Nanoha FanFiction Discussion - Page 1728

2011-10-04, 11:36	Link #34541
Craxuan Crax Author Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: MY	What madness. I actually completed Chapter 11, and it's crazy, crazy, CRAZY, CRAZY long. Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5 (Part 1), Chapter 5 (Part 2), Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10 Spoiler for The Two Goddesses, Chapter 11 (Part 1): Chapter 11 (Part 1) *[Playback complete. Saving record to permanent memory, event designated codename ‘Love’. Next selected time year 0082 month 12 day 20 0000. Begin playback.]* *[Year 0082 month 9 day 4 0800]* Several months dozed by peacefully the restless city of magic, lulling its anxious inhabitants into an attractive sense of idleness. Fate was nowhere to be found despite SSD6’s best efforts to track her, and the strange deaths that had once haunted every man’s waking nightmare were forgotten like it never happened. Even the notorious Jail Scaglietti kept relatively quiet to his own evil council; one might actually believe that he has repented and bowed out of the mad scientist industry. “Today’s a fine day, isn’t it?” “Yes, Mistress.” “Pretty peaceful too.” “Yes, Mistress.” Hayate paused to look at the ice popsicle she’s sucking at, to the table that was utterly clear of work and papers, and to the idling Rein who was catching the air conditioner’s full blast looking like she could melt in relaxation. The Unison Device glimpsed the boredom peeking out as wrinkles on her forehead and tried to comfort, “Do you want me to call the Land Force and transfer some paperwork –“ Hayate threw a pen at Rein and missed, smiling a bit as Rein continued to hover around joking and laughing. Maybe things really have calmed down a little. In fact, she should say that the past few months were unusually hectic. Maybe. - “Reunion.” “Yeah? What is it?” “… No, nothing.” - *[Year 0082 month 9 day 9 0909]* “Do you believe in the afterlife, Hayate?” The questioned hand froze in midair holding a cup of tea, a finger flexing as if unsure how to react at the sudden question. Hayate took a heartbeat’s moment to decide that replying truthfully would not in any way detriment their friendship, and answered, “Are you drunk?” Carim placed – no, smashed her cup almost vengefully against the table. Several pairs of disapproving eyes turned around to intimidate, but one chilly smile from the sister chased them almost immediately. Her friend took a second to recompose herself before replying, “No I’m not, but thanks for the concern.” Hayate sipped some more tea and began taking in her surroundings. Tables and chairs of fine oak filled up the majority of the cafe’s space, with old lamps and decorative stars that gave off lights of classic yellow and brown. It reminded her fondly of the historical Middle Ages in television, even though she’s acutely aware that the services provided were far from primitive. The very cup in her hands could probably sell for ten times the value of drink it’s holding. An incredible luxury. It was also a terrible mismatch to the Knight of Saint Church, Carim Gracia. Hayate wasn’t entirely joking when she asked that. “Well, I can’t be sure, I’ve never thought about this deeply,” the brunette casually lifted a finger and rubbed nose, “But you already know that. So why ask?” Carim unconsciously mimicked the gesture before catching herself. Hayate frowned deeper; normally her friend would never be caught by such an obvious baselining method, “You got me. It’s just that I find my beliefs to be… severely challenged as of late.” “Carim…?” Abruptly the sister pulled out a single card, and almost immediately Hayate identified it as a tarot card from Earth. Her friend was quite the collector since her field of magic is prophecy, but this was the first time Hayate actually saw her using one. Carim placed it carefully on the emerald colored table and said quietly, “Upright Temperance, symbolizing peace and tranquility. This is what you came for, isn’t it Hayate?” The commander did not react. However, that was only true towards the exterior and not the boiling turmoil sizzling inside her heart. She waited a second to arrange her feelings before throwing out the question, “This is going to sound foolish… No, it must be, but I have to confirm. How many times have you gotten the same reading?” Her friend did not answer. “… Never mind. Thanks for your help, Carim. I really appreciate it.” Hayate stood up and called for the bill, but as if she just remembered something, she placed a palm onto Carim’s and asked carefully, “By the way, you’ll come for a drink at my place tonight, won’t you? I have a few interesting XOs just sitting in the closet.” And for the first time of the day, Carim Gracia smiled genuinely without a trace of shadows. - “Hayate.” “Hmm?” “Don’t give me that look; you’ve been staring at me for the past five hours! It’s creeping me out!” “Ahaha, sorry.” “Just what is it you want to talk about?” “… Sorry. Just give me a little more time, okay?” - *[Year 0082 month 9 day 27 1405]* “…” It was warm. She drifted aimlessly in a flowing, still world, feeling with her skin the almost sensation of floating in emptiness. Flying had in a way realized one dream and smashed another: The air does not hold her gently as would an imaginary balloon, but instead they were loose as tiny strings that she must grab tightly with magic to stay afloat. Hayate never did have the talent to soar the sky; she was too much of an earthbound girl who preferred something solid beneath her feet. Flying was not the key to the locks of reality that shackled her soul. Therefore time in this state of the mind was precious. Something not even dreams could convey fully the realistic feeling of floating lighter than water; to cut paths through the crowds of people as if godless and alien. It was better than a daydream, even if a daydream was the entrance fee to this exotic theater of life. “…” An incessant buzzing. It was a paradox for something to exist and yet be endless, and it was not a paradox from a different, wider perspective. But setting that aside, it would seem that her precious time was coming to an end. Reality was calling her consciousness, dragging her in bubble chains and bounds that seemed so transient yet irresistible. A bait humans were not equipped to reject. Should she resist? The incessant buzzing grew louder. “… Hayate. If you don’t snap out of your whatever state-of-the-mind stuff I’m going to push you to that electrical pole, trip you, throw these stupid bags on your head and walk away. Fine, you’ve had your warning –“ Hayate easily dodged Reunion’s hand and smiled. It sent a chill down the boy’s back as he tried to escape, but the deed was already done. Out of nowhere chain binds slithered in to lock the item bags firmly onto his hands and back, and Hayate thoroughly ignored the public’s incredulous stares while declaring, “Looks like those disciplinary trainings hasn’t sunk in yet, hmm? That’s it, we’re going for a vacation.” “You will not – What? What? What?” “Yes… We would go to Carnaaji for some preliminary scouting. Just you, me, my knights, Rein and Agito. The Yagami family trip. In fact, I’ve already called Megane about it, and we’ll be going tomorrow. That is why if you drop even a single bag on the floor –“ She slapped Reunion hard on the back, and the kid nearly stumbled. He gulped. Hayate’s increasing unpredictability and trickiness tore through his magic as easily as paper. There really was no telling what the demon would do once she set her mind on punishment. He muttered in annoyance, “Yeah, yeah. Dammit.” Hayate pulled at his ear hard, and the boy finally managed to keep his mouth shut. Satisfied at his obedience, she began to submerge back into her thoughts wishing for that immeasurable tranquility she just lost. She was about to succeed. “… Preliminary scouting, huh.” Reality was unkind. She replied with an unusually bright tone, “Yeah. Looking out for the kids, you know. Miura. Vivio. The bunch.” Then they were silent, until Hayate made her ridiculous statement to her family once back at the house to result in an uproar of utter panic, chaos, and packing. Lots and lots of packing. - “… We really did come for a vacation, didn’t we?” Signum’s eyes followed Lutecia’s skimpy bath suit as the girl zoomed down the new water slide with an excited scream, frowning. Vita was caught along in an unbreakable neck lock – courtesy of her own carelessness to actually trust the Hayate-trained girl – and to be shield as they plunged almost ninety degrees and from twenty meters above. It was a rare sight, and Hayate snapped relentless photos of the hilarious spectacle. “Of course we are! Everyone’s been here except us, and that’s not fair at all!” Snap. Snap. Switch to burst mode, Snap. Signum frowned a little harder, unable to ascertain whether her Mistress was joking or not. Despite feeling comforted that the brunette was enjoying the time of her life, the warrior could never quite get used to how Hayate could fool around like she was three years old despite being twenty six. Or that she was squealing in baby high notes and jumping as if there’re springs in her knees, utterly uncaring for the potential few stories high tsunami that might hit them hard. Signum thought she could see Vita’s soul for a second when the impact happened. She muttered a prayer. “Try to enjoy the best you can, Signum. You never know.” She turned her head abruptly, but Hayate was already bouncing away in twos and threes with her attention drawn to Megane. The beautiful mother shrieked as the brunette unhooked her bra with the deftness of a master. Signum suddenly wished to feel Laevantein in her palm. She fought back the urge. - “Aunt Hayate, is it true that you once challenged a Land Force battalion to strip poker and won?” The question came out of nowhere and landed like a bomb. Lutecia yelped as Hayate’s fingers abruptly tightened on her head, but the brunette quickly unclenched them and apologized, “Woops, sorry. Er, where did you hear that from?” Lutecia replied innocently, “Someone, somewhere, sometime ago. How did you do it?” Hayate rolled her eyes and went back to washing the girl’s hair. As usual, she found it rather fascinating that there were actual people who were born with purple hair, “I was drunk when I made that bet. Luckily I won, or else my career and dreams would’ve been ruined in a single night,” She scooped some water from the hot spring and poured them down carefully, “Was it Agito?” Lutecia shivered involuntarily as the white foams flushed off her hair, answering, “No, not her.” “So it is her. Looks like there’ll be some family spanking to do tonight. And in case you’re wondering how,” Hayate chided gently, “The water is hot.” The purple-haired girl’s shoulder slumped, and Hayate knew that she had guessed right. Her student has yet much to learn. She wrapped her fingers delicately around the silky threads before pulling downwards once, twice, as if stroking a kitten, “So, how is life in Carnaaji? I’m not too familiar with the countryside…” “Just fine. Around here it’s always peaceful and quiet, and I’m together with mum.” Lutecia quietly eyed the others enjoying the time of their lives under the full moon, “The townspeople are pretty nice, and I’ve made some friends. Plenty of insects too.” “That’s good.” “You think?” They chatted on. Occasionally there would be laughter, a jest, and even a little prank on the soap-sliding Rein. Lutecia seemed to revert back to her old, quieter self but not recluse; Hayate a lot more honest and open instead of keeping her hardened, cheerful façade. Perhaps they did not realize themselves, but despite all differences, to the eyes of those watching them, they really do look like sisters. “Lutecia.” “Hmm?” Their positions were now reversed. Hayate closed her eyes and submitted herself to darkness, humming as she enjoyed the girl’s expert ministrations caressing gently on her head, “When this Christmas comes, I’ll be visiting here again with everyone else. It’ll be a huge gathering.” “Really? That would be great! Just imagine all the fun we’ll have!” Purple hair swayed as Lutecia laughed. “Yeah. We could have a blackout party like last time, a night adventure, card games maybe if they let me play…” The night rustled at the mercy of blowing winds, and Hayate pressed harder into Lutecia’s lap. She felt chilly. The laughter passed by like an ephemeral dream, less than an illusion. “… But it won’t come true, isn’t it. Not for this, next year, the year after.” Like a blade mild shock pierced through her chest with every word, and the brunette felt ashamed. She was being selfish again, lying to keep up her another’s feeble dreams of happiness, even though she knew they could not be real, even though it was just a fleeting wish that could no longer come true. Clear water splashed lightly against her thigh, and it felt scalding hot and very much alive. “You’re right. You’re right, at the very least I cannot be there, and Nanoha won’t either. We have a… responsibility to fulfill.” “Then give me one reason why I shouldn’t be there to help you,” There was no hesitation at all in her voice. Hayate didn’t need to see to know that Lutecia meant every word, and that her strength was downright fearsome when deployed on the right battlefield. Unfortunately, she needed her student somewhere else. Hayate chose her words carefully, “You will, just not at Cranagan. Listen, Lutecia. Two days before Christmas, I want you to gather up all of your friends here. Miura, Vivio, Einhart, Corona; everyone you can find. Do you understand what I mean?” Lutecia took her time to ponder before she replied, “… You want my place as a refugee camp. No, a second base?” “Refugee camp,” Hayate corrected strongly, “Let’s be honest: Should Grey Christmas happens, your presences will only kill us. This is not a joke,” she added in seriously when she saw Lutecia’s skeptical look, “I cannot afford any of my soldiers wandering off by themselves just because one of you needs rescuing.” “So you expect us to sit in front of the screen waiting for news and do nothing?” Lutecia said sarcastically. “Yes.” Lutecia didn’t say a word, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out what’s she’s scheming her head. She must nail shut the coffin now, and Hayate knew just the right way to do it. Oh, I’m definitely going to hell for saying this, “If you don’t, then you will risk your friends’ death.” She sensed a shudder from Lutecia’s fingers and felt guilt eating her alive, but Hayate persisted coldly, matter-of-factly, “You will risk our death. You will risk losing everyone you ever love because of your one moment of selfishness… do you want that, Lutecia?” And silence reigned. Hayate suddenly noticed that everyone else had left, maybe sensing the solemn mood and decided to not interfere. The night was stifling, and the brunette wasn’t sure that it was steam choking her lungs. If she disagrees then… “… You have to come back, okay?” The bell-like voice rang timidly, fearful of the future but firm. Hayate sighed in relief, and she joked laughingly, “Of course I will. Wouldn’t want to miss the sugar party now, would I?” “If you don’t, or I find the situation bad then…” She trailed off. Hayate nodded. They got out of the hot spring and joined the others, a trail of wispy air following as if trying to reach. - “Actually, I have an idea.” “It’s something that I’ll hate a lot, no?” “I don’t know, Reunion. I hate it myself.” - *[Year 0082 month 10 day 2 1159]* For a TSAB Admiral and Captain of the XV class warship Claudia, Hayate found Chrono’s chosen house of living to be relatively moderate. It was a semi-detached bungalow with a relatively medium garden; a size just enough for his two children to run around freely without restrictions. She grabbed the sturdy plastic handle to feel the Land Rover’s texture before remarking, “I’m repeating myself, but your monthly salary is about three times that of an ordinary businessman, you know. Why don’t you get a bigger house?” “More neighbors. Amy says that the kids need more friends, not empty space. Personally I agree, but adding in factors such as a good enough security, close to our workplace, Amy-approved neighbors and Amy-like house… It was a nightmare.” “She’s your wife. You should tend to her every need,” Hayate winked from behind. “I know, but really...” Chrono climbed out of the driver’s seat and stretched his back. At thirty two, the young man was starting to feel the mounting of age, and once he had confided over a couple of drinks that sometimes he wished that he was an Enforcer again. Immense his arsenal of tricks may be, there were no shortcuts when it came to training one’s physical body and strength, which required time an Admiral sadly lacked. Hayate sat inside the car thinking idly, out of focus until Chrono’s voice knocked some senses into her head, “What are you waiting for? Let’s go.” “Ah, yes.” Her palm ran through the smooth surface once more before tightening, then pulled. Clack. The rush of hot air over her neck felt oddly refreshing. How many years have it been since she last visited? She shuffled her feet timidly behind Chrono, quite afraid actually of the inevitable she knew was sure to come – “Hayate! It’s been so long!” A pair of hands snaked from behind and abruptly squeezed, eliciting a silly yelp from the commander. How did she get behind her back?! “Amy, hi – Hyah!” Hayate struggled mightily to no avail, and for some reason the brunette didn’t wish to know, Amy was very good with strangle hold. Chrono approached his wife with a sigh and pulled her away, the latter now transferred and straddled to him like a leech, “How many times do I have to tell you not to do that to our guests?” “But it’s been so many years since Hayate came to our house! Of course we have to do our greetings properly, right?” “And just how is any of that called proper?” Hayate watched the silly banter continue, conscious of something whirling within her chest like a wind mill. She could almost hear the hidden cogs within that tall, white tower, grinding and grazing against each other. Noisy, creaky, but always working together in perfect harmony. Her friends were so lucky to have each other. She felt a tug on her fingers. Looking up, the ever cheerful Amy smiled brightly into her eyes as if there were dandelions floating atop her shoulders. Sunflowers sounded better, but in truth they weren’t as pretty and light. “C’mon, let’s get inside already. Chrono was right; you do look a bit out today.” Hayate replied with embarrassment, “Ahaha, sorry. Well, thanks for having me.” She stepped in. Barefooted, the cloudy marble seeped coolness into her skin as she followed Amy into living room. In no time at all they were seated comfortably on the sofa, a few cups of tea already prepared and steaming on top of the low table. Hayate’s eyes widened, “Is that what I think…?” “Yup,” Amy said sunnily, “Japanese green tea. Since our rendezvous to Earth Lindy has always kept a few bags in the house, although that was after she retired. Try it!” She put the cup to her lips waveringly, testing and feeling confident by the just temperature before taking in a sip. It tasted like home. Home? How long has it been since I left Earth? A well of tears threatened to overwhelm her eye ducts, but she persevered. It was yet too early to cry, “It’s really good, Amy. Thank you.” To her surprise, the smiling face turned into a frown. The woman pressed in closer and struck her face with a finger, “H-huh?” “Why are you talking so seriously? That’s not the Hayate I know,” Amy said kindly, “Start joking, teasing, whatever. Such as how Chrono was troubled by the wrinkles on his forehead but wouldn’t admit it.” “Oi.” Hayate stared at her friends, shocked and speechless. Amy has always been more happy-go-lucky than a soldier should be, and that her past was a normal life with a simple interest that lead her to what she was today. But sometimes, at rare moments such as this she would expose wisdom far surpassing the innocent front she put out in front of everyone. Of course, she mused, once again I have missed the very obvious. Everyone puts on a mask. But the thought was not unpleasant. As Amy had said they are friends, so it’s okay, with or without. It’s okay. Then there was Chrono, always awkward between acknowledging his good will and looking tough. Hayate couldn’t resist answering to Amy’s devilish call as she deadpanned, “I happen to know a face cleaner that would work on that to an extent. Do you want to know, Chrono?” Back in the days such a teasing would have caught the young man off guard and red in the face, but apparently his skin has grown fairly thick due to Amy’s frequent abuse, “Thank you for the concern, but seeing that I’m perfectly fine, I’ll have to decline the offer.” He even looked calm as he took his own tea and began drinking, but Hayate was not one to be thwarted so easily. Especially not with Amy waving two victory flags – Where in the blazes did she get them? – beside her like a cat. “Oh ho, Chrono is such a perfectly fine adult. Of course he wouldn’t mind about his many lines of wrinkles, or that tiny patch of white hair behind the back of his head, or the ugly green veins snaking both the top of his palm, and best of all he admits them –“ “Okay, okay! I’m sorry, please don’t say anymore.” He held up his fists in mock defeat, a playful smile never leaving his face, and Hayate wasn’t exactly prepared for that. Home really does wonders to loosen up a person. Home… My place is with my family, my friends. And they with me. But even now I miss Japan so badly… Why? She cleared off the mental image by looking at the translucent curtains. Pale blue, they complemented well with the shifty clouds and clear sky just beyond the thin veil of fabric. Now then, she had a favor to ask them both. “Where’s Lindy? Karel and Liera? Doesn’t look like they’re in today,” Hayate asked casually. “Lindy took them out for tuition; Strike Arts for Karel and Magic Theory for Liera. I guess it feels kinda lonely without them around...” Amy mumbled with an anxious look. “No need to worry about them,” Chrono took another easy sip in a composed manner, “The kids are safe in mother’s hand, though I couldn’t say the same for any criminal who’s dumb enough to try something. And it’s a nice change to have the house quiet for once.” “Chrono!” Amy shot him a scathing look, but the young man merely smiled. The brunette could glimpse traces of the old Chrono well hidden under the guise of maturity but unfettered by the passage of time. Hayate thought she should be feeling envious, but instead immeasurable relief swelled inside her like a balloon. Her friends did not change after all. They did not. “Feels just like back then…” Hayate murmured out loud without realizing. It was only when she noticed Chrono’s kind gaze that the brunette realized the slip of the tongue, and she grinned sheepishly while hiding behind her tea. It was embarrassing. Perhaps she should delay her request for a little longer. Just a little. Amy stared at the duo with shiny eyes and out of nowhere whipped out a digital camera. She began taking pictures. Click. Click. Hayate couldn’t react properly, but the young husband had recovered faster and leaped for the camera, his face dyed red. She was pretty sure it wasn’t anger. “What are you doing?! Give me that!” “In your dreams, pretty boy!” Amy stuck a tongue out at her husband and ran. Hayate watched amusedly at the couple as they ran circles around the living room like little children. The cheery woman always had a way to make Chrono dance to her tune, no matter how serious he’d like to act. The brunette made up her mind. She would return to Japan someday and pay Sachie a visit. Almost a year had passed since she last saw the doctor, and it was far too long a time between to see a friend. From hindsight, Sachie could even be her mother. Hayate briefly wondered what would happen if she called the physician just that. It brought a huge smile to her face. The rumble of car engine roared into everyone’s ears before choking to silence. Then, Lindy Harlaown’s elegant voice boomed loudly like an amp, “We’re home!” “Home!” “Papa! Mama!” Chrono groaned as the twins began banging at the door repeatedly and picked out his keys. There was no escape. Hayate faced the breathless couple and smiled wryly, “Guess I’ll be staying for lunch and dinner today. Is it alright?” “Of course!” - Hayate sat meekly at the dining table humming a mindless tune as she struggled to decide whether she should bolt for the bolted door or crash through the steel framed windows. Her eyes fought hard not to look at the kitchen as smoke, fire and lightning (Lightning??) crashed out of the ominously black entrance with occasional roars and shrieks and cracks that suggested that all is not well. The brunette had previously thought that Vita was the end of the cooking world, but apparently there was a greater evil out there. Two of them, in fact. “Aaaaaughhhh!” Chrono’s scream echoed dreadfully into the room, and Hayate winced. The brunette half imagined the young man trying to crawl his way out of the smoke-clogged kitchen only to be dragged right back into the maw of death. Funny, she could picture image so clearly she swore it was real. Why the heck was she still here? Certainly the more rational decision would be to run away, screaming, as fast as humanly possible, and she believed that Chrono and Amy and Lindy would be right behind her. … Or maybe just Chrono. His nerves of steel only applied to work, while the other two yank out their nerves and wield them as swords, twenty four seven. And just whose big joke was it to let the twins cook? Right, my own. Where is my spade, I need to dig myself a hole right now. As if a paper slowly dipped into a pond of ink, Hayate’s already gloomy thoughts dyed black rapidly. Then the brunette made the mistake of returning to reality and saw yellowish liquid leaking out of kitchen, inching ever so persistently over the floor. Ground zero itself was eerily silent, and Hayate felt her heart leaped to her throat. What happened? Who died? How many? But her faint (And perhaps not unreal) hopes were dashed as the former captain strode gracefully into the room with two covered plates on each hand, and the twins were following right behind her. Hayate then remembered the floor and cried out in warning, but her worries were unfounded. Lindy and Karel easily sidestepped the pool of oil without even looking, and Amy was right behind Liera when the girl slipped. The only one missing was a certain male in the family. “Er, Lindy,” the brunette asked nervously, “Where is Chrono?” “Ah, he slipped and fell on his head, but I’ve casted Healing. No need to worry.” She prayed. Ping! Pak! The dishes set themselves down imperiously on the table, and Hayate half thought that the steel cover reflecting blinding white light was glaring at her. Imagination, she told herself and not believing it for a second, just my imagination. “Okay. Would you like to me to open the dishes or…?” The commander in Hayate immediately replied, “Yes, please. By all means.” Don’t. Open. It! But the brunette washed those last words down her throat with a nervous cup of clean water. Fear was bubbling all over her stomach, and she was barely able to keep up her crumbling smile. The children looked at her with shiny expectation, and suddenly her body would not obey its primal instincts to escape. Hayate felt her eyes wet, but she put on a brave face and waited for the inevitable. Pinching her nose, Lindy carefully put one hand on the tiny handle and pulled. The unimaginably pungent smell almost knocked Hayate out as she clung on desperately to consciousness, all smiles and angels thrown to the back of her mind. Somehow, she managed to identify the tar black thing as something akin to meat and probably was, but she didn’t have time to think. The next second an equally black horror revealed itself to the dumbstruck commander and briefly introduced to her brain that its name was rice. Fried rice. “Can I not eat this…?” Hayate squeaked weakly. “No.” Amy moved into position and pushed on her shoulders, plopping the dejected commander back on her seat. The helpless housewife bowed apologetically at the brunette, but the brunette could hardly hold back her tongue, much less a death glare. She looked at the kids, and Karel was still looking expectantly at her. Liera though already had her head down and trembling slightly, obviously understanding just how much of a disaster their attempt had been. The look on their faces, she thought, I’ve seen them before. When did she –? - “Die! Just fucking die already!” “Where is my kid? My husband?? Return them!” “How could you let shit like that happened! You monster! Monster!” “You call yourself the Ace of Aces and could only save one boy? Go to hell!” “My mama… My papa… Give them back… Please give them back…” A single woman stood amidst the boiling turmoil that was a sea of black curse; her eyes lightless, her body stank, her soul rotting away as if atonement to the sins she did not bear. Efforts, sacrifices, they all amounted to nothing, for she had failed. Failed. She should just - - “Ugh…” Ugly vomit rose to her throat, but it wasn’t the horrid dishes that that gagged her silly. It was a day where the TSAB could not hold the worlds’ fury in check and presented a scapegoat to save their hide. Hayate would’ve stood right beside Nanoha on that hideous day except that the Wolkenritters have held her back, reminding that her position and power could never take such a blow to the face, not if she wanted a second chance of redemption. And so all she did was to watch from the sidelines, to do nothing as the masses ate her friend whole, just watching – “I’ll eat them. Itadakimasu.” Hayate pulled the offending plate of rice closer and plowed away. Behind her, Amy covered her mouth in shock, disbelieving of the impossible sight unfolding before her eyes. The grandma herself stepped forward wanting to say that it was a joke, but Hayate simply glanced up once and froze the lady in her tracks. She then dragged the meat closer and bit away. “Chicken meat, is it?” “Yeah!” Karel answered enthusiastically. The brunette nodded once and resumed eating. It took her just fifteen minutes to finish the meal, and the room went completely quiet. Then, Hayate wiped the black stain on her mouth and turned to the kids. She first faced Karel, “Okay, that black charcoal was actually edible on the inside, but it doesn’t taste good. So next time, remember to use only one eighth of your fire and it should be fine. Got it?” “Okay, Aunt Hayate. Thank you very much!” The boy bowed politely, and Hayate smiled humorously at his good manners. Misplaced it was, but nothing a good advice wouldn’t fix. She patted Karel lightly on the head before looking at the daughter, eyes frowning, “Now then. Liera,” the brunette sternly said, “Why is the rice black?” “I’m sorry! I – I’m just so scared of doing bad, and then there so was so much fire so…” The browned-hair girl looked as if she wanted to cry there and then, but she didn’t. She didn’t. Gently, caringly, Hayate took Liera’s hand and pulled her closer, “It’s okay to be scared, but throwing lightning at food was obviously not a good idea. It was pretty bad, sorry.” She stroked a comforting finger over the little girl’s cheek and smiled, “But you should keep trying. Maybe the second or third time would be just as bad; maybe then things can still get worse. But even so, it’s still too early to give up. You are a smart girl, Liera, but you need to believe in yourself more. As long as you put your heart into things, you can do anything,” With a small smirk the brunette added lightly, “Cooking included.” Night had arrived, and white lamps dazzled to keep them at bay. A chilly wind blew past the small slits between windows and into the house, but its occupants only felt a powerful warmth wrapping them tirelessly. Liera stared wide-eyed at Hayate for the longest of time, and suddenly the child burst into tears and dove into her lap. Karel ran up worriedly and tried really hard to soothe his sister, and while the other two women itched to check on the children they tactfully kept a little distance. Then Hayate pulled him in too and hugged them both tightly. A silent whisper escaped her lips, but the twins caught the words crystal clear and held her tighter. “Liera, Karel… Thank you for dinner.” - “Want a drink?” A can of beer prodded cautiously at the edges of her view. Hayate allowed her gaze to center dully on the drink, licking her lips unconsciously as she imagined its bitter, burning sensation. Not really her type, but she needed to wash off the illusive taste of ash on her tongue. Water simply wouldn’t work as well. She gave a sharp nod and took the can. Ice cold metal bit at her skin, but she ignored it and chugged down the liquor. It was as if fire had visited her throat, and the brunette felt refreshed. Awakened. But it was not what she had wanted. Hayate frowned deeply at the tin and checked the label, “This is no good; I want to get drunk. Where’s your secret stash of alcohol?” Chrono deadpanned at the jab like he always does, “I don’t have one. Are the food really that bad?” “Ever tried to eat dust? You do that and tell me later,” Hayate stated flatly, and the young man shrugged a shoulder and looked away, obviously guilt-ridden. Her hips were totally shot to hell by the time she got out of the toilet, and Amy had to carry her to the balcony because it was simply impossible to stand, much less walking. The brunette had briefly imagined this incident leaking among her colleagues, and decided that she really didn’t want to know. Hayate half-strangled the wife and threatened with promises of many dooms if she doesn’t keep quiet, but she didn’t sound quite deadly at all with her knees wobbling like a pendulum. Lindy Harlaown, her one true ‘master’ had jumped for her knee and clung on with a death grip like it was a lifeline. The woman begged, apologized, and refused to let go until Hayate signed a pointless, badly scribbled paper agreement to pull herself off the hook. Never mind the smack at the butt she took right after that; the brunette swore that she would get back at Lindy one day. Definitely. Now she sat lazily at the open balcony facing a night sky filled with stars, with not the slightest ounce of energy to admire. And it was a rare view from Cranagan, too. What a shame. “Most people wouldn’t have eaten them, would they?” Hayate raised a left hand to the blinking stars, muscles still weak and trembling in reverberation and remembrance, but she was holding well. She slipped lower on her chair for a better rest and dipped more beer into her mouth, as if holding not a care about Chrono’s inquiring gaze, “In all honesty, it wasn’t the food that let me down… Some stupid memory I wish I could forget.” Lindy’s clear voice landed like a bunny doll on her stomach. Unexpected, light, yet harmless, “Do you want to talk about it, Hayate?” The brunette accidentally dropped her squint at the sky to notice that Amy and Lindy had wordlessly crawled to the white plastic chairs beside her. Hayate feigned a nasty scowl but dropped it as quickly as it came. None of them had meant real harm, and she was the one who ate the food voluntarily, turning a small joke into something serious. Let bygones be gone, they say. Speaking of that, there was something she needed to do, to make sure that the past stays the past. She still had a favor to ask, and there was no better time than now. Hayate took a look at the small box of beers underneath the table and frowned. Chrono had better have a few more boxes than just this, because they’re going to need it very soon. “Some other time. It’s not in my place to say it…” The brunette downed the last vestiges of her drink in one go placed it soundlessly on top of the table, “But there’s something else I want to talk about. Now that everyone’s here and the kids are asleep, I can finally start.” “So you said this morning before dragging me off a meeting,” Chrono replied with a bitter smile, “Let’s hear it then. We’ve dallied for long enough.” Lindy sighed in a tone that echoed her son’s, “It can only be that incident, no?” Hayate’s voice was of a cool, professional concern that bespoke of authority, “Yes; I am talking about Grey Christmas. But before we start, I want your promises that no one else will know anything about tonight’s discussion.” She paused but only out of habit; secrecy was the norm and daily life for every top brass, so there was no need to check for affirmative nods. The brunette briefly checked for signs of magic, found none and continued, “As we all know, the previous Grey Christmas was started by the ‘enemy’ – or so Nanoha claimed – nine morning sharp at south east of Cranagan. An unidentified power had erupted before engulfing the entire area with a barrier susceptible to none except for the strongest of magic. We had zero visibility, and there was no way at all to contact anyone trapped inside it. We could’ve mobilized a ship, but there was the risk of civilian casualties and the decision was halted.” Her eyes fell purposefully on Chrono, whose face darkened heavily at the thought of past memories, “The situation persisted for three hours. SSD6 was off duty, and the only ones present were Shari, me and the Wolkenritters. Worse, our two best combat mages Nanoha and Fate were trapped inside the barrier. Shari set to work, but the system could not identify the alien substance, much less hacking into its program. Brute force didn’t work as well even though my knights tried to punch through it with their limiters off. I requested for my own to be removed during the first hour, but that permission was delayed and subsequently forgotten due to another unprecedented crisis in the TSAB. It was the murder of Largo Kiel and Leone Phils by the hands of Midget Crowbel, who later killed herself before capture. No one knew why. All three of the Legendary Admirals dead in a single day…” Amy looked away to hide a tremble, and Lindy’s eyes were just terribly sad. Chrono didn’t bat an eye, but even he couldn’t keep a hint of fury from his tone, “I know that, we all know. Get to the point.” Hayate raised a hand in apology before proceeding, “What I’m trying to say is this: We’ve lost our best leaders and six hundred thousand lives to Grey Christmas. We even lost Fate. I will never let this happen again. Never.” Crimson dyed her view for an instant, but she pushed the memory away. Instead, the brunette focused her mind on a single, solemn oath she would not forget. Never again. She clenched her fists and slackened them to relax, “But to accomplish that, I will need a small favor from Chrono.” The young man’s eyes narrowed in understanding, “Let me guess: You’re requesting permission for your limiter – no, the entire SSD6 unit’s limiters to be removed?” Hayate nodded, “That’s one thing correct. I want them off now; as soon as possible.” “A month before the date, maybe. It can be earlier for your unit,” Chrono shook his head, “But not now. Especially you; it’ll be a terrible joke if we die to an accidental dimensional rupture.” “Rein will stick with me twenty four seven after today,” the commander stated simply, “It won’t happen.” “There’s no guarantee –“ Hayate cut him off swift as a bird, “There’s no guarantee to anything. What I need is better control of my powers, and no amount of virtual simulation is going to change that. I’m not Nanoha,” she hesitated more before admitting, “I can only learn through my body. Yuuno will help to contain my spells.” The admiral leaned forward in frustration, but this time it was Lindy who interrupted, “Wait just a second, Chrono. Hayate, you have something more to say, am I right?” Sharp as ever. The former captain eyed her closely, and Hayate in turn stared at the beers with a fiery intensity that could burn holes in metal. But she held back the desire. Very casually, she pulled back a lock of hair and said, “Yes, that’s right. There’s something that I would like to say, though it’s more of informing than asking a favor.” Everyone held their breaths, and the brunette suddenly noticed that this was the longest time she has ever seen Amy quiet and serious. A sad smile crossed her face as Hayate dropped the bomb, “I will not be commander of the SSD6 that day. Instead, I will be joining one of the five forward teams as a soldier stationed in Cranagan to protect and rescue, should Grey Christmas happens. Here’s a list of the participants.” Nobody looked at her data pad. For a second there was only the sound of insects, chirping away with careless freedom. Then the table exploded. “What?!” “That’s too dangerous!” “Hayate, do you even know what you’re talking about?!” Unexpectedly, Hayate felt her lips curling into a smile, “I could just leave the command to Griffith, but he’s still too inexperienced to handle such a case, and Rein won’t be around to help, which is why I’ve came here. There’s simply no one else I could rely on except the two of you; Lindy, Chrono. I also need Amy’s expertise on communication.” “I won’t approve this.” The admiral growled dangerously, his collected manner a few minutes ago was all but forgotten. However, he would need ten times the fury if he wanted to change her mind, “But you don’t have a choice, Admiral. I am the only double S mage in TSAB who can blast through that barrier and still fight at full power. I can make sure that anyone who goes in, comes out. Nanoha can do it too, but if the enemy is alive, or there is someone else with equal or greater strength… I don’t need to explain this, do I?” “You can do that from the rear,” This time it was Amy who had protested, “There’s absolutely no reason to go to the front!” “But there is, Amy,” Hayate turned to look steadily at the brunette, “Fate is gone. That makes one less S-ranked mage for me to use and twice the amount of danger and pressure on our only Ace. I hate to say this, but despite the talents in SSD6 we’re lacking in terms of pure firepower. I’m the only one left after Nanoha to fill that role.” It was amazing how Chrono almost growled, “You are not a combat mage! You have the strongest magic out of all of us, but you know that you’re only going to be a burden in the battlefield. You. Can’t. Fight.” So it has come to this. The brunette knew that she would come to regret the next few minutes for the rest of her lives, but there was no other choice. She had gone through every possible options hoping to find a better way. There really wasn’t one. “Risk, you say?” She eyed her friend coldly and shut off her emotions, “Two days ago, I happen to overhear that seventeen XV class warships are being recalled back to Mid-Childa.” The young man froze. The chill of the night seeped deep into bones, and Hayate couldn’t help but shiver at the cold. It was not because the turmoil of shame and regret that distorted Chrono’s face into ugliness, nor was it the look of dawning apprehension and appalled horror on Lindy’s and Amy’s, because if she doesn’t tell herself that, then Hayate Yagami would not be able to continue, “At first I thought it was a mistake, but further investigation proved it otherwise. I know it’s not in you, Chrono, but the others – they’re going to destroy Cranagan if it happens again, don’t they?” Everyone turned silent. Life leaked out of the admiral, and he sank like a rock into his chair. His black eyes were filled with darkness as the words poured out bitterly from his mouth, “Damage control, they say. Minimize casualties. We never managed to identify the source of Grey Christmas, but everyone agrees that it had to originate from a point inside the barrier, so those bastards conspired to a decision. If the worst case scenario happens, then they will…” A shiver rattled his right hand as Chrono struggled to unclench his fist. Staring at his pain-choked face, Hayate could almost hear her own teeth grinding furiously against each other. Once, under similar circumstances the young man had confronted Admiral Gil Graham to carry out his belief, that there always is a better way. He hasn’t changed since, but time was a heavy burden to endure, especially with duty and faith pulling at different ends. Why must everyone suffer like this? Just why? She reined in her emotions; they could explode somewhere else when this discussion is over. Hayate shifted her chair a tad closer to Chrono and placed a hand on his shoulder. Gently, she willed her tone to soften and said, “I have to be there. Three days later I will hold a press conference and announce my participation in Cranagan’s defense – whether or not you decide to support me – and the people will listen. They will remember that horrible tragedy, and many will leave the state for a safer place, all the better. It will, of course, be chaotic up there. They will try to put me down, but the media alone should be enough protection, and I have enough ‘friends’ to last me till Christmas. Then you will have a chance to change things around.” “A chance?” Hayate thought she heard hope in his voice but didn’t dare to keep her own high, “Yes. You must convince them to let SSD6 evacuate all the trapped residents inside Grey Christmas before they start any bombardments, and that’s a reasonable request compared to their ultimatum. The TSAB won’t be standing today if all its leaders were bloody thirsty maniacs.” He was silent. Lindy looked like she wanted to say something, but instead swallowed down her words. Occasionally stars would peek out of the clouds as if concerned of the heated argument before hiding once more. Yellow and white dazzled against black, a beautiful mingle of colors after each other’s throats. “… You’re asking me to let you, Nanoha, and many of our friends die, even if it’s just a chance.” “Yes.” “It’s possible that the delay for evacuation would endanger not just Cranagan, but also the entire Mid-Childa.” “True, but your ultimatum is no better, if not far worse.” “There is also one last problem you did not mention,” Chrono stared at her sharply, “What do you make of the influence?” “That I cannot say,” Hayate conceded the point, “The only ones we know to be immune are Nanoha, Fate and Reunion, and there’s no way to test out that special plan. But still,” But still. Hayate muttered a solemn prayer before holding out her right hand with burning determination, “I don’t want anyone else to die.” - “No.” “Reunion…” “Isn’t once enough?! Do you really want to die that badly?!” “You don’t have any right to say that, Reunion. You showed me that memory.” “You –!” - __________________ Last edited by Craxuan; 2011-10-04 at 20:49.

2011-10-04, 11:49	Link #34542
Craxuan Crax Author Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: MY	Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5 (Part 1), Chapter 5 (Part 2), Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11 (Part 1) Spoiler for The Two Goddesses Chapter 11 (Part 2): Chapter 11 (Part 2) *[Year 0082 month 10 day 10 0900]* A day hasn’t passed by without a certain bored commander yawning as if the act alone could earn her money. Not that she ever needed to worry about financial crisis unless she’s waging war, so it did nothing except to add even more boredom. Her desk was empty, her pen was untouched, and then sunlight penetrated through the thin line of glass to shine lazily into the room. Gentle heat rippled neatly above her snow soaked skin, and Hayate was fondly reminded of the full body massage that she got from her medical artist Doctor Shamal. The blonde has emphasized truthfully that only her skill in opening bodies could outdo her massage… Perhaps a reason why the brunette never pursued for a second time, but that was now in the past. It had been a blissful, exotic experience that she would kill to relive again right now, but unfortunately reality had other things to say. Ah, if only she could kill reality. As the early birds chirped on thoughtlessly in front of the window, Hayate simply could not resist the infinite dullness any longer and succumbed to her inner devil. She glanced an evil eye over a certain item, hand slightly sweating with shiver and anticipation, and pressed the button. Her bag – specifically Rein’s favorite resting spot – was secretly rigged with a metal spring underneath the fairy’s bed. Upon clicking a hidden switch on Hayate’s multipurpose remote (Which she also secretly modified to satisfy a demonically insatiable need such as today), the rather simple contraption would trigger, open the cover, and – “Hyaaaauuwaaaa???” Her drowsy little fairy was propelled beautifully into the air, drawing a few perfectly circular arcs before landing safely into the brunette’s lap just as calculated. A light giggle escaped her lungs as she bounced back to the bag and carefully placed the utterly disorientated Unison Device inside once more. It was a good thing she insisted that Rein discard her human form today. Really good. Hayate closed the bag, went back to her previous position and hovered a finger – “What are you doing, Mistress Hayate!?” Rein burst out of the insidious trap before it could catch her, and dove straight for the perpetrator’s nose. The brunette didn’t even bother blinking as she smiled wickedly and clicked yet another button. The tiny fairy immediately spun backwards in alarm; half expecting a pair of tiny pincers to fire out of the bag and wrap her like a cartoon show, but nothing happened. It took her a second to realize she had been tricked, and then it was too late. “Mini-Size Full Bind!” As the name had suggested a stream of tiny chains burst out of Hayate’s index finger and made quick work of the helpless fairy who was struggling and fuming with cute little white steams blowing off her head. Frustration was quickly gobbled up by fear though when the brunette began towards her with a very creepy smile on her face. And she didn’t even bother masking her words, “Rein~ Let’s have some fun~” “Nooooooooooo!” As if on cue, suddenly there was a loud beep and Hayate instinctively reached for the communicator at her waist. Never too good with small scale magic, her split concentration flickered the bind and gave Rein just enough time to wriggle loose and escape the spell. One second later, the Unison Device dove for the slits between windows and cried all the way to the horizon. “Ah, she escaped. Oh well.” She has to go home eventually, and when that happens… Beep. The naked apron Rein went poof like a smoke, and Hayate frowned deeply at her communicator. Recently she had tinkered around with its settings to beep twice as a reminder in case her mind drifted somewhere else – which happened really often as of late – but it didn’t stop the heart burn and the constant itch in her hand to just reset everything. But Hayate knew that the message must be important. She and Rein had put together a perfect filter to block off the endless stream of calls and messages initiated unsurprisingly from her ground shaking conference one week ago, and rejected any form of visits from version polite to downright screaming like a banshee. The ‘Off World Classified Mission’ excuse was working like a charm, and with Chrono and Carim backing her up the incessant whiners had no choice but to quit, offline that is. Online it was another story, but since the device now only accepts communications from a few selected friends she was not in risk of being flooded by a swamp of threats and profanity. The downside of peace though, was that she had nothing to do. Literally. Hayate usually cleaned up her daily duties within the hour, and after that it was either planning, training, or pranking the heck out of her aide, her crew, her friends, her family… At least she only played them during off duties and breaks, but a lesser hell is still hell. No one could stop (or dare to) the commander, and productivity in SSD6 was suffering. Brushing a sigh from her lips, Hayate navigated away from the settings control regrettably and began reading the message, “I’m free now. Do you want to train? Come to the usual place. ~Nanoha Takamichi” A slow smile spread across the brunette’s face. Maybe Rein’s absence was a blessing in disguise after all. - “… Not bad, Hayate. If I was half a second slower you would have gotten me.” The commander managed a wry smile before climbing to her feet. They felt like iron-filled bags, but surely she could manage another mock battle, “No kidding; I caught you in a perfect bind yet somehow I’m the one smoking in a crater.” “Well, you fumbled with your follow up, so I got a chance,” Nanoha gently landed beside Hayate and began examining her injuries with concern, “Your tactics are good, but they’re too inflexible and you lack reflexes. Are you sure you want to fight on the front?” “That makes the twelfth time you’ve asked me in a week, Nanoha,” the commander casually wiped soot off her hair while clicking a few changes into her battle plan. The move before had been perfect; she just needed more practice with the exchange, “And I’m going to answer you for the last time. Yes, I’m going to fight on the front. Yes, I know it goes against everything we’ve learned in theory and practice. Yes, I’m going to be a nuisance in my squad because I suck and unfortunately happen to be too valuable to lose.” What Hayate didn’t say was their lack of available choices. Ironically enough, while an XV grade warship could easily one shot a continent at its full power, they could not maneuver as well when gravity’s involved. It would take almost thirty percent of its battery just to sustain levitation, and the strain rises to a full eighty on the move. That makes deploying them out of space highly unfeasible, not to mention that seventeen magical behemoths converging on a single city was bound to rip a few dimensional holes here and there. And she was still the only double S mage known to TSAB. There might be others out there, but it’ll be impractical to assume her yearlong search for such a mage would come to an end. Even less impractical would be to expect the mage to risk his or her life for something they’d never known or even cared for. Given three or four months Hayate was certain she could convert anyone under her sect, but just not one and a half. She winced as the shock faded to reveal a gnarling pain buzzing all over her body. Her right shoulder could have been fractured the way it’s shooting nails of hurt into her brain, but Hayate stubbornly ignored it and casted Heal. Slowly she crawled back on her feet and faced Nanoha with determination in her eyes, “One more, please.” The brunette shook her head, “No. You can’t move your right hand, can you? The fight’s over.” “No it’s not; you worry too much. I’m the Living Lost Logia, remember? Such an injury is child’s play,” Hayate joked, but her eyes hinted that she was very serious. Slowly the commander rose to full height and brimming with magic, hands flipping the pages of Book of Darkness out of habit while training her eyes fully on Nanoha. She gave Schwertkreuz a few good swings, and it felt good. Her best friend though remained uncooperative. Sternly she grabbed hold of Hayate’s arm and forced down her staff, “That’s enough. You did well today, but anymore would be pushing it. Rest.” “But I’ve been doing nothing since morning, and we’ve only sparred for an hour. How am I supposed to rest?” She tried once more to raise her staff, but to her irritation one arm was not a match for two. Then there was the gleam in Nanoha’s eyes that reminded Hayate of the brunette’s infamous stubbornness. There would be no arguing with the brunette no matter how sound her logic was, and even if she tried to force a fight – “This is my resolve, Hayate. Even if I have to use, even if I have to kill –“ Hayate stiffened up like a log, and her sudden reaction was not missed by a supporting Nanoha. Thankfully her friend read her wrongly and asked, “What is it? Are you hurt somewhere else? Is it your legs?” “Ah – no, I’m fine, just a little dizzy. Let’s go then.” “Hmm,” Nanoha stared suspiciously at her face, but Hayate quickly adapted a playful grin and sneaked a hand at the brunette’s breast. It worked like a charm as her friend yelped, very nearly knocking the commander off-balance, “Yo - you! Not again!” “My hand slipped.” “Eighteen times in a year?!” “Wow, you remembered. But it was nineteen; that last gathering? You’re so drunk you probably don’t remember that one time I measured your three sizes.” “Hayate!” Hayate teased her friend all the way to the infirmary enjoying the flustered look on Nanoha’s face trying to explain with crimson ears and a stuttering tongue, and as a result the brunette never noticed that she paid for both their lunches. All in all she managed to kill some time, nail down trainings and even enjoyed a friendly moment with her precious friend. It was a pretty good day. She hid her trembling hands beneath the lunch table, and smiled. - It was perfectly fine to spend an entire day locked inside the room, thinking. Hayate had given specific orders that no one was to disturb her so much as knocking the metallic door. Enclosed in overwhelming silence, the brunette couldn’t help but notice that such a space only served to emphasis further the heated, mute ring inside her ears. It was almost the same sensation one would get by blocking off both ears; just a lot more spacey and… dim? Hayate slowly pulled back her hair and cleared off the stray thoughts. With a steady amount of focus she settled her gaze on Teana’s latest report, pondering her next move. Erio and Caro have finally returned from their months-long mission to join the SSD6, and after traversing all twenty worlds closest to Mid-Childa it was obvious that the duo was battered and weary. But Hayate needed their strength, and the faster they familiarize themselves with the new arrangements, the better. That being said, it was absolutely fine to let them rest for today and tomorrow. The brunette sent out a short thank you and subsequently closed the report. Her suspicions were confirmed; there was only one world Fate could be hiding; but what exactly should she make of it? Rationally speaking the blonde should be dug out as soon as possible, but that was the case before her friend released Jail Scaglietti. Now that her friend had all but branded herself as a terrorist there was nothing Hayate could do to save her. It would be better to just feign ignorance and leave her be. On the other hand, Fate’s illness could only grow worse as more time passed by. She has done remarkably well to retain her memories, but that was only because of Nanoha’s constant presence beside her. Living a prisoner’s life she might be, but at least Fate was still Fate. There was also no way to tell whether that weird phenomenon that killed Verossa would happen again. Now that the blonde was all but alone – or with Jail, which was even worse – she could very well have forgotten her friends, her family, her past… everything. Hayate simply cannot ignore the possibility, and if it did happen the one who allowed it would be none other than herself. Of course, breathing some fresh air of freedom would actually heal her friend. It was such a wishful, hopeless thought that Hayate wanted to laugh at herself with sticks and fire. The longer I take to make up my mind, the worse it gets for Fate. And even then it may be too late. But truth be told, the commander really didn’t know what to do. Catching Fate was the easy part; what to do after was not: Hide her? Nearly impossible with all the attention she’s getting now; her entire crew could be accused of treason. Turn her in? She hasn’t forgotten the reason she hid Fate’s connection to Verossa’s death, definitely no. Get someone else’s help? Possible, but it’ll take a specialized squad to catch Fate if she resists, and the few capable candidates the brunette could think of were all… unsuitable. Reasons, there were tons of reasons why they cannot do it. Personal feelings came immediately to mind, law a quick second, combat-turned-pursuit cut almost everyone off her list. Schach and Sein have the necessary skills, but she wasn’t sure about Carim’s response. Hayate would forever remember the day she admitted the truth to her, and how the cup handle was literally crushed beneath that mask of complete calmness. True to the Church and her beliefs, Carim would not harm Fate. But there were many ways to torture someone’s conscience without inflicting bodily harm. Really, what should she do if Fate does come back? What does she wish for from Fate’s return? Nothing. All I ever wanted was Fate to be back safe and sound and… free. Free from that horrible illness. Free from the hospital. I just want everything to be normal again. Hayate looked up from her screen, and noticed that it was dark. Time, 2030. Six hours have passed since her self-imposed solitary confinement, and there was not a single solution she could think of and be satisfied. Except for today’s training and bonding with Nanoha, it had been an exceptionally unproductive day. Not good. The brunette looked briefly at her hands for signs of shiver, flexing the fingers ever so slowly to check if they were truly fine, and they were. Reassured, she stood up from her seat with a lazy stretch and began towards the door – “Finally decided to go out?” Hayate leaped a good three feet away from the sudden voice, an instinct that was drilled into her body thanks to Nanoha’s training. She looked up, spells ready to fire and – A miffed Rein stared at Hayate with both hands folded over her chest and standing right behind the desktop screen. No wonder she had missed her earlier. Quickly recomposing herself, the brunette breathed a small sigh and said, “Rein, please knock the door before you come in. No, wait, how did you come in at the first place? I thought I locked it with a new password.” “I am your Unison Device,” Rein replied simply, “It is only natural that I could decipher my Mistress’ password.” Her companion obviously wasn’t in a good mood, and god knows how long she’s been waiting for Hayate to notice her; which she didn’t. The brunette grabbed her jacket from the chair and offered a pocket to Rein, “C’mon, let’s go get some dinner. You must be hungry.” But the Device blatantly ignored her request and launched straight to a question, “What’s wrong with your hands?” Oh no. The brunette almost hid her hands on instinct as she tried to dismiss the matter, “Nothing much, the room’s just a little cold; that’s all.” “What is wrong with your hands?” The tensed atmosphere in the room was positively choking. She had never seen Rein with such a severe expression, and there was a foreboding sense of dread tickled at her heart like a poking needle. The quick-witted tongue she usually possessed seemed to have abandoned her as Hayate struggled for an answer. “You used the spell then,” Rein was literally shaking with fury as the words fell out as heavy as bricks, “I thought I told you before never to use it.” This subject however, was a ground that Hayate could not give way, “But I must. I can’t pretend to know a risk and not do something about it, Rein.” The excuse did nothing but to fan the Device’s anger as she hovered in closer and half-yelled angrily, “Bane Binder is not a spell you can train for, only a Device can do it! Mistress, you cannot use any of our experimental spells again, not without me, or you –” Something must have shown on her face, because the Device faltered suddenly in mid-sentence and wouldn’t look at her in the eyes. But Rein didn’t stop either as her words pounded through the brunette’s heart like a stake, “If you don’t listen, then you might – you might be crippled again.” She closed her eyes. Before that fateful meeting with magic, Hayate’s childhood has always been associated with a wheelchair, for almost as far as she could remember. Perhaps at the age of nine she was too young and innocent, but to the her own surprise she had never hated her fate. Sometimes envy would grasp her from time to time nudging at her negative feelings, but neither sadness nor pain has ever tainted her heart, for she given up dreaming a long time ago. Why waste time brooding over things that could not change? To the world or herself, Hayate Yagami has been, and would always be the dying girl with broken legs. And then she met the Wolkenritters. Suzuka, Nanoha, Fate, everyone. There were so many people who were less fortunate than her, but instead she was given a second chance at life. How could she not give it her all? How could she ever hope to return such a debt? But Rein was also right. Her decision was made, “… Sorry, but the training will continue.” “Mistress!” “Hold your horses,” Hayate raised her hands in defense, “Just let me finish. I will practice the new spells and I will do it alone. But –” The light dimmed from Rein’s eyes as she whirled around and headed fuming for the door; clearly the Device refuse to listen another round of her reasoning. Hayate blinked an eye exasperatedly before striding forwards to follow. “Rein.” “Stop following me! If you’re not going to listen then me neither!” “But –“ “No buts, no excuses!” Brute force it is. Stamina-wise she was actually weaker than Rein, so Hayate charged full speed at her aide without even bothering to silence her advance. The silver-haired fairy was caught totally off guard when Hayate snatched her out of mid-air and hugged her close to the chest. As she began struggling, for the first time in years the brunette noticed that she might actually lose to Rein in strength as well who was not in her human form. It was beyond disturbing. “Let – me – go!” “Stop moving! I’m not done talking –“ Hayate grunted and forced down her entire weight decisively, but for an amazing moment Rein almost lifted the commander off her feet. As they both crashed down towrads the floor Hayate dimly reminded herself that she should not skip anymore meals, or else risk losing her dignity should a similar scuffle happen again in public. She stared down on her Device, and despite being unable to resist those eyes were glowering like two pretty little lanterns. “Been doing some heavy lifting?” Hayate asked dryly. Rein stared right back and provoked humorlessly, “You’re the one who’s too light.” “I’ll try to eat more in the future. Now, back to the subject,” she paused for a retort, but the Device simply puffed her cheeks and looked away, “Would you listen to me? Please?” “It’s not like I have a choice.” “Yes, you don’t,” The unexpected response caused Rein to jerk upwards at her direction, and Hayate interpreted it as a good sign, “Do not forget that I am your Mistress. But I’m still giving you a chance to choose, so what is your answer?” Hayate knew she had Rein cornered. The title was seldom used and never flaunted, but today was a very special exception. She was not going to argue about the subject of morality versus health again, and there was still a message waiting to be passed. Adding weight behind her words, the brunette called out to the fairy firmly, “Rein?” “... Yes.” “Good,” The defiant look on Rein’s face was adorably cute, but Hayate held back on laughing. Instead she allowed an innocent grin on her face as she loosened her hold little by little, “Now where was I – Ah, yes.” Hayate cleared her throat and continued at a friendly pace, “I need to practice the new spells alone. Suppose that we have to act separately, and I’m caught in a fight. Suppose that the new spells are my only chances to survive. How well do you think I’ll fare using them with no practice or reliable experience?” “… Bad,” Rein’s tone was as bitter as medicine, but at least she was listening. “Correct. So I will practice… in simulation.” Rein blinked once, then twice. Hesitantly the fairy raised a hand to catch her attention and asked, “Really? Only in simulation?” “That’s right,” Hayate confirmed easily with a shrug of shoulders, “While I would prefer to practice in real combat, the risks are too high. And honestly? I would hate to visit the hospital a third time. Do you agree?” Judging from Rein’s expression, the answer was yes, yes, yes! Through to through. But still the Device was dubious as she leaned in closer with puppy eyes; the kind so deadly Hayate could never resist, “Really really? You promise? Pinky swear? If you’re lying again then I’ll –“ “Yes, yes,” The commander tossed her noisy companion into her breast pocket with a wry smile on her face. The result was an itchy tickle and yelps of surprise, but Hayate found it rather heartwarming. Heading towards the exit, steady steps trudged on confidently as shadow shrouded their passing figure, she said strongly, “Don’t worry, I won’t repeat Nanoha’s mistake. This time, we’ll fight and win this… together.” - “Start the contract, Reunion. We only have one hour before they come back.” “You might break your mind. I cannot guarantee you anything.” “I know. I won’t.” “They all say the same thing.” “I won’t.” - __________________ Last edited by Craxuan; 2011-10-04 at 20:51.

2011-10-04, 12:00	Link #34543
Craxuan Crax Author Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: MY	Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5 (Part 1), Chapter 5 (Part 2), Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11 (Part 1), Chapter 11 (Part 2) Spoiler for The Two Goddesses Chapter 11 (Part 3): Chapter 11 (Part 3) “How is everyone’s progress today?” “Hmm… Not too well I guess. Except Erio, none of them could handle ‘Connection’ for more than two minutes before puking their guts off.” “I made it through, didn’t I? They’ll just have to bite the bullet and pull through.” “Commander, you’re on a totally different level from the rest of us! Speaking of which…” “Hmm?” “Why are we talking about work on a shopping trip?” Shari lifted both hands full of bags and grinned pleadingly. The champagne bottles jingled of bells while swaying like an old man on swing as the people rushed by rapidly, urgently. Hayate shrugged simply and replied, “It just happened to be on my mind, that’s all.” Today’s shopping trip was actually not part of her plan for the day, but Vivio called, then Lutecia called, then unbelievably Carim herself called, and now Hayate found herself out of the headquarters to procure Christmas goods for the future as well as some food ingredients for their ‘surprise’ visit tonight. Hayate knew that she had chosen her protégé well, but to pull a trick on her so quickly and successfully… well, at least this is one worry off the ‘if’ scenarios. That being said, she was still the only reliable cook in the house, and Nanoha was not allowed to help her. Apparently they wanted to teach her a lesson for not taking breaks, but really, what part of taking it easy include shopping everything from this crazy huge list? The note they gave her literally spanned from chest-height to knees! And who still uses paper and pen these days? … They probably also expected her to rope in a friend to help out. They might even guessed accurately that she would choose Shari, since the two of them often meet to talk about her device’s maintenance. Hayate found her own predictability downright disturbing, and vowed silently to change her habits. Or retaliate from their backside, which was much more preferable. Hayate gave an irritated sigh and turned a corner; revenge could always wait. So far they have made some surprisingly good progress and one check on the watch confirmed that she has an ample amount of time to get home and prepare. In fact, they were one hour faster than her initial prediction; today must be a lucky day. Huh? The lines on Hayate’s forehead deepened, and her assistant apparently misinterpreted it as a sign of deadly displeasure. Immediately the bags began to fly as Shari bowed hastily downwards, resulting in fleeing passerby and the heavy klonk of glass smashing against each other, “Sorry! I didn’t mean to say that and I will never say it again! Please don’t put me into Connection!” Ah, so that’s why she was nervous the entire day. And here I thought she made a mistake with Schwertkreuz’s maintenance. While it would be amusing to keep Shari on her toes for the entire day, the thought of the bought items tearing through a whole crowd of people was not. The edge of her lips rose just slightly as she closed in carefully to grab the panicking woman, “Shari, calm down. You’re scaring the kids.” “Wha – oh.” As if on cue, nearby a boy began to cry loudly as his parents immediately worked on calming down the child while staring disapprovingly at the flustered engineer. She bowed down hastily and apologized once more, but this time careful to keep still without any movement. The family merely smiled in easy forgiveness before walking away, and soon this little incident was forgotten to the past. Time as usual, does not spare even the slightest of patience for life. Something… feels… Hayate folded her arms thoughtfully and resumed walking, her assistant suddenly forgotten by a new injection of ideas. Everywhere she looked people were trading, chatting, advertising, eating or huddled up in groups harmoniously making the best out of their time. Upwards crows flew from store to store snooping for a meal, and for some reason she was reminded of leaping frogs, but with wings to propel them instead of legs. The thought was bordering on disturbing; it only served to sprout all sorts of abominable shapes and colors in her mind that she would rather forget. But it shouldn’t. Fantasies and dreams make people curious and eager for more, not the other way around unless they were nightmares – Abruptly she pointed at the nearest pork stall and said, “I’ll go there and buy some meat. Be back real quick,” Without waiting even for a reply Hayate left Shari behind and ran, feeling a little guilty as the poor girl got swallowed again by the massive tide of people, but there was something she needed to check for and confirm. Her feet did not tire even though they have been shopping since eight thanks to Nanoha’s severe training and her own daily exercise. Weaving through people like the wind was exhilarating, and within seconds she made it in front of the young butcher, breathless. The sweat laden man looked at her expectantly, and Hayate took a second to recompose her thoughts. “Good morning,” she greeted somewhat awkwardly. The pig butcher looked lively as fish though. “Ah, Hayate. Good morning. What’s your order?” She pouted, “Ceh, always so serious; you’ll never get a girlfriend at this rate… Oh well, please give me four legs, one kilo of ribs, and all of them fat trimmed, thank you.” The guy didn’t even flinch as he shot Hayate with the usual frown and got to work, “You’re welcome. Please wait a few minutes,” She stood by and watched intensely at the flying bits of meat. If she imagined strongly they might even resemble popcorn, exploding in a shower of red instead of yellow. Behind her the train of men brushed past her back in an orderly but fluid fashion, a revelation gained from glancing sideways to avoid looking at the butcher’s handiwork. Time of course, passed by just as quick and before she knew it, the bags were placed neatly on the table. “That will be twenty three, please.” “I don’t supposed you could give me them free eh, Cato?” Hayate tilted her head and pressed her palm together with a playful smile. Of course it was a joke; Hayate has been around this neighborhood for so many years that she knew every seller in the market, and they in turn loved this bright brunette who never failed to soften the wrinkles in their heart. It was rumored that she was the only customer the infamous stiff-faced Cato would even bother conversing to things other than business. “Sure. There you go,” He handed her the bag. “… Heh?” Am I hearing right? Hayate scratched her head before laughing a little forcefully, “Oh! Good one Cato, you totally caught me there.” He shot her an irritated look, “I don’t joke. Take it.” “Bu – But!” Now she was blabbering; somewhere in Mid-Childa it must be raining bricks! Cato never haggles; the young man once told her very bluntly that his customers could either take his price – bordering on robbing, although his goods are the best – or they could fuck off somewhere else where he couldn’t see. That being said, he of course never sold for free, “You’re giving me this? For real?” “Yeah, it’s just like usual isn’t it?” Scowling, he shooed her away with a wave of hand, and like a spirit Hayate drifted further and further away from the butcher’s stall, utterly and completely dazed. That bizarre exchange was anything but usual, but her butcher friend had replied otherwise without the slightest hesitation. Did I mistake him for someone? No. Did I remember wrongly then? I don’t think so. If so, then why… did he think it was ‘like usual’? “… Commander? Hello?” Hayate snapped out of her muddle thoughts and looked upwards. Before she knew it Shari was standing right beside her and frowning with worry, “Is there something wrong?” “Ah, no,” Hayate quickly shook her head and gave her friend a reassuring smile, “It’s nothing. Let’s get going.” “Okay…?” Suspicion hugged obstinately onto the engineer, but she knew better than to question her superior. And so they walked away from the market in high spirits; a noisy duo among hundreds of others until they finally reached the car and drove away. Hayate did not look into the rear-view mirror. Just my imagination. - Life is like an empty hallway. Sometimes there would be doors aligned to either sides of the blank walls where people was given the choice to open them or ignore, then dwell within or leave them for more. These doors are called chances, and the majority of people could only wait for them to emerge. Hayate was among the minority who seek for those chances. Humble as usual, the brunette often laughed off the praises and admiration showered under her feet from friends, families, strangers, and even enemies. The commander had no shortage of proud moments, but she never did believe herself to be special either. From her view, every single one of her achievements – from counting math to saving worlds – were hard fought, hard earned, and that there was someone out there who could do much better. ... It’s not as if Hayate didn’t notice that despite all of her protests, she really is the only one to have achieved such results at her age; just as Nanoha’s reputation as one of the strongest combat mage in TSAB’s history. Or Fate’s, the Artificial Mage whose strength and strict sense of justice rivaled only by her love for her spouse. It was an infamous joke well known even among the greenest of recruits, and Hayate did not deny not having a hand in it. Verossa once told her half-drunk that the three of them were the greatest ray of hope ever to shine on this world, and that he firmly believed that they will bring true peace and happiness for everyone. When the brunette had dismissed his statements as utter nonsense, the inspector mumbled out that Chrono believed the same thing as well. He’s dead now. The burden on her shoulders had only grown heavier, but she absolutely cannot break until after Grey Christmas. No, not even then, rest must come only after things have settled down enough to be called normal again… Knock knock. Hayate didn’t wait for a response before pushing the door forwards and entering the white room. What she did not expect was a solid thump reverberating through the door’s metal to her hand and a painful oomph below her feet. The brunette quickly pulled back the door and leaped inside, revealing the source of the noise to be a messy tangle of red hair and a Barrier Jacket looked fried enough to wither at the tiniest touch. A look into the deeper parts of the room revealed a floor of bodies burned in the exact same manner. She didn’t need to guess. “Reunion, what’s the meaning of this?” Her tone was quiet and calm, and yet the underlying implication held nothing but deadliness. She had entrusted the kid to train her soldiers, not to grind them down until they looked worse than a rat. Walled in like a fortress by rows of stacked DVDs was a single boy, looking entirely engrossed with his gaming console and simply careless of the carnage surrounding him. Curt and impatient he replied, “Exactly as what you told me to do. Now leave me alone; this freaking Ansem the Darkness is hard enough to beat without you here –” Without a word Hayate snatched the console away and from those thin fingers and switched it off. “Hey!” the boy bolted upwards and yelled angrily, “What’s your damn problem? I didn’t do anything wrong this time!” The brunette resisted the urge to rub her forehead for the umpteenth times of the week and instead pointed, “Really? Should I call Agito here to change your mind?” Reunion waved his hand in denial, “It’s really not me! Erio over there – ” the boy jabbed a finger towards the door, “lost control of his magic at the beginning, and if I didn’t trick his mind into turning it off things would’ve been worse, so this,” he swept a hand over the disastrous scene before him, “is not my doing. Get it?” Hayate rubbed her forehead furiously. If she was going to die of a terrible migraine anyway she might as well be comfortable, “Fine. Anyway, let’s get out of here, there’s something I want to discuss with you in private –“ “I can’t leave.” The boy said simply and sat back on the floor, restarting his game. The console has somehow magically made its way back to his hands, but Hayate wasn’t concerned about it at the moment. Her eyes narrowed, “And why is that?” “Because the training isn’t over yet.” It took a while for the revelation to settle in. It took a second longer for disbelief and anger to waltz into the room. It would later take almost a month for her to feel grudgingly impressed, but at the moment explosion would be an apt description of her current feelings, “What? You mean – They’re injured!” “Their physical condition would not affect their minds – Aaah! – and vice versa. That little lightning show before was – Teiya! Take that! – admittedly worrying, but I could sense nothing wrong for now. The training continues.” The weird noises garbled into Reunion’s reply did nothing to appease Hayate. Coolness crept into her voice as her staff slid deftly into her palm, a fact she openly displayed to the boy, “Look, I really don’t want to spank you in public, but if you so insist –” Reunion looked upwards, and to her surprise it was an expression of total seriousness, “Hayate, if I stop now, they will not recover in two months. Maybe not even in a year. A scar can be treated, but a heart’s wound can only be overcome,” he pointed a finger directly at Hayate’s face without a care of possible retribution, “You know the consequences. We cannot stop now.” Hayate did not speak, processing the sudden volume of information as steadily as she would chew on her meal. Discipline was a fundamental the brunette had learned since she was a child, and despite the harshness of his words it was actually a rather easy fact to swallow. She just didn’t like it that her comrades – her friends – had to suffer through the same pain she experienced, the indescribable feeling of having someone literally toying with your mind. But she already knew vaguely about the consequences when she planned out the Connection Training, so why was she hesitating now? “… Believe in your friends, Hayate. You gave them full warning, but they came here anyway.” Hayate felt a little dismay. Right now, Reunion actually had more faith than her. Her gaze fell firmly on her friends, passing from one face to another. They certainly do not look the faces of defeat. She should go. Slowly she turned and made her way towards the door, then paused as if forgetting, “Guess what I’m going to put in your dinner tonight, brat?” The door shut tight before the boy’s panicked reply could reach, and she felt herself smiling just a little lighter. - __________________ Last edited by Craxuan; 2011-10-05 at 23:54.

2011-10-04, 12:24	Link #34544
Craxuan Crax Author Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: MY	Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5 (Part 1), Chapter 5 (Part 2), Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11 (Part 1), Chapter 11 (Part 2), Chapter 11 (Part 3) Spoiler for The Two Goddesses Chapter 11 (Part 4): Chapter 11 (Part 4) *[REIN]* My mistress is a very good person. She worked eighteen hours a day even though our unit is in a state of lockdown, which means there’s not much that she could do except optimization and planning, endlessly so. Among these eighteen hours my mistress would train with Nanoha for three, sometimes with me and sometimes alone, but Nanoha wasn’t always free. This boredom of course translated into more pranks, and thus my mistress broke her own ‘most pranks of the year’ record. The overall efficiency and mobility of SSD6 have increased by an unbelievable three hundred percent rate, but so did the amount of employees begging before my tiny table to do something – anything, such as locking her up in a closet – about the commander. I must have broken my own record of the amount of helpless apologies done in behalf of my mistress. None of them ever considered quitting though, and she could always convert the result of her pranks to be something positive. Mistress – no, Hayate is a truly amazing person. My memories of the distant past were ultimately fuzzy, but I believe that the Wolkenritters, the ones who had lived over a thousand lifetimes would agree the same. I have never seen anyone else who could smile as brightly and truthfully – save for Nanoha, whose smile was the one that saved my mistress – and that too, for someone else. I feel sad just thinking about it. She wants it just as badly as everyone else, but why does she feel undeserved of happiness? Why does she always overwork herself until she look paler than a ghost? If I had to pull at her hair every day to make her stop, I will. Hayate was rather worried she would become bald by the end of the year, but I don’t care about that; she could always regrow them with magic. Anything to make her rest. Anything to make her enjoy life and feel happier. For this reason alone I felt justified to glare between Carim and Lutecia inches away from their faces as they try their best to ignore me. Okay, they’re not, I feel like air as Carim sipped her English tea so easily and was totally oblivious to my demonic (far from) aura of hostility, and I almost died when Lutecia grabbed me tightly with both hands and rubbed her face against my body. I’m a very important and very delicate Device, so don’t! Argh… I give up. Hayate was working hard at usual; this time in the kitchen instead of the headquarters. There were four extra mouths to feed tonight, and that meant extra work for my mistress, but luckily Shamal was there to help her. Well, I could still remember those horrendous days when she used me as her food taster, but she has improved a lot since then. At least it no longer burns my tongue for days… Maybe I should just check on her later, just to be sure. Right now though, I really need to get out of this – grip – Uu, stop pressing your breasts against me, I can’t breathe! - *[SIGNUM]* Lutecia Alpine. A S-ranked summoner mage and civilian collaborator of the TSAB. Also known as the Little Fox and ‘heir’ to Hayate’s undying legacy, or so her mistress claimed on a drinking party best forgotten. Rein’s squashed face was not a rare sight to see, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t challenging to reign in a smile, and I didn’t bother to do so. I somewhat recall from past conversations with Hayate that this was called… bonding? At any rate, Rein definitely needs to spend more time with our friends; as of late she has been working for long hours without breaks, and the pressure made her cranky and pretty much turned her into something akin to a time bomb. I understand her intentions to stay by Hayate’s side as much as possible, but then again our mistress’ lifestyle isn’t something anyone should emulate. You would think that she’s fighting a war… Perhaps she is. But there is something wrong with Hayate, something really wrong. I haven’t had the time to ask, but that one morning I had to wake her – “– Signum? You okay?” Agito’s face bobbed into view, fiery red eyes gazing somewhat worryingly into mine. My mind must’ve wandered a little too far, and I have to angle my head a little to avoid blowing air into her face, “Yes. Thanks for your concern.” The fire sprite puffed her red cheeks and looked away embarrassedly, and with a little smile I raised a hand for Agito to land and place her safely on my shoulders. She could sometimes be noisy and aggressive, but I knew very well that her heart was forged of gold. There would be no better person to be my partner. And all the while, Carim Gracia of the Saint Church was staring at me; a patient, merciless predator that I could no longer pretend not to notice. Her attention was troubling at least, for the answers she seeks do not lie with me, “Do you have something to ask, Carim?” She didn’t reply immediately, but instead lower her gaze and brought her tea close to sip. Ever since her magic failed the sister has been held with scorn and disgrace, but those clear grey eyes though told me enough that wounded or no she was still a knight, “I do. But first, do forgive me for my rudeness.” Yes, but the underlying meaning of her apology was all too clear. Fair enough; that ever present politeness – honest politeness was something I respect her deeply for among other things. So I replied back solemnly, “You are too kind. So, what is it you’re worried about?” Not coincidentally, Lutecia turned up the TV’s volume, and our conversation was muffled enough not to be heard by those in the kitchen. The reporter’s voice buzzed incessantly on the upcoming Christmas, warning all worlds to stay away from Cranagan. It was one of the many pieces of groundwork laid down by Hayate to minimize casualties during Grey Christmas. This seemingly harmless broadcast however, cost the trust of almost every major business in this city and killed whatever’s left of the dwindling support my mistress has within the military. Everything she worked so hard to build up and maintain after all these years, destroyed within a single fortnight. It was ridiculous. “You did nothing.” I flinched. Had it been a lightning strike I would have fared better, but those three words alone punched right through my throat like a cannon as I find myself unable to contradict. Instantly the surrounding atmosphere stiffened up like a blade, and yet Carim spoke so casually one would think she was just complimenting a lily, “Ten years I have known Hayate, and despite all her skill and talents and leadership she was still the reckless idiot who would care more for a lost cat than herself. That her chosen career would sustain her dreams for a happy world really was a gift from god… which she now threw away like thrash.” The cup slammed down hard on the floral-patterned tea plate, and I almost jumped from my seat. Shame overflowed like bile on my lips, but the only thing I could do was to endure. So intense was her cold fury that not even Agito could come up with a retort, and the silence had persisted until Nanoha announced with an unnatural cheer that she and Vivio would be helping out in the kitchen. It would be lying to say that part of me did not wish to scurry away just like them, but my pride and honor would not allow it. Running away was never in my blood. “It’s not as if the miraculous balance she so painstakingly maintained wouldn’t fall out one day; they always do. But to sacrifice so much for a mere possibility – tell me, Signum. Did she find conclusive evidence of a second recurrence?” “… I do not know.” “Did you know any reason at all that would convince her to take such drastic actions?” - She stood atop an unmoving body with the tip of her weapon pressed firmly against its neck. Otherworldly it is to see her mocking a fallen opponent, but the loser of the battle was none other than her friend. Her best friend. My family. Mad anger stampeded over twenty years of friendship easily as I rushed forwards for the blood, and yet those eyes, those steely, shattered eyes so lost and frightened they stopped me dead in my tracks – - Terrible memories surfaced from the depths of my mind, and I snuffed it out as swiftly as I would swing a blade. Not here, “I – do not know either.” “I see,” Carim continued on oblivious to the inner turmoil battling in my heart, “So unless Hayate has some sort of secret plan that would somehow fix everything back like magic, I could safely say that one part of her life is a total disaster. And still you did nothing.” “That’s enough. Signum has her own reasons,” A calm voice cut through the stifling air like hot knife through butter, and for a panicking second I thought that Hayate had overheard our conversation. Imagine my surprise when I saw that is was Rein who had spoken up for me, and there was a twinkle of maturity in her eyes that I never knew before. Her silent but undeniable presence stood like a wall behind my back whereas once I was her model of conduct. Since when has she grown so strong? No, how foolish am I to have thought that. Why did I never notice her growth? “… As you say, Rein. I should not have said such unsavory things on a happy day,” Nonchalantly Carim poured a new cup of tea and pushed it up to my front, “Would you accept my apology, Signum?” “Oi, that’s going too far you bloody –“ Agito finally recovered from shock and was about to explode in anger, but Rein shot her a warning look so severe that it shut her up completely. Precious seconds trickled by relentlessly without a care, and yet all I could do was to stare at the rising vapor with a mind as blank as paper. Too many times my Mistress was hurt. Too many times I have failed to counsel her when the chance was presented. Have I really failed my duty? Have I really failed Hayate? Abruptly I felt tingles against my leg, and I looked downwards to see the mighty guardian beast stretching his back mightily before setting his body directly under my feet. Proud eyes glared unyieldingly towards Carim, and suddenly I remembered something important. Something buried so deeply into the passages of time that I almost forget. I am the leader of the Wolkenritter. It has been too long since I last assumed that role, but I still am. “… It would seem that I’ve gotten soft over the years,” I paused slightly to curl a finger over the cup handle, watching the tea’s black surface vibrating in circles, “To hesitate, worry, panic… But still, this doesn’t feel too wrong, really. Just being a human.” No more hesitation. I picked up the cup deftly and drank it all in one go. Beside me Lutecia gasped audibly before catching herself, and I couldn’t help but wonder: did she understand the significance of my actions? No, it doesn’t really matter; the only one who needs to understand this is me. I met Carim’s baleful stare fearlessly and said, “I have no excuses; I should have talked to Hayate about my doubts. But I will not stop her.” “Why?” she asked simply. “Because Hayate decided this with her own free will. Because Hayate did not betray her own dreams. Because I believe in her, my eternal mistress… and family.” And that was my answer; to believe in not only my Mistress but also myself. Should one day I come to betray my own conviction… “If I find that you broke your word, I will cut you down without hesitation,” Carim threatened ominously. It was exactly what I had expected to hear; the offering of mercy to a fallen knight. She really was Hayate’s best friend. “As you wish.” That would be the day I die. - *[VITA]* Fuck. Fuck, I can’t believe it, I did it again. It had to be a mistake. Thank god Shamal went for the toilet, or I’ll never be able to live this down. My neck was stiff as rock as I stared straight ahead imagining a couple pairs of pitying eyes boring dreadful disappointment into my back. This has to be a dream; a fucked up nightmare. As expected, Hayate’s voice was the first to ring, “Vita… You…” Boiling oil crackled loudly within the frying pan, but the growing disbelief in her voice was transparent enough. Inevitably I was reminded of that day, but almost immediately I chided myself for being foolish before turning around with a shaky laughter, “Ha, haha, it’s no good isn’t it? Sorry… Er, I’ll go out and take some fresh air…” Right now, I can’t bear to stay here for even a second longer – I felt a firm hand caught my wrist. The familiar warmth and smooth touch of a skin could only be Hayate’s, but my head was filled with so much stupid frustration I really couldn’t turn around to face her. I don’t want to, not after another failure, not in front of Nanoha and Vivio. It would seem that this choking shame will stay lodged in my throat for a very long time – “Vita.” “… What, is it?” It took considerable control to silence the tears in my voice. Just what would Hayate have me do, wave the other two along to laugh at me? Of course I know that the brunette would never do that, but negativity was just something I could not get out of my mind now no matter what. “Vita, look at me.” My neck arched involuntarily, reflexively, and by then it was already too late. Those clear blue eyes caught me perfectly, and there was no way I could have looked away, not when Hayate looked as serious as an executioner. I have to tough it out as I always do; pity is the last thing I wanted from anyone at all, so I held her stare concretely while feeling butterflies in my stomach. This feeling really sucks. “… It’s good.” Huh? For a second there, I couldn’t understand the meaning of her words. Then, unable to hold back silence any longer, Vivio suddenly leaped forwards to grab both my hands, laughing happily, “The fish tastes really, really good, Aunt Vita! It’s as good as Mama’s cooking!” There must be something wrong with my ears. I know that we’re getting more human each day, but I never thought that my hearing would age that fast. The total bewilderment did not leave but wrapped around me tighter when Nanoha joined in the fray and said with a vivid smile, “Vivio is right. Congratulations!” Words were beyond me. The ridiculous stutter in my voice wouldn’t leave even as I pointed a timid finger at that stupid looking fish I fried, “Y – You mean this…?” “Seriously, Vita. Don’t you taste you own cooking first? Why do you look so surprised?” Hayate joined in half-exasperatedly as she pulled a lock of hair behind her ears, smiling. None of it did anything good except to escalate the raw redness burning in my cheek as I tried to answer, “I did, b – but I… I wasn’t confident.” Ah, that I’m not. Before the days I – we met Hayate, warmth was hardly important and a foreign feeling we scarcely knew. Every day was just another war; every war was just something to survive through. I am a Belkan knight, I am a Wolkenritter, and I am the Knight of the Iron Hammer. My strength is abominable, and I specialize at charging right into the front and plowing through the bodies of my enemies like they were flies. That was why to the others be it allies or foes, friends or enemies, master or servant, I was most commonly known as the Destroyer. There was nothing in this world me and Graf Eisen could not destroy. … There was also everything in this world I couldn’t help but destroy. Creating things, now… That was a concept too far and foreign for me. Protecting was hard enough. Suddenly I felt warmth patting the top of my head. Looking upwards, I saw Hayate smiling like the sun and said, “You did well, Vita. I’m really proud.” The heat on my face rose to an impossible degree. Was there ever a case of people getting nosebleeds from embarrassment? Then a second hand landed playfully while ruffling my hair. Nanoha grinned down innocently while saying, “Aren’t you glad, Vita? Hayate approved your cooking! We should celebrate today every year!” Vivio looked at her mama, then Hayate, then at Nanoha again. A devious smirk popped on to her face, and she immediately embraced me in a stifling bear hug and yelled out cheerfully, “Wai – Aunt – Vita – can – cook –“ I tried summoning the absolute obedience when I’m on duty, I really did. But really… Why bother? “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?! Eat this Nantoka! Eisen!” “Uwa! Why me? And you called my name wrong on purpose! Waaaaaa!” Yeah… I’m no longer my past. - *[SHAMAL]* Our home was neither overly huge nor impersonal that one would feel lonely on an empty day. For starters, Hayate wouldn’t allow any one of our rooms to be void of decorations, and if the family member didn’t feel particularly motivated to increase some personal belongings she would bring in a couple of her own choice items. That included a glass-cased metal gauntlet, a katana, bunny dolls, books, framed pictures, matches, lighters, super huge needles (Where does she get this stuff? Not that I’m complaining)… The latest addition would be twelve sets of different-sized mirrors hanged on every corner of Reunion’s room, with the largest one placed directly on the ceiling. It was of course another childish joke by Hayate, but when Reunion declared later with a huge smile that they were the best gifts he’d ever received in his life, Hayate had no choice but to leave them – after urging me to perform an entire week’s of psychiatric examination on Reunion to find nothing wrong with his brain. The child was extremely peculiar – if not dangerous – but even I could see that he has a good heart. His very presence has given life to Hayate; something only a child can do and uplift the spirit. He also turned her from a twenty six years old adult into a naughty teenager with the mentality of a five years old and a fuse shorter than an old man’s. In short, the two of them together meant the apocalypse. It was something I couldn’t do. But if it’s mean drawing Hayate’s enmity like a super magnet then I’d rather pass. There was not a single day they aren’t fighting each other, and we had learned to stay out and far away when it happened, especially since that one day Agito butted in their argument and got herself – er, was there even a right word to describe it? – violated thoroughly. Suffice to say her fiery ego was never so shiny again, and you could see a chill running down her spine whenever they stared meaningfully at her. Sometimes – although rarely – their playful little scuffle would result in injuries, and so they would come to me. There were two versions: It was either Hayate fussing worriedly like a mother hen or Reunion mouthing something tough with his eyes looking guiltily sideways. And as a matter of course, I would start reprimanding them for getting themselves hurt, shush them up before they could argue again, and see them out goodbye. The pattern has repeated itself so often I found myself staying in the infirmary for an extended time waiting for them to drop by, and honestly it didn’t sit well with me. In a way, I was expecting them to get hurt, and I don’t want that… But if I’m not there then who else could they turn to? Someone else of course, another medic, another healer… “Shamal, can you hand over the blue towel over there?” Hayate poked a finger to my left, her hands currently occupied by bubbles and water. I peered over the open tap to watch closely at her rough, shriveled fingers and imagined those thin but dreadful scars hidden under long sleeves. There would be more snaking down the length of her spine, deeper wounds that could not be healed perfectly within the day as a direct result from her training, all for the sake of walking into a death trap, not knowing whether she’ll live to see another day. This was not the life we had intended for our mistress at all, but we could not change her mind. Suffocation wrapped around my neck like a python, and for a second there I found myself unable to breathe down the spiking pain that was pounding in my chest. I quickly handed over the towel while praying hard for Hayate to notice nothing amiss, “Here.” This pretentious hope of mine didn’t even last a second. Right after Hayate took the cloth the gentle thanks floating across her lips changed dramatically into a worried frown, and shamelessly I felt a swell of happiness bursting from my lungs. I could swear with all my heart that all I wanted was Hayate to be happy, but whenever she was worried and concerned about my affairs I couldn’t help but feel so relieved, even if all I did was to add into her troubles. I felt so sinful. “What is it, Shamal? You don’t look too… well,” Hayate asked. “Nothing much,” It is you big liar, “Just thinking. Is your back still itchy?” “Of course,” Hayate smiled wryly, “But they’re bearable. Sorry to make you worried again.” Sorry. It felt like a smack on the face, to write off my feelings for the past months with just one word. I was selfish, I know I am, which was why I couldn’t hold myself back and exclaimed tremblingly, “Hayate, you’ve been saying that a lot lately. You say that after something has happened, and you say them before too… Don’t.” She stood there petrified with a stunned look on her face. All the sudden I was afraid – did I overstep my bounds? Did I hurt her feelings? I didn’t mean to, but! It seemed unreal that the running water did not freeze from the sheer drop of temperature inflicting my heart. The uproar of cheers and chatter outside felt like merciless blades cutting through my body. Hayate looked up to the ceiling, “… Sorry.” So my words weren’t enough. I never was, “No… I shouldn’t have said that.” We went back to washing in silence. Bitter tears threatened to drop, but I held them back with all my strength. They were useful only for myself, alone, inside a dark room where no one could see. I was about to run away right after the chores were done when her pure voice caught me, “Shamal.” “… Yes?” “Actually,” she scratched her head with a sigh, “I need you to transfer Destiny out of this city. Somewhere safe until everything is over.” Whatever’s on my mind up till that point was dashed away like the wind; I would have gladly accepted a mirror at that moment just to see my own brain click, but that was beside the point, “Destiny… Destiny?! You’ve found her?” She smiled in reply, “You could say that. The one who did all the hard work was her though.” Her? “You mean –“ “Yes, who else? I’m not surprised; her expression was a lot more cheerful lately. Though I couldn’t say the same for those who tried to sniff out her trail…” Hayate replied laughingly while her eyes urged not to say the name, not even through telepathy. It was common practice ever since the JS incident. This gesture however raised more questions. I asked hesitantly, “Why are you telling me this now? There are better places…” Hayate did not say a thing. As if missing my words she rinsed dry the wet cloth and hanged it neatly on a hook; her movements no longer playful like the past but imbued with more purpose, strength, and… age. It was a hard fact to accept that the girl whose innocence saved us was fading away, little by little. “Shamal,” she said suddenly, “Will you always stand by me, no matter what?” “Of course,” I answered without hesitation. Hell could rain for all I care, but that was my one conviction that will never, ever change. “That’s why,” Hayate looked at me and smiled one last time, a dazzling smile so bright and warm I forgot to breathe, “Thank you.” - *[ZAFIRA]* Reunion’s late. The kid has a long streak of wickedness, but punctuality was something he abided strictly and without fault. Dinner especially, was something he had never missed ever since he came into the family. It was now two past eleven. A time far too long not to worry about. I have thought that Mistress would know, but a brief but worried telepathic conversation had otherwise confirmed my duties. Luckily she knew the where and why, and so I stretched my back lightly, bid goodbye and hopped away into the silent night. Cutting winds combed soothingly over my body and the moon an astounding cycle of white, but unfortunately leisure was not a luxury I could afford at the moment. My eyes fell briefly on the well-wrapped lunchbox hanging below my mouth. Obviously Mistress did consider that Connection might have met poor progress thus keeping the kid away from home, but that didn’t even faze her from cackling like an evil witch, “I don’t care whether that brat’s playing, groping, dying or whatever, but make a hundred percent sure that he finishes dinner, Zafira. If he refuses I give you permission to shove it up his mouth.” “Hayate, that’s a little…” “Nanoha, you don’t understand; he’s nothing like Vivio! The day he even acts obedient would be end of the world – C’mere Vi, your aunt needs some love~” … I wonder if Mistress drugged this food or something. Considering that good bond between the two of them meant quarrelling like cats and dogs, I can’t say that there wasn’t a possibility. Just in case, I carefully lowered the hanging plastic just a little so that whatever poison in it wouldn’t accidentally slip down my throat. Once I had the ‘privilege’ and ‘honor’ to taste Shamal’s food, and the resulting misery on my body was a memory I would never forget. It is not an exaggeration when I said that I saw a glimpse of heaven, but everyone just laughed it off – except Shamal of course – thinking that I’ve finally acquired a sense of humor. Exactly what’s so funny about near death experiences? “All that grumbling, but in the end you still brought me Hayate’s poison cooking, didn’t you?” Instantly I pulled away from the inner depths of my thoughts and looked around, and the murky rooftops of the night faded away to cast light upon an enormous white room. Delicious bits of meat rolled satisfyingly within my mouth, and there was a fragrant aroma dancing in the air that could only be Mistress’ homemade sakura-flavored biscuits. I spent a second to convert the swirling confusion into dawning recognition, and then I just clawed at the general direction of the voice before the burning annoyance in my heart even ignited, “Dammit, Reunion! I told you a million times never to fool around with my senses!” “You survived Shamal’s cooking,” the boy declared flatly from directly opposite where the voice had come from, “You’ll survive whatever poison that idiot put in my food, if there’s any. In fact you should be grateful that I shared you my dinner.” I growled, but did not answer. Verbal arguments were never my fortitude, and I doubt that I could touch him even if I speared the entire room with Steel Yoke. Instead my eyes fell tersely over the crowd of fainted people as I asked, “How bad is it?” “No sleep for me tonight. They’ll never achieve Hayate’s level of control, but by the end of this training everyone should be able to communicate somewhat over the ‘link’,” Reunion munched ravenously into a chicken wing while speaking. Somewhat, huh. I understood why only too perfectly well. The inhumane screams piercing deeper than a needle, mad thrashings and convulsions so wild she could’ve torn off her limbs from restraint; on that day, that day my Mistress just suddenly fell – A warm, little hand grabbed my foreleg firmly, but I did not respond to the gesture. It took all of my control not to obey my primal instincts and tear apart the culprit who brought immeasurable torment to my mistress. The kid obviously knew, but he stupidly stuck his face closer until our foreheads almost touched. What the hell is he doing? If he gets any closer I might just – “I’m sorry.” Eyes as black as death stared chillingly into my eyes, hiding within an abandonment and despair too deep for light to ever reach. His age, his innocence, his belief, his heart – all of them meant nothing before a magic so pure it could only be eternal, a life so ravished that even light could only be golden darkness. Even then Reunion had not let go, had accepted tirelessly the repulsion and fear from me at him, burning a regretful voice from his heart that could only be sincere, “I’m sorry.” - Hayate woke up, disorientated to feel her mouth half open and two arms suspended in midair. Blinking away the drowsiness, she allowed the pull of gravity to send her arms crashing on to the bed, gasping. Already she pursed close her lips to muffle the growls that tried to escape, all the while straining to stand and reach for the bathroom. To say that the brunette was drenched in sweat would be an understatement; her clothes were so soaked it might as well be raining inside her room. So thirsty. But try as she might the world twirled around once, twice, and then Hayate found herself hurled back into bed with not enough strength to lift even a tiny finger. The world spun madly, erratically, angling in so many ways that she could only close her eyes and hope for comfort, but even the darkness was shifting. “I thought I said to take it easy.” His was a voice too abstract to be real, yet so perfectly clear it was impossible not to understand. It may be only a week since she has forged a new contract with Reunion, but Hayate got a feeling that she would never get used to the Heart Seeker’s call. Tiredly she muttered, “I know.” “Stop pushing yourself so hard then. You might be the fastest person I’ve ever seen to exercise the contract, but it is impossible to master it in such a short time.” “I know. Now be quiet and let me sleep,” the brunette tried a roll to her flank and almost flailed as her senses emulated the equivalent of a running washing machine. Sleep was drifting further and further away, but staying awake was ten times worse. True oblivion finally came as she felt a comfortable web of fatigue binding her body, but even then she could hear him whispering, “Why do you go so far? It’s not like I don’t understand, but... just why?” - *[Year 0082 month 7 day 20 0914]* “I have something to show you, Hayate.” Such was the boy’s first greeting of the day when he caught her trying to sneak back into her room. Her knights were predictably prowling the corridors and ceilings and windows and basically every inch of the house waiting for her return, and that was precisely what Hayate had wanted to avoid. It was somewhat an established routine for the Wolkenritters to squeeze out all the painful details of her nights with Yuuno, gear up, and then confront her poor boyfriend with threats deadlier than the end of the world. Okay, it was just Vita and Rein, but as of late Shamal got more and more protective of her, and even Signum joined in the total madness – later admitting without the slightest remorse that it was fun to see the two of them squirm. So she needed to hide inside the sanctuary that is her room where the Wolkenritters, out of respect, would never enter without permission, and now the kid was blocking right in front of the door. Hayate waved one hand fiercely for him to move away while whispering, “Shh! Later!” Unexpectedly, Reunion gave way easily and walked away without a word. In her haste the brunette almost missed the grim, yet relieved look on his face as his retreating back disappeared around a corner, and felt a twinge of doubt. Something was wrong, she could see. Something serious. Perhaps she should go after him? Then a terrible weight fell greatly upon her shoulder, and a cool voice she knew way too well rang from behind, “Ah, good morning Mistress. We have been expecting you.” Oh no. “Ah, ahaha, do you mind letting go, Signum? I need a change of clothes…” Hayate laughed nervously as she plied unsuccessfully at the knight’s iron grip. “A change of clothes? Splendid, I’m sure the others would love to see some concrete evidence,” Signum replied calmly. “Evidence?” Hayate choked at the word as she struggled even harder against the hold, but the moment she was caught it was already too late. As Signum marched the brunette right into the living room, humming a tune all the way that could only be happy, “I don’t – I mean – Signum, you traitor! – Noooooooooo!” - It was night. Dinner today was extremely lively at her soul’s expense, but Hayate understood that her family was still jarred by the recent incidents. If anyone was at fault it would be herself. Still, things would’ve been much easier Yuuno would just marry her… and so she thought gloomily about the future as she bid everyone good night and made for the stairs. The grueling morning had worn her out much more than expected. But sleep could come later. Instead of returning into her room, Hayate took a turn and paused thoughtfully in front of a door, then knocked, “Reunion, can I come in?” The boy sounded surprised as he answered from within, “Eh… Ah, sure. I didn’t lock.” Hayate turned the doorknob tentatively and pushed open the wooden door. Abruptly darkness blackened the center of her vision, and she had to squint just to barely make out the outline of his figure huddled in close and small on the bed. Unsure of what to do, Hayate closed the door behind her and waited for her eyes to familiarize with the dark. She did not turn on the lights. Silence lingered stiffly like a shield of needles, so Hayate took the initiative and broke the ice, “You said you have something to show me.” It took a long while before he answered, or maybe it was the lack of light that distorted her sense of time, “… I guess. You have one chance to back down.” “Show me,” she replied back firmly. Reunion nodded twice sharply as if decided and jumped off the bed, striding towards her. He began talking, “What I’m going to show you is a memory. A message meant to be passed down to a certain someone.” Hayate swallowed a breath; whatever that memory was it could only be bad news. She deduced carefully, “Judging from your tone, that someone isn’t me. True?” “No, not you,” Reunion confirmed her suspicions before continuing, “There is a condition. Should Grey Christmas happen, I will pass down this message to her no matter what the circumstances. Or else, I will destroy the message as there is no need of it,” he paused a while before adding in, “She did not forbid me from telling someone else the message, however.” The knots in Hayate’s mind connected, and the thunderous implication that followed jolted the brunette into complete stillness. Can it be? Her mind thought disbelievingly, and yet her heart prayed with all its strength to be true. No, it must be. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she asked timidly, frightfully, hopefully, “Reunion, could this possibly be…?” “Ah,” the boy whispered softly with a tone filled with regret and melancholy, “Her last words before she confronted the enemy. Nanoha’s.” - “Eh toh, hello? Testing one, two three four? Key, are you getting this?” Hayate stood dizzily within the globe of utter darkness, her knees wobbly from shock and her hands just trembling like a wind-blown leaf, and yet her eyes never averted the slightest from the pale, fumbling Nanoha who was trying to confirm the recording. The familiar blue white uniform, the soft brown hair, the dancing violet in her eyes and even that old black ribbon that symbolized her bond with Fate – they brought back such maddening tides of emotions she had thought to forget. Such as the bitterness and misery of that day, the absolute helplessness and despair of doing nothing, past joy, sadness, pain, happiness – “So… Hello,” Nanoha smiled gently without the slightest hint of awkwardness before, “Nanoha. Are you faring well? How is Fate and Vivio? No matter, I’m sure you’re doing a good job protecting them from harm. I’m sure you’ll make them happy.” Suddenly she dropped her head and said sadly, “No. No. I’m being selfish again. Even if you share my memories, you are still you. We are one, and yet not the same – Fate and Alicia proved that. That’s why,” the brunette looked up strongly before giving a full bow, “Please. Please take care of them. I am sorry to push my responsibilities on you, but there is no other choice. Right now, you are Nanoha, and I’m… I’m just nobody.” Hayate instinctively reached out to grab her friend, but her hands passed through the brunette’s body like it’s never there. Of course not; everything she’s seeing now was just a memory from the past, a recording. So why the heck is she feeling so much pain in her heart? “If,” Nanoha’s tone suddenly darkened as she straightened herself, “if you’re seeing this message, then Grey Christmas must be happening again. It either means that I have failed to defeat the enemy, or he is not the true cause of Grey Christmas. I do not know. However, you and I both understand what would happen if we don’t stop it. I…” The brunette hesitated. Faltered. But she gave her head a good shake and persisted to speak, “If I can take your place, I will. I never want to experience that horror again, but I would rather die than let someone else suffer in my place. Right now though, there’re only you. I believe in our friends, but if the enemy still lives or someone just as strong, you are the only one who can fight them. So please,” Tears flowed down Nanoha’s cheeks, but she did not look away. She did not, “I know it’s unfair for me to ask this, that it’s terrifying, but – please,” Nanoha choked back tears as she struggled with her words, “Please – save them.” Hayate clenched her hands. She did not notice the blood. Nanoha breathed in deeply to calm down the tremors; breathed out, “However… If you choose not to fight, it’s fine. If you choose to hate me, that’s fine as well. I have absolutely no right to judge you, for I’ve created you for the sole purpose of fighting that hell in my place. To protect everyone. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. So... no matter what path you choose, no matter what choice you make, I wish… I wish you happiness. As Nanoha Takamichi, or as someone else, as long as you’re happy…” She paused a little, and smiled. It was the brightest smile Hayate has seen ever since the beginning of everything, and no longer able to hold back the brunette broke forwards with a cry on her lips. Once again she passed through Nanoha’s illusive form, and finally, inevitably, she fell down to her knees, and screamed. “Well then. I should get going,” Nanoha turned away deliberately to hide her face, and began walking. As her form began to fade away, shoulders trembling, to the unknowing eyes, the ever cheerful brunette might even looked like she’s going for a shopping trip. She raised a hand and waved uncertainly. “Goodbye, and good luck… Nanoha.” - She felt something wet on her cheeks that, but did not wipe it. Instead she mustered the last of her strength, and gave him her answer, “Just... because..." Her brain zapped out. She knew no longer. *[Playback complete. Saving record to permanent memory, event designated codename ‘Signs’. Next selected time year 0082 month 12 day 20. Begin playback.]* __________________ Last edited by Craxuan; 2011-10-04 at 22:19.

2011-10-04, 14:20	Link #34545
GaelicDragon Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: State of Deseret, Southern providence	Really wish you had put up a note that each of your posts are parts... I thought at first that you had quadruple posted the same chapter.

2011-10-04, 14:35	Link #34546
Rising Dragon Goat Herder Author Join Date: Jun 2008 Age: 36	Yeah, as a rule of thumb: Differentiate your segmented story parts by listing them as actual parts in the spoiler topic. __________________

2011-10-04, 15:13

Link #34547

Old_Iron

. . .

Author

Join Date: Aug 2011

Location: The Fiery Pit of the Southwest

Age: 38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craxuan

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5 (Part 1), Chapter 5 (Part 2), Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8,
Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11 (Part 1), Chapter 11 (Part 2), Chapter 11 (Part 3)

Spoiler for The Two Goddesses:

Okay, I just burned through everything. Chapters 1 to 11. By Khorne that is crazy stuff and I'm loving it. Fate is giving me the creeps in this and I love the family moments among the Yagami. Nanoha's also sending chills down my spine. I was pleasantly surprised with the Yuuno/Hayate romance and chapter 10 reduced me to a puddle of sugary goo.

Really looking forward to more!

__________________

The Art of Shipping is as profound as it is dangerous; not for the faint of heart nor the weak of will, it makes gods and devils out of us all.

2011-10-04, 15:58	Link #34548
nemo1986 Member Join Date: Aug 2010	Wait what happened to Fate again?

2011-10-04, 21:01

Link #34549

Craxuan

Crax

Author

Join Date: Feb 2011

Location: MY

Took me a little over one and a half hour to post it here so I forgot

, fixed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old_Iron

The first ten chapters took me about one month to complete. Chapter 11, well... twice the amount of time taken, innumerable amount of edits/deletes/additions of words and before last Sunday I had no idea how to present it properly, so thanks. It meant a lot.

Btw, in case you didn't know, the next chapter is the finale. This was originally meant to be a one shot prequel (Although if it exceeds 100k words, I really need to change my mind). Still is, just not quite sure with the one shot part.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemo1986

Wait what happened to Fate again?

Spoiler for Spoiler!:

__________________

Last edited by Craxuan; 2011-10-04 at 21:59.

2011-10-04, 21:11

Link #34550

Sunder the Gold

Senior Member

Join Date: Aug 2011

Quote:

accidentally killed Verossa

You say that like it was a bad thing. [/half joking]

2011-10-05, 09:18

Link #34551

Old_Iron

. . .

Author

Join Date: Aug 2011

Location: The Fiery Pit of the Southwest

Age: 38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craxuan

Considering the size of Chapter 11, I can definitely believe it. It certainly came out well.

A one shot prequel? That's one hell of a prequel.

Still, seeing how everything wraps up will be really interesting.

__________________

The Art of Shipping is as profound as it is dangerous; not for the faint of heart nor the weak of will, it makes gods and devils out of us all.

2011-10-05, 16:04	Link #34552
Nanya01 Left for TFF Author Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Frozen Hell of the North Age: 41	Peek's Mini-Arcs: Yagami Mid Four Dwell Takamachi Scrya Fatherhood Harlaown Dreams Dance Healing Twins Advice History Onwards Start Onwards 2 Onwards 3 Spoiler for Blood That Flows - Peek - Onwards End: An hour later... Suzuka blinked as she saw Falin greet her at the door with a somber expression. "Falin? What is it?" "It's your cat, Mr. Snuggles..." Falin's shoulders were slumped and her face downcast. When Suzuka asked what happened, she took a deep breath and looked her master right in the eye. "Mr. Snuggles exploded." "WHAT?!" Suzuka grabbed Falin by her shoulders. "Please tell me that you're just joking!" Falin slowly shook her head. "The poor cat was out in the garden when something of ice and water slammed into him from the sky so violently that a small crater was formed. I couldn't even find the body." Suzuka slumped to her knees and tears welled up in her eyes. "Mr. Snuggles... What did..." Her words cut off as something landed on her head with a "meow". Blinking, Suzuka reached up and pulled the cat off of her head. "MR. SNUGGLES!" Falin just stared as Suzuka hugged the cat for dear life. "But how? Everything... I..." She shook her head and decided that for her sanity, she didn't want to know. Besides, it was nice that the cat survived. (---) Days later... Lina shook her head as she watched Nanoha and Fate run out the door. "I have to admit, I'm worried about their choice." Arf, Erio and Arashi looked up at her. "Why?" Arashi asked his mother in confusion. Lina smirked softly. "It's a parent thing." She winked and walked over to her son, picking him up. "One day, you and your sister will both understand." Arashi just blinked, before nodding. "Okay, mama!" He wasn't going to argue with his mother on something like that. He had more important things to do. Like playing tag with Erio, Fried, Val and Caro in the afternoon! (---) Shamal smiled softly as she saw Vita and Hayate run out the door. "Time sure has flown, hasn't it?" "Yeah." Signum nodded, smiling softly as she watched the two of them run off happily. "Doesn't feel like we've been here for only six years." "Feels less than a year to me." Shamal shook her head, smiling softly. "Still, a lot's happened, hasn't it?" Signum nodded and watched as Vita and Hayate stopped at the corner to wave to someone before turning and running towards the school. "I wonder what the future brings for all of us." Seeing Reinforce, Zwei and Zafira, the latter in his wolf form, walk towards the door, she felt that whatever happened, they'd be okay, as long as they were together. (---) "So, Suzuka, any idea what you're going to do?" Arisa turned to look at her friend as they walked towards the school. "No idea, actually." Suzuka smiled at her friend helplessly. "I'm just glad after graduation that we'll be done with Riksfalto." "Who's going to be done with me?" The two stiffened as Riksfalto seemingly materialized behind them and wrapped her arms around their necks. "You two are so much fun I might just follow you all over this staff." The green-haired Mazoku grinned at the way they paled at the comment. "You two better not think about graduating without at least saying goodbye..." The Mazoku's grin sent shivers down their spines. "Or I might get... Upset." "You do realize that we can beat you up, right?" Arisa looked at Riksfalto, who grinned at her. "Trust me, kiddo, I know, but I don't mind it." She squeezed Arisa's shoulder tightly. "If you're really good, I'll make sure that a certain someone had some interesting dreams about you." "Crazy bitch!" Arisa spun and created a hammer out of wind and smashing it into Riksfalto's face, or at least tried to as the Mazoku disappeared at the last second. "GAH! She drives me CRAZY!" "You aren't the only one." Suzuka muttered. "Come on, we better hurry and meet up with them!" Arisa's mood instantly improved. "Yeah!" Arisa spun around and the two of them took off towards where the rest of their friends were meeting up. (---) "Hey, Yuuno-san..." Yuuno looked down and smiled at the girl. "Yeah, Caro?" He blinked as the small girl hugged him tightly. "Hey, come on, I'm not going to be gone for that long." "I know..." The girl pouted as he patted her on the head. "I'll still miss you." Yuuno was blushing at all the looks he was getting from the girls who were looking at him and Caro. "Hey, if you're like this, then Erio, Val and Arashi will make fun of you again." Caro let go and looked at him, determination burning in her eyes. "So, tell you what, you make sure to keep those three in line and when I get back, you, me and Fried can go play in the park, okay?" "Can Arisa-san come with?" When Yuuno nodded, Caro let out a cry of happiness and jumped up, hugging him tightly. "Okay!" Yuuno smiled and patted her back softly. "Okay, Caro, let's go meet with Falin so she can watch after you today." "Okay!" Caro smiled and squeezed onto his arm tightly as they walked away. (---) Later... "Hey." Yuuno waved to Fate, Nanoha, Vita and Hayate as he stepped onto the rooftop. Vita grinned as she saw him. "Late as usual, just like a man." "I dunno, Vita-chan," Nanoha giggled as Yuuno looked at her indignantly, "I heard that Yuuno-kun was walking Caro-chan somewhere." "Well, anyway..." Fate smiled at them. "We're going to give you support, Hayate." "Thanks, Fate-chan." Hayate smiled back at her. "So, how about it? Is everyone ready?" The other four nodded as they all held onto their devices. "Well then, thank you, I really hope I pass that promotion test." "I'm sure you will." Nanoha grinned at her. "And when you're done..." "All you can eat!" The five of them cheered at the same time. "So, let's go, everyone!" Vita gripped Graf Eisen tightly. "Onwards!" "Towards the future!" Hayate grinned as she held onto the Tome of the Night Sky. "Let's never look back with regrets." Nanoha smiled as Raising Heart flew around her. "But never forget the lessons we've learned." Fate smiled while palming Bardiche. "Nor the people that helped us get here." Yunno nodded as they held their devices to the sky. "SET UP!" - Onward End Spoiler for Comments: I admit, I'm horrible, I laughed at a point that I prolly shouldn't have. Also, this coincides with the A's epilogue (FINALLY!). __________________ My fics Due to certain things, I am not here, find me over on TFF.

2011-10-05, 16:39

Link #34553

vic-vic

Senior Member

Join Date: May 2010

Location: forge-world Moscow 1

Age: 38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanya01

Peek's Mini-Arcs:

Yagami Mid Four Dwell Takamachi Scrya Fatherhood Harlaown Dreams Dance Healing Twins Advice History

Onwards Start

Onwards 2

Onwards 3

Spoiler for Blood That Flows - Peek - Onwards End:

Spoiler for Comments:

Well, as Strikers event coming closure, so the meeting with Al... *cough-cough* Levi and Numbers and Lutecia. And we can see what Jail and regius take in this universe.

Can we expect the monumental Subaru/Nove+Wendy+Deed showdown for Teana`s love?

2011-10-05, 16:41

Link #34554

shiroi mahotsukai

Under Death by College

Author

Join Date: May 2010

Location: Where you least expect me

Age: 30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanya01

Peek's Mini-Arcs:

Yagami Mid Four Dwell Takamachi Scrya Fatherhood Harlaown Dreams Dance Healing Twins Advice History

Onwards Start

Onwards 2

Onwards 3

Spoiler for Blood That Flows - Peek - Onwards End:

Spoiler for Comments:

Poor cat, Mr Snuggles has both uncommonly bad and uncommonly good luck. I can imagine the ending scene, so much awesomeness with an epic soundtrack.

__________________

"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."

2011-10-05, 17:16	Link #34555
NorthernFallout The Interstellar Medium Author Join Date: May 2008 Location: [SWE] Age: 34	Spoiler for Code Magnolia: Forgotten Business: The jeep travelling at a steady pace down the road, carrying a Sergeant and Commander Yagami, slowed down in front of a checkpoint. After their identities and business had been confirmed, they took a left, entering the living area for Division Nine. The jeep stopped at one of the barracks and Yagami, her limbs aching thanks to the pathetic condition of the road, jumped off. As soon as her boots touched the ground, a soldier was standing next to her. “Commander,” he said, saluting. “The team is already inside securing evidence. You may enter if you wish.” Yagami nodded and she entered the barracks. It was full of people, as the investigation team were being surveyed by a couple of mages. In the middle of the room, leaning against a table, was a body with its eyes pierced by pens. “Private Jake Jensen, found him this morning,” one of the investigators said, coming to stand next to the Commander. “Seems like suicide at this point. We’ve questioned most of the soldiers living here, but no one heard or saw anything.” “And? I’m sure I wasn’t called over just for this,” Yagami said, rising an eyebrow. “No, of course not, Commander.” The investigator waved to a technician who came over and handed him a piece of paper. He offered it to Yagami. “This is why we called for you.” Yagami took the note in her hand and began to read. Commander, I’ve now served under your command for over two years. I am glad to have served under your leadership for so long. It’s rare to see such a splendid and caring Commander. But, I am afraid there is something I must confess. I am sure you have read the report regarding the loss of the reconnaissance squad I was a part of last month. How we infiltrated behind enemy lines and tried, and failed, to retrieve vital information regarding the Shadows. How I was the only survivor. I can finally confess, as I don’t have much time. Our progress had been fine that day. But some of our members had been getting itchy. Morale was low as sanity began to drain. I could see it on their faces. Distrust and suspicion clouded their judgement. Even our leader was false in his leadership. Only I and another saw the truth; we wouldn’t make it. But we trudged on, clinging to that last hope. It never came. We descended further into madness. We had to do something. We weren’t willing to die for nothing. We created a plan. Me and Sergeant Mikel. The rest of our squad didn’t know about it. We let a few more days pass. Insanity rested beneath the skin of our comrades. We could see it. They’d kill us, eventually. The Shadows were speaking to them to do it. We couldn’t wait. We struck at night. We put them out of their misery, their unavoidable fate. A quick death by a knife. With their throats slit I felt freed from their gazes. I didn’t fear to be killed anymore. Our mission could be completed. But Mikel disappeared after that. I couldn’t find him anywhere. I sat down, then, trying to remember when he had disappeared. I couldn’t remember, Commander. I couldn’t remember when I had last seen Mikel. I sat in that cave, with my dead comrades surrounding me, trying to figure out where he had gone. And then I realized what I had done. Their madness, their insanity. Their wish to kill me. Lies. The truth stared into my face. That’s why I’m sitting here now, writing this confession down. I wish I could explain further, you have no idea how much, but someone is at the door. I can’t let anyone see this... Oh, god. It’s him! I can see him through the window! His smile, no- Jensen’s letter ended. All Yagami could read after the bit that had been cut off was the trailing path of a pen without a writer. She sighed and shook her head, giving the paper back to the investigator. She couldn’t help but feel a hint of sadness. She’d seen death many times ever since the portal opened, suicides included. But this one felt special. “We need to find out where this Mikel has gone,” she murmured, “he can tell us what really happened.” “Indeed,” the investigator mumbled and got back to work. Yagami stood there for a moment, observing Private Jensen’s body. His face was of peculiar interest to her, as it had frozen with an expression of horror. She thought back on the letter and how it had ended. “I’m done here,” she said to no one in particular and left the barracks. ***** As they returned to the headquarters, a tall man was waiting for her just outside the entrance. His hair was dark, his eyes seemed devoid of sleep and his face had a nasty grin. Yagami felt a strange feeling in her stomach when she looked at him, but she ignored it. “Commander.” His voice was almost a whisper. It wasn’t a question either, more like a statement. “Yes?” “I would just wish to congratulate you on Operation Stallion a couple of months back. I was one of the soldiers in charge of demolitions. Without your leadership we probably wouldn’t have won.” The Commander was taken aback by the compliment. Operation Stallion had been a success, that much was certain, but she had lost a lot of men and women. It had also been eight months ago, a long enough time to congratulate her on it. “Thank you, Sergeant,” she said, keeping her voice from faltering. Even the mention of the operation had brought her mind tumbling. Bad memories, suppressed by time, started to return. Before she could collect herself, the Sergeant nodded and kept smiling as he walked off and disappeared around the corner. Yagami looked after him for a moment, eyes lingering on the corner. Her mind seemed numb. “Commander?” She blinked and looked at the mage with a questioning expression standing in front of her. She was wearing a stack of documents under her right arm. “Sorry, Private, I spaced out... Who was that just now, the man who was talking to me?” The Private looked at her oddly. “Who? I'm sorry, Commander, maybe I missed him.” “Never mind,” Yagami said, shaking her head. “What did you want, Private?” “The files you requested on your way back has arrived. Here.” She handed the documents over to Yagami, saluted and went back from where she had come. Yagami took a quick glance at the documents before entering the headquarters, heading towards her office. She didn’t want to waste any time at getting to the bottom of the case. As soon as she reached the office she sat down in her chair, strew out the documents on her desk and began to go through them. At first, details about Operation Stallion started to pop up. She frowned. She hadn’t expected that. The document in question laid out the details about a task force in Operation Stallion. They, a squad of seven, was part of a plan to demolish a part of the Monument, a nightmarish structure created by the Shadows. The squad had moved in during the cover of darkness, but something had gone wrong. Commander Yagami had been in her office when she received word that the squad had been slaughtered by the Shadows. They were only a small part of soldiers that had died that day, so she hadn’t paid it much interest. The operation itself had taken precedence. She shuffled through a couple of other documents but found nothing of importance. Eventually she found the profile document for Sergeant Mikel. She laid it out on her desk, filtering through the papers. As she read, the pieces slowly began to fit together. At the same time, she felt a chill ripple through her body. Sergeant Mikel had been part of the squad that had been slaughtered in Operation Stallion. Or so they had decided. Officially, his body hadn’t been found, and he had been declared as MIA. No one had ever seen him again, so a majority agreed he had been killed. The Shadows were known for never releasing anyone and, as far as Yagami knew, no one had escaped imprisonment. She started to wonder who it was Private Jensen had referred to in his letter. Either it had been someone else entirely, or an hallucination. Yagami thought about it for a while. The man had clearly been close to the edge even before his letter. It wasn’t impossible that he had gone insane. She decided it had been an illusion. She returned to the document and flipped through the pages. There were a lot of details pertaining to Operation Stallion, and the tasks the squad had performed, but she didn’t find anything of importance related to the case. She sighed and was about to put the document away when something dropped out of it. It landed on the floor, upside-down. Yagami reached down and picked it up, eyeing the picture. She blinked once. Then her veins grew cold. The man on the picture was the one she had met outside, who had complimented her on Operation Stallion. Underneath the picture was a name. Sergeant Anders. J. Mikel __________________

2011-10-05, 18:06

Link #34556

Old_Iron

. . .

Author

Join Date: Aug 2011

Location: The Fiery Pit of the Southwest

Age: 38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanya01

Peek's Mini-Arcs:

Yagami Mid Four Dwell Takamachi Scrya Fatherhood Harlaown Dreams Dance Healing Twins Advice History

Onwards Start

Onwards 2

Onwards 3

Spoiler for Blood That Flows - Peek - Onwards End:

Spoiler for Comments:

Really nice finish to Onward.

Looking forward to the next installment as always.

Also, that poor cat.

And you are going to murder me with Caro by the time this story reaches its end. I'll have to learn how to write as a ghost.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomicoX

Spoiler for Code Magnolia: Forgotten Business:

That was rather creepy, I must say. Good stuff.

__________________

The Art of Shipping is as profound as it is dangerous; not for the faint of heart nor the weak of will, it makes gods and devils out of us all.

2011-10-05, 18:16	Link #34557
Old_Iron . . . Author Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: The Fiery Pit of the Southwest Age: 38	And a double-post from me means another chapter of something! I bring chapter 7 of Leave of Absence. I hope it doesn't sound too off, mostly because I wrote it while writing chapter 2 of Aftermath. Anyway, I'm done blabbing. Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Spoiler for Leave of Absence: Chapter 7: Accepting the invitation from Yuuno, Signum and Zwei entered the man's home. To Signum, who had been here before, quite a bit had changed since her last visit. It was actually quite a mess now that she took a better look. Charts lined the walls with myriad equations, code, and symbols on them. Tomes and datapads were strewn about. To top it all off, there was a stack of unopened mail and boxes shoved into a corner by the door. "If I did not know the cause, I would reprimand you most seriously for living like this," spoke Signum evenly as Yuuno took her coat and hung it on the rack. She noticed that Zwei was trying to contain herself and doing a successful job so far. Both females removed their shoes and set them next to Yuuno's. "Sorry about that. With everything that's been going on, I haven't had a chance to keep things organized. At least the kitchen is clean." He was looking rather unkempt himself, his normally bound hair was sticking out in places and there appeared to be dark circles under his eyes. Yuuno turned to Zwei and took her coat as well, seeing that she had taken on her full sized form rather than the compact form she normally used. "I also believe that I told you to take up a hobby." A single pink eyebrow rose in a questioning look. The tease more implied than intoned. Rubbing the back of his head, Yuuno let out a small laugh. "That you did..." A slightly awkward silence descended that was broken by Zwei's soft voice. "Daddy, can I meet Mommy now?" While being born with a copy of Eins' memories and personality, Zwei was still her own individual and somewhat of a child even to this day. Shamal had once theorized that had Eins been a normal, human girl in her earlier years, she probably would have acted like Zwei. Blinking at being called 'Daddy', Yuuno filed it away for later. Right now, he had family to reintroduce. "Sure, Zwei. Come on." He looked to Signum, his actions asking if she was coming as well. "I will wait in the kitchen. I wish to speak with you beforehand and I... do not wish to interrupt. Zwei, it will be alright," spoke Signum before placing a comforting hand on the short girl's shoulder. The pinkette then began attempting the hazardous trek from the front door to the safety of the kitchen. At one point, she was almost certain that one of the books tried to nip at her heels. Considering the kinds of objects that Yuuno regularly dealt with, it was not entirely out of the realm of possibility. As Signum made the dangerous journey, Zwei reached out and took Yuuno's hand. Despite all her vigor and desire to meet Eins, there was still a strong nervousness sitting inside her. It would be her first real meeting with one of the two women who gave her life. "It'll be alright, Zwei, just like Signum said." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "She's actually been anxious to meet you. She wants to meet her daughter." Yuuno hoped to ease the girl's worries at least a little. Navigating through the piles of research, he led Zwei to his bedroom door and knocked on it. A calm and beautiful voice answered.after a moment. "Enter." That voice seemed to make the girl at Yuuno's side tense up slightly, prompting another squeeze from the man. To Zwei, the world seemed to have gone silent save for the sound of her heartbeat. She did not hear the sound of the door unlatching, nor the slight creak as it swung open. Swallowing her nerves, the Unison Device stepped into the room with Yuuno at her side. The contents of the bedroom had been pushed to the sides to make room. The bed was upturned and leaning against one wall with the frame on the opposite while shelves had been shoved as far out of the way as possible. A faint green array of magic glowed against the white carpet. At the center of that array was a small desk with a multitude of cables running to the box housed within it. Atop that desk was a large display screen, hovering just above its emitter. Standing serenely in that display was Reinforce Eins, a smile on her face. "Mommy?" asked Zwei in a hushed tone, her fingers slipping from Yuuno's as she approached the display. Eins almost had tears in her eyes as she finally was given the chance to meet her daughter. "Zwei... My daughter." It was too much for the girl. She cleared the distance to the computer and placed her hands on the display, desperate to have some form of contact with the woman behind it. "I wanted to meet you, Mommy." Her voice trembled as though trying to hold back overflowing emotion. In the background, Yuuno quietly excused himself from the room, carefully shutting the door as he did so. Eins reached out to place her hands against her daughter's. "And I, you." It was a surreal experience for her. The idea of having a child had never before crossed her mind in all the time she had been alive. Yet, here was hers. She could see herself in the girl on the other side of the display. The curve of her jaw. The shape of her lips. Every little feature that Eins had was reflected in this little girl. The eyes, though. They were a lighter color, but those eyes belonged to her Mistress Hayate. On the other side of the screen, Zwei was having similar thoughts. It was one thing to see photographs. It was another to actually meet that person. She could truly see the similarities between herself and her mother. Perhaps it would be even more pronounced when she was freed from the confines of the computer. "Um..." Everything she wanted to ask seemed to have died on the tip of her tongue. Eins seemed to sense Zwei's hesitation. "Would you tell me about yourself, Zwei? What little I know is from speaking with Mistress Hayate," asked Reinforce in a tone of voice she hoped sounded motherly. The girl with powder blue hair nodded happily, drying moist eyes as she did so. "Well..." And so she talked. Zwei went on and on, telling Eins anything and everything. Her first sight had been Hayate's joyful face. Her first meal had been a tomato nearly as big as she at the time. Hayate's embarrassed and pleased look when she called her 'Mommy' for the first time. The older device listened with rapt attention, wanting to know everything she could about the time she missed with her daughter. Occasionally she would ask a question or tell a brief story from her journey through cyberspace in her quest to reconnect with the family she had been separated from. She told Eins about her first unison with Hayate and the first mission she went on. Everything from the beginning up until even last week when she beat Vita in a card game was laid out before her second mother. They talked for hours in that bedroom, illuminated by the glow of the magic circle and the light of the display. While Eins and Zwei bonded, another conversation was occurring in the relative safety of Yuuno's kitchen. After braving the path, Signum had taken a seat at the table. While Yuuno escorted Zwei to Eins, the pinkette pondered the situation. She had done so many times over the course of the day since Lady Hayate had informed them. It was not the meeting with Eins that bothered her, rather she was glad to be given a chance to reconnect with the woman. There had only been a short amount of time in which Eins had been living with them, fortunately enough for Shamal, Zafira, and herself to finally bury the hatchet with Reinforce. Old wounds and grievances had seemed inconsequential when finally given the chance to mend things. Vita had disagreed at the time, needing more time to really get over her own grievances. When Eins had decided that the best way to ensure the permanent destruction of the Defense Program was her own death, Vita's time ran out and the Iron Hammer Knight was unable to make peace. The largest concern for Signum was the Defense Program. Reinforce claimed it was gone and Lady Hayate said that Yuuno's research supported this. It was still a significant worry. Not just for the potential fallout in terms of military action and the repercussions against everyone involved, particularly Lady Hayate, but also for the emotional damage it could cause. Signum did not claim to be an expert in the ways of the heart, but it was blatant to see just what could happen if the events from The Book of Darkness Incident repeated. Hayate would be devastated. She couldn't even begin to imagine how Zwei would take it, now that they had met. Her thoughts swirled about as she heard the sound of a door closing. Approaching footsteps told her that Yuuno had left Eins and Zwei to become acquainted. "Would you like anything to drink, Signum? Yuuno offered as he bypassed the table and went towards the refrigerator. "Some water would be appreciated," answered the General of Fire without turning to look at the blonde. There was a clinking of glasses and the sound of flowing liquid. "Here." Yuuno set the tall glass of cool water in front of Signum before taking a seat opposite her with his own glass. A sigh of tiredness escaped his lips while the pinkette nodded in thanks. Taking a few drink of the refreshing fluid, Signum then set the glass down and folded her hands. "You have not been sleeping well, I take it." It was a statement rather than a question. Something to get the conversation going. "Not really, no. There's a lot of data to sort through, experiments to run, and supplying Reinforce with mana on a regular basis." Though he appeared exhausted, Signum could tell that he was genuinely happy with his situation. The man was a scholar, after all. "Anyways, what did you want to talk about?" "It concerns the Defense Program. Is it truly and utterly gone?" Signum's eyes were dead serious and had taken on a steely look. Yuuno took a drink from his own glass and then nodded. "I've been running every possible analysis and examined Reinforce's code thoroughly. Everything has come up negative. In fact, if it weren't for the amount of damage she's suffered, I'd be pretty suspicious," explained the Head Librarian honestly. Signum gestured for him to elaborate. Lady Hayate had not gone into any significant detail regarding how this had happened, only that it had. "If Reinforce came to me, perfectly healthy and only a little weak, That would mean that some of her regeneration ability remained. That regeneration is what made the Defense Program virtually immortal. That same regeneration is completely gone from Reinforce. Almost as though it were never there in the first place. Since there is nothing that can allow for regeneration..." Yuuno trailed off at the end to take another sip of water. "...Then there was nothing encouraging the Defense Program to reconnect to her. She was useless to it," finished the woman as she pieced together what the man across from her was saying. The blonde gave a nod. "Pretty much, yeah. And since everything has been consistently turning up negative, its just been a matter of rebuilding her code so that she can live outside of the computer once she can produce enough mana." Signum gave an appreciative smile after a moment of contemplation. "Thank you for clearing my doubts, Yuuno. I will trust in your work." Her stern posture relaxed slightly, no longer on edge from concerns about a worst possible outcome. The ticking of his wall clock echoed about the home before Signum broke the silence. "Might I inquire how exactly you are providing Reinforce with mana." Yuuno hadn't elaborated on how the procedure worked, not had Lady Hayate. Perhaps if there was something that could be done to aid in this, it would lessen the burden on the librarian. That seemed to brighten Yuuno's mood. Well, most anything scholarly would do that. "Its... a bit of an unusual procedure, to be honest," he began. "Unusual?" Signum left that word hanging, not quite certain she liked the sound of it. "I had to find a way to translate my mana into a format that could be understood by Reinforce's Linker Core in her current state. I wound up looking into a lot of different methods of mana replenishment for ideas and calculations," he explained freely. "In the end, I developed the spell I've got running now. While I only need to provide intermittent bursts of mana, the connection has to remain open at all times so that each transmission has the same... frequency, if could call it that." Yuuno continued explaining in further detail. Unfortunately, Signum was a Knight, not a scholar, so much of the man's exacting detail went over her head. When he paused for a moment, she interjected. "Is there anything that we can do to assist you with the replenishment? It appears to be taking quite a toll on your well being." "I don't think so, not without reworking a copy of Reinforce's replenishment spell to allow more donors or connect a donor to me. And I don't have the time or resources to do that." He shook his head in dismay. Any lessening of any of his current tasks would be a significant help, but he couldn't see any way of delegating from where he was at. "Have you not forgotten that you have allies in this venture? Allow me to take a copy of the spell to Shamal and Zafira. With good fortune, they should be able to work something out," spoke Signum confidently. The blonde haired man blinked as Signum's words sank in. "Well, now I feel like a fool," he stated simply, resting his chin on one palm. "In your defense, we did only discover the truth of the situation today," she replied. "True. I'll make sure to have a copy ready by the time you two head home." Yuuno seemed to have recalled something a few moments after his reply. "Signum, why did Zwei call me 'Daddy'?" It was certainly nothing he'd ever heard from her before. There was a pause before Signum answered. She seemed to be contemplating something. "In a way, you could be considered her father and she views you as such. Though she may be borne of Reinforce and Lady Hayate, Zwei would not exist without your considerable assistance and she knows that." Looking towards the bedroom, the pinkette continued. "She said as much on the drive over, much to my own surprise as well." "I... see," responded Yuuno in a somewhat bewildered tone that showed on his tired face. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense if he looked at it from Zwei's point of view. Even if he only started out by assisting with research, but the time Zwei had been born he had become far more involved. There was an odd feeling associated with it, but not unpleasant in the slightest. "Is there a problem with that?" queried Signum flatly, raising an eyebrow as she did so. Shaking his head and waving his hands in a placating manner, Yuuno was quick to clarify. "No, not at all. Its just little unexpected, is all." An amused smile appeared on the librarian's features. "I wonder why she never said anything." "That would be something you would have to inquire about from Zwei herself. I would consider the possibility that she was either unable to find a way to bring it to your attention or afraid that it would change the status quo unfavorably," offered Signum honestly. Yuuno found himself agreeing with that sentiment. "I never thought that being forced to take a vacation would lead me to be reviving the 'dead' and finding out that someone I've known for years considers me her father." "At the very least, you can say that you do not lead a boring life, Yuuno," commented Signum with a smile. "Is Zafira going to be coming after me with that gun again?" questioned Yuuno hesitantly, but with some amount of humor. Signum chuckled. "Zwei should be able to dissuade him on that front. I do believe you should still be wary around him for a while though. There is a particular rumor floating around headquarters that, while he knows is false, has him in a particularly foul mood." The blonde man took on a slightly confused look. "What do you mean. I thought Zafira didn't put any stock in rumors." "This one involves Lady Hayate, yourself, and I believe the phrase I heard was 'expecting the stork'?" she stated plainly. Yuuno's reaction at first was an understanding nod of his head. Zafira tended to get worked up whenever Hayate was involved. It was completely understandable as the man viewed Hayate as his daughter. It was also apparently rather amusing to watch him chase down a particular librarian. Being the librarian in question, Yuuno didn't quite see the humor when the Guardian Beast was on the warpath with his dubiously acquired magic shotgun. His reaction slowly turned into shock as the rest of Signum's words processed. His cheeks burned and he began to stammer while making frantic gestures with his hands. "But. But. We. That is. I. Her. We haven't. We're not. How?" The sight nearly caused Signum to go beyond her characteristic chuckle and into a full on laugh. Nearly. It took a little while for Yuuno to compose himself again, though he hadn't been able to fight down the blush on his face. "I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that one of Hayate's pranks backfired?" The commander's pranks and jokes rarely went awry. But when they did, they tended to do so spectacularly. "Ms. Finiero overheard Lady Hayate's jest," Signum clarified with a nod, much to Yuuno's horror. "Oh, Kaiser..." There was an audible thump as the blonde's head hit the table. He knew all too well the power of that woman's rumors. Still, Yuuno's reaction turned a few gears in the pinkette's mind and she began pondering something that hadn't come to the forefront in a while. That something being her Lady Hayate's love life. Lady Hayate had always been a work driven individual, even so far back as middle school. Something that she shared with her two best female friends: Nanoha and Fate. When girls her age were first fawning over boys, or girls if their tastes ran in that direction, Lady Hayate was in communication with the TSAB's officer academy. When young cadets were running around after hours with their boyfriends or girlfriends, Lady Hayate was practicing with her deadly array of spells. When other officers were getting married, Lady Hayate was reviewing case files and troop deployment strategies. It was not to say that she was so driven that she did not have fun. She certainly had enough fun, sometimes at the expense of her friends and family when she was in a teasing or groping mood. However Lady Hayate's work drive left little to no time for romantic endeavors. She'd never had a boyfriend or girlfriend, though the number of individuals who had desired to obtain that title was not small. Even the rare few who managed the courage to ask her out in the first place, were turned down. Verossa Acous had been one such individual. He had sought something more than friendship with Lady Hayate, but had decided against bringing the topic up when he'd summoned up the courage. Signum supposed that she and the rest of the Knights had something to do with that. They had taken a good long look at the, at the time, boy when he'd approached their Mistress and found him... lacking. To the General of Fire, it was for the better. To Signum, Verossa was a exasperating individual at best and distasteful at worst. Now that she was thinking about it, Signum began considering two possibilities. The first was that Lady Hayate simply had no interest in developing a romantic relationship with anyone. She already had a family in the Wolkenritter and an array of very close friends. Perhaps that was enough for her. The other possibility was that Lady Hayate simply had a rather high standard set when considering a romantic partner. Shamal had once commented how people tended to set all kinds of standards based on those around them. Why that had come up escaped Signum's mind at the moment, but it seemed relevant to her current train of thought. Should she seek a female, that woman would likely have to stand up to the standards of Enforcer Fate.T Harlaown and The White Devil to name a few. Were Lady Hayate to find a male desirable, he would have fewer, but no less intimidating individuals to face. Admiral Chrono Harlaown, Knight of the Shield: Zafira, and even the man sitting across from her, Head Librarian of the Infinity Library: Yuuno Scrya. Signum doubted that the number of individuals who could meet up to such a high standard could be counted on more than one hand. That led to another line of thinking: Suppose her Mistress already had romantic designs on someone and was waiting for the most opportune moment to strike. Signum doubted that was the case, as very little about their Mistress escaped their watchful eye. Though there was always a chance. Lady Hayate was a notoriously detailed strategist and had hidden plans right under the noses of some individuals before. If that was the situation... Who could it be? The only possibilities that came to mind were her closest friends. Fate or Nanoha were possibilities. Were Chrono not married, he could be a candidate. Though he was probably the least likely target amongst friends for Lady Hayate to place her affections upon. Eventually, Signum's theories landed on Yuuno. Yuuno was a more likely candidate than previously thought, now that the pinkette considered it. Lady Hayate often stopped by the library in person for information or even to say hello to the man. Not to mention how often she stayed here. There was always a chance something could happen without the Knights' knowledge. Personally, Signum did not mind the idea of her Mistress entering into a more personal relationship with the librarian. He was a good man who respected Lady Hayate, they had been close friends for years, was willing to go that extra mile for her, and would sooner die than make her cry. Part of Signum's mind wondered why she was so stuck on the idea of love and romance today as it tended to be more Shamal's venue than her own. Maybe that trashy novel that had been loaned to her by Ginga Nakajima was having an effect on her brain. Apparently her musings had left her slightly out of tune with the world as Yuuno's voice finally penetrated her thoughts. "-ignum. Signum. You alright? You zoned out for a little," spoke Yuuno with some concern. Blinking to finish clearing her head, Signum coughed into her fist before replying. "My apologies, Yuuno. I was... contemplating something. Do not concern yourself with it. Would you repeat what you were saying?" Acquiescing, Yuuno repeated himself. "I said that it was starting to get a bit late and I was wondering if you and Zwei had plans for dinner since Hayate is going out with Nanoha and Fate." Signum turned to see the time on the clock and found that they had been talking for quite a while now. The artificial sun was beginning to dip into the horizon and painted the sky a brilliant orange that seeped in through one of the few windows in the residence. "I had not planned on staying out so late. We were likely going to order takeout or have Vita attempt to cook something," answered the woman, idly wondering if the inability to cook was something inherent in all Belkan Knights or if their group just so happened to be terrible at it. Interestingly, Vita was the most adept at producing relatively edible meals with Zwei as a close second. "I'll have to make a short run to get a few more groceries, but would you and Zwei like to stay for dinner?" asked Yuuno with a smile. Signum looked a bit hesitant before answering. "I will accept your offer on two conditions." Yuuno blinked in surprise and confusion as the pink haired Knight stood. "The first being that you permit Zwei to prepare the meal and the second that you permit myself to obtain the groceries." Her tone brooked no argument. Yuuno nodded dumbly, not quite certain how to even begin arguing that he should be the one to take care of his guests and not the other way around. He supposed that the tiredness from his tasks would count against him and ultimately gave up the idea of trying to go against Signum's stance. "I give. You win," he stated with a tired grin. A raised pink eyebrow was the response given with a small smirk. "You are indeed a wise man." Yuuno simply let his head fall to the table again as Signum left the kitchen, opting to brave the dangerous path to the bedroom where Eins and Zwei were talking. Signum's hand hesitated for a moment before rapping against the door softly. "Enter," called out Reinforce Eins' voice. The door was opened and the pinkette stepped into a similarly surreal scene that had met Zwei hours prior. Zwei had reverted to her more compact form and was floating next to Eins' display, a happy smile on her face. To many, the reunion would seem underwhelming. However Signum had made her peace with the silver haired woman and to her, it ended up feeling more like welcoming back a long lost friend rather than the dead. "It has been a long time, Lady Reinforce. Welcome back." "It is good to be back, Knight Signum. You seem well," replied the trapped Unison Device in a somewhat formal tone, though there was a smile upon her face. "I am, thank you," finished Signum, returning the smile before turning to Zwei. "Zwei, Yuuno has offered to let us stay for dinner." The powder blue haired girl's response was a happy exclamation. Before she could ask what they were having, Signum held up a hand and continued. "I have accepted under the condition that he allow me to obtain the groceries and that you do the cooking." Zwei didn't look so enthusiastic as moments before. Eins stepped in to support Signum. "Zwei, Yuuno is doing a great deal to assist me. Cooking dinner is the least you can do as a show of appreciation." That seemed to brighten up Zwei's countenance. "Alright. I'll do my best." She turned to Eins' display. "Will you... er, sit? with us, Mommy?" It was a little difficult to find the right words to ask someone who was trapped in a computer to join you for dinner. "I shall," replied Eins. She would have to ask Yuuno to connect her primary display to the remote unit he had obtained the other day. "Go get your coat, I will need you to tell me what ingredients you need for dinner," commanded Signum to Zwei, who gave Eins' display a hug before flying off to do as told. "I haven't seen her this happy since Christmas." "She is quite the young woman. That she calls me her mother makes me regret those lost years all the more," stated Reinforce. Signum gave a nod. "You will have plenty of time to make memories with her, Lady Hayate, all of us..." Zwei's voice cut into Signum's words. "C'mon, Signum! Daddy says that the sales are going to end soon." "We shall return soon, Lady Reinforce. Again, it is good to have you back with us." With that, the General of Fire left the room with a slightly befuddled Eins left behind. She could vaguely hear the shutting of the front door, signaling the departure of her daughter and general. When Yuuno entered the bedroom , Eins looked at him quizzically. "Daddy?" __________________ The Art of Shipping is as profound as it is dangerous; not for the faint of heart nor the weak of will, it makes gods and devils out of us all. Last edited by Old_Iron; 2011-10-06 at 00:01. Reason: Story fixes

2011-10-05, 18:19

Link #34558

Rising Dragon

Goat Herder

Author

Join Date: Jun 2008

Age: 36

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtomicoX

Spoiler for Code Magnolia: Forgotten Business:

Creepiness of the piece aside, the bit with the letter being written as if he was speaking just comes off as slightly awkward to me.

__________________

2011-10-05, 19:45	Link #34559
Sunder the Gold Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011	Lovecraft isn't to my taste. Paranoid gibbering terror about "the Old Testament God as viewed through a demonic lens" seems pointlessly self-destructive, not fun or entertaining or even mildly interesting.

2011-10-05, 20:14

Link #34560

Filraen

Big Damn Lurker

Join Date: Feb 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanya01

Peek's Mini-Arcs:

Yagami Mid Four Dwell Takamachi Scrya Fatherhood Harlaown Dreams Dance Healing Twins Advice History

Onwards Start

Onwards 2

Onwards 3

Spoiler for Blood That Flows - Peek - Onwards End:

Spoiler for Comments:

Strange, for all the scene about Mr. Snuggles and Shamal's commentary the line which got a small laugh from me was the five-people chorus of where to go after promotion test.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old_Iron

And a double-post from me means another chapter of something! I bring chapter 7 of Leave of Absence. I hope it doesn't sound too off, mostly because I wrote it while writing chapter 2 of Aftermath. Anyway, I done blabbing.

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

Spoiler for Leave of Absence: Chapter 7:

A correction in the spoiler.

Now that I think about it, I've never seen an image of Signum laughing. And, both Zafira and Hayate feel like parental figures to each other? curious.

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