MGLN: Future Tense
Chapter 28: The Calm Before
Xx~~*~~xX
"Are you two sure you don't wanna come with us?" Sein partially teased. "It's gonna be fun!"
"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Duo countered, raising an eyebrow, and then pulled out her sidearm, offering it to the cyborg. "At least take a weapon; you're gonna need it, going into that death trap."
Sein smiled and shook her head. "Don't need it. The Saint will protect us, and you've seen Seikou's magic. You're gonna need it more than we do."
Duo rolled her eyes. "Hokey religions and mystical powers are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid. But best of luck to you anyway."
"Your boat leaves at midnight tonight," Choonie explained, handing the piece of paper to Nanoha. "We managed to get you smuggled aboard by the criminal underground here, and they'll take care of us, too, until we can make our way back to Supools, or another planet."
"Thank you both, for everything," Nanoha offered, shaking the pairs' hands.
That was the scene ten hours ago at Valrosa, one of the most developed towns on the tropical southern continent of Mid-Childa, a coastal city that served as a gateway of commerce and vacation travel plans. Or at least it used to, many years before. During their stay there, Nanoha couldn't help but note that the city must have seen better days. Cargo ships still made regular runs, and the odd rich family still passed on through on their way to more quaint locations on the continent, but it was several times smaller in magnitude than it had seen in it's heydays. However, it was there that they parted with two of their company, who had been their companions the past several days as they snuck across the continent's jungle, dodging patrols and search parties.
After the uneventful trip across the ocean, they had abandoned the cargo ship shortly before it hit port, swimming through the water to come ashore elsewhere since the Bureau checked every vessel religiously. Currently, they were now drying their clothes by a fire.
"It's a good thing they gave us extra outfits in a waterproof case, too," Sein remarked, hugging her body while staring into the flames, the light casting shadows against the trees in the darkness surrounding them.
"They thought of everything," Nanoha agreed from the other side.
Sein grinned. "They have to; they wouldn't last this long against the law if they didn't."
Nanoha allowed herself a smile, conceding the point. "I suppose you're right. Still, we lost quite a bit of time getting here. By my calculations, we have about a week-and-a-half to start the invasion on Clanagan. Vivio said she'd be here at that time, with Einhart, Ix, and the Mariages, but I have no idea how we'll get in contact with them."
The cyborg nun shrugged. "We will, somehow. If we at least make it into the Clanagan ghetto and assimilate with the population, I'm sure we'll pick up a lead-"
She paused and met Nanoha's knowing eyes as a very audible twig snapped in the distance, but not that far away, either. It could be just another traveler, or a wild animal, but it could also be a Bureau patrol. If so, their standard agreed upon escape tactic was for Sein to dive them both underground and come up somewhere else.
"Seikou!" a small form exclaimed, bursting from the foliage and running straight for the woman.
The brunette stared. "Givo!?"
"Nanoha," Teana stated calmly, stepping out after him.
The cyborg's eyes bugged. "Teana?"
The gun mage realized who she was looking at. "Sein!?"
Nanoha's gaze flitted upwards. "Rio! And Corona! And... who's this?"
"Layla," the red-haired woman offered with a small smile and a nod.
"And now that we're all acquainted," Rio declared with a grin, cracking her knuckles. "How do you feel about some payback?"
x~~*~~x
"Miss Rai! Miss Rai! Dinner is about ready!"
Fate paused and looked up as a little girl with long blonde locks came bounding through the fields. Unable to help herself, she smiled, placing her farming implement blade down and resting her arms on the other end of the long, wooden shaft. Marin was Jari's youngest daughter, only 7 years old, but full of spirit.
"Do you need some help?" she asked, somewhat out-of-breath, yet eyes shining with determination.
"No, I'm fine, but thanks!" Fate offered, reaching down to pat the girl's head. "I was just finishing up with this section. I'll be along shortly. Did you see if your older sister needs your help?"
"I already set the table, but she won't let me help much with the food," Marin pouted. Despite her age, she seemed to want to do whatever she could to help, even if it was supposed to be beyond her abilities.
Fate glanced over the half-finished field of tall switch grass. "Well, I can always finish this up tomorrow; why don't we head back together?"
When the little girl nodded an enthusiastic affirmative, Fate carefully slung the farming tool over her right shoulder and then took the girl's hand with her left, before starting off in the direction of the farmhouse. The sun had set awhile ago, and was nearly two-thirds sunken behind the mountains in the distance, but the golden hue it gave the waves of grass was nearly breathtaking. It was a simple scene, and yet Fate wondered how long it had been since she had seen such a sight.
Jari was waiting for them on the porch, smoking his customary pipe. "You handle that scythe like a natural. You sure you haven't ever farmed before?"
Fate let Marin go, the little girl quickly running back into the house, and then shook her head as she glanced at the wood and metal scythe in her hands. "No. But I had... someone, once, who taught me to use it." Her mind briefly drifted back to Linith and a simpler time, but just as quickly, Fate brought her mind back to the present.
"Well, in any case, I'm glad to have you stay, even if it's for awhile," he noted, referencing the fact that Fate had lengthened her stay from just a night, to several days. "We haven't been able to fully utilize all our fields since Jenna left."
"But you shouldn't really need to, since your wife's work in the Bureau as a mage should mean you receive a monthly stipend," Fate stated, laying the tool carefully against the side of the house. "Is there some issue with it?"
He shook his head. "The money is fine, and is partially why I didn't want to accept yours. But I'm a farmer, and so was my wife; it's in our blood, and that's how we prefer to live. Ever since the Bureau came for her shortly after Marin was born, I try to believe she's doing some good out there, like the Bureau says, but it does make life a bit harder on the farm."
"Sacrifices sometimes have to be made for the greater good," Fate offered sympathetically. "Mages can cause a lot of damage if left on their own, and so need to be carefully regulated. The Bureau gives them an outlet for positive gain."
"Perhaps," he replied in a tone that hinted he might not fully agree, or at least was undecided on teh subject. "I just wish my daughters could see their mother more than once every few years. Anyway, let's go inside and eat before Tarish yells at us."
[Was this what you wanted me to see, Nanoha?] Fate wondered as she sat down and ate with the family, watching them joke and laugh with each other. [I don't see anything wrong. Life is a bit hard, but then that's the same for everyone. Despite that, the Welnoz family seems to be doing well.]
The more she thought about it, the more she found herself swinging back towards her earlier convictions. Putting that thought aside, she could admit that the current situation was doing much to relax her body and ease her mind. It was a simple life that helped her leave her troubles far behind, and thus when she bade the family goodnight and went to the guest room, she felt she would get another good night's sleep.
However, it was not quite to be, as shortly after she blew out the candlelight and climbed into bed, a tapping came at the window. Curious, Fate parted the curtains and came face-to-face with a grinning face.
"Marin, what are you doing here?" Fate asked after opening the window.
The little girl quickly put a finger to her lips. "Shh! I just wanna show you something. Come with me!"
Intrigued, Fate found herself nodding. "Alright, I'll meet you by the front door-"
"No, daddy and Tarish will see you," Marin countered, which only made Fate even more curious. "Come out through the window!"
Fate did as she was told after slipping her clothes back on, and the little girl quickly took Fate's hand and pulled her along. [What could this be about?] Fate wondered, as the pair entered the forest and walked along a path only Marin could see.
Eventually, they reached a small cave, and Marin paused before entering. "Don't tell anyone what you're about to see, okay? Pleeeaasse?"
"Alright, I promise," Fate replied, her curious imagination trying to figure out exactly what was going on.
She found out quickly enough, after a short trip through the cave; there, in the center of a small cavern lit by moonlight streaming in through a hole in the ceiling, was a small garden, incredibly well-maintained. The variety of glowing plants were impressive, all of them belonging to a class of flower Fate recognized as moon blossoms; a type of plant that thrived on the lesser glow of moonlight. Several of them were even beginning to bear fruit.
"Did you do all this?" she inquired, to which the small gardener nodded with pride. The blood of a farmer really did run in the blood of the Welnoz family, Fate realized. "I'm impressed. But why do you want me to keep this a secret?"
Her face dropped as she twiddled her index fingers together. "Daddy doesn't want me doing this, but I can't help it. I've always wanted a small garden of my own."
"He's a farmer, so why ould he be against you growing your own garden?" Fate asked, confused.
The little girl fidgeted slightly, then glanced up at the older woman, before reaching out with her hand towards the garden. To Fate's astonishment, Marin's hand glowed green and one of the closed buds grew slightly, and then blossomed open. The Enforcer Commander's mind analyzed it and spit out an answer almost immediately: plant magic. The ability to sync with the vegetation of a planet and make it respond to you.
"Daddy says if anyone finds out, they'll take me away," Marin stated sadly, then looked up earnestly. "But these plants are my friends. I talk to them, and they talk to me."
"I'm sure your father just wants what is best for you, even if he's not entirely sure what that is," Fate found herself saying, her mouth feeling a bit dry for some reason.
"Maybe," Marin admitted, then brightened a bit. "So that's why I wanted to show you, because I can't show daddy or Tarish!"
Fate understood; her father forbade it, and the sister would most likely tell the father, as would anyone else in town. But that meant that Fate had now just been put in an awkward position. Anyone who knew of an unlicensed mage was supposed to do their civic duty and report it. It was the law; all mages above the age of five must register and train with the Bureau. That went doubly so for Fate, being a Bureau Enforcer; it was part of their own specific duties to bring in mages.
While the conflict continued to play out in her head, the two returned back outside, heading down the path to the house. However, they were stopped shortly before exiting the forest by a stern-faced teenager.
"Marin, what are you doing?" Tarish admonished, hands on hips. "You're supposed to be in bed!"
The younger sister recoiled slightly. "I'm sorry, I just-"
"She was just showing me a nice place to watch the sunrise tomorrow," Fate quickly offered, then smiled. "It makes for a nice moon-viewing place, too."
Marin glanced up at Fate and smiled, to which the older woman gently squeezed her hand.
"Be that as it may, you're supposed to be in bed, so get going," Tarish continued, eyeing the two. "You also know Father's rules about being in the forest at night."
"Alright," the younger sister whimpered slightly in defeat, letting go of Fate's hand and quickly running away towards the house.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't have let anything happen-" Fate started to say.
"You saw, didn't you?" Tarish questioned, leveling an accusing eye at the older woman.
Fate considered hiding it, but somehow felt she couldn't. "Yes. If you let the Bureau train her, she could learn to control her magic so she doesn't inadvertently harm those around her."
"She'll also end up like mom, drafted into the Bureau's army and we'll hardly ever see her again!" Tarish shot back. "I don't know how the Bureau can live with itself, using child soldiers."
"It always has-" Fate started to say.
"And perhaps that was okay, when it wasn't forced conscription and they didn't send them off to war zones," Tarish countered quickly, then shook her head. "Look, she doesn't know that I know about that garden, and so far I've been keeping it a secret from Father, because she enjoys it." Despite her shorter stature, the 17-year-old strode up to Fate and pointed a threatening finger. "And now that she's shown you, if anything happens to her, I will hold you personally responsible."
"I wouldn't let any harm befall her," Fate stated carefully and honestly. If Tarish caught anything in Fate's voice, she didn't let it show.
"Alright," she replied after a moment, her tone neutral. "But I will do anything to protect her, got it?"
"I understand," Fate replied.
x~~*~~x
"You've been busy," Nanoha noted, her voice tinged with awe as they walked through the corridors; all around them, technicians were repairing and refurbishing sections and equipment, while other rebels trained in the larger rooms.
"Shortly after we parted, and I dragged Rio out of her slump," Corona started to say, getting an elbow from the named companion.
"More like I dragged you off a Bureau ship," Rio muttered.
"More like you brought down the entire ship after sneaking aboard," Corona retorted, then sighed and continued. "Anyway, we started to gather up those that survived the attack on our old base to rebuild the resistance unit, and then relocated here. "
"It's an old, abandoned research center that used to belong to a company my family owned, Caledfwlch Techniques," Rio clarified. "We keep the surface looking like it is, a bunch of ruined buildings in disrepair overgrown with weeds, while we spruced up the lower levels underground. It's only a matter of time before a patrol looks a little too closely at this place and discovers us, but hopefully, that won't happen before we're ready."
"So, you really found everyone?" Layla asked anxiously. "Did the rest of the people from my group who escaped, make their way here?"
Corona nodded. "They, along with some other new recruits, are helping in the lower levels."
The woman could barely contain her excitement while she grabbed the young boy's hand. "Come on, Givo, let's go! I'm sure they'll all want to see us, too!"
"Wait!" he called helplessly, as he was dragged around a corner.
Sein chuckled, then turned serious. "Still, I don't know what I'm more surprised at; that you were traveling with Teana, or that she voluntarily turned herself over to your custody. She seems serious, at least. Can you really trust her?"
"We don't know, but we're working on negotiations," Rio replied, her voice tinged with caution. "She does have information that would make planning an assault easier, and her main concern seems to be with getting her sisters successfully rescued, but it's touch and go. She still seems a bit loyal to Hayate's regime."
"I can try talking to her again," Nanoha offered, to which Corona nodded gratefully.
"Please do," she encouraged as the remaining quartet turned a corner. "She has offered us one tidbit, though: Agito is alive."
The revelation shocked Nanoha, as her memories went back to that fateful fight with Signum, and how the little demon had sacrificed herself to allow Nanoha to escape. "Really? How?"
"She's not sure, just that she learned Agito was a prisoner of the Bureau, but that's not the only surprise we have for you," Rio hinted, smiling mysteriously as she handed the brunette a data pad. "Astounded us, too, when it came over the secret communication channel that Karel and Liera's resistance group on Earth normally contacts us with. We kept our group small on purpose, but now that we have this, we've been activating our sleeper cells in preparation."
Nanoha took a look at the image of handwritten scribbles that read:
It's time.
Be ready.
I'll find you.
The scrawls were familiar, and for a moment, she had an image of color pictures that a certain child used to draw. "It can't be... Vivio?"
"Someone call my name?" came a voice Nanoha was intimately acquainted with.
The brunette glanced up, now noticing she was in some sort of board meeting room, a pair of familiar faces on the other side of the table. She wasted no time crossing over. "Vivio!"
"Good too see you again, mama," the other woman offered, hugging back just as tightly. "I missed you, too."
"I see you brought Einhart with you, but where is Ix?" Nanoha questioned looking around as she, pulled back, not seeing the little girl.
"She's down in the teleportation room, overseeing the transfer of Mariage," came another familiar voice; Nanoha turned to see Lutecia enter the room. "And I managed to bring this guy along as I promised!"
"Erio!" Nanoha exclaimed as the summoner pulled the tall, bushy-bearded man in. "You made it as well!"
He looked almost embarrassed to be there, but nodded in her direction. "I'm here, yes. I still think this is crazy, but someone managed to convince me."
"Garyuu can be most persuasive," Lutecia stated simply, her eyes twinkling, then her posture changed. "Rio, the other resistance leaders are ready. Shall I bring them in?"
Rio nodded, smiling. "Yes, it's about time to begin."
Nanoha's brow furrowed slightly. "Begin what?"
"Rio tossed a fearsome, enthusiastic grin in her direction. "The strategy meeting in which we will plan out exactly how we're gonna take down the Bureau."
x~~*~~x
"...a Bureau outpost in the southeast has been vandalized and burned to the ground, there are several villages on Apis that have been refusing to pay taxes, and we've lost contact with several of the squads we've left on Supools," the female tech reported.
Hayate looked up from the holoscreen. "I can see that from this list of issues in your formal report. We have various incidents, both minor and major, brewing on several worlds. There has always been a certain level of dissent, but it hasn't been this high since before the war."
"[It can't be a coincidence,]" Rein told her the obvious thought they were both having.
"[I know,]" Hayate replied, sighing and closing the windows. "[I don't know how Nanoha has done it, but I think she's sowed the seeds of rebellion on several worlds. Her reputation as Seikou is spreading like wildfire, and the current rumor is that she plans to take down the Bureau single-handily. However, I don't believe she is working alone.]" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "[But I know what you're getting at; each of these issues will require troops to deal with, so it's obvious they are trying to get me to spread my forces thin. If I don't, the rebellion will grow, and several worlds will fall into anarchy.]"
Out loud, she ordered, "Call all reserve units back from their vacations, and split two legions off from Earth, diverting them as needed to the hot zones."
"[You're going to fall for the obvious trap, anyway?]" Rein questioned.
"[If Nanoha comes here, I'll still have enough troops to deal with her,]" Hayate replied with a heavy heart, then folded her hands in front of her face. "[And I have a few more things in reserve waiting for her, if she even tries.]"
x~~*~~x
Givo sighed in relief, having finally freed himself from Layla and her partying friends. He genuinely liked them as people; after all, he did go through a lot to help them escape. But he didn't like having his leash pulled around like that; he preferred to decide for himself where to go.
"Hello," came a light, but curious female voice.
Givo blinked at the girl sitting on the table, alternately swinging her legs. "Um, hi." What surprised him the most was that she seemed about his age, so what was she doing around here in a rebel base? "Who are you?"
"Ixpellia, but you can call me Ix," she told him with a smile. "What is your name?"
"Givo," he replied almost automatically. "Givo Mellowan. What are you doing here?"
She graced him with a kind smile. "I'm here with my friends to lend assistance."
"You're a mage, too?" he inquired, walking up to her, and she scooted over a bit so he could sit down next to her.
She shook her head. "No, I am not. Are you?"
"Yep!" he answered pridefully, jutting a thumb at his chest. "Already I've helped take out several stronger mages, so I'll be fighting with them. But what about you? How are you helping?" For some reason, there was something about her that really confused him, something about her attitude and mannerisms. But why was she here and able to help, if she wasn't a mage?
"I'll be fighting, too, in a way," she replied, a twinkle of mystery in her eye.
He took another glance at her small body. "You don't look very strong, so how can you fight at all?"
Just then, the huge teleportation pad in the center of the room, which had somehow escaped his notice earlier, flared to life, materializing several identical-looking women, which Ix pointed to. "With those. They are all under my control. They're kinda like robots."
Givo stared as they walked in lock step unison and entered a pair of double doors on a side wall, temporarily allowing him to see dozens more inside. He swallowed nervously.
x~~*~~x
"...and think about it, ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Nove continued nervously."My sis, err, the defendant is a combat cyborg who has fought for the Bureau her entire life; why would she betray it? This does not make sense! There's nowhere else for her to go, other than the Bureau she's known all her life. She's a combat cyborg in a Bureau of mages, but this doesn't make sense. None of these charges make sense! If the crimes don't fit, you must acquit. The defense rests."
Silence descended on the courtroom as Nove took her seat beside her client, who promptly elbowed her and sent a telepathic message. "[What do you think you're doing!?]"
"[The best I can!]" Nove hissed back. "[You're just lucky I managed to get a suspended sentence so I could assist you after Teana disappeared. I've just been trying to stretch things out, hoping Teana would return to take over again. I'm not a lawyer!]"
Wendi blew out a breath and rubbed her temples. "[I'm doomed.]"
"Ahem, well, yes, all rise," the judge declared. "The jury will now deliberate. If a verdict of guilty is returned, then at that time I shall pronounce sentence, which shall be carried out after a few days. The court is now adjourned."
[Wherever you are, Teana, you better get your ass back here as soon as possible,] Nove thought glumly to herself
x~~*~~x
Nanoha sighed and rubbed her temples; the strategy meeting, such as it was, didn't seem to accomplish much, although Rio said it went as well as she hoped. The biggest surprise was that they wanted her to lead the whole thing.
"To be blunt, none of the people under my command trusts the Saint Church," one of the rebel leaders informed her point-blank. "They fought the war, true, but gave up, meaning a lot of people died for nothing. That rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way. They are willing to fight beside the church now, but we can't have a church person in charge."
"That's why you have to take ultimate leadership," Rio explained. "You are the only person here that everyone will trust doing so. You don't belong to the church, and Seikou already has several impressive victories to her reputation. With you leading, everyone else will feel they have a chance."
"But I don't... that wasn't..." Nanoha started to say as the eyes of everyone at the table focused on her; she was used to functioning as a captain, commanding a small unit at best, but there were reasons she had turned down promotions during her tenure in the Bureau, and it wasn't just because she wanted to teach.
Vivio laid a hand on her arm. "I know what you're trying to say, but you just have to let it be. For better or worse, this is the only way we can unite everyone." When Nanoha continued to be speechless, Vivio smiled and added, " Congratulations... General Seikou."
After her reluctant acceptance, the meeting had devolved into a mess of deciding whose troops would be involved in what operation and where; Shante's Church knights would be here, while Jayce's Wheeled Warriors would be over there, etc. Also, who would qualify as captains, or what positions in the chain of command they'd assume. Personally, Nanoha thought it was ridiculous; their very future was on the line, and they were arguing politics. In that respect, she was looking forward to what she hoped would be a simpler conversation.
"Are you getting everything you need?" she inquired as she stepped inside.
Teana's head came up from the other side of the cell door. "Nanoha. I figured you'd come sooner or later. I know they're going to attack Clanagan. They haven't said as much, but the air around here feels charged; they're preparing for something."
"And you want me to stop it?" Nanoha questioned, sitting down on a stool opposite the female prisoner.
"I think it's pointless and will lead to a lot of unnecessary death, so yeah, I think it should be stopped," the ex-Director replied frankly. "But I don't think they will, so what I want is to join it."
That only surprised Nanoha a little. "You want to save Wendi and Nove, is that it? I can promise you that we'll do our best to free them."
"I need to be there to ensure that!" Teana shot back, her frustration clearly audible. "Look, I don't think Hayate has done a bad job, and yet I understand why those people are fighting. I don't entirely agree with them, but I'm willing now to negotiate on that point. But if you go in there half-cocked with that so-called army of yours and try to free them, you'll only end up getting my sisters killed!"
"I can't tell you much, but you'll just have to trust us that we have a plan," Nanoha offered, debating on how much to tell the woman. On one hand, she could understand her frustrations and concerns, but on the other, there was no guarantee that Teana wouldn't turn around and betray them. The old Nanoha might have trusted her with more information to lay her mind at ease, but... "I'll see what I can do about letting you participate in the battle, but other than that, you'll just have to trust-"
The gun mage shook her head. "You don't understand. None of you understand. You think you're going to fly in there and fight Hayate and win with a bit of a struggle, like you did when you fought me. But that's not going to happen; Hayate's strong, incredibly strong. And I'm not talking about the Bureau's military might, but her personally. Hayate's magic has grown considerably over the years, so much that the old rank system was inadequate. She's given herself a new rank, that only she possesses: G-class."
"There is more to magical combat than power," Nanoha chided. "I thought I taught you that, when you were concerned about your own magic level."
Teana was a silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, it was low with a tinge of... fear? Awe? "There was this time, not long before the war, when several of the Bureau's AAA and S-ranked Ace's hacked the limiter system, removed their own limiters, and took over the central spire while Hayate was away in order to protest her policies. I wasn't sure if Hayate would relent, or order an orbital bombardment from a cruiser." If it was even possible, her voice took on a more deathly tone. "But she didn't do either. In order to protect the city and it's people, she cast a wide-ranging dimensional barrier that just included herself and the dozen or saw high-ranked mages. When it went down nearly 30 minutes later, all the hostile targets had been apprehended, and the spire and surrounding area was still intact. Hayate's barrier jacket was barely singed.
Nanoha felt her mouth go dry as Teana's head came up, an almost wild desperation in her eyes. "So you see, you don't stand a chance! Even if you work past her army, you can't beat her! Go ahead with this crazy plan if you must, but let me at least protect my sisters from it!"
The gun mage's tone and words were very convincing, and Nanoha almost felt herself get pulled in by it; however... "No one is invincible. And the moment you think you are, is the moment you allow yourself to be defeated. Hayate will have a weakness, and I'll find it."
Teana stared at her as if she had grown a second head, then sighed. "That idealism you used to talk about... I hope it works for you this time."
Nanoha smiled grimly. "Me too."
x~~*~~x
"Over here!" Vivio called, getting her mother's attention by waving from across the room. "We have a few more surprises for you."
"Laguna!" Nanoha exclaimed upon coming closer, noticing the woman in the small group with Vivio, Lutecia, Erio, Rio, and Corona. "I didn't expect to see you here."
When Vivio told her to meet her down in the teleportation warehouse later after she talked to Teana, Nanoha certainly didn't expect this.
The eye-patched woman shrugged. "That girl over there found me, and I guess I got caught up in the Lutecia express."
Nanoha glanced over, now noticing the other familiar face talking to a rebel whom she was partially obscured by. "Isis, you did make it after all!"
The cyborg mage waved goodbye to the man she was talking to and crossed the short distance to the small group. "I wondered why you gave me those names. Sounds like you're getting to bust up some Bureau heads and could use all the help you could get, so I brought a couple others as well." She pointed across the room, where Nanoha noticed Togu meditating in a corner while Rose attempted to talk to him. "Both of them were upset that the underground ring was destroyed and wanted some payback. Well, at least Rose did. Togu only said something about wanting to test his skills."
Rose nodded in her direction, when she noticed Nanoha looking over that way, and even Togu cracked an eye open and smiled slightly.
"Thanks to you, we have quite a few more reinforcements that we didn't expect," Rio said with a twinkle in her eye. "We received some supplies and extra personnel from Supools, and Otto, Deed, and Verossa made it as well."
"Hey, Givo, there you are!" Layla suddenly called, entering the room and heading over to the boy sitting next to Ix. "You left so suddenly."
Nanoha couldn't help but smile at the expression of fear that came across the boy's face.
"Lu, what's wrong?" Erio asked curiously, drawing Nanoha's attention back over.
"I'm not sure, Kerykeion just came online," the summoner noted, lifting her right hand where the twin orbs on the bracelet were glowing softly. "I think it's indicating something."
"But they've been dormant ever since Caro..." Erio started to say, then trailed off.
The summoner stepped out and swung her hand her hand around the room, and then crossed the room while everyone else followed until they were standing in front of Layla, the orbs glowing even more brightly. Lutecia stared at her. "It's you..."
Layla glanced nervously at the group now studying her. "It's me, what?"
"Lu, are you saying that she is..." Erio started to say, to which the summoner nodded, and then he glanced up at her. "Caris?"
"No, I'm Layla," the increasingly nervous woman corrected, glancing back and forth between all the faces studying her
"But you're my daughter," Erio stated in awe, stepping forward. "You're about the right age, and have the right hair and eye color... you look just like her. Don't you remember me, Caris? Or your mother? You were lost to us when you were 8, during the war."
Layla took a step back. "I.. I don't remember; my parents died during the war, and I was adopted. I was told they died!"
"Your real name is Caris Mondail," Lutecia stated, holding Kerykeion closer. "Asclepious confirms what Kerykeion is indicating. You were left with family friends when Erio and Caro went to war, but a Bureau raid on the village killed them. When Erio returned from the Battle of Clanagan, he found the house had gone up in flames. He thought you were dead. He's your father, though."
Layla's eyes were wild as she stared at the other woman, and then at the approaching bushy-bearded man, and spoke with a very unsteady and wavering voice, "N-no, I-I'm sorry, but my parents are dead!"
Helpless, Nanoha watched the young woman sprint from the room and then glanced up at Erio, his face almost unreadable, but a mix of hope, shock, and sadness in his eyes.
Xx~~*~~xX
Author's notes:
I hope more than a few people saw that coming. :P
I do have a curious question for those who read this: Do you see her as "Nanoha" or as "Seikou"? It was something I got into a discussion with someone about, that she sees her more as Seikou. I admit, I've kinda seen her as Nanoha, using Seikou as an alias, but I always find other people's opinions on things interesting. Readers often find things in a work that the author included only by accident, or didn't intend, heh.
2011-01-04, 14:47
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