I do not Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, it is the intellectual property of someone else whose name escapes me at the moment. Therefore do not sue me please, this is simply written for enjoyment. Also the story has undergone a major rewrite including some much needed proofreading and adjusting of some plot elements. I will not go into detail here but you will have to read the story to find out. No worries though the main focus are still the memories and past of Hayate and her knights.

At this time I would like to take the time to make a special thank you to Darthtabby for his help as a story consultant and something of a co-author on several sections of the story. The idea for the fic originally came out of discussions we had about many aspects of Magical Girl lyrical Nanoha. He is a top notch writer and I recommend that you check out his story The Angel and the Ensign from Macros Frontier.

New chapter not a repost

Chapter 4- Arrivals

Realistically Zafira knew that nothing on earth could hurt Vita short of her fellow knights, Nanoha, or Fate, but he couldn't help but get a little worried about her when she had yet to return. It was almost dinner time and the youngest knight had yet to return and wasn't answering their telepathic messages. She was either asleep or deep in thought, the later not being all that common for the hot headed girl. Either way he was glad to volunteer to go and search for her taking any excuse to get out of the house in his normal form for once without having to hide his tail and ears. Engrossed in scanning the street below for Vita, Zafira was completely unaware of the person sneaking up behind him until it was too late.

"Hey there big boy," a smooth female voice cooed wrapping her slim arms around his neck as the softer parts of her anatomy pressed against his back.

"Arf, what are you doing?" Zafira asked taking spotting some red hair out of the corner of his eye.

"Just saying hello, is that a problem?" Arf whispered into his ear.

"No but could you please let go of me," Zafira asked pulling her arms off his neck.

"Oh you're no fun," Arf pouted. Just what would it take to get through to that block head? She did have a sense of decency, well at least after Lindy explained to her what it meant after sending Chrono to the hospital to be treated for an excessive nosebleed for the third time. Now she only wore her signature outfit in battle, or to get Zaffy's attention despite her continued failures in the later.

"So Fate let you out again," Zafira said turning around and getting an eyeful of Arf in her signature battle outfit. Seriously he thought Fate had more sense than to let Arf parade around in little more than hot pants and a halter top. While she certainly had the body to pull it off he had to wonder what kind of attention she was trying to attract dressed in hot pants her tail swinging sensually behind her.

"She is having a girl's night out with Nanoha, Hayate, Suzuka, and Ariza. So when I sensed you nearby I thought I would come and see what you were up to," Arf said thrusting her chest out.

Zafira silently contemplated for a minute before answering. "Vita was late coming home and she isn't responding to our telepathic calls so Shamal asked me to find her, or as she puts it sniff her out. I could use another nose if you're not busy?"

"Sure, but I thought Hayate was linked to each of you like I am to Fate?" Arf asked glad to help tall dark and handsome.

"We are connected to the Tome of the Night Sky which Hayate controls," Zafira replied as they headed to a park that Vita often played croquet in.

"Oh, so that's why she didn't know what you guys were doing back then, but I thought you couldn't go against the master of the book?" Arf asked hoping from roof top to roof top.

"You're right we can't, but we are allowed to act for the master's benefit even if it goes against their wishes." Zafira said as they reached the park Arf flipping in front of him as she landed giving him eyeful of her lacy black panties. "Sheesh she is like a fox in heat sometimes," Zafira thought.

"But how do you know their true feelings without being bonded to them?" Arf asked as they strolled through the park.

"We don't but we can pick up their intentions through the Tome of the Night Sky which controls us,' Zafira replied. "What's it like being connected to your master?" Zafira asked many of his masters over the years he was happy to be in the dark about their intentions but there were some especially Hayate that would have liked to have a connection to.

"It's hard to describe but it's like having a 6th sense attuned to Fate's well being. Right now I know she is very happy to be out with Nanoha and her friends right now. Oh now she is really embarrassed about something Nanoha did," Arf explained focusing on her connection to Fate. "Also I'm driven to do all I can for Fate but I still have my free will."

"Oh," Zafira replied. He never realized how deep the familiar bond was, he assumed it was similar to the bond her had with the Book of the Night Sky. While they did have some degree of free will, they had been driven to complete the book at all costs regardless of the costs. It took all of their strength to resist the books commands while initially living with Hayate.

"Well it doesn't look like she is here, and you're unusually talkative tonight what's up?" Arf said sliding up next to the large man.

"Nothing, I just wanted to understand the differences between guardian beasts and familiars," Zafira said skirting the issue of trying to gain some understanding of his own bonds.

Arf nodded in understanding. "Ah. So where to next, are there any other places Vita might hang out," Arf asked?

"I'm not sure I've already checked her usual hangouts and I can't catch any trace of her scent," Zafira replied growing worried this wasn't like her at all.

"Excuse me but did you say you were looking for Vita?" an older couple said walking up to the pair.

"Um, who are you?" Arf squeaked trying her best to hide her tail behind her while covering her ears up with her hands.

"Yes, how rude of me. My name is Kozo Fuyutsuki, and this is my good friend Yui Ikari," the older gentlemen said introducing himself and his much younger companion.

"You're one of the men Vita plays croquet with. She mentioned you once before something about an impossible trick shot," Zafira said.

"Yes, she was quite put out about that if I remember," Kozo replied.

"Are you two cosplaying, you're ears and tails look so cute?" Yui asked as Arf tried her best to keep her tail still.

"Yes, my friend and I were at a local anime event when Hayate called saying Vita hadn't come home yet and if we could check out the park," Zafira lied smoothly.

"How fun, your costume is so life like," Yui said reaching out to touch Arf's tail as Kozo pulled Zafira aside.

"Last week Vita came to me asking for advice on some nightmares she had. Specifically she wanted to know how to tell the difference between reincarnation and repressed memories, so I sent her to a friend that runs a shrine on the outskirts of Tokyo, so she might have gone their today and is simply running late taking the train back. Why don't we check out the train station, while I call my friend," Kozo said pulling out his cell phone.

"You didn't send him to that crazy monk did you?" Yui asked as they headed to the train station. Arf and Zafira were pleased to find the streets basically deserted to avoid the many stares their human forms would bring.

"Yes, but I thought he would be able to help Vita, besides Vita is more than capable of handling herself," Kozo replied attempting to calm his wife down. A quick call and a thank you later, Zafira and Arf were headed to the train station to try to catch up to Vita. They were a little slow however as Vita's train arrived several minutes before they did. Finding only an abandoned platform they figured Vita couldn't have gotten very far and split up to search the deserted station. Begrudgingly Zafira shifted back into his wolf form to better track Vita's faint scent and get home before his dinner went completely cold or worse Shamal decided to cook a snack for him. She had been getting a lot better recently but he still shuddered at the thought of some the dishes she made over the years.

As he searched the many platforms and concourses of the cavernous station following Vita's scent as she meandered through the station he had a sensation of déjà view. Despite the bright fluorescent lights illuminating the wide concourses his vision dimmed and the walls appeared to be closing in on him as dampness filled the air. He couldn't figure out why Vita would run off in the first place it wasn't like her to just up and disappear like this, Zafira thought as he tracked her scent into a series of caves on the edge of their property.

"Why would she go in here, she knows better than to come down here," Zafira said to himself as he navigated the natural labyrinth created by thousands of years of geological forces. Signum was frantic when they returned from another mission waiting for her daughter to jump into her arms only to find her missing along with her pet rabbit. Assuming that she probably just took the monster for a walk Zafira went looking for the wayward girl and her pet while Shamal and the master kept Signum company. Focused on following her scent he was caught completely unaware as a large mass leapt out of the darkness throwing him to the ground. With a mighty roar he threw his attacker off him instantly ready for the next attack catching the offending limb in his mouth. His attacker firmly caught he whipped his body around flinging the helpless animal into the wall of the cave.

"Hey keep your hands off my dog," Vita yelled out running up the concourse as a hapless animal control officer was flung into the wall.

"Keep your hands off Kaninchen," Zafira heard his niece yell out from further down the cavern. "Great beaten up by a bunny," Zafira groused as he dodged another strike from her pet or as he liked to call it the Rabbit from hell. She better hurry up and restrain that thing soon or it was snack time Zafira thought continuing to dog the massive bunny's attacks.

"I told you to leave my dog alone," Vita growled yanking the capture pole the animal control officer was currently using to restrain Zafira.

"The next time your mutant bunny attacks me its dinner, now come on home your mother is worried about you," Zafira said only for it to come out as a series of growls understood only by Vita.

"I'm sorry Zafira, but I wanted to take Kaninchen for a walk when broke off the leash and ended up in here," Vita replied holding back her giant pet.

"Ok but we need to get back your mother is worried sick about you," Zafira said.

"I'm sorry," Vita said as they made their way out of the cave.

As if her day wasn't crazy enough already now fate, destiny or whoever else was running the show decided to through another curveball at her as she lead Zafira out of the station. It seems as if I'm not the only one, mulling over Zafira's strange behavior. It was almost as if he was sleep walking with the way he was behaving. Who or what was Kaninchen and why does he want to eat it, better yet since when was Hayate her mother.

"Who's the pretty fox lady?" Zafira said spotting Arf near the exit of the station.

"That's Arf," Vita replied wondering what was going on inside her fellow guardian's brain.

"Oh is she a friend of yours do you think she could give Shamal some fashion lessons. I love your aunt but she way to conservative?" Zafira thought wondering what Shamal would look like in a similar outfit.

"Ok that's it, wake up you dumbass," Vita yelled as she cracked Zafira in the side of the head.

"Vita what was that for?" Arf called out racing over to help Zafira.

"He was sleeping walking and mumbling in his sleep again," Vita replied blushing furiously.

"See I told you showing a little more skin wouldn't hurt anyone Shamal," Zafira said looking up at Arf his eyes glassed over. "Oh you even added a tail cute,"

"I understand now," Arf said pushing the large dog off of her struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to flow. "At least now I know why he never reacted to any of my advances. I'm such a fool," Arf thought as she left the two cloud knights to their thoughts.

"Vita what's going on?" Zafira asked as he found himself lying on the ground nursing a massive headache.

"You were sleep walking you idiot," Vita replied arms crossed glowering at her fellow knight.

"Hu, I've never done that before," Zafira replied shaking his head trying to drive out the odd images running through it. "Must have been a good dream though," he thought glad that his thick fur covered his blush as an image of Shamal in a modified barrier jacket ran through his head.

"You back to normal or do I need to use Eisen to give you another readjustment," Vita asked holding the miniaturized form of Eisen in an outstretched hand.

"No. Here hope on it will be faster," Zafira said crouching down so Vita could hop on.

As they leapt from roof top to roof top Vita's world kept getting more confusing. What's going on he's never let me or anyone else ride on his back and yet it feels as if I've done this many times in the past.

Zafira on the other hand couldn't stop from wondering why he thought Vita was becoming more and more like her mother every day yet they were magical constructs none of them had a mother being created by the book. On top of that why did the thought of Shamal in a more revealing barrier jacket make him feel like a dog in heat while Arf did nothing for him?

Section Break

Saying good bye to her friends Hayate checked to make sure no one was coming before activating her knight's armor on the rooftop of the karaoke bar she spent the evening enjoying her friends company. While she was well on the way to recovery she knew the long walk back to her house was beyond her ability so she assured her over protective friends she would just fly home instead. As the bright flash of light signifying the donning of her knights armor subsided a voice called out from the darkness.

"Hayate," the voice called out.

"Frigid Dagger," Hayate intoned as numerous ice daggers surrounded the unknown voice.

"Wow, calm down, Hayate it's me Yunno," he called out as his ferret form slipped underneath the ring of daggers.

"Yuuno what are you doing here? Did you come to spy on Nanoha," Hayate giggled canceling the spell.

"No I just made a long distance teleport from a passing transport ship," Yuuno replied looking up at Hayate towering over him in his ferret form.

"What's the rush the Arthra would have dropped by in a few more days," Hayate said confused over boy's behavior.

"We need to talk and it couldn't wait," Yuuno replied.

"This is about Vita's outburst isn't what did you find," Hayate said slowly putting the pieces together.

"Yes," Yuuno said as Hayate scooped him up holding him at eye level.

"What did you find?" Hayate said her bright blue eyes filled with concern.

"I'll tell you on the way, your knights need to here this as well," Yuuno replied. A second later Hayate rocketed off the roof making a beeline for her home.