Disclaimer: You have been disclaimed! (blah blah you know the drill)
Well Done My Daughter
By: TsurugiNoMiko
"If you wish..." red eyes spoke with clarity and sincerity "If you wish, I will protect you from anyone or anything in this entire world." she spoke without hesitation, without fear...without regret. "Not because I am your daughter" she took a step forward "but because you are my mother!" she outstretched her hand
The crew of the Asura looked on in silence, even Arf was dumbfounded at the declaration. Fate, nonetheless, stood resolute. She was willing to throw away everything: her new friendship with Nanoha, her painful memories, her life...all to save the dying woman know as her mother.
"All right..." Precia spoke after a lengthy silence. "Come to me...Fate."
The blond took a step towards the woman, then another, and another.
"Fate, don't!" Arf screamed
"Back away from her, Fate Testarossa!" Chrono yelled
Those words fell to deaf ears as Fate continued to walk, step by step with her arm outstretched until she held her mother's hand.
"If you are true to your words..." Precia spoke softly "Then you will do this for me..."
"Yes, mother" Fate nodded as she drew yet closer to her mother's body.
"Raise your head" Precia ordered as she held a jewel seed in her hand.
"You cant be serious!" Lindy yelled out "That will kill her!"
Fate lifted her head and leaned back as Precia carefully placed a jewel seed into the blond's chest, merging the seed with the linker core.
"Argggghhh! ahhhhh!" Fate screamed in pain as the fusion initiated, bright aqua light began to fill the room.
"Chrono, we have to regroup!" Lindy shouted as she headed towards the exit "Arf-san too! Lets go!" she ordered.
The three of them escaped from the main chambers and regrouped with Nanoha down the hall.
"What's wrong everyone?" the girl in white stared at them while they caught their breath. "Where is Fate-chan?" she asked after looking around.
"Nanoha we have a problem..." Chrono began.
~xX*Xx~
Fate slowly opened her eyes and pushed herself up slowly from the ground. "Mother..." she called as she turned her attention towards the woman. "I'm ready."
"Your order is simple this time" the older woman smiled "Search and Destroy" she stated "We cannot allow them to invade the Garden any longer. Destroy them all ."
"What about those who are no longer able to battle? Should I-" she was cut off when Precia grabbed her by the neck and raised her in the air
"Dont joke with me!" She tightened her grip slightly "My orders were very specific! Search and Destroy...SEARCH AND DESTROY!" she tightened a little more, making the girl squirm and struggle to breathe "You are to crush anything that gets in our way! Do not run and do not hide from them! Attack them head on! Barrel right through them! Obliterate any obstacles! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" she threw the blond to the ground.
The little girl gasped for air and coughed for a few moments before bringing herself to one knee and bowing. "Understood...mother." she stood up and threw all her doubts behind as she flew in the direction that the others retreated from.
~xX*Xx~
"Fate-chan!" Nanoha called, stopping the blond's advance "Why...?" her face full of sadness
The room's lighting dimmed slightly, as if reacting to the mood of the very scene itself
"Nanoha" Fate frowned "I am sorry...but we cannot be friends" she drew her weapon "The result will be different this time" her eyes glowed "get ready."
"Lindy-san, Chrono-kun, Arf-san" she looked over her shoulder "Please take all the wounded out and escape. I will stay and defeat Fate-chan once again."
"Nanoha!" Chrono protested
"Lets go" Lindy ordered "she cant use her full power if we are in the way." she pushed them before turning back "Good luck Nanoha-san. We will send reinforcements as soon as possible"
"Said your farewells?" Fate waited patiently "If so then lets begin."
"Fate-chan..." Nanoha braced herself as she knew that words were useless once again.
Two flashes of light blurred through as the weapons clashed in the darkness...the white and black jackets soared through the dark gloom. The time between the two instants was
practically nonexistent. The surge of power from the clashes dislodged parts of the ground and hurled them into the air signaling the start of the battle.
"Shes fast" Nanoha thought to herself "Shes definitely far stronger than she was last time." she grit her teeth, as Chrono's words filled her mind.
"She now has a jewel seed implanted in her. She is no longer the same Fate Testarossa we know..."
"I see you've gotten a bit better" Fate noted, seeing how much better Nanoha was moving compared to their first bout. "Now I will be able to enjoy this battle without restriction" she smiled.
"Her speed is most definitely incredible!" Nanoha thought to herself "I have to take the initiative!" she charged once again
The weapons clashed and the next attack followed immediately, both combatants not even having time to inhale again. Fate attacked with the speed she inherited from the refinement of Linith's teaching. Her body moved as a blur, the attacks followed each other in rapid succession. The brutal force behind each attack was most definitely not human. But Nanoha's trained eyes could see them, and as long as she could see them, she could fight. The speed in which they attacked each other flew between the possible and impossible, their senses had sharpened and time seemed to pass by a lot slower.
"You seem to be in better shape, you move really really well." the red-eyed girl praised "In that case...." she put her weapon in front of her and changed modes into its Scythe form. She closed her eyes and concentrated as if enchanting it with power
"Its my chance for a counter attack!" Nanoha thought and stepped forward. "...!" her body stopped itself
"Hmm" Fate opened her eyes and grinned at the frozen Nanoha.
[Protection] Raising Heart activated automatically
On the other side of the field, Fate tensed her body like a bow ready to fire. She had stopped moving yes, but Nanoha couldn't find any way to take advantage of it, her instinct was going wild. For some reason she knew that she must maintain her distance, that the blond's attack would be able to reach her even from that far.
"How about this technique next?" her eyes glowed an even deeper shade of red and stared directly into Nanoha's as if to confirm that the other girl was paying attention.
Nanoha knew there was no way to escape, so the only option was to handle it head on. She griped her staff harder and reinforced the barrier in front of her, moving her back leg further to help brace for impact.
"Harken...SABER!" Fate drew back and made a slashing movement. Three spinning circles of electricity rapidly approached her enemy from different directions
"Kuh!" the white mage grunted as the attacks slammed into her shield one after another.
Fate took this opportunity and charged at her opponent like a bullet fired from a gun. Nanoha recovered but didn't try to dodge, Instead faced the charge and steps forward, almost as if to expose herself to it. The sound of steel striking steel echoed again
"..."
"..."
Both combatants were without words. 13 attacks connected...but only one sound was made. The girl in black doesn't even draw back for a second assault. Her weapon got lodged into the ground thanks to the white mage's deflection.
"Not bad at all" she commented, slowly freeing Bardiche.
"I made it somehow..." Nanoha muttered to herself. "somehow..." she was partially amazed herself. Despite her not-quite-so-perfect condition she managed to move her body in the face of that overpowering rush.
"You know..." Fate smiled "a real battle..." she poised her weapon happily "is supposed to be like this!"
Nanoha commenced her counter attack and slowly began to push Fate back.
"Geh..." the blond lost her balance and leaned on her weapon making it a golden opportunity.
The girl in white charged to take advantage of the situation, with the conviction that she has finally won.
"Haaaaaa!" she cried out and swung her weapon towards the other girl's head. There was nothing present to stop it...or so she thought.
The sound of metal hit her staff and forced her back.
"Wha-?" she gasped out before backing up a couple of paces and looked around to see if there was anyone that could have interfered.
"...I...am rather disappointed in you..." Fate's voice forced the mage to look directly. "Is this all you really can do?" she lowered her weapon.
Once again the sound of something hitting Raising Heart echoed pushing its wielder back a step. Then again...and again...and again...
"I misjudged you..." the girl sighed in a way that almost made it sound like a soft cry before it became full of anger "but I certainly saw it!" she tightened her grip around the staff "back when you were fighting me last time..." she glared at Nanoha "the blazing flame of your life!"
Once again the invisible attack landed on Raising Heart causing its master to take one more step back.
"What is going on?" She screamed at herself frustrated "I cant see the attacks whatsoever!" she grit her teeth. "Guh!" she braced herself again as another attack landed. She glared. "Ack!" she grabbed her arm as another attack penetrated her barrier and broke her skin.
"...fine then..." Fate lowered her head before taking a deep breath and slowly raised her eyes to glare at her opponent.
"...!" Nanoha flew back a little bit creating as much distance as possible
"Allow me to introduce my next technique..." slowly she raised Bardiche in Assault Form and set it up the same way as before. This time, however, only the setup looked the same. "As I show you this, let your power be ready..." she began to charged her energy "If you cannot do this..." she narrowed her eyes "then you will die..."
Nanoha found herself unable to move at the sudden massive pressure she was receiving from the small 9 year old child.
[Arc Saber] Bardiche called out for its master as Fate charged.
Blow after blow was exchanged. Each time they connected, Nanoha thought that her own attacks were weakening, while Fate's was becoming more and more powerful.
"Huff...huff..." the girl in white tried her best to recover and parry the massive onslaught that the other girl was ruthlessly bringing down upon her. Her body began to feel like lead as more and more of her power was being used just to defend herself, her barrier jacket torn in several places.
This was no longer a fight...it had turned into a one-sided barrage. Attack after merciless attack followed each other and, as if to make fun of the struggling girl, any pathetic counter attacks were easily brushed aside. the red-eyed girl became even more and more frustrated during the entire session. With each attack she threw out, her enemy's counter became more and more pathetic.
"Keh.." she spat out towards Nanoha "...and you were supposed to be my equal?" she slammed her axe full force into the defender's staff "Dont joke with me!"
"Kyaaa!" Nanoha screamed as she was sent flying
"You never showed a change of pace! You just kept doing the same thing over and over!" Fate flared, her anger now reached critical limits. "This disappointment...this irritation...ARGH!" she charged again and slammed her weapon into the pink barrier, causing its master to plummet to the ground below.
"I....I..." Nanoha tried to speak, but the situation wouldn't even give her a chance to breathe. She tried to counter the last attack.
"Enough with your games!"
"Uwaaaaaaah!"
With a single good kick to from the side, the girl in white was sent sprawling onto the ground. The girl in black landed lightly some distance away, looking in disgust at her opponent.
"This is the end..." her voice full of anger "I will at least do you the courtesy of ending your life with my greatest ATTACK!"
Nanoha slowly rose to her feet, her entire body weight resting on her staff.
"Photon Lancer Phalanx Shift!" with her cry, the surrounding area around her formed a bright yellow. The ground began to shake so much you could barely manage to stand normally. The air around her began to burn and suffocate everything around it. This power was truly enormous. Without a glimmer of doubt, this power by far exceeded any protection the barrier jackets might offer.
"...wha...?" Nanoha looks on and began to think quickly. She knows there is no way for her to avoid it, not with her body half injured as it is. "I..promised Fate-chan..." she spoke to herself "I promised...I would save her...!"
"Dont do this..." Fate's voice seemed to revert back to normal "just surrender..."
"I have to....! I have to...!" she reached out and raised her staff.
". . ."
"I promised...I would save you..." she slowly staggered to her feet and pointed her device. "Raising Heart..."
Understood...Master... the device responded.
Soon a large pink ball began to form in front of her...slowly but surely it intensified to match the glow of its counterpart.
"I'm sorry...but I wont let you hit me with that again" Fate summoned binds that interrupted Nanoha's concentration. "You survived this before...let's see if you will survive this again." she raised her hand "Fire!" she ordered
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh~~!" Nanoha scream filled the area as the attack slammed into her body.
The whole roomed turned white for a moment, blinding everyone in it before slowly reverting back. In the middle of the floor, with blood all over her jacket, laid Nanoha. Her blue eyes seemed to be barely functioning as she stared up at the red counterparts.
"Fate...-chan..."
Fate raised Bardiche over the other girl, a single tear rolling down her face "I'm sorry...Takamachi Nanoha" and with both hands, plunged her weapon into the other girl's heart. Red fluid came up and splattered all over her jacket, her body, her weapon, her face...She bit back the feeling of anguish that coursed through her body as she pulled out the weapon and paid her last respects to the girl she once considered her friend. Her shoulders wouldn't stop shaking even as gentle hands were placed on them. Her mother's voice coming from behind her.
"Well done...my daughter..."
A/N: Was done as a 3am project so there might be errors with it that I didn't catch I have absolutely no idea where this came from so please don't ask lolz. Well I hope you enjoyed. orz