A/N: I'm. Not. Dead. Yet. (just recovering from end-of-quarter finals) Enjoy.


The room was filled with tension. The forwards of Division Six sat around a table with varying levels of composure, each trying their best to remain calm under the pressure generated by the two present adults. Chrono Harlaown paced in front of a wall-mounted display, his boots echoing uncomfortably in the cold metal room. Griffith Lowran stood stiffly behind the forwards, his face a stone mask. Subaru winced inwardly.

Tia, what's going on? I can't take this atmosphere, she whined over the forwards' telepathic communication link.

How am I supposed to know? The second-in-command and a TSAB Admiral are here! We were just told to come here and wait, so sit still and do so! Annoyed, Tia shifted her position and glared at the floor. Caro and Erio sat ramrod straight, the former on the brink of bursting out in tears while the latter was starting to sweat from the tension.

There was a collective sigh of relief as the door hissed open, alleviating some of the pressure. Signum walked in first, followed closely by Shamal and Vita. The three Belkan knights sat across from the forwards. Subaru opened her mouth to question them, but quickly closed it when Vita glared a warning at her. Chrono's pacing halted. The door opened again.

"Ah…" Subaru froze, mimicking the ill-concealed shock on the faces of everyone else in the room. Hayate and Nanoha entered, pausing as the door slid shut behind them. Hayate ushered Nanoha over to the far end of the table, making sure she was sitting before walking around to stand by Chrono's side. The admiral adopted an unreadable expression.

"Now that we're all here, I'll have to remind you that what you will now observe is confidential," Hayate said, adopting a commanding air. "Chrono, if you would?"

His eyes hardened. "I'll be honest. If the circumstances were different, most of you wouldn't be here." His gaze swept across the forwards and lingered on Nanoha. "However, several other officials and I have decided that it would be more beneficial if you were." The lights dimmed as the display flickered to life. Several images appeared, depicting a huge pile of rubble and a ruined landscape. Nanoha trembled slightly, gripping her hands tightly together.

"As you know, six months ago, the two captains of Division Six participated in a mission regarding a small uprising on a mostly uninhabited world under TSAB jurisdiction. The primary objective was to defeat and capture the rebel leader, secured within a stronghold protected by various AMF fields and rogue mages.

"We all know the outcome, so I'll skip to the end. Enforcer Harlaown and Tactical Instructor Takamachi infiltrated the stronghold and directly engaged the leader in combat. The battle triggered a minor dimensional abnormality, resulting in the stronghold's destruction. Instructor Takamachi was able to successfully teleport out in time, but Enforcer Harlaown was not as…fortunate." Chrono cleared his throat. "The reason why you're gathered here today is because of a discovery of great importance. I personally requested the investigative abilities of Verossa Acous, whom most of you are familiar with. Three days ago, he submitted the following message to me." An audio-only telecommunications link flickered to life.

Chrono, I'm sorry that this has taken a while to complete. The last of the large-scale debris was cleared two weeks ago, and we've been searching through the remains nearly every waking second since then. I know that you received my initial conclusion four months ago about your sister. A few days ago, we came across something interesting, but I didn't want to report back to you and give you false hope.

We uncovered the stronghold's command center. The bodies of the rebel leader and several fugitive mages were recovered, and I went over the identification results myself, four times, to make sure. I'm not sending this to anyone else, but word will get around. You're going to want to get a head start before the brass labels this as a desertion or something. The body of Enforcer Fate T. Harlaown was not among the remains. Either someone took the body during the confusion of the collapse's aftermath, or…

"Fate-chan…is alive?"

Colors of the Sky

Chapter Two

Unknown/Hope

「どんなに遠く離れていても この歌声が君に届くように

涙がずっと 止まらない夜 君の窓を照らす月になりたい

また必ず 会えると そう思うから・・・・・」

--下川 みくに

Nanoha awoke to familiar surroundings. The cool metal walls of Shamal's office surrounded her, but didn't feel as if they were closing in. She tried to sit up, only to find that she was held in place by several thick leather belts that encircled the bed. Struggling lethargically, Nanoha glared when the matronly doctor walked in, accompanied by Hayate and Chrono.

"Hayate! Let me out of this thing," Nanoha said, not amused. "This isn't a funny joke."

The brunette frowned. "I can't do that, Nanoha-chan. If it weren't for Vita-chan, you would've destroyed my favorite conference room by now."

"What?"

"You already broke the table, Nanoha." Chrono sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, but your magic is sealed off for now. We gave you some sedatives to calm you down—"

"You drugged me? Why? I didn't do anything!"

"You really don't remember?" Shamal stared pointedly.

"Remember—oh." It came back in a flash.


Three hours earlier

"Yesterday evening, we got this." Hayate gestured for the display to play the video.

"Well hello there, little mages! I've been waiting and waiting for you to figure out that your little Enforcer girl is missing. Or did you really think that the TSAB's Ace Enforcer would go down so easily?" A man in a gaudy red suit and top hat laughed mockingly. "My name is Cornelius Alba. You'll want to remember it, because we're going to have many more chats from now on." The camera zoomed in on his face. He flashed a bright smile. The camera rocked a little, showing glimpses of an extravagant Victorian-styled room.

"I expect that you've figured out that little miss Testarossa wasn't among the dead underneath all that dreadful rubble, yes? Well, surprise! I'll let you in on a little secret. She isn't dead!" Alba did a little dance, bowing at the end. "Actually, she's been here with yours truly all this time. Rather gloomy girl, if I do say so myself. Oh, do you want to see her? Right this waaaay!" In a sing-song voice, he motioned for the camera to follow as he skipped across the room and down a short hallway. Kicking open a door, he grinned broadly as the camera followed him inside. "Why good morning, little Fate! How are you feeling?"

The room was starkly different in contrast to the previous room's elegant furnishings. Dimly illuminated by two flickering light bulbs, it gave off a feeling of fear and foreboding, even from the video screen. Alba clicked his tongue, walking to the middle of the room and nudging a pile of rags with one booted foot. "Wake up, Fate! Your friends are watching!" Alba giggled. The camera swept around the room, revealing tables lining the grim stone walls. Dark stains were evident everywhere in sight. Atop the tables, various instruments of torture lay carelessly strewn about, most covered in a rust-colored substance.

Nanoha felt her heart stop. There was a loud clatter, and her shocked mind sluggishly realized that Griffith and Vita were holding Signum down. The pink-haired knight roared, fury gleaming in her icy blue eyes.

"That bastard! I'll rip him apart!"

"Signum, stop." Hayate's tone made it clear that there would be no disobeying her order.

"Hayate—"

"Watch until the end."

"…don't want to wake up? We can't have that, oh no we can't. Not when everyone's waiting for you." Alba gripped a fistful of grimy blonde hair, roughly forcing the woman's head up. Fate's eyes flickered open, glazed over. "Good girl. Say hello to everyone!"

"…"

"'Hello, everyone! It's me, Fate Testarossa! It's been a while, hasn't it?'" In a squeaky falsetto, the red-clothed mage mimicked a girl's voice. "Good job!" He released her. "She's been a little under the weather lately, you see. Lost a little too much blood the other day, I'm afraid. Sometimes I just have so much fun and I get carried away." Cackling, he stood and faced the camera. "Is Nanoha Takamachi there? I've got a special surprise, saved just for you." He hummed as his hand hovered over a platter of various bladed instruments. "Have you ever heard this girl scream before? It's really the most marvelous sound. Ah." Selecting one, he twirled it around in his hands before squatting down. "I'm sure you're used to screams caused by something very different, but I think the ones—" Metal piercing flesh "—that come from this—" The wet splattering of blood hitting the floor "—are so much better." A pained hiss.

Alba frowned. "Well, well. Trying to be strong for your little lovebird? We've gone over this before, little Fate." He caressed her cheek with the blade, gripping her chin with his free hand. A swift cut, and a thin trickle of blood appeared. He ran his tongue across her face, lapping the thick, warm liquid up. Pale eyes leered at the camera with a perverse glint. "We've had lots of fun before, haven't we? I thought you said that you like to scream when I cut you up more that when I fuck you."

"…going to fucking tear his heart out!—"

Nanoha trembled uncontrollably. Her breath came in short gasps, and she couldn't seem to fill her lungs with enough oxygen. A thin red film coated her vision.

"Make sure you watch closely, Nanoha Takamachi. I want you to remember this girl, as she is. Dirty and pitiful, poor little birdie with broken wings. Never going to fly out of here, oh no." He brought the tip of the blade to rest centimeters away from one swollen burgundy eye. "Scream for me," he whispered, and the video cut off.

Nanoha's senses shut down. The angered screams of the other Division Six members became a dull roar. For the first time in months, she reached inside herself and felt the nostalgic crackle of power.

"…Wait for me, Fate-chan." A blast of pink energy, and suddenly she hovering in the air, one hand extended, spheres of raw magic power at her command.

"Nanoha, calm yourself!"

"Divine…"

"Durandal! Emergency sealing!"

(Yes, boss.)

Nanoha's world turned white.


Present time

"...oh god, Fate…I have to—we have to…she's—" Tears welled up in Nanoha's eyes. After receiving a nod from Hayate, Shamal unbuckled the restraints binding Nanoha to the bed and helped the girl sit up.

"Nanoha, I need you to stay calm," the she said, firmly gripping the aerial mage's shoulders. "Can you do that?"

Nanoha nodded weakly, sniffling. Chrono's expression softened.

"Officially, we have half a fleet actively searching," he said, moving to stand at the foot of the bed. "In addition to that, there's been an unbelievable amount of support from other Enforcers, even those that never met Fate. The ones currently deployed on missions have offered to keep an eye and an ear open for any information about this Cornelius Alba, as well as his possible whereabouts. So far, we have nothing, but the search is just getting started."

"Carim and the Saint Church have also sent word out to their patrols. With both the Church's agents and the Enforcers helping, we've covered a good deal of TSAB space. Yuuno's been searching through the Infinity Library's records for any information on Alba, but all he's been able to find are news articles regarding academic achievements." Hayate let out a whoosh of air. "I've got to admit, Alba's covered his tracks well."

Nanoha struggled to take in the information. She glanced up when Chrono ruffled her hair.

"I'm giving this back to you," he said, extending his other hand. Nanoha immediately grabbed the spherical object from his palm, cradling it to her chest.

"…Thank you," she whispered.

"Your magic is still sealed," the admiral added, with a hint of sternness in his voice. Nanoha nodded silently, a sudden weariness taking over her body. Shamal shooed Hayate and Chrono out of the room. She paused to give Nanoha a reassuring smile.

"I'll be next door, so call if you need anything," she said, dimming the lights. "Get some rest; doctor's order."

Nanoha felt her lips twitch upwards. "Thanks, Shamal."


Hayate sank gratefully into her chair, resting her head in her hands. So many things had happened at once, and the fatigue from lack of sleep was starting to get to her. "Rein-chan, could you ask someone to get me some coffee?"

"Right away," the miniature unison device chirped, cheerful as always. Hayate smiled in spite of herself.

"Now then, time to catch up with work," she muttered, bringing up a holographic keyboard and several monitors. A Division Six staff member entered unnoticed and placed a steaming mug of coffee before her. By the time Hayate dismissed the monitors, the coffee had long since gone cold. Taking a sip, she grimaced. A beep sounded, alerting her to an incoming message. After briefly considering ignoring it, she reluctantly patched the link through.

"What is it, Shari?"

"Hayate! You won't believe this—one of the scanners just went haywire and—" She turned to shout at someone off-screen, wiping away the sweat from her forehead with the back of one hand. "I checked it out, and there's been a huge magical disturbance several thousand feet above the city, about six klicks to the south-west."

"What? When—"

"There's no time for explanation, I've got bigger news," Shari interrupted, waving her hands around in a frenzy. "I just got word that Bardiche Assault's signal has been detected, in concurrence with the location."

"Bardiche? That can't be—get me visual confirmation!" Hayate's hands suddenly started sweating.

"Hang on, I'm connecting you now—"

The coffee mug clattered to the floor, its cold brown contents slowly oozing out.

"Fate…"


A/N: ...*profanity* Ahh...I give up. I rewrote this chapter three times, and this is what I ended up with. Personally, I feel like I rambled too much and the chapter became a bit disjointed because of that, but...meh. Screw it. This was originally going to be more kick-the-puppy-Nanoha angst, but I felt like that made the story drag a bit, so I ditched it. Second try skipped too ahead. Third was a worse version of this. *headdesk* Any input would be much appreciated regarding the pacing and/or how this chapter turned out.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry that this took so long to get out!

BPHaru: Great? Really? ._. I thought it was too emo and "OMG I haet my LIFE" Harry Potter-esque, haha. You almost cried? eh..I'm humbled by your words (^^) Nanoha'll have to be kicked around a bit more in the future, so grab a box of tissues (lol) Cloned Fate? *chokes* How did you--!? Ah..well, we'll see, won't we?

Black-Rose-Of-Night: The world always needs more NanoFate drama, doesn't it? :3

Chiyo And Osaka Fan: Nandeyanen! Thank you!

Amer: Ahaha. I thought that the "()" was something you put in on purpose. My first thought was "uhh, what? 'Amer ()'? Who puts a () in their name?". Thanks for the encouragement!

liz: I hope I won't disappoint you!

hazumu-kun: Ahem. This one ran away from me too XD. Hope it tides you over until next time.

Gotta ramble a bit. Linespacing was being a bitch. Does anybody know how to format the text so it's not single-spaced? I'm such a noob -_- Writing in English means that I have to lose Rein's はいです~! T_T /murder

Before I forget, am I getting close to the T-M border? There's going to be more violence and language from now on, and I don't want to misstep my boundaries (^^;;)

Read and review, please!

[Edit] Many thanks to Team GEMINI for spotting an issue with the JP text. Um...GEMINIさん、すこし自分のことをおしえてもよろしいでしょうか。私の人生における夢は、いつか日本語を琉ちょうに話せるようになって、両国間を行き来して学生達が外国語を学ぶことがどれだけやりがいのあることかを知ってもらう手出すけをすることです。私のミスがGEMINIさんにいらいらしまって本当にすみませんでした。

・・って、うちは普通に警護なんて話せないんだから、また間違いがあったら許してくれないか?(゜ヮ゜)b ありがとうございます。