Disclaimer: I don't own them, merely borrowing them for this story.

It's been three years. Three years since I've left Mid-Childa. Whatever happened to the saying "Time can let you move on"? I don't think it has helped me move on at all. If it did then I wouldn't be standing here and quite reluctant to get off the ship. I honestly don't want to face her. I don't know how to face her. Well, she knows that I was going on a mission that would take me away for a few years and that I couldn't attend her wedding but she still doesn't know of that letter that I wrote her. Even if I am back, she won't find out about it. Not when she already have a family.

Fate

By

Kanoko

Walking down the long hallway while passing various people that happen to be going to the boarding area, Fate T Harlaown noticed the odd glances she was getting. Although she noticed, she didn't pay much attention to them and continued walking until she got outside the building. Once there, she looked around for a few minutes before she found a familiar looking black sports car coming her way. A smile made itself to her face and she waved her hand at it. The car stopped at the curb and Fate watched the tinted window come down. Inside, a brunette wearing a pair of sunglasses smirked at her.

"Need a ride, beautiful?" Fate laughed softly at the brunette's choice of words.

"Is that how you always pick girls up, Hayate?" The blond moved to the back of the car and waited. "Trunk?"

"How rude, I do not pick girls up! They just come to me. Not that I mind it that much as long as they don't get too clingy. I like to get Carim jealous sometimes." The woman in the car pulled the lever to open the trunk and waited while Fate loaded her suitcase and then get into the passenger seat next to her.

"How's it been? I didn't expect to see you like this after only three years." Hayate said as she peered at Fate from the corner of her eyes to keep most of her vision on the road.

"What do you "like this"? Only difference I have is this haircut." Fate paused a bit but then realized Hayate was waiting for her to continue. "I had it cut somewhat involuntarily during the mission. That's all there is to it."

Hayate noticed that Fate didn't answer her other question and was about to press for it but then her attention was diverted and she pulled to a stop. Rolling down the window, Hayate called out to the person she spotted.

"Hey, Vivio! Where are you heading? Aren't you supposed to be at your extra lessons today?" Fate looked out the window to try to see where Hayate spotted Vivio.

"Ah Hayate-san! Please don't tell Nanoha-mama! I heard Fate-mama was coming back today and thought I'd skip the lessons to see if I can catch her. Einhart-san is with me too." From behind the young girl, a girl with silver hair and two different colored eyes simply bowed towards Hayate.

"Isn't this Fate-mama's car? Are you picking up girls again? I'm going to tell on you!" Vivio asked as she peered into the car and saw Fate.

"Whoa, hold on! For the last time I do not pick up girls and Vivio how can you not recognize your Fate-mama?" The brunette defended herself and glared at Fate who simply laughed at her friend's situation.

"Eh? That's Fate-mama?" the girl obviously hadn't recognized Fate. Fate can't say she could blame her, there was a few times she couldn't recognize herself too when looking into the mirror in the mornings.

"Now get out of the car and let her see you!" Hayate pushed the blonde out of the car and got off herself too.

With a sheepish smile on her face, Fate walked to Vivio and took a good look at her. The blonde felt a stab of pain when she realized how similar to Nanoha the girl had gotten. She didn't dwell on it though when the girl with green and red eyes jumped at her and hugged her with all her might.

"Welcome home, Fate-mama!"

I felt like I really want to write a story spurring from the letter/story "Itami". This is merely a prologue and honestly I don't know where this is heading. A friend of mine gave me the idea of making it like a story that has Fate resolve her feelings for Nanoha while originally I had thought of it as a NanoFate story. Who knows, stay tune if you want to find out. I don't know about frequency of the releases though. Let's hope I keep my interest long enough to finish the story well. By the way, since I put Einhart in this story as a relative time of when "Itami" takes place is sometime after Vivio met Einhart in Vivid and now it's three years later in this story. Now I have said too much. Last but not least, Thank you for reading!