Fate was acting strange lately. Fidgety, really. The normally studious teen could now be seen staring sightlessly out the classroom window, her leg bouncing sporadically, instead of taking meticulous notes as she so often did. Sometimes Nanoha would even see her mumble to herself, although she was never quite able to figure out what it was she was mumbling about. After a few weeks of this behavior, even their other friends were beginning to notice the blonde's odd behavior. Alisa had called her out on it a few times, but each time Fate would merely shake her head, as if to clear her mind, and smile and say that nothing was wrong.

After another particularly distracted day at school, Nanoha decided to question her best friend.

"Fate-chan…you seem different lately. Is something wrong?"

Fate glanced up from her untouched homework; pencil paused in the act of tapping relentlessly on her papers, a kind smile already appearing on her face. But her friend knew better; that wasn't a normal Fate smile. It was too strained, too forced.

"Of course, Nanoha. Everything is perfectly fine."

"You haven't touched your homework," the brunette pointed out. "You can't focus in class. Yamaguchi sensei called on you to read English the other day, and you didn't even know what page we were on."

"I-I already told you guys, I had stayed up late doing homework the night before and—"

Her words fell short as Nanoha reached across the small table they were seated at, clenching her hand tightly within her own. "Don't lie to me, Fate-chan. Just tell me what's bothering you."

Fate avoided those blue eyes looking to intently into her own. She could never lie to those eyes, so maybe if she looked away…

"Please, Fate-chan?"

Damn it. There went her resolve to keep it all to herself. Sighing, Fate fidgeted under the intense stare she knew the other girl was giving her.

"It's not…not really a problem, exactly," she started.

"But it bothers you?"

"…A little."

"Out with it, Fate-chan."

"Nanoha…have you ever felt…caged?"

The brunette cocked her head. "Like the cages at the vet?"

"Exactly."

"I don't understand, Fate-chan. What do you mean caged?"

Fate sighed again, using her unoccupied arm to prop her head up on the table. Her legs jiggled impatiently on the floor, first the left, then the right, as she gathered her thoughts.

"I just…I'm tired, Nanoha. Tired of doing the same things, day after day. Going to school, studying, sleeping. That's all I do!"

"But we're supposed to—"

"I know we're supposed to!" Her outburst seemed unnaturally loud in the now silent room. Quieter, she murmured, "I know, Nanoha. I know that I'm supposed to go to school, get good grades, and get into a good college. That's what is expected of me. And so far I've done exactly as I'm supposed to."

"…What's different now?"

Nanoha studied her friend. Now that she was looking, there were slight traces of bags beneath her friend's eyes. Her jittery motions ceased to stop, and her eyes were looking anywhere but at her. What was agitating her so much?

"Everything! Don't you see everything that's happening around us, Nanoha? There are so many people that need help!" Here her friend's voice trembled. "The other day, Nanoha, on my way home, t-there was this man. He was digging through the garbage in the back of a restaurant, looking for food. T-the owners came out swinging a broom at him. He only wanted some food!"

"Fate-chan…"

"And the lady, the one on the news a few weeks ago. Do you remember? The one with the mental disorder, who kept talking to herself? They said that when her four year old daughter died, she went nuts. Of course she would be broken! Who wouldn't be heartbroken over their little girl's death? Why didn't anyone help her, Nanoha?"

The blonde was breathing hard now, pinpricks of tears at the corners of her eyes. Her hand clutched frantically at her hair. But Nanoha merely watched, sensing that something else was bothering her friend.

"Nanoha…I-I just feel so…so…guilty."

"…Why is that, Fate-chan?"

"I…I was given a chance at life because of Alicia's death. Going to school, having friends... Why was I given the chance to have a normal life, when there are so many people more deserving of it?"

"Look at me, Fate-chan."

Although reluctant to do so, Fate found herself looking into compassionate blue orbs. The brunette let go of her hand in favor of cupping her cheeks in both hands, her small palms warm and comforting against her damp skin.

"Fate-chan is very blessed," Nanoha said. Her thumbs moved lazily across the blonde's cheeks, wiping away the silent tears trickling down her face. "And I am very blessed to have met Fate-chan. But do you know something? I think you're wrong."

"H-huh?"

"Fate-chan more than deserves the life that she has. I think you deserve more. You've faced so many challenges, Fate-chan. First, with your mother. No matter how much she hurt you, you always held onto your love for her, and for Alicia. You overcame your hatred for the woman she had become, and loved the part of her that had been. Do you realize how much strength that takes, Fate-chan?"

"But I—"

"Hush, I'm not done." The brunette smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair out of the blonde's eyes. "After that, you had to learn all over how to be a normal girl. No matter how kind Lindy-san is, she wasn't your mother. And you didn't know how to be a little sister to Chrono-kun, either. Not to mention going to a new school, with people you had never met before." Nanoha chuckled. "Did you know that the first day of school, you blushed so much from people talking to you that the others were wondering if you had some kind of skin rash?"

"W-wha…?"

"Fate-chan, you're amazing!" Fate blushed at the praise, noticing distractedly that Nanoha was beaming proudly at her. "I don't know if I could have gone through all of that alone. You did, and you're stronger because of it. You might feel guilty living a happy life now, Fate-chan, but you deserve every last bit of it."

"I-I do…?"

"Yup! And you know what else?" Now Nanoha moved much closer. So close their noses were just barely touching, her blue eyes sparkling. "Because you have felt true suffering, you can understand what that man was thinking and feeling when he was trying to find food, or that woman who lost her child. You understand, Fate-chan, and that understanding and strength will give you the courage to help those people that need it!"

Fate felt her lip trembling yet again as she reached up with shaking hands to grip Nanoha's wrists. "Y-you think I can really help…?"

"Of course you can! Even now, while you're in school, you can do a lot of good. But in the meantime, enjoy school, Fate-chan. Enjoy the company of your friends, playing with Arf, and spending time with your family. Live each day to its fullest, Fate-chan, and you'll have earned your happily ever after."

I'm not entirely sure where the inspiration for this piece came from, but it's been ruminating in my mind and wouldn't leave me alone until I typed it. I did not include the Magical side of this series simply because it would have distracted from Fate's introspection. Like it? Hate it? Questions? Review! -Master of all Perv's, out!