Belkan days, and now her linker core produces control cores for a type of soldier called a Mariage. Essentially, they reanimated the dead using advanced nanomachine biotechnology, and used those soldiers to fight wars." Nanoha couldn't imagine how such a thing might affect the mind of a young girl, but Ixpellia seemed well-adjusted earlier. "She looked like she was in pain...." "There is some discomfort, yes," Vivio admitted softly, as the new mariage finished it's transformation and stood up, now appearing much like a hi-tech female combat soldier. "But she was the one who volunteered to do this. I'll admit, because of the prophecy we considered it a likely outcome, but we didn't pressure her at all; it had to be her decision. Come, there is one more thing to show you." Nanoha took one last look to see the mariage walk off and enter a side door, and then Einhart pulled Ixpellia from the machine, hugging the girl tightly. The image of the the teary girl hugging hugging one of her adoptive mama's, smiles on both their faces, played over and over in Nanoha's mind as she followed Vivio, her own body working mostly on auto-pilot. She knew, now, what the prophecy meant by "army of the dead," but that brought up another question. "How many of those have you made?" she inquired, almost fearing the answer as Vivio stopped in front of a double-door at the end of the hall. Her daughter didn't answer right away, but tapped in a code on a console, opening the large pair of doors. The pair then stepped in and onto a small observation deck as floodlights illuminated the huge storehouse that almost seemed to stretch out forever. Nanoha gasped at the dozens, if not hundreds of human-sized forms standing in rows, finally understanding just how busy her daughter and granddaughter had been. Vivio checked a nearby screen. "We've just produced our 358th mariage." Xx~~*~~xX Author's notes: I know quite a few people have been waiting for this moment; hope it lived up to expectations! Although, you may or may not have seen that ending coming as a possibility. We'll see a few more explanations next chapter, in "Family, Part 2." A number of people will note that Fate should be included in a chapter named like this, and they would be right; she is coming.^^ And I figured a lot of people might guess Cinque was the eyepatch woman, but I do love breaking expectations.^^ (Still, one person did kinda guess, though... ;p) Last edited by Kaijo; 2010-09-28 at 12:14. |
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2010-09-28, 12:57
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Link #27266 | |
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: forge-world Moscow 1
Age: 38
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Quote:
Spoiler for Some thought:
Glad to see that Nanoha didn`t cross the Line and i fully expect to meet Ixy when "army of dead" was mentioned. But i glad to found out that Chrono still alive. Tea really desperate if she want to use Givo...
Overall it`s a very good chapter. |
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2010-09-28, 13:42
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Link #27268 |
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Left for TFF
Author
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Frozen Hell of the North
Age: 41
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So, I'm not sure if this should be chapter 41 or 40.5
ANYWAY! Thanks to Raiser for prereading for me. Day in the Life Gaiden Chapter Flashback Spoiler for Flashback:
"Zafira, Rein, Agito..." Verossa nodded at the blue and white wolf and the two Unison Devices as they stood guard outside of Hayate's room.
Agito smirked at him. "Come to check up on Meister?" "Partly..." Verossa sighed softly. It really sucked, but, they needed to know. "Schach and I went to your house to extract the body..." "I don't like where this is going." Zafira grumbled softly. The look in Verossa's eyes as he shook his head didn't reassure him in the slightest. "There was no body found, no clothing, nothing, just some blood on the ground." "But that's!" Agito couldn't believe it, how could that be. "That woman gave us all a hard time! Nearly killed me, Zafira, and Shamal before Rein helped us out!" "I don't doubt it, but she's not there anymore." "What?" Agito snarled. "Did she get up and walk away?!" She winced when both Zafira and Rein did their best to calm her down. "I mean, I saw her, she had a Steel Yolk shoved through her throat. How did she survive that?" "I don't know." Verossa sighed softly. This honestly made his head hurt. (---) Staring out at the ocean with his one good eye, Vince shook his head as he sat on the grass before turning slightly and looking behind him. "Just how long are you going to stay dead this time, I wonder?" Behind him, Sable didn't answer as the wind blew past them both. "Heh, to think my life came to this... From a Knight of the Bureau to a bodyguard of archeologists to a mercenary." Still, he couldn't help but think back on his life, or at least, think back to that first day, the day he met Rudal... *Flash* "You'll be working under this man from today on. Don't mess things up." His instructor, damn that woman, she had to be so annoying, didn't she? He respected her enough to listen to her, but he sure as hell didn't like her. When he nodded, she turned to the tall, muscular blond man. "He's all yours, Rudal." Nodding, the man waited until she left. "So, Vince huh?" Motioning for him to follow, Rudal started walking down the hallway, ignoring people as they walked by. "I hear you don't really like authority." He shrugged at that. He was only ten years old and already people were saying that he was some sort of prodigy genius. "Not really, too many of them just throw their weight around and don't even try to help those in need." "A few bad eggs does not mean that the entire group is spoiled, Vince, remember that." Rudal turned to him with a sharp eye. "There's always going to be someone who lets their power corrupt them, even so, most people in the Bureau are good people and should be protected." "Even the ones who are worse than the criminals?" Rudal nodded at the young boy. "Trust me, even those people are worth saving. Sometimes, it's just best to save who you can, if they're criminals, they'll get what's coming to them, eventually. I've been around long enough to know this." Suddenly the larger man smirked at him. "So, I hear that you're pretty good in combat. Let's see what you've got." "Alright." Vince smirked, this could be fun. (---) "Urgh..." Vince crumbled to the ground, his axe lay just out of arm's reach as he looked at Rudal as the man took a neutral stance against him. "You're the first in a long time to make me have to use some of what I can really do, kid." Rudal smirked at him. "You'll probably be good enough to beat me in about three years if you take it slow." "Slow?" Vince muttered as he stood up shakily. "I'll show you... SLOW!" He screamed as he thrust his arms forward, several objects behind him suddenly started to move and race towards Rudal. "Telekinesis?" Rudal blinked, but seemingly teleported out of the way before reappearing right in front of Vince, grabbing him by his shirt and rushing him straight to the wall where he slammed the kid against it, hard. "That's a pretty rare skill... Vince..." He smirked as the kid fell unconscious. "This might be interesting to see what you can do." He chuckled as he dropped Vince to the floor. He would later awaken to find that he had been out for over three hours. All it did was make him shake his head and smirk lightly. It could be interesting to try and defeat someone as strong as Rudal was. *Flash* "I never could beat him in a fight, not when he was training me..." Vince chuckled to himself and sighed as Sable didn't move. "You know, I wouldn't mind some comments from you." He was tempted to find a rock and hit her downed body with it, but he knew just how bad that would turn out in the end. *Flash* "You shouldn't judge them too harshly." Rudal said as Vince walked down the hallway angrily. As the younger knight passed him, Rudal stopped leaning on the wall and walked behind him. "It is for the best after all." "What do you mean?!" Vince growled as he spun around to face the taller man, who stared at him impassively. "You are an idiot, aren't you?" Rudal shook his head. "You do realize that all approved training methods are put onto file and recorded, correct?" He walked past Vince, who looked at him in confusion. "Yeah, so what's the..." "If your method had been approved, then they would have taught it to others. What would happen if dimensional criminals learned your style?" Vince stopped walking, his face showing off his shock as Rudal continued to walk, before stopping and looking back at him. "I see you finally understand. We have enough problems with things as they are now, criminals with the ability to take down our strongest mages and knights would only make matters worse for everyone involved." "I... Never thought..." "Which is why you aren't in charge." Rudal chuckled as Vince walked up to him slowly. "Still, it might be a good idea to fully master that style of yours." "Huh?" Vince blinked a few times. "But they said..." Rudal smirked at Vince. "It never hurts to have an ace in the hole. Besides," he turned and walked away from the younger knight, "one day, that style might save your life against the really dangerous enemies that exist out there." *Flash* Standing up, albeit with some difficulty, Vince turned and looked at Sable's downed body, before kicking it, rolling her body onto her back. She just stared up at him lifelessly. "...Must be nice, huh?" Grimacing as he wiped some blood from his missing eye, a magic bullet to the eye really did suck, Vince looked at the blood on his hand and twitched as his bum arm started to throb painfully. "Yeah, you get to lie there, doing nothing... Not like those kids... They never had a chance..." *Flash* "Here!" A female voice was heard as the door was kicked down and several mages rushed into the room. A moment later, Vince and Rudal followed after them. "Why did you..." Rudal stopped as he saw the room. He stared, his eyes wide as the scene became clear to him. Several mages started throwing up, not that either Vince or Rudal blamed them. Vince felt like doing the same. In the middle of the room, was a mass of bodies, blood and metal. Rudal walked forward, his face seemingly set in stone as he grabbed one of the bodies and pulled it free of the rest and dropped it to the floor, rolling it over. Immediately, he wished that he hadn't done that. Nearly everyone started throwing up as they saw the body. The face, the torso, all punctured with metal and wires, from the insides. Rudal turned and walked out, his eyes were covered in the shadow of his hair. "Burn this room." There was a tone of sheer rage in his voice. No one questioned him. How could anyone question that after seeing the bodies of infants and babies only a few months old that were torn up like that? Less than a week later, Rudal was declared a terrorist and Vince was declared dead. *Flash* "If I had known that it would lead to this..." Vince chuckled and then sighed as he saw her body. "I'm not always a patient person, Sable..." Then again, she already knew that. *Flash* Looking up slightly as a green haired woman stood in front of his table, Vince fought the urge to sigh. It had been only a few years since he had faked his death and left the Bureau. The hardest part was avoiding being found. He didn't mind the Bureau, overall, but he just couldn't work for them, not after what he had seen. "Yes?" "I heard you're a bodyguard for archaeologists who go into dangerous places and..." "Not interested." He turned away from her. She looked like a nice person and all, but he really didn't want to play babysitter to someone. Besides, there was a great chance that someone from the Bureau would find him if he took on more jobs so soon. "But I'm on the verge of finding something that could..." She began but sighed as he held up a hand to silence her while using his other one to drink some sort of alcoholic beverage. "...What if I told you it was a relic from Ancient Belka?" He made no obvious indication, however, he pulled his glass away from his lips slightly as he waited for her. "What if said relic was considered a Lost Logia, even back then?" "You found the Saint's Cradle?" He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. Some people would be surprised to hear such a question, though Vince considered such information rather trivial, since his last client wouldn't shut up about how if the Saint's Cradle had been found it would have given lots of information about Ancient Belka that they didn't have before. "No one knows where that thing is. No, I found something that was supposedly supposed to be made to go against the rulers of Ancient Belka." Now she had his attention. "Really?" When she nodded, he turned and gave her more of his attention. "Alright, let's say for a moment that I do go with you, what can I expect?" "You mean besides the usual old tombs?" She said sarcastically and gulped as he narrowed his eyes at her. "I mean, will there be traps, are there treasure hunters that might have stumbled across this and might be trying to get their hands on it? Or maybe you've got some hotshot rival who decides to sneak up on you, giving you wedgies and leaving you to death traps unless you turn things over to her?" She shook her head at that. "No, none of that, well, most of that. Look, I just want someone with me in case there are booby-traps or something in the way." He grunted. He had hoped for a better reason, but... "Fine..." "You'll do it?" Her eyes lit up in happiness as he nodded. "Said I would... So, what's your name?" "Sable." She smiled happily as he shook his head. "Look, Mr. Vince... We can..." "Just... Stop." He held up a hand to quiet her down. "You'll lead me to the place, I'll help you look around, keep you from falling to your death, but other than that, I don't care to hear about it. I'll tell you my price after we're out of there. The more trouble, the more you'll owe me." "Fair enough." She nodded. "Well, um, just meet me here by ten." "Fine." (---) A few days later, Vince found himself leaning against one of the walls as he watched Sable work at cleaning some dust off of a carving. He hated to admit it, but he was privately glad that the job was rather dull. The worst that he had to do was stop her from touching something that would have set off a magical attack... Sometimes. He hated it when old carvings and warnings got worn out or broke, it made it hard to figure out what they were warning about. He really didn't want to deal with magical attack killer bees simply because no one read the warning label on the plate of cookies. "These... Warning... um... Damn! I can't really read this." Sable sighed, she hated not being able to read Ancient Belkan. It was so hard too..." "These rooms hold very dangerous artifacts. Warning to all who would enter, leave now." Vince said casually from behind her, which had her hair sticking out odd angles as her skin tingled. "How'd you do that!?" She spun on him, pointing at the wall. "How can you read that!?" He rolled his eyes. "I've been doing this for a few years. Ancient Belkan might be a bit tricky, but it's not impossible to read." "Why aren't you the Archaeologist then? I can be the body guard." He shrugged at her. "Not interested in it." He chuckled as she seemed to throw her hands up into the air and kicked the wall. His chuckling stopped as the walls began to shake. "What the hell?" He grabbed her and jumped away as the wall moved, turning slowly, before stopping when it had turned ninety degrees, revealing a hidden room. "Woah!" Sable got out of Vince's grasp and ran into the room. Walking behind her, Vince had to agree, the room seemed to be glowing, but there didn't seem to be much of anything here. Looking at the center, he saw some sort of pedestal standing up in the middle. "What the?" Quickly making his way there, he looked at the object on the pedestal. "...Clothing?" Suddenly the lights dimmed and a blue sphere appeared in the middle of the room. "Fascinating..." Sable watched the events play out. "Will this work?" One scientist said to another, who shrugged. "I don't know, but I know that I'm tired of these wars and the royalty that thinks they can just wage war over us and not expect us to do anything but fall in line for them." "Must have been from the later stages of the war..." Vince shook his head. They watched as several people lined up and tried on the armor. Both of them turned green as the people in the video suddenly started turning into husks of flesh before falling over dead. "What the?!" Sable yelled as she trembled. "This thing... It's only good for killing people?!" "Wait!" Vince pointed to someone who was able to wear it. "She's not affected by it." "Amazing! You can wear that?" The woman nodded and created an energy blade out of nowhere. "I feel... Incredible..." She closed her eyes. "Like I can do anything!" The video blanked out a moment later and Vince shook his head. "Such a waste, honestly..." He wished that he knew what it was for though. The blue sphere popped back up a moment later, a man with a mustache appeared on the screen, showing the room off. "We were stupid. This armor, this "Armor of Völundr", though it should be called "Necrid Armor", was a mistake! Almost no one can even wear it. Even if you can wear it, you can never take it off, it will kill you!" He shuddered as several mages put it on the pedestal without touching it. "It has powerful healing abilities, even death cannot slow the wearer down for long. And it nullifies even the strongest magical attacks to nothing." As it was put down on the pedestal, he shook his head. "If you see this, please, never pick the armor up." The screen showed static a few moments later before fading out completely. Sable sighed softly. "Damn, and here I was thinking that this could go into a museum or something afterwards." If it was that dangerous... "Yeah... We should just seal this whole thing away and..." Vince stopped as he saw her touch the armor. "What the hell are you doing?!" "I just." She stopped speaking, her eyes went wide as the armor started to glow brightly. "What?" Taking two steps back, she was prepared to run when it suddenly shot out and wrapped itself around. "N..NOOO! HELLLLLP!" She screamed, she didn't want to die. She didn't want to die, she wanted to live and do things and... "You're alive." Vince said as he looked at her. "What the..?" He took a step back as her body was flooded with red energy. "Damn, this is a pain in the ass." He grumbled and put an arm up, trying to keep any wind and light out of his eyes. When the light faded, he looked at her, her clothing was different... Green leggings and a gray-white sleeve-less shirt and fingerless black gloves, her face had an arrogant grin on it as she looked at it. For some reason, he was certain that she gained a few inches in height, her arms and legs got more muscular and her bust increased as he looked at her. "What the hell?" "Marvelous..." She grinned and formed a red energy sword in her hand. "Simply marvelous..." She walked up to him and smirked. "Like what you see?" "Whatever..." Vince shrugged, she was alive, that was all he was hired to do. "By the way, your fee went way up." She laughed at that. "Oh, I'm pretty sure that I can cover that... This... Lost Logia, designed to kill the rulers of Belka..." Vince shuddered as she let loose a side-busting laugh. "All the knowledge of the previous users... I have it all... OOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" "Don't... Ever laugh like that again." She crossed her arms and left, causing him to look at her ass, since the clothing was tight on her body, and he shook his head. That Lost Logia was dangerous... Too dangerous. *Flash...* He stopped his trip down memory lane as he heard her groan and slowly sit up. "About time..." She growled at him. "You fucking bastard! Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to revive when you have something stabbed through your neck?!" She smirked as she saw his state of being. "Looks like you're about to fall down dead yourself... Signum give you more trouble than you thought she would?" He shrugged, painfully. "Got sniped in the eye by her boyfriend." He wasn't sure if that sniper was Signum's boyfriend, but considering the look in his eyes, it was a definite possibility. "Hurry up, will ya?" She growled and slammed a hand on his chest, knocking him down, before a green light covered him. A few moments later, he blinked, his eye was as good as new and his body felt completely reinvigorated. "Much better." "Yeah, yeah..." She grumbled and he frowned at her. "...You're on the last one, huh?" When she snarled and looked away, he sighed. "Figured as much... Even if that thing can bring you back to life, it's got drawbacks..." "What?! Just because it makes me a little dumber each time?!" She grabbed his collar and he shook his head. "A little dumber and it sucks your magic. You're barely an A rank mage right now, you'd probably be lucky if you qualified for a B rank mage. You die again, and you won't be coming back, not like the last few times." She winced, she knew that, she really did. "Stupid Lost Logias..." "Yep..." He sighed. "Let's get out of here..." "Where to?" She blinked as he prepared a dimensional transport spell. "Anywhere..." He smirked. "I'll be back though... I need to get better... If I'm ever going to beat Signum in a straight up fight." No, he didn't want to kill her, not anymore. Now? Now she was a challenge, someone who could make things... Interesting. Sable cracked her knuckles. "Next time, little doggie, I'll make sure to kill you first." End Spoiler for Notes:
So, there you have it. Vince, Rudal and Sable's backstories.
I based Sable's armor, not off of the Eclipse stuff that Nanoha Force did, but off of the Zannafar Armor from Slayers, granted, it was heavily toned down, otherwise Sable would have turned into a giant multi-headed panther dragon demon thing and started eating everything when she died. Lost Logias are hax, by the way. Alright, go on, call me a hypocrite. Go on. I deserve it. |
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2010-09-28, 14:28
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Link #27269 |
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Under Death by College
Author
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Where you least expect me
Age: 30
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Quote:
On the plus side however learning backstories is always an enjoyable experience for me. The ending was good, i think it cut off with a nice little climax, perfect way to bring an end to this little side story...thing...flahsback...whatever. Also, what's a gaiden chapter?
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"The eyes are the windows that let us gaze upon the soul"  "When desperate there are two choices: Lock shields for the last stand or draw your sword for the final charge" "There are no winners or losers, there are only the living and the dead." |
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2010-09-28, 14:34
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Link #27270 |
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Left for TFF
Author
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Frozen Hell of the North
Age: 41
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Gaiden Chapter is similar to a Gaiden Game.
In that, you're able to give backstory to a character that you couldn't in the main story. ... Basically it's just "take time out from the main story to explain the history of these characters" kind of chapter. |
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2010-09-28, 14:40
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Link #27271 | |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
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 Awesome. Now, what will happen? Here are my predictions: -Whatever was done to RH, it will give the location of the hidden place. Most likely, the bounty hunters will see Fate and tell her of this, which Fate will use to locate Nanoha. -Fate versus Nanoha, with Nanoha asking to fight her alone. Because... well, it would take one hell of an opening surprise attack for Fate to take out both Einhart and Vivio.
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I hate sad and bittersweet endings. Why? Because I think the real world is sad enough as it is. Must our stories be sad too?
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2010-09-28, 15:26
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Link #27272 |
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Σ(。д°(o--(ಠ益ಠ )
Author
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Hotsprings Resort
Age: 38
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Hey Nanya. You asked for it, so here it is.
Spoiler for Side Due X:
A stable job, a healthy bank account, family with a secure future, these things were a sort of
security for Kevin. Seeing how his three daughters turned out to be, there was little else he could have wanted… Though, the home he lived in now seemed rather empty now; one man in a place meant for four and more. Standing over the pot that would become dinner that night (braised shortribs over egg noodles and buttered green beans), Kevin listened to the sounds of his home: a gently simmering pot, the silent rattle of wind outside, and the distant hum of the heating. It sure is quiet… Well, it meant he could catch up with some of his reading. In addition to volumes of work from Earth, Mid Childa provided a healthy source of literary work. The bit about the Knight of Tragedy was a popular tale for all ages – Vivio and her friends could not stop talking about it, while Knight Carim and her associates were closet fans. A knock interrupted his thoughts, bringing him to the front door. What he found there was a pleasant surprise. “Hello, father,” Shana greeted, smiling gently the smile she reserved only for family. “Shana, do come in,” Kevin welcomed his adopted daughter with a large smile, moving out of the way so she could step inside. It always made him feel good whenever he got a visit from one of his girls, even if it was for the evening. “How are things?” “Well enough,” the mage sighed, hanging up her uniform jacket in the hall. “Work has been exhausting lately, largely due to the increase of insurgent activities. I ponder the effectiveness of the Bureau’s ruling if so many terrorist groups form so often.” “Well, you know how people are. If not by words, then by violence they will strive to prove their point, “Indeed. I had to reinforce Erio Mondial and Caro Ru Lushe in response to increasing violence from animal rights extremists.” That had Kevin grimacing; PETA seemed to exist here as well. “Do not worry. Ru Lushe and Mondial were more than adequate in handling the extremists. My presence was not even needed.” “Well, that’s good. At least there’s never a dull moment, is there?” “There are times I wish there were lulls so as to give me more time to come home.” Ahh, such a faithful girl with strong filial piety. They entered the kitchen, to which Shana performed her usual ritual of breathing deeply. Wordlessly, Kevin retrieved two mugs and a coffee pot, getting a grateful smile in return. “Rather than spending so much time with an old man, you should focus in getting yourself man,” Kevin smirked at Shana’s sudden blush—her ears turned red, “Are things going well with Yuuno?” “My efforts are bearing fruit, though my… competition is also fierce.” “The kid is both the envy and pity of practically the entire male population of Mid Childa,” Kevin said with a chuckle. “Really, six girls vying for his attentions?” “I would rather he focus on one, but that would be selfish.” “Being selfish is how you win in romance, Shana. You need to make him think of only you.” “Were it so easy,” she peered into her black coffee. “Being selfish is difficult when the competition is your own family and friends.” Not sure what to say about that one… “In any case, what of you, father? Have you not looked into finding a significant other?” Erk. “I haven’t had the time, really,” the chef shrugged, hoping to deflect the question. “Work has me busy enough without the attentions of some bonny lass wearing down on me.” “Diana, Lilia, and I are growing worried, you know. You deserve a chance too.” “Perhaps, but like I said, no time…” Kevin was glad that another knock at the door gave excuse to temporarily escape the situation. Opening the door, he was greeted with another surprise, though not as pleasant as before. “I smelled something good so I came as soon as possible!” the small form of Due was practically hopping in place, comically overburdened in enough winterwear to seem like a Christmas elf-sized ornament. “I’m sorry, sir,” Cinque sheepishly bowed her head, “We were walking home when she suddenly bolted away. I chased after her and, well, here we are?” “I see…” Well, it would be horrible of him to turn them away, especially with Due looking rather expectant. A strange amalgamation of adult and childish minds, Due was strange to deal with, though easily convinced through use of cupcakes and similar sweets. Fortunately, he had made a large pot of braised shortribs. “Well, come in then. Wouldn’t do well if I left you two to freeze out here,” he stepped out of the way, much to Due’s growing cheer. She shed the layers like a snake, practically leaping out of the warm clothes and dashing into the kitchen. She didn’t get far before letting out a frightened squeak and backpedalling back into the hall. “Father? Who is at the door?” Shana peeked out of the kitchen, almost running over a small newcomer. Despite the little one’s somewhat familiar appearance, Shana’s attention locked on to the silver-haired girl entering the home, “Oh. Hello, Cinque Nakajima.” One could actually feel the temperature drop, and not because of the chilly weather outside, either. Cinque just tried her best not to flinch at the larger girl’s stare. It was no secret that the girls once known as the Materials had little trust in the reformed Numbers, after all this time. At the very least, they tolerated the Numbers’ presences, though they never did forgive them of sending seventeen shards of shrapnel into their father. “Major,” Cinque nodded back in greeting. “For what purpose is your visit?” there was a definite switch in tone from the short-haired woman. “Ahh, well, my sister here was rescued one night by your father. She’s gotten a little attached to him now…” “Yaaay~!” Due cheered as she successfully managed to climb Mt. Kevin, sitting on the taller man’s shoulders. “Get off me,” Kevin muttered loudly, but not unkindly. Well, she looked harmless enough, Shana decided. Still… “I see. And you made no attempt to dissuade her?” “Well, she ran off rather quickly before I could react, and to be honest, I… I was not against it either,” again with the shy, sheepish look from Cinque. “When Due just bolted in this direction, I followed.” That got a sharp look, “Due? As in the Due that worked under Doctor Scaglietti and responsible for assassinating the TSAB High Council and Lieutenant General Regius Gaiz?” Cinque’s expression was now one of ‘oh shit,’ her mind racing to come up with a cover story. Shana, on the other hand, had already passed judgment and now had a glow in her right hand. Fortunately, Kevin was between Shana and her target, “Now now, what did I say about magic in the house? owduestopbitingmyear.” “I will keep it outside, after I remove them.” “That will be messy.” “I will clean it.” “Shana, your hand is glowing.” “It will not harm her. Much.” “Shana,” Kevin spoke in a tone that did not sound much different from his usual, yet there was something about it that stopped his daughter. Similarly, Cinque was suddenly reminded of the Nakajima patriarch whenever the girls got a little too rowdy. “This is not the Due you think she is, though a biter she definitely is.” “Nakajima said they were sisters. There is only one other Due, and she is supposed to be dead.” “Indeed, they are sisters, and yes, that Due is dead. This one is… a second chance.” “But—” “It’s alright, Shana. Remember how everyone gave you and your sisters a second chance? It was a wonderful thing, yes? So give this little one the same thing. She is being watched over carefully,” Kevin turned to look at his other guest. “Isn’t that right, Cinque?” “Y-yes! In fact, I’m the one currently responsible for her wellbeing,” the one-eyed girl tried her best to smile calmly. Her anxiety was understandable; whereas Nanoha befriended people with beams, Shana kept to her original name and destroyed. Dieci was getting over her trauma over the color pink, but she went utterly catatonic whenever Shana was mentioned, let alone in the same room. Oh man, this was just like the Sheffield Incident… “…” Shana’s frown did not budge, but the glow did fade from her hand. “Very well, father. I will trust your words.” The message she sent to the two was very clear, however. I am watching you… her eyes said, with the promise of excessive force should they break the fragile trust. Cinque was beginning to understand why Dieci was so… stubborn to break free of that particular trauma. And Due, seemingly oblivious to the entire exchange and her possible destruction, spotted the pot still simmering away with supper. “Ooh~!” she reached out for it, pulling along her stand. However, her stand was a person, not a pole, and the sudden shift caused Kevin to stumble backwards off balance. Cinque saw this, darting forward and zipping around Shana to help. Alas, she miscalculated her distance, her enhanced strength bumping Kevin in the leg and sending all three of them crashing to the kitchen floor. Suddenly, she was sprawled on top of his chest with Due sitting awkwardly on his neck and ohgodshanasentirebodyisglowing. From the kitchen, they heard the front door open, and with the rush of winter air did two new presences made themselves known. “Dad~! What’s for dinner?” Lilia sang, gliding into the room with restrained excitement. She froze upon seeing the two guests, the very first thing registering being their relative size and approximate ages. Thusly, she bolted out of the room, “Diana! Help! Dad’s become a lolicon! Again!” Dammit, Lilia.
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2010-09-28, 16:41
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Link #27274 |
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A Drifter...
Author
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Brampton
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Ditto for me. Whatever you're on Tempy, I want some so I can write as much awesome and funny as you.
Also, I would be forever grateful if you could allow us a glimpse of the crazy shenanigans that Yuuno has to put up dealing with the attention of three Aces and their 'alternates'. A 'Day in the Life' ficlet? EDIT: Forgot to respond to Kaijo's new story bit... Spoiler:
Wow, so that's how the 'Belkan kings' ended up. And for once, there's a possible actual positive use for the Mariage.
Anyone else we're missing in this epic?
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 Thanks to 00-Raiser for hooking me up with the sig! Last edited by Yasanagi; 2010-09-28 at 16:55. |
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2010-09-28, 18:07
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Link #27276 |
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Master of the Shiny Crack
AuthorJoin Date: Feb 2008
Location: In a cave
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Was there ever any doubt?
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2010-09-28, 18:23
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Link #27277 |
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Under Death by College
Author
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Where you least expect me
Age: 30
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Always nice to get a little confirmation on these things, let's you say "I knew it, now i can prove it" which is fairly satisfying i always thought
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"The eyes are the windows that let us gaze upon the soul" "When desperate there are two choices: Lock shields for the last stand or draw your sword for the final charge" "There are no winners or losers, there are only the living and the dead." |
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2010-09-28, 20:40
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Link #27278 | ||
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Burst Mode
Author
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Windsor, Ontario
Age: 37
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Whoo! I got it right!  An interesting chapter, though I figured the whole undead army thing when Einhart said a shipment came in. Tying it back to the scene with the coffins made it pretty apparent. About Ix, though... I don't agree with your characterization of her. Being older than she looks, she's actually quite wise and mature, so I definitely don't think she'd be all child like and calling Vivio and Einhart her mamas. Heck, she's older than them and if the events of SSX didn't change that much, Ix and Vivio knew each other back then briefly. I get what you're trying to do with the whole Nanoha and Fate parrallel, and being ambiguous about Vivio and Einhart being a couple or not, but I don't think it's proper for Ix to be the one to introduce that. Hell, giving them a little orphan girl that some how stumbled down the hole while escaping from a wild animal would work better. Having Ix be the daughter feels OOC to me. If Ix would view anyone like that, it'd be Subaru, but SSX had that come off as a friendly/sisterly thing. To further this, Vivio has known Ix for years and considered her a friend even when she was in her coma. To switch to being her 'mama' just doesn't work. You're friends with some one for over 50 years, so how easy could it be to suddenly view them as your daughter? Other than that point, everything works well. Quote:
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This should be obvious, but I really liked the conversation about Yuuno I'd love to see a fic where Kevin has to handle all 3 of his daughter's feelings. Would certainly be a sticky situation if all his girls wanted his support, but Kevin can't pick just one to root for.Also, what Yasanagi said. But in regards to his own love life, hm... me thinks Cinque might be open to the idea! She is older than she looks after all And Sheffield? Damn it why does that sound familiar? x_x
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2010-09-28, 20:54
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Σ(。д°(o--(ಠ益ಠ )
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Hotsprings Resort
Age: 38
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authorshipping, befriending, fanfiction, interactive fanfiction, nanoha  |
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