Whipped

Part 4: Soul Searching

Xx~~*~~xX

Nanoha closed her eyes, leaning her head back and focusing on the dull roar of the Milda's engines in an attempt to calm her nerves, and not entirely succeeding.

"She can't possibly be thinking of going after him!" Nanoha protested.

"That's why we need to know where she is," Hayate restated. "Did she say or do anything about where she might be going?"

"No, she didn't," Nanoha admitted, shaking her head.

Nanoha realized that they didn't exactly talk much after... what happened. But she felt fairly confident that there had been a breakthrough of sorts, and didn't even stop to consider that Fate would pull this kind of stunt. At least not without telling her.

"You are thinking about her again," Signum stated simply from the seat next to hers on the civilian transport. It wasn't a question.

"I have three tickets for a transport that leaves in two hours, and I want you and Teana on it," Hayate informed her succinctly.

"Three?" Nanoha questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Who is the third?"

Hayate half-smiled. "Signum. Other than you, she is the only other person I know who can take Fate down in a fight." Her smiled turned grim. "You have to either capture Bedge, or stop Fate any way you can."

Something occurred to Nanoha. "But what about-"

"Vita has already agreed to take over your classes for the next few days," Hayate finished for her. "You just focus on bringing Fate home."

Nanoha sighed, not bothering to deny the obvious. "I still can't believe she did this."

Nanoha wanted to talk about the exact reason why she knew Fate was in such serious trouble, but she wouldn't feel right sharing those kinds of details, even with Signum. Fate still had that weakness, and from what Nanoha knew of Bedge's magic style, Fate would lose and be hurt badly, or worse, even killed outright.

"Because she is a warrior," the Belkan knight stated matter-of-factly, and then noticed the look Nanoha was giving her. "Well, you are a warrior, too, of course. But of a different type, and so perhaps that is why you two complement each other so well in battle. What I mean to say, is that Testarossa is more like me. But she has been injured, up here," Signum tapped her head for emphasis, "and now feels she has redeem herself. The most terrifying opponent is the one in one's own mind, and that is something she seeks to conquer. She won't regain her warrior's pride until she does."

"But she'll get herself killed!" Nanoha repeated, exasperated.

Signum nodded sadly. "That is always the risk. But were it not Hayate's orders, I would normally let her attempt this. No matter how hard it might seem, there are times when you must let a warrior attempt to stand or fall on her own."

Nanoha shook her head. "Perhaps eventually, but I can't let her do that just yet."

"Ah," Signum said simply, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "I understand."

Teana picked that moment to return, sitting back down in the aisle seat. "I just talked to the captain. We'll be rendezvousing with the Bureau cruiser Liete in 20 minutes, which will take us the rest of the way to Alent."

That was the name of the world where Bedge had escaped to. It had a penal colony in system that he was being transported to, but he managed to break out of his cell as the ship was arriving and take an escape pod to the surface. The local authorities had launched a search, but by the time they found the pod, he was long gone.

"Even though all outbound traffic was immediately monitored and/or halted to ensure he couldn't get offworld, it's still a big planet," Teana noted. "We have our work cut out for us. Unless Fate decides to leave us some more clues."

"Can I speak to you for a minute?" Teana approached Nanoha and asked, as the pair waited to board.

Nanoha nodded. "What is it?"

"We didn't get a chance to speak much about it, but there was something unusual about the break-in," Teana explained. "Namely, that Fate used her access code at all."

"I don't understand," Nanoha said, perplexed.

"I've seen Fate use Bardiche to hack systems before," Teana elaborated. "She could have been in and out of my computer without leaving us a trace that it was her. Or at least in a manner that would take us days, if not weeks, to find out."

Nanoha's eyes lit up in understanding. "She deliberately told us what she was planning?"

"Or is really off her game, but I'd go with your explanation," Teana agreed. "I'm not entirely sure why, but I think part of her wants to be stopped."

Nanoha thought about what Lindy had told her about Fate's childhood, and nodded slightly. "I think you may be right."

Nanoha glanced out the window, the ever-shifting array of colors almost soothing as the ship traveled through the dimensional sea. "I think she will. I just hope we can find them and her, before she finds Bedge."

x~~*~~x

"...and here is the capsule," Marso indicated, waving his hand in the direction of the object. In addition to being their guide, he was the local police captain for this particular province of Alent. "Per your directions, we haven't touched it much. Just cordoned it off, took some pictures, and searched the area. We found some initial tracks in the mud, but only around the capsule, as you can see."

"So our quarry escaped by air," Signum concluded.

"That was our thought," Marso agreed, nodding. "Unfortunately, he must have kept his flight low, below the treetops, so we were unable to track him. I'm sorry we don't have more for you."

"That's okay, thanks for all your help," Teana reassured him, then brought out her device while heading towards the escape capsule. "I'll interface Cross Mirage with the capsule's computer; maybe I can learn something."

[Had Fate even been here?] Nanoha wondered, then immediately discarded that thought. [Of course she would; she'd have to begin her investigation the same way we did. But then, what way did she go? Did she find anything here?]

"As I do not have the detective skills you possess, I would like to join your search teams, Captain Marso," Signum declared, then turned to the silent brunette. "Nanoha, what will you do?"

Lost in thought, Nanoha jerked her head up. "Um, I think I'll look around, too, but by myself. It'll be easier that way, with the search spells I have prepared."

Teana leapt into the capsule and settled into the seat. "Then we'll check back in with each other in... two hours. Or earlier if you find something."

Signum gave a short head nod before heading off with Marso. "Ah, will do."

Nanoha gave a nod as well, then activated her barrier jacket and took to the sky, releasing dozens of pink orbs in all directions. The Wide Area Search was one of her first original spells, made up in the heat of the moment, but she had refined and improved it greatly in the years since. It had proven critical in finding Quattro in the Cradle so she could free Vivio, but as Nanoha flew just above the treetops, she wondered if it would do any good here. The criminal Bedge had flown away, probably leaving no trail. Fate would have tried to follow him similarly, so would there really be anything to find? And what would Nanoha even say to her, if she found Fate?

That last question was weighing more and more on her mind, especially as it went back to her last encounter with Fate. Her cheeks reddening slightly at the recollection of the spanking she had administered, and she was beginning to wonder what she had been thinking. Somehow, at the time, it had seemed like a good idea, but she wasn't so sure now. Fate had become much more... demure and passive in the wake of the action, which Nanoha took to be a sign she had gotten over her stubborn streak about this whole thing. But then the woman had up and disappeared on this quest to bring Bedge back in.

Not that Nanoha could really blame her; being an Enforcer was in Fate's blood. She wanted to use her power to save as many children as she could, to prevent sad things from happening like they had with Hayate. In much the same way, Nanoha wanted to teach, and she couldn't imagine not being able to spread her wings in the sky anymore. That's why she ha fought so desperately to come back from her near-crippling accident.

[Both of us are similar in that regard,] Nanoha mused. [We both have things we live to do, and we'll both go through anything to keep doing it.]

As the greenery passed by beneath her, the question still murked about in the back of her mind: What would she say and do if - Nanoha shook her head - when she found Fate? Although, despite the change in her assertion, she was beginning to realize that Fate would only be found, if the woman wanted to be found.

"Master!" Raging Heart chirped, bringing her up short. Her device opened a holographic screen once Nanoha had fully stopped in mid-air.

And her mouth dropped open at the familiar sight. Raging Heart opened a picture in a second screen to compare and confirm with the first image, although it didn't need to; Nanoha recognized the picture almost immediately. In the second screen, there was a child's drawing by Vivio, done shortly after a field trip to Earth. It contained four specific animals she had learned about while visiting Nanoha's parents in Japan. One of them matched up to blackened outline on a large rock face that one of her orbs had discovered. Analysis left no doubt that lightning had etched the image into the stone.

It was Vivio's interpretation of Byakko, the White Tiger, also known as the guardian of the west.

No one else could possibly recognize the crude, childish almost stick-figure like drawing for what it was, which only meant one thing: Fate deliberately left it for Nanoha to find. Fate had headed west, and didn't want anyone else coming. The implications were clear.

Nanoha opened a communication channel. "Teana? This is Nanoha. I may have found something, but it might be nothing. I'm going to follow it up anyway, so I'll be moving further away. I'll get back to you later."

"I might be on to something, too," came the reply. "Cross Mirage confirms that Bardiche accessed the capsule's systems, but then deleted the data. I've patched a link in with Shari, and together with Cross Mirage, we're going to try and reconstruct the data. No idea how long it will take, or whether we'll even find anything of interest. Keep me posted on what you find, and good luck!"

Nanoha signed off and took a breath, before heading off to the west.

Good luck, indeed.

x~~*~~x

Hope had gradually turned into frustration and despair as the day wore on. By sundown, despite some progress, Nanoha didn't feel any closer to finding Fate. Oh sure, she had found crude childish drawings of Suzaku and Sei-Ryu, code for south and then east, but that was it. The path had led her through a couple of villages, but no one had seen anyone with her description, nor Bedge's. That gave rise to an uncomfortable thought.

[Did Fate change her mind?] she wondered, then immediately tried to shake that thought. [She's led me this far, so I have to believe it was for a reason.]

But she had to admit it was hard to cling to that hope, now that the sun was going down. As she flew just above the trees, she realized she should find a place to spend the night, and resume the search tomorrow in a refreshed mood. The dark clouds roiling above her made her especially anxois about spending the night outside; some cover would be nice. Just when she was wondering if she'd have to rough it, she spotted smoke rising in the distance, from a lone cabin's chimney among the trees. The flash of a solitary lightning bolt nearby, made her heart jump for some reason.

[Just in time,] she mused as she landed in front of the cabin and stepped under the eaves overhanging the front door while deactivating her barrier jacket. Several rain drops had begun to fall, but Nanoha ignored that and knocked on the door. However, there was no response from within, and a quick check of the windows revealed darkness inside. [That's odd; smoke indicates a fire within, but is there no one here?] Curious, she tried the doorknob and found it unlocked.

The door whined loudly as it swung slowly open, and Nanoha took a hesitant step forward. "Hello? Anyone here? I don't mean to intrude, but I was curious if I could spend the night here."

She waited just past the door for several minutes, before a voice finally answered her. "Don't come any closer."

Nanoha paused, her heart immediately tightening in her chest as she dared entertain the thought. "Fate-chan?"

There was a bit of hesitation, before she received a "...yes."

Nanoha took a step forward, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness while the door closed behind her. "We've been looking for you and-"

"Don't come any closer!" Fate repeated the command, but despite the forcefulness, Nanoha could detect a tinge of fear there and it made her heart tighten in her chest once more.

"I won't," she replied, pausing. The particular angle of the windows meant that only a little light spilled in from the occasional lightning flashes outside, just enough for Nanoha to detect a bit of shadow movement from the upper level. She could just make out a ladder that led to an open loft. "But we've been worried about you. And I followed your signs, so you must have wanted me here."

Fate's sigh was clearly audible. "I knew you'd come, probably along with Teana. I figured Hayate would send you. I wanted to tell you not to interfere, and let me finish what I started. I need to do this."

"I know you do," Nanoha spoke softly into the darkness. "I know what it's like to feel helpless, and to want to get back out there prove one is still capable." Her voice turned a bit stern as she directed her gaze upwards once more. "You could have told them that directly via a communication. But you left clues for me to follow, that only I would know how to interpret, so that you could see me in person. Why?"

"I..." Fate began, and then paused as lightning flashed once more outside. "I wanted to apologize in person for leaving like I did. It wasn't fair to you, but I also knew you'd try to stop me."

"Do you know why I would have?" Nanoha inquired, trying to keep her talking while also trying to think of how to get her down from up there. From what she could detect, Fate was near a window. Nanoha knew the moment she attempted to go up there, Fate would be out that window and miles away, and Nanoha knew she was no match for the other woman's speed.

The response was near immediate, but the tone was soft. "I know. I've had a lot of time to think. I'm not so blind as to deny the reason. Mother, Precia... abused me. I was able to accept that a long time ago, although I tried not to think of it much. Whenever she raised her hand or an object, I just knew I had done something wrong and so deserved to be punished. After a time, I learned to almost... disconnect my mind from my body. It was subconscious reaction that I thought I had overcome and put behind me long ago, but for some reason, it's back." There was a pause, and now that Nanoha's eyes were mostly adjusted to the dim light level, she could vaguely see Fate's lowered head suddenly rise up. "I appreciate you trying to help me, but I need to face him. I need to face this. It's the only way to overcome it. I'm no good to anyone like this!"

Fate's voice had gradually grown in volume and fierce determination as she spoke, but Nanoha could still detect the doubt underneath. As she searched for words, she dimly realized that the patter of rain on the roof had slowly increased in frequency and volume, and now presented a tempo backdrop to their conversation.

"And I want to let you, but I know what will happen if you try to fight Bedge!" Nanoha countered, equally as fierce.

"So we're at an impasse," Fate noted impassively. "But you can't stop me. I'm sorry, but I need to do this."

Words finally failed Nanoha. She needed to think of something, anything, to say to stop Fate, but for once in her life, she didn't know. She couldn't just fight Fate, either, as the other woman wouldn't even give her the chance. So what would?

"You could have told me all this in an e-mail, or some other form of communication," Nanoha slowly reasoned. "But you wanted me here. You led me here. Why? You never answered that question." Teana's words and reasoning came back to her. "You want me to stop you, don't you?"

"What? No!" Fate blurted almost immediately, hands immediately going up in a waving defensive posture. "I just..."

Nanoha pressed her advantage. "Then why? You said yourself that you know when punishment was deserved. I think a part of you knows that, at least."

Silence greeted her, only broken up by the rain's steady tempo upon the roof. Had she pushed too far? Nanoha was beginning to doubt the wisdom of her words.

"Why did you..." Fate started to say eventually, her voice strangely curious and hesitant. Nanoha was taken aback; was Fate... flustered? "Why did you... do that?"

"What do you mean?" Nanoha questioned, clueless. And then almost immediately, the only thing Fate could be referring to, came to mind. And it made Nanoha's ears heat up. "Oh... that." For once, she was grateful for the darkness. But why had she done that? Suddenly, the reasons escaped her; only the feeling remained that it somehow made sense at the time. "I'm not sure... did I make you uncomfortable?" She immediately cursed herself; what a stupid thing to say!

"A little," Fate admitted, which caused Nanoha's hear to sink, but then it was buoyed again by the next words from the other woman's lips. "But I also felt strangely... comforted."

That brought Nanoha up short. "Comforted?" There was an odd note in Fate's voice, that Nanoha couldn't quite decipher.

Fate shook her head. "I don't know. Anyway, I've said what I needed to. I'm going to leave now."

"Wait!" Nanoha cried, taking a step forward even as she sensed Fate move closer to the window on the upper level. She really felt that if she let Fate leave now, she'd never see the other woman again.

"Please, don't try and stop me!" Fate's voice firm, but trembling voice pleaded. "Let me do this!"

Nanoha thought quickly. "I won't stop you... but what if I can give you a better chance?"

That seemed to make Fate pause. "...what do you mean? I have to fight him alone. You can't help."

Nanoha risked a step forward, biting her lip. "I know that. But I think I know some... training, that might help you deal with your blackout issue."

Moth_to_A_Flame's words echoed in her mind. "I can't say exactly what you can do, as each situation is unique, but it has to be brought out somehow and confronted, and then dealt with. For us, we managed to turn the source of the fear into a source of joy and love."

"There's no time for anymore training," Fate replied, clearly doubtful. "I know where he'll be tomorrow, and I plan to confront him then."

"Tonight," Nanoha countered, blood pumping loudly in her ears. "This training will only take one night. And then I promise, regardless of the results, I'll let you confront him tomorrow. I'll even stop Signum and Teana from finding you before then. I promise."

The rain on the roof and the thunder that occasionally crashed outside, was near-deafening in the silence that followed. Nanoha was betting everything on this, and her heart and mind was pleading for Fate to accept. She was holding her breath, as if even the act of exhaling would cause Fate to reconsider, or to disappear during the next flash of lightning.

Please let this work!

Fate's eventual reply was a bit hesitant. "You promise to let me go, regardless of how things work out?"

Nanoha understood she was being given a chance here, and if she attempted anything beyond the promise, the trust would be broken. Her voice was firm, if a bit wavering. "I promise."

And then Fate was suddenly in front of her, curiosity and uneasiness written across her now easily-visible facial features. "So... what is this training?"

x~~*~~x

She couldn't see Nanoha clearly in the darkness, but she almost got the impression the other woman was hesitating. Fate had to admit, she was a bit curious about what Nanoha had in mind; what could possibly prepare her for Bedge? And then whatever contemplation the brunette had been going through must have ended, for Nanoha raised her left arm.

Fate's eyes widened in surprised as she she found herself lifted slightly off the floor, arms pulled to the sides while circular pink binds snapped into place onto wrists and ankles."Nanoha...? What...?"

And then her long time, most precious friend was hugging her tightly, speaking with a soft voice into Fate's left ear. "Do you trust me?"

Something about the way she said it, and the way Fate could detect the almost imperceptible tremble coming from Nanoha's body, made Fate's heart do a little jump. "Y-yes, of course."

"Then always remember, it's me, and I'm here," Nanoha spoke softly, almost breathlessly.

Before Fate could question that, a surprised yelp escaped her lips as a sharp pain streaked across her backside, as if she had been struck with something.

No, that wasn't quite right; Fate's body knew exactly what is was: the lash of a whip. But both of Nanoha's arms were still holding her, squeezing a bit tighter, so Fate realized this must have been some sort of magic spell in play. And all at once, she realized exactly what Nanoha had in mind, and it terrified her.

Then it lashed out again before she could speak or protest, sending another agonizing streak diagonally down her backside again, and once more Fate's voice cried out. "N-Nanoha...!"

But almost immediately, Nanoha's hands were there, softly rubbing the searing wound that was left behind, still speaking softly into Fate's ear. "Shh, it's okay, I'm here. But you must endure, because you did a bad thing."

The words, and the breath of her ear, made her shiver involuntarily, but it wasn't just due to those. The fingers had touched skin, which made Fate realize the lashing magic had torn open the back of her barrier jacket. The combined sensations had left her trembling; if it wasn't for the binds, she would have easily collapsed. She felt weak, like a rag doll, helpless, and no longer in control of her body at all.

A third strike came in almost immediately, eliciting another pained cry, and she found her vision blurring. At first she thought she was going to pass out, but then she realized that there were tears in her eyes. [When did they get there?]

*crack!* *crack!*

A fourth and a fifth followed in quick succession, and she found she had lost control of her voice as a combined hiccup and sniffle escaped after the pained cry. And then Nanoha's fingers were there once more, gently stroking the searing flesh on her backside, and somehow, that kept her from breaking down completely. Still, tears were now burning streams down her cheeks, almost just as hot as the streaks on her back.

*crack!*

She was expecting it that time, her whole body tensing for the impact, and thus somehow managed to hang onto consciousness, although she wasn't quite sure why. She even managed to find some control over voice, but barely. "N-Nano-ha... I-I..."

"Do you want to stop?" The question was simultaneously full of tenderness, worry, and concern.

Even through her blurred vision, Fate realizing that Nanoha had pulled back a bit and was looking at her, although she could barely make anything out. At this moment, she didn't know what she wanted; she just felt like a blubbering, helpless mess. The only thing she did comprehend, was that she didn't want Nanoha to see the tears in her eyes for some reason, and quickly shut them while lowering her head.

Still, the question rang in her mind, and she was about to cry to be let go. Being restricted like this, and being hit to tears like this was embarrassing, almost more so than the spanking that had been delivered a couple of days ago. She was literally helpless, being unable to muster any strength to even attempt to break the binds.

Her mouth opened and closed a few times, before she finally managed to squeak out a deathly quiet: "...no..." The small word that escaped her lips, shocked her even as she was uttering it.

"Fate-chan?"

Keeping her face lowered to hide her burning face, Fate tried again. "...keep going..."

There was a moment of silence, and then Nanoha's arms were around her again. Fate bit her lip while burrowing her head into Nanoha's neck, preparing herself for the next strike. She didn't have to wait long.

*crack!*

x~~*~~x

When Nanoha started this, she was dubious as to whether it would work. However, she was also finding that she had greatly underestimated just how hard it would be to do. She had hit Fate with magic before, and never hesitated to hold back in any of their sparring matches, but this was different. To Nanoha, magic was a way to fight without harming the opponent, but she was doing the exact opposite here: cause pain without knocking Fate out. It literally went against every fiber of her being, both as a mage, and as a friend.

That feeling was emphasized when the "training" resumed and Fate's whole body jolted with the next strike, her head flying back as another painful cry was ripped from her lips. Each time Fate cried out, temporarily overpowering the sound of pattering rain on the roof, Nanoha felt like a stake was being driven further into her own heart, as if her whole body was feeling each impact, too.

But there was a higher directive in play here, Nanoha realized. If she didn't do this, Fate coudl very well end up dead or worse. So if she had to descend into uncomfortable areas to save the life of her best friend, she would. And it was a promising sign that Fate had yet to pass out, though Nanoha didn't know why. Perhaps it was because she couldn't actually see the "whip" that was hitting her. Nanoha had modified a Divine Shooter spell to have a single orb deliver the strikes in a whip-like fashion.

*crack!*

"NrrgAHH!" came the scream again, although Fate had tried to bite her lip to muffle it.

Nanoha embraced Fate again, running a hand up through her hair and whispering into her ear. "I'm here. I do this because because I care about you.

Instantly, Fate buried her head into Nanoha's shoulder and chest. And almost immediately, Nanoha felt wetness begin to spread along her shirt as Fate's shaking and heaving body sobbed into it.

When she had first started, she had been holding onto Fate mostly to steady herself, keenly aware of just how monumental a step she was taking. So she was partially wondering just who was supporting whom at the moment. But she was Nanoha, and she never backed down from a fight, no matter how tough things seemed; and she wasn't about to start now.

*crack!*

"NanohAAAHHH!"

Fate's head was torn from Nanoha's shoulder, and the scream laden with such pain and ferocity, that Nanoha felt her gut wrench. "Fate-chan..."

And somewhere along the line, Fate's arms had come to encircle Nanoha in return, and both girls were know kneeling on the carpeted floor. Had she subconsciously canceled the bind spell? Or had Fate broken it in her desire to hold onto Nanoha? And just how long did she plan to let this go on again?

With Fate now releasing great, uncontrollable sobs into her shirt, Nanoha lost her resolve and canceled the spell. Great, big, heaving cries that into Nanoha's chest, that nearly broke her heart. But more surprising, was that Nanoha found her own eyes leaking, unsure as to when that started. However, she ignored her own discomfort, and concentrated on soothing Fate's painful and heartrending wails.

"Let it all out, it's okay," Nanoha soothed, stroking Fate's hair and back softly.

Words were barely audible, both through the weeping and also partially muffled by Nanoha's chest. "Sh-she d-didn't... sh-she... n-never..." Fate broke down again, clenching fist-full's of Nanoha's shirt as she bawled like a child who gotten hurt badly.

For the next hour, Nanoha just held the sobbing girl as she blubbered and cried herself out. Somehow, something had changed, and something had broken loose within Fate. And although Nanoha wasn't sure what, all that was important was being the source of comfort she needed right now.

And above them both, the rain fell heavily.

x~~*~~x

"I'm sorry," came the first spoken words in a long while.

"No, I should be apologizing!" Nanoha insisted back.

After the waterworks had finally faded, quiescence had reigned, broken only by the light pattering of rain on the roof, now reduced to a very sparse tempo. Neither woman had seen fit to break the silence, perhaps not knowing quite what to say. And when Fate shivered, Nanoha had realized that, with her backside bare, Fate must have been getting cold. She was feeling a bit chilly herself, given her now-damp shirt. So she started a small fire in the fireplace with a spell and found a blanket to wrap around both of them.

Fate shook her head, still gazing at the dancing flames as if unable to meet Nanoha's gaze. "No. I... need to explain something."

Nanoha paused, curious, watching the reflection of the flames in Fate's eyes.

"I... never cried about it, before," Fate tried to explain after searching for the words for a few moments. "I came to terms long ago, over the fact that mother, my first one, didn't love me. At least, I thought I did. When Lindy adopted me, she truly treated me like I had always hoped my real mother would have."

In that moment, when Fate paused to find her words again, Nanoha began to get a glimmer of what might have been going on in Fate's soul. "You never cried over how she treated you, did you?"

Fate shook her head sadly, showcasing just how close to the mark Nanoha had come. "I bottled up my feelings while I was with her, and after you helped me come out of it, I think I latched onto you in order to not think about it. I never really dealt with it. When you... hit me..." Fate stumbled over the words, her face reddening a bit, "I realized how different it was from when Precia did it. She did it out of hate, but you were... different..."

"Fate-chan..."

"I don't think I can say anymore right now, but..." Fate leaned over and rested her head on Nanoha's left shoulder. "Thank you."

That brought a small smile to Nanoha's face, even a she wrapped her arm around Fate's shoulders. "You're welcome." But inside, she was still troubled. "So, are you still going to...?"

"Yes," Fate answered with a slight nod. "I'm still going after him. I still really feel I need to do this."

Nanoha let out a small sigh of resignation and disappointment, but she supposed she still understood. And then Fate's hand found hers under the shared blanket and gave it a squeeze while she yawned.

"Still," Fate continued, her voice strangely sounding small and embarrassed. "I might... you could..." She fumbled over the words, pausing as if to gather her thoughts better. "Another... training session might help..."

Nanoha wasn't quite sure what to think of that, but as she yawned and squeezed back, she decided not to think about it for now. For some reason, she felt better, as if something had passed between them. But then her thoughts turned toward tomorrow and Fate's confrontation with Bedge, and she realized the horrible doubts in her heart remained, the question lingered at the edge of her mind.

Would it be enough?

x~~*~~x

"I am sorry, I have lost her trail," Signum stated at the two holographic screens, displeasure evident in her voice. But the other two members in the conversation knew that the Belkan knight's disapproval was directed solely at herself for failing.

"Don't blame yourself, Signum," Teana soothed. "Nanoha's large search spell radius inevitable meant that you had to stay far back in order to not be detected." She then turned toward the third person. "But you were right; somehow Nanoha knew how to find Fate."

Hayate sighed from her own screen. "It was more a hunch that, if Fate would contact anyone, it would be Nanoha. But she couldn't have gone too far, so keep looking."

"You really think Nanoha will fail to stop Fate?" Teana questioned, raising an eyebrow. The difference in teaching styles was quite evident to her during the course of her training in Riot Force Six. Nanoha was ever the tough drill sergeant, almost even with Vita, while Fate was generally more reserved and caring. "I've seen both of them fight. Even if Nanoha loses, Fate isn't going to be in any shape to continue, and we should be able to pick up a magical battle of that magnitude. And I can't imagine Nanoha letting Fate off the hook here."

The Captain of Investigations leaned back in her office chair after a moment of thought. "I don't think Nanoha would; I've known them both a long time. But on the other hand, I can't afford to lose sight of the bigger picture here. There are protocols that have to be followed, and the Alent government is only tentatively cooperating with us to apprehend a criminal. If this spirals out of control, they could kick us out. We're already on bad terms for losing a criminal on their planet." She paused, her look softening. "And Fate is one of my best friends; I can't let her destroy herself or her career, so I can't take chances."

Something unpleasant moved in Teana's gut; she felt as if she were encroaching on private territory here. While she was aware of most of the back history between these three Aces of the Bureau, it was something else to see those feelings on display. She had the distinct feeling that there was a great deal that went on back then that she wasn't privy to. It was also something else to see these people whom she had always seen as very close, end up fighting each other like this.

Signum nodded, her facial features hardening. "Then my current orders stand?"

"Yes," Hayate confirmed with a short nod. "Find Fate and bring her back, no matter what."

Xx~~*~~xX

Author's notes:

Was planning on 4 parts, possibly 5, but it looks like it will be 5 parts, possibly 6. We shall see... Anyway, sorry about taking so long to post the next part; certain actions of a rabid nanofate person causes me to lose my motivation to write nanofate things. Most of you are good and accepting of others' viewpoints, but there is that one or two who are close-minded and ruin things for everyone.