I don't think I've ever written so much so fast, and I'm having a lot of fun too. I usually answer to review by PM'ing back, but since I couldn't do that for yuki I'll tell you here now that yes, Chrono is a really good big brother. I wanted him to act like a real sibling with Fate, one who gets along very well with his sister. You'll see more of that in this chapter. Older siblings roaming around, well it's not that hard to believe. A lot of younger siblings go to the same school as their elders in real life too.
The very big and unbelievable coincidences revolve around Fate, one is obvious if you pay attention, another I've given only the first, smallest of hint in this chapter. Feel free to try and guess what I'm talking about. =D
Now, before these notes become longer than the actual chapter...
-o-o-
-o-o-
Fate Testarossa had many reasons to despise her young age.
Among those figured the feeling of powerlessness she had whenever she couldn't help those in need or when she was forced to ask her adoptive family for help after they already did so much.
Another reason was the difficulty she had in relating with others, since she was more mature than her peers but the older boys and girls didn't like including a younger girl in their circle. Well, some boys would actually like that, but those were the kind of guys she'd rather not deal with.
The reason she wished she was older that was at the forefront of her mind at the moment, though, was much simpler.
"Sorry Fate-chan, no coffee until you're sixteen, I grew up with that rule and you'll do the same." Lindy cheerfully sipped her tea watching her blonde daughter stumble around like a grumpy zombie. She'd miss this once little Fate will have access to her caffeine.
The red eyed girl looked around with a quizzical look that made every single bone in Lindy's body scream at the sheer cuteness of it and was pulling the woman to fuss over her daughter, something Chrono, the ungrateful son he was, never quite allowed her. Not even when he was five years old and his angry expression was just so utterly adorable that...
"Lindy, where are Arf's cookies? And why is Chrono's bento still here?"
The Harlaown matriarch felt a little pang of sorrow at hearing the blonde using her name instead of just calling her mom. It was a dull ache that never faded away, exactly like Fate's block that prevented her from using the word. Then she actually processed her questions and she pinched her nose.
"If I have to take a guess, I'd say your brother picked up Arf's cookies instead of his own lunch in his hurry to get to school early for his 'meeting with the student council'." Lindy made quotations marks in the air with her hands.
"As if I didn't know he's trying to casually meet that college girl he's had a crush on since last year when she was still in high school. I think her name's Amy, right?"
"Two cases solved in less than two minutes. I can see why you're so successful detective Harlaown." Fate stood on attention and saluted her.
The teal haired woman chuckled while reciprocating the gesture. The fact she was wearing her police uniform made it look more official than the joke it was.
"I'll text Chrono telling him I have his lunch," Fate said putting it into her backpack, then she knelt down in front of Arf and put both her hands on the dog's neck stroking it affectionately, "I'm sorry I can't give you a cookie even if you've been good, I'll make it up to you later."
Arf obviously couldn't understand the words, but being on the receiving end of her owner's pampering she responded by licking said owner's face.
"Wash your face before you leave Fate." Mirth danced in Lindy's voice.
The woman remembered a time when Arf's action would have made her fret. The dog had been just a little stray puppy when Fate picked her up, but thanks also to the wolf's blood in her veins she had grown. And grown. And kept growing. The end result was a reddish orange wolfish dog who could put her head on the kitchen table without having to stand on her back legs.
It was lucky that Arf had been docile and really receptive. Fate, under Lindy's watch and thanks to the woman's calling in a couple of favors, had trained the massive dog thoroughly with the help of the same dog trainers that handle the police dogs. Which incidentally gave Lindy an excuse to bring Arf with her at work every now and then.
Despite the no coffee rule and having to fix herself again due to canine assault, Fate got on the bus on time. It was Thursday or, for those who preferred keeping the count, the fourth day of school. Nothing much had happened in the past few days as both students and teachers were trying to settle in the routine after the shock of the first day.
Fate herself was failing at her objective of befriending someone, anyone at school. She had tried eating in the cafeteria, which was nerve wracking, going to the library, walking down corridors, staying wherever the most students concentrated, but she had a natural ability for fading in the background.
Well, she thought she caught some groups looking at her and whispering among themselves, but that could have easily been her seeing things that weren't there. Maybe she should have a more aggressive approach, but what exactly was she supposed to do or say?
Fate sighed wistfully while walking down the corridor toward her class. When he reached it she slipped inside and blinked at the peculiar scene going on.
"I'm telling the truth, I feel sick!"
"If you really were sick you wouldn't have come to school, and you certainly wouldn't have started to say it only after we reminded you we have Scaglietti the first two hours!" Arisa Bannings had a firm grip on the girl who had just professed being ill.
"I thought I could endure it, but I really really need to go to the infirmary now!" Vita Eisen, despite being obviously healthy, had taken a position and she was determined to defend it or die trying.
"Vita-chan, you know that it's better getting your test back today with everyone else rather than being singled out next time," a girl with long purple hair, Suzuka Tsukimura Fate thought her name was, pleaded.
"Not if I'm missing next time too!"
The blonde looked at the rambunctious display her three classmates where putting on and caught the other three people who usually where part of that same group sitting not far away and observing their friends in a resigned manner.
Sky blue eyes met hers for an interminable moment before the blonde turned and hurried to her desk. Those eyes were just like the ones that turned her life around that day so long ago. Same shade, same shape, same warmth...
'Could she really be the one from that time? What would be the chances of that?'
"Good morning everyone, it's a great day today, isn't it?" A boisterous voice pulled the blonde from her thoughts.
Quattro Shiruba had a self-satisfied look as she strolled to her seat ignoring Eisen's growls at her. Fate saw her amber eyes searching for the two that had occupied her mind, and upon making contact a sneer appeared on Shiruba's face.
"So... Scaglietti-sensei will give us the test result today. Wanna bet on who's going to get the highest score?"
"Not really Quattro," Takamachi answered, "I'm not really interested in who scores higher as long as everyone's grades are good enough to pass."
Fate smiled hearing that, she liked how that sounded, and not just because it was said by the brunette's voice.
"Yeah, sure. Keep saying that Takamachi. Although I guess that is all the midget you like to hang out can hope for."
"Hey Quattro, do you know what one metaphorical ass plus one physical ass make? A person, you." Yagami spat back making most of the class laugh at the other girl.
Whatever comeback could have been done was stopped as the door slammed open. Why a teacher was allowed to go around slamming doors was beyond anyone's understanding.
"My cute little students," Scaglietti began in a cheerful mood, "I know you were looking forward to today! Because today is the day you get your tests back! Now, who can tell me how these papers are graded?"
"With a number from 1 to 100?" someone from the back guessed.
"Good answer, but the correct one is actually 'with a number from 0 to 100'. You see, the reason everyone always gets at least one point is because all you have to do to get it is write your name on your test. But every rule has its exception, right miss Yagammel Hayate?"
The professor, who had been pacing around holding their tests, stopped in front of Hayate and dropped her test on her desk.
"A very stupid way to loose one point, but nonetheless you managed to get an acceptable grade, unlike Eisen." He took a step and dropped Vita's test, "A meager 63. Is that really the best you could do? My hamster could do more productive things with the paper you used for your test."
Fate waited as he went on handing back the tests, calling out the grades and adding a scathing remark to those who weren't up to his standards. She really didn't like how this teacher handled things.
"Scrya," he said glaring at a blond boy sitting in the first row, "I told you I'd have taken it personally if you didn't do well."
Said boy stared back trying to hide his anxiety.
"You got 82, I guess you're off the hook for today." He handed him his paper while Scrya practically melted in relief, and took a step to stand in front of the desk beside his.
"Takamachi, correcting your test was a breath of fresh air. Try to rub off your friends, and share with them the wonders of knowledge, will you? For now enjoy your 91."
Fate observed as she shuffled uncomfortably. She could sympathize, Scaglietti-sensei seemed to be a natural at upsetting everyone around him.
"Whose turn is it, let's see... but of course, Shiruba! A light in the mediocrity of this class, excellent as always, 94," Scaglietti stated proudly offering the paper at the girl, who took it with a smug smile.
At this point there was only one more test in his hands and Fate knew whose it was. She really wanted nothing more that drop and the floor, dug an hole, and disappear. Being the last one to receive her grade couldn't be a good sign.
"And who do we have left for last, if not our newest member who joined us this year? Testarossa, I've heard you're quite the child prodigy."
While he leaned down to rest his elbows on her desk, the blonde student caught sight of 'the light in the mediocrity looking at her with a mix of pity and haughtiness. The teacher slipped her paper on the desk under her eyes.
"Would you please read out loud your grade to your classmates?"
She'd have preferred stabbing herself with her pen, but she couldn't really tell him that. Knowing that in the next three seconds her already meager chances to integrate would be obliterated, Fate steeled her nerves and complied with his request.
"98."
The silence was so deep she could hear the voice of the teacher in the nearby class lecturing in English.
Fate looked down feeling her face turning red, but not before catching surprised and happy blue eyes.
"98! Yes, my dear Testarossa, you're a shining precious jewel for math teachers everywhere! The only reason you didn't get 100 is because you didn't write down some passages in the fourth problem. You can ask my former best student Shiruba about which passages must be written down and which ones you can skip later." He beamed at her and patted her head.
'Yes, he definitely has a gift for making people uncomfortable. At least, I hope it isn't just me who feels this way,' she thought distressed, trying not to bolt from her seat.
"And here, a prize for doing so good. It's strawberry flavor but if you don't like it I have lemon ones too."
'Ok, this situation has just become beyond disturbing. Doesn't he realize how that sounded?'
He either didn't or simply enjoyed unleashing new kinds of wrongness upon his students. Fate was so mortified by the whole ordeal that she couldn't even look up to take notes from the blackboard for the rest of the morning. As such she missed much of the looks her classmates where throwing her.
When the bell announcing lunch break rang, she hurriedly took her things and walked as fast as she could without breaking school rules toward the cafeteria. Chrono had texted her back earlier saying they could have lunch there together.
Once there she looked around and, seeing he wasn't there yet, sat down on an empty table and waited for him. He arrived a minute later, ditched his friends, and came to seat with her.
"Thank you Fate, for a second I really feared I'd have had to eat these for lunch." He took out the transparent bag with Arf's dog treats and slid them on the table for her to take while fate did the same with his bento.
"It was no problem at all Chrono, I only wish I had something else for Arf this morning." She smiled at him.
They ate their lunch making small talk and occasionally trading parts of their bentos between them, with Fate collecting most of the tomatoes but yielding the shrimps, when a thought occurred to her and made her frown.
"Anyway why did you want to have lunch with me? I mean, obviously I'm happy to spend some time with you, but you didn't have to ditch your friends."
"Ah... Well, you see... I wanted to ask you a favour." Chrono scratched his cheek nervously while his face gained some color.
"Sure, what is it?" Fate had to admit she was a bit curious as this was unusual for her brother.
He looked around and leaned forward to whisper at her so that no one could eavesdrop.
"I want you to come with me at the mall this afternoon and help me find a gift for Amy. I want to confess to her, you're a girl too so you could give me some advice to find the right words and the perfect gift, right?" he grabbed her hands looking at her pleadingly.
"I don't know... I don't think I'd be any help Chrono, you know I'm not really good with any kind of relathionship..." She really wanted to give him an hand but she wasn't the best choice.
"You're the only one I can ask! Please Fate, do this for me? I'll beg on my knees if I have to!"
"No! I mean, yes, I'll come with you." God help her, if he made such a scene she'd have to leave the country, no, the planet!
"Thank you, you're the best," Chrono said happily, giving her a hug, "your lessons end at four, right? Mine too, so I'll come pick you up from your class and then we can go to the mall. See ya later."
Seeing him happy like that, Fate couldn't help smiling at his back before grabbing Arf's cookies and standing to go back to class.
-o-o-
Earlier that morning, when Jail was implementing his psychological warfare under the guise of giving out test results, Nanoha already knew that the day would have been a roller-coaster.
It had started quite normally, with Vita trying to call sick as soon as someone reminded her what day it was. Thankfully Arisa and Suzuka had that covered, as she knew that her red haired friend would only get more frantic if she tried to calm her down and Hayate would sooner join her and drag her out of school grounds than make her sit down.
It was during that time that in a brief endless instant she caught those amazing burgundy eyes looking at her. She didn't know what it was, but there was something in them that made Nanoha restless.
The first up of her morning was turned down with the arrival of Quattro, who went to try to win her personal crusade in order to make humanity kiss the ground she walked on. Nanoha couldn't understand that girl, sure she was smart, but one thing is being proud of your result, another is belittling others.
Nanoha knew it wasn't likely to happen, but she'd really like to see how Quattro would react if one of their classmates scored higher than her for once.
'Eh, imagine what face she'd do if Vita-chan beat her.'
Her daydream was cut short by the psycho they called their math teacher coming in in his usual reserved and calm manner that consisted in attempting to take the door off its hinges with brutal force. Something a student would get detention over.
"...every rule has its exception, right miss Yagammel Hayate?"
Nanoha had to bite down her fist to keep from laughing out loud at Hayate's horror-stricken face as she took her paper. She noted Arisa doing the same, while Yuuno's and Suzuka's shoulders were trembling as they tried to keep a straight face. The cosplay maniac had just earned a nickname for life.
Nanoha flinched in sympathy when he went to Vita, and let out a breath of relief when Suzuka and Arisa did well enough. Yuuno-kun's turn was more unnerving, what with their stare-down. She patted her friend's back when he turned into a puddle of relieved goo.
After Yuuno, it was her turn and she shuffled uncomfortably under his scrutiny. Scaglietti-sensei was a creep, really, being praised didn't really make this whole test-restitution ceremony any more enjoyable.
"Shiruba! A light in the mediocrity of this class, excellent as always, 94." How the hell Quattro managed to smile happily at him was a mystery almost as much as Signum love lif-
'Oh wait, that doesn't work anymore.'
Nanoha banned the stray thought and ignored Vita pretending to throw up in favour of fixing her gaze on the very last test Scaglietti was still holding in his hands. The test that belonged to the beautiful girl with the most captivating eyes Nanoha had ever seen.
"And who do we have left for last, if not our newest member who joined us this year? Testarossa, I've heard you're quite the child prodigy."
The young Takamachi observed as he leaned down to rest his elbows on Fate's, as well as Quattro haughty expression, and felt a raising desire to hit someone really hard. Repeatedly. There was a difference between tormenting his students who knew what to expect, and singling out a gentle, soft-spoken shy girl.
Scaglietting slipped the test on the desk, "Would you please read out loud your grade to your classmates?"
Maybe she'll give Vita-chan an awl and point her toward Scaglietti's car. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea, although probably a hammer would be better.
"98"
…
Huh?
Nanoha blinked.
'Wow. Fate-chan rules.'
As she realized that Scaglietti was trying to praise the girl and not making her into a laughing stock, Nanoha calmed down a little. When she heard that Fate had basically missed getting a perfect score because of a technicality she just was even more impressed.
"...ask my former best student Shiruba about which passages must be written down and which ones you can skip later," Scaglietti was saying while patting the blonde's head.
Nanoha felt her mood darken at both the gesture, which was clearly upsetting Fate, and the words, because judging by Quattro's furious look she'd sooner kill Fate and throw her body in the ocean than helping her in any way, shape or form.
The young Takamachi thought she had seen enough for the day, and she really had enough crazyness in her life thanks to her friends, but when Jail Scaglietti gave out candies to his fifteen years old very cute female student, she felt her brain implode.
"Nanoha-chan, I'm scared," Hayate whispered.
Aside from the fact that he totally looked like a pedophile it was just Wrong. The walls themselves would have turned red and crumbled in shame if they could do it on their own.
It took Nanoha the rest of the morning to calm down, and although Quattro's hate filled glances were worrying, Fate being all flustered and staring at her desk was the cutest thing ever.
Finally lunch break came, and Nanoha had known since the first hour what Vita was going to do now.
"Hey Quattro, you know I'm not really good at math, so why don't you help me since you're the best in the class. Ooops, my bad, you aren't the best."
It was really stupid and petty, rubbing salt on the wound on Quattro's pride. Even if Vita had taken much worse from the glasses wearing girl for a whole year, Nanoha wished she hadn't done that. If she was honest with herself, though, the reason for this wish was that he didn't want Quattro taking it out on Fate.
"Hey, where did Fate-chan go?" Nanoha asked noticing she had already vanished.
"Run out as soon as the bell rang," Hayate answered, "and should you really call Fate-chan Fate-chan when you didn't even talk to her once?"
"You just called her Fate-chan too. Never mind that, you call everyone by their given name, or by some nickname you make on the spot if you don't know it," Nanoha argued.
"Because I'm friends with everyone, even if I don't know them and they don't know me." Reasoning with Hayate was like staring at one of Escher's pictures. "So, are we going out in the garden to eat lunch today too?"
"Sure thing, Yagammel-san," Yuuno answered.
The whole group burst out laughing.
"Damn you stinky ferret! I was just thinking of something else when writing, it could have happened to everyone!"
"Still, to misspell your own family name... what were you thinking about Hayate?" Suzuka was smiling sweetly. Too sweetly. "Let me guess, since Yagami turned into Yagammel Maybe it had something to do with Himmel-san?"
"...hey, what's that crowd near the cafeteria?" Hayate knew when and how to change topic.
"Those girls? They look like our student council president's fanclub. I remember them from that time they were out for Vita's head after she punched him," Nanoha said looking at the group.
"Nothing new, then. They're just staring dreamily at their prince and we can go back to Haya-" Arisa hadn't quite finished dismissing them when they let out a loud gasp and started whispering among themselves like an angry swarm whose hive had just been kicked.
"Let me guess, something new actually happened?" Yuuno deadpanned.
"Only one way to find out," Suzuka sang merrily, making her way to the cafeteria dragging the closest person to her, who happened to be Nanoha, by the wrist. As soon as she reached the little crowd she fished for gossip.
"Hey there, what is going on?"
"Harlaown-taicho left his friends telling them he had a previous appointment, then he went there," the nameless girl pointed toward a table, "and sat down with that girl." The hatred in the last two words was hard to ignore.
Nanoha didn't particularly care for gossip but, having nothing else to do since she couldn't eat while Suzuka was holding her wrist, she looked at the table the girl had pointed to. Suddenly, lunch was showed to the back of her mind.
"Fate-chan?"
"Harlaown-taicho gave that girl a bag with some cookies or sweets, and she gave him an home-made bento." Jealousy was evident in her tone as she turned to glare at the blonde girl who was eating with the dark haired boy.
Nanoha frowned looking at the two. They seemed to have a good time and acted comfortable with each other, something really good since Fate had never looked as relaxed and cheerful before. So why did it leave a bitter taste in her mouth?
'Am I really so self-centered that I thought I should be the one becoming her friend and no one else? I...I'm an horrible person, I should be happy Fate-chan isn't as lonely as she seemed.'
And yet, when she saw Chrono Harlaown leaning forward and grabbing her hands, it was like a knot was being tightened in her stomach. Seeing Fate blush and have a mild panic attack when it looked like her companion was going to beg was adorable, but the thought that it was because Chrono really soured her mood.
"Well, well, well, Fate-chan and Chrono? Really?" Hayate had slung her arms around bot Nanoha's and Suzuka's shoulders.
"Well, they make a nice couple,"Suzuka considered, "Although they're completely different physically, they're undeniably both good looking, both of them are geniuses, and both have a really serious and responsible attitude."
"But Fate-chan is fifteen! Harlaown is eighteen, isn't he too old for her? I'm sure he's too old, there must be something against this." Nanoha had no idea how her mouth had opened or why those words came out. It was an unconscious reflex, like closing your eyes when something is going to hit your face.
Suzuka was eying her oddly, but it was Hayate that worried her. It's always Hayate.
"Well, technically speaking since he's an adult he could potentially be incriminated for having intercourse with a minor if they go that far."
Nanoha felt the knot twist and jump up and down consuming everything it touched and turning it to ice.
"But in any case it's none of our business, right Nanoha?" There was something awfully suspicious in the way Hayate asked and examined at her, as if she was looking for something, a specific reaction.
"Yeah, you're right," Nanoha said in a flat tone.
They went back outside to eat lunch with the rest of their little group, but Hayate kept glancing at her and chuckling to herself. After the fifth time, Nanoha decided to ask what it was about.
"Oh, no, Nanoha-chan, I'm sorry. Sorry, but this one you have to figure out by yourself."
