A/N: This is a sequel to what became the third chapter of VHFMT, "What's in a Name, Anyway?" Having come to the sudden realization that her significant other has, in fact, been an elite officer of the Interdimensional Forces of Evil (tm) all along and that she was just too thick to notice, Nanoha now has to decide what she's going to do about it...
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"I just can't believe it," Nanoha stammered. Clearly, the Ace of Aces was having difficulty adapting to the idea that her treasured Fate-chan was apparently as much of a Minion of Evil as when they'd met ten years ago. "How did I miss this? Why didn't anybody tell me the TSAB was an oppressive regime ruling the dimensions with an iron fist?"
"We all thought you knew," Fate answered helplessly. "I mean, why else did you think they let me off after my trial without punishment? Good pre-trained recruits are hard to find!"
"But...but...what about when we saved Hayate and stopped the Book of Darkness? Or the whole incident with Jail Scaglietti? I mean, we were heroes...weren't we?"
"Do you realize what letting whole worlds get blown up does to your tax base? What's so heroic about efficient resource management? And...just because we're not nice doesn't mean we're crazy."
"Mou..."
"Should I have Yuuno find you a copy of that Evil Overlord List from the Infinite Library?"
"Fate-chan!" Nanoha wailed.
"Nanoha..." Fate reached out a hand to her, but Nanoha flinched back.
"I...I'm sorry, Fate-chan. I just need some time..."
"I'm still the same person I've always been, Nanoha. I really do love you."
"I know, I just..." She shook her head, then turned and ran off, leaving a stricken Fate standing in the street, staring after her with glistening eyes.
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Fate sighed heavily as the door to the apartment she and Nanoha shared slid open. It had been a very long afternoon; reducing one's beloved to tears over lunch could do that to a day. Oddly, she noticed that the lights were on, but dimmed to around thirty percent.
"Nanoha? Are you home?"
"Mmmmf."
The sound was muffled and came from the bedroom. It wasn't a crying-into-the-pillow kind of sound; maybe she'd fallen asleep and Fate's arrival had woken her up. At least she hasn't moved out, Fate thought with relief, and followed the sound. When she reached the door, she stopped in her tracks, mouth sagging open.
Nanoha lay spread-eagled on the bed, the light of the dozen or so candles burning around the room painting her skin bronze. A great deal of that skin was revealed, because all she wore besides a strategically ripped camisole were lengths of crimson silk cord tied in intricate patterns across her body and securing her ankles to the bedposts. The muffled voice had been because she had another length of cord between her teeth; it was tying her wrists together and to the headboard and she was using her mouth to tighten off the last knot.
"N-Nanoha?"
The Ace of Aces gave her head one last twist, pulling the cord tight, then spat it out.
"Hi, Fate-chan!"
"What are you doing?"
Nanoha blinked.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm the innocent maiden kept at the mercy of the cruel Enforcer, who's going to use my nubile young body to satisfy all of her perverse lusts!"
