A/N: Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to start following the story, and chaosrin and Midwayy for the first reviews! I hope that you all will continue to find this story interesting as it progresses~

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the MGLN anime or any lyrics, songs, or bands referenced throughout the story.

Songs Referenced:

"Huh" by 4Minute

"Fiction" by Beast

"Closer to the Edge" by 30 Seconds to Mars

Idol Project: Riot Force 6

by: ~Nissanity~

Chapter 2 – Revelations

Nanoha POV

Teana had just finished her performance, slightly breathless and grinning on stage. I could sense the pride she felt with what she had accomplished in those few minutes after so many years of hard work and dedication. I myself was all too aware of that intoxicating feeling after every energized concert or successful studio session.

"Tea, you rocked! Hey, Tea!" came a sudden burst from behind the judges' area. Signum and I looked behind us to see a short-haired blunette waving her arms over her head towards the stage, in what could only be classified as a goofy and clumsy show of support.

I smiled and faced forward again, suddenly noticing that Teana's face had turned from grin to grimace. Eyes closed and head slightly bent down, I could almost hear Teana internally willing the blue-haired girl to just shut up already.

"Okay everyone let's take a fifteen minute break. We will start the second half of the auditions when we come back," echoed Hayate's voice over the speaker system in the auditorium. Everyone in the seats slowly stood up and started filing outside to get some fresh air, and to sample the refreshments waiting in the lobby.

"Signum, Nanoha, join me in the booth please?" Hayate's voiced piped into our ears. "Oh and get Teana up here as well without it being too obvious to everyone else."

Signum held up her index finger towards the booth as confirmation. A meeting between the three of us wouldn't be necessary regarding the talented redhead; we already knew we all supported the idea of Teana becoming the newest member of the group.

Signum slowly approached the area near where Teana was, now standing next to her blue-haired friend that had caused the scene a few minutes ago. She was slapping her friend's arm while scolding her for the embarrassment on stage. The clueless blunette could only take her punishment with slight tears in her eyes and a goofy grin on her face.

As Signum casually walked past Teana, she simply stated "Lanster, please go follow Nanoha" and continued on her way.

Teana, surprised by the statement, looked around and saw me standing in the doorway leading up to the producer's booth. I nodded my head slightly to indicate to her to follow me. With that, I left the doorway and started climbing up the stairs.

"I hope she can still walk, she looked like she was about ready to faint just now," I thought, giggling to myself.

I opened the door to the producer's booth and sat down tiredly next to Hayate. "Halfwayyy ddooonneee!" I proclaimed with my head in my hands.

Hayate grinned and scratched her cheek. "Yeah, I wasn't anticipating, well, all of that." She gave a sweeping gesture towards the stage.

"If Teana-chan hadn't shown up just then, I might have considered calling the whole thing off."

Hayate suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me roughly in my seat. "Don't ever give up, Nanoha. Sometimes it takes a whole haystack to find the needle!"

I slightly recoiled, feeling pity for whichever deep and meaningful cliché phrase that had just been mutilated by Hayate's mouth. "That's not -" I started.

Signum entered into the room suddenly, looking slightly winded. "Sorry, had to... jog around... the school. Went out...wrong exit. But... the crow... has taken... the bait."

I threw my hands up in the air. "Okay, what? Why? This phrasing thing you guys are – oh wait a minute how much time have you two been spending together lately?" I asked suspiciously.

Hayate blushed furiously and Signum just looked to the side. "Heh, trust me Nanoha, it's not what you think. It's nothing like that..." Hayate trailed off.

I pursed my lips, not exactly sure what Hayate thought I thought, since I'm usually not on her certain wavelength anyway. I currently was concerned they were somehow overworking themselves together on this project.

Hayate waved her hands in front of her reassuringly in my direction. "Signum's just been spending time teaching me how to dance lately. It wasn't something I had much experience with before now."

"Oh, I see," I said, feeling a growing sense of guilt.

Hayate, sensing my nervousness that they were pushing themselves too hard for my sake, tried to ease my mind. "Nanoha, I know this started out as your dream, but over the past few months it has become everybody's dream as well, okay? You wanted this because you didn't want to feel lonely anymore, right? Well, part of that is also learning how to not push people away who love you and want to help you succeed."

I suddenly felt the urge to both laugh and cry at myself with Hayate's abrupt and poignant statement. It was true; I was often guilty of over-burdening myself in order to protect others, sometimes risking my own health in the process. I wondered, had I ever inadvertently caused any worry or pain to someone else in a my misguided attempts...?

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door with it opening slowly. "Hello...?"

"Ah Teana-chan, come on in! Have a seat," Hayate offered, pulling out a chair.

"Thank you, Yagami-san," Teana said shyly, standing next to the chair but not sitting down.

"Hmmmm... nope. No, that won't work," Hayate thought out loud. "If you are going to be in the group then we are all on a first name basis. Hayate, Signum, Nanoha. Just like that!"

"Oh, okay then," nodded Teana in agreement. Suddenly her eyes widened and her head shot up. "Wait, in the group? Does that mean...?"

Signum sighed and shook her head. "Hayate gets ahead of herself sometimes. Let's start over. Teana, you can call me Signum. I am currently the adult advisor to the group, and as things progress I'll be the lead choreographer. You have proven yourself as a talented performer on stage today, and we would all be honored if you would join Nanoha and Hayate as a new member of the group."

Teana felt the air suddenly escape from her lungs. "Were dreams supposed to come true this quickly?" she thought frantically to herself. "What do I do? Should I call my mom? Oh god - Am I really going to be performing next to my hero, Nanoha Takamachi?"

I was starting to get nervous at Teana's lack of response to the invitation that had been extended. "Um Teana-chan, if you need some time to think it over -?" I began.

"NO!" Teana suddenly shouted. "Ah, I mean, no Takam-" Teana suddenly put both hands in front of her in a stopping motion and allowed herself a calming breath. "Nanoha-san, I apologize for just now, I think I was in a state of shock. Please, if you will have me in your group, I promise I will try harder than anyone else. I won't let you down!"

I couldn't help but allow a huge grin to form at Teana's words. "Teana-chan, you have incredible potential and I think you will be a tremendous asset to our team. I can't wait to share the stage with you in the future!" I held out my hand in front of me.

Teana blushed but stood a little taller and, meeting my hand in a firm grip, allowed a bright smile to appear as well. "Thank you Nanoha-san! Thank you so much for this opportunity! And you too Signum, Hayate-san." She bowed slightly to each.

"Yes, yes! This is starting to look up indeed," Hayate said, rubbing her hands together. "Okay you two," pointing at Signum and me, "go find us some more girls! Talented ones, of course. I'll go ahead announce for everyone to come back in from outside. Teana-chan, if you wish to stay here in the booth for the second half, you are more than welcome to."

Teana smiled but politely declined. "I'm sorry, but I promised someone I would be supporting them in the audience just as they were supporting me. Thank you for the offer though."

"No problem." Hayate waved. "Okay you guys, here goes nothing..."

After we had exited the booth and everyone returned to their seats in the auditorium, Signum and I began the second half of the auditions. The contestants were organized to appear on stage alphabetically by last name, just like the first half of the auditions were.

Teana had been the only contestant with the last name beginning with the letter "L", and sadly the "M's" provided lackluster performances similar to those in the first half of the audition.

"I hope I'm not going to have to settle for a three person music group," I thought to myself as the latest contestant left the stage, tapping my pen anxiously on my knee. "It's not quite what I had in mind."

"Contestant number 42, Ginga Nakajima!" Signum exclaimed, reading from her list. "Please take center stage after your headset is in place and confirmed working."

I glanced up and noticed one of my longtime classmates and acquaintances, Ginga Nakajima, entering from stage left. I had always found the long-haired 16 year old blunette to be quite intriguing and beautiful in a very natural way.

Today was no exception, as she had dressed casually in designer low-cut denim jeans and a simple black baby-tee that accentuated her slim figure. The clothing combination slightly exposed a well-toned and smooth abdomen.

After the stage hands had secured her wireless headset and ensured it was working properly, Ginga pulled on and removed the black ribbon that had been holding her hair up and out of the way. Her long blue hair cascaded across her back and glistened softly under the stage lights.

"Mmmm, I bet her hair smells really nice. She's so hired..." Hayate's wistful and somewhat creepy voice sighed into my earpiece.

I turned around fully in my seat and glared at my friend through the booth window. She placed her hands together in front of her in a playful, apologetic bow as if to ask me not to kill her.

I then turned towards Signum next to me and was completely shocked to find she had her right index finger pointed up in the air, as if in agreement with what Hayate had just said.

"Mutiny..." I whispered, stunned.

Forgetting the sudden hormonal outburst from Hayate, I turned back and smiled at Ginga from my seat. "Hello Ginga-chan! How are you doing today?"

"Hi Nanoha! Oh you know, I'm a little nervous, but excited. I hope I perform well today!"

"I'm sure you will do well," I assured her. "Okay Ginga-chan, why are you interested in auditioning for the school's new group?"

Ginga grasped her hands together behind her back and smiled genuinely. "Honestly, my reason for being here today is to honor the memories and dreams of my parents. They instilled a deep passion for music within me, and I would love nothing more than to be able to carry on their legacy to the rest of the world."

I nodded. "I think I understand. And what song will you be performing for us today?"

"The song 'Huh' by 4Minute," she replied as Hayate was prompted to start the background music. Ginga smiled, seemingly to herself, as she began to mental prepare to begin her performance.

I sat back in my seat, curious to see just what my classmate was capable of. "K-Pop, huh? Interesting..." I mused. I myself must have replayed this insanely catchy Korean song dozens of times on my MP3 player during my morning jogs around campus.

Like Teana's audition, Ginga's performance was as unlike anything we had seen in the previous contestants. Her choreographed movements were crisp and smooth, and her voice was strong and on-key from beginning to end. Halfway through, I even spotted Signum slightly bouncing her head back and forth to the beat, engrossed in her performance.

As the final notes of Ginga's music faded out, I found that I had unconsciously been holding my breath through probably most of it. Whether she had intented it or not, Ginga's audition could have been categorized as borderline sexy and almost erotic. It had nothing to do with her dance steps really, but more to do with her aura itself.

"I think I need a cigarette," Hayate stated into my earpiece.

Head down and eyes shaded, I could only slowly and sheepishly raise my left index finger above my head in agreement.

After we all had recovered from Ginga's audition, we were ready to deal with whatever else the afternoon had to offer us.

"Contestant number 43, Subaru Nakajima! Please come to center stage and get mic'd up," Signum announced, placing a check mark near the next participants name on the list.

A younger, somewhat clumsier version of the previous contestant walked to the center of the stage. She held her arms up over her head so that the stage hands could set up her microphone pack on her belt.

"Ah-ahaha, that kinda tickles," I could hear her saying with a goofy grin to the two girls winding wires around her stomach. I recognized the girl as the one that had been enthusiasticaly cheering for Teana Lanster in the first half of the auditions.

Subaru Nakajima had short, choppy blue hair that tended to fall forward into her eyes randomly. Today she was dressed in tailored black dress pants, a black belt with silver buckle, a white dress shirt buttoned-up (minus the top two buttons), sleeves cuffed at the elbows, and a loosely knotted black tie.

One of the stage hands had was holding a black fedora as Subaru was situating her headset. After it was in place she replaced the hat on her head and gave the brim of her hat a small flick, winking at one of her classmates in the second row.

Signum leaned over and whispered to me, "She certainly has that boyish princely-thing down for sure. Hey Nanoha, check out the crowd."

I turned my head slightly in my seat to look behind me. The atmosphere around the all-female crowd had noticably shifted with Subaru's presence on stage.

Normally the girls would be gossiping and giggling in small groups amongst themselves waiting for the next audition to start. But now, most of the girls had their eyes fixed on their suddenly-handsome classmate on stage. A few waves and blushes projected from the audience towards the stage confirmed what I already knew from my experience on the idol scene: there were no shortage of fans for performers that could pull off Subaru's look.

"Quite the adorable kid, right?" Hayate's voice was suddenly in our ears. "I have a good feeling about this one too, considering how well her sister just did." I nodded along with Hayate's statement.

"Hello, Subaru-chan," I started. "I'm glad you could make it today! So tell me, what motivates you to audition for the school's new music group?"

Subaru placed a finger to her chin and looked up thoughtfully at the ceiling. Eventually she shrugged and simply stated, "Well, I just want to help people and make others happy!"

I nodded and smiled. "That's good enough for me. So what song will you be performing today?"

"Fiction, by Beast," she proclaimed. Hayate took her cue to start up the music so Subaru could begin her audition.

"K-Pop again, just like her sister..." I decided to leave my thoughts there regarding their choices. I was sure I would have many opportunities to see what musical influences these sisters have had in the past. I had suddenly remembered that Beast was a boy band, and I was interested to see how Subaru would handle herself through that type performance.

As Subaru's song progressed through the first verses, I was able to see that she had quite the range of vocal abilities. Not only was she able to stay on-key during the slower singing sections, she was able to perform the spoken lyrics clearly and accurately as well.

It wasn't until the song hit the fast-paced chorus that Subaru completely blew everyone in the auditorium away, though.

"Oh bloody hell, that girl can dance!" Hayate exclaimed in our headsets.

Subaru's routine was fast-paced, intense, and awe inspiring. Signum even allowed her normally neutral posture to lean forward in her seat as she carefully study the precise movements of the contestant in front of her.

It was in that very moment that I realized my own reality was about to change drastically. If I were to share the spotlight with others like Teana, Ginga, and Subaru, I had better start making sure my own abilities were on par with, or better than, theirs at all times. I was going to have to work that much harder than ever before to ensure my own rightful place on that stage next to these up-and-coming stars.

"I sure hope your ready, Takamachi," Signum said ominously, still staring forward.

"Nyahaha, I'd better be..."

As Subaru's performance ended the audience went wild, and school rules forbidding the mobbing of a fellow classmate were immediately forgotten. It wasn't until a flash of red appeared in the middle of the crowd that order was restored. Teana had just about enough of her best friend's sudden popularity, and watching her being fawned over by their peers irritated her to no end.

"Cut it out already, everybody! She's leaving!" And with that, Teana promptly dragged Subaru to the top of the auditorium and out one of the exits.

"Somehow I was expecting that to happen," I stated, watching the door slam behind the two of them as they made their getaway.

"I'll go find both of them later. Ginga too," Signum informed me. "Let's just finish this up for now."

The rest of the audition passed quickly for myself and Signum. Due to incredible nature of the Nakjima sisters' performances, a majority of the participants still scheduled to audition today seemed to realize that they just couldn't compete with that level of talent. In the end, only five more students decided to follow through with their auditions.

As the last contestant left the stage, I stretched my arms above my head and took a deep breath. The event was drawing to a close, and students were beginning to get up from their seats to chat with friends. I was expecting to hear an announcement at any moment from Hayate concluding the audition, maybe thanking everyone for their time and efforts.

I tapped the back of my pen lightly against my cheek. As satisfied as I was to have witnessed the talents of Teana, Ginga, and Subaru today, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was unresolved; or maybe, that we were all somehow missing something...

"Hang on everyone, we have a final last minute audition," Hayate's voice suddenly rang out over the announcement system. The crowd murmured quietly in surprise, but slowly they started returning to their seats.

Frowning, Signum started flipping through her audition list to see who she might have missed. And there, in tiny letters at the very bottom of the last page, Signum could just make out Hayate's writing. She was having trouble deciphering the contestant's name.

"Why did she have to write so...?" She sighed. "Okay, contestant number 49, Fate... T Harlaown?!" Signum's voice raised a slight octave higher in utter surprise at what she had just read.

A collective gasp rang through the auditorium, followed by excited chatter and muffled screams. My head shot up instantly, and I twisted around completely in my seat to look towards the producer's booth. Hayate simply had two thumbs up and a cheesy grin plastered on her face.

"Surprise!" was all she said in my headset.

I held up two fingers frantically in the air as if to say "No, no that does not make any sense!" Signum, who had also turned around in her seat, simply pointed at my two fingers with her own hand while still looking at Hayate.

"Don't worry guys, I'll explain things later," was all she would add, and motioned with a her hand for both of us to turn back around in our seats.

I slowly turned back around in my seat to face the stage in time to see a microphone stand being set up, and a wireless microphone being cradled at the top.

Hayate dimmed the house lights to near black and started the music. In my haze of confusion and shock, I had yet to recognize the notes from the song that was about to be performed.

I could faintly see someone enter from stage left and approach the microphone stand. Even though the music continued to play and was quickly approaching the start of the first lyrics, Hayate had yet to illuminate the figure standing on the stage. She instead opted to bring up the soft stage lights around and behind center stage.

It was then that I recognized the background music that had been playing. It was, despite the fact it was in a language not native to my own, a song that had spoken to me from the first time I had heard it. One so special to my existence that I hadn't told anyone about it's importance, keeping it a secret just for me.

It was the song that reminded me of her.

I don't remember the moment I tried to forget
I lost myself, is it better not said
Now I'm closer to the edge

Hayate was slowly beginning to fade up the center lights on the performer, who was singing the lyrics in an intoxicatingly husky voice. I was still only able to make out shadows of the silhouette, and traces of blond hair occasionally danced across my eyes.

"I want to see her," was the only thought I allowed myself at the moment.

It was a thousand to one and a million to two
Time to go down in flames and I'm taking you
Closer to the edge

A flash of red. More hints of gold. It was a slow torture to have her so close and yet she still felt so unobtainable, hidden in the shadows. Before I realized it, I was standing up from my seat, attempting to brace myself for what was to happen in the next few seconds. When Fate would suddenly be thrust into my vision, and come crashing back into my life.

No I'm not saying I'm sorry
One day maybe we'll meet again

The house lights were brought to full illumination. My cobalt eyes clashed with her burgundy in what felt like an electric shock that coursed briefly through my body. She was so much more beautiful than I remembered as a child, or from what I had seen from afar as an young adult.

No I'm not saying I'm sorry
One day maybe we'll meet again
No no no no

I felt my heart clench as I watched her sing. The sadness, the pain that I always felt threatened to bubble to the surface – it was completely visible in her eyes now, as if it were on display for only me as she poured her soul out in verse.

Can you imagine a time when the truth ran free?
The birth of a song, the death of a dream
Closer to the edge

I noticed slight tears approach the corners of her eyes after these lyrics, especially when the words 'death of a dream' seemed to almost catch in her throat.

"I want to comfort her..." was the next thought I allowed to surface.

This never ending story
Paid for with pride and fate
We all fall short of glory
Lost innocence

I sighed at the last verse that held so much weight behind it's words. I envisioned a younger version of Fate every time I heard it - 'lost innocence'. I knew that she had already experienced more hardship than any child ever should when I knew her so many years ago. A pain that she continued to carry on her shoulders as heavy as the world itself.

"I want to save her," was the last thought I allowed to come full circle in my mind.

No I'm not saying I'm sorry
One day maybe we'll meet again

No I'm not saying I'm sorry
One day maybe we'll meet again
No no no no

As Fate sang the chorus, the collective energy running through the audience steadily grew. The atmosphere in the auditorium vibrated with the solo guitar riffs as the crowd anticipated what was to come next.

No no no no
I will never forget

Fate held out her microphone towards the crowd. The audience loudly accompanied her with next round of lyrics.

No no
I will never regret
No no

Fate pulled the microphone back to her mouth in time to sing what was the most important line of the song to her.

I will live my life...

Fate completed the rest of the song that left the audience cheering on their feet and myself paralyzed to move. She had a smile on her face and seemed to be a little breathless as her red-wine eyes swept over the crowd. They eventually returned to where they had been settled throughout most of the song, staring into mine.

Before I knew it, my body was in motion. I climbed over the two rows of seats in front of me, and pulled myself up onto the stage. I slowly walked towards the figure that had just set the microphone back in it's cradle.

The auditorium had gone from mass hysteria to tense silence once they noticed I had jumped on stage and was standing in front of Fate. I hadn't noticed the sudden change in the auditorium myself, as I was currently lost in a sea of burgundy and gold.

Suddenly, like a magnet drawing myself towards her, I felt compelled to embrace Fate to complete our long-awaited reunion.

Perhaps I surprised her and hugged her too hard, or maybe she was just out of energy from the performance - but unexpectedly we were both toppling over towards the ground together. I ended up on top of Fate as she took the brunt of the fall with a grunt.

"Oh my god Fate-chan, are you okay? Are you hurt?" I pulled back my upper body away from hers and leaned back, still slightly hovering over her.

Fate pulled herself up onto her elbows and closed one eye while considering the damage. "Hmmm... no. No, I think I'm okay. How are you? You're not hurt, are you?" she asked softly.

I pulled Fate into a hug. "No, I'm okay. Nyahaha, I'm sorry you had to break our fall like that. Geez, that is totally like me."

Fate returned the hug and said with a smile, "Yep, it really is." She chuckled softly next to my ear.

I stood up, offering my hand to help her from the floor. "Well then, welcome back to Uminari, Fate-chan!"

She smiled and took my hand into her own. "You're funny. But thank you... Nanoha."

Hayate's voice cut into my earpiece. "Hey Nanoha, as fun as this for me and the hundred other people watching, could you refrain from accosting our new member of the group like that?"

I giggled, shook my head, and held up two fingers like a peace sign towards the producer's booth to indicate the answer 'no'.

"Now that she's back, I'm not ever letting her go again..." I promised myself.

A/N: AHHHH NanoFate. Just a note on the music, some of you may have noticed the songs referenced are from a few years ago. That's because 1) I just love them; but more importantly 2) Even though I write this in a present tense, the story I have mapped out spans about three years time. Basically someone could read the audition as having occurred sometime in 2010 to 2011, since I'm writing this in 2013. I'll let you make your own judgement on that, though.

Hope to see you next time! Thanks again for everyone's support ~Nissanity~