"Blood That Flows" Fan Omake: Snake In the Grass
Written by gonzotheanime, Based on "Blood That Flows" story by Nanya
(-)
In "Blood That Flows", Lina Inverse (Slayers) was sent to Earth after a strange incident
involving summoning the Lord of Nightmares into her body and being cast into the Sea of
Chaos. But it wasn't all so bad. She met Shiro Takamachi, got married, and gave birth to a
healthy and talented magical girl, Nanoha.
Somehow trouble kept finding her as she found out about Nanoha's struggle with Fate
Testarossa and of the Jewel Seeds that Fate's mother Precia wants. Soon after that struggle,
then came the incident with Hayate Yagami, her Belkan Knights, and the Book of Darkness,
which would be repaired and renamed Reinforce. Lastly, there's the unfortunate kidnapping of
Hayate and Nanoha.
Arf, Fate's familiar, wasn't involved in that rescue. Why? The author forgot her? No! She was
elsewhere, so that Fate would use all of her magic and might to save them. But what was she
doing?
Why else would there be a fanfic like this? To explain what when on back on Earth while the
rescue was taking place.
(-)
During the entire escapade with Precia Testarossa was when this one small meeting took
place. After coming back to Earth from The Garden of Time (still in horror and rage from
witnessing Precia lashing Fate), Arf finally caved in and went to talk to Lina. She decided to
seek the restaurant that Lina ran to find her, in human form. Also going there was a little girl
who collided with the familiar when rounding a corner.
The girl sat up and apologized repeatedly. Arf had to calm her down so she can actually catch
a breath between "sorry"s.
"Sorry, I'm Nadeko. Sengoku Nadeko. I'm trying to get a cake from the Midoriya Cafe!"
Arf thought of it as strange and kinda eerie, but the girl was cute and timid. Kinda like Fate,
but brunnette. So she walked her to the cafe, talking about different kid subjects like boys
and games as they went down the street.
Before the went in, they exchanged numbers, in case one wants to talk to another. Soon after
the wrap up of The Precia Tesatrossa Incident and other smaller incidents, Arf was lucky that
Nadeko still has the same number, and updated her with a new number. The Takamachi's.
As she waits for Lina to return from the impromptu rescue for Nanoha and Hayate (so that
Fate would be a part of a real family for once), the phone ran as Arf was enjoying one tasty
steak in puppy form.
Shiro picked it up and answered, "Hello, Takamachi residence." He listened for a bit. "Arf,
there's a girl wanting you. Do you know anyone?"
"I think so," she said as she shape-shifts into human.
She takes the receiver and listens. "Nadeko?"
"Yes," said the child on the other end. "It's been a while."
"So what's up?"
Silence. Dead silence.
"Nadeko? You still there?"
"Help me..."
This was a surprise, and a first. There was a faint strain in the voice. Even though it was only
heard through a phone, Arf detected it pretty easily like it was right there in the room. She
sounded...lonely. It was all to familiar to the wolf-girl. "Tell me where, and I'll meet you there,
I swear!"
The girl hung up and Arf was shocked.
"What's wrong?" asked Shiro.
She squeezed the receiver while it still blared out a disconnected tone. "I dunno." An idea
flashed in her head.
One of those times that they talk was how she had a little scuffle with her best friend and her
boyfriend. When she would be depressed, like that instance, Nadeko would rush to the local
park and hide around a temple.
"I'm going out!" she declared.
"In that form?"
"Yes! I need to help someone."
(-)
Arf kept rushing up the stairs like there was no tomorrow for Nadeko. Despite all those stairs
and losing her breath over those, she kept on until she saw the temple. She took a break as
she peaked the top. She then glanced up and wished she didn't.
All around the ground and sidewalk was a terrible mess of blood and snakes. No human
bodies. It was the snakes that was dead, some stabbed and decapitated with organs spilled
out and knives sticking out. At the steps of the temple was Nadeko, decked out in long
sleeves and hat, with a carving knife in one hand and the other pinning a squirming snake.
The stench and shock was too much, so Arf vomited and it caught the girl's attention.
"How did you—?" the girl began.
"What the hell's going on here?" Arf exclaimed. "Why all the dead snakes? What's with
hanging up on me when asking for help?"
Nadeko was shaken, and let go of the snake. It slithered away as Nadeko quivered about.
Arf inhaled one large breath, stormed to Nadeko, and grabbed her, dragging along to the
stairs she climbed. "Come with me. You wanted help, so I'm getting you help!"
The girl resisted. "You can't!"
"You're are gonna come with me, and we're gonna discuss whatever the hell you were doing
killing off snakes!"
The Takamachi house. The dinner table. Save Nadeko and Arf, the room was empty. The
entire house was empty.
The young girl said, "I have a problem but I don't think you'd wanna see it."
"Does it involve stripping? 'Cause I can find a towel for you."
The familiar then shoved the girl to the bathroom and handed her a towel, as promised. The
girl stripped as Arf kindly looked away. "You can look now."
The look blew Arf's mind.
Nadeko's body was small, yet had some developing features of a teenager. Must be at the
beginning of puberty, the wolf-girl thought. Just like Fate.
"You're not being dirty, are you?"
Arf shook her head to clear her mind. She then noticed something on Nadeko's skin. Scale
marks? They look like a snake's.
"I dunno why this is happening. I also feel pain, as if something squeezing me." The girl
began to cry. "Please, save me."
An invisible snake?
"I got an idea," spoke Arf. She then dashed into Kyouya's room as Nadeko followed. "Nanoha
told me her older brother's into supernatural stuff, so there has to be something in these
books. She dug around until she found one. "Got it!"
"Will it help?"
Arf read on for what seemed like a long time. "I see. You did the wrong ceremony and at the
wrong temple. But this might help!"
"What will?" asked Kyouya, as he entered the room.
The girls were startled. "This girl's cursed with an invisible snake around her," explained Arf. "I
kinda figured she was performing the wrong ceremony from one of your books, one about
killing snakes."
Kyouya turned to Nadeko. "Did you upset someone?"
"Yes."
He sighed. "Jagirinawa."
"What?"
"It's a snake curse, cast on by someone who hates someone. But under normal
circumstances, someone like you for example won't cast it right. And for the ceremony, it was
right, but not completely."
Arf felt kinda dumb. "Oops."
He took the book and looked at it. "You got the right ceremony, you just need a charm to
finish it."
"Glad I'm gonna be your future sister-in-law."
"Heard it from Mom. I came by here to talk to her but everyone else isn't. Why?"
"Nanoha was kidnapped by some Monster. She's trying to save her."
"Sounds like her. Anyways, since that's out of my hands, I'll help out with the ceremony."
Nadeko was happy. "Thank you, onii-chan!"
(-)
Immediately at the temple, a sheet was spread. "I know it's still kinda cold," said Kyouya,
"but you need to wear this so we can see the snake." He exposes Nanoha's school swimsuit
from a gym bag.
"I bet it's for a different reason," joke Arf.
"We need to see the snake and to do this before that reaches her face and kills her."
Surprised, she said, "Good enough."
He also handed Nadeko a charm. "Cling to this and start praying. Pray for the snake to come
off."
"OK."
As Nadeko positioned herself on her knees, both Kyouya and Arf got off the sheet and far
away so she can concentrate. "All that's left to do is up to her now," he said.
"Is it gonna be a while?"
"Yes."
A few minutes passed. Slowly results were showing as the scales began to disappear. Five
minutes in and...
"What's happening?" asked Arf.
Nadeko was convulsing on the ground, dropping the charm. It wasn't very clear but Arf could
see it. Another snake, tightly wrapped on the poor girl's throat.
"Two snakes?" Kyouya was shocked as well. "How's that possible?"
"She said that there was a love triangle that she didn't wanted to be in. One must've came
from her fiend and the other from the boy she'd pissed off." Arf couldn't stand back anymore.
"I'm going in."
"What the hell, Arf? That's dangerous, since we can't see it."
"Not true!" She ran off to Nadeko. Sure, the snake can't be seen, but not entirely. All Arf had
to go on for now is the scales that are now imprinted on her neck. She felt the snake,
strangely, and gripped with both hands to pry it off.
All of a sudden, piercing pain shot up her right arm and two large puncture wounds
appeared. "That bastard bit me!" she shouted, and tore the snake off, tossing it to the side.
Nadeko began to breathe as Kyouya rushed to their side. They began to hear grass being
torn apart and whisked about. "I think you pissed it off," he said. "Bad idea. Now it's after
you."
"Great," she responded, sarcastically.
The sounds and the grass imprints are all she had to go on. But she started to felt dizzy after
a while. I'm losing too much blood, she thought. I think I might be poisoned, too.
She wobble to the stairway that led up to the temple and collapsed. She can't move any
more, and the snake's gaining ground.
"Forgive me!" shouted a voice.
Arf felt a forward shove and tumbled down the steps. The snake landed down even further
and slithered away. She looked around and noticed Nadeko on top of her and Kyouya rushing
to them. "Looks like the curse is going back to whoever casted it."
"Aw, crap." Arf tried to get up but due to her weakened state, she can't get Nadeko off.
"Don't bother. You only wanted to save her. Let the bastards get what they deserved for
meddling around with things they don't know about."
"You do."
"But you don't see me bringing up snakes and whatnot."
Shiro was home when the group arrived and was speechless as he looked at Arf. "What the
hell happened?"
"A big snake," she responded. Shiro began locating a first aid kit. "An invisible snake."
"Fortunately spiritual snakes have no poison," said Kyouya.
"Glad to see you again," said the father. "Heard about your mother and Nanoha?"
"Yeah."
As the men catched up while walking to the bathroom for other supplies, Arf rested on the
couch with Nadeko. The young girl had to ask the wolf-girl, "Why did you help me?"
"It's kinda scary, but you remind me so much of a person I know. I just couldn't let this go
on."
Nadeko hugged her. "Thank you Arf."
"Don't sweat it, kid. But, can you hold off the hugs until I recover?"
She sat back in horror. "Sorry!"
Arf could only chuckle. At least all she has to do is wait until the rest come home...
The End